Chapter 10: Knight?

Subaru gently opened his eyes.

"That ceiling…"

He recognized it. White with traces of gold and yellow. Sitting up, he noticed his blue dressing gown. Reaching around, he confirmed that not only was the stake through his back removed but there was no wound or scar left behind. As if it had never happened in the first place.

"So, it happened again, huh?"

Subaru had, once again, Returned by Death. Now, he found himself back when he had first woken up in Mondstadt. He was all the way back in the Church of Favonius.

"Oh! You're up!"

Subaru didn't need to look to know who was there.

'Barbara-san…'

"Are you okay?" Barbara questioned, moving up to him and resting a hand to his forehead as she had done once before. "Your temperature seems normal, so – "

Subaru couldn't hear her next words. He could see her lips moving, but he felt a haze covering his senses. One that prevented him from understanding what she was saying.

Even though his vision was getting blurrier, he did manage to notice Barbara starting to stress over him, along with a concerned Paimon who reappeared over his shoulder.

'Paimon… I'm sorry I threw you away,' he tried to say. However, his lips refused to move. He felt someone grabbing his hands, shaking them vigorously.

However, the daze fell further when the final person entered that room.

He distantly heard her saying "Subaru! You're up!" just like she had before. He could make out her red and brown colours. He knew who she was, and how she was.

And yet, her very presence reminded Subaru of his failure. His cowardice. His inability to follow the rule that she had set, his inability to keep his promise to her before she had died. It's all his fault. It's all my fault."

"Fault? What's your fault?" Amber echoed back, making Subaru realise that he unknowingly spoke those words out loud. "Subaru, what's going on? Please, talk to us! We're trying to help!"

Subaru blinked as his senses kicked in once more. Now looking around to see the three women crowding around him, he felt his mouth go dry. They started to shake his hands even more – no, his hands were jittering on their own and they were trying to hold him. Ants were crawling over his skin and a weight pressed his whole trachea shut. He heard clacker clacker as his teeth clicked together. The others were trying to comfort him, but that didn't help at all. Every time they touched his unblemished skin, he wanted himself to be ripped apart all over again.

His stomach rolled around in his chest as he keeled over and vomited on the floor, letting the slop slosh on the smooth floor, staining it of its serenity. He briefly heard the others shrieking with worry, but he didn't care. His mind was echoing one voice that drained out all other sounds.

"You're weak. You're useless. You can't do anything against it. You're not strong enough for it. You're not smart enough for it. You cannot stop it. You will keep dying forever. You're too much of a coward to run away. You will gather more scars. Your head will be cut off next. Then, your heart will be gouged out. Then, you will bleed to death. Your stomach will be cut open. Your throat will be slit. Your flesh will be eaten. You can't leave. You can't escape.

"You haven't changed at all. You're still that cowardly kid who didn't want to go to school because of how people saw you. You're still a hikikomori, even after being sent to another world."

"All of you," Subaru muttered, not expecting the raspiness of his voice. "Please, leave me alone for a while."

With that, Subaru stood up from the bed. Something was gnawing into his every pore. He wanted to scratch, rip, tear it out. But he was too much of a coward to feel the pain that came with it.

Subaru made his way out of the room, not bothering to change out of his hospital robes. Not batting an eye at the serenity of the church due to the turmoil within, Subaru slovenly made his way to the outdoors.

Opening the grand gates, Subaru cringed.

He saw people he recognised. Some of the knights: Otto, Arthur. Children: Little Lulu. The weird bard was singing his song, and Grace-san was delivering her sermon.

But none of them knew him. None of them knew of his failures. They probably saw him as some kind of hero now, for defeating the mitachurl. They didn't know about how he couldn't protect them from the tragedy that Stormterror brought forth.

'Stormterror…'

The very memory of that name made Subaru's bones go cold. He still remembered the way that dragon looked down at him before disintegrating him with a blast of energy. Subaru was just a pest to him; a fly that evaded the swatter for too long. Killing him would have had absolutely no impact on the dragon. Subaru hadn't done anything to help, other than slightly delaying Amber's and his own deaths.

Upon gazing at the harmony of people before him, Subaru felt revolted. The ones that he betrayed don't hate him for his mistakes. He did not deserve their love, not when he's incapable of protecting them.

Rejecting the idea of meeting them afresh, Subaru made his way around the church. Heading to an area that he had never been to, the garden behind the Church of Favonius. Upon moving past the long walls of the cathedral, he encountered a place that felt more like home to him than anyplace else.

The cemetery.

Walking among the remains of the dead, Subaru felt like he was betraying these corpses too. He should have been buried somewhere here ages ago. Natsuki Subaru should not be alive. Natsuki Subaru should be rotting underneath one of these tombstones. And yet, he was alive. The people before him died upon experienced fatal wounds or illnesses, but even though this has happened to Subaru before, he wasn't dead.

And so, Natsuki Subaru recognised himself as an anomaly. He would never let anyone understand himself, for no one has experienced what he has.

Not willing to bear the sight of the fallen anymore, Subaru walked past the stones and leaned against the railing over the rest of Mondstadt.

He would have once called that view beautiful. A vast expanse of ocean spanned between the walls of the city and the rest of the land of Mondstadt. But now, it served as a stark reminder for the self-formed prison that he had placed himself within. It told him once more of the dangers that lied beyond the walls. Even from behind the wall, he could make out small dots of hilichurls and slimes waltzing around the area.

There was no way he could leave, not when such threats existed.

"You look like you need a smoke."

Blinking at the unfamiliar voice, Subaru turned back to see a stranger approaching him.

She had awfully pale skin, enough for Subaru to call grey. She was adorned in a cross between a nun's clothes and a gothic outfit: a spiky nun's coif with a backless, form-fitting uniform, a black and red skirt that revealed her fishnet-covered legs, a pair of white gloves that went up past her elbows. She was taller than Subaru; a full head taller. She had wine-red hair and baggy magenta eyes. Her lips seemed to be stuck in an eternal frown.

"I have a couple spare. You need one?"

Subaru looked down at the object she was offering him. It was a fresh cigarette. She also held what seemed to be a lighter in her other hand.

"I, uh, don't smoke," Subaru replied, just registering how raspy his voice was. He had technically just woken up from a day-long coma, he just realized that he was severely dehydrated. "Could use some water though."

"You'd have to go into the church for that," the woman replied.

Subaru grimaced, looking back out at the ocean.

"You got something against religion?" the woman asked. Looking to his side, Subaru flinched when he found that she was standing beside him, leaning on the same railing. "Don't worry about me tattling. I don't really care for it either. At least not the droll worship that my workmates do."

"Aren't you supposed to be a nun?"

"Heh. Maybe, but I do my work and that's all that matters."

Subaru gazed back into the horizon.

"You know," the woman started. "There are times when someone needs a good smoke. You can take a couple hits if you want, I won't tattle."

"Yeah, well, I'm 17. I really don't think I should."

"You're 17?" the grey woman looked at him with a raised brow. "I wouldn't have realized. But still, you can take this single hit and call it quits. I'm not going to get a kid addicted to smoking."

Subaru couldn't hold back his chuckle at that comment. "Okay, I guess I'll take one."

Nodding, the woman handed him the cigarette, helping him place it properly in his mouth. She then used her lighter to ignite it, then signed to Subaru to breathe in.

*Cough! Cough!*

Subaru immediately pulled out the cigarette and started coughing from the smoke that filled his lungs. The woman laughed at that reaction.

"The first hit's always gonna get that reaction. Don't worry, the second one will be better."

Nodding, Subaru took a second breath with the cigarette in his mouth. This time, now that his lungs had gotten used to the smoke somewhat, he felt the smoke filling his lungs. It filled him with a form of heat that he hadn't expected. The ashen smoke spiced up his lungs and enhanced that warmth that seeped into his bones. This time, instead of making him choke, it managed to calm him down.

Taking the bud out of his mouth, Subaru let out an exhale of relief, briefly being taken aback by the grey mist that left his mouth.

"T-Thanks," Subaru muttered as he handed the cigarette back to her, still feeling the smoke leaving his lungs dry. "You said one hit, right? It really helped, thanks a lot."

"Yeah, just don't ever do it again," the woman said as she took the cigarette back and started smoking it herself.

"The Deaconess and the Outrider are out there, you know? They're looking for someone along with some weird pixie."

"Pixie, huh? I might use that to tease Paimon sometime."

"Paimon, that's her name? I'll remember that. You never told me yours, either."

"Natsuki Subaru," he didn't bother pulling off his pose this time. "Subaru's the first name, by the way."

"You're the one who handled that mitachurl, right?"

"Huh?" Subaru looked back at her in surprise, then calmed down as he remembered that he was the only one bothering with Stormterror at that moment. "Ah, yeah, I am. Was a miracle, honestly."

"I see. You must have a fair amount of fighting prowess to do such a feat, regardless."

"Eh, not exactly. It's just muscle memory. I've got amnesia, you see."

"Amnesia? I see…"

Sighing, Subaru pushed himself off the railing.

"Well, thanks. I… guess I needed that smoke more than I thought. And don't worry, I swear on the Natsuki name that I won't ever do it again!"

It was true. The warmth from the cigarette managed to release the pressure forming on his mind from his rising trauma. It was true that his fears and anxieties were still bugging him, but those two clouds of smoke managed to free him up. He was now able to think a lot more clearly. That being said, he probably knew the demerits of smoking better than anyone else in that world, and since he had Return by Death, he did not want to risk getting stuck in a death loop due to cancer.

"Glad to hear that. Now, you need to get going."

Once she said those words, the woman pushed Subaru away, gesturing to him to run off. Subaru grinned at her as he trotted back to the entrance of the Church. However, on the way there, he realized he'd forgotten something important.

"Oh crap, I forgot to ask her name!"

Subaru had to apologize to the trio of Paimon, Amber and Barbara, then reintroduce himself and hear Barbara's introduction once again. He then repeated his conversation about his 'Vision' with them. He then received his Wind Glider from Amber, for which he showed his instantaneously learned talent. Amber was shocked at his skill and decided that for a newbie, he was a gliding prodigy, then proceeded to continue her torture disguised as practice for another day.

During his Sticky Honey Roast dinner with Amber and Paimon, he found himself having time to think while Amber tried to calm a gushing Paimon. Something about the sweet umami of the roast got his brain cells tingling.

He had died facing Stormterror. That was not something to be argued against. That could also be said for the fact that Subaru would never be able to beat Stormterror as he was at that moment. Not only that, the Knights of Favonius were not able to stand up to the threat that it posed as well. But why was that? Weren't the Knights supposed to be the strongest in Mondstadt? Their protectors? Why were they unable to defeat Stormterror?

Subaru came to realise that there was so much he had yet to learn. During his last loop, since he was unaware of the threat of Stormterror, he had lived life easily. All he had done was talk to the people of Mondstadt as well as some regular Knights that would roam around. In that time, he hadn't met any Vision Bearers other than Amber, Kaeya and Lisa. Now, he found that to be a mistake.

What he should do in the current run was study those that would directly play into the Stormterror issue. There were two members that he identified. Stormterror himself and the Knights of Favonius. He needed to confirm if what he had seen before he died was not due to random poor choices from the side of the Knights, such as their strongest member leaving just at that day or something like that.

And to get started on that matter, he knew he would meet the two that would introduce him in a moment.

"Ah, Amber, there you are."

Subaru smiled as Kaeya walked up to them and asked Amber to submit her report to the Knights.

"Ah, oh no, I forgot!" Amber yelled out, slapping her forehead and jerking out of her seat, just like she had done before. "Subaru, can you please check out Mondstadt on your own for a while? I need to give Master Jean my report right now!"

"Um, just a second," Subaru caught Amber before she could leave. "You're meeting the Knights, right? Could I join you, Amber?"

"Huh? Join me?" Amber asked. "Why? I thought you wanted to keep exploring Mondstadt?"

"W-Well, I thought it would be better to know the Knights first!" Subaru came up with an excuse on the spot. "You see, I was kinda inspired by you back when we fought that mitachurl, so I want in on the Knight action! And who knows, maybe I'll take you up on that offer to become an Outrider, Amber!"

Silence befell the trio for a moment.

"EEEEKKK!"

Amber loudly shrieked as she leapt on Subaru and made the both of them fall off their chairs with a loud thud and lay sprawling on the floor. Subaru yelled out in shock and agony as he was forced into stumbling away from the dining table, almost making the plates fall onto the floor.

"Hey! Paimon was still eating!" Paimon yelled out at the two as she apparated above them.

Feeling Amber go rigid in his arms, Subaru finally let go of her, letting her shoot herself back up into a stand, momentarily revealing a face that blended very well with her red headband.

"S-Sorry about that, Subaru," Amber muttered as she bent down and offered the boy a hand, still unwilling to look him in the eyes.

"Ah, i-it's okay, Amber! I mean, if I want to be a Knight, then I'll need to be able to handle something like that, right?" Subaru said as he accepted her hand and stood back up.

"D-Don't mention it! I shouldn't have pushed you down like that in the first place! It's just… I'm glad that we might get another Outrider."

"Now, now, neither of you need to -"

"Hey, you jerk! Paimon thought they were having a romantic moment, and you ruined it!"

"Ah, I'm really sorry, but this matter is quite pressing." Kaeya continued, apologizing to Paimon more than the two he'd interrupted. "The Acting Grand Master is still waiting for your report. If Subaru Natsuki here is still willing to join, then I wouldn't be one to oppose him."

"Ah, that's ok – wait, Kaeya," Amber said, only to halt and gape at the blue-haired man. "How do you know Subaru's full name?"

Subaru blinked at that as well. He had been so used to hearing Kaeya call him that name that he hadn't realized that he hadn't introduced himself yet. That is, Kaeya had somehow known his name before they had even met.

Kaeya blinked in surprise for just a moment before his demeanour returned to his classic coolness. "Ah, about that," he replied. "I was not going to leave someone who could defeat a mitachurl left unchecked. I had been watching him today. That's how I'd learned his name. And for all it's worth, Subaru Natsuki, I'm sorry for spying on you."

"A-Ah, it's okay, Kaeya-san," Subaru started, only to freeze as he caught himself making the same mistake Kaeya did. "Your name is Kaeya, right?"

"Yes, it certainly is, although the Inazuman honorific is entirely unnecessary."

"Hmm…" Amber scowled at Kaeya. "You know I don't trust you, Kaeya, and this just made me trust you even less! You were spying on my future partner!"

"Partner?" Kaeya echoed. "Are you suggesting a romantic interest with Subaru Natsuki here, Amber? After a single day of getting to know each other?"

"W-What?! No, get your head out of the gutter! I mean my partner as Outrider!"

Kaeya nodded, still chuckling at Amber's flustered expression. "Now, while I would love to continue this conversation about the boy's future placement, I'm afraid I have to cut it short. As I've mentioned for the third time now, Master Jean is waiting for you, Amber. Subaru Natsuki, you are free to join as well, if you so desire."

"Really?!" Subaru cheered out, his smile coming back in full force. "Thanks, Kaeya-san! And don't worry, I'll officially introduce myself to you soon enough!"

"I'll be glad to hear it in full force, then."

Paimon sighed in despair from nearby. "Aww man, I wanted another Sticky Honey Roast…"

As they made their way to the headquarters, they did not notice a pair of eyes following their every step.

He knew that the Knights of Favonius Headquarters looked just as how Subaru remembered. The same fortress-like structure of the building with the rising roof towers alternating along the wall, only to be further topped by the crowned tower that is lit up behind the structure. However, unlike his last time, when Subaru was entering to access the Library to learn how to read, Subaru realized that this motive was completely different. He was going to ask to be made into a knight, unlike how he joined the Adventurer's Guild last time.

"Hey, Subaru."

Subaru looked back to see Paimon approaching him. Upon looking at her face, he understood that she wanted to ask something important. She wouldn't have used his first name otherwise.

"Paimon's wondering why you want to become a knight?" she asked, keeping her voice down to not be heard by the others accompanying them. "I thought you wanted to travel Teyvat to find Rem? You can't do that while staying in Mondstadt as a Knight of Favonius."

Subaru couldn't help but shudder. As much as he wanted to handle this matter all alone, Paimon would probably follow him to the ends of the earth. This meant that she would have a great understanding of who he really is, meaning that he could never hide from her.

But that would be impossible. He couldn't reveal the secret of Return by Death to her, nor could he reveal all his tensions and worries and fears to her either. Even though he wanted to keep an eye out for Stormterror, he wouldn't be able to do it with no questions asked unless he distracted Paimon in some way.

"Ah, don't worry about it," he said, trying to keep her out of his business. "I guess I just don't want to leave Amber alone."

He felt scummy for it, but he realized that he had to use Amber as an excuse for his actions. His current goal was to save everyone from Stormterror, and he had to gather the right information for the same. He hated to say it, but despite how afraid of death he had become, Return by Death is scarily useful for information gathering. After all, if it weren't for it, not only would he be dead 50 times over by now, but as of now, he would have still been illiterate, useless with a wind glider and completely unknown to the proceedings of Mondstadt.

However, if he used Amber's name for his data collection, he would be able to acquire things much better than if he had to go at it alone. Amber was trusted in Mondstadt, especially with the Acting Grandmaster Jean. He'd heard about how the two were jogging partners from her directly, after all.

'Ah yeah, she was going to invite her to do radio callisthenics, huh?'

"Okay, forget it, Stinky Space!"

Subaru blinked as he registered that voice. Looking back, he noticed Paimon aggressively pouting and looking away from him. He realized that in his thoughts, he'd failed to register what Paimon was asking him. He was about to apologize and ask her to repeat it only to be interrupted by Kaeya.

"We're here."

Looking up, Subaru pretended to stare in awe before the structure of the HQ. Nearby, Paimon did the same, but genuinely. Subaru was glad that she seemed to forget about their little scuffle.

"Alright, let's meet Master Jean quick!" Amber cheered as she shoved open the front doors, ignoring the odd looks that the guarding knights gave her. Chuckling, the others followed the girl in.

Subaru nodded at the architecture of the HQ yet again. However, instead of being led into the right door like the last time, he was taken to the left. Subaru found it slightly amusing that the Grandmaster's office would be directly opposite to the Library.

Upon opening the gates into the office, Amber was the first to speak up.

"Master Jean, I'm here! I've also got a potential new Outrider candidate!"

Subaru's first impression of the Grandmaster's office was that it resembled the Library unusually well. There were hordes of books lining the shelves on the walls, without even an inch being left free. However, at the centre end of the room rested a study with several files scattered around. They seemed to be ordered in some fashion, seeing how they were set into piles, but they weren't handled with proper care as the piles were messy and uneven and there were stray segments of paper peeping out of the stacks.

Seated behind the study was a blonde, fair and light blue-eyed woman. Her golden locks were tied into a ponytail that extended to the top of her shoulders, with a pair of free bangs hanging loosely on either side. The ponytail was held up by a small black bow. Her primarily white and blue dress gave her a regal yet attractive look, as the dress clung to her form well due to the presence of an unconstricted gold-adorned corset and tights yet still had a blue short cloak and tailcoat. The presence of her blue gauntlets holding back the fabric of her arm sleeves suggested that she knew her way in a fight as well.

"Amber. You're finally here," she spoke, almost sighing as she did. Subaru noted the exhaustion in her voice. "I need to get started on the paperwork of the incident you were in earlier as soon as possible. Could you please detail it?"

"Hehe, don't worry, I won't be saying it alone!" Amber cheered out. She stepped to the side to reveal Subaru behind her. "Behold! My partner in crime, and a future Outrider for Mondstadt!"

Upon hearing this introduction, Jean looked at the boy with interest. She knew that Amber was a lively one, but she wouldn't simply ask anyone else to specifically become an Outrider. This person must have made an incredible impression on her.

Subaru, meanwhile, understood why Amber did not introduce him. As did Paimon, who sparked into existence on Subaru's side, unknowingly freaking Jean out for a moment.

"No, don't let Stinky Space do it! His name is – "

"My Name!" Subaru yelled out to interrupt the pixie in question, immediately moving into his akimbo pose while raising a pointed finger into the air. "Is Natsuki Subaru, first name Subaru, even though I'm not Inazuman! I may be an amnesiac, broke as hell and completely new to Mondstadt, and I'm still learning how to read properly, but I somehow managed to beat up a mitachurl with Amber's immense help!"

Amber grinned at his eager response, while Paimon groaned in embarrassment and defeat. Meanwhile, Jean returned it with a knowing nod. 'I see why Amber likes him so much now…'

"Master Jean! Subaru reaaally helped with the hilichurls!" Amber continued. "He's got this weird ability that lets him attract monsters to himself, so he used it to bring the hilichurls to us! He's a hundred times better than Baron Bunny, even!"

"Hey! I already told you Baron Bunny has me beat in the cuteness factor, right!" Subaru retorted. "I may hate rabbits, but I know that he's designed to be cute! And with how scary my eyes are, I can't hold a candle to that!"

"Hey, you're still better where it counts! Also, you hate rabbits?! Why?! They're adorable little things!"

"Okay, both of you, please stop, you're giving me a headache," Jean interrupted the two, rubbing her forehead in irritation. "Amber and… Subaru, yes? Could you both please complete the report of the situation?"

"Sure, Master Jean!" Amber said. "As I said, Subaru called in those hilichurls and we both defeated them! Subaru's pretty good with his whip, actually! Well, until the mitachurl came in."

Subaru grimaced at the mention of the large monster. At this point, his fear of the mitachurl had mitigated severely, since an even bigger threat was looming around the corner.

"Subaru decided that he wanted to face it alone at first," Amber continued, slowly losing her cheery voice as she got deeper into the story. "It's honestly really cool that they were both almost matched in strength. Subaru read every move that the mitachurl performed, almost like he'd seen them all before. And even when the mitachurl caught the end of his whip and started a tug of war with him, they were both matched!"

The other two widened their eyes at this notion.

"So, the rumours of his strength are true," Jean replied. "He truly can match the strength of a mitachurl."

"Yep!" Amber carried on. "I did help him with it by firing arrows at it, but he still held his own really well. However, the mitachurl got a little smart and managed to beat Subaru up. It's why he was so hurt when we got here.

"After that, it came to me. I also got hurt by it, but in true Outrider fashion, I held on and kept fighting! And then, just when I felt like I was going to die, Subaru lift the mitachurl's axe and drives it into its back! And now that it was dead, we both fainted! The End!"

Jean nodded at the unusual report that Amber had given. "Very well. Kaeya, what about your report?"

"Her story does match up," Kaeya reported. "Hilichurl bodies were found with cauterized jabs within them, as well as long gashes along their body. Those wounds are signs of a Pyro-infused bow and a whip. Moreover, the mitachurl's body was found with an axe through its back, and Subaru Natsuki's hands were atop it, even though he was unconscious. Amber was in a similar state but in front of the beast. I had found the scene after intervening in a misconception between Lawrence, Swan and our flying friend here."

"That's me! Paimon is Paimon!"

"The pixie loli means that her name is Paimon."

"Hey! Paimon already said that! And why did you change 'fairy' to 'pixie', Stinky Space?!"

"Hehe, no matter. I guess it's your turn to give your report."

"*sigh*, okay, Paimon will do it. So, Paimon went away for the whole battle because Paimon can't fight, and when Paimon returned, Paimon found Subaru and Amber unconscious! So, Paimon decided to be the true hero of the day! Paimon searched everywhere for Mondstadt without screaming or crying in the slightest! And when Paimon finally reached, Paimon tried to explain the situation calmly to those two guards, who acted like total buffoons about it!"

"Calm is not the word I would have used," Kaeya interrupted.

"Shut it, Pasty Eye! Ooh, good bad nickname. Anyway, Paimon got everyone in Mondstadt to rally up and save Subaru and Amber, and Paimon became the real hero! Thank you very much! Paimon will be accepting donations now, especially in the form of Sticky Honey Roasts."

"I feel like the fairy loli may have spruced up some of those details," Subaru interceded.

"You were unconscious, Stinky Space! You have no proof that Paimon cried over you two for an hour!"

Amber nervously scratched the back of her head. "Well, you did just say it, Paimon."

"Ehh?!" Paimon gasped as she held her own mouth shut. "Oh no! Paimon tattled too much! Paimon can't talk anymore, bye-bye!"

With that, Paimon suddenly vanished into a smattering of stars. Subaru chuckled at the antics of his partner, which managed to cheer him up despite his hypertense mood.

"Well, now that that's over," Jean said as she wiped her quill clean (Subaru couldn't help but wonder how she recorded their report so quickly). "I would like to get into the matter of why Mr Natsuki is here in the first place. His partner's testimony did certainly help, but I can't help but feel like there is more to the issue."

"Oh, there is," Kaeya replied for them. "Subaru Natsuki here has expressed interest in joining the Knights of Favonius."

"I see. Well then, I should definitely introduce myself." Jean stood up from her desk and walked ahead of it, revealing her entire form to Subaru. "I am Jean Gunnhildr, the Acting Grandmaster of the Knights of Favonius. In Grandmaster Varka's absence, I will be the one to help initiate you into the role of a Knight."

"Great to hear that, Jean-san!" Subaru replied, knowing now that it was more appropriate to use first names instead of last. "Where do I sign up?"

"Well, you can sign up in about half a year."

"HUUUHHH?!"

"The trials for the position of Knight are held yearly. Several tests have to be completed before you can proceed to earn your position. You have to express your firm understanding of what it means to be a Knight, have a good knowledge of the history of Mondstadt itself and be a skilled fighter as well, mainly with one of the five central weapons."

"The five central weapons?" Subaru echoed, even though he remembered this from the last run.

"Yes. Mastery over one among the sword, claymore, polearm, bow or catalyst. You are lacking in this department it seems, and it directly opposes the regulations of the Knights of Favonius to use a weapon with as oppressive roots as a whip. While we don't particularly care about those matters among ourselves, the use of a whip in a country that revolves around Freedom could lead to quite the controversy."

"Right," Amber muttered softly. "Just like Eula."

"That is why it is best to master one of these five weapons instead. Also, your application process will be rather difficult, seeing as how you are an Outlander."

"An… Outlander?"

"You are from a foreign land. You aren't native to Mondstadt. That means that you would have to work doubly hard on not only learning the history of Mondstadt itself but also earning the favour of its people too. Even though you are always free to sign up, public opinion will always be an issue to worry about. That is why I recommend that you take the test only a year and a half from now on."

"Eh? Ah well, looks like I have no choice," Subaru responded. However, he was internally glad to hear this. If they were accepting his candidacy as a Knight despite being a foreigner, then he could certainly gather as much information as he needs. Hopefully, the Library would have something on Stormterror…

"Mr Natsuki, I am giving you three tasks to perform before becoming a Knight. First, learn how to use one of the five central weapons. Second, learn as much of Mondstadt's history as you can. Third, improve your own public opinion and show the people why you are worthy of being a knight. If you finish these exceptionally well, you may even be able to pass the exam in just half a year.

"Don't worry, I've got it! I'll definitely do all that!"

Well, that was a half-lie. He hated to admit it, but if he had to finish this on time, he had to let go of his morning routine of Radio Calisthenics. He needed to dedicate as much time as he could to gathering information. Moreover, learning how to use another weapon would not hurt either. This meant that he would have to ignore the final point for the sake of the looming threat.

"Great! Kaeya will help you choose a weapon tomorrow at noon, just meet him in the hallway here. You can learn as much as you need if you enter the Library; it's in the room opposite this one. If you need it, you can even take some books from my own office as well. Just remember to return it in its true condition. Since you are new here, and reportedly penniless, we will allow you to bunk in the dorms here as well."

Subaru nodded in agreement. He really couldn't ask for more. He was going to make as much use of these next four days as he could. If it were to spare him another death, he would go to the ends of the earth to do so.

After the trio left, Jean leaned back on her chair, relaxing for a bit. The entire issue with Amber and the new character Natsuki Subaru had only doubled her paperwork. She desperately needed rest.

However, her rest wouldn't find her soon enough.

"Jean."

Jean blinked at the sudden voice. She looked straight to find someone familiar before her.

"Oh, it's you. What brings you here?"

"I'm investigating the new Outlander. Natsuki Subaru. I'd like to ask you to repeat everything that happened in your meeting with him."

A/N: Kay, I'm back. I got a little eager with this chapter, I uploaded it without finishing the next one. I was pretty happy with this chapter, actually, I was working on it for way too long. That being said, I now have a very good direction of how I want to take this arc.

I've finally finished my exams, it's been a couple weeks since then, actually. I'd been pretty busy. I've also started an internship, meaning that I'll still be hard pressed to find time to write.

Now, I'm doing my best to represent Subaru's character as per the influences around him. Since there are so many elements and I don't have the privilege of the multi-chapter second draft unless for emergencies, I might forget somethings about him here and there. However, I'm pretty happy with my current take on him. I might have made him a bit more of a coward than he normally is, but he doesn't have anyone to push himself as far ahead as he was by Emilia. Amber might take that spot, but she's not quite there yet.

Oh, also, I still haven't confirmed the ship. It's leaning to Subaru x Amber at the moment, as denoted by this chapter, but it can change freely across the future arcs. I've already said before that I won't be kind to Subaru in the slightest, so throwing in a relationship into that trauma will be pretty impactful on the whole story.

Now, onto the reviews!

kerrowe: Damn, good observation. I dunno if I'd ever mentioned that Rosaria is my Sub-DPS before, though. And no, she's not gonna kill him. Or is she?

BigSmokeYeet: Sorry, but no. Remember how long it took for the abyss twin to show up in the original Genshin? Rem will take just about as long.

Bob: Well, you've pretty much summed up the future arcs of the story. Just know that it won't be limited to only these. My main focus is character development, so I'll subject Subaru to another death if I feel like he has something to learn. Otherwise, the powers that he will get should help him enough to run away.

ExoticIdiot: Now, I really think we should take this conversation into PMs. There's just a lot to discuss when it comes to this. That being said, I still don't take back the mention of boredom being the king for every immortal. Ganyu is over 3000 years old, that's the first thing to remember. She's not seen the Archon War, but she was over two millenia when she saw the cataclysm (500 years prior to current). This should put into perspective how old Ganyu really is. Despite that, she's still healthy and vibrant, meaning that she's capable of doing the work she's subjected to. While it is true that even though with age, you can still act like a kid, I don't think this would apply for someone who's seen the changing of the world over 3000 years and lived through the cataclysm itself.

Now, while it is true that not all immortals will be bored, they will still undergo negative effects. In some cases, this can take place as memorial erosion, like in Azhdaha. That being said, we have no idea what exactly they have seen and what they've experienced. What I'm saying is that we just don't know enough about Ganyu to appropriate this matter. We know about her will to stay as the Qixing's secretary due to a contract she has with Rex Lapis (to seek well-being of all humans, not to be a secretary), as well as her keeping Rex Lapis as a role model.

So, I've decided at something. Feel free to change my mind if you wish. Since there's so much we don't really know about Ganyu due to her age, I'm planning to make her a little different from the canon Genshin. As in, I'm going to give her a slightly deeper history when I get to her. Now that I'm looking at it, Ganyu's way too much of a blank slate. The only facts about her past is her feeling her own age in the passing of time, her half-adeptus blood leading her to be conflicted about herself at times, and the fact that's she's been the Qixing's secretary ever since it was established. Oh, also, Cloud Retainer crying out about she would roll down the slope of a cliff as a kid, like a proud mom putting on display her daughter's baby photos. That is all. For others, who are much younger, we know so much more. Hu Tao and Amber have their emotions for their grandfathers, Eula has her noble blood ostracizing her, Zhongli and Ei are goddamn gods who've taken part in the Archon War and lost those that they cared about, Jean and Barbara's parents have divorced, etc. Ganyu's past isn't as detailed as any of these, nor is Yanfei (we know about Yanfei's father a little through her scale, but not much else). That's why I'm going to make her somewhat of a more engaging character. And if I'm going to go through all that effort, I might end up making her a constant in Subaru's life as well.

As for the powers, I will also state that I'm not leaving the idea of elemental energy behind. I do have a plan for it, but I won't action it any time soon. I'm keeping it for Act 3 of the Liyue Book and for Sumeru if possible, meaning that there's a lot of time left for it.

Other than that, I'm sure that Subaru has the Authority of Envy instead of having Satella bringing him back. The first word that Shaula told him was "Three". It's rumored that that number is a count of his authorities due to Shaula being the keeper of the 'Sage Test', just like in Undertale Genocide where save slots tell you how many monsters you have left to kill. He had Sloth and Greed by then, so the only option for the third is Envy. As for the detection of his ability by Celestia, that's something that's gonna have to wait. I'll be honest, I haven't fully planned that bit out yet, so that can change with the future of the story. It would fit with the way the story is developing, but I still need to work out all the details. I've also read Pride If, so I know what a constantly dying Subaru looks like. It's safe to say that I won't replicate that, I'll be giving Subaru some amount of buffs, even though he'll only be strong enough to hold his own in the end.

NeroAlmia: That's okay, I also felt the same. In terms of impact, the original was leagues better. However, I've decided that I'm going to extent that impact throughout the future arcs instead of dropping it all down in one go. Seems more natural that way.

Also, if you're concerned about your last review being on a previous chapter, you should double-check your current review as well. I don't mind it either way, but you still repeated the mistake, so I'm simply pointing it out.

AmaterasuAlaya: While it's true that two Visions can be kept like as shown by Kazuha, I still think that giving Subaru a Vision would be something that just pops out of nowhere. This includes him using Amber's Vision, which would just open a huge can of worms I wouldn't ever be able to close.

Ken: As an Indian Hindu, I would be ashamed that I hadn't known that, if it weren't for the fact that I'm not interested in astrology. I do certainly know Karthikeya, though. The son of Shiva, the Major God of Destruction, and his wife Parvati. Pleiades being under Him is certainly is a fun observation, especially since Subaru's personality does match with it. I won't use it though, mainly since Subaru knows nothing about Hindu Mythology.

Here's another fun fact, although its more about myself. The constellation I was born under is associated with Ganesha, Karthikeya's brother. In that sense, I probably should be able to represent Subaru the best of all writers. But in the end, this is astrology, so it's not always a constant. I've seen others doing much better than me, so I'm not pretentious enough to believe that I'm the best.

That's all! I still have to write the next chapter, and knowing how much time I have, I may not be able to anytime soon. But in any case, I'll see you all next chapter!