Be Careful When Agreeing to Terms and Conditions

1. Mondstadt (3)

There were many events on the way to Mondstadt. We encountered the “Anemo Archon,” and Lumine became able to control the power of elements there, and Paimon speculated that she could obtain that power if she found the “Seven Archons.”

And while in the forest, we found a strange boy who was trying to have a conversation while petting something that looked like a dragon. There, Lumine obtained something else. It was a gem that emitted a mysterious red light. Clearly ominous-looking, I, being powerless, felt it was dangerous to even approach it, so Lumine ordered me not to approach it for a while. It was sad.

Anyway, besides that, we went through various other events, spending quite a challenging time. Let’s skip that story.

Now, I was silently gazing at the new figure that appeared before me.

What filled my sight first was the red color, the headband. The girl, with brown hair fluttering, who had jumped off a cliff, was looking at us with amber-colored eyes.

She made a thoughtful sound, and then suddenly took a dignified posture. A neat posture with arms in a diagonal line.

“May the Anemo Archon protect you! I am Amber of the Knights of Favonius.”

‘Knights of Favonius’? Her posture just now seemed to be a knightly salute. She then added, not hiding her suspicion.

“You don’t seem to be citizens of Mondstadt, do you?”

Finally, it seemed that we had come near ‘Mondstadt.’ My long period of homelessness was coming to an end, to the point where tears were welling up.

But to Paimon, the situation of being suspected by someone seemed more important than the joy of arriving in Mondstadt, and she waved her short arms in embarrassment.

“Calm down! We are not suspicious people.”

“All suspicious people say that.”

In Amber’s eyes, which were half-closed, an unmistakable expression of suspicion was emerging. I felt awkward and placed my hand on the back of my neck.

Why so sensitive? Is the situation in Mondstadt not good these days?

Just when the strange standoff seemed to be getting a little long, Lumine stepped forward. Seeing Lumine

The feeling of the sight suddenly brightening. The light blonde hair was reflecting the sunlight delicately.

“Hello, my name is Lumine. And this is Xiu.”

“…Lumine? Hm, doesn’t seem like a local… And this one.”

Amber, as if awakening from a daze by Lumine’s soft and gentle voice, soon composed herself and started staring at me intensely.

“Black hair, black eyes… and even the name. Are you from Liyue? Then what’s the deal with this floating thing?”

‘Calling it a floating thing is rude!’ I immediately complained, but Lumine didn’t pay it any mind. She nonchalantly replied.

“It’s an emergency ration.”

“Hey!”

Feimon, who had instantly become an emergency ration, shouted loudly. He still couldn’t avoid being a noisy guide. By that time, I took a deep breath and stepped forward.

“Anyway, we are travelers, and we’re not suspicious people. It’s just a normal thing for a few travelers to wander near the city without doing anything.”

“Well, um… I made a mistake that doesn’t befit my position as a knight, so, um, esteemed traveler.”

When did I become a traveler worthy of ‘esteem’? I suppressed the urge to grumble.

What was more important was understanding the situation. Come to think of it, I heard that Mondstadt was one of the seven nations on the Teyvat continent, so it was too empty even for such an important hub.

If it was a place of such scale, it was natural to encounter several people during the journey to Mondstadt.

Moreover, the wind was blowing somewhat violently, and until now, I thought that it was a place guarded by the Anemo Archon, but upon further reflection, it was incredibly naive.

I heard that Mondstadt was a city that valued freedom and was gentle.

If even the people of Mondstadt were sensitive to the point of suspecting something serious, it was reasonable to assume that there was a significant problem.

“You don’t have to put on unnecessary formalities. I’m just curious if there’s any problem. In fact, we haven’t been on our journey for long, so we don’t know much.”

“It doesn’t suit you, it’s our Knights of Favonius manual…”

Amber muttered something with an expression of dissatisfaction, but I ignored her cleanly.

Pretty girls’ words may be empty talk, but it’s a sad nature of men to listen to them at least twice. However, I had a heart hardened by Lumine.

Amber was pretty and had a lively charm, but she wasn’t as much as Lumine.

… Maybe.

“Hmm, hmm. Anyway, I get it. So, you guys are travelers, right? There are fierce dragons roaming around Mondstadt these days, so it’s dangerous. If you want to go to Mondstadt, I’ll escort you.”

‘Dragons,’ I suddenly remembered the boy and the dragon I encountered with Lumine.

It couldn’t be him, could it?

If that’s the case, we faced a monster that plunged Mondstadt into a panic, and it couldn’t be anything but a chilling story.

Hmm, maybe not. I decided to think that way for the sake of my mental health.

While I was organizing my thoughts, Lumine, who had been chattering with Paimon, spoke again. Her voice was always beautiful.

“You just said you were a knight, right? If you’re a knight, you must have a mission.”

“Well, of course, but… it’s something I can do while escorting you guys. And also…”

As Amber’s gaze briefly skimmed over me, it probably meant something like ‘I still can’t trust outsiders’ roughly. But since she just pointed it out to me, she couldn’t say it out loud.

That dragon seemed like quite a serious threat.

Otherwise, there wouldn’t be such vigilance. Maybe there are external forces threatening Mondstadt even without the dragon?

That was still just speculation. Since the word ‘prologue’ came up, the events were probably still unfolding.

As I thought that, I suddenly felt tired.

Yeah, that wasn’t important right now. What nonsense was I doing in front of the city?

I wanted to quickly go to the city and rest. There were things I wanted to do in the city.

“To be honest, I’m not sure if we really need an escort, but since there are dragons involved, it’s better to accept the offer, right?”

In response to my words, Lumine closed her eyes slightly as if pondering, and said, “Hmm, yeah.”

“Well, if that’s how Xiu is.”

If even Luminé agreed, there was nothing more to say. Although it seemed like Fischl was muttering something like ‘What about me?’ on the side, I decided to simply ignore it.

“Then, please guide us, Chief Scout. By the way, what’s this mission about?”

Amber, who had been listening to our conversation with a satisfied expression, suddenly spoke as if she had forgotten.

“Oh, it’s nothing, just clearing out the Chuchu tribe, you know?”

Chuchu tribe – I recalled a bizarre humanoid monster with thick fur on its head.

They seemed to have a certain level of intelligence, judging by their use of tools, but I remembered that they couldn’t stand up to Lumine’s swordsmanship.

Well, if that’s the case, I nodded my head, but with a slight sense of unease, I spoke.

“Um, just in case… Lumine is quite skilled in combat, but I’m just an ordinary person with no abilities. So, please be careful not to let any sparks fly my way.”

“Of course! Don’t worry, Favonius Knight will never harm civilians.”

Amber reassured, pounding her chest, and Lumine also gave a reassuring wink as if to say not to worry.

Watching their confident expressions, I felt a strange sense of unease growing inside me.

It always turns out the opposite in situations like this, but I guess that only happens in novels.

I organized the budding anxiety in my chest, smiled slightly as if trusting them, and nodded.

***

“…Ah, damn.”

Flinch, and the two girls’ bodies trembled. Naturally, just a moment ago, Lumine and Amber were confidently making promises to trust and leave everything to them.

There was another person shaking in a different sense from the two of them, and that was none other than Fischl.

Fischl shivered, then couldn’t stand it any longer and burst into laughter.

“Hoo, hah, kyahahahaha! Xiu, Xiu became a charcoal briquette!”

It was as he said.

Even without that, my already loose shirt and pants were riddled with holes, and my hair was inflated as if it had been hit by a bomb.

Not only that, but my face, arms, and exposed skin were smeared with soot and ashes, making me look like a character from a war movie, perhaps a guerrilla fighter.

The whole story of the incident went like this:

They discovered the Chu Chu tribe that Lumine and Amber were targeting and launched an attack.

Lumine’s swordsmanship was so excellent that it surprised even Amber, and Amber, from a distance, cleared out the Chu Chu tribe with her Black Flower arrows.

However, the problem arose when Lumine started using the power of the elements.

Flames began to radiate along with the wind element.

It was a damn beautiful sight, and Lumine, wielding her sword like a dance within the whirlwind of flames, was so impressive that it could be preserved as a photo shoot.

However, as the flames spread and the fierce majesty subsided, Amber, who had become annoyed, began to scatter a rain of fiery arrows, and the wind carried the flames towards me.

The flames’ tongues, devouring the meadow, were not the kind one could avoid unless flying like a Venti.

The result was this pathetic state.

I wasn’t seriously injured, but it was undeniable that I had witnessed an unbearable sight.

While Fischl, who usually tormented me, burst into laughter at my misfortune, Lumine and Amber could only tightly bite their lips, especially after assuring me not to worry just a moment ago.

Unable to help it, I had to walk to the gates of Mondstadt in charcoal form, and Lumine and Amber cautiously followed my gaze.

As for Fischl, well, she was shivering with suppressed laughter, as evident by her trembling.

Nevertheless, it seemed unbearable to continue with this atmosphere after reaching Mondstadt, and surprisingly, Amber was the first to speak.

She awkwardly opened her mouth, “Uh, a stranger who seems unfamiliar and respectable?”

I glared at her with cold, sharp eyes. Amber, flinching again, shivered before continuing with a more pitiful tone.

“S-so… sorry! I didn’t know the power of the Anemo element would be that strong.”

Next was Lumine. Seizing the opportunity of my gaze towards Amber, she slipped beside me and began soothing me with her distinctive feminine voice.

“Xiao, sorry? I didn’t know the Anemo element could have such power. Look at your clothes; they’re all burnt. Any injuries? What should we do…”

While doing so, Lumine’s tearful face was, well, honestly, a bit unfair.

I sighed deeply as if to say it was inevitable.

Actually, it wasn’t something to get so angry about.

It happened because I couldn’t participate in the battle in the first place. Since they placed me in a safe rear position, she might not have paid attention to where I was during the intense battle.

Moreover, I wasn’t severely injured, and it might have been an incident that occurred while they were fighting to keep me in the safest place possible.

There might be some responsibility for getting carried away and using too much strength in the excitement, but considering I was in a position to receive protection for free, it was something I could endure.

Nevertheless, the reason I maintained that low-pressure system had its own scheme.

“Well then, do me a favor, Amber.”

“Uh, yeah? S-sure! A scout of the Favonius Knights always pays his debts. Just tell me anything!”

Amber finally seemed to think she could clear the debt in her heart, and her face brightened all at once.

Was it an illusion that her headband seemed to perk up?

Amber was truly a good person. And I was a bad guy taking advantage of that good person.

“Lend me some money.”

“……Huh? Sorry, but could you say that again?”

“I’m asking you to lend me some money.”

Amber pretended not to hear and gave me a sharp look, but my following words were as flat as if I were demanding something utterly natural.

“Don’t worry, I’ll repay the money soon.”

I reassured them while looking around at the group staring at me blankly.

Lumine, with a bewildered look as if questioning what I just said, Fischl, whose eyes widened as if mocking me, and even Amber, who ended up lending me money despite being a complete stranger.

Somehow, a chuckle escaped me at the sight.

“Do some business.”

It gave me a somewhat promising feeling, maybe something related to ‘food business.’