Smith tilted his head, feeling that Nashida's description sounded a bit strange. However, considering that she often made odd remarks, he wasn't too surprised. If he really thought about it, Keqing had indeed gone through something similar to a marathon.
Today, Keqing would probably take a break. But since she was one of the Seven Stars of Liyue and a workaholic, it was unusual for her not to oversee others working. If Keqing didn't show up for work, most people would assume Smith had taken her outside Liyue Harbor for business, which was a normal occurrence.
"Keqing is still human, after all, and needs to eat," Smith muttered to himself. "Someone in this house will have to prepare food. It's always a good idea to get something she likes."
He was worried that if he stayed with Keqing, he might end up dragging her into more work, which was not ideal considering her current condition.
"Is that so?" Nashida was about to agree when Smith raised his eyebrows slightly. He took out a Pokémon egg—the one that Mew had given him earlier. After a few days of incubation, the egg had started emitting a faint glow.
"What is that?" Nashida asked, recognizing it from her research. "Is that a Pokémon egg?"
"Yeah, but I have no idea what's inside," Smith replied, staring at the egg with anticipation. He doubted Mew would give him an egg without reason, especially since he could sense something special about it. Zhongli, after all, had managed to get Mewtwo as a disciple, and Smith had been envious of that. He wondered what kind of Pokémon he would get.
"There's a very special aura coming from it," Nashida observed. "It feels like the presence of a god. And... it feels strangely familiar."
Smith raised an eyebrow. "When we traveled to the Pokémon world, we brought back a lot of Pokémon and eggs. You could pick one to be your companion. Although you already have your followers, the Lanaro's situation is still complicated because of the war five hundred years ago. Otherwise, they wouldn't have ignored you all these years."
"Lanaro..." Nashida murmured, deep in thought. She hadn't had the chance to interact with them properly.
Suddenly, the Pokémon egg in Smith's hands cracked. The fissure spread quickly until the shell shattered, revealing a small, pink kitten-like Pokémon.
"Is that you?" Smith's eyes widened in surprise. He had expected something rare, but he hadn't anticipated this. Mew hadn't just given him an egg—it had given him a part of itself.
"Mew!" The tiny creature floated up, rubbing its face against Smith's cheek before looking curiously at both him and Nashida.
Smith chuckled. "So, you're a fragment of Mew? Not exactly its child, but more like an extension of its power?"
Mew nodded enthusiastically before looking around, taking in its new surroundings.
"This is quite similar to how I was created from the Great Compassion Tree King," Nashida mused. "But even though it's a part of Mew, it still carries Mew's consciousness and memories."
Smith smirked. "That makes you my partner now. But tell me, will this separation have any impact on the original Mew?"
Mew tilted its head before responding with a series of chirps. "Mew! (It'll need a few years of rest to recover.)"
"Well, in that case, welcome aboard," Smith said, patting its tiny head. "Just so you know, this world is dangerous—much more so than your world. Some humans here are as strong as gods, and if someone like the Doctor finds out about you, they'll want to experiment on you."
"Indeed," Nashida agreed. "There are many people who would love to study a creature as powerful as you. It's best to be cautious."
Mew giggled and floated up, settling comfortably on Smith's head.
Smith sighed, feeling its small form rest there. "Well, other travelers have Paimon... and now I have Mew."
The thought amused him. If Paimon didn't attract much attention, then surely a small, floating Pokémon wouldn't either.
"Let's go buy some food," Smith suggested, glancing at Nashida.
"Alright," Nashida agreed, though she was reluctant to take her eyes off Mew. She felt a deep connection with it, but considering that Smith had hatched it, she couldn't just claim it as her own. That would be too unfair.
---
Meanwhile, in the bustling streets of Liyue Harbor, Ningguang and Jean walked side by side.
"You're leaving so soon? Why not stay in Liyue for a few more days?" Ningguang asked. "We still can't give you a definite answer about the Fatui situation, and I do apologize for that."
Ningguang had a good impression of Jean but felt that she hadn't quite adjusted to her role yet. Jean was no longer just a knight—she was the Acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius. As a leader, she needed to be more decisive and strategic, not just act as a dutiful soldier.
Jean's expression was firm. "I'd like to stay longer, but Mondstadt is still facing turmoil because of Lord Tevarin. Until this matter is resolved, chaos will persist, which also affects trade between Liyue and Mondstadt."
She turned to Ningguang. "Once again, I'm grateful for your help. Without Smith's guidance, we might never have uncovered the truth behind this situation."
Jean already had a plan in mind. Since Tevarin's condition was caused by the toxic blood of the dragon Durin, she intended to find Albedo. As one of the most skilled alchemists in Teyvat, and the creation of Gold, Rhinedottir, there was a chance he could craft an antidote.
Ningguang nodded but remained quiet. If Jean knew Smith's true opinion of Mondstadt, she might not be so friendly toward him. After all, for Jean, Mondstadt was more important than anything else. Smith had, on multiple occasions, voiced his criticism of Mondstadt's people in private. Though his words were truthful, the truth could sometimes be painful to hear.
"Hey, Ningguang, isn't that Smith?" Jean suddenly asked, her gaze landing on a familiar figure in the crowd. "And who's that girl with him?"
According to her knowledge, Smith and Keqing were romantically involved. Yet here he was, walking around with another girl, casually buying breakfast.
Ningguang followed Jean's gaze and spotted Smith alongside Nashida. "I know that girl. She's quite an interesting person."
However, Ningguang's focus was more on the small pink creature on Smith's head. If she remembered correctly, that was Mew. It had significantly shrunk in size compared to what she had seen before, but it was unmistakably the same being from the live broadcast.
Jean hesitated before deciding not to approach them. Though she wanted to say goodbye, she and Smith were not particularly close.
Meanwhile, Nashida also noticed Jean watching them. "Is that Jean, the Acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius?" she asked softly.
Smith nodded. "Yeah. She's here because of Mondstadt's troubles with the dragon. But it looks like she's preparing to leave."
Nashida was intrigued. With Barbatos absent, Jean had taken on the role of leading Mondstadt. From what Nashida could sense, Jean possessed a noble spirit, something far beyond what figures like Azar could ever achieve.
Smith patted her head. "Let's go pick up some clothes I had made for Keqing. Do you want to get some, too?"
"Clothes?" Nashida hesitated. She had never needed to change her attire before, as divine power allowed her to summon garments at will. But the idea of tailored clothes seemed interesting.
Smith grinned. "It's a good shop. Pricey, but worth it."
With that, they continued on their way, leaving Jean and Ningguang to their own thoughts.
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