"Unusual Hilichurl? What kind of Hilichurl is that? Is it strong?"
"It's not about whether it's strong or not. It's... a very rare type. It won't actively attack adventurers, but if provoked, it'll retaliate—and sometimes throw out really good stuff."
"But that was in the past. Not sure if that's still the case... but we can give it a try."
Amber looked a little concerned. "Let me fire a test arrow first."
Zephyr thought about it and agreed. Amber readied her bow and launched a flaming arrow.
With a smack, the Unusual Hilichurl lost 1000 HP.
It immediately stood up in anger but looked around in confusion—unable to find its attacker, it scratched its head and sat back down.
Paimon commented, "This Hilichurl is way too dumb."
Even Paimon, the queen of silly comments, called the Unusual Hilichurl dumb. That pretty much confirmed it was really dumb.
Amber gave it another shot. She drew her bow and loosed another arrow.
Whoosh—smack!
This time, the Unusual Hilichurl caught fire, and in a panic, rolled and stumbled around to put out the flames. Eventually, it jumped into a nearby pond, emerging soaked and charred.
"Why do I feel bad for it now? Amber, maybe we should let it go..."
Amber broke into a cold sweat. "Uhh, Paimon, why do you make it sound like I'm some kind of Hilichurl serial killer...?"
You kind of are. But Paimon didn't dare say that aloud.
"It doesn't seem very strong, does it?"
Zephyr walked right up to it. This time, the Unusual Hilichurl noticed him and got up in a fury. It opened its backpack and tossed something shiny at him.
Zephyr reacted quickly and caught it mid-air.
Primogem ×1.
His eyes lit up—It actually works!
He crossed his arms, raised a finger, and taunted, "Come on, bring it!"
Enraged, the Unusual Hilichurl grabbed another handful of shiny objects and hurled them at him.
"Yeah! Come on, hit me with Primogems if you've got the guts!"
And so began a ridiculous scene: the Unusual Hilichurl flinging "stones" non-stop at an adventurer, who wasn't even mad—in fact, he looked downright pleased. Whenever the Hilichurl slowed down, he'd throw out another taunt just to keep it going.
Provoked like that, the Unusual Hilichurl hurled objects for a full ten minutes.
But eventually, when it reached into its bag again—it was empty. No more stones. It deflated on the spot.
Seeing this, Zephyr said, "Hey, those round shiny stones... got any more?"
"￥%!" The Unusual Hilichurl turned tail and ran.
Paimon floated over, eyes wide. "It ran? That's the first time I've seen such a cowardly Hilichurl."
Amber agreed, "Yeah, usually they fight to the death. I've never seen one so afraid before."
Paimon added, "It's getting away! If we don't chase now, we'll lose it!"
Zephyr replied, "It's fine. I let it go on purpose."
"This is my first time encountering a Unusual Hilichurl in this world. I'm afraid if I kill it, I'll never find another one. Gotta conserve wildlife, y'know?"
"Uhh… where do I even start with that comment..."
"And I need to give it some time to restock on Primogems, so I can come back and scam it again."
Paimon exclaimed, "Oh wow, entrapment tactics!"
"What do you mean? This is the unbreakable bond of battlefield camaraderie."
Hearing that, Lumine couldn't help but pinch her forehead.
"Alright, let's move on."
The group continued in silence, until finally they arrived at a mid-sized Hilichurl camp up ahead.
From a distance, sure enough, there were many Hilichurls inside. One was even standing on a watchtower outside, keeping lookout.
Paimon said, "There are so many Hilichurls… How are we supposed to fight them all?"
"I'll just normal attack once with Klee, Venti uses his ult, Lisa triggers Overload with a few zaps—battle over."
Paimon shot back, "Are you dreaming about peaches or something?"
Zephyr scanned the area and noticed something strange. "See that explosive barrel over there?"
"Yeah, huh? That is an explosive barrel. What are Hilichurls doing with those?"
"Who knows, but we can use it to our advantage."
Amber's eyes lit up. She aimed straight at the barrel.
BOOM!
The explosion shook the earth and sky.
The Dandro Hilichurl Shaman closest to it was instantly blown to pieces. Several nearby archers were gravely wounded, their HP nearly gone. The Hilichurl Berserkers further away were untouched.
But they looked utterly stunned, shrieking nonsense in ￥% gibberish.
Zephyr muttered, "That barrel was way more powerful than in the game."
Paimon chirped, "Traveler, stop monologuing—it's your turn to shine!"
Zephyr glanced at her but said nothing. He walked straight in and, with two quick slashes, finished off the wounded archers. Always take out the backline first—solid tactic. Especially when they're already nearly dead.
The Hilichurl Berserker charged—Zephyr ignored it. Leave the tank for last.
Working together with Amber, they wiped out the rest of the small Hilichurls. Then finally turned toward the Berserker.
"The mage is dead. The archers are dead. The warriors are dead. What's the point of just one tank left?"
As if it understood the sarcasm, the Hilichurl Berserker flew into a powerless rage and then…
It ran away.
Zephyr blinked. "It ran?"
Amber was equally stunned. "No idea… This is the first—wait, second time I've seen a Hilichurl run. And this one's a Berserker, an elite enemy!"
Paimon, however, acted like it was the most natural thing. "What's so weird? If it can't win, running is the smart move!"
Amber hesitated, "Yeah, but it's a—ah, forget it…"
Zephyr said, "Amber's too kind to say it, so I will. With your level of intelligence, I wouldn't even know how to explain it."
Amber suddenly tensed. "No good, it's getting away! We've got to catch it!"
Lumine broke into a cold sweat. Amber, and you say you're not a Hilichurl-killing maniac…
Amber fired a long-range nuke arrow. The Hilichurl Berserker didn't react in time—headshot! One-third of its HP gone.
Zephyr followed up with his ult—clean and instant kill.
"Nice work!" Amber said.
Flames danced with the swirling wind, quickly igniting the grassy field into a roaring blaze.
"…"
"…"
Paimon panicked. "Wh-what do we do now!?"
Zephyr said, "Paimon, quick! Use your water gun!"
"I'm not a Squirtle!"
Luckily, it was just grass and not a forest. The fire burned for a bit, but the surrounding dirt eventually smothered it.
Amber patted her chest in relief. "Phew, that was close. Could've turned into a disaster."
Zephyr added, "Exactly. Paimon, you really need to be more careful next time."
"Why does it sound like it's Paimon's fault?!"
All things considered, it went pretty smoothly.
Zephyr asked, "Amber, now that we've cleared the camp, does that mean the mission's complete?"
//END
---
"Mm, that's right," Amber nodded. "But since we're already here, we might as well clear out the other nearby Hilichurl camps too."
Paimon muttered sarcastically, "The classic 'since we're already here'…"
Zephyr didn't object. Killing Hilichurls didn't yield much EXP, but they dropped materials—and occasionally, some treasure chests. So they spent the whole day clearing out nearly every Hilichurl in the area.
Before they realized it, night had started to fall.
Amber wiped the sweat from her forehead. "Phew, I haven't had that much fun in ages."
Paimon whispered, "Amber's scary… the Hilichurls are so pitiful…"
Zephyr declared, "Paimon, how can you say that? Hilichurls are evil monsters! Amber is a great hero who punishes evil and upholds justice—a brave and fearless Outrider, and the future Grand Master of the Knights! How can you speak like that? Hurry up and apologize to Amber!"
"..."
"Didn't you say new people are better than old ones? Why so sentimental now?"
"You don't get it—Amber is my number one favorite!"
To be honest, he still needed Amber to help him earn his salary. She was doing all the work; he might as well say something flattering. No harm in that.
Amber blushed a little. "Oh, come on… I'm just doing what I should. And as for being the Grand Master of the Knights—I wouldn't even dare dream of it."
Lumine said, "It's getting late. Let's head back."
"Mm."
"…"
"Wait a second… I feel like we forgot something…"
Paimon furrowed her brow, something definitely felt off.
"My five-star buffet aaaaaaaah!!"
Zephyr said, "Paimon, keep it down. You'll attract lions and tigers if you yell like that."
"But… but my five-star buffet…"
"It's fine, you've still got the voucher, right? It's not going anywhere. Just go tomorrow."
"Well, yes, that's true… but still—'Tomorrow and tomorrow, how endless are the tomorrows…'"
Zephyr raised his brows in surprise. "Wow, Paimon, didn't know you could quote poetry!"
Lumine couldn't help but comment, "Though it feels kinda out of place here…"
Amber looked intrigued. "Is that a real poem? I've never heard one like that before. What's the next line?"
Paimon's face turned red, and she struggled for a while without saying a word.
Seeing this, Zephyr instantly understood. He was a seasoned pro at this. "I'm guessing she never heard the next line. Can't even fake it."
"Who says Paimon haven't! Paimon have heard it!"
"Oh? Then let's hear it."
"Hmph… Fine! Paimon will say it!"
Paimon's cheeks puffed up as she recited, "Before my bed, the bright moonlight… I suspect it's frost on the ground… I lift my head to look at the moon… and lower it to see two pairs of shoes…"
Amber looked up at the moon and said, "…Well, it is a fitting poem for tonight, but… I don't think it has anything to do with what you were quoting earlier."
Also—what the heck is "two pairs of shoes" supposed to mean?!
Zephyr shook his head and calmly recited:
"Tomorrow and tomorrow, how endless are the tomorrows.
I live for tomorrow, and all things slip away.
The world suffers from the weight of 'tomorrow,'
As spring fades and autumn nears, old age approaches.
In the morning, watch the river flow eastward;
At dusk, see the sun sink in the west.
How many 'tomorrows' does one century hold?
Come, friend, listen to my 'Song of Tomorrow.'"
"Wow, that's the whole poem? You're amazing, Traveler!" Amber's eyes sparkled with admiration.
"Piece of cake."
Paimon rolled her eyes. "Bet you looked that up online!"
Amber said, "Traveler, your words are worth more than ten years of study—I can't keep being this lazy!"
"I was just thinking, there are still two more Hilichurl camps nearby. But since it's getting dark, I figured we could clear them tomorrow."
"But after hearing you, I suddenly saw the light—'Tomorrow and tomorrow, how endless are the tomorrows'—how could I be so slack!"
"So I've decided—we'll clear out the remaining two Hilichurl camps tonight!"
Zephyr's mouth twitched. Did I just dig my own grave...?
"But it's getting dark," he protested.
"No problem! I said it's getting dark—it's not dark yet. And even if it does get dark, so what? We can just use your magical teleportation power to zip right back to Mondstadt."
"Well… that's true, but…"
"Alright, alright, I know. You probably wanted to go even further and clear out all fifteen Hilichurl camps in Windrise, right?"
"But it's already super late, and Windrise is pretty far. It's enough that you wanted to do it. We can handle those tomorrow. Gotta rest, or we'll wear ourselves out!"
"..."
Paimon clapped her hands. "Brilliant idea!"
Zephyr looked into Amber's sparkling eyes… and smacked Paimon on the head.
"Waaah! You hit Paimon! Not even Paimon's dad ever hit Paimon…"
"Oh, stop acting. I didn't even hit you that hard."
"Uuuu…"
"Don't cry. You need to have what the other kids have—and also what they don't have!"
"Uuuu…"
Amber said gently, "Okay okay, stop bullying little Paimon. It's just two camps—won't take long."
So the group set off to finish clearing the last two camps. The fights themselves were fast; what took time was walking to each location. With no mounts and only their legs to rely on, of course it was time-consuming.
"Whew… finally done," Amber said, wiping off her sweat.
"Let's head back."
"Yeah, and when I get home, I'm definitely taking a nice, long bath."
Bath.
Zephyr heard the word but kept a poker face.
Unexpectedly, Paimon popped out and shouted, "No way! With a big perv like this guy around, Amber, you can't let your guard down!"
Zephyr's eye twitched. "Paimon! What the heck are you saying? I'm not that kind of person!"
"You think Paimon believe that?"
Lumine gave him a suspicious look too. "Honestly… you kind of give that impression."
Amber's cheeks flushed red. "I don't think Zephyr is that kind of person!"
Paimon was stunned.
Zephyr wore the smug grin of a victor. "You see that? Amber's already mine."
"If we're talking in terms of in-game affection levels, she's already at max—Level 10."
"The bond between us isn't something an emergency food like you can criticize."
"Ugh, damn it!" Paimon fumed, but couldn't find a comeback.
"Lately, this Paimon's been getting more arrogant and unruly by the day. She's completely stopped respecting me."
Zephyr thought to himself, I need to come up with a way to put her in check…
…
After clearing the camps, the group teleported to the waypoint outside Mondstadt. They could've gone straight into the city, but Zephyr wanted to check if Timmy and the pigeons were around—so he chose the outside point.
Unfortunately, Timmy wasn't there. The pigeons were gone too. Zephyr was visibly disappointed.
Amber playfully scolded, "You're a grown adult—stop bullying poor little Timmy."
"Bullying? That wasn't bullying! That was a loving punishment! That's the sacred bond of friendship we share!"
Paimon added, "Paimon have never seen such a twisted 'bond' before…"
//END
---
"A twisted bond is still a bond. Ever heard of Naruto and Sasuke? Their bond is even more messed up than mine and Timmy's."
Paimon didn't want to hear it, didn't understand, and didn't want to understand.
Huh. While Timmy wasn't around, there was a stranger sitting alone on the bridge.
> Quest Triggered: The Meaning of Life
Zephyr froze for a moment. The Meaning of Life? What kind of quest title was that? Why did it sound so profound?
Suddenly, the stranger dove headfirst into the river.
"Not good!"
Amber didn't hesitate—she rushed forward and jumped in right after him.
"Amber!"
Zephyr immediately followed, helping her drag the man out of the water.
Cough cough…
The man lay there for a while, finally regaining consciousness. "Why did you save me…"
Paimon snapped, "Hey! We just saved your life, and that's the first thing you say?!"
Amber scolded, "Why would you do something so foolish? Life is the most precious thing—how could you think about jumping into a river like that?!"
The man looked dazed.
"Tell me… do honest people deserve to be bullied?"
At those words, Zephyr's expression instantly changed. He gave the man a look full of sympathy. In his mind, this guy's hair was practically glowing bright green.
He patted the guy's shoulder and said solemnly, "Be strong."
Everyone else was baffled and confused.
"Even if your wife cheated on you, you have to be strong! That's her fault, not yours! Don't punish yourself for someone else's mistake. Worst case, just find another wife!"
"Don't be afraid of what people say. Look at anime fans—they rotate through three waifus a month, and nobody bats an eye. Believe in yourself! You have the potential to build a harem!"
"…"
"…"
Paimon said, "Traveler, is that how you comfort people?"
Amber narrowed her eyes. "So you do want a harem?" Her hand drifted toward the bow on her back.
"I don't—I swear! Don't misunderstand, I was just encouraging this guy!"
"As if that kind of encouragement would ever work… Wait, what?!"
"Thank you! Your words really moved me!"
"..."
Amber muttered, "Is it too late to throw this guy back into the river?"
Paimon quickly intervened, "Stop, Amber! It would've been one thing if you hadn't saved him in the first place, but throwing him back now would be a crime!"
Amber's expression started to darken.
"It's fine," she said with a sweet smile. "As a Scout Knight of Mondstadt, I do have some connections in the Knights of Favonius… Just kidding—ehe~"
The man shivered. Just kidding? With that look? It didn't sound like a joke at all.
Zephyr checked the quest log—quest still not completed. So just a few words clearly weren't enough.
"Alright, spill it. What's your wife's name? Who's the homewrecker? We'll go take care of him right now."
"Relax, this lady here is a Scout Knight of the Knights of Favonius, and I'm the newly appointed Honorary Knight. We're good friends with Acting Grand Master Jean."
"No worries. We'll chop him up for you, and the Knights won't hold you responsible."
Paimon sighed, "There goes Jean getting name-dropped again…"
"..."
The man shook his head. "Uh… actually, my wife didn't cheat on me."
"Bro, I get it—but don't run from the truth!"
"I'm not running from anything! She really didn't cheat!"
"..."
"…So you're single?"
"I'm married."
"Then how can you say your wife didn't cheat? Bro, stop lying to yourself!"
Amber coughed, "Okay okay, enough with the jokes. Seriously now, what's going on?"
"Well… here's what happened…"
The man finally began to slowly tell his story.
The story was simple, but the journey had been long.
Thirty years ago, when Colu was still a child, his teacher said something that stuck with him ever since:
"Only by listening to your teacher can you be a good student. When you grow up and work, you must listen to your superiors and your organization—only then can you be a useful person."
Colu deeply believed in this principle. So he was obedient from a young age—never mischievous, always finishing his homework on time.
Then, he grew up and started working.
One day, his supervisor asked, "Colu, do you have any hobbies?"
"My hobby is fishing. I even won first prize in a fishing competition hosted in Mondstadt."
"You're very talented, young man. But once you start working, you'll need to set personal hobbies aside for now. Focus on your main responsibilities, master your duties, integrate with the team. That's what matters."
A few years later...
"Colu, I noticed you leave work around 8 every night?"
"Oh, I go night jogging—to stay healthy."
"You're still young. Don't be so protective of your life. Look at your peers—everyone's working overtime. The office lights should be blazing if you want a bright future. Don't let your peers outpace you."
Several more years passed…
"You're looking to move into management?"
"Yes, I've been in frontline tech for years now. I'd like to take the next step."
"Just because you're good at tech doesn't mean you can go into management. Someone has to stay on the frontlines. Management positions are limited, after all."
"Then what's the future for someone like me?"
"Become a technical expert. Technical skills are a long-term competitive edge."
Years later...
"Colu, we're about to have layoffs. You're over 35. Be prepared."
"Why?"
"Leadership says you're too specialized and lack cross-disciplinary skills."
"But it was management who told me to give up my hobbies and side talents!"
"They also said your health isn't great—you take too many sick days."
"Because they made me overwork and burn out!"
"And now they say you're still doing technical work with no growth potential."
"Because they told me to double down and specialize!"
"In any case, the truth is: compared to the younger hires, you're not cost-effective anymore."
And just like that… Colu was laid off.
His wife suffered with him, and he was in such despair that he began to consider ending his life.
…
"That's how it all happened…"
When Colu finished, Paimon was the first to react—furiously.
"What kind of boss is that?! He was doing his job just fine—why would they fire him?!"
Amber was equally angry. "Exactly! And that teacher was wrong too. What makes someone a 'good student' or a 'useful person' isn't something that can be measured so simply."
"And I can't believe a company like that exists in Mondstadt! How did I not know about this?"
"What's the company's name? Who's the boss? I'm reporting this to the Knights of Favonius!"
"I don't know the boss's exact name. Just that… he's from Liyue."
Oh great, now Liyue's taking the blame.
Amber said firmly, "Colu, don't worry. I'll personally handle this. Not tomorrow—tonight I'm going straight to the Knights."
After offering him some more words of comfort, the group escorted Colu home before saying their goodbyes.
---
The Next Day
Amber brought Zephyr with her to the Knights of Favonius. She pushed open the door to Jean's office.
"Jean, how's the investigation going?"
Jean rubbed her temples, looking as though she hadn't slept all night. "After you told me about it yesterday, I immediately sent people to look into it. Everything that Colu said... was true."
Amber clenched her fists. "And? What's the outcome?"
//END
---
Jean sighed and said, "According to the investigation by the Knights, the company admitted to dismissing Colu. However, they also said that who they hire or fire is an internal company matter and has nothing to do with the Knights."
"This…"
"Don't worry," Jean continued. "Although that's their stance, the Knights took the opportunity to investigate a bit deeper and discovered that the company was operating without a business license, hadn't paid for employee benefits, and was enforcing mandatory overtime without compensation. Altogether, we found 33 violations. The Knights have now temporarily shut the company down."
"Nicely done!"
"Thirty-three violations? That's outrageous!"
"I know, right? I didn't think a company that rotten could exist in Mondstadt."
Jean rubbed her temples, clearly exhausted from staying up all night over the matter. "Amber, this person beside you is...?"
Now that the situation had been resolved, Amber finally relaxed.
"Oh, right! I almost forgot. This is the Traveler—name's... Lumine... or Zephyr? You can call them either. A very good friend of mine."
Jean furrowed her brow. "Zephyr... you look kind of familiar. Have we met before?"
Zephyr activated Identify:
Acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius – Jean, LV32
Zephyr shook his head like a rattling drum. "No, no! Definitely not!"
Jean narrowed her eyes. "But why do I feel like you look so familiar… Wait! Aren't you the one who tricked Klee into blowing things up?!"
Paimon slapped a hand over her mouth. "Oh no, we've been exposed!"
"I knew it!"
"If you'd just stayed quiet, nobody would've suspected a thing!"
"It's a misunderstanding! I swear I'm innocent!"
Zephyr instantly cranked up his acting skills. "Look at me—I'm just a weak little girl. How could I possibly lead Klee astray?"
Amber chimed in, "Exactly! Jean, I believe Zephyr would never do such a thing!"
Just then—bang! The door to the office flew open, and a one-eyed man strode in.
"I heard Amber brought a blonde girl here? Yo, hey there! Long time no see."
Jean looked puzzled. "Kaeya, you know her?"
"Yeah, we ran into each other before. This blonde girl's pretty cool. What's the problem, Acting Grand Master?"
Jean rubbed her head again. Did I misremember? It hadn't been that long, but with Amber and Kaeya both backing her, maybe she had gotten it wrong due to stress.
She stood up, walked over to Zephyr, and bowed slightly. "My apologies, miss. I misunderstood you."
"Exposing cleavage while apologizing is common courtesy, right?"
"…Huh?"
"Uh—I mean, I really admire you, Acting Grand Master Jean! It's no big deal, really!"
Jean blushed slightly. She had clearly mistaken someone, yet Zephyr forgave her so generously. That made her feel even more guilty.
Paimon whispered under her breath, "This guy's acting skills are on another level…"
Suddenly, Lumine asked, "Acting Grand Master Jean, I have a question. Do you know anything about the Abyss Order?"
"The Abyss Order? Of course. They're a mysterious and dangerous group. Why do you ask?"
"Do you know where their headquarters is?"
Jean shook her head. "The Knights have been trying to find that out for a long time. But they're too secretive. We know very little, so unfortunately, we still don't know where their base is."
"I see…" Lumine looked visibly disappointed.
Zephyr gently reassured her, "It's alright. You'll find your sister eventually."
"Oh right—Jean, don't forget that other matter," Amber reminded.
"Ah yes! Esteemed Traveler, Amber had told me about you previously. In your short time here in Mondstadt, you've already become a high-ranking adventurer and made incredible contributions."
"You've helped both Mondstadt and the Knights by clearing out over a dozen Hilichurl camps, defeating more than a thousand Hilichurls, and even offered many constructive proposals to improve the city."
"Thanks to your strength and selfless dedication, the Knights have decided to formally award you the title of Honorary Knight."
Paimon cheered, "Yay! Wait—so is there gonna be a ceremony or something?"
"Of course!" Jean smiled. "The Knights are planning to gather all the members of the Knights of Favonius in three days for a formal ceremony to bestow the title. You'll also receive a medal of honor, something Mondstadters dream of earning!"
As for Zephyr—
All he really cared about… was getting paid.
With the promise of a salary, Zephyr figured, If the pay's good, I'd be fine being an Honorary Knight of Liyue too.
Kaeya clapped his hands. "So you're this capable after all. Congratulations, Traveler."
Paimon proudly puffed up. "No need to thank us."
Zephyr added thoughtfully, "Thank you, Jean. But personally, I prefer to keep a low profile. How about we skip the ceremony?"
"Jean…?"
Amber pouted slightly. You two literally just met—why are you calling her so casually already?
Jean blinked in surprise. "Is that so? Well, if you insist, then I'll let the Knights know."
Amber chimed in, "Also, we should make a public announcement to the citizens of Mondstadt. There've been people bad-mouthing the Traveler, calling her a Holy Demon or whatever."
"There's actually talk like that? Alright, Amber—I'll leave that to you."
"Mm-hmm, leave it to me, Acting Grand Master~"
Paimon's expression was complicated. That wasn't slander—it was the truth… But under Zephyr's intense gaze, she didn't dare say it out loud.
Zephyr said, "By the way, Jean, I have a small request. Not sure if it's possible…"
"Of course. As of today, you're an official Honorary Knight of Mondstadt. As long as it's within the Knights' capabilities, we'll do everything we can to help you."
"I'd like some ascension materials and mystic ores."
"What specifically?"
"Windwheel Asters, Agnidus Agate Fragments, Firm Arrowheads, Silk Flowers, and Whopperflower Nectar."
The Windwheel Asters were for Lumine's ascension—he'd picked some from Windrise, but had used them up during the last breakthrough. Now, he planned to request more from the Knights so she could go straight to level 40.
The mystic ores were to level up weapons.
And the Agnidus Fragments? Those were for Hu Tao's future ascension. After all, she was his companion—gotta prepare in advance.
Jean paused slightly. Kaeya chuckled. "Our newly appointed Honorary Knight sure knows how to ask big. Those are all rare materials, you know."
"They're valuable? I can pay for them."
Kaeya grinned. "That's not the issue. Some ascension materials can't be bought with money. And mystic ores are key crafting resources—you can't just buy them either."
Jean thought for a moment and asked, "How many do you need?"
"Ten of each ascension material. As for the mystic ores… maybe around 1,000?"
Kaeya nearly spat out his drink. "A thousand? You're not asking, you're robbing us!"
"Uhh… how about 500?"
Jean replied, "Except for the Agnidus Fragments and mystic ores, we can provide the other materials."
"What? No mystic ores either?"
"We can give you up to 100 ores at most."
"Alright, I'll take the 100. What about the Agnidus Fragments?"
And just like that, the deal was settled.
Jean then asked curiously, "I have a question. I haven't seen your Vision, but I'm guessing it's not Pyro. So… why do you need Agnidus Agate?"
"Are you giving them to Amber?"
Amber's bunny ears twitched. "G-Giving them to me?"
"Uh… yeah!"
Zephyr had actually intended them for Hu Tao, but looking into Amber's big, sparkly eyes, he just couldn't bring himself to tell the truth.
"Oh, Traveler, you forgot? I already ascended—I don't need those materials anymore~~"
"Ahem. That was the level 20 ascension. There's still the level 40 one."
"Mmm, that's true! Since it's your thoughtful gift, I'll accept it then~"
Jean's eye twitched slightly. "Ahem. The Knights don't have many Agnidus Fragments left in storage… but since it's for Amber, I'll give you six pieces."
"Much appreciated."
"Thank you, Acting Grand Master!"
"Oh, and one more thing—Amber, remember that unmotivated Knight I told you I encountered in the wild? Have you found out who it was?"
Kaeya stepped forward. "Allow me to answer that."
He sighed. "Honestly, this was my failure too. After Amber came to me, I investigated right away. What I found was… deeply disappointing."
//END