"Hey, Lumine! Paimon!"
At Good Hunter, a girl in red came running in. Her chestnut hair bounced as she moved, a bright red bunny-ear ribbon tied atop her head fluttering in the breeze.
"Amber! Long time no see," Lumine said with a smile.
Amber had been Lumine's guide when she first arrived in Mondstadt—warm, straightforward, and endlessly enthusiastic. Lumine had always liked her.
"You're the ones who disappeared," Amber complained. "You went off training without me! Now not only Lumine, even Noelle and Barbara are stronger than I am."
Kaeya strolled up behind her. "Noelle's always been stronger than you."
"Kaeya!" Amber snapped.
Realizing he'd misspoken, Kaeya waved his hands in surrender.
"Amber! And the Great Lord Who Freezes the Sea!" Paimon flew over excitedly, staring at the two of them like they were plates of steaming food. "Are you here to treat me to the two honey-roasted carrot pancakes you owe me? I haven't even had breakfast yet!"
Kaeya pinched the bridge of his nose. Helpless about the nickname, he shrugged generously. "Of course—if little Paimon doesn't mind delaying things."
"What?!" Paimon froze.
Since Kaito was heading out, Good Hunter hadn't opened for dine-in that day—takeout only.
Inside the restaurant, the people gathered together were enough to give any Mondstadter bragging rights for weeks:
Kaito, the owner of Good Hunter.
Diluc, Mondstadt's uncrowned king.
Kaeya, Captain of the Cavalry.
Lumine, newly appointed Honorary Knight.
Amber, the enthusiastic Outrider.
Jean, Acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius.
And—somehow—a bard, Venti.
If the Fatui saw this lineup, they'd immediately suspect something major.
Unfortunately for them, the Goth Grand Hotel freezing over that morning had already thrown the Fatui into chaos. They had no time to spy.
"Making honey-roasted carrot pancakes takes time," Kaeya explained. "And since everyone's here, you're probably heading out soon."
"Ahhh!" Paimon wailed, darting back over.
"Kaito, didn't you say I'd have pancakes when I woke up?!"
"You idiot," Kaito said, exasperated. "Why didn't you order as soon as you got up? You could've eaten first and made them pay when they arrived."
Paimon deflated instantly.
"…That makes sense."
"When you get back, I'll treat you," Kaeya laughed.
"It's a deal!" Paimon quickly hooked pinkies with him.
Amber ran over, cheeks slightly pink but asking openly, "Boss Kaito, Acting Grand Master Jean said you prepared a surprise for me."
"You'll like it," Kaito said with a smile, patting the crate set aside. "Go on—open it."
"Oh, it's for Amber?" Jean said, suddenly understanding.
She'd carried the crate herself and knew what was inside. She'd been puzzled—Kaito didn't use bows. She'd even wondered if it was for Fischl, until she remembered Fischl already had a better one.
"I promised Amber a set of artifacts before," Kaito explained. "But random artifacts don't synergize well. That'd feel careless. So I decided on a weapon instead."
"It's the Favonius Warbow!"
Amber opened the crate, eyes dazzled by the gleaming silver bow shaped like a diving falcon.
"Is this really for me?" she asked, hardly believing it.
"Of course."
"But… the Knights—" Amber hesitated. Her current strength and reputation didn't seem worthy of a standard-issue Favonius weapon.
"If Kaito is giving it to you, take it without worry," Jean said. "The Knights won't reclaim it."
"That's amazing!"
"Thank you, Boss Kaito!"
Overcome with excitement, Amber lunged forward and hugged Kaito hard—so hard he took half a step back.
Jean paused for a beat, then simply looked away and said evenly, "Alright. Gear check—then we move."
Lumine also coughed lightly. The sound echoed awkwardly in the suddenly quiet restaurant.
Amber snapped back to her senses, realizing she'd gone too far, and hastily hopped down.
"Boss Kaito, I—"
"I know. You didn't mean it," Kaito said calmly. A warm, fragrant impact first thing in the morning—today's luck should be good.
"You'll be acting with Diluc and Lumine this time. Remember what I told you last time—focus on honing yourself."
"I will!"
Amber's eyes burned with determination.
Then she froze. "Wait—I'm going out on a mission too?"
"Mm."
"That's great!"
She immediately hurried over to Lumine and grabbed her shoulders, grinning.
"I'll personally supervise your archery training," Lumine said, deadpan. "No slacking."
Sara knocked at the door. "Boss, the Mondstadt potato pancakes you ordered are ready."
Two large bags of freshly fried pancakes were set on the table, along with five bottles of apple jam. The aroma instantly stirred everyone's appetite.
"Eat on the road," Diluc said, standing.
Lumine picked up a bag and three bottles. "Kaito, we're heading out."
"Stay safe," Kaito reminded her.
She nodded and followed Diluc. Amber and Paimon went with them.
"May the winds of the Anemo Archon watch over you," Venti said solemnly to their retreating backs.
Jean finished giving Kaeya his instructions. "Kaeya, Mondstadt's safety is in your hands."
"The Fatui seem to be in disarray, and we have their deployment map," Kaeya replied. "There shouldn't be trouble anytime soon."
"Kaito, we're leaving too," Jean said.
Kaito tossed her a pancake. "Want jam?"
"A little."
She spread apple jam generously, wrapped it up, and caught up with him.
Seeing the leftovers, Venti pulled out a bottle of red wine—the same half-full, priceless one he'd somehow pilfered. "Then I won't hold back."
Leaning against the doorway, Kaeya watched Kaito and Jean leave, his relaxed expression turning slightly worried.
"For those two… today isn't ideal."
He'd seen the astrologer's forecast that morning.
Rain.
Diluc's group would be fine—they'd be near Springvale for days. But Kaito and Jean were headed to the Thousand Winds Temple.
High ground. Rain. Thunder.
Dangerous.
"Let the stars be wrong," Kaeya muttered, glancing at the still-bright sky.
"The wind… is shifting," Venti murmured through a mouthful of pancakes.
No one heard him.
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