Chapter Fifteen: The Eternal Weakness of Youth (3300 words)

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Little Paimon felt deeply wronged, unable to understand why the boy who had just saved her now looked at her with such a cold, piercing gaze. Was he blaming her for leading the Hilichurls to him? But she hadn’t done it on purpose.

The amnesiac Little Paimon had woken up to find herself inexplicably in a strange valley. While wondering why she was there, she accidentally stumbled into a Hilichurl tribe. Soon after, she was chased by those ravenous Hilichurls all the way to this place, where she met the boy.

The boy displayed great power, wiping out the Hilichurls. She admired his strength and felt excited, because her simple little mind immediately thought: since he was so strong, if she just stuck with him, she wouldn't have to worry about monsters chasing her again.

With that thought, she eagerly flew over, wanting to get to know him better. But before she could get close, his sharp, cold gaze froze her in place. She didn’t realize that his cold look was because it stirred up bad memories; she only thought he was angry that she had led the Hilichurls to him.

Fear mixed with a sense of grievance welled up inside her little heart. But he didn’t give her a chance to explain and left abruptly. She wanted to call out to him, but was too afraid to face his icy gaze again, so she stayed there, feet dangling, not daring to follow.

Reflecting on everything since she woke up: she remembered nothing except her name, not who she was or what had happened to her. She had been hunted by Hilichurls, nearly captured to be cooked as food. She had finally met a kind boy willing to save her, only to be treated with such coldness.

The earlier troubles didn’t matter so much, but his indifferent eyes truly hurt the little one, because the greater the expectation, the deeper the disappointment. Little Paimon didn’t know what she had done wrong; she had hoped so much, only to be met with icy disregard.

Her feelings of grievance swelled until her once bright, adorable eyes began to mist over, and she looked as if she might cry at any moment.

Just as tears were about to fall, a sudden chill wind swept through the woods, making her shiver. This unexpected cold snap was like a bucket of cold water poured over her, instantly waking her from her sorrow.

She widened her eyes and looked around at her surroundings. The quiet forest was deserted, eerie in its silence, with Hilichurl corpses scattered haphazardly all around.

Suddenly, terror sprouted like wild grass in her heart, rapidly overwhelming her sadness. She belatedly realized she was still in danger.

In this perilous wilderness, with at most half the fighting power of a wild boar, she could be in danger again at any moment.

Realizing this, she covered her head, flustered, flying in circles with wide eyes, scanning for anything she could use to protect herself.

Finding nothing, she finally looked toward the direction the boy had left.

Though fear flickered in her eyes, Little Paimon gathered her courage and set off after him.

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Though he looked somewhat frightening, following him was surely better than staying here!

…

“Ohhh~~ Paimon, so that’s how Ling Feng treated you back then? Didn’t you say you were his best companion? Is that how the closest partners treat each other?”

In the apartment, the Traveler lounged lazily on a soft sofa, hugging an adorable cushion. Seeing Paimon shamelessly trying to cozy up to Ling Feng on the screen, only to be frozen by his icy glance, the Traveler mercilessly switched to mock mode.

Having just brought in a plate of watermelon from the kitchen, Kong, sitting on the other sofa, looked at the Traveler helplessly.

“My sister is just a little too grudging.”

After all, Paimon had flaunted a bit, acted a little spoiled, and clung to Big Brother Ling Feng so tightly that she had ruined the carefully crafted private moments between them more than once. Was this really worthy of such harshness?

Well… now that I think about it, Paimon probably deserved it!

Stung by the Traveler’s teasing, Paimon’s plump little face puffed up instantly. She protested indignantly, “Hmph! Who says I’m not? Paimon is Ling Feng’s best companion. Ling Feng said he was just cautious back then. Just wait, we’ll make up soon.”

“Fine, I’ll wait and see,” the Traveler said with a triumphant smirk, chin raised, her mocking expression fully on display.

She knew well the relationship between Ling Feng and Paimon—it had definitely softened later, or else they wouldn’t have embarked on the journey together. But no matter what happened afterward, this was a precious chance to mock that annoying little Paimon face-to-face—and it was not to be missed.

Remembering all those carefully planned solo dates with Ling Feng that Paimon had nearly ruined every time, the Traveler felt a toothache of resentment, itching to treat her like a pillow.

…

“Wuwuwu, poor little Paimon, come to mama’s arms, let mama hug you.”

“Sigh, even if you’re the kid’s dad, you can’t treat a child like that. She’s almost crying, it’s so heartbreaking.”

“Uh… but I think Kong’s reaction is normal? Paimon and the Sustainer do look very similar, so it’s natural to be on guard.”

“Right, I feel the same. If I woke up and saw someone looking like the very cause of my long sleep, I’d be wary too.”

“Exactly, PTSD is real. And I always think if Paimon hadn’t tried to pull the Traveler away when in danger, maybe the Traveler would have really attacked her.”

“No way…”

“Nothing is impossible. Luckily, Paimon finally caught up, otherwise the Traveler and the Guide, the best partners, would have just passed each other by.”

…

“Sizzle~!”

On a plain somewhere in Mondstadt, a black-haired boy sat cross-legged before a campfire, flames dancing merrily.

Skillfully, he flipped the meat roasting over the fire. As the fat dripped onto the flames, it crackled and popped, sending bright sparks flying, some even leaping beyond the fire.

“Phew…”

When the meat was nearly done, the boy took it from the rack, blew on it, tore off a piece, and put it into his mouth.

With a bite, the juices spattered, and the rich aroma instantly spread, making one salivate.

Mmm, the flavor was just right, perfectly cooked—his skills hadn’t faded.

The boy nodded slightly, feeling a bit proud.

As a traveler who had roamed countless worlds, good cooking skills were essential, especially since he once had a sometimes clumsy little sister to look after.

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“Gurgle… gurgle…”

At that moment, a strange sound came from behind. The boy turned slightly—it was the little flying creature.

She was hiding behind a large stone not far away, not daring to come too close. Her flight was noticeably lower than at noon, showing signs of exhaustion.

She was holding her small belly, her little face filled with worry—clearly hungry.

After the boy had left the forest a while ago, she had caught up again but kept her distance, trailing quietly.

The boy hesitated, remembering how she had tried to pull him to safety earlier, and he couldn’t bring himself to send her away.

After all, his suspicion of Paimon was only a guess—what if it was just coincidence? Could he really abandon her to fend for herself in the wild?

…

Countless thoughts and doubts flickered through his mind.

Perhaps this was the weakness he could never overcome.

For those who showed him kindness, even when aware they might be dangerous, he could never harden his heart.

Looking at the half-eaten roasted meat in his hand, after a moment's hesitation, he stuck it beside the dying fire, then stood and continued forward.

The sun hadn’t set yet; no time to waste, there was still ground to cover.

He thought this to himself, though he wasn’t sure if it was genuine or just an excuse to persuade himself.

Little Paimon, head bowed, pitifully rubbed her hungry, growling belly. Hearing the movement from the boy’s side, she startled like a frightened bird, nervously raising her head with worried eyes—afraid he would leave her alone in this dangerous wilderness.

Seeing him truly get up and walk away, she ignored her hunger and weakness, flapping her wings frantically and chasing after him.

However, as she passed the fire, her gaze was suddenly drawn to the roasted meat left there.

Her pace unconsciously slowed, then stopped.

The rich aroma from the meat seemed to have a life of its own, like invisible hands gently stroking her sense of smell, stirring uncontrollable saliva.

Though deeply craving the meat, the memory of being frightened by the boy still loomed like a shadow, making her unwilling to look away but too scared to move.

After a while, her hunger became unbearable. She cautiously looked toward the boy ahead, who continued walking without turning back.

Tentatively, she flew over to the meat, nervously glancing back at the boy, who still didn’t look back.

Reaching out her little hand, with no response, she finally mustered all her courage and took the meat.

Looking at the meat in her hand, then at the boy ahead, her little mind began to whirl. For a moment, it seemed a circle spun endlessly beside her head.

Finally, as if she had figured it out, the sorrow on her little face turned to delight, and her big eyes sparkled.

“Ah-woo~”

Little Paimon bit off a large piece of meat, chewing happily as she cheerfully flew after the boy.

At that moment, the fear she had felt earlier vanished, replaced by sincere satisfaction and joy—like a child who had made a mistake but was finally forgiven.