"Wow, Collei, you're amazing! You found another one!"
Amber's eyes were filled with admiration as she watched Collei pull out a mechanical bird from a hidden corner. Initially, Amber had thought that her new friend, whom she had just met yesterday, was only offering to help as a cheerleader. But to her surprise, Collei was even more efficient than her, almost instantly spotting the mechanical birds hidden around Mondstadt.
"Uh... just luck," Collei replied, avoiding Amber's gaze with a hint of unease.
She felt guilty because she had been the one to place these things under Bai Luo's orders, so of course, she knew where they were hidden.
Today was the day of the Windblume Festival, and Bai Luo still hadn't restricted her movements, allowing her to roam freely around the city.
Although Jean had dispatched additional personnel overnight to deal with the mechanical birds, it still wasn't enough, so even Amber, a reconnaissance knight, had been sent out to help.
Compared to Amber's lively personality, Collei seemed a bit more reserved.
However...
Watching Amber, who was hopping around like a little rabbit searching for the mechanical birds, Collei couldn't help but feel a sense of envy. Would she ever have a day as bright and cheerful as Amber's?
After the efforts of the first day, she no longer felt uncomfortable when people looked at her with curious eyes. Thinking back to the past... whenever she entered a city, she was always met with disgust and rejection. These curious glances seemed almost acceptable in comparison.
Just as Bai Luo had once told her, this was the free city of Mondstadt, a place without war or conflict, where there was no need to be wary of others.
Laugh when you want to laugh.
Cry when you want to cry.
But...
"Cry?"
Collei looked mockingly at her bandaged body. After her mother's death and the start of her wandering life, she had already cried all her tears and decided she would never cry again.
"Ah—"
The two of them, who had been searching for the mechanical birds 2.0 on the walls of Mondstadt, were suddenly drawn to a commotion.
"The... the Fatui?"
Seeing that the disturbance was coming from the direction of the Fatui, Collei felt an inexplicable sense of tension. Perhaps she hadn't expected that she would ever feel nervous for the Fatui.
Chains of black fire shot into the sky, piercing through several Fatui members and burning them to ashes. This strange black fire seemed to have an insatiable hunger for life; once it touched you, there was little chance of survival.
Amid the shouts of the Fatui guards, a figure with icy blue hair leaped from the crowd, climbed onto the city wall, and jumped into Cider Lake outside, disappearing without a trace.
"Let's chase them!"
Although the strange figure had attacked the Fatui, as a member of the Knights of Favonius responsible for maintaining order, Amber immediately decided to give chase.
Mainly because she thought the icy blue hair looked familiar. Could it be...?
Collei didn't think too much and followed Amber as they jumped down the wall.
Unbeknownst to her, the Preacher she had been searching for all these years appeared among the Fatui just as she leaped off the wall.
After the Preacher extinguished the black fire, the Fatui members who had been entangled in the flames were reduced to ashes, and even those who had tried to help put out the fire suffered varying degrees of injury.
Looking at the burn marks, the Preacher frowned slightly.
He had indeed come for the black fire, but this black fire was distinctly different from the Blackflame Serpent mentioned in the intelligence. Could it be...?
Ordering his subordinates to clean up the scene, the Preacher didn't involve himself in the Knights' accountability process, as that was more Bai Luo's job. His task was solely to deal with the black fire.
Gazing in the direction where the blue-haired figure had fled, a thoughtful expression crossed his face.
...
Outside Mondstadt, a young boy with a satchel slung over his shoulder held a book bearing the emblem of the Sumeru Akademiya, muttering something under his breath.
He wore a peculiar robe, and his hat had two jackal ears sticking up. His white hair peeked out from under the hood, as if it too was curious about this free city.
His appearance was unique, reminiscent of the legendary Anubis, though compared to the god who guided souls, the boy lacked the aura of death and instead exuded a scholarly air.
Someone dressed like him would usually attract a lot of attention in Mondstadt, but during the Windblume Festival, visitors from all over the world arrived, many dressed in strange and exotic ways, so he didn't stand out too much.
"You there! Stop!"
A sharp cry made the boy instinctively look up, only to see a blue-haired figure wearing an owl mask dart past him.
Beneath the blue hair, there was a faint hint of fiery red.
After the blue-haired figure ran past, two girls who appeared to be around his age chased after them. One carried a bow, while the other held a fruit knife, clearly trying to catch the blue-haired person.
"Hmm?"
When the girl with the fruit knife and bandages wrapped around her body passed by him, he seemed to sense something.
His research at the Akademiya focused on gods and medicine, and although the girl's god residue was suppressed by some force, he could still detect it.
Moreover... the distinct scent of the disease. Could she be the girl mentioned in the letter who needed help?
"How is it?"
A voice suddenly rang in his ears, startling the boy and making him immediately assume a combat stance.
When did they get here?
Although he tended to zone out during his research, he should have noticed if someone had been standing next to him.
"Relax, I'm the one who invited you here."
Bai Luo removed his mask, revealing a gentle smile. If this were the modern world, he would look no different from an ordinary college student.
But the boy didn't let his guard down.
Members of the Fatui usually bore the organization's insignia, and Bai Luo was no exception.
His insignia was on his sleeve, with faint golden patterns adorning his black coat. It wasn't very noticeable, but the symbol representing the Fatui was impossible to miss.
"Where is she?"
The jackal boy asked warily.
If this Fatui member knew his identity and the purpose of his visit, there was something strange about him. Could she already be...?
"If you're talking about Lisa, she should be in the library. Once you enter the city, just ask any Knight of Favonius, and they'll take you there."
Now that the boy was here, Bai Luo wasn't in a rush. Let little Collei enjoy the Windblume Festival first. After that... everything would come to an end.
Putting his mask back on, Bai Luo prepared to follow the mark on Collei to catch up. If he stayed too far away, the remnants of the god within Collei would become active again.
He was afraid something might go wrong.
"Her condition is very bad."
Looking at Bai Luo, who had put his mask back on, the boy spoke.
If the girl suffering from the disease was indeed the person he was here to save, then it wouldn't hurt to inform this Fatui member.
"The remnants of the god have spread throughout her body. Her condition is worse than I imagined. Perhaps... the possibility of completely purging it is slim."
The boy closed his book, the shadow of his hood obscuring his face, making it impossible to see his expression.