Jiang Chen and Lumine discussed their action plan for the future.
After settling various matters, Lumine left.
After all, a single man and a single woman alone together didn't leave much to chat about. Lumine wasn't the type to throw herself at someone so easily. Once the plan was locked in, she went straight back to her room to sleep. She had spent far more time out in the wild than Jiang Chen had, and right now, all she wanted was a really good night's sleep.
After seeing Lumine off, Jiang Chen also turned in for the night.
The night passed uneventfully. The next morning, Jiang Chen's door was knocked upon.
"Jiang Chen, are you awake?"
Hearing the voice, Jiang Chen snapped out of his slumber. He scratched his head, then got out of bed and went to open the door.
Amber was standing quietly outside. She hadn't just knocked on Jiang Chen's door—she had knocked on Lumine's as well.
"Morning!"
Yawning, Jiang Chen greeted Amber.
Seeing Jiang Chen standing there in his pajamas, Amber didn't find it strange at all. Though his hair was a bit messy, he still looked exceptionally handsome.
"Good morning!"
"Jiang Chen, we're going to see Acting Grand Master Jean in a little while. Please get ready."
Amber withdrew her gaze and stated the purpose of her visit. Hearing this, Jiang Chen nodded.
"Alright. I'll go wash up."
As the words left his lips, Jiang Chen's clothes shifted, instantly changing back into the outfit he had worn yesterday.
Seeing this, Amber froze for a second.
Clothes that could be changed at will?
She was so envious. With something like this, wouldn't it be effortless to change into whatever outfit you wanted? How could anyone not be jealous of such a gadget? She really wanted a piece of clothing like that herself.
After observing for a moment, she turned around and walked over to Lumine's side.
Jiang Chen brushed his teeth and tidied his hair before finally joining Lumine. Lumine was already up. She didn't need any makeup—after all, her beauty was completely natural. As for Paimon, she didn't need much either; a quick brush of her teeth and a wash of her face, and she was good to go.
"Let's go!"
Jiang Chen glanced at the three of them. Since everyone was ready, it was time to head out.
Amber and Lumine nodded, and the group headed downstairs together.
"Wait for me!" Paimon hurried to catch up.
They checked out at the front desk, and then Amber led them off to buy a potato pancake.
"I already talked to Acting Grand Master Jean about everything yesterday, so she wants to meet you both."
There were some things Amber hadn't bothered to mention—it felt a bit awkward to ask Jiang Chen and Lumine to verify the truth of certain matters to their faces. But the moment she said that, Jiang Chen understood exactly what she meant.
Lumine turned her head to look at Jiang Chen. *How should we handle this next?*
Noticing her gaze, Jiang Chen gave her a reassuring look. Then, eating as she went, she followed Amber toward the Knights of Favonius headquarters.
As the group arrived at the plaza of the Statue of the Seven, Jiang Chen caught sight of that familiar street-singing fellow.
The corners of Jiang Chen's lips curved upward slightly. In an instant, an idea formed in his mind.
He would sell Venti out later today.
Lumine noticed Venti too, but she kept quiet. Paimon's attention was entirely fixed on food; she paid no heed to her surroundings and didn't see Venti at all.
Watching Venti down there collecting coins and thanking people—the Anemo Archon himself—Lumine fell silent. This guy really was utterly unreliable. In fact, she felt that Jiang Chen's upcoming plan had a very, very high chance of success.
*Hmph, let's pull off something big!*
Having made up her mind, she quickened her pace a little to catch up with Amber.
By the time the group vanished from sight, Venti turned his head to look over. Still, he didn't give it much thought and simply went back to collecting coins so he could go drinking later!
Jiang Chen and Lumine were making contact with the Knights of Favonius, huh? He just hoped they would keep their promise and not expose his identity. Otherwise, he was really going to be depressed. If the people of Mondstadt found out that he, the dignified Anemo Archon, had been reduced to making a living by singing on the streets, their faith would surely collapse.
Bad for the image!
Venti thought this with a deadpan expression, and then... he turned around and headed toward the tavern.
Between comforting Dvalin yesterday and going a whole day without alcohol, he had been suffering terribly. Today, he was going to drink to his heart's content. With that thought, Venti hurried off to buy wine.
***
Jiang Chen and Lumine had no idea what Venti was up to. Following Amber, the group chatted as they walked. Along the way, Amber presented both Lumine and Jiang Chen with a gift: Mondstadt's Wind gliders.
When she pulled the items out, Jiang Chen flatly refused.
"I don't need this. I can fly on my own."
A Wind glider? He had no use for it. It was enough just to give one to Lumine.
"Huh? You can fly?" Amber looked completely bewildered. *For real?* She turned her head and looked Jiang Chen up and down.
"That's right, he can fly. You don't need to give him a Wind glider," Lumine corroborated.
Hearing Lumine say so as well, Amber tentatively believed it. Even so, she insisted on handing the Wind glider to Jiang Chen anyway.
"Just take the Wind glider. This is a gift I'm giving to a friend! Even if you don't use it, you can keep it as a keepsake."
Amber looked at Jiang Chen with an earnest expression, practically radiating the sentiment that if he didn't accept it, she wouldn't consider him a friend.
"Fine! Since you put it like that, I'll accept it."
Since Amber insisted, Jiang Chen didn't stand on ceremony. He took the Wind glider she handed him and inspected it. The thing was essentially an alchemy tool that could be integrated directly into one's body, ready to be activated whenever needed. Right now, shrunk down in his palm, it looked like a pair of palm-sized wings—anyone ignorant of its nature would take it for a toy.
Amber had just pulled it straight out of her Vision. A Vision doubled as a spatial storage item, though it didn't seem capable of holding very much—at most, some small trinkets. Still, one's weapons and a few personal items fit inside just fine.
"Hehe! Once we've seen Acting Grand Master Jean, I'll take you two to learn how to use it."
"You need a gliding license to use a Wind glider in Mondstadt, you know. If you fly without one, you'll get fined."
Amber explained the local rules to them. Lumine silently memorized every word. Jiang Chen didn't need to use one, but she certainly did. If her strength had fully recovered to its peak, it would be a different story; she could fly using her own wings of light and wouldn't need a Wind glider at all. But she didn't have those wings right now, so she had better commit these rules to memory. If they worked in Mondstadt, they would likely apply in other nations too. Learning more could never hurt.
Thus, under Amber's explanations, the group was swiftly led to the Knights of Favonius.
The area occupied by the Knights of Favonius was massive. It wasn't just a single building like it appeared in the game; instead, it was a sprawling district that served as the political nerve center of Mondstadt. A great many knights were stationed here. The reality differed vastly from the game.
With that, Amber led Jiang Chen and the others straight into the headquarters of the Knights.