"You two okay?!"
Amber rushed over as soon as she saw them land, eyes filled with concern.
"We're fine! In fact, we even drove Stormterror off!"
Paimon puffed out her chest proudly.
Lumine placed her hands on her hips and shot her a side-eye.
Pretty sure I did all the fighting…
"You were amazing, Lumine! You summoned a gigantic wind dragon! That was incredible!"
Amber's eyes sparkled with admiration as she looked at Lumine.
She had seen everything from the ground.
And even though Lumine had already explained that her new powers came from reading manga, Amber hadn't expected that.
Not only could she fly—she could conjure a massive dragon even larger than Stormterror itself.
And actually drive it away.
"If only I could gain powers like that too…"
Amber thought wistfully.
She could do so much more for Mondstadt and the Knights of Favonius.
Lumine scratched her head, a little embarrassed.
Truth be told, without the Wind-Wind Fruit, she wouldn't have stood a chance in that fight.
Just staying airborne was already a massive challenge in itself.
She hadn't expected the fruit's offensive capabilities to be this powerful either.
All of this… was thanks to Boss Han.
Being able to enter that tiny shop tucked away in the alley?
That had been the greatest stroke of luck so far.
From there, events began to follow the original story again.
Kaeya arrived at the scene.
With Amber and Kaeya guiding them, Lumine and Paimon were soon brought to the Knights of Favonius headquarters, where they met with Acting Grand Master Jean and Lisa.
After explaining everything in detail, the leadership finally understood the full picture.
And while they were naturally shocked by the events that had just unfolded, they also found themselves growing very curious about the mysterious manga shop.
Still, top priority was dealing with Stormterror.
Jean formally asked Lumine to assist the Knights in resolving the crisis.
Lumine and Paimon had initially planned to return to Han Feng's store that afternoon to read another manga—
—but then remembered that Han had said: only one book per person per day.
Even if they went back now, they couldn't read another one yet.
So they agreed to Jean's request.
Besides, helping out might earn them some Mora.
That would make it easier to afford the next manga session.
After sending Lumine and Paimon off, the atmosphere in Jean's office fell quiet.
A long silence passed.
"…So you're telling me… you can get powers just by reading a book?"
Lisa muttered, reclining lazily against the armrest.
Her voice was calm, but her eyes were filled with curiosity.
As the head librarian of the Knights of Favonius, Lisa prided herself on her vast knowledge.
Yet she had never heard of anything like this—not in Mondstadt, not in any of the other nations.
Still, judging by that adorable traveler's performance, it clearly wasn't fake.
The massive dragon in the sky had been real.
And so was the power behind it.
"Such a bizarre phenomenon… we'll have to look into it ourselves," she said.
Only by visiting the shop firsthand would they get real answers.
"If it's true… then this could be a major opportunity for Mondstadt."
Gazing at the now-clear sky through her office window, Acting Grand Master Jean murmured softly.
Because Grand Master Varka had led the bulk of Mondstadt's forces on an expedition, the current Knights of Favonius were somewhat undermanned.
Stormterror's sudden reappearance, coupled with increasing diplomatic pressure from the Fatui, placed an enormous burden on her shoulders.
As acting leader, Jean was constantly under pressure, afraid that even the slightest misstep could plunge Mondstadt into crisis.
But now… perhaps there was a ray of hope.
If what the Traveler said about that manga shop was true—then it could be a major opportunity.
One she absolutely had to seize.
Elsewhere…
A young girl in a white cleric's gown and a matching priest's hat walked through the streets of Mondstadt.
Twin flaxen ponytails swayed behind her—it was Barbara, the Deaconess of the Church of Favonius and Mondstadt's shining idol.
After the chaos caused by Stormterror's attack—and especially the battle between two massive dragons overhead—the citizens were left shaken and anxious.
Jean had sent Barbara out to help calm everyone down.
And indeed, the moment she appeared in public, the mood in the city began to shift.
"Ah! It's Miss Barbara!"
"Didn't expect to see her today! I must be blessed by the Anemo Archon!"
"She waved at me! She waved at me! Barbara-sama noticed me!!"
"Miss Barbara, what was that other dragon in the sky just now?"
"Yeah! It looked just like Stormterror but way bigger!"
Hearing their excitement, Barbara smiled warmly. She placed her hands together in front of her chest and radiated her signature charm—bright and gentle, like sunlight after a storm.
"I'm sorry that Stormterror caused so much trouble for everyone. But don't worry—we're working hard to keep you all safe. And I'll be holding a concert later to thank you for your patience."
"As for the other dragon—there's no need to worry. That one is a friend of Mondstadt."
To Barbara, there was no doubt in her mind—Lumine had driven Stormterror away and saved the city.
Anyone who did that was a friend.
The citizens' panic quickly subsided.
"If it's a friend of Mondstadt, then we don't have to be afraid!"
"We trust the Knights of Favonius!"
"And we believe in Miss Barbara!"
"Woo! We get another concert!"
"I can't wait!"
Watching the crowd cheer up made Barbara genuinely happy.
Being able to help was what she loved most.
After finishing her work, Barbara made her way toward a secluded alley.
"So this is the place…"
She looked up at the wooden sign: Worries Relieving Bookhouse.
This was the address Lumine had given her.
Curious if the rumors were true—if reading manga could really grant you abilities or items—Barbara stepped inside.