The two gate guards hurried briskly toward Amber and her group.
“Miss Amber, are you alright?!” one of the guards called out anxiously.
They had noticed from a distance that Amber was limping heavily and clearly nursing a severe injury.
“I’m fine, just took a bit of damage,” Amber replied.
“This won’t do, Miss Amber.
We’re taking you straight to the Favonius Cathedral,” the other guard insisted.
Amber checked her own wounds and didn’t put up a fight.
“Here, help support her,” the guard said, turning to Lumine.
“Mmhmm,” Lumine nodded.
The guard gently took Amber over from Lumine’s side.
“By the way, Miss Amber, who is this?” the other guard asked, casting a curious glance at Lumine.
He could tell at a single glance that Lumine wasn’t a local of Mondstadt.
“This is the Traveler.
Oh, right—one of you should stay behind and show her around the city!” Amber instructed.
“B-but…
if one of us leaves, the gate…” The guard hesitated.
After all, someone still needed to stand guard at the gates of Mondstadt.
“I can do it!” A gentle, earnest girl’s voice suddenly chimed in.
Every head turned toward the source of the sound, including Eve’s.
A young white-haired girl clad in plate armor over a maid’s dress was walking toward them.
“Ah, it’s Noelle!” Amber’s face lit up with unexpected joy.
“Allow me to introduce myself.
I am Noelle, a maid of the Knights of Favonius.”
“Please, leave showing the Traveler around to me!
I can handle anything,” Noelle said softly with a warm smile.
“Thank you so much, Noelle.
I’ll leave her in your capable hands!” Amber said gratefully.
“Rest assured, Senior,” Noelle replied, placing a hand over her chest.
“Mmhmm.” Amber nodded, thoroughly relieved.
Although Noelle wasn’t an official knight yet, her exceptional reliability was something everyone in the city acknowledged.
Entrusting the Traveler to Noelle gave Amber absolute peace of mind.
“Oh, Lumine, I’ll come look for you once my wounds are healed.
I have a special gift I want to give you,” Amber told Lumine before leaving.
“Alright, make sure you focus on resting first,” Lumine replied.
“Don’t worry, these scratches are nothing.
I am an Outrider of the Knights of Favonius, after all!” Amber beamed reassuringly.
As Amber was assisted away by the guard, the other guard returned to his post.
“Hello, outland traveler.
Welcome to Mondstadt,” Noelle greeted Lumine with enthusiastic hospitality.
“Hello, Noelle.
My name is Lumine,” Lumine introduced herself in return.
“It’s a pleasure, Lumine.
Oh, and who might these two be?” Noelle asked, her gaze drifting down to Eve on the ground and Paimon hovering in the air.
They’re my traveling companions,” Lumine explained.
“I see!” Noelle smiled gently.
“Then shall we get going?
I’ll give you a tour of Mondstadt first,” Noelle said, executing a crisp, polite knightly salute.
“Lead the way,” Lumine nodded faintly.
To avoid causing a commotion, Lumine scooped Eve up and cradled her in her arms once more.
After all, Eve technically fell under the classification of a monster.
Even so, as they walked through the streets, they drew more than a few lingering gazes.
Fortunately, the mere presence of Noelle seemed to deter any intrusive stares.
Eve ignored the attention entirely, keeping her eyes peeled as she took in every detail of Mondstadt.
The architecture here definitely carried a different aesthetic compared to Sumeru.
As they strolled through the city, Noelle chattered away, pointing out various landmarks and sights.
When the topic eventually drifted to Mondstadt’s local cuisine, Paimon’s eyes lit up like twin lanterns, and she immediately began scanning the surrounding streets.
Noelle’s meticulous, thorough explanations made her look remarkably like an overly attentive mother hen.
Then again, that was simply Noelle’s nature.
She was utterly incapable of turning down anyone’s request—which was perhaps precisely why she still hadn’t managed to pass the trials to become an official knight.
With a personality like hers, it would be far too easy for critical secrets to slip out to enemies.
Yet because of that exact warmth and sincerity, the group grew comfortable around Noelle in no time at all.
“Noelle, how come it feels like everyone in the city…
is in such low spirits lately?” Paimon finally voiced the question that had been nagging her.
“It’s likely because everyone has been worrying about Stormterror recently,” Noelle answered every question with earnest readiness.
“Stormterror?
You mean that giant blue dragon?” Lumine asked.
“Yes, that’s the one.
Oh?
How did you know?” Noelle asked, blinking in surprise.
“We saw it flying across the sky on our way here,” Lumine replied.
“Ah, I see,” Noelle nodded.
“Wait, Stormterror?!
Doesn’t that mean things are going to get super dangerous?” Paimon chimed in anxiously.
After all, she had witnessed firsthand just how terrifying the dragon could be.
Eve remained silent, focusing entirely on sensing the ambient currents around them.
Just moments ago, she had vaguely felt a subtle shift in the wind direction over Mondstadt.
It felt distinctly like the precursor to Dvalin’s intrusion.
“But as long as Lady Jean is here, nothing bad will happen,” Noelle declared with immense pride.
“Lady Jean?” Paimon tilted her head.
“Amber kept mentioning her ever since we met.
Just what kind of person is this Jean anyway?”
“Acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius, and the Protector of Mondstadt.”
well, she’s my…
role model…” As she spoke, a soft blush crept across Noelle’s cheeks.
Paimon immediately put on a knowing, *I-see-how-it-is* expression.
“With Lady Jean watching over us, we will surely overcome even disasters on the scale of Stormterror!” Noelle stated proudly.
Listening to Noelle’s words, Lumine thought to herself, *I hope she knows something about the Anemo Archon!*
After chatting for a little longer, Lumine suddenly heard someone calling her name from above.
“Lumine…”
She immediately raised her gaze.
A pair of gliding wings was strapped to Amber’s back as she swooped down toward them.
“Amber?” Lumine gasped in shock.
A moment later, Amber touched down gracefully right in front of them.
“Whoa…” Paimon stared at the wings, her eyes practically sparkling.
“Hehe!
Lumine, little Paimon, little Eve—we meet again!” Amber said playfully.
“Amber, how are your injuries healed already?” Lumine immediately started inspecting Amber from head to toe.
“Senior, are you alright?!” Noelle chimed in with deep concern.
“Don’t worry!
Barbara over at the Favonius Cathedral has incredible medical skills.
Minor injuries like mine are patched up in no time,” Amber smiled reassuringly.
“That’s a relief,” Lumine nodded.
“Oh, right, right!
Amber, what was that gift you mentioned earlier?
Do I get a share of it too?” Paimon asked eagerly, hovering close.
“Uh…
that’s not really something little Paimon can use…” Amber scratched her head, chuckling awkwardly.
“Aww…
why not…” Paimon drooped, crestfallen.
“However!
I *will* treat you to Mondstadt’s signature dish tonight—Sticky Honey Roast Carrot!
And yes, little Eve gets a portion too!” Amber added quickly.
That single sentence reeled Eve’s attention right back in.
While she didn’t strictly *need* food to survive, who didn’t love a good meal?
Especially when someone else was footing the bill and she didn’t have to spend a single Mora!
“Yay!” Paimon and Eve cheered in unison.
“Come on, follow me first!
We’re heading to the highest point in the city!” Amber announced.
“Senior, could it be…” Noelle had already guessed what she had in mind.
“Shh…
A proper gift has to be kept secret until the very end to be fun!” Amber playfully pressed a finger to her lips.
“You’re right, Senior,” Noelle smiled.
This only piqued Lumine’s curiosity even further.
Following Amber’s lead, they made their way toward the highest tier of Mondstadt.