“You’re going to Dragonspine?!” Amber was startled, her eyes widening slightly.
Her voice even rose a little, drawing the attention of Paimon, who had been quietly focused on eating nearby.
“Yeah.
I’m supposed to deal with a Frostarm Lawachurl.” Stelle nodded and explained her commission in detail.
“Dragonspine is extremely dangerous, and a Frostarm Lawachurl…” Amber didn’t know how to put it.
She knew Stelle had some strength, but against a monster of that level, it wasn’t guaranteed she could gain any advantage.
Someone like Amber, who possessed a Pyro Vision, had a natural elemental advantage against a Frostarm Lawachurl.
Even so, she would still find it difficult to defeat one on her own.
Now Stelle, who didn’t even have elemental power, was planning to take on a Frostarm Lawachurl alone.
How could anyone not worry?
“Stelle, why not change the commission?
There’s no penalty for giving up a task at the Adventurers’ Guild,” Amber urged.
“Huh?
Is it really that serious…” Stelle hadn’t expected Amber to say something like that.
“Is it really that scary?
A Frostarm Lawachurl?” Paimon couldn’t help asking.
She had never seen one before.
“Normally, commissions like this require a team.
Whether it’s a Stonehide Lawachurl or a Frostarm Lawachurl, they aren’t enemies that ordinary adventurers can handle alone,” Amber nodded and explained.
Those monsters were covered in hard Cryo armor.
Their strength and speed were far beyond that of ordinary Hilichurls.
Without Pyro, it would be difficult to even break through their defenses.
Very few people she knew could take down a Lawachurl alone—Diluc, Eula…
all of them were among Mondstadt’s top combat forces.
“Stelle, you really shouldn’t feel embarrassed.
If nothing else, you could at least find a few adventurers to form a team,” Amber added quickly.
The moment she heard Stelle had accepted this commission, she had been extremely worried—especially since it was in Dragonspine, a place where many people never made it back each year.
It was simply too dangerous.
“…I’d rather not.” Stelle hesitated, then shook her head.
She had already accepted it.
There was no reason to back out now.
“But—” “It’s fine.
I’m not that weak.
I may not have faced something like that before, but I’ll definitely be careful,” Stelle quickly interrupted Amber before she could continue.
“Thanks for worrying about me.
I value my life,” Stelle added, reaching out to gently pat Amber’s head.
The feeling was nice, but since those weren’t real ears, it couldn’t compare to Diona’s.
Amber froze, caught off guard by Stelle’s bold action, unable to react for a moment.
Soon, the faint blush that had just faded from her face returned even more vividly.
Fortunately, Stelle quickly realized something was off.
Seeing Amber’s expression, she remembered her own unusual constitution.
She casually withdrew her hand as if nothing had happened.
Everything looked completely natural, as if she had simply done it out of concern for Amber.
“Then…” After a long pause, Amber spoke with a flushed face, “You have to be careful.
Don’t push yourself.” Her voice was as soft as a mosquito’s buzz.
If they hadn’t been sitting so close, it would have been impossible to hear.
“Mm, don’t worry.
I’ll come back safely!” Stelle patted her chest and assured her.
“Tomorrow we’ll hear what the Knights of Favonius have planned.
If there’s nothing urgent, we can go find Stelle,” Paimon whispered to Lumine.
“Yeah, I was thinking the same,” Lumine nodded.
She wasn’t worried about Stelle’s strength, but having more people around would always reduce the risk of accidents.
Dragonspine was a bit far, but that wasn’t a problem for her.
After all, she could use teleport waypoints.
For some reason, it seemed like she was the only one who could use them.
Early the next morning, Stelle packed her things.
In truth, she didn’t have much.
Most of it had been insisted upon by Amber, just in case.
For example, hot food.
In a place like Dragonspine, having warm meals or finding a heat source was far more useful than simply wearing more clothes.
Besides that, Amber had stuffed in emergency signaling devices, a detailed map of Dragonspine, and more…
Luckily, Stelle could store things conveniently, much like how she kept her bat, otherwise it would have been difficult to carry everything.
People in this world seemed to have similar abilities, so Amber didn’t find it strange.
“Alright, I’m heading out,” Stelle said after checking everything, turning to Amber.
“Mm, I’ll walk you out of the city.” “No need.
Don’t you have things to do today?
You should head to the Knights of Favonius,” Stelle shook her head.
Amber might not have left early today, but that didn’t mean she was free.
The Knights of Favonius were holding a meeting about the dragon storm, and Amber had to attend.
“But—” “Don’t worry,” Stelle said again, smiling gently.
“…Alright.” Standing by the door, Amber still looked worried.
“If you run into danger, make sure to run.
Dragonspine isn’t like other places.
Any mistake there could be fatal.” “Mm, I know.” Stelle nodded seriously as she looked at Amber standing in the doorway.
For some reason, she felt a strange sense of déjà vu.
It was almost like a newlywed wife seeing her husband off to the battlefield…
And in stories like that, the husband usually didn’t make it back.
“I’ll be back in three days, whether I complete the mission or not.” Stelle shook off the strange thought and estimated the round trip time before making her promise.
“Okay.
I’ll be waiting,” Amber said, her tone a little unusual, her gaze carrying emotions Stelle didn’t dare interpret too deeply.
“Then I’m off.” Stelle waved and set off toward the city gates.
Amber remained standing at the door.
Even long after Stelle’s figure had disappeared from view, she still hadn’t moved.
Only after a long while did she finally come back to her senses.
Shaking her head slightly, suppressing her worries, Amber turned and headed toward the Knights of Favonius.
No matter what, she had already made up her mind.
If she didn’t see Stelle in three days, she would set out to find her herself.
On top of that, she would also ask the adventurers stationed near Dragonspine to keep watch for any accidents.
“Please come back safely, Stelle.”