"...Tch."
Fischl watched Lumine and Paimon leave the cathedral, arms crossed, cheeks puffed out, violet eyes narrowed in visible dissatisfaction.
"Humph. So today's royal promenade was but a vain detour — even the thread of destiny was rudely interrupted." She flicked her golden hair with tragic dignity, then pointed toward the cathedral doors. "For this Prinzessin and my fated retainer Kairo to be halted here, squandering most of the afternoon… such conduct is truly detestable."
"You mean we came all the way out just to turn back?" Kairo glanced sideways at her, smiling.
"Naturally!" Fischl raised her chin, snorted again, and wore the very picture of an aggrieved ojou-sama. "We should have been enjoying a languid afternoon, yet were delayed by mortal trifles. A regrettable turn of fate!"
Kairo chuckled. On the surface she was sulking, but he didn't quite agree — if they hadn't come, he wouldn't have triggered the Pela choices and wouldn't have gotten the new path skill [Icepoint Shot].
But he didn't say that.
Instead, his gaze fell on Barbara beside them.
The little deaconess was blinking her sky-blue eyes in honest confusion, totally not following Fischl's "royal complaints."
"Eh? W-What does that… mean?" Barbara tilted her head, golden twin-tails swaying. She looked so cute it almost hurt.
"Nothing serious." Kairo laughed, stretched his arms like he was finally off duty, and said casually, "Since things are wrapped up, why don't we go to Good Hunter and grab afternoon tea? We're already out."
"Eh?"
Barbara froze for a heartbeat — clearly surprised.
Kairo smiled at her. "Barbara, wanna come too?"
That did it.
The girl's eyes widened a little. She clearly hadn't expected him to invite her. Her gaze swept over Kairo — the relaxed smile, the easy air, that strange mix of "I can carry a dragon fight" and "I don't take myself too seriously." Just looking at him made people… relax.
Her cheeks pinked.
"T-Then… is it okay? Would that… be alright?"
"What wouldn't be?" Kairo was genuinely puzzled. "You've been working non-stop in the cathedral. Even deaconesses need to slack off sometimes."
Barbara bit her lip.
The "proper" Barbara told her to go back and keep working; the girl Barbara… kinda wanted to go.
She glanced at him again — at that calm, reassuring face.
"…O-Okay." She nodded, voice small, like a kitten mewing. "I-I'll go."
"Hmph." Fischl turned her head away with a very "I'm not jealous" hum, arms still crossed. She didn't object, though — in fact, she even looked a little smug, like: See? This is what it means to follow the Prinzessin on a city tour.
So — the three of them left the cathedral and walked down Mondstadt's sun-warmed stone streets toward Good Hunter.
It was the coziest time of the afternoon.
Golden sunlight poured through the restaurant's windows, splashing across wooden tables and chairs, leaving a patchwork of warm light. The air smelled of roast meat, fresh bread, and black tea with fruit — the smell of Mondstadt on a peaceful day.
Kairo picked a seat by the window.
Outside, townsfolk were still talking animatedly about "the dragon crisis being over," kids were chasing pigeons down the plaza, vendors shouted about apples and dandelion wine. Inside, it was mellow, slow, safe.
Barbara sat down very carefully, hands on her knees, smoothing her skirt like a good church girl who'd never skipped work before.
Kairo noticed.
"Barbara… this isn't your first time ever coming to Good Hunter, right?"
"Mm…" Barbara's cheeks got even pinker. She nodded. "I usually just… buy something and go back to the cathedral. To sit down and have afternoon tea like this… it's the first time."
Kairo couldn't help laughing.
Fischl, meanwhile, lifted her cup with great ceremony. "Hah. To think that the songstress of Mondstadt has yet to fully taste the mortal world's delicacies — truly a gap in destiny."
Barbara was amused by her chuunibyou and laughed too; the stiffness in her shoulders finally melted.
Very soon the waiter brought their tea and pastries.
Barbara cupped the warm porcelain, took a tiny sip — and her eyes lit up. "It's sweet!"
"This place does Mondstadt-style fruit black tea," Kairo said. "Sweet, but not heavy."
Fischl swirled her own cup, eyes satisfied. "For our royal promenade to end in such refined flavors… this too is the will of fate."
Barbara watched the two of them banter, then smiled. Maybe… relaxing once in a while really wasn't a bad thing.
Kairo suddenly remembered something.
"Where's Oz?"
Because normally, wherever Fischl was, that chatty, wing-flapping night raven was there too.
But today — not even a feather.
"—Pff!"
Fischl had just raised her cup to sip.
The moment she heard "Oz," her hand trembled and she almost spilled the tea.
"Ahem, ahem."
She coughed twice, then instantly put on her imperial face, violet eyes a bit evasive, golden hair flicked back.
"Oz… ahem." She paused, clearly searching for a sufficiently grandiose line. Her pretty face tinted the faintest red. "Oz is my loyal familiar. Today… he is on an urgent astral inspection, traversing the void to observe the starry tracks of destiny."
"So he is not by my side today."
Kairo blinked, clearly entertained. "Oh?"
Fischl's gaze darted for half a second — then she doubled down, tapping the table lightly like a queen giving orders.
"A familiar of the Prinzessin simply must serve faithfully. As my left and right wing, Oz naturally has heavy duties. Today he was ordered to inspect the night sky to maintain inter-world balance."
Kairo's smile only got wider.
Because he knew.
This girl had obviously… deliberately sent Oz away this morning.
After all — if Oz had been around when she barged into his room, hauled him out of bed, and then… stayed the whole morning… the raven would have been making snarky comments non-stop.
She did not want a live commentary.
So she'd shooed him off.
"Really?" Kairo leaned back, chuckling. "But Oz is your 'shadow of fate,' isn't he? Shouldn't he be with you at all times? Why is he 'busy' today?"
"U-Uh…"
Fischl's delicate fingers froze.
"T-That…" She quickly changed lanes, lifted her chin and huffed, "Hmph! The threads of destiny do not intertwine at every instant. Even a royal wing must sometimes walk alone and face destiny's trial!"
"Today, I walk this river of fate alone, awaiting the storm and the revelation it brings."
…Translation: I just wanted to be alone with Kairo, okay?
But of course she would never say it like that.
She even looked away, cheeks a little hot, muttering, "Foolish mortals can't understand the ways of the Prinzessin."
Kairo laughed outright. "Alright then. Since Oz is off inspecting the stars… Her Highness can drink tea with me today."
Fischl's eyes fluttered.
Then she hummed again, the corners of her lips curling. "Since destiny has arranged it so… I shall reluctantly bestow upon you two this moment of radiance."
Barbara, meanwhile, was just…
(…did I crash a date?)
She sipped her tea quietly.
At the same time — over at Windrise.
Lumine finally found Venti.
The green bard sat beneath the great tree, letting the wind play in the leaves.
"The wind between trees here… it's nice. Smells like things I like," he sighed. "Last time I said that, my luck was bad too. Why is it every time I say it, something goes wrong?"
"So… what's a Gnosis?" Lumine asked straight away.
Venti glanced at her, then chuckled softly. "You noticed, huh."
He leaned back, looking up through the branches. "That's not something we usually tell ordinary people. But telling you… should be fine."
"You know Visions, right? External magic organs for the few. They use them to guide elemental power."
Lumine and Paimon nodded.
"Every person chosen is, in a way, someone qualified to become a god. We call that a 'Genshin.' With that, they can reach Celestia."
"Genshin…?" Paimon blinked. "Never heard that term before."
"Because it's something only gods talk about. Anyway — we don't need Visions. Instead, our magic organ resonates directly with Celestia — that's the Gnosis."
Lumine's eyes swiveled to his waist. "So the one you hang there is…?"
"Ehe. Just a glowy marble. To avoid dumb suspicion."
Lumine: "…"
Paimon: "Then that scary woman who blew me away and stole your Gnosis — who was she?!"
"La Signora," Venti said. "Eighth of the Fatui Harbingers. Every Harbinger is like that — given power by the Tsaritsa, far beyond mortals."
"The Tsaritsa… so, the Cryo Archon?" Paimon swallowed. "That's… a god, right?"
"Yeah. One of the Seven, ruling in Snezhnaya. All the Harbingers answer to her only." Venti's voice lowered. "The Seven don't always get along. But I didn't think she'd really start… collecting other gods' Gnoses."
"What kind of god is the Cryo Archon?" Lumine couldn't help asking.
"Well…" Venti scratched his cheek. "I knew her five hundred years ago. I don't know the current her. After that disaster five hundred years back… she cut all ties."
He waved it off. "Anyway — you're going to look for the Seven, right? Then next you should head to Mondstadt's neighbor — Liyue. Their Archon isn't like me; he rules his country directly. He only descends once a year during the Rite of Descension to give guidance."
"W-Whoa." Paimon gasped. "Even like that, he still works way more than a certain Archon."
"Ehehe…"
Venti looked a tiny bit guilty.
"This year's Rite should be soon. Maybe even earlier. You can ask in Mondstadt." He added, "Solving Dvalin didn't take too long. You can still stay in Mond for a bit and you won't miss Liyue."
"What about you?" Lumine asked. "What will you do?"
"Be a bard, of course." Venti grinned. "Traveler — when you set off again, remember the journey itself."
"Teyvat's birds, poems, city-states; the Tsaritsa, the Fatui, the monsters… they're all part of the trip. The ending isn't everything. Before you reach it, use your own eyes — see this world."
Lumine nodded seriously.
And when Venti mentioned Kairo…
"About that guy… I didn't know he wasn't from Teyvat either — found out just these days." Venti shrugged. "His powers are like yours — not from this world. If he's with you, the road will be much easier."
Lumine and Paimon both nodded at once.
They hadn't traveled with him for long.
But Kairo's "if something happens, he'll fix it" vibe… was already carved into their impression of him.
If Kairo could travel with them… that would be perfect.
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