Chapter 4: Kaeya's Troubles
The group is walking inside the Knights of Favonius Headquarters to read in the library but they see Kaeya is having trouble in the corner
"This is bad... Such a hassle... What am I going to do..." Kaeya mumbled until
"What's wrong, Sir Kaeya?" Boboiboy asked
"You don't usually lose your chill." Lumine said
"Oh, thank the Thousand Winds! Travelers, your arrival must be the grace of the gods! If I may ask — envoy sent by the Anemo God to save this mere mortal — could you spare a moment?" Kaeya said
Paimon: Ewwww, cut it out!
Lumine: Tell us what happened.
"I cannot let my peers hear about this! I cannot seek help from anyone else but you. Please, let us move to somewhere more fit for such conversations... Let's talk in the courtyard just outside the headquarters. Come with me." Kaeya told them as he left
Paimon: What's with the sneakiness...
Paimon said and they started following him to the courtyard
-At the courtyard-
Kaeya: This place will do.
"Tell us what it's about already!" Paimon demanded
"How should I begin... Oh, right, let me tell you a secret first. It's a secret of my past, and I confide in you to keep it." Kaeya told them as they nodded
Paimon: Don't worry, Paimon's lips are sealed.
"As a matter of fact, my grandfather was a pirate!" Kaeya revealed but that didn't surprise them
Paimon: Oh.
"...Wait, why do you sound so blithe? Do you think I'm making it up? Look at my eye patch! I inherited it from my grandfather and this is solid proof that we are related by blood!" Kaeya pointed at his eyepatch
"I never knew you could inherit eye patches." Lumine said with a deadpanned look along with Boboiboy
"My! how could you not know such common knowledge! This is no different from children inheriting their hairstyle from their parents!"
"How surprising." Lumine said
"Yesterday I was glancing through the notes my grandfather left and stumbled upon records that spoke of a treasure..." Kaeya told them which made Lumine and Paimon feel interested now
Paimon: ...Treasure!?
"According to his notes, the treasure is buried in the "Lost Arcadian Ruins."" Kaeya held out the note
Paimon: Treasure...
"But the location of the ruins is currently unknown. I've tried searching for clues..." Kaeya said
"Treasure! Kaeya! What kind of treasure is it? Gold? Or better yet, gems!?" Paimon demanded to know
"Hmph! Treasures that consist of nothing but gold and gems are third-rate treasures... My grandfather's treasure is a sword! A magic sword that grants the wielder unrivaled power!" Kaeya told them which made Paimon feel in awe
Paimon: Oh wowwwww!
"The sword was dropped from Celestia into the sea by a god. It was later salvaged by my grandfather's crew by pure coincidence. The moment he gripped the sword, thunder roared, billows hollowed, and the clear skies were suddenly swallowed by raging winds...
With the might of the magic sword, my grandfather went on to defeat a hydra, a silver-haired banshee, a wicked abyss dragon... But the immense power of the sword enticed many more greedy pirates. To avoid meaningless conflicts, my grandfather hid the magic sword." Kaeya explained
"Eight-headed hydras, silver-haired banshees... Do they really exist?" Boboiboy asked
"The world we live in is fascinating, full of unknown and inexplicable wonders." Kaeya answered
Paimon: Holy moley! That's just insane!
"A gang of Treasure Hoarders has been very active lately and many ruins have had their relics stolen by them. I'm afraid that they will soon discover the Arcadian Ruins and the magic sword will be lost..." Kaeya frowned
"We won't let it fall into the wrong hands! We must get the sword before them. You just rest assured that Paimon, Lumine, and Boboiboy are here to help!" Paimon said confidently
"Hehehe." Boboiboy sweat-dropped
"Wow~ Great! Please keep it a secret. I'll wait for your good news!" Kaeya said and left
"Hey! So whatcha think? Isn't it exciting? We're talking about a super-duper powerful sword!" Paimon said
"Is it true? Is it really, really true?" Lumine wasn't so sure about this information
"Well... let's go to the Adventurers' Guild and see if we can find out more. The adventurers should know more about the ruins, right?" Paimon said as they left to find some answers
They meet Cyrus so they ask him
"Hey, kiddo! Welcome to the Adventurers' Guild!" Cyrus welcomed them
Lumine: We're looking for...
Paimon: Hmph! We're not here for something that boring!
"We're looking for a sword that fell from Celestia... One that can kill eight-headed banshees and silver-haired hydras. It's super, mega, uber powerful!" Paimon said out loud
"Paimon. It's actually eight-headed hydras and silver-haired banshees..." Boboiboy corrected
"That's what Paimon said! It's a super epic sword! Anyway, it's fine as long as Paimon doesn't tell them the treasure's location!" Paimon told them and turned to Cyrus
"So, Cyrus, do you know where the Lost Arcadian Ruins are supposed to be?"
'Now she's done it...' Lumine face-palmed
"Arcadian Ruins... Never heard of them. Thanks for your intel anyway. If you do find these ruins, I'd love to see them."
"Uh... my... intel...?" Paimon realized what she just revealed
Suddenly, a suspicious person is eavesdropping on them and then leaves
Paimon: Still no clues...
Paimon: Well, it's not like it's gonna be easy! Come one, it's the hiding place of the super amazing sword!
Paimon: Anyway, we should go meet up with Kaeya first.
The group decides to report to Kaeya
-At Knights of Favonius Headquarters-
"Oh, you're back. Do you have news for me?" Kaeya asked
"Listen, we asked around the Adventurers' Guild and found... Well, nothing." Paimon felt sad
"Haha... That much is expected." Kaeya laughed a little
Paimon: Why is that?
"Oh, I only mean that, what's the fun in finding it without the hard work? However, I do have some clues. I sent someone to collect black market intel. It seems that someone does know about the Arcadian Ruins." Kaeya told them
"Really? Where's the guy?" Paimon asked
"Now, now, as per the black market's rules, they will send someone to meet us to prevent leaks. We will be meeting the informant at the Whispering Woods." Kaeya said
Paimon: Then, what are we waiting for?
"We'll get the intel back to you." Lumine said
"You have my thanks. Of course, you'll be compensated for your troubles... by the Knights." Kaeya told them
"Ooh, no problemo!" Paimon nodded as they left
-At the location-
Once they reaching the designated location
Unitl someone is getting chased by Hilichurls
Paimon: Look, guys! She's in trouble!
-A few minutes later-
"Why is this happening to me? I shouldn't have helped him..." Vile frowned
Paimon: Him, who?
"Thanks so much for saving me! You're far more reliable than those Favonius guys." Vile thanked them
"It's nothing. They're travelers, they have to deal with stuff like this all the time." Paimon told her
"Travelers? I've heard stories about you. I didn't think I'd be saved by the one I'm here to meet." Vile said
Paimon: Oh, so you're the...
"Hahaha... I didn't know how I could pay you back initially, but now, I think I'll just give you the intel for free. People in our circle know how important the network is." Vile told them
Lumine: Really?
Vile: Well, you did save my life.
"LUCKY! But... it's lucky for Kaeya, isn't it? He's supposed to pay for the intel..." Paimon said with arm-cross
"Listen well then, the intel on the Arcadian Ruins... "Three six-armed giants reside in the city in the lake. Two guard the statue, one, the treasure.""
"Right... Wait, is that it?" Paimon asked
"There's also this map that came with it." Vile gave them a map
"Could... this be the X-marks-the-spot? So the clue is more like a riddle... Well, should be a piece of cake for ya, right you two? Paimon'll leave it to you then!" Paimon said. The two looked at her with a deadpanned look
"Sure thing." Lumine said
"Well, if you can't solve it, we can ask Kaeya. He seems like a nerd too." Paimon suggested
"I'll leave you the intel so you can review it at any time." Vile said as they thanked her
"Thanks, Vile. "Three six-armed giants reside in the city in the lake. Two guard the statue, one, the treasure." What does that mean? If you don't wanna ask Kaeya, you better figure it out!" Paimon suggested as they left to find Kaeya
-At Knights of Favonius Headquarters-
"Travelers! You're back! Looks like you got the intel." Kaeya said
"Yes and no. It's a lot more complicated than that. "Three six-armed giants reside in the city in the lake. Two guard the statue, one, the treasure." What do you make of it?" Paimon asked
"Riddles? How quaint. Let me think... "City in the lake" is clearly Mondstadt... As for the Six-Armed Giants... Hm..." Kaeya held his chin to think
"Crabs?" Lumine said which made Boboiboy(Light) look at her deadpan
Paimon: Giant crabs!
"Aside from asking just where we would find giant crabs... Crabs have eight legs, not six..." Kaeya told her
"The answer is windmills, am I right?" Boboiboy(Light) answered
"Hey! That's smart! A windmill has six blades... It fits." Kaeya confirmed
"Wow! That makes sense!" Paimon agreed
"So, out of the three windmills, two are close to the statue... The other one is guarding..." Kaeya said
"Ooh! Ooh! This one Paimon knows! The treasure!" Paimon said excitedly
"Hehehe... Let's hope it's really that simple." Kaeya said
"Come on! Let's go take a look around that windmill!" Paimon said as they left to find the windmills
The group climbs up the windmills one by one to find the clue. Until one of the windmills, it has a chest
"Ooh, lemme see what's inside!" Paimon said as they opened the chest. It was a letter and another map
""She doesn't love him at all. The passion rushing through the clear spring is just a front. When she's cold and alone, her true heart is revealed." There's another map." Paimon said as they held up the map
"More riddles? Paimon's dizzy already. Oh, no! Paimon used up all her brain juice!" Paimon felt dizzy
"You never had any to begin with..." Lumine looked at her with a deadpanned look
Paimon: Paimon'll let you have all the fun. Or, you could get Kaeya to help.
-At Knights of Favonius Headquarters-
Kaeya: "She doesn't love him at all. The passion rushing through the clear spring is just a front. When she's cold and alone, her true heart is revealed."
"Any idea what that means?" Paimon asked
"Is this some page stripped from a love novel that you just happened to find?" Kaeya said
" Oh, so it's not a clue. No wonder someone as clever as Paimon wasn't able to get it." Paimon said
"Hahaha... I'm just joking." Kaeya laughed
"Hmph... Take this more seriously, Kaeya!" Paimon said angrily
"Haha, this riddle is hard to figure out. Clear spring... Is it referring to Springvale? "Passion rushing through the clear spring..." So when does passion rush through a clear spring?" Kaeya said
"When the water level changes?" Lumine answered
"Not a bad idea! Like when... there's a waterfall, for example... It appears the solution to this enigma related to the waterfall behind Springvale. Only the clear spring that blesses Mondstadt can reveal the passion described here.
"And the "heart" of the waterfall must refer to the cliff on the left side of the waterfall. I noticed it once when I was out on patrol in the area. The ending, "cold and alone," probably has something to do with Cryo, which can be controlled by a Vision.
You should probably take someone who can manipulate Cryo with you." Kaeya told her
"Thanks for the help, Kaeya." Lumine thanked him
"It's nothing. If a Knight of Favonius couldn't even answer a riddle, how could we be trusted to solve criminal mysteries?" Kaeya told them
"Let's go take a look in Springvale. We'll leave you to your "criminal mysteries"!" Paimon said
Kaeya: Erm...
"No, wait... Leave you to SOLVING your criminal mysteries!" Paimon said as they left
-At Springvale-
They reach up the mountain and see three Cryo Monuments at Springvale. Boboiboy transforms into Ice and activates them. The chest appears as they open it. It reveals the map
"This time, the mysteries have all been solved, it sure took a lot of work. But in all fairness, this treasure map really is terrible... It looks like it was drawn by a pirate... So now..." Paimon said
"Let's go to the treasure location directly!" Lumine said
Paimon: You read my mind! Paimon's so happy!
Paimon: Let's go for it! Don't want anyone else to get there before we do!
Paimon: Like... like the Treasure Hoarders Kaeya told us about.
Paimon: Anyways, Paimon just wants to borrow the sword to...
Paimon: No, you heard nothing! Paimon ah— Paimon just wants to see it!
Paimon: Definitely not to become super, mega, powerful and do nothing but play...
Paimon: Hehe... Alright, Paimon'll save the chit-chat for later.
Paimon: Arcadian treasure hunt, here we go!
-At Falcon Coast-
They reach the location at Falcon Coast. They see the entrance of the cave
"This must be the Arcadian Ruins. Is it just me, or does it look... plain? Oh, Paimon gets it! The perfect disguise is always in plain sight! Kaeya's grandpa sure is impressive." Paimon commented
?: *pitter-patter*
"Listen, Paimon..." Lumine said as they looked around but Paimon simply answered "Oh! Mice."
"You didn't even try, did you?" Lumine said
"It's no time to get suspicious. We're close! Hurry! The treasure is waiting for us!" Paimon said excitedly as they continued on their journey
After defeating opponents in the ruin, they reach the end but there are three doors
"Ugh... Is this the end? Where are you, my treasure!? Let's look around." Paimon said as they looked around. Before they start looking around, the suspicious individual reveals himself
?: Hahaha... I'll save you the trouble.
?: How about you let me take over?
"The Treasure Hoarders?"
?: Sharp eye, but too slow.
"I'm Izzard. I thank you both on behalf of the Treasure Hoarders."
"Ugh... We've been keeping a low profile, how did word get out?" Paimon wondered
"Low... profile...?" Lumine looked at her
"Hmph! Paimon won't let you have the treasure without a fight!"
"You would be wise to not underestimate us. My gang is just outside waiting for my order. However, they're not as... sociable as me." Izzard warned them
But suddenly Kaeya along with two knights appear
I'm sorry to rain on your parade... But your gang won't be participating in your current plan. If you'd like to ask why, you can go see them... in Mondstadt Prison. Or perhaps you'd prefer to join them permanently?" Kaeya told him
Izzard: The Knights...?
"Hey, it's Kaeya! Kaeya, he wants to steal your treasure! Get him!" Paimon told Kaeya to arrest Izzard
"Ugh... almost had it!" Izzard said angrily
"Oh, you mean the treasure? Sorry, but there wasn't any treasure to begin with." Kaeya revealed which made them except Boboiboy shocked
"You came all the way... for nothing. Just give it up." Kaeya told Izzard
"What? No... treasure? Did Kaeya just say, there isn't any treasure?" Paimon felt sad
"I knew it. It was a set-up trap for Treasure Hoarders." Boboiboy said
"Huh? You knew this whole time?" Lumine asked
"No, I didn't know at first. I just felt something odd about the treasure." Boboiboy answered
"Hah. You got me good. Didn't think the Knights would resort to such tactics." Izzard backed away a little
"A thief has no right to criticize the methods of the Knights of Fav— Wait, what are you..." Kaeya saw Izzard running to one of the door
"You're not gonna get me!" Izzard opened the second door. The door unlocked to reveal a Ruin Guard
Izzard: Okay... Oh god... Wh—What is this? I didn't mean it!
The Ruin Guard walks out and tries to hit Izzard
"Haha... What a troublemaker." Kaeya commented as they looked at Izzard who was running away from Ruin Guard
Izzard: You! Knight! You're not gonna watch me die, are ya?
"Hmm, what an interesting suggestion." Kaeya said
Izzard: Fine! I'll confess and go quietly! Please, just help me!
"Alright then. Guess I will have to do some overtime work after all." Kaeya said as he and Lumine pulled out their weapons
"Elemental Power! Boboiboy Blaze!" Boboiboy transformed into Blaze
"Fire Chakrams!" Blaze summoned two chakrams
-A few minutes later-
"How embarrassing... Having my life saved by a knight..." Izzard said
"Don't forget what you promised... or that thing will be the least of your worries." Kaeya reminded him
"Hey... Is this how the Knights of Favonius treat the people they catch?" Izzard felt offended
"I'm just joking. Alright... Let's take him back." Kaeya ordered the knights
Knight of Favonius: Sir! Yes sir!
They grab Izzard as one of the knights asks
Knight of Favonius: Captain, should we take these two in as well?
"What!?" Paimon said in shocked
"Haha, of course not. They are the ones who made this arrest possible. Without them spreading our fabricated intel, we wouldn't have been able to catch the Treasure Hoarders." Kaeya said. The two are looking sad while Boboiboy is ok
"So the intel is fake. There is no treasure. You lied to us?" Lumine looked hurtful. Boboiboy patted her back to comfort
"*cries* You're a bad man for lying to me... Shame on the Knights!" Paimon said
"Alright, alright... Stop it already. Though the treasure doesn't exist, you did want it for yourself, didn't you? Otherwise, you would have informed me of your intentions, no?" Kaeya said
As they facepalmed
"That... well... ah... Hmph! Let's go, you two. Paimon's done talking to him!" Paimon said angrily
"Ha. Just a sec. You did help me out, so you do deserve a reward. This is the "Triumphant Harbinger of Dawn That Points Towards Victory." As its name suggests, it symbolizes light and victory. If you don't mind, I would like to present you with this Harbinger of Dawn as a reward." Kaeya told them
Paimon: Harbinger of Dawn?
"That's right. It suits a well-cultured and disciplined person such as yourself, wouldn't you say, Paimon?" Kaeya asked her
Paimon: Well... If the reward is this Harbinger of Dawn...
"You'd forgive me, right? I'm honored to have such an understanding friend." Kaeya said
"Yes... yes..." Paimon looked away
"You have my apologies for the deception. I will not use the same method twice." Kaeya told them
"...Paimon has been completely charmed. Means you'll use a different method next time?" Lumine asked just in case
"What a wonderful day. Now, I have to go interrogate my suspect... Please excuse me. Do come visit me at our headquarters when you have the chance." Kaeya said as he left