"You're talking about material conditions. Spiritually, Mondstadt is definitely ahead. Got that, Little Walnut?"
"My name is Hu Tao, Hall Master of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor! Liyue is better!"
"Mondstadt is better!"
"Liyue is better!"
"Mondstadt is better!"
Paimon said, "Paimon is disappointed in both of you. And you, Traveler, aren't you just trying to trick Venti into joining your team? Do you really have to be this eager?"
Hu Tao chimed in, "Exactly! Before the contract was signed, you called me 'Sweetie Pie,' and now that there's someone new, you call me 'Little Walnut.'"
"Ahem!"
Paimon turned to Venti, "Do you even know what capitalism is?"
Venti just smiled.
"What are you smiling at? Paimon asked you a question—do you know or not?"
Venti kept smiling without answering.
Paimon huffed, "Can you please do something useful, Barbatos!"
"Ehe~"
"If there's nothing else, I'm off to find Dvalin."
"Bye."
"Oh, right—just a heads-up: the power in that six-star card is too overwhelming. Unless it's an emergency, I suggest you don't use it."
Zephyr thought to himself: As if I could just use it whenever I want. It's limited to three times per month.
"Of course, if you insist on using it, wait until you're in Liyue."
Hu Tao blinked. "Meow meow meow?"
Zephyr asked, "Why?"
"Because using it might stir up the demon gods sleeping underground. That could give the gods in Liyue a bit of… trouble. Sounds fun, right? Ehe~ I'm off!"
Paimon stood with hands on hips. "This guy's unbelievable. Is he really the Anemo Archon? He's way too unreliable!"
"Even so, I still want him on the team."
His mastery over Elemental Reactions is unmatched. Klee lands one hit, Venti ults, Lisa goes AAA—in just a few seconds, a whole wave of Hilichurls is cleared. Perfect partner for daily commissions.
Emphasis on: daily.
Hu Tao looked up at the sky. "Oh no! We've been chatting so long, it's nearly dark!" She quickly dragged Zephyr off to get back to work.
After agreeing to double pay, they worked together with a few laborers. By the end of the day, they barely managed to finish clearing the main hall.
Lumine stretched. "Ah, I'm exhausted."
Paimon groaned, "Same… and now it's so late!" Her face fell—once again, the inn had closed.
Hu Tao wiped sweat from her brow. "It's too late to keep working. Let's rest and continue tomorrow."
"Tomorrow too?" Zephyr hesitated. He came here to play, not to work.
"Of course. As the Vice Director of the Wangsheng branch in Mondstadt, how can you not take part in the renovation yourself?"
"Uhh…"
Suddenly, Zephyr's eyes lit up at a message from Amber. "Sorry, Hu Tao—I've got plans tomorrow. Amber asked me to help clear a Hilichurl camp."
"Clear a Hilichurl camp? Really?"
Hu Tao narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms. "You're not just making that up to slack off, are you?"
"Would I dare lie to the great Hall Master?"
Hu Tao huffed with hands on her hips. "Fair enough. I'll give you that—you wouldn't dare.
But Hilichurls are endless. Even if you clear them out tomorrow, they'll just come back.
So why not help me with the renovations first?"
"That's where you're wrong. True, Hilichurls are numerous, but if we clear them today, the knights will have it much easier tomorrow.
Besides, you know how Amber is—she never asks for help unless it's important. So if she did call me, it means she trusts me.
And it probably means this mission isn't simple. If I don't go, and she ends up getting hurt…"
Hu Tao went silent for a moment. "…Hmph, fine. You make a fair point. Help Amber tomorrow, then."
And just like that, Zephyr's sweet-talking got him out of working for the ever-dignified Hall Master.
Though… it wasn't entirely a lie.
It was the truth—he just happened to lean more toward the lazy side.
Night had fallen. After saying goodbye to Hu Tao, Zephyr returned home.
Amber had already prepared a delicious meal. "What took you so long?"
Zephyr sighed, "Don't ask. I was helping Hu Tao set up the Wangsheng branch."
"Traveler, are you really going to be the Vice Director of a funeral parlor? I heard Wangsheng deals with the dead—isn't that… unlucky?"
"Well, yes, it is a funeral business… but she signed a contract with me.
Besides, Hu Tao's all alone here in Mondstadt. It's only right that I help her."
"When you put it like that… I guess it makes sense."
Paimon squinted. "At least you have some conscience. Paimon thought you were gonna ditch her right after signing the contract—real scumbag behavior!"
"Am I that kind of person?!"
Sure, the flower in the garden might not be as fragrant as a wild one, but that doesn't mean you neglect your own flower completely.
And let's not forget—Hu Tao's a little rich lady! Just from her artifact set, you could tell Wangsheng is loaded.
If he helped her establish a successful branch, wouldn't the Mora start flowing in big time?
Paimon snapped, "So that's what you're really thinking!"
"What?! What did I think?! You can read my mind now?"
"Paimon can see it all over your face. There's no way you were thinking anything good!"
Amber said, "Anyway, putting that aside—Zephyr, did you see the message I sent you earlier?"
"I saw it. I was going to ask—why'd you suddenly call me? Didn't you always handle Hilichurls alone before?"
"Yeah, I used to. But recently, their numbers have increased again, and I just discovered a medium-sized Hilichurl camp. I don't think I can handle it by myself."
Paimon asked, "A medium-sized camp?"
"Yup. It's a mid-scale Hilichurl camp—at least twenty of them inside. I can't take that on alone."
Paimon covered her mouth in shock. "Twenty Hilichurls?! But don't you have Baron Bunny? And can't you kite them around?"
"Nope. This group is way too high-level. The weakest ones are in the mid-teens.
And besides the usual ones, there are five or six archers, a Hilichurl Berserker, and worst of all… a Dendro Shaman!
In that kind of setup, I really can't handle it alone!"
Your humble servant simply cannot do it…
Paimon tilted her head. "A Shaman? Those aren't very common in these parts."
Zephyr shot back, "Not common? Seriously?"
"Do you think Hilichurl Shamans are just lying around like cabbages? They're rare because they can actually use elemental power!"
Amber nodded, "Exactly. A camp of this size normally needs a full Knight squad—everyone at least Level 20—to clear it out. But right now, the Knights don't have that kind of manpower."
Zephyr said, "So, time for the errand boy to go to work."
"Wait wait wait! You're absolutely right—but~ even errand boys get rewarded~"
"Oh? What reward?"
"Humph! If you help me clear out this Hilichurl camp, I'll put in a request at the Knights to grant you the title of Honorary Knight. How about that?"
"Huh? Honorary Knight?!"
Zephyr froze. "No no no, please don't."
He suddenly recalled those clingy, overenthusiastic fangirls from before and felt that being called "Holy Demon" was actually a blessing in disguise—at least nobody pestered him.
Amber was baffled. "Why not? The title of Honorary Knight is extremely rare—it's harder to get than becoming a full-fledged Knight!"
Most people couldn't even dream of earning it—so why did Zephyr look so reluctant?
"Oh! I get it—you're after the benefits, aren't you! The Knights offer great benefits—high salaries, and the Honorary Knight title is special.
The Knights won't assign you any mandatory duties, but you'll still get paid monthly. You also get discounts when shopping!"
"That good, huh?"
Zephyr recalled the game version—he never felt the title was that useful. Just gave you a small discount at stores, and even that required maxed-out reputation and lots of grinding.
"Mhm! Think of the Honorary Knight as a kind of mascot or ambassador for the Knights. That help make sense?"
"I see."
Zephyr's eyes lit up. _A mascot, huh? They do the work—I take the credit and the endorsement deals.
Just make a few public speeches, and the perks outweigh years of labor. Not bad…_
The more he thought about it, the more excited he got.
But something felt off. How come it never felt this good in the original game?
MiHoYo… how many benefits did you cut from me?!
"So, does the Honorary Knight title come with any downsides?"
"None at all. Only perks, no drawbacks!"
Paimon said, "This title actually sounds really good."
"Of course! Every Mondstadt citizen dreams of having it. But only those who make major contributions to the Knights are eligible."
"Is clearing out a single medium-sized Hilichurl camp really considered a major contribution?"
"Just that alone isn't enough. But the Traveler has done plenty more for Mondstadt and the Knights!"
"I don't remember doing that much..."
Amber pressed on, "Let me ask you—how many Hilichurls have you killed?"
"Haven't counted, but... probably over a thousand."
That was just him grinding for fun.
"And didn't you recently get your High-Rank Adventurer status?"
"Yeah."
"And haven't you helped me out many times before?"
"I have."
"And didn't you help me catch that giant bird?"
"I did."
"And didn't you give tons of useful suggestions to both Mondstadt and the Knights?"
"That part I don't really recall…"
"You forgot? I'm talking about the whole thing with Swan and Lawrence getting bullied by pigeons."
"Ohh, that! Right, right."
"Exactly! And on top of that, I added dozens more suggestions on your behalf!"
Paimon: ???
Amber dramatically declared, "With such an impressive list of accomplishments, how is that not considered a major contribution?"
"Thousand Hilichurl Slayer, clearing a medium-sized Hilichurl camp, being a high-rank adventurer, helping the Reconnaissance Knights multiple times, catching that monster bird, and offering dozens of suggestions to improve both Mondstadt and the Knights…
Add all that up—how does that not qualify you for the Honorary Knight title?"
Well…
When you put it like that… maybe it really does.
"Wait, hold on—what do you mean by 'Thousand Hilichurl Slayer'? That sounds so weird!"
"Of all things to nitpick, you chose that?"
"It's not weird at all!"
Paimon complained, "But didn't a bunch of people file complaints against the Traveler? Can someone like that still become an Honorary Knight?"
"Oh, that's no big deal. The complaint letters are with me—Acting Grand Master Jean doesn't know about them."
"Wow, seriously? That's blatant favoritism and abuse of power!"
"It's not! Paimon, that's such an unfair accusation!"
Paimon crossed her arms. "Alright then, let's hear your justification."
"Ahem! First of all, the Traveler is a foreigner—he doesn't know Mondstadt's rules and probably upset a few people by accident. That's forgivable, right?"
"Besides, the Traveler has done so much for Mondstadt—those little complaints are nothing in comparison."
"Uhh…"
Zephyr quickly said, "I agree with Amber!"
Next time, I'm gonna flirt with the ladies again! No—go big or go home… next stop, the women's bathhouse!
Paimon still looked skeptical. "But something just doesn't feel right. This guy getting named an Honorary Knight?"
Her face was full of doubt and suspicion. She'd known Zephyr long enough to know what kind of person he really was.
Zephyr was furious—but he didn't hit her.
Violence is not the answer.
"I'll buy you a feast once I get my paycheck."
"I think the Traveler is a great person—definitely Honorary Knight material!!"
Paimon instantly sold out.
Zephyr smirked. Ah, human nature.
If you want someone to approve of you, just share a little cake.
Honestly, he could've just ignored Paimon, but he was worried she'd mess things up later. Better to make some promises now.
And once the paycheck comes in… who decides whether to follow through or not? He does.
Paimon, you're still too naïve.
Conclusion: if Paimon were food, she'd need to be roasted to a crisp first.
Zephyr had made up his mind—he'd take the Honorary Knight title. Get a salary, do no work—who wouldn't want that?
As for the clingy crowd from before? They could forget about bossing him around.
Anyone who tried would get smacked.
…Unless the reward was insanely high. Then maybe.
Even if they started calling him "the Adorable Knight Who Everyone Loves"—he could live with that.
——
The night passed uneventfully. The next morning, Zephyr and Amber headed out for the mission.
Amber said, "This camp's pretty far—about a three-hour walk."
Paimon groaned, "Three hours?! That's so far!"
On the way, they casually took out some stray Hilichurls that popped up.
Amber said, "Once we're there, we'll take out the shaman first."
Paimon nodded in agreement. "Yeah, makes sense. Shamans can use elements, after all."
"It's not just that—this one's a Dendro Shaman, so its damage isn't much.
The real issue is that the camp also has Hilichurl archers using fire arrows.
If you get hit by both elements at once, the damage spikes like crazy."
Zephyr nodded—he remembered getting roasted alive while standing in grass back in the day.
Paimon suddenly called out, "Traveler, look! That Hilichurl over there looks weird!"
A larger-than-usual Hilichurl stood off to the side—with a mask marked by a big character: "伟" (Great).
Amber tilted her head, confused. "That's… strange. I've never seen a Hilichurl like that before—and I've been a Scout Knight for years."
Zephyr's eyes lit up. "That's a Unusual Hilichurl!"
//END
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