"Mmm…"
Jia Changjiang rubbed his temples, easing the dull headache brought on by two straight days without proper sleep.
"You seem really strong," Lynn said warmly. "Are you an adventurer from another region? That axe of yours is heavy. I couldn't even drag it, yet you carried it all the way here."
"An adventurer… I'm more like a traveler," Jia Changjiang replied, shaking his head. He took another sip of the cabbage-and-mushroom soup—and found it surprisingly delicious.
"It's good, right?" Lynn said proudly. "I'm pretty confident in my cooking. Oh, right—after all this time, I haven't properly introduced myself. I'm Lynn, a survival expert from the Adventurers' Guild! And you are… traveler from afar?"
"Lynn… you—"
Jia Changjiang paused, giving her a careful once-over.
Wasn't she the same Lynn who taught countless travelers how to cook near Mondstadt's gates—and who always seemed to be gathering ingredients in the wild whenever you ran into her?
"…You know me?" Lynn asked, blinking.
"No, sorry. I only arrived near Mondstadt recently," Jia Changjiang said, shaking his head before introducing himself.
"My name's Jia Changjiang. I suppose you could say I'm… a weapon master?"
He hesitated before using that title.
"A weapon master?" Lynn's eyes lit up. "Does that mean you have lots of weapons?"
"Not exactly," Jia Changjiang explained, repeating what he'd read in the system's manual.
"It means I'm basically familiar with how to use any weapon I can get my hands on."
"That sounds amazing," Lynn said sincerely.
"Haha… it's nothing that impressive," Jia Changjiang replied awkwardly. "Just… a bit of experience."
"But even weapon masters need to take care of themselves in the wild," Lynn scolded gently.
"I nearly jumped out of my skin when I came back and saw someone collapsed next to my pot."
"Sorry for troubling you and making you look after me for so long," Jia Changjiang said as he lifted the blanket and sat up.
"These past two days, I cleared out quite a few Hilichurls. I found some Mora in their camps—"
"No need for Mora," Lynn said, pushing his hand back. "The ingredients were all foraged anyway. I just added a few seasonings."
Then she smiled brightly.
"If you're a traveler from far away, you deserve a warm welcome."
"That's… kind of embarrassing."
Jia Changjiang glanced around, then spotted his backpack. His eyes lit up.
He rummaged through it and pulled out a bag of pork jerky he'd originally brought as snacks, handing it to Lynn.
"If you won't take Mora, then please accept this. It's food from my hometown—just a small token of thanks."
"Then I won't refuse," Lynn said happily, accepting it.
"Since we're here," she continued, sitting by the campfire, "let me tell you a bit about Mondstadt."
"Mondstadt is the City of Wind and Dandelions—a land of freedom and song. So… welcome to Mondstadt, traveler!"
"Thank you," Jia Changjiang said earnestly, then paused in thought.
"By the way… have there been any travelers like me arriving recently?"
"Blonde hair, wearing rather distinctive foreign clothes."
"A blonde traveler?" Lynn thought for a moment, then shook her head.
"No, I haven't seen anyone like that. With features that obvious, I don't think I'd forget. Though… I have been away from the city for quite a while."
She offered a suggestion.
"When you enter Mondstadt tomorrow, ask around inside the city. There are plenty of taverns—if you're willing to buy someone a drink, people are usually happy to share what they know."
"I see."
Jia Changjiang nodded.
So it seemed the game's protagonist hadn't arrived in Mondstadt yet.
"Thank you, Lynn," he said seriously.
"I won't forget what you did for me tonight. I'll repay you someday."
"No need to be so formal," Lynn waved her hand.
"Just help me gather ingredients in the wild sometimes. I can even teach you some survival skills."
She puffed out her chest proudly.
"That's an adventurer's expertise!"
"I'll remember that," Jia Changjiang replied, nodding.
His gaze drifted toward the distant outline of Mondstadt.
The city was far larger than he'd imagined.
"Once I'm inside… I should find some kind of work first," he muttered to himself.
"No matter what, I have to survive in this world."
At that very moment, outside the Adventurers' Guild in Mondstadt—
"Miss Katheryne, I'm sorry. I didn't complete the commission. It looks like someone else did."
Bennett spoke apologetically to the guild's receptionist.
"I haven't received any report of another adventurer completing it," Katheryne replied with her perfectly practiced smile.
"However, since the commission objective has been achieved, here is the reward—"
"No, no! I really didn't complete it!" Bennett shook his head vigorously.
"Then please describe the condition of the commission site."
"Well… all the Hilichurls were defeated. Only the camp ruins were left," Bennett said, recalling the scene.
"Judging by the marks, it had to be someone wielding a very heavy bladed weapon. The impact marks were incredibly deep."
He sighed in admiration.
"Whoever did it must be really strong… If only someone like that could join an adventuring party."
"Achoo!!"
Back at the campfire, Jia Changjiang suddenly sneezed hard, a strange chill running down his spine.
"…Don't tell me I've been cursed or something."
Lynn paid no attention to his muttering and continued.
"Recently, Mondstadt's been troubled by the dragon crisis. And since Grand Master Varka took many knights on an expedition, people in the city have been quite worried."
She then added thoughtfully,
"When you enter the city, it's best to visit the Knights of Favonius headquarters. Things will be much smoother that way. The acting Grand Master right now is Jean—she's a very kind person."
"Got it," Jia Changjiang said, nodding.
"I'll keep watch tonight. Because of me, you had to camp here—wouldn't be good if Hilichurls showed up."
After some persuasion, Lynn finally wrapped herself in a blanket and soon fell asleep.
"This really is a land of freedom…" Jia Changjiang murmured softly.
"Even people who just met are willing to trust someone else with keeping watch."
He walked over, picked up his battle axe, and sat back down by the fire.
"But thanks to her… I learned quite a lot."
"Mondstadt…"
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