Honkai Star Rail: The Archiver

"Are sure that…."

"Yes! I was also doubtful at first but once you've…."

"You won't regret it… follow their will…"

Living in a world of darkness, the hushed voices around her were much clearer than what her eyes could ever bring. 

In this void, her only solace was her other senses. They were the sole way that she could move forward while being in this unfortunate state. 

Using her remaining senses, she navigated the hallways before finally reaching a wooden door.

Sliding through the door, a wave of an intense medicinal scent crashed into her but after hundreds of years, this felt normal and maybe even a bit comforting.

"Head Dan Shu, have you finally—"

"Change how you address me. We're in the Alchemy Commission."

"...I apologize Chief Alchemist."

Dan Shu seemed satisfied as she didn't pursue the topic anymore and sat down at her desk where a tea set was placed. Her usual routine consisted of making tea while checking the medicine given by other alchemists for finalization.

Even without being blessed with sight, she was still more than capable of handling medicine. Hence her title.

"So what brings you to my room all of a sudden."

Letting the bitter tea go down her throat and feeling her eyes tingle, Dan Shu moved her dull eyes toward the man who urgently called for her. Looking slightly disappointed for some reason.

The man, seemingly frozen as the pupils that were meant to see nothing, felt like they were staring right through him and thought that this situation was something he would never get used to.

Swallowing, he composed himself before finally telling Dan Shu why he called.

"One of our facilities has been broken into."

"Hmm.. if it's about the experimental mara soldiers then Mauve Moon should have been notified already. There's still the culprit we need to be wary of but it seems like it's not an attack from the Cloud Knights."

Dan Shu thought back to the report she received and she felt like it was a bit too violent compared to the normal operations the Cloud Knights would do. 

There were also no abnormal activities from those knights but what caught her attention was the actions made by the Ten Lord's Commision.

'Normally they wouldn't get mobilized considering the Stellaron being handled by the General's forces but the amount of spiritfarers being deployed is concerning.'

Despite not a lot, the Sanctus Medicus did engage in a few medical experiments involving spirits. 

Though they were under strict conditions, it would be close to impossible for them to be found considering the barriers they placed down. Combining both the potent mara-filled pellets that would cause a native to become mara-struck if they got close.

To the natural influence one of the medicines has based on the materials used, it would be difficult to have an official even know what they were getting themselves into.

"It's not one of those facilities…."

"Then which one is it?"

"That's…"

"Speak."

Dan Shu had a slightly bad premonition seeing how the man was hesitant to answer but she still needed to hear it for herself to confirm it.

"Did one of our sectors become compromised? We still need to hold on before the arbor…"

"No, no! It's not like that."

"Then speak. I already have plenty on my plate considering the arbors revival getting closer. I don't need any unnecessary baggage right now."

Dan Shu's words were cold as she felt like her time was being wasted.

The man quickly gathered his words. "The Starfire Poison was taken…"

The cup of tea that was about to reach her mouth paused and her dull eyes landed on the man once again.

"How? There were a lot of precautions placed to prevent it from being stolen."

"That's the thing, after one of our talismans noticed that the poison was missing so we quickly ran to see what happened but after reaching the place, it was empty."

He began to describe how all the documents within the place were nowhere to be found alongside the main object being the Starfire Poison.

Dan Shu let out a deep sigh and lowered her head to think. While the precautions she placed were almost perfect to help hide the poison, this was only under normal conditions.

And currently, the Luofu has fallen victim to a series of undercurrents that are just waiting to explode. 

"Those outsiders…"

"Outsiders?"

"Yes, there are some rumors that the General allowed some outsiders to help capture the runaway Stellaron Hunter. While they might not know of the Sanctus, they probably discovered the facility by accident."

Digesting what she said, Dan Shu was even more certain that her thoughts were most likely the case.

The man's ears also perked up when he heard what she pieced together. As if this was something he was eager to hear about.

"And it may also be just one or two outsiders rather than the whole group. Since the Cloud Knights would have isolated that place as soon as they found it..."

Dan Shu drank more of her tea and licked her lips trying to ease the tension she felt.

While it may be a good thing that Cloud Knights haven't caught on, the actions of the person who found it were still unknown to her. Something that she didn't like.

She would have been fine if it was the other scenario as she had experience with how the Cloud Knights acted based on the past 100 years she hid the Sanctus from them.

But now she has to probe the unknown person to see how she should act depending on the situation. 

Especially considering that the poison was not only made with the help of the Alchemy Commission. 

'The preceptors are going to cause a fuss once they find that the poison they helped create has gone missing.'

Thinking about the essence that they had difficulty handing over, there was bound to be some noise on their side once they found out this news.

"Have there been any signs that they were the ones who took it?"

"Not at the moment…"

"Have a few members try to see but don't be too aggressive. We still have our main objective to be done with her so that takes priority."

"Understood."

The man nodded his head feeling a bit relieved that she didn't seem too angry and after getting some more details, he quickly left.

But as he was about to leave, Dan Shu called out to him.

"Quick question, I'm not sure if it's just me but I feel like there has been some sort of fuss since this morning. Has anything special happened?"

Finishing the last bits of her tea, Dan Shu recalled the hushed voices she heard earlier and waited for the man to answer.

"Nothing that I can think of? But maybe a few of us had seen the light."

"The light?"

"Just a saying that's been passed around recently."

Dan Shu didn't understand the meaning but she felt like it wasn't that important since trends among workers often rise and fall from what she's seen ever since becoming Chief Alchemist.

However, she failed to notice the expression the man had on his face while clenching the pendant tied hidden beneath his uniform.

A diamond pendant that had a small crescent moon holding onto a sun in the middle. 

"That is all, you may leave."

The man bowed one last time and quietly closed the door behind him. 

Walking a few steps down the hallway three individuals eventually joined him as they each had a similar-looking pendant hidden on them.

"Contact a few of your members. There may be a slight likeness that the missing poison involves HIM."

The man continued to walk while the people who joined him paused. They stared at his back blankly and the man finally stopped.

His back straight and eyes that were sharp. A look completely different from the man who was in that room just a few seconds ago.

"Bring the newly converted. They seem to be the most willing to help after receiving his blessing. I was ordered to observe but only do so from a distance without bothering them."

His words were straightforward but a hint of fanaticism mended within them. 

"Also if you see that he needs assistance don't hesitate to give it. But if you can act 'normal' then you are permitted to interact with him." The man continued and added one last thing to 'encourage' them. 

"If you do well, I will put in a word for you to personally meet his light."

The three who paid close attention suddenly jumped and their faces showed a hint of expectation and excitement.

""Understood, Preacher Xiao.""

The man or more specifically Xiao Ju nodded as he saw the three bow their heads.

"May his light guide you."

"""May his light guide you."""

Now left alone, Xiao Ju closed his eyes for a moment and thought about the subtle changes that occurred this morning. 

"I'm still not used to this…"

While it may seem normal on the surface, there have been some rapid undercurrents happening to some of the Medicus members after Xiao Ju's involvement with him.

Especially after he showed them just a snippet of what he experienced on that fateful night.

Gripping the pendant secured onto his neck, his eyes revealed a heavy favor that was not there previously. While he may not be used to this sudden change, he wasn't rejecting it. 

His mind clearer and his body feeling like it was reborn, he urgently wanted to prove himself worthy of this blessing.

"Preacher Xiao Ju, there's been news that a few individuals have arrived at the Exalting Sanctum Plaza."

Lost in his thoughts, a woman from earlier ran up to him out of breath as she told him about the information she's gotten. While it's normal that people often go towards the Exalting Sanctum, it was the individuals in question that made him clench his fist.

Xiao Ju wanted to meet him and go over as he had a lot of things he wanted to say but he held his tongue. "Decide between you three and assist him in my place."

He had conflicting thoughts seeing the woman so happy after hearing his words but after sorting it all out, Xiao Ju knew that he still had a task he needed to complete.

"I will carry out your blessing and help guide the lost…" Xiao Ju quietly mumbled before walking out with light steps. 

His eyes burned with ambition to help spread his grace to other unfortunate souls like he once was.

***

"I have appointed someone to wait for you in front of Exalting Sanctum Plaza. Once we've consolidated our internal affairs, you will be brought into the Divination Commission. Please be patient."

"Are you sure you won't…."

"You must think so little of me. If I promise then I will carry that wish even if this one's form dissolves!"

"I-I see! I apologize for doubting…"

Awkwardly scratching her cheek, March looked away while Fu Xuan huffed stubbornly.

Finding that her words had gotten across to the others, she eventually looked towards Kafka who was obediently cuffed in place not uttering even a single sound throughout the whole trip.

It was oddly suspicious but knowing that she's in their hands now, everything would come into place after she uses the Matrix of Prescience. 

Thinking about the Matrix of Prescience, her gaze naturally drifted to Yuuto who had his attention elsewhere. Her mind still complicated due to her slight blunder from earlier.

'Whether it's the lightning or water trigrams, all but he is absent.'

Her foresight which granted her the title of Master Diviner has been heavily relied on these past few days. With the growing threat known as the Stellaron, her divination has been like a light within this foggy situation.

But there was an unexpected blank within her divination. While she knew that divinations are not used to see the future but rather to predict it.

Missing someone's existence was something entirely different.

"I shall wait for you once the interrogation starts."

Fu Xuan, knowing that the time wasn't right to entertain these thoughts, said her farewells and walked Kafka towards the Divination Commission. In a rush to finally learn her reason for being here.

Seeing her tiny back disappear, the crew gathered towards the center of the plaza where they decided what they should do while they waited.

A few ideas floated around but they all decided that a small break should be good considering the entire chase they did so far.

Each of them finding an area to rest, Yuuto found himself a table near a secluded corner which Stelle followed.

"How is Huohuo?" Stelle asked while looking at her sleeping on his back.

"She's better but I think she might need some more rest."

Yuuto remembered the condition Huohuo was in and knew that rest was the best thing she could have right now.

"There's also this thing…."

Lifting his finger and seeing the tiny fox-shaped flame wrapped around his hand, Yuuto still had even more questions.

"I used [Archive] on the papers to learn more but seeing as I'm not getting hurt right now, you don't seem like you're going to poison me."

[Kyu! Kyuu!]

The Starfire Poison nodded its head to agree with what he said and Yuuto playfully rubbed the top of its head.

Since the documents he managed to gather so far when he found the Starfire Poison were all about theories and expectations they had, it didn't pinpoint the exact effects it had.

But the two prominent things he managed to gather so far was that one of its materials was so controversial that its origins were entirely redacted. 

While the other thing was that the expectation the alchemist had was that the poison would attack the 'soul' or inner sanctum of an individual.

"I don't know why they would make something like this but I feel a bit glad I took it."

Yuuto felt his eyes fixed on the flame that escaped his hands and roamed around the table where Stelle finally took notice.

"Are you really hiding more cute things from me—"

"I wouldn't touch it if I were you since it might snatch a piece of your soul."

Stelle immediately pulled her hand away as soon as she heard something about her soul and looked at him suspiciously.

"Serious?"

"Very."

"Then why on earth are you letting it roam free like that?"

"I'm not sure myself." He said while the fox jumped around the table. "I just had a feeling that it wouldn't hurt someone maliciously."

Still not convinced, Stelle moved her chair a bit further but her eyes were still glued on the cute but somehow dangerous creature Yuuto found.

"I want a cute fox too…"

"Just ask Ruan Mei and she might give you a pet."

"Ugh… I would rather not do that…"

Yuuto chuckled seeing Stelle shiver and also agreed with her since by asking her a request like that, it would definitely be something far from her expectations.

Maybe a fox as she requested but having the horns of a beetle and even the body of a pastry at the same time.

The two continued to talk about mundane things seeing as they needed to pass the time before the topic of the Divination Commision finally popped up.

Curious as she was, Stelle knew from experience that Yuuto had a lot of knowledge about certain things and she automatically assumed that he knew a few things.

And her expectations were right on the dot. But there was one thing she wondered.

"So the machine Fu Xuan will use on Kafka…"

"The Matrix of Prescience? What about it?"

Yuuto turned his head to his shoulder where the fox sat and watched how it jumped off to glide towards a chair nearby.

"Do you think it's dangerous?"

"Don't worry, Kafka won't get hurt by something like that."

"When did I ever mention Kafka in this…"

Stelle felt a bit annoyed seeing the amused look Yuuto was giving her and couldn't help but throw a kick underneath the table.

Of course, Yuuto moved his leg to dodge which made her even more annoyed.

"Don't worry about it. All the machine does is use certain methods such as divination to extract information. Not really harmful compared to other factions."

"If you say so… I have a few things I want to ask her if I get the chance to."

Yuuto silently agreed with what Stelle said as ever since arriving at the Luofu, there have been a few things that have been keeping him curious.

More notably Kafka and the Stellaron Hunters behind her. All leading to the conclusion that they have some sort of deeper knowledge about a variable such as him.

"I don't want to keep thinking about this anymore… I want to eat something sweet…"

"If you like, would you like some of our famed milk tea?"

Covering his face as he mumbled, Yuuto suddenly jumped up when he heard a man talk all of a sudden.

Stelle also followed and as they both stood up, the person in question smiled innocently while he carried a food cart behind him.

"Old man you're going to give your customers a heart attack if you sneak up on them…"

"Ho~ Don't worry about that! Just offer them a sweet snack and they'll eventually forget about it."

The old man opened his crescent-shaped eyes and gave Yuuto and Stelle a warm gaze but Yuuto felt something a bit off with the man.

Like he was actively preventing himself from bowing down.

"While I may not be too helpful in aiding your worries, I can provide you a sweet treat before you leave our beloved plaza."

The old man immediately opened his cart and took two large cups. Adding a few ingredients before pouring the main contents being the milk tea.

"How do you know we're leaving?"

Stelle was a bit hesitant but didn't refuse when given the drink. But there was still the question that lingered which the old man quietly answered.

"You might not know but your arrival with the Master DIviner is something not normally seen around this area. So just by judging that, I can assume that you're important guests just taking a brief break."

He then gave Yuuto his drink which looked a bit fancier in his eyes but it was probably just his imagination.

"While I may not know what you guys are doing, I can only offer my small gratitude for assisting us in this time of chaos."

He said while closing his snack cart and giving them each a waffle-like snack.

"If you put it that way it makes me a bit embarrassed to take this…"

Shameless as she was, Stelle felt a bit embarrassed being given something like this and it goes the same with Yuuto.

He tried to pull some credits so he could tip him but it was only rejected while the old man pushed Yuuto's outstretched hand.

"As I said, take this as a gratitude of mine. It's been a while since I've walked around so seeing such a nice bunch has reminded me of my heydays."

The old man held onto his stomach while he laughed to himself and this made Yuuto and Stelle relax.

"Also, it seems like this young man direly needs something to help keep his mind at bay!"

He adjusted his cart to have it hang comfortably on his shoulders. Added something before he left.

"It may just be my meddling but being eager may be good in some scenarios but taking some time to detach yourself is also equally important."

He looked down at his fingers and rubbed the silver ring on his finger.

"Just like how I courted my wife back then! I was a bit too eager so she would beat the living life out of me but after taking it slowly, I finally had the experience of seeing my son in my arms."

Talking about snippets into his married life, Yuuto and Stelle awkwardly laughed but a small naturally formed on their faces seeing the happy husband and father.

"But man to man, there are some moments when it is good to go fast."

Yuuto felt his mouth twitch seeing the man wink and nudge him while Stelle tried her best to keep her laughter in.

"I will go now but be sure to recommend my cart to others if you can. This one will need to make an earning again!"

"I will be sure to get everyone I know."

"Excellent!"

Satisfied, the old man started to walk past Yuuto and Stelle. However, in a low voice, he said something that made the milk tea in Yuuto's mouth come out.

"I will carry this blessing, Holy Sanctifier."

His mouth now opened with drops of the milk tea pouring out, Yuuto could only blankly stare at the man's back.

"What's wrong? Did you want to ask him something? Sure not about his experience in..."

"No…" Yuuto spoke back to Stelle as he flicked her forehead. "I'm having conflicting thoughts right now…"

"I can take your milk tea if you want…—Ow!"

"Don't you dare."

Yuuto clicked his tongue seeing Stelle's quick hands but after speaking with the old man, he felt oddly free. As if the heaviness on his shoulders and the things weighing on his mind were eased just a bit.

"Ah!! Where did you get milk tea!?"

Running with her notably pink hair flowing in the air, March had her eyes on the drinks Yuuto and Stelle had while Welt followed behind.

"Your two seem like you took your break quite well."

Welt saw the bits of food and the drinks they had and chuckled lightly.

"It just sort of happened."

Yuuto told them about their experience with the old man before Welt finally told them that news from the Divination Commission had finally arrived.

"So they told us where to find the messenger…"

March zoomed into the photo that was given to them regarding the meeting spot and couldn't help but notice something.

"Isn't this a game's parlor…?"

"It definitely looks like one."

Welt agreed with her observations and pointed to the area where they would most likely find it.

"Also before we head there, would you like to leave Huohuo here to rest? There's apparently a healer that can help her if she needs it."

Huohuo was still silently sleeping behind Yuuto's back and hearing Welt's suggestion, Yuuto agreed. Seeing as he knew exactly who this healer was.

"Now let us see where this little gambler is…"

***

While they made their way towards the parlor where they would meet a pretty unique lady, the old man who gave Yuuto and Stelle a quick snack continued to push his cart around.

"It was quite the fortune meeting him…"

Being given the task of meeting with Yuuto, it was a bit hard for him to behave himself. Out of all the ones Xiao Ju managed to convert, the old man was the first to follow.

Also taking part in the clinical trials hosted by the Sanctus, it was a blessing to be allowed to have his mental illnesses be kept at bay without all the painful side effects it brought alongside it.

"I'm happy to be able to remember my wife's face again…"

Rubbing the silver ring on his finger once more, the old man let out a long somber stare before lifting his head. Sensing that a customer was here to buy something.

"Hello, little lass! Care for a sweet treat?"

"Hmm~~ I'm definitely in the mood for one!"

The girl having long brown hair and wearing the traditional Alchemy Commission uniform, happily adjusted her black-framed glasses looking at the display of treats.

Hidden beneath the glasses laid bright fluorescent pink eyes that shined each time she looked at the sweets she could have.

"You look like it's your first time here." The old man said seeing the girl's reaction to some of the native foods he offered.

"Yup! I just arrived. It was quite the shame that I missed some things but I'm happy I made it safely~."

"It's a bit of a shame that you came at a time like this so you can't see the Luofu in its full glory but we're happy to have you here."

The old man opened his cart seeing that she picked the milk tea and waffles and swiftly prepared it for her.

"Has anyone else tried what I ordered? I'm curious if I chose the right thing…."

"Ha Ha! Don't worry, I just gave a few individuals the same thing and they loved it."

"Phew… Then I'm glad! What were their reactions like if I can ask? I'm afraid I might look improper if I act out of place."

The girl covered her mouth shyly as she took the milk tea and held the waffles in her other hand.

"Well, I can say that one of them looked like she was on cloud nine when she….."

Listening to the old man's story while she drank her milk tea, the girl's pink eyes fluttered and for a brief second, the image of a blossom appeared.

Fading as quickly as it came.