Amber had no idea that the man who had teased her all night felt no trace of reluctance or loss after she left; instead, he was already hugging his Amber-branded body pillow, falling into a peaceful and swift slumber.
Having broken free from that eye-opening, dreamlike world, Amber now looked with some confusion at her best friend, whose eyes clearly held concern despite her disgusted expression and stubborn words.
“Eula, why are you here?” Climbing out of Eula’s embrace, Amber shook her head.
The massive contrast between the dream world and reality left her unable to react for a moment.
Seeing Amber’s lack of vigilance, Eula felt a sense of exasperation at her friend’s perceived weakness, which manifested in an ill-tempered tone.
“I am the captain of the Reconnaissance Company, and like you, I’ve had many missions lately.
I was just planning to return to the city for rest and resupply when I happened to see your mark in the Whispering Woods.” She had then taken a detour, unable to resist checking on this careless rabbit out of concern.
Of course, the vengeful knight Eula would never voice such superfluous thoughts.
The only reason she hadn’t said “Mark my words, vengeance will be mine” yet was thanks to Amber’s performance this time, which had truly made her a bit angry.
With Eula, if you truly make her angry, she won’t talk about vengeance; she’ll take her revenge on the spot.
However, in ordinary daily interactions—especially when she’s worried about you—Eula always has “vengeance” on the tip of her tongue.
“As for you, why is your vigilance so poor?
I called out to you several times from outside and got no reaction.
I even entered the tent and you didn’t respond; I even shook you for a while.
Are you…
really okay?” Eula found it hard to imagine that her mentor’s granddaughter, her own best friend, and currently the only Outrider in the Knights of Favonius, could be so lacking in vigilance.
Setting aside those mediocre knights in the order—given their usual training levels and performance, Eula wouldn’t be surprised by any pathetic display from them.
But logically, as an Outrider who should theoretically be on high alert, especially in the wild like the Whispering Woods, Amber’s vigilance should have jolted her awake the moment someone stepped into the camp’s perimeter.
Yet she had entered the tent, and Amber still hadn’t woken up— If Amber performed like this normally, she would have been dragged into a cave by Hilichurls as loot long ago, wouldn’t she?
Maybe the little rabbit would have had several litters by now.
Hearing this, Amber rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.
“Ehehe, I…
I had a strange dream.
Maybe that’s the…
reason?” As Amber spoke, she fell silent, staring quietly at her small hands, which had suddenly become fair and devoid of a single callus.
‘No way…’ Ignoring Eula’s worried expression, Amber turned her hands over and over, observing how they had suddenly become even fairer and more delicate than those of a pampered Demoiselle raised in a secluded mansion.
‘So that wasn’t a dream?
It was all real?
The Lord of Dreams, and the future of Mondstadt…’ Though she had been a bit dazed at first, even treating everything from that other world as a strange dream.
But sensing the continuous, vast elemental power within her, the subtle changes in her body, and more importantly, the space she could clearly perceive called the “Game Inventory” along with the various treasures placed inside.
Amber fell silent.
After thinking for a while, the little rabbit, who wasn’t good at thinking, gave up.
Her shoulders slumped as she muttered with a complex expression.
“As I thought, that wasn’t a dream.
Then again, how could a dream be so clear and organized?” “Amber, what on earth is wrong with you?” Unlike Amber, who seemed to sigh over something yet feel relieved by another, Eula was actually a bit frightened by this behavior.
Forgetting her stubbornness, she looked at Amber with concern.
Amber looked at Eula and said very seriously, “Well, in any case, Eula, let’s go back to the Knights of Favonius together first.
I have something important to report.” “Huh?” Didn’t you just head out to start this scouting cycle?
I heard your mission this time was quite heavy.
What?
Are you abandoning your mission without permission?
Grandpa will spank you if he sees this!
However, considering Amber’s current state was indeed a bit off, Eula was inclined to drag this reckless little rabbit back for a check-up.
Their mentor was missing; his granddaughter couldn’t be allowed to have anything go wrong.
Eula didn’t want to find a red rabbit-ear headband stained with unknown filth while clearing out some Hilichurl tribe, Treasure Hoarder camp, or Fatui skirmisher squad in the wild one day.
After helping Amber pack up the temporary campsite, Eula saw Amber hopping over like she’d gone mad.
“By the way, Eula, can you hit me once with your Song of Broken Pines?” “…I may always talk about vengeance, but not that kind of vengeance.” Fine, this rabbit really has something wrong with her head.
In any case, drag her back and let Albedo take a look.
“I’m serious!
Ah, don’t use too much force at first, I’m not actually completely sure…
Hey, Eula, don’t carry me over your shoulder, I’m fine…
Ugh, I’m being serious…” Mondstadt’s Red Rabbit was carried back, grumbling, by the Cryo tsundere.
— (I am the happy dividing line) — “That’s how it is, Acting Grand Master Jean.” Inside the Knights of Favonius headquarters in Mondstadt, an indescribable silence spread among the core members present.
The one causing these battle-hardened high-ranking Knights of Favonius—who thought they had seen everything—to fall into such silence was none other than their lovely Outrider, Miss Amber.
It must be said, Amber had truly dropped a bombshell on them.
Jean, Lisa, Kaeya, Eula, and even Master Diluc, who had been summoned from Angels Share using information Amber theoretically shouldn’t have known.
Except for Albedo on the snowy mountain, who couldn’t rush back in such a short time, with Grand Master Varka leading the main force of the Knights on an expedition, the people present could be said to be the entire administrative class of Mondstadt.
Oh, perhaps a few members of the Church could also be counted as part of Mondstadt’s management.
But out of various considerations, they hadn’t called anyone from the Church this time, especially Jean’s actual sister, a certain Barbatos fanatic.
After a long silence, Jean—who was dressed much more conservatively than in the dream known as the game world—rubbed her temples with a bit of a headache.
“Amber, so you’re saying you accidentally entered an immortal’s dream last night because he took a liking to you, and then he told you about the things Mondstadt will face in the future?
About the Guardian of the East, Lord Dvalin, Lord Barbatos, a blonde Traveler, a white emergency food, cough cough—” Jean’s face was slightly flushed.
Leaning against the office door with arms crossed, Master Diluc took up the conversation expressionlessly.
“Though it sounds absurd, many things align with my intelligence network.
I’m inclined to believe it’s true…
I didn’t expect that bard who’s always busking for wine money to be the Anemo Archon, Barbatos.” “My, my, this is quite something.
Hmm, is it a new storm or a new sun?” Sitting in another corner, propping his head with one hand on the table, Kaeya had an inscrutable expression on his face.
“Hehe, our little Amber is indeed very popular and well-loved.” Standing behind and to the side of Jean, Lisa teased Amber playfully.
Amber rubbed her head sheepishly.
Given that Kaeya and Diluc were present, she was too embarrassed to say that Ren’s ‘liking’ for her might be subtly different and more direct than what everyone imagined.
Also, it wasn’t just her; Acting Grand Master Jean, Lisa, and Noelle—oh, one could imagine Barbara, Eula, Sucrose, and others were likely within the scope of his ‘affection’ as well.
Thinking this, Amber subconsciously glanced at Lisa and Jean.
Seeing their serious, fully-clothed appearance in the real world, Amber couldn’t stop herself from recalling the outfits these two wore in the dream.
Amber’s gaze was clearly noticed by Jean and Lisa.
They were very sharp and sensed from Amber’s look that there were some hidden details—details they probably didn’t want to hear.
But before they could ask, Eula, standing to the side with arms crossed and a grumpy face, gave a cold snort and stood up for her friend.
“Hmph, I know you all find it hard to believe Amber’s words, but there is indeed evidence.” As she spoke, Eula drew her weapon from her back and let the blade slide against Amber’s arm.
Though it was only a light stroke, this was the weapon of a Knights of Favonius Reconnaissance Captain and a titled knight.
To say it could cut a hair is an understatement; such a stroke on human flesh should have immediately drawn blood—right?
“Eula, what are you do— This is?!” Startled by Eula’s sudden action, Jean stood up from her seat instantly.
But seeing Amber’s arm, white as porcelain, not only uninjured but without even a trace left under this legendary Claymore, Jean finally gasped.
This Song of Broken Pines was a weapon from the time of the rebellion against the old aristocrats.
Through the sublimation of legends, it carried the will and memories of countless people.
Its very existence exceeded its original power, making it comparable to a divine artifact on the continent of Teyvat.
Essentially the concept of a five-star weapon in the game.
Currently, it was passed down to Eula, a descendant of the Lawrence clan, but Jean had always felt that having the Song of Broken Pines in Eula’s hands was a stroke of luck—it suited her perfectly.
Cough, getting a bit off track.
In short, for the Song of Broken Pines—a Claymore comparable to a divine artifact—to pass over a seemingly tender-skinned girl’s fair, flawless arm with such a result was a visual demonstration far more direct and shocking than any verbal description.
“I see.
So this is the so-called ‘Locked HP Bar’?
Taking the name literally, it keeps one’s state stagnant, or rather, should it be called being isolated from reality?
I’m not particularly skilled in this area; as expected, we should have Albedo come back to take a look.” On the other side, seeing this scene, Lisa’s expression became much more serious.
She almost instantly understood some of the concepts in Amber’s previous descriptions, and the interest in her eyes was obvious to everyone present.
Eula and Amber exchanged a glance and nodded in unison.
Before entering the city, Amber had already used various means to first convince her best friend Eula.
Now, with Eula taking the lead to prove her point, Amber knew what she had to do.
Amber closed her eyes, awkwardly communicating with the newly appeared Game Inventory.
Then, numerous artifact sets shimmering with golden light—items that existed in legends throughout Teyvat—as well as many weapons radiating a pressure no less than the divine Song of Broken Pines in Eula’s hand, and countless blue teardrop-shaped crystals emitting pure Anemo energy, appeared within the Grand Master’s office.
“Oh?” Kaeya raised an eyebrow.
“…” Diluc frowned.
“I can only recognize half of the artifacts in here.” Lisa, the top student of the Akademiya, admitted she couldn’t recognize all the artifacts Amber had brought out.
“Those weapons…
I can recognize one or two—but even the ones I recognize are legends passed down from the era of the High Tower.” The daughter of the Gunnhildr family immediately recognized the weapon of her ancestor’s former comrade-in-arms, the Amos’ Bow.
As for the other Skyward series sets—well, Dvalin had only just gone mad and hadn’t regretted it yet; naturally, they couldn’t recognize these future weapons.
“By the way, the Song of Broken Pines I’m using now isn’t my original one; it’s borrowed from Amber—because the Song of Broken Pines in Amber’s hands feels more intact, or rather, more powerful.” After all, it was natural and logical for a max-refined, max-ascended weapon to be better than a weathered real-world weapon.
Eula stroked her new weapon, unable to put it down.
For a knight, there was nothing more wonderful than obtaining a new, powerful, and commemorative weapon.
If there was?
Oh, it would definitely be pairing it with equally powerful and commemorative full-body armor.
And preferably adding a noble steed.
Eula could guarantee that if someone truly gave her the ultimate knight’s three-piece set, she couldn’t even promise she wouldn’t marry them.
Even if the person didn’t fit her ‘type’ at all, Eula could still offer a ‘beyond repayment’ package.
Two consecutive proofs greatly strengthened the persuasiveness of the “future” Amber had just introduced.
After all, these powerful items before them weren’t fakes; let alone Amber, even if the entire foundations of Mondstadt’s three great noble houses were combined, they couldn’t produce the precious items seen here.
To put it bluntly, Amber was just a lowly Outrider of the Knights of Favonius.
If someone were willing to spend such a fortune to deceive Amber, Jean wasn’t sure she wouldn’t just pack the little rabbit up and hand her over.
After all, the temptation was simply too great—great enough to significantly boost a nation’s actual foundation.
In Mondstadt’s current weakened state, it was indeed difficult to refuse.
“This is troublesome.” Jean, the Acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius, rubbed her forehead with a bit of a headache.