Book I: Anemo
Chapter 5: Knights of the West Wind
With the immediate threat of the dragon gone for now, the mysterious girl who had saved me from going splat glided toward the highest part of Mondstadt. There was still quite a strong wind and heavy cloud cover, but the twisters that the dragon had called down were gone. The worst of the danger had passed, and a sense of relief surged through me.
Our landing spot was close to an impressively large statue. For some reason, it seemed familiar. I wasn't sure from where, though. Considering the Gothic cathedral-like building—easily the largest structure in the city—nearby, I wagered a guess that this was a statue of a saint or deity.
Drawing close to the ground, I noticed the scarlet-clad girl who had been with my savior earlier. Her long brown hair fluttered wildly due to the wind. As soon as we had landed, she rushed forward while I collapsed to the ground due to my shaky legs.
"Lumine!" She all but barreled into the blonde and embraced her before looking her over. "You're not hurt, are you?"
Lumine, as I now knew the mystery girl, shook her head as the brunette continued her inspection. "I'm fine, Amber."
Her voice was subdued, but the gratefulness for the worry was clear to see in her eyes. With a name now to go to it, I quickly committed Amber's face to my memory.
"Paimon's okay, too!" A third voice joined in, and my eyes widened as a small figure appeared next to Lumine.
The white-haired being reminded me of a fairy, though what I first thought were wings turned out to just be a starry cape. Above her head, a golden crown floated as if it were a halo. So perhaps a mini angel would be a more apt comparison.
What was this absurdly adorable life-form?
I must have been staring or making a weird face, because Paimon—as I was assuming was her name—gave me a startled look and ducked behind Lumine. It was like a child hiding behind her parent when around strangers. It brought back memories of when I used to do the same exact thing.
I didn't have long to focus on Paimon, however. Amber walked up to me and stretched out her hand. Her dark brown eyes were filled with concern. Beautiful in form and in soul, what a blessing to meet her. I grabbed onto her outstretched hand and got back up to my feet.
"How about you?" She questioned while looking me over intently, just as she had done to Lumine. Then, apparently satisfied that I wasn't injured, she drew back. "Still, that was incredibly reckless. Who launches themselves into the air without a glider?"
I rubbed the back of my head as I looked down, not really having a good reply. It had been a stupid idea. If it wasn't for Lumine, I would have died. I had to change, to become better. Otherwise, I'd only get a repeat of the incident that had brought me to this world in the first place.
The sound of someone clapping broke through the silence. Looking behind me, I saw Kaeya walking toward us.
"The power to go up against the dragon…" Kaeya said in his usual enigmatic tone, looking between Lumine and me with a curious gleam to his gaze. "How interesting. Is this a portent of new allies or an approaching storm?"
My brow quirked up in confusion. What was Kaeya going on about?
"Kaeya!" Amber exclaimed, running up to him with a thankful expression on her face. "You've come at just the right time. With Stormterror attacking Mondstadt, we must—"
Kaeya held up his hands, gesturing for Amber to slow down. "Now, Amber, don't you think you're forgetting something?"
Amber's brows crinkled in confusion, then her eyes widened in surprise. She looked a bit embarrassed.
"Oh, right." Amber looked to Lumine and Paimon, holding out a hand toward Kaeya. "This is Kaeya, Calvary Captain of the Knights of Favonius."
Favonius? That's strange…
I didn't have time to dwell on those thoughts as Amber continued, "These two are travelers from afar, Lumine and Paimon. I don't know who the young man is, though."
Kaeya was silent for a moment, and I used this chance to introduce myself and explain how Kaeya and I were already acquainted. Glancing back at him, I wondered what he was thinking. The pensive expression on his face was much different from the usual expression he wore. It was strange to see such a serious face on him, if I was being honest.
Amber then explained to Kaeya more about Lumine and Paimon, such as how they had met up and what they were doing here. The three had met outside the city, and Lumine had helped Amber with her duties in exchange for some help looking for someone. Some time ago, Lumine had been separated from her brother, and she was now trying to find him. Apparently, she hoped she could get some information from the deity that oversaw Mondstadt.
A pair of siblings who had been split apart, huh? Was this one of the twins that were supposed to be major players in the events that would occur in this world?
"I see." Kaeya hummed lightly, then his face shifted back to its more laidback expression. "I welcome you to Mondstadt, though I'm afraid you haven't arrived at the best of times."
I held back a snort. No doubt about that. A dragon attack definitely constituted poor timing for a visit. I wasn't sure how long this dragon, Stormterror as Amber had called it, had been an issue. But judging by everything I'd seen, I was willing to bet that this was probably the first time it had made a direct attack on the city.
Lumine shook her head. "That doesn't matter. I just want to find my brother."
"I understand the anguish of being separated from family." A slight bitter smile appeared on Kaeya's face, but it was replaced just as quickly by his usual demeanor. "I'm not really sure why you're looking for the Anemo God specifically, but everyone has their secrets. Don't worry. I won't press you for more."
I noticed Lumine become a bit less tense at Kaeya's words, though she still hadn't relaxed completely. She nodded silently, an unspoken "thank you."
"Now then," Kaeya shifted his gaze, glancing between Lumine and me. "First and foremost, on behalf of the Knights of Favonius, I wish to thank both of you for your help just now."
"I couldn't just stand back and do nothing," I replied with a shrug. I didn't really think my actions were all that impressive. Bennett and Yun Jin had been much more important since they had been on the ground directly helping out people. All I'd done was try to annoy the dragon enough to make it go away.
The look on Lumine's face, meanwhile, was as if she was saying, "It's not like I had much of a choice." Which was fair. Unlike me, she hadn't planned on getting launched into the troposphere.
"Your fight against Stormterror was witnessed by no small number of citizens." Kaeya's words made me blanch, as I'd hoped to avoid making a splash this early. "The Acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius is also very interested in meeting you and formally invites all of you to our headquarters."
Notoriety already. There went my hopes of not becoming famous until I at least knew what the heck I was doing. I supposed this was what I got for taking on a dragon this early. They were typically the most powerful creatures in fantasy settings for a reason. Of course attacking and surviving an encounter with one would draw attention.
Well, there was little point in avoiding it now. I could only hope that people would focus more on Lumine since she was a cute girl. Though she looked just as reluctant as me to be the center of attention.
The more significant issue was this invitation. There was no way I could turn that down. It would probably be a bit disrespectful, and I didn't want to start stepping on the toes of someone who could probably have me thrown in jail or executed. Other than that, I wasn't really scared of meeting this Acting Grand Master. I imagined that they just wanted to meet with the people insane enough to take on a dragon.
However, this did give me the chance to finally say something that I had always wanted to.
"Well then," I prepared my voice box and shifted it to sound warbly, "take me to your leader."
I was technically an alien, from a certain point of view; I had come from another world, after all. Maybe the distorted voice was too much, but I just couldn't help myself. I was never going to get this chance again, so I was going to go all out.
Everyone there looked at me with some form of bewilderment or confusion, though Kaeya appeared somewhat amused as well.
"I'll come too."
With Lumine's acceptance, Kaeya smiled and began leading us to our destination. As we descended to the lower tier, Amber questioned Lumine on what fighting Stormterror had been like. Ignoring that conversation, I approached Kaeya and asked him about Yun Jin and Bennett. I wanted to know if they were alright.
"Don't worry about them. I sent Yun Jin to the headquarters to wait for us. Bennett, on the other hand…" Kaeya made a gesture back in the direction of the cathedral. "He got hit in the head by a piece of debris, so he's getting treated back at the church."
"He's okay, right?"
Kaeya's head bobbed in affirmation. "He's been hit with worse, and it didn't look like anything too serious to me—a bit of blood loss and a minor concussion, maybe. But our little Deaconess would rather be safe than sorry, so she's keeping him for a bit longer."
Good. Blows to the head were no laughing matter, speaking from my own experience. Bennett needed to get some good rest and not push himself too hard. I would make sure to visit him as soon as I could.
A few minutes later, Kaeya brought us to a stop in front of a large building on the second-highest tier of the city. It wasn't as visually impressive as the cathedral, but it was still clearly important. It was built like a fortress, with more function over form. A flight of stairs led up to the doorway, flanked on each side by a guard. Kaeya waved to the two, each saluting, and we entered the building.
As soon as we stepped inside, I noticed Yun Jin waiting for us. Her clothes and hair were a bit windswept, but she otherwise appeared fine. As our eyes met, a smile spread across her face as she hurried over. Though based on the look she was giving me, Kaeya must have told her about my hare-brained scheme. With how often my family had made the same expression, I'd recognize it anywhere. I could already imagine the scolding I was going to receive once we left here. But for now, I was safe.
Kaeya approached a nearby door and swung it open, ushering the rest of us in. "Jean, I've brought them."
The room was obviously an office. A wooden desk sat at the far end of the room, positioned in front of a pair of windows that would allow for plenty of natural light. A small raised platform was lined with bookshelves. The room was very tidy, with the exception of several papers scattered haphazardly across the desk.
Waiting in the room were two ladies who were easily some of the most attractive women I'd ever seen. Albeit, I didn't exactly have much in the way of reference outside my own family other than a few celebrities, but still…
The first woman stood near the bookshelves, leaning against the banister while looking through a book. She exuded a mature charm and had an aura that practically screamed "older sister." Yet, with her fair skin and chestnut-colored hair, she still retained a youthful appearance. And with witch-like attire that included a wide-brimmed purple hat, a white and violet dress, and black stockings, she perfectly represented the very concept of "sexy." A Vision hung from her neck, settled enviably above her cleavage.
The other woman was pacing around the room. She was tall and athletic and just as beautiful as her companion. Her pale blonde hair was tied up in a ponytail, and her blueish-grey eyes held a dignified air to them. She wore a white shirt with a long blue tailcoat. Her white tights had golden diamond symbols trailing down the sides, disappearing into the knee-high boots she wore. The familiar glow of a Vision emanated from something hanging at her waist.
The blonde, who I assumed was the Acting Grand Master, smiled as she saw us. Then, bringing a hand up to her chest, she said, "Mondstadt welcomes you, wind-borne travelers. I am Jean, Acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius."
Kaeya went forward, explaining everything to Jean. He included how he, Yun Jin, and I met, along with the information that Amber had given him about Lumine and Paimon. During the conversation, I glanced over at the witchy-lady.
While she looked like she wasn't paying attention, I could tell she wasn't really reading the book in her hands. Instead, she was more focused on what Kaeya was saying. I made sure not to stare too long at her. I didn't want to come off as a complete pervert after all.
Still, I couldn't get over just how beautiful she was. And not only her. Every girl I'd met so far was top-tier in the looks department. I could definitely see why Hodegos had said I would enjoy this world.
However, my discrete check-out must have been noticed as the woman looked up from her book and met my eyes. The corners of her lips twitched up into a teasing smile as she waved at me. Since she didn't seem angry, I waved back with a small smile of my own.
Kaeya soon finished his explanation and stepped back behind Yun Jin, Lumine, and myself. Jean shifted her gaze to the three of us as the beautiful witch came down to stand beside her.
"I thank all of you for your help in protecting the people of Mondstadt." She gestured over to her companion. "This is Lisa, our resident Librarian."
"Oh, are you sweeties here to help us out? You're all so adorable."
Beside me, Lumine bristled slightly, and a slight flush colored Yun Jin's cheeks. I didn't bat an eye. I'd long since been completely and utterly desensitized to being called cute and adorable. Thanks, Mom.
"Unfortunately, your timing is regrettable," Lisa continued with a more somber tone, placing a hand on her cheek. "With its recent revival, Stormterror has caused quite a ruckus in the region. Simply put, Mond's elemental flow and ley line circulation are now akin to a ball of yarn in the paws of a kitten. For a mage like me, it couldn't get much worse. I'm one elemental particle from a full-blown breakout."
"If this is your appearance on an off day, you must look like a goddess normally."
It took me a few moments too long to realize that I'd accidentally verbalized my thoughts. As soon as it settled in, I instantly wished that I could fold myself into a ball and just roll away.
Lisa's lips quirked up in amusement, and a tittering laugh let her mouth. Kaeya was clearly struggling to hold back laughter, clutching his stomach with one hand and covering his mouth with the other. Lumine gazed at me with a dry, disbelieving stare. Amber's eyes were wide, and Yun Jin was burying her face into her hands—I could practically feel the second-hand embarrassment I'd subjected her to.
However, what was done was done. No matter how embarrassing it was, I had no choice but to live with it. I just had to ignore the burning in my face.
"Ara~ You really are too kind," her lips widened into an almost impish grin, "Handsome."
KO!
In spite of the blush stretching all the way from my ears to my neck, I desperately tried to keep up the stoic facade. But on the inside, I was screaming.
Kaeya's restraint finally broke, the chuckles he'd been holding on to leaking out freely. Jean coughed into her hand, a blatant attempt to get the conversation back on track. However, the faint dusting of pink across her face proved that even she hadn't been unaffected by my unintentional—and absolutely cringeworthy—flirting.
"If it weren't for this interference," Jean spoke to Lumine directly, while Kaeya finally managed to get his laughter under control, "the Knights would have better ways of helping you than just putting up posters."
Lumine shook her head. "I understand. Even that little bit is appreciated."
"In that case, I simply ask that you repose in Mondstadt while we help you seek out your brother." Jean then turned to Yun Jin and me. "And I thank you again for your help during Stormterror's help. Feel free to stay as long as you need, at least until it's safer to travel."
Yun Jin bowed lightly. "Thank you, Miss Jean."
On the other hand, I was in a bit of a pickle. I could just do as Jean suggested and enjoy my stay in peace. Learn more about this world, do some training, get some money, and all that. But would that really be possible? Would I be able to focus on anything while knowing that people needed help? Could I really just sit back and do nothing?
Steeling my resolve, the choice was clear. I'd been given a second chance at life. I had to earn it.
"Excuse me," I spoke up, getting everyone's attention. "It may be presumptuous of me to ask, but if there's anything I can do to help, just tell me what it is."
I wasn't sure who was more surprised by my declaration, Jean or Lumine. Kaeya didn't seem surprised. If anything, the look on his face all but said that he had expected this. Although to be fair, I did jump straight into a tornado right in from of him. That had probably colored his perception of me.
Right after my own announcement, Lumine's eyes hardened with determination. "I should really help out as well."
"Then I shall lend my aid as well," Yun Jin stated resolutely. "I doubt I would be able to get much research done until this situation is resolved anyway."
I turned to her. "Are you sure?"
She had just come here to help her opera troupe. There was no reason she needed to risk her life.
"Of course. Someone has to keep an eye on you to ensure you don't do anything too reckless. Besides," the look in her eyes changed from seriousness to a strange sense of excitement, "this is exactly the sort of thing that would make the perfect inspiration for an opera! I must see this with my own eyes."
Yeah, that made sense. Fighting a dragon was the kind of thing that made for a good story. Tales of dragon slayers were a staple of virtually every culture for a reason.
"Good, we'll take all the help we can get." Then, with a pleased smile, Kaeya looked to Jean. "With that in mind, what's the plan, Acting Grand Master?"
"With Stormterror now attacking Mondstadt directly, we may have an opportunity to this problem off at the source." Jean gestured to Lisa with one hand. "Using her magic, Lisa has discovered where Stormterror is drawing its power from."
How exactly did magic work in this world? The only kind of power that Hodegos had mentioned was the Visions. So was magic some ability that just those with a Vision could utilize, or could it be learned by anyone? If it was the latter, I'd love to try to pick it up for myself. Maybe I could even get Lisa to teach me.
"Indeed," Lisa stated with a smile, running a finger along the spine of the book in her hand. "They're located in the abandoned Four Winds' Temples. Stormterror's ability to whip up a storm like this can be attributed to it drawing power from the temples."
Favonius… Four Winds… How interesting.
Jean brought out a map and laid it across her desk. She pointed to three different spots.
"Our objective is to deal with three of the temples. I trust everyone understands why we're only dealing with three."
Kaeya, Lisa, and Amber nodded, while I cocked my head to the side in confusion. Glancing over at the other non-Knights, they seemed just as lost as me.
"Paimon doesn't…" Paimon stated with a pout. My urge to give her head pats was rising ever higher.
"Knights of Favonius, Outsiders," Jean's eyes glinted seriously as she stood up straight and tall, "time is against us. The storm is rampant. While no one died or was seriously injured in this attack, we may not be so lucky next time. There is no point in maintaining a defensive position. We must take initiative and act before the situation escalates."
Each of the three Knights made their affirmations known in different ways. Amber saluted with a loud and clear "Right!" Kaeya grinned and gave an almost lackadaisical "Roger." Lisa merely bobbed her head in a simple nod.
We were given some time to prepare, with the plan to meet at the front gate in an hour. Which was great news for me. After all, I wanted to try to get an actual weapon. My stick had been utterly defeated, and I didn't want to send my backup one to a meaningless death as well.
When I asked about this, Kaeya offered to take me to the armory to get something from there. As I followed him toward the office's exit, Lisa waved at me with a coquettish smile.
"See you in a bit, handsome."
My face heated up as my words from earlier came rushing back to my head. Curse my motor-mouth.
Doing my best to ignore Kaeya's snickering, I followed him to a staircase leading down. It led to a simple, short hallway with only a few doors. Kaeya opened the closest one and went inside, with me going in right after.
The armory was surprisingly sparse. Entire sections were void of weapons and armor. What remained were clearly the armaments that had been made for quantity rather than quality. There were little to no differences between pieces of the same type, the natural result of being made by the batch.
I walked around, looking at the different weapons. There wasn't much variety. Longswords and spears comprised the majority, but there were also a few greatswords, halberds, and bows. I ignored the greatswords. While they were fun to use in games, I would definitely need training in order to use one effectively in real life. The bow was definitely an option—Sophia was practically aimbot, so long as it was physically possible to make the shot in the first place. But I needed something to use in close range.
That made the choice between two options: the longsword and the halberd. I passed over the spear. If I was going to use a polearm, I was more inclined to use the halberd and its greater utility. Though, if I chose the longsword, I could free up a hand. That would allow me to use a shield or even mix some Akasha attacks into my repertoire.
Hmm… Considering that the quality of these weapons was probably on the lower end, perhaps it would be a better idea to decide based on which has the best quality. Using [Noesis] and Sophia, that should be a simple enough task.
As I went around the room, picking up each weapon and maneuvering it around to get used to the feel, I conversed with Kaeya.
"So you're a captain, right?" I put down a sword that had a structural weakness in the blade. "Is that pretty high up on the chain of command here?"
"Yes. The Knights of Favonius are separated into ten divisions—well, technically, eleven—with the Grand Master and Acting Grand Master at the top. Each division is then led by a captain such as myself."
Wow. Third highest on the totem pole was no small feat.
"Which one are you in charge of?"
"Second Division, the Cavalry." Kaeya grinned proudly, and it was easy to see why. A cavalry was easily one of the most essential parts of any army. So Kaeya being in charge of Mondstadt's was a clear indication of both his skill and the trust his superiors had in him.
And speaking of those superiors…
"So Jean's the Acting Grand Master, right? Where's the actual Grand Master?"
It was a bit odd that the Grand Master hadn't made himself known at all with a freaking dragon attacking the city.
Kaeya sighed, leaning against the wall. "Grand Master Varka… About half a year ago, he took most of the Knights on an expedition, and they have yet to return. So currently, Mondstadt only has a skeleton crew comprised of the twenty percent he left behind."
I winced. No wonder Jean had been so willing to accept the help of total strangers to deal with Stormterror. The timing for the dragon's attack couldn't have been worse.
Hold on. What if that was the point? Stormterror probably had no way of knowing about the Knights being short-staffed. But hadn't Lisa mentioned that the dragon had been revived or something? Didn't that usually require someone to do the reviving? Was it possible there was a third party trying to use the dragon for its own ends? The timing seemed almost too perfect to be a coincidence.
As I tested the weight of a spear, I contemplated floating the idea by Kaeya. But without evidence, would he even give the theory any attention?
"Hey, Kaeya." There was only one way to find out.
Kaeya listened to my conjecture intently. If he was surprised or shocked, his face didn't show it. Instead, once I finished, he raised a hand to his chin.
"Hmm… It's possible." He remained silent for a few moments. "Well, we don't have enough information right now to confirm or reject your idea, but I'll keep an eye out."
I got the distinct impression that Kaeya knew more than he was letting on. But with how he always carried himself, it was hard to tell whether that was just his typical aura of mysteriousness or something more. Sometimes he seemed more like the captain of a spy corps rather than the cavalry.
Moving past the issue of a possible third party involved in this attack, I needed to hurry and find my weapon.
I eventually decided to go with a halberd, for now at least. It was one of the higher-quality weapons I'd managed to find. Plus, with my lack of battlefield experience, being able to keep some distance between me and my foes would be an incredible benefit. I would have gone with a sword if there were any shields, but there were none that had a really good structure. Later, I would get a good-quality sword and shield and begin training to switch over. Though, with my Akashic Storage, I could very easily use both types of weapons, switching out depending on the situation.
"All right," I said, happy with my choice. "I think I'm good. Let's go meet up with everyone else."
"Hold on." Kaeya held something out; it looked like a pack or something similar. "You should probably take this as well."
I took the item from him and looked it over. What the heck was this?
Seemingly sensing my confusion, Kaeya answered, "It's a wind glider. When you told me your plan earlier, I assumed you had one. Apparently, I was wrong."
I chuckled sheepishly. I was never going to live that down, it seemed. With Kaeya's help, I managed to get the wind glider on pretty quickly. Based on its name, I had a good idea as to what it did, and it probably would be a significant help. Slipping it over my shirt, I ensured the straps were nice and tight. Since there were no buttons or strings, I figured that magic was involved in some form to get this thing working.
Luckily, I had Kaeya. With his instructions, I focused on willing the glider to open. Then, a moment later, a pair of fake wings popped out of the pack. Glancing over my shoulder, I noted that they were nearly identical to the wings I'd seen on Lumine when we were up in the sky.
So this was what that was? Good thing I realized that before I embarrassed myself even further by asking her if she was an angel.
"Technically speaking," Kaeya spoke up as I willed the wings to close, "you're not supposed to really use one of these without a gliding license. But we'll be out of the city anyway. Just make sure to get with Amber when the mission's over. She'll run you through the exam."
I nodded. A chance to hang out with a beautiful girl, sign me up!
The two of us left the armory, heading back out to the streets of Mondstadt. Nothing had really changed since earlier, with the storm just as prevalent as it had been from the moment Stormterror had left. Despite the seriousness of the situation, I felt nostalgic. This reminded me a lot of what it was like just before hurricanes and tropical storms came through the area back home.
When we reached the gate, Amber, Lumine, Paimon, and Yun Jin were already waiting for us. Amber waved to us, and Kaeya gave a lazy one in return. I noticed Lumine boring holes into me with her eyes, as if I was something for her to study. Next to her, Paimon was snacking on a couple skewers of meat and mushrooms, looking almost like a chipmunk as she stuffed her cheeks with each bite. Jean and Lisa were nowhere to be seen.
I went up to Yun Jin, who glanced at my halberd. "I see you found your weapon."
"Yep. Guess this makes us polearm buddies," I said with a grin, gently knocking the butt of my halberd against the ground. Yun Jin laughed lightly into her hand.
"I went to see Bennett," she said, fiddling with her spear. "I let him know what was going on. He's going to be just fine, by the way."
I breathed out in relief. Even with what Kaeya had told me earlier, it was still nice to get confirmation. Then I noticed the look in Yun Jin's eyes and sighed.
"Kaeya told you, didn't he?"
She shook her head. "I saw it while getting someone to shelter. What were you thinking? There's a difference between heroism and recklessness. You could have died!"
I shuffled awkwardly. "Yeah. I know. I just… I saw someone in danger and acted before I had a chance to really think."
Yun Jin's gaze softened. "I understand, but you should be more careful. I was worried half to death until you came into that building with Kaeya."
I tried my best not to, but I couldn't help the wince that came over me. I hadn't thought about that at all.
"I'm sorry," I told her as genuinely as possible. "I can't make any promises, but I'll try my best not to do anything so stupid again. I'd hate to make one of my new friends worry."
Yun Jin smiled before ducking her head down, her ears slightly red. "Thank you. That means a lot."
I smiled as I turned around to look out for the rest of the party. As I did so, Amber let out a gasp of surprise.
"You have a wind glider! Why didn't you use it before?"
I quickly explained to her that I had just received it from Kaeya while we were in the armory. "He also said that you'd be able to teach me how to use this thing when we get back from the mission."
Amber had a slightly smug grin and held her hand high. "That's right! I'm Mondstadt's resident gliding expert! I'll have you soaring like a bird in no time!"
Kaeya coughed something that sounded suspiciously like "repeat offender," and Amber flushed a deep red. Before she could say anything to him, Lisa and Jean arrived. We were now almost ready to set off.
While Lisa would join us, Jean had to stay behind in the city. With the Grand Master out, she couldn't exactly leave Mondstadt while an emergency was still going on.
As for the rest of us, the plan was simple. We'd split into two groups, Kaeya, Yun Jin, and I would be in one and go after one of the temples. Lisa would take Amber, Lumine, and Paimon and deal with another one. After that, we'd rejoin at the third and last temple to deal with that one together. It would just be the six of us with no reinforcement. A larger force would be slower, and it was more important for the soldiers to guard the city with how few people they currently had.
As Jean finished explaining the plan, she looked at each one of us with a serious gaze. "This mission is integral to the safety of Mondstadt. I trust in all of you to succeed. Let the wind lead."
The three Knights repeated the words back, leading to me joining in at a bit of a delay.
And with that, Operation: Stormfall—as I had decided to call it—began.
Who's excited for 3.5? I can't wait for the yearly lore-bomb Dainsleif always brings us; especially since it seems were to learn more about the hilichurls. This will either fit right in with some of my plans, or it will derail them entirely. Also, the Arataki Beetle Battle Royale... I may have some fun with that. Hint: Record of Beetle-rok/Shuumatsu no Beetle.
I thank every single one of you for reading, and I hope that you all have a wonderful day or night. The poll is unchanged, with one vote in favor of genderbending both Venti and Xiao. Also, just a note. As of now, these are currently the only two characters that I even plan on changing the sex of. I only considered them because of the potential character arcs-I have ideas for either outcome for both. So while there is a chance that characters released in the future could be given the same treatment, anyone out now is not.
Finally, for those who are interested, I am instituting a special section that will expound on various aspects of this story. For example: further details on unique abilities (primarily of Zachary, but also for other characters who may gain them over the course of the story), notes on worldbuilding (mainly in changes made to adapt Teyvat from a game to a more "real" place), and other things that may be difficult or impossible to bring up within the narrative. I introduce you to, "Behind the Scenes."
===Behind the Scenes===
First up is the Principle of Sagacity - [Sophia].
As with many abilities, the phrase in brackets [like this] is considered the actual name of the skill. It's akin to furigana (probably one of the coolest aspects of Japanese from a writing standpoint). Essentially, the first part is how it is written while the part in brackets is the "pronunciation," for lack of a better word. Within the story, the name of skills will typically be left in brackets when used. The reason why this isn't the case for [Sophia] is because Zachary considers the skill more like another person since it has a voice. Thus, he refers to it as he would any other character.
As for the name, "Sophia" is the Greek word for Wisdom. However, it also has a special role within Gnosticism-the belief system that Genshin Impact draws many terms from. There, Sophia is one of the emanations (known as an Aeon) of God's light who often brings instability to the world and is usually partially responsible for the creation of the Demiurge. Sophia's descent to the material world and eventual reascension is meant to mirror the Gnostics' own journey of trying to achieve perfection.
[Sophia]'s abilities were given based in chapter two, but it can be essentially thought of a super computer. It has four main components:
Boosted Mentality - This increases the user's mental processing power by 1000%, allowing for faster calculation and rapid thinking in situations that would normally leave no time to think, if one remembers to use it. It does not increase reflexes or physical abilities though. So even if Zachary sees an attack coming and has all the time in the world to think about how to avoid it, he would still require the physical ability to actually dodge it.
Analysis - [Sophia] analyzes a target using all available information and presents it to the user in a useful fashion. Its main limitations are that it is limited to the information available to it, and it is only capably of processing information mechanically. It is unable to understand concepts such as emotion and how they can affect patterns and behavior.
Parallel Processing - This essentially allows the user to focus on multiple tasks simultaneously. A unique application of this skill was used to create the Memory Lockdown mentioned in the previous chapter.
Encyclopedia - Perfect memory. This stores all information that the user comes across and prevents it from being erased. It also works retroactively, salvaging all information that Zachary had ever come across in his past life.
And for now, that's all the relevant information about [Sophia]. See you guys next time!