Clap. Clap. Clap.
A slow, unhurried round of applause suddenly came from around the corner of the street.
A dark-skinned young man wearing an eyepatch over his right eye strolled into view, rhythmically clapping his hands together.
"My, my. To possess enough power to repel a dragon head-on... That was quite the eye-opening display."
There was a subtly probing edge to Kaeya’s voice as he continued leisurely, "Travelers from afar, are you honored guests of Mondstadt... or perhaps the fuse that will ignite the next storm?"
"Kaeya, do you have to talk like that? You sound like you’re interrogating criminals!" Amber protested irritably, immediately coming to their defense.
"We’re simply passing through as guests. I certainly wouldn’t want some little misunderstanding between us to sour diplomatic relations between Inazuma and Mondstadt."
Kamisato Satoru calmly put his black blindfold back on.
The Six Eyes were powerful, but the sheer amount of information they processed was overwhelming. Wearing the blindfold allowed him a little peace and quiet.
"For the young master and young lady of the Kamisato Clan to visit Mondstadt at such a troubled time... I can’t say it was the wisest decision."
Kaeya’s tone was serious, his gaze repeatedly moving between the siblings.
Kamisato Satoru merely shrugged.
"It couldn’t be helped, O Great Ice-Bridge Adeptus. Inazuma is sealed up tighter than a drum right now. We went through quite a lot of trouble just to get out and see the world."
"’Great Ice-Bridge... Adeptus’?"
"Who exactly is that supposed to be? Me?"
Kaeya was completely baffled by the bizarre nickname he’d never heard before, practically covered in question marks.
What kind of ridiculous nickname is that? It doesn’t suit my image in the slightest.
"Of course I’m talking about you. Look, you’ve got a Cryo Vision hanging from your waist, and the Cryo aura around you is ridiculously strong. Obviously, that means you can easily create a thick layer of ice over the surface of the water."
"If you wanted to, with your skills, walking across the sea for days and nights wouldn’t be a problem. If it weren’t for those terrifying thunderstorms surrounding Inazuma, you might actually be able to walk all the way back to your old home in Inazuma on a path of ice."
Kamisato Satoru delivered the complete nonsense with an utterly serious expression.
"Walk all the way back to Inazuma?"
"I’d have to be out of my mind to spend my time stepping across blocks of ice in the middle of the ocean..."
The corners of Kaeya’s mouth twitched.
Even if I froze the sea nonstop without eating or sleeping, I’d probably run out of elemental power before I got anywhere near Inazuma and sink straight into the ocean to feed the fish.
It wasn’t as if he were some monster with an infinite supply of energy.
"Pfft—hahahaha!"
Amber couldn’t hold it in any longer and burst out laughing.
She had to admit, Kamisato Satoru’s description was surprisingly fitting. Kaeya really did use that trick quite often to help members of the Knights cross rivers.
"Oh, right! Kaeya, you always keep one eye covered. Does that eye have some amazing secret hidden inside it too?"
As though she’d discovered something incredible, Paimon curiously floated closer to Kaeya.
After seeing Kamisato Satoru’s absurdly powerful Eyes of Heaven earlier, she’d naturally started assuming that every man wearing an eyepatch or blindfold was secretly some hidden powerhouse.
"Nothing like that. It’s just an ordinary eyepatch."
Kaeya smiled and shook his head.
Of course, he knew exactly what Paimon was thinking. After all, even someone as accustomed to extraordinary sights as him had felt his heart tighten when Kamisato Satoru revealed those eyes earlier.
...
"Well, that’s enough small talk. Although Mondstadt is going through difficult times, allow me to welcome all of you on behalf of the city."
"Every citizen must have witnessed your heroic efforts against the dragon amid the destruction just now. Our Acting Grand Master, Jean, is quite interested in meeting you and would like to invite everyone to the Knights of Favonius Headquarters for a chat."
Listening to Kaeya’s flawlessly smooth delivery, Kamisato Satoru couldn’t help marveling inwardly.
As expected of Mondstadt’s second-greatest smooth talker, surpassed only by Barbatos himself. With a pitch like that, there’s practically no way to refuse.
"No problem. We were planning to go introduce ourselves anyway."
Lumine readily nodded.
Amber and Kaeya then took the lead, guiding everyone toward the imposing Knights of Favonius Headquarters.
"Well, well. This should be my second time walking through the Knights’ doors. What a coincidence."
Kamisato Satoru muttered somewhat sentimentally.
Still, when he thought about getting to see the elegant and dependable Acting Grand Master Jean again, along with the famously alluring "Witch of Purple Rose," Lisa, he couldn’t help feeling a little anticipation.
"Come on, let’s hurry! We shouldn’t keep the Acting Grand Master waiting! I can already smell the Sticky Honey Roast!"
Paimon impatiently urged them onward from midair, every bit the incorrigible little glutton.
"All right, all right, we’re coming. Honestly, Paimon, food is the only thing you ever think about."
Lumine helplessly shook her head as she followed behind.
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