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["Here's a flight guide for you. You don't need to memorize it, but make sure to read it thoroughly."]
Amber handed a book to Lumine, who obediently began reading it with Paimon.
[When the first winds of the world began to blow, the birds who yearned for the skies had wings but could not fly.]
[They asked the Anemo Archon: "How can we embrace the sky?"]
[The Anemo Archon replied: "The most important thing is something you have yet to find."]
[Then, the wind swept across the grasslands, and dandelion seeds drifted far away.]
[They spread their wings with all their might, but the wind upon the grass was too gentle, only allowing them to stumble slightly.]
[So they went to the canyon, where the fierce winds displayed their unrivaled power.]
[Summoning their courage, they leaped into the canyon, flapping their wings amidst the howling gales.]
[Until they could soar freely through the skies.]
[Overjoyed, they said to the Anemo Archon: "So this is it—what we lacked was a strong wind!"]
[But the Anemo Archon replied: "What matters is not the strong wind, but courage. It is what made you the first birds of this world."]
The story in Amber's book came to an end, seemingly conveying that the key to flight was courage.
"The way Mondstadters learn to fly is so romantic..." Lumine echoed the words from the book.
She had initially assumed the flight guide would be a manual of precautions and flying techniques.
To her surprise, it turned out to be a fable.
To others, it might seem like a fable, but Barbatos knew the truth.
This story was actually history—the birds and the strong winds referred to the people of Old Mondstadt and the prison of storms.
This wasn't a tale about how the first birds learned to fly.
It was the story of how the people of Old Mondstadt, mustering their courage, rebelled against tyranny and won their freedom.
The people of Old Mondstadt, who had never seen the sky, finally embraced the heavens they had always dreamed of after finding their courage.
"Is this storybook the current flight guide?" Venti chuckled.
"No way, Amber must've just grabbed the wrong book," Kaeya explained.
At this moment, Amber herself was covering her face in embarrassment.
"How did this happen? I just said I wouldn't embarrass myself, and then I immediately grabbed the wrong book!"
"What kind of examiner brings the wrong book for the test?!"
"Though I do really love this story..."
This story had given Amber immense courage—it truly was her personal flight guide.
But for the exam, she was supposed to use the official textbook!
This was bad. If the Traveler failed the test, it would all be her fault.
She had promised to take responsibility, only to mess things up right from the start.
However, the others, unaware of the truth, found Mondstadt's flight guide quite interesting.
Who would've thought the exam material would be a storybook? It was rather romantic.
"Courage, huh?" Collei recalled her experiences with Amber.
It was true—Amber had always been lively, cheerful, and full of courage.
It was this version of her that had changed Collei into who she was now.
Collei couldn't imagine what her future would've been like if she hadn't met Amber.
"I need to be braver too," Collei clenched her small fists.
"I will also become the first bird of the Lawrence family!" Eula declared firmly.
Defying her family, facing the scorn and gossip of Mondstadt's people—this was her courage.
She had already spread her wings against the strong winds. Now, it was only a matter of whether she could soar high and embrace the sky.
Surprisingly, no one mocked Amber for bringing the wrong book. Instead, everyone seemed to love the story.
Courage and defiance were the wings of free flight—this felt more like Mondstadt's true flight guide.
Besides, wind gliders mostly just allowed for gliding, requiring a high starting point. Without a bit of courage, it'd be hard to pull off.
The story in the book continued.
After finishing the book, the Traveler and Paimon headed to the exam site.
When Amber saw the Traveler arrive, she naturally assumed they were ready for the test.
She just hadn't expected the Traveler to familiarize themselves with the flight rules so quickly.
["Ah, you're here."]
["You've read the flight guide thoroughly, right? You're familiar with the rules and regulations?"] Amber asked.
["Well, I finished reading it... but I can't say I'm familiar with the rules at all..."] The Traveler sighed helplessly.
Of course they weren't familiar—the entire book was a story with no mention of rules whatsoever.
So what were the regulations supposed to be? Jump off cliffs and ride strong winds?
["Hmm, that reluctant tone... I get it, I get it."] Amber nodded knowingly.
["The flight guide is so dry and boring—I can't stand reading it either."]
At this point, Amber suddenly gasped, as if remembering something, and quickly added:
["Don't tell Acting Grand Master Jean I said that."]
"...Amber, no wonder your flying license keeps getting revoked. You never bothered to memorize the flight rules properly," Jean sighed.
Her workload was already heavy enough, yet her subordinates still couldn't let her rest easy.
Though Amber's habit of mentioning Jean in every other sentence did show her respect and trust...
Getting daily complaints from citizens about Amber recklessly using her wind glider was still exhausting!
Strangely, none of Mondstadt's citizens found Amber's constant mentions of Jean odd.
They trusted Jean so much that they'd go to her for even the smallest issues.
If anything, they were all the type to bring up Jean in every conversation.
Jean could very well say, "This city would fall apart without me."
["Really? I thought the story in this 'flight guide' was pretty fun,"] Paimon remarked, not finding the book boring at all.
["A fun story? Oh~! You mean the case studies in the appendix?"]
The two had been talking about completely different books from the start—like they were on different servers.
["Some of those are pretty interesting too. My favorite is the one about illegally launching with an Anemo Slime."]
Lumine nodded in agreement.
She had personally experienced the thrill of popping an Anemo Slime and riding the updraft.
It was definitely fun—the bigger the Anemo Slime, the better.
["Using the burst of wind when an Anemo Slime is defeated to shoot up really high... I'd love to try that someday."]
"Oh no!" Seeing her own words in the book, Amber broke out in a cold sweat.
Now all her little thoughts were exposed to Jean!
This was unfair! Sure, she wanted to try it, but she'd never dared because of Jean's strict authority!
At least she was out on a mission right now—otherwise, she'd definitely be scolded by Jean.
"Amber..."
Jean began considering whether she should heed the complaints and revoke Amber's flying license again, forcing her to retake the test.
But hadn't it been less than a month since the last revocation? Would that be too harsh?
Aside from Amber sweating nervously, the Traveler was also feeling a bit awkward.
Who would've thought that Amber, Mondstadt's so-called "Flight Fanatic," had never even tried launching with an Anemo Slime?
Meanwhile, Lumine had done it plenty of times while clearing out monsters during her commissions.
After all, many daily tasks involved slaying slimes—why not have some fun when you encounter an Anemo Slime?
If you didn't take advantage of an Anemo Slime's final explosive moment, wouldn't that be a waste of its sacrifice?
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Character Voice Line · Venti: About Amber
"That little Outrider from the Knights of Favonius—so lively, cheerful, and full of courage, always inspiring those around her... Hmm, maybe I should write a song about her someday?"