Even after night fell, Mondstadt's winds remained gentle and comforting.
Xiangling tossed a piece of firewood into the campfire, watching the flames leap up, and asked, "Amber, I remember you saying that Mondstadt holds a Gliding Champion during the Windblume Festival?"
Amber smiled. "That's right!"
Mona was curious. "A Gliding Champion?"
Amber explained, "It's a speed contest using Wind Gliders. It's basically a traditional event here in Mondstadt."
Xiangling asked, "So you'll be competing again this year, right?"
Amber clenched her fist with confidence. "Of course! I compete every year! And this year, the championship is definitely going to be mine again!"
Charlotte, always sharp as a reporter, caught a detail. "Again?"
Xiangling laughed. "You all might not know, but Amber has already won the Mondstadt gliding champion three years in a row."
"Three consecutive titles? That's amazing!"
Everyone's expressions turned to genuine admiration.
Charlotte immediately pulled out her trusty little notebook, excitement shining in her eyes. "Amber, would you mind if I did a quick interview?"
"An interview?"
"Yes — let me reintroduce myself, I'm the Chief Editor for the Liyue Newspaper's travel section. I'm planning to write about all the interesting things I see on this trip and publish them in the paper, so people can know how wonderful the outside world is."
"That sounds amazing!"
For Amber, it was the perfect chance to be featured in a foreign publication, a great way to spread her name.
And for Mondstadt, it could help draw more visitors, boosting prosperity.
Amber nodded and happily agreed.
"Can you tell me more about Mondstadt's gliding championship?"
"Of course! Where would you like to start?"
"Maybe with the Wind Glider itself?"
The Wind Glider was a large tool modeled after a bird's wings.
Born out of Mondstadt's famously windy weather, it had since spread with adventurers all over the world — but nowhere was it more at home than Mondstadt.
The Outrider Knights relied on them to move through the sky and gather intel quickly, and everyday citizens loved using them, too.
However, only those who held a valid gliding license were allowed to glide legally within Mondstadt City.
To get that license, you had to pass an exam, after which the Knights of Favonius would issue it.
And when using a Wind Glider, you also had to follow strict rules and standards outlined in the Gliding Manual.
Listening from the side, Xia Zhi couldn't help but show a faintly amused smile.
Strictly speaking, his [Radiant Wings] could also be considered a Wind Glider.
But since his character setting was "blind," showing up at a gliding contest would be a bit too weird.
Though, maybe Cloud Retainer could give it a try. As a crane adeptus, she was born to fly. Even without using adeptal arts, her natural flying skills were so refined that if she picked up a Wind Glider for the first time, she'd probably snag the championship with no problem.
He wondered how Amber would feel if her fourth straight win was stolen away.
Thinking of it like that, the gliding champion in Mondstadt during the Windblume Festival was sort of like Liyue's Cooking King Contest during the Moonchase Festival.
Amber was the champion of the gliding Champion, and Xiangling was the champion of the Cooking King Contest, and the two had run into each other here and become good friends. Fate really worked in funny ways.
After explaining the gliding contest, Amber also described the archery competition and the poetry contest that would be held, and of course, the most important award of all — the Windblume Star.
"The [Windblume Star] is one of Mondstadt's highest honors," Amber explained. "It's usually awarded to someone who has made great contributions to Mondstadt or shown outstanding performance during the festival."
At this, her voice paused, and her expression turned a little regretful.
"It's too bad Lumine isn't here. If she were visiting Mondstadt, this year's [Windblume Star] would definitely have gone to her."
Lumine...
It had been a while since Xia Zhi had heard anyone mention that mysterious Traveler's name.
The dragon disaster in Mondstadt, the fall of the Geo Archon in Liyue, the Vision Hunt Decree in Inazuma — she had been at the center of every one of those events.
Xia Zhi had heard from Ningguang that this Traveler had simply been searching for news of her brother in each nation, but ended up getting drawn into these major incidents one after another.
Now that the Inazuma crisis was over, the Traveler's next stop was probably Sumeru.
Xia Zhi had already learned a few secrets of Sumeru from Xia Ci — such as the Akademiya's secret plan to create a god, which was bound to shake things up.
With Lumine's reputation, the moment she set foot in Sumeru, the Akademiya would surely notice her. And since she wanted to meet the Dendro Archon to ask questions, and with Nahida now locked away by the Akademiya inside the Sanctuary of Surasthana with no visitors allowed, she was guaranteed to clash with them, perhaps even get dragged into that "God-Creation" plot.
And after Sumeru was finished, her next stop would be Fontaine.
According to his own divinations, Furina's prophecy was close to fulfillment, which would be another huge event...
Once might be coincidence, but twice, three times — there was no way you could still call Lumine's constant involvement in all these disasters "coincidence."
Xia Zhi couldn't help but suspect there was some strange fate at work around this mysterious Traveler.
Wherever she went, trouble followed. She really seemed like a protagonist born to meet calamity.
As their conversation went on deep into the night, everyone finally doused the campfire and went inside the Serenitea Pot built into the hovercar.
This wasn't Amber's first time entering such a wondrous adeptal artifact.
She'd been inside Xiangling's Serenitea Pot before.
But Xiangling's pot had been plain and a bit barren, nowhere near as beautiful and dreamlike as the scene before her now.
Klee's eyes sparkled with excitement, too.
Xia Ci spoke up. "Please wait a moment, you two. I'll go prepare a new treehouse for you to rest in."
Xiangling threw an arm around Amber's shoulder with a grin. "No need! Amber can sleep with me tonight — we can catch up on all the chatting we missed, right Amber?"
Amber nodded. "Sure!"
She was eager to talk more with a friend she hadn't seen in so long and deepen their bond.
Xia Ci looked at them both, then turned to Klee. "And for you, Klee…"
Klee's eyes darted around and she quickly hugged Yaoyao. "I can sleep with Yaoyao!"
Yaoyao looked a bit flustered. "I usually sleep with Master at night..."
Klee blinked, then pivoted to hug Xia Lin instead. "Then I'll sleep with Xia Lin!"
Eh? With me?
Xia Lin was momentarily startled.
Xia Ci looked over with a smile. "Is that alright?"
Xia Lin glanced at Xia Zhi, and seeing he had no objection, nodded shyly. "Okay."
She'd only come here yesterday, and apart from her dad, she wasn't close with anyone yet, so she was still a bit reserved and shy.
But deep down, she had always been a cheerful, outgoing girl.
Five hundred years ago, she'd been so happy to make friends and even wanted to play with the beautiful Dvalin — but in the end, she'd hurt everyone and died under Dvalin's fangs.
That tragic experience had left a big psychological shadow over her, making her reluctant to actively seek out friends.
Still, a part of her heart had never stopped longing for friendship.
So when Yaoyao came to play with her, she'd been genuinely happy inside, even if she hadn't shown it on her face.
At dinner, when Klee suddenly came to talk to her, she'd felt the same.
Now that a new friend wanted to sleep beside her, sharing the night, she was more than willing.
Seeing Xia Lin's answer, Xia Ci nodded. "That works, too. Saves me the trouble."
After that, Xiangling took Amber back to her own treehouse.
Amber curiously looked around at the interior.
"Amber, make yourself comfortable — you can sit on the bed if you want."
"I'd rather not. I've been running around all day and I'm all dusty, don't want to dirty your bed."
"Then go take a hot bath first!"
"There's a bath?!"
"Of course! This Serenitea Pot isn't like mine. There's a huge pool over there. Everyone goes in to soak every day — it feels amazing."
"Wow! That's incredible!"
"Right?"
"But…"
Amber looked a bit hesitant.
Xiangling asked, "What's wrong?"
Amber grew embarrassed. "I didn't bring a change of clothes..."
As an Outrider, speed and agility were her top priorities.
She obviously couldn't carry too many belongings, not even much food.
That was why, the first time she met Xiangling, she'd ended up hungry.
As for the big pack on her back, most of it was taken up by her Wind Glider.
That was absolutely essential for an Outrider — no way around it.
Xiangling laughed. "No problem! We're about the same size anyway. You can borrow mine."
"That would really help, thanks!"
"The wardrobe is right here. Look, these clothes on this side are all ones I haven't worn yet, and the underwear too — pick whichever you like."
"So many clothes!"
After Amber chose an outfit, Xiangling brought her to the bathhouse.
It was a huge pool, warm steam curling up through the air, flower petals floating on the surface.
Amber's eyes shone with anticipation. "This is amazing!"
Xiangling set the clothes down and said, "This is the changing room. You can leave your things here. Go on, have a good soak."
"Mm… huh?"
Amber put down her clothes and took a few steps toward the pool, but something felt off, so she turned to look back at Xiangling, who hadn't moved.
"Xiangling, aren't you coming in with me?"
Xiangling shook her head. "I'll join you later."
"Why? Do you have something else to do?"
"Not really, I just want to go get a massage from Master first."
"A massage?"
Amber was confused.
"Mr. Xia can give massages?"
"Of course! Master's massage skills are absolutely amazing! It feels so good!"
Just recalling that indescribable bliss made Xiangling's cheeks flush faintly pink.
Amber noticed her friend's strange expression and got a bit suspicious.
"Is it really that good?"
"How about I take you along to try it?"
"Eh?"
"Amber, you've been out working all day — you need a massage to relax."
"I-I've never had a massage before..."
"There's a first time for everything!"
"Well…"
"You don't trust me?"
"Of course I trust you."
"Then come on! We should hurry, or there'll be a line."
"A line?"
"Yeah! Because Master's massages are that amazing, everyone wants one every day. If you show up late, you have to wait your turn."
"I see!"
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