Book 4: The Winds of Change
Chapter 2: A Day in Mondstadt
Zi-O Liner, Dining Area
Back inside the Zi-O Liner, Chris, Kanade, Tsubasa, Miku and Regina are taking a long rest after performing their guard duties and reconnaissance tasks around their current area, while Einstein and Elfnein examined the photos the scouting team took which consists of Fatui Skirmishers, the Hilichurls, the Abyss Mages, a group of thieves called the Treasure Hoarders, and even a moving automaton called a Ruin Guard.
"Hmm... interesting discoveries you girls uncovered." Einstein remarked while she and the others looked at the photos on the holo-screen. "With this, we can figure out how they work, especially the Fatui." She then looked at the Ruin Guard. "But I'm surprised automatons like this exists in Teyvat. I wonder if they have useful parts that I can make use of?"
"That guy with the large Electro hammer looks really intimidating..." Miku remarked as they looked at the Fatui Skirmishers with different kinds with auras. "And I never expected the Fatui to also have water and ice guns."
"The one with the Pyro musket is gonna be annoying if he's not dealt with first." Kanade also remarked. "The same goes for the assassins."
"Those Electro Mages are gonna be annoying as well, especially those flies." Regina commented. "That Geo Mage is gonna be annoying too if he can summon shields to protect his allies."
"Not only that, they emit some kind of protective elemental aura to defend themselves." Tsubasa added.
"If I know RPGs, the only way to break those elemental auras is by destroying them with the opposite element, such as Hydro putting out Pyro." Chris stated. "I wonder what the other weaknesses are?"
"According to Sucrose-san's research, mixing two different elements together can cause something called an Elemental Reaction. You can try to break their auras by normal means, but breaking them with the element they're weak to is more important." Elfnein explained before showing a chart on the holo-screen while the other screens vanished. "First; there's Overload, which caused an explosion when you mix Pyro and Electro together. Second; there's Vaporize, which is what happens when Pyro and Hydro are mixed together since fire evaporates water."
"I already know what happens when Pyro and Cryo are mixed together because fire melts ice, right?" Kanade guessed.
"Correct, Kanade-san. The Melt reaction." Elfnein nodded.
"I also know what happens when Electro and Hydro are mixed together considering water conducts electricity." Tsubasa said.
"That would be the Electro-Charged reaction, Tsubasa-san." Elfnein clarified.
"And I know what happens when Hydro meets Cryo, they'll be Frozen." Regina stated.
"As for mixing Dendro and Pyro together, well it's burning grass or trees with fire." Miku said.
"The Burning reaction, Miku-san." Elfnein answered.
"Now then, what about those other three reactions?" Kanade asked while looking at the chart. "Those are new to us."
"Let's start with the Superconduct reaction, which occurs when Cryo and Electro are mixed together." Elfnein explained. "It will reduce physical resistance by 40%, which is perfect for our physical fighters, giving them an advantage. Next is the Swirl reaction, which occurs when either Pyro, Hydro, Cryo or Electro are mixed with Anemo. To put it in simpler terms, mixing fire into a tornado will transform it into a fire tornado."
"Hey, that's just like my combination attack with Tsubasa! Combining my tornado with her lightning slash-wave, turning it into an electrical cyclone!" Kanade recalled.
"Exactly like that, Kanade-san." Elfnein confirmed. "And now we go to the Crystallize reaction. It occurs when Geo is mixed with either Pyro, Hydro, Cryo or Electro, generating an Elemental Shard. One touch of said shard, and you'll gain a temporary shield corresponding to that element. For example, touching a Pryo shard will give you a fire shield, which is immune to Pyro, but weak to Hydro."
"Alright, makes sense." Tsubasa noted.
"Though what happens if Anemo is mixed with Geo?" Chris asked.
"No reaction, it seems, Chris-san. I guess those two elements won't do well together." Elfnein answered.
"Hey girls, we're back!" Zeo's voice was heard from outside the train.
"Well it's about damn time!" Chris said as they stood up while the holo-screen vanished. She then opened the door, allowing Zeo and the others to enter. "What took you guys so long?! You ran into trouble along the way?"
"Something like that. We've got plenty to report." Zeo replied.
"Wait... where's Noelle and Sucrose?" Regina asked, noticing the ones missing.
"I don't see Woz-san and Miriam-san either." Elfnein added.
"Oh, they chose to remain at Mondstadt City to check up on a few things. Probably their belongings and other stuff." Gaius answered. "For Miriam, she's staying with Sucrose in her alchemy workshop to help out. And for Woz, he went to the Favonius Library to read about the world of Teyvat."
"Ah, ever the bookworm that chronicler." Kanade commented. "Well, at least he has something to pass the time. That city has an inn for him to sleep at, right?"
"Yup." Gaius nodded.
"Hold on... where's Lumine-chan?" Miku asked, noticing the missing traveler.
"Oh, she's right outside the train! And she brought along some friends!" Hibiki replied.
"Friends?" Miku repeated with a raised eyebrow.
"You can come inside now!" Hibiki called out, prompting Lumine to come inside, with Aether and Paimon following right behind her as the latter two gasped in awe at the train's interior.
"Wow... so this is the inside of the train? Looks kind of spacious too." Paimon remarked.
"This is the Dining Area where we can conduct important meetings or have meals and have casual conversations with the others." Lumine told her brother and Paimon before gesturing to the others. "Speaking of which, these are my other friends, Tsubasa, Kanade, Chris, Regina, Elfnein and Einstein."
"Lumine, who are these two?" Tsubasa asked.
"Care to introduce yourselves?" Lumine said to Aether and Paimon, who nodded before moving forward.
"Hello there, my name is Aether, Lumine's sister." The male traveler introduced with his hand on his chest before gesturing to the familiar. "And this is my partner, Paimon."
"Hiya!" Paimon cheerfully waved. "Nice to meet you!"
"..."
"..."
"EEEHHH?!"
"Wait, Lumine, are you gacking serious?!" Chris exclaimed while pointing at Aether. "Is this really your brother?!"
"Mhm." Lumine confirmed with a nod. "I did mention days ago that I have a twin sibling. Does the two of us look similar to you?"
"Hmm..." Einstein looked at the traveling twins with her hand on her chin. "Lumine does have a point. She and Aether do look like twins kind of like Zeo and Akira, and also Vent and Aile."
"How are you able to find your brother so soon, Lumine-chan?" Kanade asked.
"We met an Outrider named Amber who's from the Knights of Favonius while we're heading for Mondstadt City." Lumine explained. "She told us that my brother and Paimon were heading for the Favonius Cathedral to meet up with Jean."
"But when we got inside the city with Amber's help, Hibiki and I quickly sensed that something was wrong." Fu Hua added.
"What did you two sense?" Tsubasa asked.
"The Fatui, lead by a Harbinger named Signora, performed an ambush on Aether-san." Hibiki answered, making the others gasp.
"The Fatui?!" Chris exclaimed before turning to Aether. "Hey, you! Why did they attack you for?! Did you piss them off or something?!"
"You don't have to yell at him like that!" Paimon scolded.
"It's okay, Paimon. I can explain." Aether assured, raising his hand in front of Paimon. "Actually, they were stopping me from protecting a young bard named Venti. Signora's real target is the Gnosis inside him."
"Not to mention that Harbinger blew Paimon away with a cold wind." Paimon added.
"A Gnosis? What's that?" Elfnein asked.
"GV, show them." Fu Hua requested.
"Got it." Gunvolt complied, pulling out said object from his pocket for the others to see. "We're not sure what this thing can do, but I had to snatch it away from Signora since it might be something important for the Fatui's plans."
"And this thing is within Venti? Why is that?" Elfnein questioned.
"Yeah... about that..." Paimon poked her index fingers together.
"Say something, you pixie." Chris demanded.
"H-Hey! Paimon's not a pixie! Paimon is just Paimon!" The familiar retorted.
"I'll tell you why instead." Aether said before taking a deep breath. "...Venti is actually Barbatos, the Anemo Archon, one of the Seven Archons."
"In other words, the young bard is actually a god." Lumine added.
"..."
"..."
"Eh?"
"Yup, no joke. The Tone Deaf Bard clearly revealed himself to Aether and Paimon, along with Master Jean and Master Diluc." Paimon confirmed.
"Tone Deaf Bard?" Chris raised her eyebrow.
"She means Venti." Aether clarified.
"So Jean knows who Venti really is? Well that's surprising." Maria commented.
"Not to mention Diluc. I wonder what the guy looks like?" Kallen pondered.
"He has red hair, wears dark clothes, wields a claymore, has a Pyro Vision, and he's the owner of the Angel's Share bar within Mondstadt City." Aether answered.
"Hold on a moment." Regina interrupted with a raised hand. "If Venti really is Barbatos, how come he didn't try to defend himself against Signora?"
"After being absent from defending Mondstadt for so long, he was considered to be the weakest of the Seven Archons. That's what the Tone Deaf Bard revealed to us." Paimon explained. "In Paimon's opinion, he got a little too free and too lazy to care about keeping an eye on the nation."
"So that explains why Venti is not strong enough to defend against Signora." Miku noted. "His powers were too weak."
"That also means that each Archon has a Gnosis hiding within their bodies." Fu Hua also noted.
"At least we now know the Fatui's real goal; to steal the Gnosis of the Archons for the Tsaritsa. And they'll do whatever it takes to get their frosty hands on them." Gaius surmised.
"The question is however; why does the Tsaritsa want all of those Gnosis?" Zeo pondered.
"I guess the only way to find that answer, is from the Tsaritsa herself." Akira stated.
"Isn't it because of world domination or something?" Tsubasa questioned.
"Well it's usually that, but I wanted to know the bigger picture as to why the Tsaritsa needed them." Akira replied. "And if it's for something I don't like, then we all know what we're gonna do."
"Kick the Tsaritsa's ass?" Chris guessed.
"Kick the Tsaritsa's ass." Akira nodded.
"So what should we do about this Gnosis? Return it to Venti tomorrow morning?" Gunvolt asked while still holding the Gnosis on his hand.
"I think it's better if it stays inside the Zi-O Liner. Heck, maybe bring it back to the Symphogear world and seal it into a secure vault to make sure no one will tamper with its power, especially the Fatui and the Harbingers." Zeo replied.
"Good idea, Zeo." Einstein agreed. "GV, the Gnosis please? I'll take it to the Storage Area."
"All yours, doc." Gunvolt complied, giving the Gnosis to the scientist.
"Right then, I'll be taking a nap once I'm done storing the Gnosis safely." Einstein said. "You guys should get some rest, too. We've got plenty to do tomorrow." She began to walk towards the direction of the Storage Area.
"GV, can I come out for a moment? I need to meet Aether and Paimon in person." Joule requested.
"Sure thing, Joule." Gunvolt replied.
"Who are you talking to?" Aether asked.
"Just a moment." Gunvolt replied before Joule appeared right beside him, surprising Aether and Paimon.
"Nice to meet you, Aether, Paimon." Joule greeted with a bow. "My name is Joule. You could say that I'm GV's familiar."
"Hi there, Joule." Aether greeted back.
"Wow... you look really pretty!" Paimon remarked.
"Thank you." Joule smiled.
"Oh! There's something else that happened while we're heading for Mondstadt City, dess!" Kirika spoke up with a raised hand. "Miriam-san and Lumine-chan touched a Statue of the Seven in Starfell Lake, and the statue gave them Anemo powers, dess!"
"Wait, are you serious?!" Kanade exclaimed.
"Mhm." Lumine confirmed with a nod, raised her hand, and generated a small wind orb before dispersing it. "My brother also has the power of Anemo when he touched that statue."
"Is that so?" Tsubasa responded.
"I guess Barbatos gave me, my sister, and Miriam his blessings." Aether said.
"If you can do a better job with that power than that Tone Deaf Bard, then good luck with that." Chris stated.
"Finally! Someone that agrees with Paimon's complaint!" Paimon said.
"The part where you mentioned too lazy pretty much confirms his personality." Chris deadpanned. "And not in a good way."
"Now now, don't be like that, Chris. At least Venti is not the conqueror type." Miku stated.
"So Lumine, now that you're reunited with your twin brother, what are you gonna do next?" Regina asked.
"We're going to the other nations of Teyvat to obtain the blessings of the other Archons, giving me and Aether their corresponding elements." Lumine answered. "It might be our only shot at getting our original powers back."
"And since there are seven elements and seven nations, this is going to be a very long journey." Aether added. "Though we don't mind helping out the locals of each nation with their problems."
"Yup, no rushing needed since Aether and Lumine are finally reunited!" Paimon nodded.
"We can scratch Mondstadt off the list, leaving us with the other six nations left to travel." Mei stated. "And unfortunately, that also includes Snezhnaya on the list since it has the Cryo element."
"Oh right, the Fatui and the Tsaritsa's home turf." Chris realized. "You two are gonna save that for last, right?"
"Mhm." The twin travelers confirmed with a nod.
"I don't think we're prepared for Snezhnaya just yet, so we'll just focus on the other five nations first." Kallen added.
"Our next target is the nation of Liyue, the home of the Geo Archon, Morax." Fu Hua stated. "If Aether and Lumine touch the Statue of the Seven of that nation, they should be able to gain the powers of Geo."
"Maybe add Miriam to the list since she also gained the Anemo element by touching Barbatos' statue." Kiana mentioned.
"Ah, right. That too."
"Geo, huh? I did see its power firsthand when Noelle used it during a training session, summoning a barrier and turning her claymore into a blade of light." Gaius recalled.
"That's the power of earth, right? Does that mean Aether-san, Lumine-chan and Miriam-san can summon stone pillars from the ground or maybe create earthquakes with a punch or a stomp?" Hibiki pondered.
"I think the answer is obvious considering you caused earthquakes yourself with your fists, Hibiki." Miku pointed out. "Except that you're using your Symphogear instead of a Vision."
"Speaking of powers..." Fu Hua turned to the twin travelers. "You two and Miriam are gonna have to start practicing your Anemo powers a bit more, along with incorporating them with your sword skills."
"You got it, Fu Hua." Lumine nodded.
"Though I did a pretty good job using those powers before meeting you guys. It served me well during the whole Stormterror crisis." Aether commented.
"Looks like Aether got a head start compared to Lumine and Miriam." Paimon remarked.
"Don't worry, sis. I'll do my best to teach you and Miriam of what I've learned." Aether assured.
"Thanks. I'm counting on you, brother." Lumine smiled.
"Stormterror... that's the big wind dragon Noelle and Sucrose mentioned, right?" Regina recalled.
"Yeah... about that. Stormterror is actually Dvalin, one of the Four Winds of Mondstadt, AKA the defenders of the region." Zeo revealed.
"WHAT?!"
"It turns out that the Abyss Order was corrupting the dragon, turning it into a war entity, which explains the attacks on Mondstadt City." Paimon explained.
"But thanks to me, Venti, Jean and Diluc, we're able to free Dvalin from the Abyss' control, bringing peace back to the nation of Mondstadt." Aether added. "And I played a key role in during so when Venti discovered that I have the ability to purify."
"Purify?" Lumine repeated.
"Yup." Aether nodded. "You should have that ability too since you're my sister."
"The ability to purify..." Lumine pondered while looking at her hand. "Never thought I'd have that power, too. So that's how you're able to free Dvalin."
"Well, at least Dvalin finally has its freedom. Good for him, dess." Kirika smiled.
"Well... it's getting really late here, so let's call it a night, everyone." Zeo declared. "All of us are going to Mondstadt City tomorrow, except for Einstein since she's gonna be busy with her projects. At least her drones and Naomi will keep her company."
"Does this mean we'll have to trek through that long path again?" Kiana asked.
"Actually, I'm gonna move the Zi-O Liner's position to the Whispering Woods since it has plenty of trees and bushes to hide stuff. It should be a short walk to the city from that location."
"Phew, that's a relief. Thanks, Zeo." Kiana sighed with relief.
"Remember to get enough rest, everyone. We're going to be really busy tomorrow." Joule reminded.
Soon after, everyone went for the Bedroom Area to get some sleep. They'll need it for a very busy day in Mondstadt before planning their trip to Liyue eventually.
Teyvat, Mondstadt Region
Daytime
The next day, the group woke up and did their usual morning routines such as taking baths and having breakfast. During all of that, Aether was given his very own Zikan Phone made by Einstein as proof of joining the team, along with giving him an enhanced Wind Gilder made of magic silk, allowing him to fly freely without the need of a upward wind current. After that, Zeo drove the Zi-O Liner, moving their location from the coast of Stormbearer Point to deep within the Whispering Woods, which is a good place to hide the train, not to mention said train having an optic camouflage system installed. Once done, the group left the train wearing their casual attires and head towards the city, leaving behind Einstein and Naomi to take care of the train. Once they arrived at the stone bridge, the group noticed that the wooden barricades are no longer there, signaling the end of the Stormterror crisis.
"Ah, if it isn't Aether and Paimon. Good morning, you two." A knight guarding the gate greeted the male traveler and his familiar.
"Good morning, Swan." Aether greeted.
"Hi, Lawrence!" Paimon also greeted.
"When did you get so many companions?" Lawrence the other knight guard asked, noticing the newcomers.
"Uh... you see..." Aether struggled to answer.
"Oh, he's now part of a new guild." Lumine answered for him. "Just like me and the others."
"A new guild, huh?" Swan repeated. "What's the name of the guild?"
"Xross Drive Rebellion, or Team XDR for short." Zeo answered before pointing at himself. "I'm the guildmaster, by the way."
"Xross Drive Rebellion, eh?" Lawrence repeated. "How come we never heard of it? The only guild we've only heard about is the Adventurers' Guild."
"We're just starting out, which is why no one has heard about us yet." Akira answered. "But that's all about to change soon. We just need to find a way to authorize the formation of our guild first before we can get started."
"Guild authorization, huh? How about you ask Katheryne? Maybe she might have an idea on how guilds are made." Swan suggested.
"We'll do just that, sir. Thank you." Aether nodded.
"Heh, no problem, traveler. Any friends of Aether are friends of ours." Lawrence replied. "With that said, feel free to enter."
"And may Barbatos and his gentle wind protect you all." Swan added, allowing the group to enter the city.
"(A guild, huh? Not a bad idea, Lumine.)" Gaius whispered.
"(Thanks, Gaius.)" Lumine smiled.
Mondstadt City, Market District
Once everyone arrived inside the city, the ones that didn't come here yesterday were in awe at the atmosphere of the city. Now that the Stormterror crisis is resolved, the people of Mondstadt can return to their daily lives, along with the reopening of the shops.
Kanade whistled at the sight. "So this is what living in a fantasy world feels like. Amazing isn't it, Tsubasa?"
"Mm." Tsubasa nodded. "It's a beautiful sight to behold."
"Wow..." Elfnein said with awe. "I wish Carol could see this."
"Kind of different compared to living in the big city back in our world." Chris commented.
"What does your world look like, Chris?" Aether asked.
"It's... kinda hard to explain. We'll show it to you eventually, okay?"
"Seeing this place reminded me of Trump Kingdom back home." Regina mentioned.
"Is your real father still the king?" Kallen asked.
"Nah, he decided to step down and live a normal life. Jonathan is taking over the kingdom now as the new president." Regina replied.
"Wait, your father was a king?!" Paimon exclaimed. "Does that mean you're part of royalty?!"
"You could say that, alongside my sister, Aguri. However, just treat me as a normal person and not as a princess, okay, Paimon?" Regina requested.
"If you say so, Regina."
"Well, if we're gonna start a guild, we need to ask Katheryne, right?" Kiana recalled. "Aether, since you've been here before, could you tell us where she is?"
"Right over there." Aether pointed at a building with a guild emblem on the top and a receptionist counter at the bottom where the female receptionist is located. She has blue eyes and short brown hair, along with wearing a white hairband. She's wearing a normal receptionist attire with a green, white and black color scheme, along with a pair of green and black shoes with long white stockings. "That person over there is Katheryne, the receptionist for the Adventurers' Guild."
"Right then, let's go see her." Maria declared as they approached the receptionist.
"Hi there, Katheryne!" Paimon greeted her with a wave.
"Ah, greetings, Aether, Paimon. Ad astra abyssosque." Katheryne greeted with a bow. "How may I be of service to you?"
"Well, my friend here is asking how to start having his own guild." Aether asked, gesturing to Zeo. "Do you know how to do that?"
"A new guild, huh?" Katheryne repeated. "No one has ever asked that question before. We're the only guild in Teyvat for the longest time with our services branching all across the seven nations."
"I see." Zeo noted. "Still though, is it possible to make a new guild, or perhaps make some kind of adventuring group?"
"Making a new guild is unfortunately out of the question. But, making an adventuring group might be possible." Katheryne answered.
"Do we get our own base if we made our own adventuring group?" Hibiki asked.
"We don't provide that kind of luxury. You'll have to make your own base."
"...Oh." Hibiki slumped.
"It's okay, Hibiki." Miku comforted her by patting her head.
"Oh well, guess we'll take the adventuring group path instead." Kiana shrugged. "Do we need to sign some papers for our group to be known?"
"That won't be necessary. But you do need an Adventurer's Handbook so that you can accept new commissions provided by the guild."
"Do you have enough for all of us?" Mei asked.
"But of course." Katheryne confirmed. "Please line up and I'll give you the handbook for each of you."
"Okay, you heard the lady. Line up." Zeo declared as the group (minus Aether and Paimon) did just that until they all have their own Adventurer's Handbook. Inside the book has information about investigations, domains, commissions, adventure ranks and even enemy, bosses and material locations.
"I hope the handbook will provide useful information for all of you." Katheryne said. "And if you want to accept any new commissions provided by the guild, come and see me. The same goes for finishing the commissions. I'll even notify of any important and urgent commissions to you if it's available."
"Thanks for the help, Katheryne." Tsubasa bowed as the group put away their handbooks.
"May I ask what is the name of your adventuring group?" Katheryne asked.
"Xross Drive Rebellion, or Team XDR for short." Akira answered.
"Xross Drive Rebellion..." Katheryne repeated. "I'll be sure to remember that name. Is there anything else?"
"Nope, that's all for now." Zeo answered.
"Understood." Katheryne replied before bowing. "Farewell, Xross Drive Rebellion. Ad astra abyssosque."
"Right then, where to next?" Paimon asked as the group left the receptionist.
"Well, we should be heading for the cathedral to see how Venti is doing. But I think we should have some spare time to look around the city." Zeo replied.
"I think I'll go see Sucrose and Miriam at the alchemy workshop." Elfnein said. "Maybe I can provide their assistance."
"I don't see why not." Aether replied before pointing at the direction. "Just go up the stairs until you see an alchemy crafting table outside. That's where the workshop is."
"Thank you, Aether-san."
"I'll go and have a look at the Knights of Favonius Headquarters." Maria said. "Tsubasa, Kanade, care to join me?"
"Sure, why not." Kanade replied with Tsubasa nodding. "And maybe we'll do some commissions after that for some money and rewards. What was the currency of this world again?"
"It's Mora." Gaius answered.
"Mora, got it."
"Ah, almost forgot something." Lumine said, taking out some photos from her pockets and gave them to Maria. "While you're at the Knights HQ, give these to Jean if possible so that she could use them as evidence against the Fatui."
"Understood, Lumine." Maria replied.
"Speaking of commissions, I think I'll go and do a few to kill some time." Chris said.
"Mind if I join you, Chris?" Kallen requested.
"I don't see why not." Chris accepted. "You watch my back, I'll watch yours."
"No problem. We can handle a few slimes and hilichurls."
"Mind if I join you, ladies?" Gunvolt asked with a raised hand. "In case of making fire enemies explode with my lightning?"
"Not to mention my singing to provide support and healing." Joule added.
"You're welcome to join us, GV, Joule." Kallen accepted with Chris nodding.
"Great." Gunvolt smiled. "Though remember to watch my back in case of Cryo enemies."
"I'll be heading for the Favonius Library to read about the world of Teyvat." Fu Hua said.
"Guess you'll be coming along with us since the library is inside the Favonius HQ." Maria replied.
"Fine by me. You're welcome to join me if you want, Maria."
"Only if some of the books are interesting."
"I think I'll pass on the library, thanks." Kanade said.
"Though I am a bit curious on what kind of books they have." Tsubasa said.
"...Okay, fine." Kanade sighed. "But only for a bit, okay?"
"You're not the knowledgeable type, huh, Kanade?" Paimon asked.
"I tend to struggle with that type, especially puzzles." Kanade admitted.
"Oh, while you girls are at the library, could you ask the librarian if there's a copy of the Teyvat Travel Guide?" Zeo requested.
"No need for that." Aether interjected, taking out said book from his pocket. "Lisa gave this to me after helping her retrieve a stolen book from an Abyss Mage."
"Oh, that's nice of her." Lumine remarked. "Be sure to show it to all of us back at the Zi-O Liner, okay?"
"Got it, sis." Aether replied, putting away the travel guide.
"GV... do Paimon an favor and not become like Lisa." Paimon requested, while shivering at a memory.
"Uh... why?" Gunvolt questioned.
"...Paimon is too traumatized to explain why."
"...I'm sorry. What?" Joule questioned.
"You don't wanna know. Trust us." Aether replied, with his eye twitching. "But all I can say is... don't piss her off."
"O...kay...?" Gunvolt raised an eyebrow.
"Miku, Kirika and I will explore around the city. And if someone needs help, we'll be sure to help them." Hibiki said.
"Just remember not to cause any trouble until I get back, got it?" Chris reminded.
"I'll be sure to watch over Hibiki and Kirika, just in case." Miku assured.
"Good. I'm counting on you, Miku." Chris nodded.
"So when do we get to meet up again, dess?" Kirika asked.
"Hmm..." Zeo pondered with his hand on his chin. "How about around evening time? We'll meet back at that fountain over there." He pointed at said fountain at the center of the market district. "Any objections?" He asked the group, declaring silence as an answer. "Okay, then it's decided."
"Then that leaves the rest of us to head for the cathedral and see how Venti is doing." Kiana deduced. "You coming with me this time, Mei?"
"Of course, Kiana-chan." Mei smiled.
"Alright..." Akira clasped her hands together. "See you all later tonight! Dismissed!" With that, everyone went for their separate ways until the night they regroup back at the fountain.
Favonius Cathedral
Once Zeo, Akira, Gaius, Kiana, Mei, Aether, Lumine and Paimon arrived inside the cathedral, they saw Barbara talking to a few nuns at the main hall.
"Hey, Barbara! Good morning!" Paimon greeted the deaconess.
"Oh! Good morning to you, too!" Barbara greeted back as they approached her while the nuns left to resume their duties. "Did you have a good rest?"
"It was peaceful." Aether replied. "Even better now that I'm reunited with my sister."
"I'm glad to hear it." Barbara smiled before turning to the female traveler. "Sorry if I didn't get a chance to introduce myself yesterday. My name is Barbara Pegg, a deaconess of the Favonius Church. I'm also a Hydro Catalyst User."
"Oh, right! Noelle told me about you before." Lumine recalled. "Nice to meet you, Barbara. I'm Lumine. And these are my friends, Zeo, Akira, Gaius, Kiana and Mei."
"Hello." The others greeted.
"So, can we see how Venti is doing?" Zeo asked.
"Oh... um... about that..." Barbara struggled to answer.
"What's wrong? Did something happen to him?" Mei asked.
"Oh, no. He's completely fine. It's just that... he already left the moment I began to check on him this morning."
"What?!" The group exclaimed.
"But, he did leave me a message written on a piece of paper." Barbara took out a note from a pocket and gave it to Aether, with the others also looking at the note.
"'The Symbol of Mondstadt's Hero'." Aether read before smiling. "Oh. I think I know what he meant by that."
"You do?" Barbara responded.
"Don't worry, I know where he is." Aether assured, putting away the note. "Thanks for the help, Barbara."
"O-Oh. You're welcome." Barbara replied while blushing.
"Why are you blushing?" Kiana asked, noticing her reaction.
"It's just that, I really wanted to go on adventure with the traveler." Barbara admitted. "But I'm always busy working at the church and acting as an idol for Mondstadt."
"I see. That's rough." Mei noted.
"Tell you what, Barbara. We'll be sure to bring you along in our adventures, if possible. Just need to ask Master Jean first for permission." Akira said.
"You'd really do that for me?" Barbara responded.
"Of course!" Akira assured.
"Then I'll look forward to that day. You can leave all of the healing to me!" Barbara smiled and winked.
"Dear sweet mother of Barbatos, you're cute." Zeo commented.
"Oh, thank you." Barbara replied while blushing again. "Well, you should get going then. Come and see me if you need anything!"
"No problem, Barbara. See ya!" Gaius replied back as he and the others waved goodbye as they left the cathedral, leaving behind Barbara who waved back with a smile.
"So Aether, do you know what Venti's message mean about The Symbol of Mondstadt's Hero?" Kiana asked once the group is outside of the cathedral.
"Mhm." Aether nodded. "He's heading for Windrise. It's a very large oak tree where there's also another Statue of the Seven. Me and Paimon have been through that place before, though it's going to be a long trek to go there."
"Usually I'd take the Time Mazine for fast travel, but I don't want to gain too much unwanted attention, especially the Fatui." Zeo said.
"Then it's time to bust out the Wind Gliders." Akira deduced.
"Brother, you should have no problem flying to that location since the enhanced Wind Glider will allow you to fly freely." Lumine stated. "And since you know where Windrise is, you'll take the lead."
"No problem, sis." Aether replied.
"Don't worry, we know how to use the gliders well since we've practiced a few times. We'll be right behind you." Gaius assured.
"Well then, shall we get going?" Mei said.
"Yup! Let's head for Windrise!" Paimon declared with a raised fist.
Windrise
Thanks to the enhanced Wind Gliders, the group were able to cut down their travel time as they flew from outside Mondstadt City to the area known as Windrise where they saw the large oak tree that Aether mentioned. They also noticed Venti looking at the tree before they safely landed on the grass, dispersed their gliders and approached the bard.
"The wind amongst the branches is good, I love the way it smells..." Venti spoke after sensing the group's arrival. "Haha, I said the exact same thing the last time." He sighed before turning to the group. "Why do I only say these things when I'm down on my luck? Well... almost."
"So that's Venti... also known as the Anemo Archon, Barbatos, guardian of the Mondstadt nation..." Kiana thought when she looked at the bard. Venti has aqua green eyes with dark blue hair that borders on black, along with short twin braids that fade into aqua at the tips. His outfit consists of a frilly white top with a corset-like leather midsection, along with teal shorts with gold embroidery, a matching teal cape held together by a deep blue and gold bow. He also wears white stockings with three gold diamond shapes along each leg and a beret-like hat with a white flower called a Cecilia.
"So, you must be Venti. Or was it Barbatos the Anemo Archon?" Lumine said to the bard.
"Oh? You know who I am? And you are..."
"My name is Lumine, Aether's twin sister. And this is Zeo Naotora, Akira Naotora, Gaius Cornell, Kiana Kaslana and Mei Raiden. My brother and Paimon told us about your true identity."
"Don't worry, Venti. Your secret is safe with us." Zeo assured.
"That's good to know. And I'm glad the siblings are finally reunited." Venti smiled, until he took a quick look at Kiana, which made him feel somewhat uneasy. "Wait... That girl... why does she look like..."
"Um, is there something on my face?" Kiana asked, snapping the bard out of his thoughts.
"Ah, no. It's nothing." Venti shook his head. "You just... reminded me of someone. That's all."
"Someone?" Kiana blinked. "Did that someone... looked like me by any chance?"
"It's... kind of hard to explain, really. No need to think about that too much."
"Hmm... did Venti met someone who looked like me before?" Kiana thought. "Could this mean that... No. It can't be possible. Still... maybe now's not the right time to ask him about 'her' yet."
When Venti took a quick look at Mei, he began to ask, "Mei, do you happen to be from Inazuma by any chance?"
"Not really, no." Mei shook her head. "Why do you ask?"
"Let down your hair and I'll ask why." Venti requested.
Mei turned to the others, who then answered with a shrug before turning back to the bard. "Very well." She complied, letting down her hair so that Venti can take a closer look with his hand on his chin.
"Huh, as I thought. You really do look like the Raiden Shogun." Venti commented. "You even have the name Raiden on it."
"The Raiden Shogun?" Mei repeated.
"That's the other name for Baal, the Electro Archon, and she's currently the Shogun of Inazuma."
"Baal... The Shogun... of Inazuma...?"
"If you're planning on meeting her... that's gonna be a huge problem. But that's a story for another time."
"Eh? Hold up." Gaius interrupted. "At least tell us what's going on in Inazuma lately."
"It's okay, Gaius. We're here to talk to Venti about something else. Information about Inazuma can wait for another time." Mei assured, tying up her hair while pondering. "The Raiden Shogun, huh? And she looked a lot like me according to Venti. Could that person be my counterpart perhaps?"
"Very well, Mei." Gaius replied.
"Now then, what do you guys wanted to talk about?" Venti asked the group.
"Let's start off with the Gnosis. Can you tell us what it is?" Aether asked.
"Oh, and one other thing, your Gnosis is safe in our hands and kept in a secure location away from the Fatui." Zeo added.
"Is that so? Thanks for keeping it safe for me, then." Venti replied before sighing. "Anyway... This isn't something I'm meant to discuss with ordinary people. But since you guys saved my Gnosis, I suppose I can let you all in on the secret. As you know, Visions are external magical foci that only a small minority of people possess. They use these Visions to channel elemental power. In truth, every wielder of a Vision is one who can attain godhood and ascend to Celestia. We call such people, allogenes."
"Wait, hold on a second!" Akira interrupted with a raised hand. "Did you just say Celestia?! As in the place where angels live and is considered Heaven?!"
"Actually it's a place where mortals who achieved great and heroic feats can ascend there." Venti answered, before blinking for moment. "Wait... there's actually another version of Celestia?"
"Yeah. Celestia is considered Heaven while the Netherworld is considered Hell." Akira answered back. "And before you ask why I mentioned that, we're actually dimensional travelers. All of us are."
"Is that so?" Venti raised an eyebrow. "That explains your version of Celestia. But let's go back on topic first. Where was I again?"
"Allogenes." Kiana answered.
"Ah, allogenes. Right."
"Paimon's never heard of allogenes before." Paimon remarked.
"Hehe, that's because this is a secret that only archons are privy to. We don't need primitive tools like Visions. Instead, each archon has an internal magical focus that resonates directly with Celestia itself... known as a Gnosis."
"So that's what a Gnosis is..." Zeo mused.
"Then what about the thing hanging off your hip?" Aether pointed at the sky green orb-shaped crystal on Venti's hip.
"Oh, this thing? Eh-he. It's just a glowing glass ball I carry around to avoid suspicion." Venti answered.
"Huh. I feel cheated, but I guess I'm used to that by now." Aether shrugged.
"Smart idea, though." Gaius remarked.
"Now then, my turn to ask a question. How did you guys managed to save my Gnosis?" Venti asked.
"First thing's first. You told us your secret, so it's only fair that we told you ours first." Zeo replied.
"Alright, you have my attention."
Several minutes later...
And so our heroes explain who they really are, along with their missions. Gjallarhorn and its scattered fragments, the Dimensional Quakes, the Neo Time Jackers, and the formation of Team XDR. They even explained how they arrived in the world of Teyvat and how they foiled the Fatui ambush lead by Signora.
"And that pretty much sums up everything we did so far." Zeo finished his explanation.
"Wow... interesting tale you've got there. Though the part about the existence of other worlds is nothing new to me when I first looked at Aether with his outlandish clothes and the ability to use the Anemo element without the need of a Vision." Venti commented.
"Wait, so you already knew that my brother is from another world during the time he first met you?" Lumine questioned.
"Yup." Venti nodded. "But more importantly, you actually managed to catch Signora off-guard, not to mention crippling her and capturing her subordinates."
"And we even took photos as proof of the ambush to show to Master Jean." Gaius replied. "With this, not even the Fatui diplomats could escape from the truth."
"Heh, then it's only a matter of time until they lose their foothold on Mondstadt." Venti smirked.
"Speaking of Signora, do you have any more info about her and the other harbingers?" Zeo asked. "Sucrose and Noelle told us about them before, but I wanted to hear your opinion on this."
"Very well." Venti replied. "As you all already know about Signora, she's No.8 of the Fatui Harbingers. She and the rest of the harbingers have been given god-like executive authority by the Tsaritsa of Snezhnaya, and with it, strength surpassing that of other mortals."
"The Delusions, right? The opposite of Visions. That's the reason for their strength." Kiana guessed.
"And the Tsaritsa, she's also one of the Seven Archons and the one leading the harbingers, right?" Mei added.
"Correct." Venti confirmed. "I'm surprised that the both of you figured that out."
"Again, thank Sucrose for giving us the info we need about them. Not all of them, but enough nonetheless." Akira mentioned.
"I see." Venti noted. "But, here's something that Sucrose didn't mention about the Tsaritsa. She reigns from a place called the Zapolyarny Palace, located within Snezhnaya. The Seven don't always get along well, but still, I never thought that she would plot to steal another archon's Gnosis."
"Well, she's not gonna stop with your Gnosis, Venti. She's aiming for the other five of them, and we have to get them before the harbingers do." Zeo stated. "And I shudder what will happen if she gets all seven of them."
"But we're not gonna let them have the Gnosis, won't we, guys?" Lumine asked the group, who nodded in agreement.
"You don't mind if we keep your Gnosis for the time being?" Aether asked the archon. "I'm sure Team XDR will keep it safe in a hidden and secure place far away from the Fatui."
"That would be the best course of action since I'm still the weakest for the Seven Archons." Venti approved. "At least the Fatui will no longer go after me, so I can finally go back to my daily activities."
"Keeping an eye on Mondstadt as their guardian?" Mei guessed.
"No. Drinking wine, obviously!" Venti answered with a smile, making the group facefault comically.
"Ugh... Paimon should've expected that answer, you Tone Deaf Bard." Paimon groaned as the group stood back up.
"Hehe."
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, 'HEHE'?!" Paimon snapped, making the group sweatdrop.
"Aren't you a little young to be- wait. Never mind. Why am I asking that question to an archon when the answer's that obvious." Kiana said dryly.
"Glad to know you figured it out." Venti smiled.
"That wasn't a compliment, mind you." Kiana deadpanned while Mei nervously chuckled.
"Anyway Venti, what sort of Archon is the Tsaritsa?" Aether asked.
"Ah... How should I put this...?" Venti pondered with a hand on his chin. "Five hundred years ago, I knew her well. But I can't say the same is true now. You see, a certain catastrophe happened five hundred years ago, and after that, she cut off all ties with me."
"A catastrophe 500 years ago, huh?" Lumine repeated. "I wonder what happened back then?"
"That, would be a discussion for another time. And besides, you guys have other plans you need to take care of, right?"
"Well, we were planning to head for Liyue next to earn blessings from the Geo Archon Morax by touching his Statue of the Seven, after helping out the locals of Mondstadt first." Aether informed.
"That, and we need to figure out a way to kick the Fatui out of the city." Zeo added. "Destroying their morale might be our best course of action at the moment."
"What about the evidence of the Fatui ambush from yesterday? You still have those photos, right? Not to mention the assassins already apprehended." Venti questioned.
"Yeah, we still do. And that will be more than enough to destroy their diplomatic relations with the knights. Plus, we've already confiscated their weapons and gadgets, leaving them with no hope of escape." Gaius replied. "But we're going to need to do more than that to make sure the Fatui doesn't get a chance to strike back against Mondstadt in the future."
"Maybe crush their supply bases along with their main base of operations?" Kiana guessed. "We can do that on our own since we're not part of the Knights of Favonius."
"That could work." Gaius agreed.
"Well, I'm sure you guys will be able to figure it out by yourselves. And honestly, I can't wait for the day that the Fatui are exiled from Mondstadt." Venti said.
"That day will come, Venti. I'm sure of it. And we have the power to do just that." Zeo proclaimed. "The Fatui are about to realize that Team XDR is not a group to be messed with. Foiling Signora's plan yesterday was just the start."
"By the way, if you're heading for Liyue, you should go and witness the Rite of Descension, where the Geo Archon Morax descends once a year to give his divine predictions, which sets the direction for Liyue for the rest of that year." Venti informed.
"When's the event going to start?" Lumine asked.
"Five days from now."
"Got it." Lumine nodded. "Thanks for the info, Venti."
"And uh... sorry for borrowing the statue's Anemo power without asking." Aether apologized.
"Hehe, that's alright." Venti assured. "The same goes for you too, Lumine. Just remember to use that power gratefully, or better yet, treat me to a glass of dandelion wine."
"Treat it yourself, you drunkard." Paimon deadpanned.
"Travelers, Xross Drive Rebellion." Venti spoke up. "As all of you set off on your journey once again, you must remember that the journey itself has meaning. The birds of Teyvat, the songs and the cities, the Tsaritsa, her Fatui and the monsters, the Abyss Order, the Neo Time Jackers, the Gjallarhorn fragments, and even the other worlds beyond Teyvat... they all are part of your journey. The destination is not everything. So before you reach the end, keep your eyes open. Use the chance to take in the world around you."
"We understand, Venti." Aether and Lumine replied as they and the others nodded. Those are very important words to live by.
"We'll be sure to remember your advice." Gaius added.
"Now then, if you still want to chat, now's the time, a bard stays not always in a single clime." Venti said.
"How's Dvalin doing?" Kiana asked.
"Up until the end, Dvalin remembered his duty as one of the Four Winds." Venti answered. "As such, I don't intend to forcibly strip him of that duty and force my ideals of freedom onto him. I just hope that Dvalin will be able to choose for himself and understand what freedom is. Before I became an archon, I too was taught the meaning of freedom in this way by a friend."
"I see." Kiana noted before smiling. "I hope Dvalin will find the answer he'll be looking for someday."
"Agreed." Venti smiled back. "Anything else?"
"Any more questions, team?" Zeo asked the group, who then shook their heads in confirmation. "Nope, that's all for now, Venti. We're gonna head back to Mondstadt to see how the others are doing."
"Very well." Venti nodded. "I think I'll just stay here for a little while longer. Oh, and if me or Dvalin sense a Gjallarhorn fragment, we'll let you know as soon as possible."
"Thanks, Venti. Well then, see ya next time!" Akira smiled as the group summoned their Wind Gliders and flew away while waving goodbye to the Anemo Archon who waved back before looking at the tree once more.
"Hehe, so this is what the winds of change means now that my Gnosis is safe in the hands of Team XDR." Venti chuckled. "With their involvement, I think the world of Teyvat is about to get a lot more interesting than before. I wonder what the future holds for all of us? Wouldn't you agree, Dvalin?"
Knights of Favonius HQ
Meanwhile, Kanade, Tsubasa, Maria and Fu Hua arrived inside of the knights' headquarters, looking around the area to find the library and Jean's office. After asking some of the knights guarding the rooms, they were able to discover where the library and the office is. Maria decided to head for the office while the others went to the library.
*Knock! Knock! Knock!*
"Master Jean, are you in there? It's me, Maria Cadenzavna Eve. I'm friends with Amber, Aether and Lumine. Permission to enter?" Maria called out.
"You're friends with Amber and the travelers?" Jean responded. "Okay, you're free to enter."
"Thank you." Maria replied back, opening the door and went inside the office where she saw Jean at her work desk. "Good morning." She greeted her while closing the door. "Did you have a good rest?"
"Yes, thank you for asking." Jean replied, standing up from her seat. "Maria Cadenzavna Eve... I think Kaeya told me about you yesterday. You and your friends helped him and the knights escort the frozen Fatui culprits to jail, right?"
"That's right." Maria nodded. "And speaking of last night..." She took out the photos from her pocket and gave them to Jean. "Here are the photos of the Fatui ambush from yesterday. These should be enough evidence to end their diplomatic ties with the knights."
"Thank you for bringing these to me." Jean replied, taking a look at the photos. "Oh, and if you're about to ask what happened to the captured Fatui at the moment, they're being interrogated by Kaeya and Lisa in the interrogation room."
"You think these two will be able to get the answers out of them?"
"I'm confident in their abilities. Although in Lisa's case..."
"What's wrong with Lisa? She's a Grand Mage for a reason, right?" Maria questioned.
"She still is. But her methods of interrogating criminals is... how to I put this... questionable." Jean sighed.
"Define 'questionable'."
"She enjoys electrocuting criminals until they beg for mercy."
"...Eh?" Maria blinked.
"I'm serious. And the scary thing is, she somewhat enjoys it, which is the exact reason why she was not allowed to use the interrogation room for two years unless necessary."
"...I think I'm staring to realize Paimon and Aether's warning to GV. Lisa's a sadist?!" Maria mentally gawked.
"But since the culprits are the Fatui, I think I'll let it slide just this once. At least Kaeya is there to keep an eye on her... I hope."
"I... see..." Maria sweatdropped.
"Hm?" Jean then noticed a photo of Signora holding the Gnosis on her hand. "That object she's holding, could that be the Gnosis Aether was talking about?"
"That seems to be the case." Maria replied. "Right now, it's kept in a safe location that only Zeo knows. That way, the Fatui won't be able find it."
"I'm glad to hear it. But I'm curious is to why Venti has a Gnosis hiding within him... Unless..." Jean pondered.
"It's because he's Barbatos the Anemo Archon?" Maria deduced, making Jean gasp in surprise.
"Y-You knew?"
"Aether and Paimon told me, Lumine, and the rest of Team XDR about his real identity yesterday night back at our camp." Maria explained. "Don't worry, we'll never reveal his secret to anyone."
"Good." Jean sighed with relief. "I don't want any more people to know about it since it could cause a lot of confusion. Though Diluc already knew about it since he was with me, Venti, Aether and Paimon during the Stormterror crisis."
"Ah, I've heard about him, too. Maybe I should pay him a visit during my spare time."
"You should. Anyway, I'm looking forward to cutting diplomatic ties with the Fatui diplomats. They've been pressurizing Mondstadt and the knights for far too long. And today will finally be the day to end it now that we have enough evidence and captured the culprits."
"You should really be thanking Zeo for all of this. All of this wouldn't have been possible without his involvement, and I'm proud to be a part of his team." Maria smiled.
"Yes, perhaps I should, since they've also escorted Noelle and Sucrose back to Mondstadt City after they were taken away by that Dimensional Quake." Jean smiled back. "In fact, I'm planning to give him and his team a special reward soon."
"A special reward, huh?" Maria raised an eyebrow. "Care to tell me what it is?"
"Nope, that's a secret I'll never tell." Jean winked before putting the photos inside her desk.
"Fufu, very well." Maria giggled.
*Knock! Knock! Knock!*
"Jean? This is Eula. There's something I need to report about. Permission to enter?" A woman's voice was heard from behind the door.
"I think that's my cue to leave." Maria said.
"Actually, you can stay here. I could use your help with whatever Eula has reported." Jean insisted before turning to the door. "You're free to enter, Eula."
"Good." Eula replied, opening the door to let herself in before closing it.
Maria took one look at the elegant woman named Eula, who has multicolored heterochromatic eyes that fade from dark purple to pale yellow, along with choppy, unevenly cut light blue hair that's longer on the left side of her face with bangs reaching her eyebrows. Above her bangs, she wears a black headband and a four-pointed silver, white, and blue hairpin to her left. She also wears a blue cape, with her Cryo Vision pinned to it. Her outfit consists of a black leotard which has a silver symbol at the sides of the bottom, and the back cut out, with the center translucent and the upper body and sleeves, which ruffles out into blue, colored white, which have the sides of the shoulders cut out, held by a belt strapped below her breasts. In addition, she wears a blue tie, a pair of black gloves with blue palms, and blue stockings with thigh-high boots accented with silver with an additional strap, silver heels with spurs, and blue soles.
"So this is the one Amber mentioned yesterday... Eula Lawrence..." Maria mentally recalled Amber mentioning her friend. "And I have to say, she looks elegantly beautiful..."
"Hm? I never expected you to have company, Jean." Eula spoke after noticing Maria.
"Her name is Maria Cadenzavna Eve. A friend of the travelers, Aether and Lumine. And from a group called Team XDR." Jean introduced to her. "She just came by to give me photos of the Fatui ambush that occurred yesterday night outside of the cathedral."
"I see." Eula noted. "I can't believe the Fatui would conduct an ambush outside of a cathedral. Simply unforgivable. Mark my words, Fatui... vengeance will be mine."
"Vengeance?" Maria repeated. "Did the Fatui did something to you in the past?"
"No. But they'd better think twice if they can defeat me so easily, or even lay a finger on Mondstadt." Eula replied.
"I... see..." Maria noted. "Good to know that you can deal with them on your own."
"There's a reason why I'm called the Spindrift Knight."
"Ah, of course. Amber mentioned your name and title to me before, Eula Lawrence."
"She did, huh?" Eula sighed. "She's going to pay for that, one day."
"Eh?" Maria tilted her head in confusion.
"Ah, sorry about Eula's behaviour, Maria." Jean apologized. "Despite her manner of talking, she's a reliable and trustworthy ally to the knights and her friends."
"Y-You don't have to mention that part, Jean." Eula looked away while hiding a small blush on her face.
"Ah. Another tsundere, just like Chris. Though this one is more unique than I thought." Maria thought before asking her. "Eula, you said that you have something to report to Jean?"
"Shouldn't you be on your way if you're finished with Jean?" Eula asked back.
"It's okay, Eula. I asked her to stay for a reason." Jean assured. "Now then, what's your report?"
"Right." Eula nodded. "Do you remember the Fatui diplomats taking residence at the hotel just near here?"
"Yes?"
"They... are actually packing up their belongings and leaving the hotel. All of them."
"What?!" Maria and Jean exclaimed.
"But that's not all." Eula continued. "I overheard some Fatui diplomats talking to each other about the reason why they're leaving the hotel. Apparently it's because of an order from Signora, one of the Fatui Harbingers. Something must've happened that caused the Fatui operations in Mondstadt City to be compromised."
"Signora ordered them to leave Mondstadt immediately?" Jean repeated, before gasping in realization. "Wait, that foiled ambush from yesterday!"
"I see... so that's Signora's answer." Maria deduced before chuckling. "I guess Aether, Lumine, Amber and GV left a huge humiliating mark on her after sending her flying out of the city, not to mention her subordinates being captured and the photos of the Fatui ambush being taken."
"They caught Signora off-guard?" Eula responded.
"She thinks that the Fatui can get away with whatever nefarious plans they have on their minds before the knights could arrive. But after yesterday night, Team XDR proved them wrong."
"Lumine and the others were originally planning to visit the cathedral to find Aether and Paimon and escort the missing Noelle and Sucrose home, but the moment they set foot inside the city with Amber escorting them, they quickly sensed that something is wrong." Jean explained.
"Did they use Elemental Sight to detect the Fatui ambush?" Eula guessed.
"Actually it was Fu Hua and Hibiki using their ki senses to detect them." Maria answered.
"Ki sense?"
"Ki is basically using their lifeforce energy to perform such abilities. Ki sense is one of them, with the ability to sense other auras from a distance, even invisible targets."
"I see..." Eula noted. "So, after they sensed the Fatui's presence coming from outside the cathedral, they confronted them?"
"Yes. And we've even taken the photos of the Fatui ambush before performing an ambush of our own. In other words, giving them a taste of their own medicine." Maria smirked.
"Hm, clever." Eula smirked back.
"Amber even helped along with the ambush with her Baron Bunny providing the perfect distraction, with a special bomb planted inside it." Jean explained. "And once the doll exploded, Signora and her subordinates were blind and deaf, allowing Hibiki and Fu Hua to rush in, take down her subordinates and captured them while hiding them away from her after confiscating their weapons, and then froze them with Cryo to make sure they won't escape."
"Hahaha! I can tell she was not happy about that after she found out about it!" Eula laughed.
"Hehe, indeed." Maria chuckled. "Signora was too angry that she failed to notice Lumine performing her own ambush on the unsuspecting harbinger. Aether then joined in, along with Amber and GV providing the finishing touch, sending her flying out of Mondstadt. That, is going to leave a mark."
"So that explains everything. With a humiliating defeat like that, their plot being exposed thanks to the photos taken and her subordinates captured, it's no wonder Signora ordered the diplomats to leave Mondstadt City for good. The damage was already done, unable to be repaired." Eula noted. "Hm, it's a shame that I wasn't there to join in on the vengeance. Perhaps another time."
"You'll get your vengeance soon." Maria assured.
"Eula, keep a close eye on the Fatui diplomats while they're packing up and leaving the city. If they try any unhanded tactics, you know what to do." Jean instructed.
"Understood." Eula nodded.
"Maria, anything else you would like to report?" Jean asked.
"No, that's all of me." Maria shook her head. "I should head for the library to meet up with some friends of mine."
"Very well." Jean nodded. "In that case, I'll head for the interrogation room to see how everything is doing. Hopefully Lisa won't go overboard with the interrogation, even with Kaeya keeping watch."
"Best of luck, Jean." Maria said before heading for the door. "Take care, ladies." She gave a wink to Jean and Eula before leaving the room.
"Maria Cadenzavna Eve... Team XDR... Interesting..." Eula silently pondered with her hand on her chin.
Favonius Library
Meanwhile, Fu Hua, Kanade and Tsubasa are reading a few books while encountering Noelle and Woz there, also reading books. They eventually saw Maria arriving, prompting Kanade to call her over with a whisper. She earned her attention, walking over to the group and sat with them.
"So, how'd the meeting go?" Kanade asked.
"Very smoothly." Maria replied. "But that's not all. I've even met a woman named Eula Lawrence, the one Amber mentioned to me before."
"Oh, you've met the Spindrift Knight? Why was she there?" Noelle asked.
"It's for a report on the Fatui's movements." Maria answered. "And get this. She saw the Fatui diplomats taking residence at the nearby hotel, actually packing up their belongings and leaving the city."
"Wait, they're leaving?!" Noelle silently exclaimed.
"The Fatui ambush we foiled yesterday night, which included taking photos of the ambush, capturing Signora's subordinates, and crippling her while sending her flying out of the city, are the reasons why those diplomats are leaving."
"I guess that means their operations have been exposed." Tsubasa deduced. "Signora knew about the damage we did. That explains why the diplomats are leaving because the damage was too great to be repaired."
"Exactly." Maria confirmed.
"Heh, it seems Team XDR has already made their mark on this city, and on the Fatui." Woz smirked.
"But that also means Signora and the Fatui will remember that humiliation, so they'll be planning to exact revenge on us sooner or later." Fu Hua stated. "The other harbingers might also take notice of our involvement."
"Yeah, kinda expected that outcome the moment we get involved." Kanade sighed. "But on the bright side, at least the knights will no longer have to deal with those corrupted diplomats anymore."
"Indeed." Maria nodded. "Jean won't have to worry about them anymore. So, what are you girls reading about?"
"The nation of Inazuma." Tsubasa showed her a book. "And I'm surprised that the nation is almost like our home in Japan, but in ancient times."
"The same goes for the nation of Liyue." Fu Hua added, showing her another book. "It's based on ancient China. It seems the world of Teyvat has some familiar places, just like our versions of Earth."
"Interesting." Maria noted. "I'm looking forward to visiting Liyue and Inazuma soon."
"For Liyue, yes. Inazuma on the other hand... that's going to be a problem, because that nation is under lockdown." Kanade replied.
"Wait, under lockdown?" Maria repeated.
"The Sakoku Decree." Tsubasa explained. "Those who want to enter or leave Inazuma must pass strict assessments conducted by the Kanjou Commission to obtain permission. The Tenryou Commission also enforces that decree. Not only that, you need to have a Travel Permit to explore the rest of Inazuma, including the main city."
"I see." Maria noted. "That's going to be a problem since Inazuma has the Electro Archon's Statue of the Seven, allowing Aether, Lumine, and even Miriam to gain their Electro powers."
"Well... it gets worse." Kanade sighed. "There's also something called the Vision Hunt Decree. Take a wild guess at what that rule is."
"The Vision Bearers will have their Visions confiscated upon setting foot on Inazuma?" Maria guessed.
"Yup."
"Which is why Sucrose and I won't be joining you on your future mission in Inazuma." Noelle said. "We don't want our Visions to be taken away. But, for the rest of our team, you should be able to go to Inazuma since you can still fight without the need of a Vision."
"Is having a Vision really that important to the people of Teyvat?" Maria questioned.
"There's a reason for that, Maria. I've read a book about Visions earlier." Woz answered. "Apparently, Visions are more than just granting a person an elemental power, it also contains a person's ambition. Taking away the Vision not only means taking away their power, but also their ambition. And ambitions are the reason why a person is chosen to have a Vision, but only if their ambition is strong enough or burns brightly."
"So that's how a person becomes a Vision Bearer. Because of having a strong ambition." Maria mused.
"Makes me wonder if some of us will gain a Vision?" Kanade pondered.
"Anything can happen in the world of Teyvat." Woz said.
"Either way, taking away a person's Vision like that is not right. One day, we need to figure out why there's a Vision Hunt Decree in the first place, and put an end to it." Tsubasa stated.
"We'll figure out how to solve that problem when the time comes. But for now, we'll be heading for Liyue next." Fu Hua replied.
"Oh, speaking of Liyue, I've heard from some of the locals here that the Rite of Descension is going to happen soon in five days time, an event that happens once a year." Noelle informed. "That's when the Geo Archon Morax descends upon Liyue Harbor to reveal his divine predictions for the rest of the year."
"So we get to meet Morax in person, huh? I can't wait to meet him." Kanade grinned.
"Anyway, I think we've done enough reading for today." Tsubasa declared, standing up from her seat. "Let's put these books back to the shelves and accept some commissions from the guild."
"Actually, could you give those books to me? I want to stay here and read more about Liyue and Inazuma." Woz requested.
"Very well then, they're all yours." Fu Hua replied as she and Tsubasa gave the books to the chronicler before the group stood up from their seats.
"Noelle, would you accompany me to patrol the city for a while?" Maria asked.
"Of course, Maria. No problem." Noelle complied with a bow.
"Well, guess it's just me, Tsubasa and Fu Hua doing those commissions. See you guys later this evening!" Kanade said before they went their separate ways, leaving behind Woz to continue his reading.
"Heh, guess I'll be quite busy reading about the seven nations of Teyvat for today. That way, we'll be prepared for what's to come in the future." Woz thought with an intriguing smile before reading the book about Liyue. "Now then, let's see what I can find out about the nation of the Geo Archon..."
Mondstadt City
Evening Time
As time passed, Team XDR has been busy doing plenty of commissions for the guild to earn some Mora for food and supplies, farm materials for alchemy, and mine ores and enhancement crystals for weapons, but not before observing the Fatui and their diplomats leaving the city until no one is left behind. Maria informed the group why the Fatui are leaving the city after learning about the info from Eula, which made Aether, Lumine, Paimon, Zeo, Gaius and Akira smirk victoriously. Thanks to Team XDR's involvement, the people of Mondstadt and the knights will no longer have to worry about the Fatui lurking around the city 24/7. But Zeo knew that they'll have to be prepared for the Fatui's revenge, along with the Abyss Order, to which the others agreed that they need to be more cautious.
During the commissions involving monster hunting and taking down Fatui and Treasure Hoarder camps, Aether and Paimon got to see how Team XDR fought their battles with their armors, weapons and battlesuits, which made the two gasp in awe at how strong they are. It's no wonder they're able to stop Signora's ambush. Speaking of weapons, Lumine was given a new sword made by a blacksmith named Wagner. It's a dark brown and yellow sword called the Prototype Rancour, which is the same sword Aether is using after he showed it to her. She got to test out her new sword during a sparring match with her brother, along with practicing their Anemo powers where Miriam also participated to learn.
Once evening time arrived, the entire group assembled at the fountain located at the center of the market district, awaiting orders from Zeo. "So, how's everyone doing?" Zeo asked the group.
"Pretty good, all things considered." Kanade replied. "I guess this is what being an adventurer feels like."
"Except that this is real and not a game." Chris stated. "One reckless mistake, and you're dead."
"At least we're able to get plenty of Mora from doing those commissions." Regina said. "Not to mention materials for alchemy, especially the parts from the Ruin Guards."
"I think Einstein would be pleased at the parts we've brought back." Sucrose said. "Though Elfnein and I were busy taking care of the alchemy workshop. By the way, thanks again for the help, Elfnein."
"It's my pleasure, Sucrose-san." Elfnein replied. "I should also thank Timaeus-san for his assistance, too. And I was able to learn some new alchemy skills and recipes from him."
"Yes. He and Sucrose were such good teachers to learn about alchemy." Miriam agreed. "I was able to learn from them, too."
"Though Master Albedo is more skilled than me and Timaeus." Sucrose admitted. "I hope his research in Dragonspine is doing well."
"Dragonspine?" Tsubasa repeated.
"The large ice mountain that's located southeast of Mondstadt." Noelle said. "One time, I was there to save a stranded adventurer from a snowstorm, alone."
"Wait, really?! You did your own rescue?!" Hibiki exclaimed. "How was it?"
"It was successful, though that mountain is very, very, cold. Better wear something warm along with having hot food to stabilize your body temperature."
"Still, mounting a rescue alone is kind of reckless in my opinion without having an ally beside you. But at least you and that adventurer are safe." Gaius said.
"Yes." Noelle nodded. "I'm that determined to save someone's life."
"I see. But remember, your own life is important, too. You have things that you needed to do in the future, right?" Akira reminded.
"I do. I'm not ready to die, just yet." Noelle replied. "There's some things that I wanted to do, even after I reached my goal."
"That's the spirit, dess!" Kirika cheered. "You have my support, Noelle-san!"
"Hehe, thank you, Kirika." Noelle smiled back.
"Seems kind of lively ever since I've joined the team." Aether commented.
"Well, get used to it, brother. We'll be getting a lot more allies in the future when traveling through the other worlds." Lumine replied. "The same goes for you too, Paimon."
"Yup!" Paimon nodded. "Paimon is looking forward to seeing Earth for the first time!"
"Keep in mind that there's different versions of Earth." Gunvolt pointed out. "My version of Earth is a lot different than the one from the Symphogear world."
"Why is that?"
"It's a long story, Paimon. We'll tell you some other time." Joule replied.
"Hold on..." Gaius spoke up before looking at the group and noticed something off. "Has anyone seen Woz yet?"
"Is he still reading at the library?" Fu Hua pondered.
"Maybe I should go and get him. He might be asleep from reading so many books." Maria said.
"I'm not that sleepy, Maria." Replied the arriving Woz, gaining everyone's attention. "Sorry I'm late. I must've lost track of time after reading so many books."
"I know you really liked your hobby, but you really need to take a break every once in a while. It's going to affect your eyes overtime if you kept reading." Kanade said.
"Not to worry, Kanade. I've already taken my breaks." Woz assured. "I've even got to have tea time with the one named Lisa."
"Wait, Lisa the Grand Mage?!" Gunvolt exclaimed.
"Why is Paimon not surprised that you two bookworms would eventually meet?" Paimon questioned.
"I guessed she finished interrogating the captured Fatui during that time and wanted to take a break." Maria said, which made Aether and Paimon cringe at Lisa's method of 'interrogation'.
"I don't want to ask what happened in there." Aether said.
"Good, ever since you and Paimon gave GV that warning about Lisa."
"...That bad, huh?" Gunvolt raised his eyebrow.
"You don't want to know." Maria sweatdropped.
"...At this rate, pissing Lisa off is one mistake we don't want to step on." Joule stated.
"Well..." Chris yawned while stretching her arms. "I think it's time we head back to the Zi-O Liner and have some dinner before sleeping."
"I agree, Chris-chan." Hibiki nodded. "I wonder what we should have for dinner?"
"Oh! Sticky Honey Roast sounds like a good idea!" Paimon suggested. "It's Paimon's favourite dish!"
"Then leave the cooking to me." Noelle said. "I hope everyone will like it."
"Is it beef or chicken?" Kiana asked.
"Beef. But if you want chicken, I should have some spare time to make the Sweet Madame."
"Oh, I'd love to try that!"
"Let me help you with that, Noelle." Mei offered.
"Let me help too." Miriam also offered.
"Don't forget about me. I need to learn more dishes, too." Regina offered.
"Very well then, you three. You can help me prepare the dishes." Noelle accepted their offers.
"Right then." Zeo clasped his hands. "Shall we head back?"
"Ah, there you are! I was looking for you, Zeo."
"Jean?" Zeo heard her voice before the group turned to the direction where they saw the Acting Grand Master walking down the stairs, with Amber right beside her. "Here to see us leave?"
"Oh, Amber's here too?" Akira said, noticing the Outrider beside Jean.
"Glad we managed to reach you guys before you leave." Amber sighed with relief.
"Did something happen lately?" Gaius asked.
"Actually, yes." Jean replied. "And I need all of you to come with me for a moment."
"Okay, but why?" Zeo asked.
"You'll see." Jean winked before heading back up the stairs.
"Trust me, you're gonna love it!" Amber also winked before going after Jean.
The group shared confused looks at each other before going after Jean and Amber. Eventually, they arrived outside of a large two-storey hotel which is near the Knights of Favonius HQ.
"Wait a minute." Aether blinked, recognizing the hotel from before. "Isn't this where the Fatui diplomats were taking residence?"
"Correct." Jean answered. "But after all of the Fatui diplomats left the city earlier, the hotel is completely empty. I was planning on using it as a public hotel for travelers, but I decided to go with the next best thing."
"And that is?" Lumine asked while Jean turned around to face the group.
"Xross Drive Rebellion, as of today, this hotel will act as your base of operations." Jean declared.
"..."
"..."
"EEEHHHH?!" The group exclaimed at what Jean declared. The hotel is now theirs as their home base?!
"Jean... is this the special reward you were talking about earlier?" Maria asked.
"I had to give my idea of a special reward some thought." Jean replied. "And after Eula informed that the Fatui diplomats are no longer using the hotel as their private base of operations, my mind is already made up."
"So we're basically stealing a Fatui base?" Paimon guessed.
"Technically, the hotel is not theirs to begin with." Amber pointed out. "I always knew there's some shady activity going on inside the hotel."
"Hm, good point there."
"Jean, are you really, really, sure about this?" Zeo asked. "We're now the owners of that hotel?"
"Yes, I'm sure." Jean confirmed. "Can't let you sleep at camp most of the time."
"Okay, that's another good point there."
"Well, Zeo? What do you think?" Akira asked.
"Team? Any objections?" Zeo asked the group.
"Honestly, this will make things much simpler." Kallen remarked.
"Kallen-san's right." Hibiki agreed. "Having our own base is awesome!"
"But if we're gonna do this, we're gonna need some furniture and other important stuff." Regina stated.
"No need to worry about that. Kaeya already double-checked all of the furniture inside of the hotel. It's completely safe." Jean assured.
"You can bring in some of your own favourite things if you'd like." Amber added.
"I can think of a few things to bring into this base." Mei replied.
"I want to invite Shirabe and Serena to our new base soon, dess!" Kirika also replied.
"Looks like the decision is final." Zeo confirmed with a smile after looking at the group's positive reactions. "Jean, we'll accept your reward."
"Thank you, Zeo." Jean smiled. "It's the least I could do as an Acting Grand Master, and for foiling the Fatui ambush and revealing their plans to the knights."
"Woz, could you go back to camp and tell our friends about our new base?" Gaius requested.
"As you wish, Gaius." Woz bowed before heading out.
"I'd better go after Woz in case of any hilichurl ambush on the way back." Gunvolt said before going after the chronicler.
"I'm going to have a look inside, dess!" Kirika said before running inside their new base.
"O-Oi! Don't make a mess in there!" Chris shouted before going after her.
"Hey! Wait for me!" Hibiki ran after Chris.
"Oh dear." Miku sighed before walking inside.
"You and me both, Miku." Regina also sighed before going after her.
"Hehe. Kirika isn't the only one to make a large mess." Maria giggled before glancing at Tsubasa.
"I-I can clean up my own mess! Honest!" Tsubasa defended.
"Uh huh." Kanade rolled her eyes. "By the time you're already done cleaning, it's already past 1 or 2 hours. It's no wonder Shinji-san had to do it instead of you."
"And don't even think about asking Noelle for help. She has her own duties to take care of." Maria added. "In fact, we're gonna start teaching you how to clean your mess properly."
"Eh?!" Tsubasa exclaimed before being dragged inside by Kanade and Maria. "W-Wait a minute! At least let me prepare myself!"
"Hehe, good luck, Tsubasa." Kallen chuckled.
"Let's go and see how she fares, shall we?" Fu Hua asked.
"Yes, let's." Kallen nodded before she and Fu Hua went inside the hotel. "Kiana, Mei, let's go."
"You go on ahead, Mei. I'll stay here for a while longer." Kiana said.
"Understood, Kiana-chan. Don't take too long." Mei replied before going after Kallen and Fu Hua.
"You have... a lot of interesting friends there, Zeo." Jean commented.
"Actually, we have a lot more friends than that. But they're at another location at the moment." Zeo replied.
"Don't you mean another world?" Amber corrected, making the group's eyes widened.
"H-How did you know about that part?" Lumine asked.
"I still remembered what you told me about Noelle and Sucrose's disappearance because of that Dimensional Quake." Amber recalled.
"...Oh, right. That."
"You knew about that, Amber?" Jean questioned.
"Well, how was I supposed to explain to the other knights that they've disappeared to another world?" Amber replied.
"...I guess you have a point there. And I still can't believe there are other worlds beyond Teyvat."
"I wonder what the other worlds are like?"
"Master Jean. Is it alright if I continue to work alongside Team XDR?" Noelle requested. "I feel like I can still learn more from them if I stay with the team."
"I'd like to stay with them too, if possible." Sucrose also requested. "I might be able to learn even more alchemy recipes that could help people."
"Are you sure?" Jean asked.
"Of course./If you don't mind." Noelle and Sucrose answered.
"...Very well. You two can stay with them. Especially you, Noelle since they've been taking good care of you." Jean accepted their request after a bit of pondering.
"Thank you so much, Master Jean!" Noelle smiled and bowed with Sucrose doing the same gesture.
"If that's the case, maybe we can bring in some of your alchemy equipment to our base, Sucrose." Miriam said.
"Sure! I have plenty of spare equipment at the workshop. Go ahead and use those instead." Sucrose replied.
"I shall do just that." Miriam nodded. "Elfnein, I'll need your help with this."
"No problem, Miriam-san." Elfnein complied as she followed behind the Shardbinder heading for the alchemy workshop.
"W-Wait up! I need to make sure you girls won't take the wrong equipment!" Sucrose shouted before going after the two.
"Hehe, I'm feeling a bit jealous at how many new friends you have." Amber said to the twin travelers. "Would be nice if I could come along, too."
"Then what's stopping you? We'd love to have you join the team." Aether replied.
"I don't know..." Amber pondered. "I still need to do my Outrider duties for the people of Mondstadt. I'm not sure they'll be okay without me."
"Ah, that's understandable." Lumine noted. "It's okay, Amber. No one is forcing you to join. It's your choice, after all."
"Actually... how about you make Amber as an honorary member of Team XDR? Just like how I made Aether as an honorary knight?" Jean suggested.
"Wait, really?!" Amber responded.
"Hey, that's a great idea!" Paimon agreed. "What do you think, guys?"
"An honorary member, huh?" Gaius repeated with his hand on his chin. "Well, we do have a few honorary members on our team at the moment." He nodded. "Alright, sounds like a good idea to me."
"I agree, Gaius. Having Amber as an honorary member would be great." Kiana agreed.
"We'll only call you if we ever need your help, Amber. In return, let us know if you need our help." Akira stated. "Is that okay with you?"
"As long as I get to travel to the other worlds with you guys, then that's fine by me!" Amber replied.
"Then it's decided." Zeo declared with his fist forward. "Outrider Amber, welcome to the team!"
"Hehe! Glad to be part of it!" Amber smiled and fist-bumped with him.
"Who would've thought that our first party member would end up becoming an honorary member of the team." Aether remarked, recalling the time he and Paimon first met the Outrider.
"Paimon thinks it must've been fate." Paimon pondered.
"Hehe, I guess so." Lumine giggled.
"We'll give you something later on to know that you're a part of our team." Zeo told the Outrider.
"Alright, sounds good." Amber nodded. "Now let's go inside and tell the others the good news. Even better, I'll cook for you guys my very own Outrider's Champion Steak!"
"Your... Champion Steak?" Gaius repeated with a raised eyebrow.
"Yup! Trust me, you'll love it!"
"...Excuse me while I go and get my black pepper sauce back at camp. Be back in a minute." Gaius said before heading for the Zi-O Liner's location.
"Black pepper sauce?" Amber repeated.
"If there's steak on the menu, he'll be needing his black pepper sauce to give the dish an extra kick on the flavour." Akira explained. "Me and my brother saw how he eats his steak plenty of times."
"You should try it too, Amber. You won't regret it. Trust us." Zeo suggested.
"Hmm... alright. I'll give it a shot." Amber accepted after a bit of pondering. "I'll be heading inside, now. See ya, Jean!" She waved farewell to the Acting Grand Master before heading inside the hotel.
"Ah, wait for me, Amber!" Noelle said before going after the Outrider.
"Care to join us for dinner, Jean?" Lumine asked.
"I would, but no thank you. I'll be busy with my Acting Grand Master duties, so I won't have any free time left when I'm done. Sorry." Jean answered.
"Well that's a shame." Paimon sighed.
"You know, if you're the Acting Grand Master, then who's the real Grand Master?" Zeo asked.
"Grand Master Varkas, the Knight of Boreas. Half a year ago, he, alongside the city's elite forces, departed for an expedition, leaving me in charge of the city until his return." Jean answered.
"Grand Master Varkas, huh?" Aether repeated. "What was he like?"
"He's known as the most powerful people in Mondstadt, and I've learnt a lot from his teachings. He may be a bit carefree, but I have no resentment in his attitude. That's why the people of Mondstadt love him."
"Wow, that's incredible." Zeo remarked with awe, with the others feeling the same way. "He might have potential to become a wise and powerful king in my opinion."
"Yes, I think so, too." Jean agreed. "Which is why it's my duty to ensure the city will be more prosperous and welcoming when he returns."
"You have our support, Master Jean." Akira said. "But don't be afraid to ask the other knights for help. There's some things that you alone cannot do."
"I'll be sure to remember that, Akira." Jean nodded. "But I'll be just fine. I can handle it."
"I hope so."
"Well then, I should head back to my office now. Enjoy your new base, Xross Drive Rebellion." Jean smiled.
"Thanks again, Jean. See you later!" Lumine smiled back as she and the others waved goodbye to the Acting Grand Master, heading back to the Favonius HQ to continue her work.
"Paimon hopes that Jean doesn't work too hard, or she'll pass out from fatigue." Paimon said.
"Yeah, that's the part I'm more concerned about, Paimon." Kiana agreed with a nod. "We're gonna have to bring some of our own units to Tevyat to ease off her work load. Maybe bring along Auntie Theresa to this world. She'll know what to do."
"Auntie Theresa?" Paimon repeated.
"She's the principal of St. Freya Academy. A special training institute for valkyries." Akira explained. "And yes, Kiana and Kallen are related to Theresa due to their shared DNA."
"So she's basically older than Kiana and Kallen?" Paimon guessed.
"...Something like that." Kiana replied, while hiding the fact at what her aunt really looked like in person.
"Anyway, let's wait here for Gaius and the others to come back before we head inside our new base." Zeo declared before looking at the sky. "We've got plenty of time to explore the Mondstadt region tomorrow before we head for Liyue in five days."
"Yeah." Aether agreed with a nod. "You'll be right by my side, right sis?"
"Always, brother." Lumine smiled as she and Aether held hands together.
"Don't forget about Paimon! More adventures await for all of us!" Paimon said before sitting on top of Aether, which slightly annoyed him and made Lumine giggle.
"Hehe. Guess you really are twin siblings. Just like me and Zeo." Akira remarked.
"Yeah, I guess that's true." Aether agreed before they continued to look at the evening sky.
"The world of Teyvat sure has a lot of unknown mysteries surrounding the seven nations and even Celestia. Maybe somewhere at the journey's end, we'll find out the truth about this world, including that Unknown God that looked similar to me." Kiana thought before smiling. "Until that day comes, we're gonna enjoy our adventures to the fullest. The places we'll visit and the people we'll meet. I'm looking forward to seeing it all alongside my friends until the very end."
Chapter 2: A Day in Mondstadt
END
Outrider Amber has joined Xross Drive Rebellion
Author's Note: And another chapter completed, with Amber becoming an honorary member of Team XDR. Not only that, with the Fatui and their diplomats no longer taking residence at that hotel thanks to their plans being exposed and their ambush foiled, the hotel is now owned by Team XDR as their new base of operations, not just for Mondstadt, but also for the world of Teyvat.
The nation of Liyue will be our next destination for our heroes, but first, time to go over some character quests for the heroes of Mondstadt to pass the waiting time. Which character story will begin first? Only time will tell. See ya next chapter!
