Albedo, who was searching for Klee not far away, looked around expectantly, hoping to find a fiery red-haired girl amidst the crowd, but she was nowhere to be seen.
"Klee, this girl is something else. Didn't she say not to run around before we came? How could she disappear in the blink of an eye? Klee!"
He called out loudly, but there was no response from the surroundings. Behind him, a sudden explosion roared, and everyone nearby turned to look.
What happened? Was it a special New Year's program?
But Albedo knew. It was most likely Klee causing trouble. He quickly ran towards the sound, hoping he wouldn't have to pay too much.
While he had a decent amount of savings, it couldn't withstand this kind of recklessness!
On a commercial street, Dori said with a smile,
"Thank you for your patronage, come again! Hehe… I made a fortune selling here this time. The little dendro archon is my god!"
After all, it was the little dendro archon who brought her here. Without her, she wouldn't have been able to earn so much money.
"I wonder when my first income will arrive?"
Mona found it hard to believe. Did no one like fortune-telling? Even one session could earn her enough for a salad!
If she weren't so desperate for money, she wouldn't be here. She had to finish her manuscript tonight; if she couldn't submit it to the Steam Times, her income source would be cut off.
"Lovely Dori blesses you, you will definitely have customers."
"Thank you…"
At another stall not far away, Tighnari, Collei, and Amber, and even Eula could be seen, all four of them engrossed in the festive atmosphere and happily browsing.
"Master, in your opinion, is there anything here worth buying?"
"I don't know. My major isn't in this field. If you're looking for archaeology, you'll have to find someone else."
Tighnari hadn't studied archaeology and naturally couldn't tell what was worth buying and what wasn't.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have been looking for so long.
"I'd say, if you like it, just buy it. Don't worry about its value. The most important thing is to be happy."
Amber chimed in with a playful grin.
"Amber, you're right. If I like it, nothing else matters!"
Collei trusted Amber's words completely. They had known each other since childhood and were practically childhood sweethearts.
"Amber, you've been talking for so long, but you haven't even introduced me to this? You're ignoring me, I'll remember this grudge!"
As expected of the "Grudge-Remembering True Lord," she held a grudge at all times. Did she even remember all the grudges she'd accumulated over the years? Or would she forget them the next day?
"Okay, okay, I'll introduce you right away."
The three girls clustered together, with the enthusiastic Amber acting as the glue. Without her, these two might have had trouble getting along.
Meanwhile, Tighnari sighed softly, feeling a bit lonely.
In the center of the street, Cyno looked around at the people nearby. With a gentle push, he slowly stood up from his leaning position against the wall.
"Tighnari, that guy is really something. I only said one or two inappropriate things, and he's ignoring me like this? It's too much."
He then walked off in another direction. Wind Chasers were always lonely.
Looking down, on a bridge, Arataki Itto's hearty laughter echoed to the heavens, his abs always so prominent.
"Ahahaha, this Lantern Rite is nothing special! It's not as good as the one I hosted…"
Before he could finish, he was interrupted by Kaedehara Kazuha beside him.
"On a festival like this, it's best not to say such things, Brother Itto. Look around you, and you'll understand."
As soon as Kaedehara Kazuha finished speaking, Arataki Itto, unconvinced, glanced around. As expected, several burly men were staring intently at him. Not only that, but whether it was behind him or in front, left or right, if he uttered anything remotely boastful, they were ready to "kill him" if it wasn't a grand festival.
"Uh… I shouldn't have said that. If I hadn't promised not to use force, I wouldn't be in this situation."
After all, these men didn't have Visions. If a fight broke out, they likely couldn't defeat Arataki Itto.
"So, it's best not to speak carelessly right now, or even the gods can't save you."
Fortunately, Kaedehara Kazuha had intervened in time, or the consequences could have been dire.
"Alright, alright, I get it. I'll restrain myself a bit."
Looking up, in a small restaurant, at a window seat, sat Morax Zhongli, Barbatos Venti, Baal Makoto, Baalsabeel, and Buer Nahida.
The five of them gathered, forming a small divine assembly.
Each god held a different wine goblet, with the goblets representing regional styles. The table was laden with food, likely more than they could finish in a short time.
"Happy Lantern Rite, old man. Honestly, if Lu Ze hadn't invited me, I wouldn't have known it was Lantern Rite today. I've been quite busy, you see."
Indeed, he had been very busy – busy drinking and playing music to pay off his debts.
"Happy Lantern Rite to all. I am honored to share a drink with you all, but even in times of festive joy, one can only indulge in a small sip, never too much…"
Before he could finish, Venti gulped it down in one go, his face instantly turning red, and he started to sway.
Raiden Makoto chuckled. Barbatos was still as endearing as ever. Perhaps only he could think of such a way to drink.
Beside him, Raiden Ei's expression was calm, but she still raised her goblet and slowly took a sip.
Her demeanor was elegant and charming, unlike Barbatos's boorishness. It was truly him.
"Venti, I assume you don't wish to be detained by me, do you? Would you prefer to be escorted to your final resting place, or sent home properly?"
Zhongli's voice was like that of a grim reaper, wielding a massive black scythe, ready to take away all the impure souls.
But for Venti, it was undoubtedly the greatest blow. What was the point of this gathering if he couldn't drink to his heart's content?
"Mr. Zhongli, I have some doubts about the path of leading a nation's development. I wonder if you could enlighten me. As the oldest of gods, you must possess much knowledge."
Hearing someone pose a question, the talkative Zhongli began to recount his long and arduous journey of development. However, looking back, it was a bit tiring.