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"I heard the lantern rite is coming up in a couple of weeks. I figured you should enjoy it and have a change of scenery and people." Buer brought up during my newish daily routine of helping with her paperwork. "I'm perfectly fine here and I don't need to attend this stupid rite." I spat out through clenched teeth. Then I looked at her sparkly emerald eyes and noticed that her lips were trembling. "Please Wanderer you won't be entirely with unfamiliar people. Traveler will be there. I want to experience it through you as Sumeru's representative." A sigh of resignation leaves my lips. "Fine but I'll only see it as your representative. And you got to at least give me enough Mora for the journey here and back with some for souvenirs." Lesser Lord Kasunali excitedly nodded her head. "That's only fair since it oh so puts you out Wanderer." I can't believe she had the audacity to even smirk after that sentence. I feel my eyes rolling. "Let's get back to work. These sage resumes can't be filtered out while we're talking." A peaceful silence descends.
~~~~~~~~~~~~Several days later~~~~~~~~~
"Here's the promised Mora , have fun and please make some friends, Wanderer." Nahida cheerfully exclaimed. "Oh and remember to buy some glasswork. I heard Lyuie's is surprisingly good at it." For some weird reason Nahida winked at me. I shrugged my shoulders and started my trek that I've walked once upon a time before I got the sins of my past incarnation.
~~~~~~~~~~~Several more days later~~~~~~
On this day a towering ruin looked way more fun than the rite I'm supposed to attend. "Winds rise" I exclaimed to a nonexistent audience. Speeding the top while also stepping on some hillichurls and abyss mages to take out some of my frustration at the waste of time festival. I must attend or else nahida would irritate me enough that I would rather go to it then stay a second longer. But before I could fully reach the top of the ruin. The simple sound of a grass flute stopped me in my tracks. I slowed my steps. While trying to tamper down the welling curiosity of who could be on a ruin before the sun sets in the false sky.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~---!?---~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I turned the last corner to spy a white haired guy with a familiar red streak. Before I could ask a burning question. "The wind told me that you also come from afar." The ronin gently spoke. Cutting through my thoughts like his simple sword could cut through a hillichurls mask. "What else does the wind tell you, Ronin?" "It tells of tempest tamed and a sapling wishing to see more of the light. What about you stranger? What brings you here near lantern's rite nights?" "To see those oh so famous lanterns and apparently glasswork?" Somehow feeling at ease like I'm talking with Niwa. "What's your name, stranger in twilight hue?" "Just call me Wanderer if you choose" Nuts his poetry must be getting to me to be rhyming this way. I swiftly swallow plain panic. "Same question to you Ronin." "My name is Keadahara Kazuha. And may I join you for the lantern rite, Wanderer?"