Culminate! Chatter of Joyous Dreams

Are we getting close? Which way should we go now?

We just need to head a short way towards the desert. It's not far.

I would recommend taking a bodyguard to protect you. If the customer does turn out to be rotten, you can let the bodyguard deal with them.

Good point! Hmm, a bodyguard...

Oh, look! Isn't that Cyno!?

Cyno!

Good to see you. Headed to Caravan Ribat?

Remember Paimon, we can't just disclose a customer's information...

Huh? Oh, don't worry. This is Sumeru's General Mahamatra, Cyno. He's the leader of the Matra, and always takes criminal activity very seriously.

Wow, how do you know so many powerful people?

Heh, you'd better get used to it Kirara. You wouldn't believe the people I've met since I started traveling with them.

Do you have some time now, Cyno? Or do you need to go participate in the Genius Invokation tournament?

Tournament? Heh, the tournament has already finished.

Really? Then how did you do, Cyno?

I am now the official King of Invokations.

I used Forbidden Hand at the opportune moment and drew...

Ahem. I... I can explain it later. Anyway, I have time.

Great! Let Paimon catch you up on what's happening...

Ah, Paimon's parched now... How many times is Paimon gonna have to explain everything?

I can accompany you. As Paimon said, it's my duty to uphold the rules and punish evil.

What do you think, Kirara?

Alright, but remember, you all should hide while I'm delivering the parcel.

I know that this customer is suspicious, but they're still my customer until we have any concrete proof otherwise.

Okay, we'll go hide.

But if we're too far away, we won't be able to hear anything you're saying. How will we know if you're in trouble?

Not a problem, you can just watch my tails.

Your tails? You mean both of them?

Of course, both of them! I'll come up with a way to have the customer confirm the contents of the package.

If they turn out to be just an ordinary customer and the package doesn't contain the card backs, then I'll lower both of my tails. That'll mean you can just stay hidden.

But if they turn out to be the thieves we're after, then I'll...

Lay down.

Huh? Why would she do that?

It'd be a signal, that we need to "lay down" the law...

...

No way, I'm not getting on the ground, that would be way too embarrassing! Besides, don't you think that would look suspicious?

You think so? Then maybe you can use your tails to pound your back.

Uh, and why should she do that?

Simple. It'd be signal that she had "found the backs" we're looking for.

...

This is the first time I've met someone as creative with their words as I am.

Have you ever considered a career in writing news headlines, Cyno?

Oh no, don't enable him...

Okay, if we keep standing around talking like this, the package is going to be late.

Listen to me. If they're the thieves, I'll lift one tail up and keep the other one down. If you see that, then you can come round them up.

You're not going to lay down?

NO! I'm not laying down!

Near the first Flaming Flower... Ah, we're here.

Huh, there aren't any houses around here.

Maybe the recipient planned on coming here to personally receive the package. I've had customers do that in the past.

We're still a little early. In the meantime, why don't the rest of you go find a place to hide?

And remember, watch my tails for the signal!

We'll hide here. This spot is hidden, but with a clear view.

Paimon's sure this recipient's up to no good! Who'd pick up a package in a place like this!?

I agree.

But for the sake of her company's reputation, we'll let her "tail" us what to do.

...

...

...

What? As in her "tails"...

Yeah yeah, we get it...

Hey, look! Someone's coming!

You from Komaniya Express?

That's right. You must be Mr. Dedebaba?

Where's the package?

Ah yes, this is your package. Here you go.

...

I recommend that you open it and confirm the contents. I've been running to many places the past few days through all sorts of weather. The contents may have shifted, so it's best to check that everything's intact.

No need. You haven't opened it to see what's inside, have you?

Of course not. That would be against our company policy.

But if the contents are valuable, I would still recommend checking them first. If anything turns out to be damaged, I could compensate you now.

I said no need, didn't I? Why are you so persistent?

You know, Boss... This little lady's out here all on her own.

We could use that to our advantage, you know...

Hey, you. Are you the only one delivering out here?

I'll check out what Jut has to offer first...

(Uh oh! I'm no good at lying! And I can't keep my tails from moving everywhere!)

Look, she's giving a signal!

But wait... Uh, Paimon doesn't recognize that signal at all.

...

Ah, I nearly forgot... Th—This just happens to be my 100th delivery. It's a really special moment for me!

If you could let me know what I delivered, it would mean a lot to me!

Her tails are moving all over the place!

Does she need us to step in or not?

Her tails keep moving and intertwining... They keep pointing in different directions...

Ah! Maybe she's trying to say that she mixed up her directions! These people aren't the intended recipients!

Seriously!? There's no way anyone could get all that from just her tails!

Something's not right... I can feel it. And you seem real concerned about this package, missy.

Oh, hehe, no... That's just part of my job, we always care about the customer! Are you really not going to open it?

C'mon Boss, enough talk!

Yeah, nobody will ever know anything happened way out here!

Uh, th—then do you have a moment to leave a five-star review?

Hmph, sure. I'll leave a five-star review... after you're dead!

Ah! They've got a knife! Forget the signals!

We've gotta save Kirara!

Boss! She's got backup!

What are ya afraid of!? Get 'em!

Huh? Wait, th—that's Cyno! The General Mahamatra!

C—Cyno!?

Kirara, are you alright?

Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry.

Had I known you were here, we wouldn't have...

Too late for that. And I don't want to hear any whining from you two, either. Clear?

Y—Yes... C—Crystal clear!

General Mahamatra, I—I don't want to go to prison... Can't you just let us off this one time?

That depends on how honest you are.

We'll tell you everything!

What's inside the package?

Card backs... Genius Invokation TCG card backs that we collected from different nations.

Are they the kind with a treasure chest design on them?

Y—Yeah, that's right! Wait, how'd you know that?

W—We're just a group of Treasure Hoarders, that's all...

Some hoarders were getting fed up recently with just stealing small stuff. They wanted to, uh...

Go on.

They wanted to pull off something big... You know, not just in one nation, all across Teyvat!

All across Teyvat?

Yeah, we were planning to steal prized treasures from different nations all at the same time.

After pulling off a job like that, everyone would recognize us Treasure Hoarders as the most powerful organization across the world!

...

But, uh... seems like that's not gonna happen now.

So what does any of that have to do with these card backs?

Well, the problem was we didn't know how to communicate our master plan to all the other Treasure Hoarders.

But with how popular Genius Invokation TCG has become recently, somebody suddenly came up with the idea to use cards as a way to communicate our plans without being detected.

So you were the ones who printed these card backs.

Yeah... Because every Treasure Hoarder knows what to do once they see a treasure chest.

First you bury it, so no one else can take it. Then just add a little bit of...

Hey, shut it! You're givin' away all our plans...

...

It appears you consider this ridiculous plan of yours more valuable than your own life.

Ahh! N—No, no, no! I'll talk, I'll talk...

All you need to do is cover it with some wet dirt or sand, then wipe it off after a while...

And it'll look like this.

"My fellow hoarders, this is the big job we've all been waiting for. Take up your daggers, put on your masks, and round up your Sumpter Beasts..."

"Oh, and for those of you without Sumpter Beasts..."

Seriously, that's all it says? What a waste!

Hey, whaddya mean "waste"!? That message will mobilize the Treasure Hoarders!

H—He's right, the time and other details are printed below that.

Let Paimon see... Oh, there it is!

Hmm, objectively speaking, it's definitely a creative method of communicating information.

But then why were you trying to retrieve these card backs?

It's all because some fellow hoarders got addicted to Genius Invokation!

All they needed to do was stick to the plan, but they couldn't help themselves and started playing the game! Not only that, they were even using our card backs and showing 'em off!

But that wasn't the worst of it, some of them ended up losing our card backs to other players.

Ah, you were afraid that your plans would be exposed, so you dispatched members to quickly retrieve the card backs that had been scattered into the markets.

Not just the ones on the markets, we collected ALL our treasure chest card backs and we had them shipped back.

We feared that our plans had already been discovered, so we were preparing to print another set of card backs. They would indicate a different time to initiate the operation, and we'd redistribute them...

But to take every precaution, we raised funding for everyone to send us the backs via Komaniya Express. That way, we could guarantee the card backs would arrive safely and on time.

Huh? Oh, uh thanks for the compliments...

So the senders would stay at their original location to ensure that the operation could continue moving forward.

Now that I think about it, that must be why the Treasure Hoarders came after the person who sold the card back in Mondstadt.

Oh, right! It's no wonder we were running into the Treasure Hoarders left and right. They wanted to be sure that anyone involved stayed quiet.

There, I told you everything I know. Hopefully that will help us make up for our mistakes... Please, Mahamatra Cyno, show us mercy!

You'll each receive your due punishment. Enough talk, come with me.

The clues pointed to Vimara Village, but I'm not sure of which house they live in exactly.

Guess we'll have to ask around.

Any idea what the recipient looks like?

I only know his name is Garvipidam, and that he's a scholar from the Akademiya.

Garvipidam... got it.

Hi there, do you know where Garvipidam lives?

Hmm, I'm afraid I've never heard that name before.

He's a scholar from the Akademiya.

Oh, yes, there is a scholar around here, but I've never heard anyone go by the name you mentioned.

Are you sure you've got the right name? Actually, I'd like to ask him a few questions myself regarding which of the Six Darshans to join!

Hmm, sounds like he doesn't know. Let's go ask someone else.

Hey there, we're looking for a scholar named Garvipidam.

Garvipidam? Never heard of 'em.

Ah, wait. Do you mean that newcomer that arrived a few days ago?

Oh, someone just moved here?

Yes, that's right. He looked pretty anxious though, almost like he's struggling to complete a thesis.

I've seen him speaking with the village head, probably looking for a place to stay.

Vimara Village is the perfect place to take a vacation and relax, which is why I chose to come back here.

Got it, thank you. We'll go talk to the head of the village.

Don't mention it. If life is ever treatin' ya hard, you can always come and live here for a while.

Hello, are you the head of the village? There's something we'd like to ask you about.

Yes, that's me. Go ahead.

Do you know where a scholar by the name of Garvipidam lives? We'd like to talk to him.

Garvipidam? Ah, that must be him...

You know him?

Yes, I do. He came here to rent a place to stay. He said he needed to unwind a little.

But hardly anyone's ever seen him come out since he moved in, he doesn't seem to be very outgoing.

I don't know if that's his way of "unwinding," but I'd say he's just keeping himself cooped up.

Are you friends of his?

Yeah, you could say that.

(Hmm? Her tails are moving again. Is that what happens whenever she tells a lie?)

Ah, I see. I was thinking that it'd be good for some friends to check up on him.

He's staying up above, look for the house in the corner. You should be able to find him there.

Great, thank you very much!

Don't mention it. I just want to see people who come here be happy.

This is the place. Let's try knocking and see if he answers.

Hello? Anybody home? We're looking for Garvipidam.

...

Yes, that's me. Can I help you?

Hello Mr. Garvipidam, I'm Kirara. I have a delivery from Komaniya Express... I'm afraid the package is quite late.

A package? For me?

Yes, it's from a Mr. Gulab.

Wh—What? Gulab? But how is that possible...

Yes, it seems your friend submitted the package to our company before he passed.

Friend? Hah, some friend I am... There was nothing I could do about his illness, and I wasn't by his side during the last moments of his life.

Don't say that. After all, you and Gulab are the creators of Genius Invokation TCG. I'm sure Gulab would have been happy to know how popular the game has become.

Say what!? He's one of the creators of Genius Invokation TCG!?

*sigh* Why... Why does it seem that misfortune always befalls geniuses like him?

If you don't mind, perhaps you could talk to us about it? It would probably help you feel better.

...

Hah, you're right. Maybe I should tell you...

You really wouldn't mind listening?

Alright then... It's not much of a story, really.

I knew Gulab ever since we were kids. We were classmates and grew up together.

Other than the bandages on his arms, you could hardly tell he had Eleazar. He was always positive, peaceful, and kind...

Later, we both entered the Akademiya, and he became a Rtawahist Dastur.

If I remember correctly, that's a pretty high position.

Haha. Yes, he really was that smart.

But before long, the Eleazar got worse and led to some serious complications.

After that, he became bedridden. He received treatment in the hospital, but had to abandon his research.

I would go see him in the hospital every day, even though he said there was no need for me to visit so often.

He must have been worried that he was taking time from your own research.

I know, but I couldn't bear to just leave him like that. He was clearly the smarter of the two of us.

We would have some free time whenever I visited him, so we took some cards and started painting them.

Over time, those cards became the basis for Genius Invokation TCG.

A game that was born from friendship.

It's not only a game. When we were designing it, I deliberately incorporated some theoretical knowledge of the elements.

I was originally waiting for him to recover, so we could study the subject together. But in the end...

Aw, don't be sad. Genius Invokation TCG is the result of your research together.

Not to mention, a lot of people are enjoying it now.

*sigh* After he passed away, I tried to play the game with someone else...

But every time I looked up, all I could see was his silhouette. It was as if he was still sitting there at the table...

I know it was all in my head, though...

Aw, Paimon understands. Paimon wouldn't ever be able to get used to being away from Traveler. Paimon would probably find herself talking to the wind as if the Traveler could hear...

Yes. Everyone else has told me that I have to move on and embrace the fun of Genius Invokation, saying that I'm one of its creators...

But to be honest, without Gulab, what meaning does the game have anymore...?

Garvipidam, perhaps you should see what your friend sent you in the package.

Ah, right.

Hmm!? What's this? ...A letter?

...

Gulab... that rascal... He was always this way...

I haven't played much Genius Invokation myself. All I know is that it has brought joy to a lot of people.

As a true TCG player put it: "The game allows many people to meet others, make friends, and experience the joy of dueling together."

That's right! We've seen that firsthand on our journeys recently!

Paimon can tell you those stories if you're interested.

Thank you all for your kind words.

Good friends never truly leave.

You're right.

Haha, Gulab... Is that what you were thinking when you left this letter...

I've always kept your Casket of Tomes with me...

It was so special for you to draw me a card like this, what a waste it is to never have used it...

If he were here now, I know he'd say.

"Hey friends, how about a game of Genius Invokation TCG?" Well, what do you say?

I'd be happy to.

Garvipidam seems to be feeling better. Paimon even saw him crack a smile when he was playing just now.

It always takes time to heal from pain from the past, but I think this is a good start for his road to recovery.

Yeah! It was a good thing that Kirara kept track of that package, even when they were unable to deliver it.

When my boss asked me to take care of it, I had a feeling that it must somehow be delivered, I couldn't just let it be abandoned.

Would you say that was your youkai intuition kicking in?

Maybe, I'm not sure. I guess I just didn't want to let the sender's sentiment go to waste like that.

Anyway, I think this is where we'll say goodbye.

Oh, are you going back to Fontaine now?

That's right. Who would have guessed that I'd still get such a quality story after the tournament had finished. It's going to take me a few days just to draft the articles alone.

Oh, by the way, I still haven't had the chance to interview you two all this time.

After all that we've witnessed on this journey together, do you have anything you'd like to say?

Yeah! You could say the best thing we got out of this adventure was the new friends we made!

I understand. I'll be sure to work your comments into my exclusive news piece.

Just be sure to buy a copy of The Steambird when you visit Fontaine!

And I should get ready to head back to Inazuma. I still have to report everything to my boss.

Take care, everyone.

Will do! I'm sure we'll all see each other again soon.

And maybe we'll play Genius Invokation TCG if we have the chance.

I've taken care of the criminals for now. I'll be escorting them back to Sumeru City shortly.

Thanks for all your help.

I was only fulfilling my duty. You all did well.

(Cyno seems like a completely different person when he's working.)

Alright, goodbye for now.

Oh, wait wait wait! I still wanna interview the champion of the Sumeru regional tournament.

Alright, go ahead.

Tell me, Mr. Cyno, what were your thoughts about the tournament? And did you have anything to say about the Treasure Hoarder incident?

Hmm...

Genius Invokation TCG is a very good game. But to me, it's not just a game, it's an art form. It allows people to meet others, make friends, and experience the joy of dueling together.

I hope everyone can have the chance to experience the fun of playing this game.

Great answer. That'll be a perfect ending for my news piece.

Therefore, I assure you that I will personally bring judgment to any criminals out there with delusions of desecrating this game with their evil plans. No matter where you run, or where you hide, you will not escape the punishment of lightning.

Oh! Ahem, I see... Let's stay calm, no need to get worked up.

Now let me think...

Hmm... "Not-So-Genius Thieves Behind Mysterious Treasure-Chest Card Back Plot Finally"... umm...

"Got decked..." You get it, like cards and punching?

Yes, that'll work nicely!

These two make quite the team when it comes to words.

If that's all, then I should get going.

I'll inform the other areas not to get gamed by these thieving Treasure Hoarders.

We will.

So in the end, it turned out that the group of card snatchers we were tracking was the Treasure Hoarders all along.

Still feels a little disappointing though... Paimon thought for sure those card backs would lead us to some valuable treasure.

Don't say that. Think of the bright side, we uncovered a major international crime scheme!

I definitely have everything I need for my exclusive news piece.

If anything, Paimon regrets that we didn't get to see the mysterious inventors of Genius Invokation TCG.

Hehe, it seems everyone can't stop talking about that game.

It's just fun to play cards.

In that case, how would everyone like to join me for a very special delivery?

Huh? You mean it's related to Genius Invokation TCG?

Mm-hmm, that's right. You'll understand when we get there.

I would have invited Cyno along too if he wasn't busy with work.

Oh really? But didn't you say before that you can't disclose customer information?

Yeah, but this time the situation's different.

Let's just say, this delivery wasn't assigned to me by the company.

This package had been sitting at the company for some time because we couldn't ever locate the recipient. Even the neighbors didn't know where he went.

Oh, so the company eventually took ownership of the package?

Yep, the holding period passed just last month.

But can't you just return it to the original sender?

Well, it turns out the sender has passed away.

Oh, that's terrible...

Yeah, and I thought both the original sender and intended recipient would be disappointed if this package is left undelivered.

So I took the initiative and started asking around Sumeru in my free time. Eventually, I found out where the recipient went, and also learned a little about his past.

Wow, amazing! So who is it?

Well... Hehe, you'll have to come with me and see.

I have a feeling that it'll be good to have some true Genius Invokation TCG players like you come along.

Oh, sounds like another news story brewing. I'll tag along, as well.

Huh, now Paimon's really curious...

What do you think, Traveler? Shall we join her?

Of course.

Alright, then follow me to Vimara Village.

The customer will be here soon, so be sure to stay out of sight.