Chapter 49 — The Lady Is Coming
"You have to trust your sister, Barbara," Kael said gently. "Jean is capable—more than capable. And she's not alone. Venti and Diluc are with her. Together, they can handle anything the wilds throw at them."
Barbara fidgeted nervously with the hem of her white and blue dress. "Really? You're sure?"
Her tone was innocent but full of hope. She remembered what her sister had told her—that Kael was a traveler from another world, a man who had crossed the impossible boundary between realities. Even Miss Alice, the famous adventurer and Klee's eccentric mother, had once said that such feats were beyond even the gods.
Barbara had grown up listening to Alice's stories—of worlds without Visions, skies made of metal, and oceans that touched other stars. As a child, she had imagined what such places might look like. But even in those fantasies, the travelers who crossed worlds were beings of immense power.
Even the Archons themselves, bound by Teyvat's laws, could not freely step beyond their realm.
So if Kael could… what was he?
A god? A higher being?
She didn't know.
But when he spoke, she found herself believing him without question.
---
A Promise in the Morning Light
"In that regard," Kael said with a calm smile, "I have some confidence—so long as you're willing to trust me."
He wasn't particularly interested in fighting monsters today. He just wanted to test his new feature in the chat group—the live broadcast function he'd finished developing last night. It was an experiment for now, but he figured it might give the others something to watch while they rested.
Zhongli was busy purging Abyssal residue deep beneath The Chasm, and Xiao had returned to Jueyun Karst to meditate. They lived quiet, repetitive lives filled with duty. Perhaps seeing a bit of the world outside through a broadcast would be refreshing for them.
Barbara's face lit up, her blue eyes wide and sincere. "Of course, I trust you, Mr. Kael! You're… you're a good person!"
A good person card?
Kael blinked, half amused. I've been in Teyvat for months, and I finally got issued a good person card.
"Then I'll protect you," he said softly, placing a reassuring hand atop her head.
Her breath caught. His hand was warm—steady, protective.
For just a second, Barbara didn't move. She simply looked up at him, cheeks faintly pink.
"Thank you," she murmured.
Kael smiled. "You'll see. Everything will be fine."
---
The Chat Group Gets a Surprise
About an hour later, as Kael and Barbara approached the gates of Mondstadt, a chime echoed across the group.
> [Ding! Group member Kael has started a live broadcast. Members can now view the stream.]
The chat instantly exploded.
Venti: "Oh-ho! A live broadcast? How fascinating! Does that mean we can all stream in the future?"
Kael: "In theory, yes. But there's no reward system yet—so you can't earn points just by singing, Venti."
Venti: "Aww, that ruins half my business model."
Zhongli: "This is interesting. When you return to Liyue, could you perhaps stream a Yun Jin opera performance? I'd like to watch from The Chasm."
Kael: "Actually, anyone can start a broadcast. But only one can run at a time. If I end this stream, someone else can pick it up. Theoretically."
Ningguang: "Hmph. Typical of you to monopolize the spotlight, Kael."
Kael: "What can I say? The people demanded content."
Then, a new message appeared—Jean's.
Jean: "Wait… Kael, where are you taking Barbara?"
Kael chuckled softly. He could practically hear the concern in her voice.
Kael: "Just outside the city. We're checking the monster activity near the gates. Don't worry—I have more than enough strength to protect her."
A silence fell across the group.
Jean, Diluc, and even Ningguang didn't reply for several seconds.
More than enough strength?
If that was Kael's idea of modesty, then what did that make the rest of them—novices?
Finally, Jean responded:
Jean: "Understood. I'll trust you with her safety."
Keqing's message popped up next.
Keqing: "Wait a minute… who's that woman entering the city?"
Everyone's attention shifted to the live feed.
The camera panned across the city gate—revealing a tall, elegant woman draped in crimson and black silk, her heels striking the cobblestones with sharp, deliberate rhythm.
Her pale skin glimmered in the sunlight, and her eyes carried a cold, regal disdain.
La Signora.
Diluc: "That's… La Signora. The Eighth of the Fatui Harbingers."
His expression darkened immediately. There had been whispers of her presence in Mondstadt weeks ago, but no one had managed to confirm it. And now she was here—walking through the gates openly, as if she owned the place.
Ningguang: "She dares to stroll into another nation's capital unannounced? How bold."
Keqing: "Bold? More like arrogant. Look at her—she doesn't even see the people around her."
The chat fell silent.
Jean: "..."
Venti: "..."
Diluc: "..."
For a moment, even the ever-playful bard said nothing.
Her presence here could only mean one thing: the Tsaritsa's gaze had turned toward Mondstadt.
And if that was true, then this was no simple visit.
---
Venti's Unease
Outside the city walls, Venti froze mid-song.
The wind shifted.
He could feel her—the cold, piercing chill of Cryo energy. It was faint, but unmistakable.
La Signora was here.
Jean and Diluc exchanged a tense glance, but Venti's usual grin had vanished. His gaze was distant, his tone quiet.
"She wouldn't come here without reason," he murmured. "Not unless the Tsaritsa herself ordered it."
Jean frowned. "Then… are we at risk of war?"
Venti shook his head. "No. The Tsaritsa still plays her game through diplomacy. But Signora… she represents something worse."
"What do you mean?" Diluc asked.
"The Tsaritsa's cold ideal of love—frozen and eternal," Venti replied. "But Signora? She's a flame trapped in ice. Passion twisted into cruelty."
He looked toward the city. "She's here for me."
Jean's breath caught. "For you?"
"I can feel it," Venti said softly. "The gnosis she seeks—it's calling to her."
---
Kael's Thoughts
Watching through the live feed, Kael narrowed his eyes slightly.
He wasn't surprised by La Signora's arrival—but her timing was curious.
Arrogant, beautiful, and utterly self-assured, she strutted through Mondstadt as though it were beneath her.
That was always her flaw.
She had once been human—a brilliant scholar from Mondstadt's own soil, twisted by tragedy and grief. Her hatred for the Abyss had driven her to extremes, and the Tsaritsa had given that hatred form.
But arrogance blinded her.
She believed herself superior even to the gods. She dared to confront Archons like Raiden Ei and Zhongli—and demand their Gnoses as though they were debts owed to her.
It was laughable.
Even the Cryo Archon herself would never be so reckless.
La Signora was powerful, yes. But she was also a pawn—a weapon that didn't realize it was being wielded.
She never knew that the very comrades she trusted—Dottore, Scaramouche, Pierro—had all kept secrets from her. She had obtained the Geo Archon's Gnosis, yet had been deceived from beginning to end.
Her ambition, her pride, her fury… all of it had been used against her.
In the end, she walked willingly into her own death.
Kael exhaled quietly. "What a pity," he murmured to himself.
But pity didn't mean mercy.
Whatever she wanted in Mondstadt now—whether it was the Anemo Gnosis, information, or something more—he would not allow her to harm the city.
Not while Jean, Barbara, and the others were still learning what it meant to grow strong.