Chapter 3

"Travelers, allow me to officially welcome you to the city of wind, dandelions, and freedom," Amber said as she gestured to the busy town square after we walked through the front gate.

Getting into Mondstadt was easy with Amber vouching for us at the front gate so none of the guards gave us any trouble.

Amber then continued to speak happily as she lowered her hands to her waist. "Travelers under the protection of the Knights of Favonius. Welcome to Mondstadt!"

Paimon gave a quick series of claps for Amber's showmanship as me and Lumine smiled lightly but Lumine lost her smile and gave the flying emergency rations a cold glare hearing Paimon's next words. "Finally, no more sleeping outdoors in the rain... I would be dead if Lumine's skirt wasn't waterproof, and I could hide under it..."

Before Lumine could strangle the flying nuisance, who realized her words were highly embarrassing and flew behind me to take refuge, I noticed something about the people of Mondstadt. "Hey Amber, what's up with these people? I've seen more motivation at some funerals..."

There was a palpable depression hanging over all these people's heads and it was obvious that despite how bustling the town square was all the people weren't communicating with one another and were instead rushing to and from their goals.

Amber couldn't help sighing as she explained. "Haaa... Well with Stormterror's rampages, the city is depressed with a literal angry dragon hanging over our heads. Thankfully Stormterror hasn't killed anyone yet but every time he swings by and kicks up a storm, he tends to destroy some boats, caravans, and a number of people who don't secure themselves get hurt."

Dvalin could easily turn Mondstadt city into nothing but rubble in a couple of minutes if he wanted to, with being able to create massive tornadoes as well as shooting a large quantity of laser so it's good to hear he hasn't gone completely off his rocker yet.

Amber then went on to say how she believed with the acting grand master of the Knights of Favonius, Jean was around, then everything would be fine...

My face twitched at the thought of Jean attempting to basically solo Dvalin and I knew that wouldn't work and funny enough I had a feeling, Klee if given enough time and materials would be the only one to be able to kill Dvalin with her... Extreme appreciation for bombs.

"So is Jean really strong!?" Paimon asked excitedly and Amber proudly nodded in response.

"Maybe she can help me find my brother," Lumine muttered aloud as she spaced out and I kinda agreed as powerful people were the people you wanted to approach if you and your sibling were also powerful people and had gotten separated.

Because people like to keep track of their peers.

"Well anyway before I take you to the Knights headquarters' and show you around Mondstadt, I have a reward for helping me and welcoming you both to Mondstadt," Amber said cheerfully and then handed Lumine two Mora coins, each one shining heavily.

"Woo! Twenty thousand Mora, we are going to eat so much tonight!" Paimon cheered.

Amber then turned to me and paused a moment before she untied a pouch off the side of her shorts and gently handed it to me. "Jake, I noticed you don't have a space-expanded pouch, and although this one doesn't have time altering or preserving magics on it. It will still be a lot of use to you." Amber explained pushing the pouch into my hands and with it so close I could see a good deal of wear on it.

"That pouch was given to me when I joined the Knights of Favonius and only vision wielders can use them, so they aren't really in high demand," Amber explained and then pointed at me as she blushed lightly. "Jake, you said you may join the Knights of Favonius, so just call that an early gift! Now come on let me show you all around!" She yelled and took Lumine's and my arms in her hands and promptly dragged us off leaving Paimon in our dust.

A minute later as we dodged around some people, we were all basically physically assaulted and battered by this cloying scent of roasted honey-glazed meat. "Ugh..." Me, Lumine, and Paimon groaned holding our poor bellies at the heavenly scent.

"Hehe. Well, I guess I can treat you all to some sticky honey roast!" Amber said cheerfully and I noticed even she petted her stomach at the succulent smell.

A few minutes later we all sat down except for Paimon who flew circles around us chanting some diabolical spell to supposedly summon the food quicker as the lady running the restaurant sliced off some large chunks of meat off of what I assumed to be the side of a cow or maybe a pig but given this was a fantasy land I had zero clue.

"So Lumine how long have you been traveling with Paimon?" Amber asked just to pass the time and Lumine grinned maliciously as she began her tale.

"Ohh. We have been traveling together for a couple of months now and I met Paimon one day when I was fishing just as I pulled up a fish, I also caught a wild Paimon who was gnawing on the poor fish's tail fin as she was so starved..."

"Paimon wasn't chewing on some fish's tail!" Paimon said vehemently stamping her feet.

Amber and I on the other hand gave Paimon a judging look as we considered how flighty and weird the flying creature was and we both came to a unanimous thought. "She definitely was chewing on a raw fish..."

Finally, we were given our food and I saw the horror that was Paimon eating... My god, it was a vile and yet disturbingly entrancing sight, watching the toddler-sized flying humanoid practically inhale her body weight in food as we each had a large plate with a solid two-and-a-half pounds of food to fuel our body's superhuman feats.

"How do you eat so much if you don't even walk around!?" Amber cried out as she tearfully paid for our meal, and I mentally swore to replay her as soon as I got some jobs in or just broke into some of the chest's that littered Teyvat.

After that Amber showed us around Mondstadt, taking us to the blacksmith, the stores of note, and more importantly got us registered at the Adventure's Guild. Sadly, the mythical Katheryne according to the lady working at the register was busy lately talking to some of the higher rank adventurers in the back so I couldn't meet her.

"You guys look around a bit more, I need to go report to the Knights Headquarters' and grab a couple of things. Meet me at the church's statue!" Amber yelled as she ran off.

"Wait we don't even know where the church is!" Paimon yelled and then pouted as Amber didn't seem to hear her as she basically sprinted up the steps towards the back half of the city and was soon out of sight.

Although from this angle the church of Barbatos wasn't within our view if you were anywhere in the surrounding lands of Mondstadt and you could see the city, you would easily be able to notice the largest structure within the island city.

"Paimon, it's at the top of the hill," I said pointing in the direction Amber went in, and then I turned to Lumine. "Lumine, how about we just go to the temple and wait for Amber, that way we can go with her to the Knights Headquarters later on"

Unspoken was how awkward it would be if we just walked over to Knights Headquarters only for them to deny us entry or even if we got inside, we still wouldn't know where to go.

"Alright. That sounds like the better plan than Paimon's." Lumine agreed and we both began walking up in the same direction Amber took off on.

"Paimon hasn't even shared her plan yet!" Paimon cried out making some of the surrounding people stare at her in confusion.

"If it involved going to sleep immediately or picking up food, I don't want to hear it..." Lumine replied coolly.

"Hurk!" Paimon choked and staggered while flying. "How did you know I wanted us to restock up on food and just go take a nap at an inn."

Lumine rolled her eyes not answering and I answered with a wry smile. "Paimon, I have known you all of like a couple of hours and I can tell you are no different from a baby who just eats sleep and makes noise for attention."

Lumine had to grab my arm as she bent over breaking into hysterical giggles and Paimon made a war cry as she flew over at my face swinging her arms in circles like a windmill. "Take this, you giant meanie!"

I stopped the flying creature simply by pushing a finger gently into her stomach and couldn't help but speak. "Woah! She is squishy like a baby too... I wonder if her cheeks are pinchable like a baby."

"Nooo! Mercy, Lumine save me!" As my fiendish claws descended upon Paimon's soft and squishy face Lumine snorted and pulled my arm away from Paimon.

"Alright let's get going... After we meet with the Knights I plan on getting a hot bath or shower at an inn." Lumine said as she pulled me along till we reached the large cathedral devoted to the Anemo god Barbatos.