"Come on, Frisk. We're almost at the gate!" Xiangling's enthusiastic voice yelled as she not so gently dragged him by the arm.
Frisk was surprised by her speed. He was pretty sure teenagers shouldn't be this strong. But then again, this was someone who had a Vision or was a Vision Holder.
"Y-you're going too fast!"
Not too long later, they arrived in front of the gate. Catching the eye of the two Millelith soldiers who were guarding it.
"Welcome to Liyue; please declare any commercial goods you—Oh, if it isn't Xiangling. Have you finished looking for ingredients, I assume?"
"Hi, Mister Cai Le! Sadly, no, something pretty serious came up." Xiangling responded to Cai Le, who raised his brow.
Then He turned to look at Frisk, who stood stiffly beside her. Cai Le observed him for a moment, taking in his odd appearance.
"Does it have something to do with your friend here? He doesn't seem to be a local."
"Yeah, actually." Xiangling took a deep breath before continuing. "So I was supposed to go searching for ingredients in the wild, but then I saw him sitting on the ground in the middle of the Guili Planes."
"The Guili Planes, you say?" He responded, eyes not leaving Frisk.
"Yeah, and when I wanted to talk to him, he was super scared and surprised. It turns out he said that he was kidnapped and woke up in the Guili Planes and had no idea where he was!"
"What?!"
Cai Le's shout echoed off the gate pillars. Realizing the surrounding civilians had turned to stare, he clapped his free hand over his mouth and muttered a curse behind his hand.
His partner, a shorter Millelith with a blue tassel on her helmet, leaned in. "Cai Le, what's wrong?"
"Possible lead on the recent disappearances; he may be our only survivor." Cai Le whispered, eyes never leaving Frisk. "Do not let your guard down, Cai Xun. I will also fetch more men to assist you."
Cai Xun straightened at once, nodding to his partner before taking the lead in guarding the gate.
Cai Le composed himself and turned back to Xiangling. "Xiangling, sir—I need you two to accompany me to The Ministry of Civil Affairs."
Frisk panicked. That doesn't sound good!
He hunched his shoulders. "Is… is that necessary?" shooting Xiangling a pleading glance.
She patted his arm. "Don't worry; the Millelith are trustworthy. They once helped my dad recover stolen cookware."
Xiangling tried giving him an assuring smile but he could tell that even she was kind of nervous.
Seeing his unsettled expression, Cai Le stepped forward with a stern yet comforting gaze.
"Disappearances have been a problem recently. If someone really kidnapped you, you're safer under our protection than wandering the harbor. On behalf of all the Millelith, I promise no harm shall come upon you."
The guard's calm tenor and the footsteps of other soldiers closing ranks at the gate left Frisk little room to argue.
How did he get other guards here so quickly?!
He swallowed. "Okay then."
Cai Le nodded, turning around to address the new soldiers of the situation before guiding Frisk and Xiangling to The Ministry of Civil Affairs.
All the while, Frisk was cursing himself for not coming up with a better lie. This was really biting him in the ass.
/ - /
Frisk's heart was beating so fast that he thought he might faint. His mind was racing with all the ways his lies could crumble.
But as they crossed the bridge, his breath hitched as he finally saw Liyue up close.
The harbor unfolded in glowing layers of night. Lanterns swayed from every eave—amber, vermilion, pale jade—casting ripples of color over flagstones slick with earlier rain.
Merchant calls rose in a tapestry of dialects: "Fresh chilies! Half‑price skewers! Silk ribbons from Fontaine!"
Incense mingled with brine, wok-fried garlic, and sweet‑crisp almond tofu cooling on reed mats.
"Whoa."
Cai Le strode ahead, walking fast enough to tell others he was busy but also slow enough for Frisk to keep up.
Stacked terraces climbed the cliff face like a staircase to the stars. Illuminated shopfronts framed carp‑shaped windsocks at each level, which turned lazily in the evening breeze.
Laughter spilled from teahouse balconies. Ferry bells dinged as night market junks nudged the wharf, their tan sails reflecting the lantern glow in fractured gold.
This place is so cool!
"Haha! You look like a kid who just got a new toy!" Xiangling giggles as she watches his head spin to take in the sights.
Frisk managed a weak laugh, but his gaze never left the spectacle. "It's like the city is alive! I-I've never seen something like this before."
A dozen steps ahead, Cai Le realized the two were no longer following him.
"Xiangling? Mister Frisk?"
He didn't hear him; his eyes focused on a stall selling some sort of shiny rocks.
Xiangling saw Cai Le and pointed at Frisk. "Sorry, he got distracted."
He took in Frisk's awestruck expression and let an amused smile appear. A softer note crept into Cai Le's voice.
Walking closer to Frisk, he tapped him on the shoulder. "First time in Liyue?"
Frisk snapped out of it and got embarrassed.
"S-sorry, yeah. Never seen anything like it."
"How strange…" Frisk held his breath. "Waking in Guili Plains yet never having visited the harbor. But"
He glanced at the marketplace, "I can understand your shock. No matter how often I see it, Liyue is always a sight to behold."
But his tone quickly switched back to serious, "But we still need to get to the Ministry quickly. If we take too long, most staff could have already gone home."
"Right. Sorry. Lead the way."
/ - /
Night draped the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
Public desks stood shuttered, quills set neatly to dry; only the click of distant boot heels and the soft creak of floorboards disturbed the corridors.
Millelith posted that at the far end of a restricted wing with locked doors. A single jade lamp burned in a records room packed floor to ceiling with ledgers.
Three people shared the lamp's yellow glow.
A tall woman with blue hair leaned over a broad map table.
Scarlet pins dotted the parchment: one by Qingce, another near Dihua Marsh, a small red constellation around Guili Plains.
Each pin carried a silk thread that converged on an empty circle in the center.
"A pattern without a purpose is still a pattern," She murmured. Their eyes focused on the map and the stacks of papers near her.
"Tsk."
Her operatives, draped in dark robes, finished their briefing quietly.
"No fresh tracks at the last site," said the taller one.
The shorter agent added, "People say they heard a bell around the time the merchant was suspected to be abducted."
Yelan's eyes narrowed.
Before she could reply, a distant bang ricocheted through the corridors: the front doors slamming open.
"?!"
Voices followed, muffled at first, then clearer as hurried steps approached.
"Ms. Yu!" called a familiar tenor. "Cai Le reporting. I've found a possible kidnapping survivor!"
Yelan stilled as her attention was now entirely on the conversation outside the room. She recognized that voice.
Cai Le should be doing gate duty today. He has also been in the Millelith for quite some time, so for him to sound rattled meant something unusual.
She moved closer to the door, her subordinates following.
Out in the foyer, Ms. Yu's composed alto answered, "A survivor?!." She sounded rattled; shifting papers were heard before she spoke again.
"Uhh, bring them to Interview two. Have our medics check for injuries!"
The woman turned to her agents. "Shadow our guests. This may be the lead we need."
"Understood, Lady Yelan."
Then, her subordinates slipped from the lamp's light, melting into the dim corridor. The door eased shut behind them without a click.
Yelan took one last look at the pins around the map and smirked."Let's see how this plays out."
/ - /
Cai Le's armored strides guided two figures through the dim foyer: Xiangling, who looked nervous at the tense atmosphere.
And Frisk, who looked scared shitless.
At least they were nice enough to check him for injuries.
Ms. Yu emerged from behind the reception counter, clipboard in hand.
"Evening, Xiangling. Of all the people I thought would help with this case, you were not one of them."
Xiangling responded with a nervous laugh. "Well, what can I say? I'm full of surprises."
Ms. Yu smiled at her before turning to Frisk.
"And you are?"
"My name's Frisk."
She raised a brow at his unusual name. Frisk knew that his name sounded nothing like anyone else here, but come on, at least don't make it obvious!
"Come with me." Ms. Yu gestured down a side passage lined with shuttered office doors.
"Cai Le, you may return home now. It's already past your shift, after all
."
"Understood." Cai Le said.
He turned to Frisk and gave him a nod, which Frisk gladly returned.
"I wish you the best, Mister Frisk."
She led Frisk and Xiangling into a modest chamber. It had a rectangular table with three chairs.
The three sat in silence as Ms. Yu prepared her papers. "Name, Frisk. Place of origin?"
God dammit. Okay, he needed to come up with a lie. From what he's seen, this beautiful place doesn't look too technologically advanced.
If he could make up a name for a village, then there's a good chance they would just think he was from somewhere far away.
Or that's what he told himself, at least.
He turned to see Ms. Yu's expectant gaze, waiting for his answer.
Okay, Okay. A name, what would be a good village name?
"The village I come from is called Amphoreus."
That was the name that suddenly appeared in his mind.
"Amphoreus?" she looked confused. "I can't say I've heard of a place with that name before."
"Well, we didn't have that many people, only a few hundred, I think," Frisk said slowly, carefully choosing his words.
"But I'm pretty sure it's not near Liyue since I've never heard of this place. I just woke up in the uhh…"
He turned to Xiangling, "Guili Planes."
"Yeah, that place."
Ms. Yu stared at the two for a moment before writing down something. Frisk really hoped that his lie was believable.
"How about you, Xiangling? What were you doing when you encountered him."
Xiangling perked up, "Oh, I was about to go out to get some ingredients to make a new dish. But on the way there, I saw Frisk just sitting in the middle of the Guili Planes."
"Sitting down?"
"Uhh, like he was just sitting on the wet ground, frozen in shock. I asked him if he was alright, but he screamed when I did."
She turned to Frisk, who looked a little embarrassed. "She came out of nowhere, alright? Who wouldn't be surprised."
He saw Ms. Yu write down a few more things, "You said you woke up in the Guili Planes, but why were you sitting on the ground?"
"W-well, I guess I was still in shock." That wasn't a complete lie, but he wasn't about to tell her that he had just come back to life.
"I woke up in a place I didn't know, and I just… didn't know how to process it." That also wasn't a lie.
Even though this world was beautiful, it was also dangerous. Frisk still had difficulty processing that he was in reality and not a dream.
His words seem to have done the trick, though, as Ms. Yu now had a sympathetic look in her eyes.
"That must have been scary, to be home one minute and be in a completely different place the next."
He tried to respond, but the sincerity in her words made him choke on his breath a little.
She gave him a gentle smile, "Do not worry, Mister Frisk. We promise we will do everything in our power to get you home."
"Thank you…" He hated how small his voice sounded.
Ms. Yu smiled then went to pick up another clipboard she had to the side. "Alright, just a few more questions. I hope you two will bear with me."
/ - /
"That was not only a few more questions." Frisk said tiredly.
To his side, Xiangling looked ready to fall asleep, shrinking into her chair. "You tell me. I'm just about ready to pass out."
When Ms. Yu said that she had a few more questions, he thought that it would take at worst an hour.
It took three hours.
Three long hours of questioning and carefully answering questions to make sure he didn't fuck up his lie.
After they finished, he and Xiangling literally melted into their chairs. Ms. Yu had left to go do something, he already forgot what.
So the two were now stuck waiting in an empty questioning room, in complete and utter boredom.
"I know I said this already, but I'll say it again. I really appreciate you bringing me here, Xiangling."
Even if she was tired, Xiangling still lifted a hand to pat his shoulder. "Like I said, no worries! I just did what anyone would have done."
"Yeah…" He internally thanked Rex Lapis for making Xiangling stumble across him in Guili Planes.
He could have actually gotten kidnapped if she didn't.
*CLICK*
The clicking sound of a door opening filled the room. The two turned their heads to see Ms. Yu and another man coming into the room.
Frisk didn't know who the man was, but Xiangling's sudden yell cleared it up pretty quick.
"Dad!" She got up from her chair and tackled him into a hug.
"Xiangling! I was so worried." He embraced his daughter in a tight hug, lightly ruffling her hair. "When I heard from the Millelith that you were here… My mind went all over the place!"
Xiangling chuckled as she released her father, "We'll you can stop worrying now, I'm completely fine!"
"Haha, I can see that."
His eyes then suddenly shifted towards Frisk, who flinched at the man's sudden gaze. "You must be Xiangling's father."
He nodded. "Indeed I am."
Frisk shuffled in place for a moment, unsure of what to say next. But then made up his mind and walked towards him, and bowed. Startling the man.
"I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble, but Xiangling has done so much for me." He raised his head. "If there's anything I can do to pay you back, please tell me."
Everyone was silent, and the man looked obviously shocked. But he surprised Frisk when he suddenly laughed out loud.
"H-huh?"
Then he grabbed Frisk's hand in a firm handshake. "You don't have to pay us back anything. You went through something that no one should, I'm more than thrilled that Xiangling took action and brought you here."
Frisk is speechless, he expected Xiangling's dad to at least be a little angry. After all, his daughter was detained because she helped him.
So this is where she gets her attitude from. He thought, Like father, like daughter.
"You can call me Chef Mao. If Xiangling didn't tell you, I own a place called Wanmin Restaurant. Please come by when you can, we would love to serve you a hot meal."
"W-wow, I… don't know what to say."
"How about what kind of food you would like!" Mao said with a laugh, thoroughly breaking Frisk's nervousness.
*cough* *cough*
Everyone turned to Ms. Yu, "As heartwarming as this is, I need to talk with Mister Frisk alone for a few minutes."
Chef Mao nodded. He and Xiangling slowly walked out the door, but not before Xiangling sent him a wave, which he returned.
Now, he was left alone in the room with Ms. Yu.
Okay, he was scared again now.
"Mister Frisk."
"Y-yes?"
"Since you have no place to go, and we can't seem to find any information on your village in Liyue, we have prepared a temporary place for you to stay."
He was not expecting that. Seeing his reaction, Ms. Yu couldn't help but let out an amused chuckle.
"Did you think we'd let a kidnapping victim not sleep in a warm bed?"
"We'll no, but I kinda expected to sleep here to be honest."
She raised an amused brow at him before someone walked in the room, "Ah! You're here."
Frisk turned his eyes towards a tall woman with black hair, wearing the same clothes as Ms. Yu.
"Frisk, this is Miss Yukong, she will guide you to your temporary abode."
Miss "Yukong" turned towards him and offered a smile, "Pleasure to be of use, Mister Frisk." She winked at him.
"H-hi?"
This woman was sketchy. He might just be paranoid, but something about her just feels.. Off. He cautiously stared at her when a screen suddenly appeared.
"!"
"?!"
He let out a startled yelp, startling the two. Ms. Yu stared at him, worried. "Are you alright?"
"Y-yeah! Sorry, I felt something fall down my shirt, haha…"
The two were still confused but seemed to have let it go.
"Very well, please follow Miss Yukong now."
He nodded. But gave the pop up screen one last look.
-/-
* Yelan
* A mysterious person who claims to work for the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
-/-