The moment Barbara’s footsteps disappeared around the corner of the hallway, Soren finally let out a breath of relief and leaned his back further against the cool wall.
Behind him, the heart-shaped tail slipped out from behind his legs and brushed against the back of his hand, as though soothing his tightly wound nerves.
The Church was quiet.
Only the evening sunlight filtering through the stained-glass windows cast mottled shadows across the floor, blending with the faint sounds of distant hymns and creating a strange sense of peace.
Just as he was about to stand up and look around, he suddenly heard footsteps behind him; so soft they were almost inaudible.
A cold mint-like scent accompanied them, like vines suddenly winding around one’s ankles in the dead of night.
“A new face?”
Soren turned his head.
It was Rosaria.
At the moment, she was leaning casually against a pillar, observing him with clear interest.
“I’m Rosaria.
And you?”
As Rosaria spoke, she slowly approached him, her gaze fixed firmly on him as though trying to expose the panic hidden beneath his expression.
“So… Soren…”
Rosaria stopped two steps away from him and didn’t move any closer.
She merely crossed her arms over her chest while her eyes remained glued to him.
That gaze wasn’t exactly gentle.
It felt more like she was examining some curious new object, though hidden beneath it was a trace of awkwardness difficult to notice.
“Soren?”
She repeated the name, her fingertips unconsciously rubbing against the sleeve of her nun’s habit while her tone remained casual.
“Barbara picked you up, huh?
Looking at you, you definitely don’t seem like a local from Mondstadt.”
As she spoke, her gaze swept across the horns atop Soren’s head before shifting away again, as though looking too long would be troublesome.
Yet that brief pause still revealed her curiosity.
Soren tightened his grip on the hem of his clothes and gave a small nod.
“I… I came from a very distant place.
I accidentally got lost.”
Rosaria raised a brow and curled her lips slightly, as though finding his explanation rather uninteresting, though she still pressed further.
“You got so lost you ended up in Wolvendom and fainted there?
You’re pretty useless.”
Her words carried a sting, but the scrutiny in her eyes had disappeared.
Instead, there was now a subtle trace of concern.
Earlier, when she’d seen Barbara helping him into the Church from a distance, his complexion had been pale as paper.
He could barely even stand.
Soren looked a bit aggrieved after hearing that, the tips of his ears faintly reddening.
Behind him, the heart-shaped tail drooped limply as it lightly swept against the floor.
Rosaria caught sight of him like that.
Her lips moved slightly before she turned her face away, speaking in a stiff tone.
“Don’t make that expression.
It’s not like I even said anything that bad.”
She paused, seeming to hesitate for a while before reluctantly adding:
“Sister Maria in the Church is easy to talk to.
If Barbara’s busy, you can go to her if you need anything… And if you decide to wander around outside and get lost again, you can ask passersby for directions.
Mondstadters are at least kind enough for that much.”
“Oh… thank you.”
Soren answered softly.
“Why are you thanking me?”
Rosaria immediately frowned, looking almost burned by the words.
“I was just mentioning it casually so you don’t go wandering around stupidly again later and cause trouble for other people.”
As she spoke, she turned to leave.
After taking two steps, however, she stopped again.
Turning back, she quickly glanced at Soren and tossed out a final:
“Don’t run around.”
Then she disappeared into the shadows of the hallway without another look back.
Even her footsteps grew deliberately heavier, as though trying to conceal something.
Soren stared blankly in the direction she vanished.
This Sister Rosaria felt rather strange.
Even while saying unpleasant things, she still seemed to care about him in subtle ways.
Like a cat covered in thorns that still couldn’t resist drawing closer.
Behind him, the heart-shaped tail swayed, the tip brushing against the back of his hand as though agreeing with his thoughts.
Time slowly passed.
Before long, Soren couldn’t remain seated any longer.
He stood up and headed toward the Church’s front entrance.
“Yeah… I’ll go take a walk.
Even if I don’t have a single Mora on me, just sightseeing isn’t bad either.”
Muttering to himself, he pushed open the doors and headed toward the plaza beneath the Anemo Archon’s statue.
…
Soren slowly walked along the stone-paved road.
The soles of his shoes crushed fallen Sweet Flower petals by the roadside, their soft texture passing upward beneath his feet.
Not far away, the giant windmills turned slowly in the wind.
The enormous blades glowed pale gold beneath the setting sun.
Compared to the version he’d seen in-game, the real sight was infinitely more striking.
Several dried vines curled around the edges of the blades, and every rotation produced soft creaking sounds that blended with the fragrance of wheat carried on the breeze.
There were simply too many vivid details impossible to feel through a screen.
He couldn’t help stopping in place and staring upward at the windmills for a while.
His fingertips unconsciously touched the heart-shaped tail behind him.
The tail rested softly against his leg, its tip swaying in rhythm with the turning windmills as though keeping time.
“Sigh… Even if my pockets are emptier than my face and I can’t even pull out a single Mora, being able to see scenery like this with my own eyes still makes it worth it.”
Soren muttered before continuing onward.
As he passed the bakery, he couldn’t resist glancing several more times at the wheat flatbreads displayed in the window.
Golden crusts sprinkled with sesame seeds.
Warm steam drifting through the gaps in the glass.
The smell made his stomach growl softly once again.
Still, the occasional glances from passersby continued making him uncomfortable.
Some secretly pointed at the horns atop his head while whispering to their companions.
Some children stared wide-eyed at his tail, curiously tugging at their parents’ sleeves.
Subconsciously, Soren hid his tail beneath his clothes and lightened his footsteps.
Yet he also understood-
In a Mondstadt filled mostly with humans, someone with horns and a tail like him resembled a young deer that had suddenly wandered into a wheat field.
Standing out was inevitable.
He tightened his grip on his clothes.
Suddenly, he remembered a place he used to visit daily in the game, and his eyes lit up.
Right!
Why not check out the Adventurers’ Guild?
It’s basically my old daily commission spot anyway.
Maybe I can even meet Katheryne in person; I wonder if the real her still says that whole ‘Ad astra abyssosque’ line all the time.
At the thought, Soren’s steps immediately became lighter as he followed the roadside signs toward the Guild.
As he passed the Cat’s Tail tavern, cheerful music drifted out from inside, occasionally mixed with the bartender’s laughter.
At the flower shop on the street corner, the owner was bent over watering her potted plants.
When she noticed him looking over, she even smiled and waved at him.