Mondstadt City.
When Ji An, Lumine, Paimon, and Mona returned to the city gate together:
"Ah, Traveler and Paimon, are you two okay?"
A girl with long brown hair and a red rabbit bow jogged over, grabbing Lumine by the shoulders and looking her over with concern.
Lumine: "I'm fine, Amber, don't worry."
The girl named Amber wore a knight's uniform in primarily red, with goggles hanging around her neck, white boots on her lower legs, and between the red stockings and her shorts, a stretch of fair skin visible.
After confirming Lumine was unhurt, Amber finally relaxed.
"Good, good. I never expected Stormterror to attack so suddenly. Seeing you swept away by the wind like that, Traveler, really frightened me!"
Paimon crossed her arms: "Hmph. Amber wasn't worried about Paimon at all!"
Amber: "Huh? But Paimon can fly and followed along on your own, right?"
Paimon: "So what! Paimon's feelings are still hurt. Amber needs to make it up to me."
Amber smiled: "Alright. Later I'll treat you and the Traveler to some Mondstadt specialty Honey Caramel Roast. How's that?"
Paimon's expression transformed instantly: "Roast! Yay!"
With that little glutton sorted, Amber's attention finally landed on the two standing behind Lumine.
"Miss Mona, you're back? And... who's this?"
Lumine: "My pe..."
Ji An stepped forward quickly, cutting her off: "Hello. My name is Ji An, from Liyue."
Mona followed up smoothly: "And this, for now, is my hopeless disciple."
She pointed at Ji An and spread her hands with a long-suffering look: "Sigh, during our journey I accidentally let slip a little of astrology's wonder. He saw it and immediately insisted on becoming my disciple. After endless pestering, I had no choice but to agree."
Ji An: ?
Looking at her put-upon expression, if he weren't the person being described, he might almost have believed it.
"So you're a guest from neighboring Liyue. Welcome to Mondstadt."
"I'm Amber, Outrider of the Knights of Favonius."
Amber's expression turned serious. She stepped forward and gave a formal knight's salute: "May the Anemo Archon protect you."
Then her face shifted to something apologetic: "I never expected Stormterror to attack the city directly like that. You all got caught up in it because of bad timing, and I'm sorry for that."
Ji An shook his head with a smile: "It's not your fault. We just arrived at an unfortunate moment."
Clap. Clap. Clap.
From behind Amber came the slow, unhurried sound of applause.
Everyone turned.
The approaching figure was a young man with dark skin and foreign features, one eye covered by an eyepatch. His hair was indigo-blue with a single silver streak running through it. He wore a white shirt open at the chest beneath a blue coat trimmed at the collar with dark fur. A playful smile sat easy on his face, and his whole bearing had a carelessly elegant quality to it.
"Fighting a dragon and holding your own..."
"Are you all honored guests, or a new storm of your own?"
The one-eyed young man strolled over and looked at Amber: "How about you make some introductions? Let's get acquainted."
Amber gathered herself and said quickly: "Of course. Everyone, this is Kaeya, our Cavalry Captain."
She then introduced Ji An and the others to Kaeya in turn and filled him in on Lumine's situation.
"I see. Truly interesting guests."
Kaeya nodded, smiling: "Welcome to Mondstadt. Though you've arrived at a rather rough moment, and I'm sorry you had to see us like this."
He looked at Lumine first, his smile gentling: "I understand what it means to be separated from a blood relative, Traveler."
"As for why you're searching for the Anemo Archon, that's your own business. Everyone has things they keep to themselves, and I won't pry."
His gaze shifted to Mona: "Miss Astrologer, have I seen you in Mondstadt before?"
Amber offered: "Miss Mona rented a place here and stayed for a few days. You may have crossed paths by chance, Captain."
Kaeya: "Ah, that would explain it. My memory of it is hazy, but regardless, welcome back to Mondstadt."
Finally, his gaze settled on Ji An.
Among the group of outsiders, Ji An was relatively the most unremarkable. He was handsome, certainly, but there was nothing especially conspicuous about him.
"Mr. Ji An from Liyue, I take it?"
Kaeya smiled and extended his hand.
For all his casual manner, he was actually quite considerate in his conduct. He had not offered a handshake to either of the women but did so naturally when greeting Ji An.
"I'll be in your care while I'm in Mondstadt, Captain Kaeya."
Ji An smiled politely and shook his hand.
He was about to withdraw it.
Kaeya's grip tightened abruptly and held.
Ji An frowned: "Captain Kaeya, what's this?"
He looked up and realized something was very wrong.
"Haah... you... you..."
Kaeya had bowed his head. His body had gone rigid, his breathing sharp and rapid. His other hand had come up to cover the eye beneath the eyepatch, as though he was in pain.
"Captain Kaeya, are you alright?"
Amber and the others noticed and hurried over.
Ji An took the opening to retrieve his hand and helped ease Kaeya into a nearby chair.
After quite a long while, Kaeya's breathing steadied.
"Sorry. A sudden episode. Mr. Ji An, I hope I didn't startle you?"
He did his best to appear composed, but Ji An caught something layered and unreadable in the look Kaeya turned on him.
Amber looked worried: "Captain Kaeya, I had no idea you had this condition."
Kaeya smiled wryly: "Is getting sick something worth announcing to the world?"
That was fair enough. Amber quickly let it go and offered her concern instead, telling him to look after himself.
Ji An watched him quietly.
This man named Kaeya was hiding something. Ji An was certain of it.
But as far as he could recall, they had never met before. He had no thread to pull on.
He was about to let it go.
"Disciple..."
Mona leaned in close without warning, her lips near his ear. The warmth of her breath against the base of his ear made him want to step back.
"This guy Kaeya... he has a fate line that resembles Herloxia's."
Ji An went still and looked over at Kaeya, who was now talking easily with Amber and Lumine.
A fate line similar to Herloxia's? How was that possible?
Could this Cavalry Captain also be connected to the ancient kingdom from the Simulated Life?
Since arriving in Liyue, he had been quietly piecing together everything he could find about that ancient kingdom. After meeting Seymour, the scattered details had gradually resolved into something coherent.
All of it pointed to one place: the nation that, according to legend, had been destroyed five hundred years ago by the Heavenly Principles and the Seven Archons. Khaenri'ah.
The autonomous machines scattered across Teyvat today were precisely the legacy of the Black Sun dynasty of that lost kingdom.
In the Simulated Life, after the mad craftsman had completed the field tillers, now known as Ruin Guards, he had presented them to the ruler of that great ancient nation.
Soon, at the kingdom's command, the field tillers were rapidly mass-produced and transformed into a sweeping tide of steel, moving toward the surface to carry the seeds of civilization across the entire continent.
When he had experienced that part, Ji An had felt uneasy.
He understood that a nation without a god's protection would need to be wary and would require military strength to defend itself.
But after creating the field tillers, the kingdom's ruler had sent those war machines to the surface without hesitation.
Had Khaenri'ah struck first out of aggression?
Or had they sensed danger coming and moved preemptively?
Without knowing the full story, Ji An was reluctant to reduce it to a simple matter of right and wrong. Too much had been buried by time.
But whatever the process, the outcome was clear enough.
A nation that did not revere the gods had been destroyed by them.
That, at least, was worth some feeling.
Still. Herloxia and the Black Sun dynasty were both things from five hundred years ago.
Ji An studied Kaeya, puzzled. Kaeya looked like an ordinary man. What connection could he possibly have to Khaenri'ah?
---
After resting for a time, Kaeya stood and addressed the group.
"Pushing back Stormterror today, that was thanks to all of you. On behalf of the Knights, you have our gratitude."
Lumine said: "You're welcome. So, what's the reward?"
Ji An broke into a light sweat.
Lumine really was direct.
He himself wasn't quite bold enough for that, so he added: "To be honest, pushing Stormterror back wasn't mainly our doing. A mysterious person helped us at the critical moment."
Kaeya looked at him with an amused expression and laughed: "Mr. Ji An, there's no need to be modest. You clearly did the work, and now you're inventing a mysterious benefactor?"
Lumine: "Mm-hmm."
Ji An: ...
Wonderful. You tell the truth and no one believes you.
Kaeya smiled: "As a token of thanks, how about I treat everyone to some Mondstadt specialty Honey Caramel Roast?"
Ji An, Lumine, Amber, Mona: ...
"Ah."
Kaeya looked around at their expressions, puzzled: "Why do you all look like that? Don't underestimate Honey Caramel Roast, it really is good."
Paimon, as expected, was thrilled: "Yay yay! Paimon wants to eat it twice!"
Kaeya blinked: "Twice?"
It took Amber half a minute to explain the full story.
"Haha! I didn't realize you'd already beaten me to it, Amber."
Kaeya laughed until he had to hold his stomach.
"Kaeya promised, and Kaeya can't take it back!"
Paimon looked utterly serious about this.
Kaeya held up a hand: "Alright, alright. Anyone willing to come is welcome. I'm treating."
Paimon: "Hehe!"
Kaeya then turned to the group: "Thanks to everyone's efforts just now, the people of Mondstadt were kept safe."
"The Acting Grand Master has also expressed interest in meeting you all and hopes you'll come to the Knights of Favonius Headquarters."
Lumine had no objection.
Ji An glanced at Mona and gave a slight nod.
Connecting with Mondstadt's ruling body would benefit both of them in what lay ahead.
He also still had the hourglass of Boreas's Pup Rostein sitting in his pocket.
Originally, returning it to the Knights of Favonius would have been a fine way to build goodwill. But that would have to wait. The system had flagged it as a simulated item from the river of time, which meant he needed to complete the simulation and collect its reward first.
Come to think of it, since arriving in Mondstadt the system hadn't reacted to the hourglass at all. What exactly were the geographical conditions needed to trigger it?
Ji An rubbed his chin, thinking.
---
Knights of Favonius Headquarters.
A dashing golden-haired girl glanced at the clock on the wall for what was clearly not the first time, then began pacing the room.
Finally, unable to hold still, she started toward the door.
"Jean, you're being impatient. Weren't we going to receive them here?"
The Acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius, Jean Gunnhildr, stopped in her tracks.
She looked toward the bookshelf and said: "Stormterror appears to be active outside the city as well. After meeting her, I want to move quickly..."
The woman by the bookshelf turned around. Her front was just as striking as her back.
She wore a witch's hat and a fitted dress adorned with rose ornaments, with an air of composed elegance, her full thighs clad in lace-trimmed black stockings, a stretch of fair skin visible just below.
Lisa, the Librarian of the Knights of Favonius, crossed to the railing and propped her chin on one hand with characteristic languidness.
"There's no need to rush. I'll come lend a hand shortly."
Knock, knock, knock.
A knock at the door.
Jean said: "Come in."
The door opened. Kaeya stepped inside, with Ji An and the others following behind him.
"Acting Grand Master, I've brought everyone."
Jean's taut expression softened into a smile: "Thank you all for coming. Mondstadt welcomes you."
"I am Jean, Acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius. And this is Lisa, the Knights' Librarian."
"My, my. Quite the gathering of guests today."
Lisa said, unhurried as ever: "Are you kind children here to help out, given how shorthanded we are?"
A soft laugh: "How sweet."
"The timing is a bit unfortunate, though. Since Stormterror appeared, it's been circling the city and causing trouble. Mondstadt's elemental flow and ley line circulation have become about as tangled as a ball of yarn after a kitten's been at it."
---
After a round of introductions and pleasantries, Lumine, Ji An, and Mona each explained their reasons for coming to Mondstadt.
Jean listened, then was quiet for a moment.
"Searching for a lost brother. An adventure team heading into Dragonspine. And finding the successor bound by Miss Mona's master's agreement."
She nodded: "You all contributed significantly to resolving the Stormterror crisis today. The Knights will do everything we can to assist with each of these matters."
She looked at Lumine: "Traveler, for the search for your brother, I will have the Knights post notices throughout the city. We'll contact you the moment there's any news."
Lumine expressed her gratitude: "Thank you, Grand Master Jean."
Jean's gaze moved to Ji An: "Dragonspine is extremely dangerous. Selfishly, I would advise against taking the risk, Mr. Ji An. But since you've come all this way from Liyue, I imagine your mind is already made up, and I won't try to dissuade you."
She continued: "There is an adventure team in Mondstadt that specializes in exploring Dragonspine. They've made the ascent several times and reportedly gained considerable findings. There also happens to be a Sumeru scholar named Saeed currently in the city who has accompanied them on their expeditions. It might be worth visiting him, Mr. Ji An."
"Thank you very much, Grand Master Jean."
Ji An nodded. He already knew the name Saeed; he was the colleague who had provided Seymour with historical records on Mondstadt. Even without Jean's suggestion, visiting him had already been on his list.
Finally, Jean turned to Mona: "Miss Mona, do you have any further details about the successor you're looking for? Gender, physical characteristics, anything of that kind? A description this vague would make it difficult for the Knights to post useful notices on your behalf."
"Leave it to me. I'll do a divination."
Mona extended a hand. Elemental power began to flow.
She glanced over at Ji An with a slight curl of the lips: "Disciple, my astrology is hydromancy. As the name suggests, it involves reading the true reflection of the stars through the surface of water."
"Watch closely. Let your master show you how it's done."
A circle of azure water appeared before her palm, countless pinpricks of light shimmering within it, as though the entire night sky had been poured into that small surface.
Mona studied it, pinching her chin: "Based on the current stars and their arrangement... the successor is a Knight of Favonius, young, promising... female... and also..."
"She's a member of the Knights?"
Jean and Lisa exchanged a glance, each quietly running through names in their minds and coming up short.
"That should be enough to work with."
Mona dismissed the water surface, looking satisfied: "And the stars have already told me we'll be meeting her here very soon."
Paimon tilted her head: "Huh? But there's no one else here right now. Could it be Grand Master Jean, Miss Lisa, or Amber?"
"Shh."
Mona raised a hand and pressed a finger to her lips: "I can already feel it. She's here."
At those words, the room fell collectively still. The quiet deepened until the only sound was the steady tick of the clock on the wall.
Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.
Then, light footsteps from outside, passing the door.
Tap, tap, tap.
Cheerful and unhurried.
Mona's face lit up: "That's her!"
Jean startled and looked at Lisa: "Klee? Why is she..."
Lisa's expression had gone distinctly odd. She covered her mouth, suppressing a laugh: "My dear Grand Master, have you been so busy that it's slipped your mind? Klee burned down the woods around Starfell Lake yesterday. You were the one who ordered her confined."
Jean pressed a hand to her forehead.
The footsteps outside were already fading.
"Klee, come here a moment," Jean called toward the door.
The footsteps outside stopped dead. A long pause followed. Then, very slowly, with what could only be described as great reluctance, they crept toward the door. It opened a crack.
"Grand... Grand Master Jean."
A small girl in a fiery red knight's uniform stood in the doorway.
She took in the roomful of people all looking at her and her expression turned deeply uncertain.
"Klee... Klee doesn't know, okay?"
-------
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