"Mmmh~! This is fantastic, Fischl!"

Barbara brought another spoonful of a weirdly-colored (yet surprisingly tasty) gelatinous mass to her mouth. It was one of their side dishes in their lunch— sort of. "The texture's so soft and creamy… You've GOT to tell me the recipe."

Fischl looked away, gesturing at Oz to answer for her. "A princess does not reveal all of her secrets. Forgive us. It is better for you not to know."

"Is that so? Alright then."

And how. Honestly, Fischl wasn't sure if they would have even liked the food. It wasn't restaurant quality, and it looked like crap, but seeing her friends enjoying it made all the effort worth it. Ignorance was bliss, and as such, she really would have preferred if no one knew just what was being dumped into their stomachs right now.

One thing's for sure: Xiangling's cooking was simply out of this world. Literally.

"B-Burgh—!"

A series of coughs interrupted their lunch. Leaning back on the chair, Bennett frantically pounded his chest— thankfully not choking but clearly in a lot of pain.

"T-this is quite spicy, isn't it?" he croaked out. "Like, extremely spicy..."

Fischl shook her head. "It should hardly be so. I took the liberty of tailoring each meal to the individual, and I specifically made sure yours would be served with a substitute for the Jueyun Chili."

"Then why does it taste like— "

Bennett hunched over and clutched his stomach, beads of sweat trickling down his temples. He forced a smile before getting up and racing out of the restaurant. "E-Excuse me, ladies— !"

Fischl blinked. "That was…"

"Weird," Oz finished. "Would you care to explain, Miss Barbara?"

Barbara stared at her lunch box, unable to look either of them in the eye- a near-universal sign of guilt. Fischl only noticed then that, somehow, all of the chili peppers she put in Barbara's food had been criminally planted into Bennett's. The unspoken accusation made Barbara blush— akin to a ripe tomato, ready to burst in a shower of citrusy goodness over a fine plate of chili sprinkled with shame.

...Maybe Xiangling had rubbed off on her more than she cared to hope.

"Alright, alright…" Barbara bowed her head and clasped her hands together. "Please don't tell Bennett."

And miss seeing her awkwardly having to explain it to him herself? Not a chance.

"Actually, I have a favor to ask."

"Oh?" Fischl flashed Barbara a crooked smile, pinky raised as she took a long sip of her juice. "Is that so?"

She could picture it now: a maiden desperately in love asking for help from a cool and sophisticated elder on how to capture the heart of her childhood crush. And through trials and tribulations, their rich and fulfilling friendship soon blossoms into the purest and most passionate of romances— straight out of a fiction novel.

Fischl knew next to nothing about romance, much less give advice about it, but gods she loved playing in-character like this. "I am all ears, young one. Be not afraid; speak loud, for the Prinzessin heard your plea and has deigned it upon herself to see this relationship come to fruition, all in the name of love. Think not of the cost."

"R-Relationship…?" Barbara's blush grew feverish. She waved her arms to dispel any assumptions of impure thoughts clearly running through her mind. "It's nothing like that! I mean— sort of. B-but, it's not what you think…!"

"Miss Barbara," Oz chimed in. "We know you would rather keep Bennett to yourself, but you must learn to share. If the boy does not venture out of the nest, he may never be able to stand on his own."

"Wha— "

"Oz speaks true," Fischl said, nodding sagely. A smirk danced her lips. "Unless, of course, bondage is your way of expressing affection. I will not judge; you are at liberty to do so. Mondstadt is the city of freedom, after all~"

"Cut it out, you guys! I'm serious!"

"What is it then?" Fischl said after laughing her fill. Somehow, teasing Barbara had become a pastime for her. The girl's crush on Bennett was just a touch bit adorable.

Barbara pouted but continued anyway, re-appropriating the chilis from Bennett's lunch into her mouth. "I just wanted to ask if you could keep Bennett company for today."

"Your worry supersedes you, Miss Barbara," Oz said. "I doubt he would get himself into too much trouble unsupervised."

"It's not that— I mean, not ALL that. I need you to keep Bennett busy this afternoon, that's all. I was planning on giving you guys something for your trip, and I wanted it to be a surprise."

A surprise? That piqued Fischl's curiosity. It certainly was unexpected; usually, she could read Barbara like an open book. The boldness felt... refreshing.

Puffing her chest, Fischl nodded. "Consider it done. The adventurer ill-fated by the stars shall not escape the vigilance of mine familiar's eyes. Isn't that right, Oz?"

"Passing off the responsibility to me, mein Fräulein? Surely you do not plan on goofing around all afternoon like a child now, hm?"

"...Silence."

"You'll do it?" Barbara asked, wide-eyed. "Oh, thank you so much!"

Fischl nodded again, reciprocating the sister's weapon-grade smile with her own. "Of course. 'Tis all merely child's play for the great Prinzessin der Verurteilung. You have no reason to worry."

Keep an eye on unlucky Bennett, and make sure he doesn't kill himself. How hard could that be?

Pretty hard, as it turns out.

"Bennett, come down this instant!"

Not the 'keeping an eye out,' part, it's the 'make sure he doesn't kill himself' bit. And quite frankly, how had he NOT killed himself yet? Bennett was practically the sentient embodiment of the Spark Knight's explosives, ready to blow up at the stiffest of breezes. Fischl should have been prepared for this; this wasn't the first time she's had to accompany him.

"Boy, it will do well to heed Her Majesty's words," Oz cautioned. "You have not had the most fortunate of encounters with wood and trees recently."

"It'll be fine!" Bennett shouted back. The tree shook anxiously as he climbed higher, one foot on a branch clearly about to break. He beckoned at the kitten hissing at him. "Come here, girl, I gotcha…"

Fischl sighed. Babysitting wasn't hard. Bennett being Bennett, however, things were never always as they seemed. Probably most shocking, though…

She agreed to this?

SNAP!

Yup.

"Watch out— "

…

"Thank you so much for finding Ms. Nibbles!"

"It was a piece of cake," Bennett said. He gave an enthusiastic thumbs up to the little girl, not caring at all about the currently bruised state of his other appendages. "And remember, if there's anything the Adventurer's Guild can do for you, you're welcome to call 'Benny's Adventuring Team' anytime!"

The awestruck girl brimmed with delight. "Yes, mister!"

Fischl's brow twitched.

There were three things she could bring up to ruin the wholesome scene. First, Bennett didn't find the cat so much as stumble upon its petrified corpse after dropping an entire TREE on it. Second, she was pretty sure Katheryne would redirect any and all calls for the infamous adventuring team to someone more competent and less likely to bring catastrophe upon the poor fellow actually crazy enough to ask.

And third: Ms. Nibbles was a terrible name for a cat. They were majestic beings, rightfully worshipped as deities in some lands. If her father allowed it, Fischl would name hers Hræsvelgr— corpse-swallower and a bane to all pesky rodents everywhere.

"Do you really think I can be an adventurer like you?" the girl asked, cradling her cat. While Fischl wasn't looking, Bennett had already recited his recruitment spiel to the gullible little lass.

Bennett nodded. "Of course I do!"

"Even someone like me…?"

"Yup. Small, big, girl or boy, anyone can be an adventurer if they have the heart for it!" Gesturing a thumb towards Fischl, Bennett whispered quietly enough to make a point. "They even let someone like her join us."

The girl regarded Fischl with a skeptical look. "But she looks weird..."

"Oi."

Bennett laughed. "Haha! Sure, her clothes may be stuffy and weird, but I personally think they look amazing!"

"...Oi."

"And besides," Bennett said before Fischl could deliver her very scathing remark. "She's one of the best investigators the guild's got. We couldn't have made it this far without her."

The girl tilted her head and frowned. "But… I'm not good at anything. What happens if I can't make it?"

Bennett smiled brightly

"Then you never give up. Even when things are looking bleak, Bennett of Benny's Adventuring Team will always have your back. You can count on it!"

"Okay!" The little girl giggled as she ran off, beloved kitten in tow. She turned around as a toothy grin graced her face, hand raised in a thumbs up. "Ad Astra Abyssosque!"

"Ad Astra Abyssosque!"

Clearly, someone made an impression on her. Fischl started to see now how Bennett managed to win the hearts of the ladies, unbeknownst to him. She would've complimented Bennett for it, if not for the dense fire burning his eyes.

"Phew, commission done!" Bennett exclaimed. "On to the next!"

'Another one?!' Inner Fischl yelled. While she was grateful for the work, she simply could not keep up the pace jetting through the commissions back-to-back-to-back. There had to be some other way to distract Bennett.

"Oh, woe is me," Fischl said. She had to improvise. "My throat is simply parched! The great beacon in the sky shines its light overbearingly on us today."

She motioned to her trusty familiar. "Ozzie, Her Majesty beseeches you. Unfurl your wings once more, and plunge this realm in the everlasting grace of night~"

"In need of your parasol again, mein Fräulein?" Oz rebutted. "It is as I said: if you forgot to pack your belongings, then you only have yourself to bla— "

Glare.

"...thy will be done." He turned to Bennett and whispered, "Sir Bennett, her Majesty requests a libation to quench her royal thirst. Might I implore you to guide us to the nearest wellspring? Any would do."

Bennett tilted his head. "You're thirsty? Alright, what do you want to have?"

"Ahem!" Fischl cleared her throat. "The mere thought of requesting mundanity irks me. Your Prinzessin only sups upon the blood of sinners, fresh as handpicked cherry, and brewed with a pint of apple cider, then— "

"Oh! I know this really cool place that sells slushies nearby. I heard they're having a promo on Sunsettia-flavored ones today. That good?"

...

"...It will suffice."

God damn it all.

"Wow, Fischl," Bennett said, slurping on his own slushy. "I didn't think you could drink that much in one go. If it were me, I think it would've sputtered out of my nose. You're awesome!"

Thanks— but please shut up.

Fischl groaned, face flat on the table and head swirling from the aftereffects of consuming large amounts of frozen slushy in the time it takes to pronounce the words 'mein Immernachtreich.' If anyone was to blame, it would have been Katheryne for giving her enough Mora to irresponsibly buy a special-extra-large serving from the merchant. How was she supposed to know they tasted amazing?

The loud cheering from the patrons nearby certainly didn't help.

Oz patted her on the back as she whimpered, less from the pain and more to mourn the loss of her fragile ego. Just how many times had she embarrassed herself today?

Plenty, actually. Enough for a lifetime.

They still had a couple of commissions left to do, but given her current condition, Fischl decided to sit the rest out. Oz could look after Bennett for the time being. She knew she shouldn't worry too much. Though it may not seem like it, there was a reason Bennett stayed alive this long as a one-man adventuring team. He could take care of himself.

Yet, there was a nagging feeling at the back of her head. Like a tiny voice compelling her to keep a close watch on him, at least for the day. She couldn't place why.

Probably just the brain freeze…

"Friends with that kid?"

"Huh?"

A tall, brown-haired lady approached Fischl with a curious expression, tankard spilling with foam. Her voice sounded husky from the drinks she likely had been shoving down her throat. She sat opposite Fischl on the table, one sharp eye struggling to stay open, while the other was covered by an eyepatch similar to Fischl's own— except much, much cooler.

A purple Vision hung from the tassel on her waist.

"That was Bennett, of Benny's Adventuring Team, right?" the lady asked, taking a swig from her beer. "Unlucky fellow. You guys friends?"

Fischl saw no reason to lie. "I suppose you may call it that. He and I are partners sworn by blood. A… hackneyed title like 'friends' does not do justice to one who has gained the trust of one such as I."

The lady made no response other than to have another drink. To be more precise, it was like she didn't hear anything at all after the first sentence.

"A-and what of you?" Fischl blurted out, indignant. "It takes more than common knowledge to be familiar with those facts. Explain to me how you are acquainted with him and his endeavors. Now."

"Me?" The lady laughed. "Well, let's just say I know a lot of people going in and out of Liyue, is all. Don't worry about it; I meant no harm."

"If that is the case, then I must advise you to choose your words more carefully, for you are in the presence of the mighty Prinzessin der Verurteilung, herald of mein Immernachtreich. Remember that."

"Sorry, sorry."

Fischl turned away, satisfied with the apology. She felt content to ignore the woman for now.

…

What's taking him so long?

It had been close to an hour since Bennett left and not once has he bothered to check up on her. If she recalled, Barbara said to meet up in Yuijing Terrace come evening, wherever that may be. She could tell Oz to go on ahead, but she hardly knew the city; it wouldn't have been worth the effort, trying to find it herself.

Oh well. She could afford to wait a few more minutes. She was getting to the good part in the book she borrowed from the shop nearby too.

...

"Have you heard? The bastard Bennett's back in town."

"Yeah, I saw him down at the docks. Oh man, the captain's gonna have a fit when she finds out. I heard she got an earful from the Tianquan for letting him burn down one of her prized ships."

Fischl flipped the page in her book. Silently.

"Really? You think he's gonna strike again? Somebody's gotta report that guy. Let the filthy guards handle him. If you ask me, they're due some bad luck considering how they treat us, you know?"

"Nah. He's part of the Adventurer's Guild. Damn do-gooders deserve it more, don't you think?"

"Haha, I hear that! It takes them this long to investigate the avalanches? I say, good luck to them. That boy Bennett's gonna make their lives hell for sure."

"..."

The eyepatch lady, still deep in her beer, echoed Fischl's thoughts exactly. "Those fools…"

Fischl shook her head. It would ruin the guild's reputation if she allowed anger to get the best of her now. The lady was right; they were just ramblings from idiotic drunk men. It shouldn't matter to anyone. That was far, far beneath her.

Ignorant of the tense atmosphere, the half a dozen or so men continued to spout their nonsense.

"Can you believe it? That kid brushed up against me once and all of a sudden pigeons crapped all over me!"

"Rumor has it that he used his blasted Vision to topple down one of the trees inside the city."

"Someone saw him take a little girl's pet cat and threaten to abduct it if the girl didn't come and join the adventurer's guild!"

"He made all the ice melt in that slushy merchant's shop!"

Utter nonsense. Slowly, but surely, Fischl snapped. "Oh, that is it!"

Slamming her book shut, she glared at the rabble-rousers that had stopped their drinks. Pretty much the entire bar sans the lady beside her stared as Fischl put her foot down on the table. She normally would have shrunk from the attention; confrontation wasn't one of her strong suits. This time she didn't care.

"I will not stand for this any longer!" she yelled, glaring fiercely. "How dare you cretins think— "

Tap tap.

She felt a tap on her leg. The lady sharing the table gave her a disapproving look before going back to savoring her beer. Fischl obediently put her foot on a stool instead.

Anyway...

"How dare you cretins think you are justified to such impertinence! I will not sit idly by while my friend is insulted and incessantly accused of crimes he did not commit."

One of the men, likely the ringleader, stood up. He was a brutish man with sizeable arms and a callous voice as rough as the blisters on his hands. Fischl reeled back on instinct when his figure marched and towered over her.

The man spoke loud, his yellow teeth grinning defiantly. "Friend, you say? And what are you going to do about it?"

"U-uhm…"

"Hah!" the man guffawed and soon joined by the rest of his company. "Can't even speak up when the chips are down. Run along now, missy. Go play with your little friends and let the men have their fun."

Fischl growled but chose not to say a word. She was used to dealing with drunken men. In her experience, not even shoving truths to their faces would convince them to shut up.

Instead, she was taught better.

"Fine," she muttered. Eye gleaming, she tightened her fists into balls as she fought the urge to back down. "But understand this..."

She didn't need the truth.

'...then never give up! Even when things are looking bleak, Bennett of Benny's Adventuring Team will always have your back. You can count on it.'

...All she needed was passion.

"What do you know of him? His dreams? His aspirations? What about his personality? If luck is all you base a person on, then for your edification: he has been unlucky his entire life. Nobody knows misfortune as much as he does."

Raised as an orphan with no clue as to where his parents may be. Instead of a lovely homestead, Bennett grew up in the arms of battle-scarred men that are as jaded and cynical as they could come. From early life, he had already fought tooth and nail against wolves and hilichurls, scraping the woods for his next meal all the while struggling against the disadvantage his bad luck gave him.

Yet, never once had it affected his innocent smile. Bennett could have easily lost his morals to vices, yet chose instead to support others, celebrating their achievements and grieving their misfortunes. Never does he revel at the thought of someone suffering more misery than him; his pure heart wouldn't allow it.

Bennett had always believed in people and found the good in them, whoever they may be.

Even someone whose true self was masked beyond recognition— never to be seen again.

Standing tall, Fischl channeled the courage she didn't know she had. "Bennett of Benny's Adventuring Team is fearless. He accepts fate and reality as it comes. He never cowers from it, nor does he avert his eyes and instead faces it head-on with a fierce passion burning within his breast— and for that alone, I admire him. Bennett of Benny's Adventuring team is stronger than all of us. Stronger than anyone else I could ever imagine.

Fischl's eyes narrowed into slits. "So I ask again, what do you know of him as a person? What do you choose to regard him as besides cast aspersions and baseless slander?"

Slowly, the ringleader approached her, brows furrowed and his temper flaring. Neither of them said anything, yet it felt clear from the man's sober face that the alcohol had been spoiled for the day.

Back against the wall, Fischl sneered. She flexed her hand in preparation to summon her bow. In true Mondstadtian tradition, everything would be settled with a good old-fashioned bar brawl.

She mouthed her words. "Bring it on."

A heavy tankard slammed down on the table close by.

"That's enough, Chien Bing," the eyepatch lady shouted. Despite possibly drinking several gallons of beer, she didn't appear the slightest bit drunk as she carried herself with the grace of a noble lady— one Fischl wanted to emulate.

The lady harbored a friendly yet menacing expression. It reminded Fischl of the time she almost ran late returning her library book and was a hair-trigger away from incurring Lisa's wrath. Or that one morning when she accidentally bumped into Sister Rosaria at the church when all of the taverns had closed doors the night before.

Women can be scary at times.

The brutish ringleader, probably the one called Chien Bing, sputtered incoherently. "C-Captain Beidou?!"

Beidou…? Fischl thought to herself. Where had she heard the name before?

All at once, the half a dozen men, including the ones not even involved, saluted the Captain as if only acknowledging her presence now.

Beidou ordered them at ease with a flick of her wrist. "I don't usually like having to flaunt status while out drinking— I mean we're all buddies here, right? I wouldn't anyone sullying my beer either. But today? I think you scallywags crossed the line."

With a commanding voice that trembled the sea, Captain Beidou shouted louder. "You should be ashamed of yourselves! Not only do you scallywags not behave as honorable gentlemen of Liyue, you betrayed my trust by backstabbing not only a former crew member but also one of my own trusted comrades!"

Chien Bing seemed to shrink under the pressure. "We didn't realize, Captain—"

"You know what I find most pathetic?" Beidou barked. "Letting this sweet little girl berate you for insulting her friend while also being completely right. And you call yourselves men..."

"Uhm… thank you?" Fischl squeaked in.

"Clean the rafters, all of you! If I see a spot on any one of my ships when I come back, it'll be YOUR necks hanging from them!"

"YES, SIR!" the men shouted in unison, before they scurried away, tail between their legs. The urgency in their expressions seemed to indicate that Captain Beidou would be more than happy to follow through with her threat should they disobey her again.

Relative peace restored, Fischl was on the way to retrieve her book when Beidou called her attention. "Hey, missy."

Fischl sighed. "You may call me Fischl."

"Fischl, huh?" Hand coming up to her chin, Beidou gazed at Fischl fondly. She looked to be deep in thought before shrugging it away. "Let me apologize on behalf of my crew. They're good people most of the time; I'm sure they didn't mean to cause any trouble. Probably the stress everyone's feeling right now."

"No need for an explanation," Fischl said. "I am well aware of matters causing concern for the citizens. You do not need to apologize."

"Really?" Grabbing her tankard, Beidou gulped down a huge quantity of beer before she continued, hand on her hips and smiling ecstatically. "That's great then!"

"However, that does not mean it excuses YOUR behavior, either."

"Eh?"

Fischl shook her head in exasperation. "A lady should conduct herself with elegance at all times. Slovenly consuming beer in a down-trodden bar is unbecoming of your beauty, dear Captain. Have some respect for yourself."

"...Pfft."

Beidou almost spat out her drink before she started to laugh out loud.

Fischl pouted. "I-I'm serious here!"

"Yeah, yeah," Beidou said. She leaned in to ruffle Fischl's hair. "I like you, kid; you got spunk. Don't worry, though, Cap't Beidou's got it."

"I believe you do not!"

"Here." Turning to leave, Beidou tossed something to Fischl as she waved goodbye. "Don't be a stranger, now. I'll be down at the docks if you wanna hang out. See ya."

Fischl scoffed. Like she even needed to think about it. The offer was nice, but she'd rather not deal with that fiasco again. Running into drunkards was one thing, running into drunken pirates was something else entirely.

She stared deeply at the object Beidou gave to her.

It was an eyepatch.

"...Tch."

On second thought, maybe red wasn't really her color.

"This necklace, according to Liyue tradition, is said to ward off evil spirits and also bring good fortune to the person wearing it."

Blushing, Barbara carefully tied the charm around Bennett's neck. "I made them for you, just in case you find yourself needing it. It's not much, but I hope they can keep you safe... probably."

When she had the time to make them, Fischl wasn't sure. Seeing Barbara's bubbly smile as she kissed Bennett on the cheek, though…

Worth it.

"Oh!" Barbara exclaimed. "I made one for you too, Fischl."

Fischl grinned as she inspected the purple stone engraved in the necklace. It sparkled with a tiny crack of electricity. Bennett's, on the other hand, appeared to be made of crystallized Flaming Flower Stamen, brimming with fire and coloring his chest with a beautiful orange glow.

Both looked wonderful.

"You are too kind," Oz said. "We humbly accept, thank you."

"You're welcome."

Bennett beamed, the red already suffused to his ears. "Don't sweat it, Barbara. It'll be just like any other expedition. It'll be fine, you'll see!"

"Oh, I know it will, but…"

Barbara glanced at Fischl with a worried expression. Her trademark idol smile returned gradually as if it had never left. "Promise me you'll return him home safe."

Fischl paused for a moment. It went without saying of course. He was her partner, for better or for worse (most likely worst). It had only been for a day now, yet it felt like she'd already been infected by his unluckiness even though luck wasn't contagious. She couldn't say if she could handle her life being hell for that long.

But…

She answered, "Sure. I promise."

The sun had set by the time Barbara left to go back to practice. Apparently, her dance sessions lasted all throughout the day and well into the night- which meant that she wouldn't be able to see them off early in the morning.

Just the thought of it sounded kind of lonely to Fischl. She rarely felt that way; Barbara was one of the very few friends she ever had. And the only reason for that was because they both knew Bennett. They wouldn't have been able to meet if it wasn't for him.

Which made Bennett's silence all the more suspicious.

"Is something wrong?" Fischl asked. Oz excused himself beforehand, citing that he felt spent after today. She let him rest.

Thus, it was only the two of them alone on the terrace overlooking the city.

"Huh?" Bennett met her eyes. They weren't as vibrant as they usually were. "Nothing's wrong."

"You don't have to pretend."

"Ah, right. You could see emotion with your special vision. You told me about that."

"Mhhh, partly," Fischl hummed. "It doesn't take a genius to know that something's on your mind."

"That obvious?" Bennett chuckled. "What about you, Fischl? You're talking weirdly."

Fischl sighed. Talk as she usually does and people find it weird. Talk normally to her friends, however, and it was still weird. What did she have to do to get a break every once in a while?

Ultimately, though, she thought it too pretentious to keep up the act. She just felt exhausted. "It doesn't matter. We should get some rest for tomorrow."

"About that…"

"Hm?"

Fists grabbing the rails, Bennett struggled to push the words out. Fischl barely registered it from how fast they flew by.

"You shouldn't come to the expedition tomorrow."

…

"...What?" More importantly: "Why?"

Such a simple question yet Bennett averted his eyes and hesitated to answer. "Because… nothing good will happen if you do. You know how it goes when I have a partner. Disaster happens! In fact, you should stay here. The guild's swamped with work. Katheryne already has— "

"Bennett," Fischl interrupted. "I'm coming with you."

"...Okay."

He certainly didn't sound convinced. What was wrong with the expedition anyway? Dragonspine was a dangerous area, sure, but their job was a simple reconnaissance mission— nothing too out of the ordinary.

Why was he worrying so much?

"If it is about your luck, then fret not," Fischl said, haughtiness back in her voice. "The Prinzessin der Verurteilung has vanquished many a foe. Tragedy is mine existence, and misfortune, my ill-begotten brethren. I, who have traveled countless worlds, witnessed thousands of galaxies succumb to flame, hath saw fate defied at nearly every turn. We stand by our ardent souls, that the mountain of chills and bones do not break the spirit of our one true calling."

Bennett blinked. "Huh?"

Oz, where art thou?

"I'll be fine, Bennett. I'm a member of Benny's Adventuring Team, too. I can take care of myself."

That one, Bennett understood clearly, laughing again as a grin plastered over his face. "Yeah, we've come a long way, huh?"

"What do you mean?"

For a while, there was only silence, along with the muted chorus of crickets waking up. A minute passed before Bennett spoke, gazing towards the night sky.

"Us, as adventurers. It's been what… three years since we joined?"

Four, give or take. Bennett was already helping out the guild before then, but only officially joined their ranks at the same time Fischl did when she turned fourteen.

"It's been one heck of a ride," Bennett said. "Going from city to city, camping out in the snow or foraging in the wilderness and fighting hilichurls… Oh, and don't forget getting tossed around by a tornado!"

"...I think only you would find that remarkable, Bennett."

"Really? You should try it sometime. It feels like you're flying!"

"No."

"Aww…"

Bad luck aside, he was right about it being interesting, more so in the past year. Stormterror's reign, visiting Liyue to investigate the meteorites. Meeting all sorts of people and befriending them like Traveler, Mona, Barbara…

The list continued to grow. Her tiny circle of friends expanded, ever so slightly.

"Remember when we first met?" Bennett asked.

Fischl giggled. How could she not? Watching Bennett fumble about as he tried to impress what he thought was a very important person from another planet was… painful, to say the least.

"If memory serves, you once endeared yourself to me as a gopher would to its master," Fischl teased. "Obeyed my every ridiculous whim in the hopes of winning me over."

Bennett scratched the back of his head, flushing red in embarrassment. "Well, it worked, right?"

Yes, it did, but Fischl wouldn't admit it out loud. After a while, bossing around a senior member of the organization you're supposed to be working for felt kind of inappropriate.

But she had never forgotten those times. She still remembered their first adventures as partners. Her parents had always told her she should put more effort into applying her skills out on the field rather than learn them through books. Hungry and far away from the comfort of her home, Bennett was the one that taught her how to set up camp and light a fire.

She had never forgotten their late-night talks huddled in their sleeping bags when one or both of them couldn't sleep. Bennett would share with her the stories told by his dads, while she would fabricate her own using those same stories as inspiration.

Unbelievable as they were, Bennett would listen to them all the same.

He accepted her when no one else would. Mentored her on the things she needed to survive as an adventurer. Gave her the life she always dreamt to have. And when she became an investigator, he would be the first to congratulate her on a job well done.

When they parted ways, she had never forgotten the words he said that sealed their odd little friendship.

"It doesn't matter what other people think. You do the things you like because you love doing them. Isn't that right, Bennett?"

He shot a thumbs up.

"I like being me," Bennett said. "And I love adventure. I love helping out other people, especially those that don't have anyone else to turn to— no matter how mundane. After all, the little kids that lost their pets and old grannies that can't move as much as they used to, are the ones that need help the most."

Fischl nodded. "Exactly."

"I've always been unlucky— been that way my entire life. But if you think about it, isn't that a good thing? I know what it's like to have your luck run out when you least want it to, and because of that, I know how hard it is not to have anyone to lean on. That's why, even if it's difficult, I want to be there for them, and the ones I care about."

That's the Bennett I know.

Bennett shouted to the high heavens. "ALRIGHT!"

He got his pep back, that's for sure. Fischl watched as Bennett threw his arms wide and psyched himself up, taking a couple of seconds to realize that Bennett was hugging her now. Quite tightly, in fact.

"Thanks so much, Fischl!"

Cheeks flaming, she feebly tried hugging him back. "I did nothing worthy of commendation— "

"No, it's more than enough," Bennett said. "Thank you for reminding me of what's important. I needed that."

If that's the case, then...

"...You're welcome."

"You're still joining the expedition, right?" Bennett asked after he had calmed down. A slight melancholy lingered in his tone. "I'll be more than happy if you come with us, Fisch—"

"It's Amy."

"Huh?"

"You can call me Amy. And, yeah, I'm going. I promised."

"...Amy? Why?"

Fischl pondered for a bit before coming up with the perfect answer.

"It's fun."

Bennett shook his head. "Not that, it's— "

"Do you have a problem with my name?" Fischl asked through narrowed eyes. Granted, it didn't hold a candle to Fischl von Luftschloss Narfidort— nothing did. But it is what it is.

Her name.

"Well, if you insist, Fi— Amy."

Now, that wasn't so hard, was it?

"More importantly, isn't there someone else you should be talking to right now?" Fischl asked, hand on the hip while pointing at her new necklace. "She's the one worried sick here, you know."

"Oh, yeah." Bennett nodded in realization. "I should probably talk to Barbara, huh? You think she'll be mad if I interrupted her practice again?"

Fischl groaned. "Just go."

"Right. See ya later, Amy!"

Wordlessly, her eyes followed Bennett as he rushed down the stairs of the terrace. She half-expected him to trip at some point, and he did, but he managed to catch himself in time.

"Someone should really look after that unlucky fellow," a disembodied voice said. Considering Fischl was alone, it could only have belonged to one source. In a puff of Electro, Oz materialized into existence and perched on the railing, stretching his wings as if he had just awoken from his nap.

"Unfortunately Oz," Fischl idly answered, petting her familiar on the head, "that 'someone' happens to be us. I could use your help again."

"You do not even need to ask, mein Fräulein. Although…" Oz looked at her questioningly. "I still find it odd that you disclosed to him that name. What made you change your mind?"

Fischl shrugged. "No reason."

Frankly, she couldn't explain it herself. It wasn't like she felt hostile at letting Bennett use that name- pretty neutral, in fact.

"But…?"

"...It just felt right."

"Does it not concern you that it might lead to confusion come tomorrow?" Oz asked.

"Eh."

They could sort out the logistics later; she was getting sleepy. Although, she wouldn't mind taking her time walking back to the inn. She heard the Liyue night markets were something spectacular when it comes to sales. Might as well empty her purse now than forever hold her peace.

"..."

"Mein Fräulein, it appears as if Sir Bennett fell into the fish pond by accident and is now being apprehended by the Milleleth."

"..."

"Should we bail him out, or…?"

Fischl sighed.

…

Bennett was dead.

'AMY!'

Died. Crushed to death by a vicious monster.

'Get out of here, Amy!'

His last words rang in her head non-stop, until they, too, were drowned out by the violent weather. Her ears bled when the monster roared, tainting the snow with her blood.

Fresh blood- redder than his.

Why? Why did he deserve to die? He was Bennett of Benny's Adventuring Team. He never dies. No matter the circumstances, he always came home, bandaged and bruised, and with a goofy smile on his face. He always told his stories with an embellish— a coy play because oftentimes his adventures ended in misery or in embarrassment.

Why did he deserve to die, when he has yet to tell anyone of the greatest adventure he's ever had?

…

No.

Bennett didn't die.

He was killed. By a creature that committed the most heinous sin of all.

And the Prinzessin punished sinners.

She held his broken sword aloft.

Then charged.

The quaking earth halted her advance, yet she couldn't stop. Her heavy feet thumped the ground as she ran, protesting in agony when the freezing snow made way to burning magma.

But she didn't care.

"I'LL KILL YOU!" Her throat rasped from shouting the words over and over again. "I'LLKILLYOUI'LLKILLYOU!"

Even when the monster gnashed at her limbs, she continued to attack. Sparks and explosions pounded the mountain as the raging elements clashed with one another in a ruthless cacophony.

Her sword plunged into the monster's eye, but she could not celebrate. Half her face had melted away, and fear overwhelmed her as she stared helplessly into the abyss of its gaping maw.

The tears cascaded down her cheeks. Yet, dying did not hurt her as much as her heart.

"...I'm sorry…"

She couldn't protect anyone. She failed to keep her promises. In End-Time Zerzetsung, the Prinzessin der Verurteilung failed to punish sin. Not even her own.

As the last snowflakes fell upon the corrupted land, Fischl von Luftschloss Narfidort met her demise.

…

..

.

…

"Ad Astra Abyssosque!"

A black slip.

...Huh?

Harbor noises flooded her ears, along with the hammering of steel and the chattering of random passersby. Slowly, her blurred vision focused on the black piece of paper being held in front of her. Fischl raised her head to see a familiar face— one she felt sure was impossible right now.

"Is something the matter?"

The guild receptionist smiled. She tilted her head innocently— in the same manner as when Fischl first spoke to her.

It couldn't be...

"...Katheryne?"

Sorry for updating so slow. The story's just starting now. :

In other news, thank you for the comments/reviews. Now that GI discord is officially recognizing fanfic writers as content-creators, it might give me some more motivation to write faster. Of course, your support goes a long way.

See ya.