1. Mondstadt(4)
The morning in Mondstadt dawned.
I was busy from early morning, handling ingredients, organizing spices, and skewering meat and mushrooms one by one.
The place I was working at was a street vendor. To be more precise, it felt like a food truck equipped with simple cooking tools. The lack of trucks on the continent led to using a cart as a makeshift substitute.
I did borrow money from Amber, but it wasn’t enough to do much. The capital I borrowed from Amber was 300,000 Mora, and even that, she had to hand over to me with trembling hands.
From Noble mtl dot com
She seemed quite distressed then; I wonder how she’s doing now.
Normally, she would have visited my stall out of curiosity about what I was doing with the borrowed money, but unfortunately, the Favonius Knights were extremely busy these days.
The same goes for Lumine and Fischl, who were always with me.
It happened a few days ago, on the day I first entered Mondstadt. Amber and I were having a peaceful conversation.
“I’m not asking for everything. Hm, about ten months’ worth of Knights’ salary?”
“That’s more than enough?!”
Well, thinking about it again, it wasn’t exactly a peaceful conversation. Fischl tried to intervene from the side, but I decided to ignore the unhelpful guide’s words.
“Well, I can lend you that much. It’s not asking for it all, right? Just consider it a favor. A ‘kind and responsible knight,’ my lady?”
At that, Amber trembled. For reference, the phrase ‘kind and responsible knight’ was added by Amber when she offered to guide us to Mondstadt after the Childe’s attack on the Chasm.
Soon after witnessing my pitiful state, which had turned into a lump of charcoal, I had to quickly shut my mouth. “Y-yes, of course… The Knights of Favonius always keep their promises, hahahaha…”
Amber spoke in a voice that seemed damp with tears as she handed me the money. As she handed it over, she seemed somewhat choked up.
I had said I would repay her quickly, but naturally, those words didn’t bring her any comfort.
At this point, if it were me, I would have started to tremble and say my goodbyes, but surprisingly, Amber offered us even more kindness.
She said she would teach us the “Wings of the Wind”?
However, no matter how you listen to it, it doesn’t seem like something I can handle, so I told her that I had something more important to do and left separately.
To do business, you have to know the geography, think about which food sells the best, and above all, understand the tastes of the people of Mondstadt.
With that judgment, I came across the clouds covering the sky and the fierce wind that swept through.
No, can it be described simply as fierce? Roofs and bricks were torn apart in all directions, and people screamed, crouching down.
And there, covering the ground with its enormous shadow, accompanied by the sharp sound that tore through the wind and a fierce roar, was that monster we saw.
That “dragon” was indeed the dragon we saw!
Still, when I was with the unidentified boy, he seemed relatively calm, so I wondered if there was a chance, but now that I see it again, it showed an aggressiveness that was not at all unworthy of the term “monster.”
I quickly tried to crouch down like the people of Mondstadt, but before that, a wooden board that had fallen from somewhere struck my abdomen.
“Thunk!”
It was truly a “thunk!” No other words came out.
The feeling of the board hitting my abdomen, carried by the strong wind, was as painful as having my breath cut off.
Moreover, I am an ordinary person who rarely experiences this kind of pain, having lived in the modern world where I hardly had any experience of physical abuse, except for a little bit in school and the military.
There was no way I had the endurance to withstand this much pain.
Immediately, I hugged my abdomen and bent my body, getting caught up in the strong wind.
And so, while groaning and seeking refuge, a voice calling my name reached me from somewhere.
“Siwoo!”
That distinctive softness, ah, it was Lumine.
I groaned lightly, forcing my aching body to rise.
The pain lingered, but it wasn’t unbearable.
Lumine, surprised, rushed towards me and soon questioned me with fierce eyes.
“…How did this happen?”
A cold voice; at that moment, I first realized Lumine could speak in such a tone.
As I looked at Lumine in bewilderment, her face was stiff.
Her gaze was still directed towards my abdomen, which I was covering with one arm.
Her crimson eyes were still deeply sunken, but the depth felt like it was burning hot like the sun.
“Well, it’s just the wind… I’m fine; it’s not such a big wound. You don’t have to worry that much…”
Before I could finish speaking, Lumine bit her lip, stood up, and started running.
Into the storm tearing Mondstadt apart.
“Lumine!”
I called her with a perplexed voice, but she didn’t acknowledge it and threw herself into the storm.
And just like that, she soared into the sky, spreading wings of unknown origin.
…No, does that make sense?
How can those tiny wings support the weight of a human?
Moreover, the surreal scene was Lumine, using those wings, displaying movements resembling aerial acrobatics, facing off against a dragon.
I wonder if those wings are something extraordinary, or if anyone could do what they did with just wings.
But looking at the Mondstadt people around me, their mouths agape in astonishment, it didn’t seem like that at all.
The dragon that had been facing off against Lumine seemed to be unable to hold on any longer, as it let out a cry and started retreating from the Mondstadt sky.
I don’t know the details, but for now, it seemed like Lumine had won.
As the storm subsided, Lumine gracefully landed near me.
“Lumine!”
I forced myself up and ran towards Lumine.
“Are you, are you okay? What’s with those wings? And even so, jumping into a storm….”
Lumine looked at me with a slightly bewildered expression as I poured out my worries. Then, she soon smiled bashfully.
Her face was so beautiful that it took my breath away.
“I’m fine, Xiao. But more importantly, how about your injuries…?”
With those words, Lumine’s face quickly filled with sympathy. It was because my appearance was already a mess, and on top of that, the wooden plank had torn apart my already ragged clothes.
The spot where the wooden plank had pierced through the torn clothes was visible. It hadn’t been that long since I was hit, but a deep purple bruise was already forming.
This is going to hurt for a while, I thought, when I saw someone running towards us in the distance.
With a red headband that reminded me of a rabbit and long brown hair, it wasn’t my water jug… no, it was Amber from the Knights of Favonius.
“Is everyone okay?! Are you hurt?”
Amber seemed to hesitate as she noticed me. To be more precise, she noticed my arms wrapped around my abdomen.
Amber quickly rushed over and started examining my wounds with a flustered expression.
“Did you bump into something? Does it hurt? Should I call Barbara right away…?”
“Stop, stop. It’s just a simple bruise. If it had gone through to the inside, do you think I’d be standing here fine?”
At my words, Ember seemed to come to her senses only then, hm, hm, and stepped back with a dry cough. Lumine continued to gaze at my wounds with a face that still showed no pity.
Still, I didn’t feel bad receiving the concern of the two girls. Ember seemed to feel a bit guilty about the fact that her guest, brought by herself, got hurt. But since I had decided to move on my own, I had no reason to complain.
“Xiao, are you okay?! What happened to those injuries?!”
And just as Paimon suddenly appeared, putting her hand on my waist and getting ready to go into ‘speech mode,’ applause echoed in the air.
Clap, clap, clap.
The gathering crowd’s attention focused on a man with an unusual appearance, covering one eye with a bandage, with a unique attire.
His light-colored hair, well-developed muscles, and wide shoulders suggested that he diligently practiced. He gave the impression of a ‘knight,’ and it was evident that he was indeed a knight.
It was hard to think of any other military group in Mondstadt that trained to such an extent on a daily basis.
“To possess the strength to confront a dragon….”
As if deeply impressed, he scanned Lumine and me.
“Are you our friend, or perhaps… a new storm?”
“Oh, Kaeya senpai! This way….”
Indeed, he was the ‘knight,’ and Ember greeted him with a cheerful voice. Kaeya, that was his name.
Kaeya raised his left arm and gestured with it over his right chest in a polite greeting.
“I overheard the conversation just now, Lumine, was it? If you feel uneasy, I apologize.”
While doing so, he politely expressed gratitude, “Well, I should express my thanks. Thanks, Traveler, for defeating the dragon that attacked Mondstadt.”
I glanced briefly at Lumine. Despite the sudden appearance, her face remained calm.
She spoke in a nonchalant tone, “No need to thank us.”
“I don’t need to thank you. It’s because Xiu got hurt.”
“…Hm?”
Kaya, upon hearing that, looked at me as if finally recognizing me. He hesitated for a moment, then alternated his gaze between me and Lumine before bursting into laughter.
“hahahahaha! Ah, I see. So that’s what happened. Regardless of the cause, the gratitude is sincere. It’s the first time a wind dragon has entered the castle.”
I didn’t know what was so funny, but I decided not to say anything, as Lumine seemed to be receiving recognition.
“Speaking of which… Acting Grand Master wants to meet you. The citizens of Mondstadt must have witnessed the recent fight. How about it, will you join us?”
Lumine gestured with her eyes, asking for my opinion.
I immediately shook my head. I was fine with just Paimon and me going.
“Well, I’m injured, so I’ll go to the inn and rest for now.”
“Well, it wouldn’t be polite to hold onto a patient. Amber, call a knight to escort the patient to the inn. We’ll cover the accommodation expenses from the Knights’ budget. And when you get to the Knights, I hope you’ll tell them about meeting these friends.”
“Sure, I’ll do that. Kaya, wait a little!”
Amber, who seemed concerned about my injury, ran off to fetch a knight. After that, Lumine seemed to be acting together with the Knights.
I caught a glimpse of Lumine’s face for a moment, and according to her, it seemed that she was conducting a joint operation with the Favonius Knights to solve the wind dragon problem.
Perhaps after Lumine left, the clouds that had covered the sky had cleared, so it seemed like something had been accomplished.
[Prologue Act 1: The Foreign Wind Catcher]
[Completed]
I had missed the notification about the new feature being unlocked and forgotten to try it out.
Anyway, living without Lumine and Paimon left a hollow space in my heart.
I even missed Paimon’s annoying chatter to the point of longing for it.
However, despite my lonely heart, business was booming by the day.
First and foremost, the damage caused by the attack of the Anemo Hypostasis had a significant impact on the restaurants within Mondstadt Castle.
Some had to close their doors for repairs, and even the citizens of Mondstadt who did not run restaurants were similarly affected, leading to a significant downturn in consumer confidence.
It was burdensome to dine out at any restaurant, and yet it was not the right time to go home and eat something.
The appearance of the wandering merchant, along with the skewers, was an irresistible combination that drew in the crowds like a comet.
And if the taste was exceptionally good, even more so.
[Perfect]
[Delicious Mushroom Chicken Skewers] x12
As I reminisced about the events of a few days ago while conducting business, I suddenly realized that when the ‘cooking’ function reaches full proficiency, there was no need to go through a rhythm game-like process.
Regardless of the quantity, my body moved like a machine, producing dishes at the optimal speed.
So, despite the large number of customers at my stall, there was no need to wait in line for long.
By lunchtime, a long line had formed in front of my stall, and it quickly diminished with every movement I made.
As I worked diligently, I noticed a distinctive red headband and long chestnut hair. It was Amber.
It was the first time since then. I raised my voice in delight.
“Amber!”
“Huh? Who on earth is calling me… Xiu!”
Tired and gloomy, Amber turned to look at me upon hearing my voice, and then she jumped up in surprise.
Although we had only met once before, having gone through various incidents, I felt a sense of joy in seeing her.
She ran over to my side.
“Siwoo, you’re running a business here! I’ve heard about it a few times from the knights. A new food stall opened up, and they say the skewers there are amazing. I had no idea it was you!”
“Well, that’s how it turned out. But hey, listen.”
I handed Amber a freshly grilled skewer. As she took it, her eyes widened as she looked at the skewer and then at me.
“You just came back from a mission, right? You look tired, and you have a lot of scars. Even so, we had a brief connection, so have this and fill your stomach before you go.”
“Th-thank you.”
Leaving Amber, who seemed somewhat embarrassed, I glanced at the customers waiting in line. Surprisingly, they didn’t seem to pay much attention.
Instead, they seemed to appreciate the sight of an outsider taking care of the struggling knights, exchanging smiles and conversations among themselves.
Unintentionally, I had managed my image quite well.
While I kept an eye on the customers, Amber took a bite of the freshly grilled skewer.
Soon, I could see her pupils dilating.
It was understandable. I, too, had been surprised by the skewers I grilled.
Tender chicken, the subtle aroma of the fire, the satisfying texture of the mushrooms, and even the flavor and aroma that enhanced the taste and richness of the meat, despite salt and pepper being the simplest seasoning.
Now, Amber’s face showed amazement at the succulent juices of the meat and the aroma of the mushrooms.
In no time, one skewer disappeared.
“It’s delicious… Siwoo, you’re amazing…”
Amber’s voice as she spoke was moist. It was a voice soaked in excitement, as if she were about to shed tears. She must have been so exhausted that she felt the taste of the skewer more vividly.
“Come by often in the future. Especially you, for free… Huh?”
I stopped speaking as I noticed a change in Amber’s body.
The faint scars all over her body, along with a faint glow, began to disappear in an instant.
With him, Amber’s face, which had clearly shown signs of fatigue, also seemed to come alive.
Lost in savoring the taste of grilled skewers, Amber hadn’t realized the fact until she caught my gaze and then, with a wry smile, seemed to notice the change in her body.
“Oh, huh?”
Amber turned her body this way and that, examining herself.
She was unblemished. There were no visible injuries, just a few marks on her clothes.
Then, Amber began to check her physical abilities as she bounced around. Stretching her arms out in front of her, pulling a bowstring.
And then, for a moment, with an awkward smile, Amber said,
“Suddenly, I feel so full of energy…?”
In response to her puzzled gaze, I couldn’t help but smile awkwardly as well.
I don’t know, that. It’s scary.
MC Harem: Lumine, Fischl + Amber (NEW!)
Next: Kaeya
Last: Paimon