Eula and Amber had already found him in the real world, and Kael had honestly been expecting this for a while—every heroine from the other Life Simulations was bound to show up sooner or later.
He hadn't gone looking for any of them, but since he was actually living in Teyvat now, running into them felt almost inevitable.
Still, when he saw Barbara, the shock hit him hard.
If he ranked things by how painful the tragedy had been, Barbara was easily in the top three.
She gave the most, and received the least in return.
The person she loved adored her sister—someone who constantly overshadowed her. No matter how hard she tried, she never got a single response.
All she could do was quietly watch Kael devote himself to Jean, unwavering and heartfelt.
And just when she finally saw a glimmer of hope… she fell asleep, only to wake and learn that the person she loved had already died.
Barbara never even got to see Kael one last time…
Even putting himself in her shoes for a moment felt like too much. From beginning to end, her story was pure suffering—without a single drop of sweetness.
So when Barbara appeared before him now, the stab of guilt in his chest was the sharpest of all.
Kael stood up from the bench before he realized it, frozen as he watched her walk toward him.
Barbara stopped in front of him, her tear-dampened eyes shining so brightly he almost couldn't look directly at her.
"Are you… a messenger of the Anemo Archon?"
"…Huh?"
Her question completely blindsided him. How did this suddenly turn into Barbatos?
Remembering how unreliable Venti had been during their drinking session, Kael sighed and shook his head.
"No… I don't have anything to do with the Anemo Archon."
"No! You do!"
Barbara grabbed both his hands, her grip tight and trembling. "You just don't realize it yet. You're the one the Archon sent to me!"
Seeing the vulnerability in her eyes, and feeling how cold and delicate her fingers were, Kael's heart softened.
If believing that made her feel even a little better, then… fine. He could be that for her.
"Maybe."
"I knew it!"
Barbara's tears spilled all at once, streaming down her cheeks like a bursting dam.
They weren't tears of grief—they shone with hope, happiness, and something painfully fragile.
As she cried, a radiant smile bloomed across her face, almost holy in how gentle it looked.
"I knew the Archon wouldn't abandon me… That's why I met you again…"
She whispered, voice trembling with emotion. "The moment I saw you, my heart finally felt whole again…"
"Please… don't leave me. This time… I'll protect you properly…"
Again? This time?
Barbara blinked, startled by her own words. Why had they slipped out so naturally?
Kael saw the confusion in her tear-rimmed eyes and knew exactly what was happening—her emotions were reacting to feelings from the Life Simulation, even though her memories weren't.
And honestly… it was a blessing that the memories didn't transfer over.
If Barbara remembered everything from that tragic story, with how gentle and innocent she was, she would probably break.
Right now, Kael guided her gently, weaving new memories to replace the old shadows.
He wiped her tears with a tender gesture. "Don't cry. Shouldn't you be happy to meet the Archon's messenger?"
"Yes! I'm very happy!"
Once her emotions settled, Barbara finally realized she had been holding Kael's hands the whole time. Color rushed to her pale cheeks.
But she didn't let go—she lowered her gaze shyly and kept holding on.
"Um… I'm Barbara, a deaconess of the Church of Favonius in Mondstadt. May I ask… your name, Messenger?"
"…Kael."
He knew the title was stuck; she wasn't going to drop it anytime soon.
He just prayed she wouldn't call him that around Venti. That would be social death.
"Kael… Kael…"
Barbara whispered his name like a secret she wanted to treasure, her feelings swirling too strongly for her to hide.
"That's such a beautiful name. Did you come to Mondstadt from the Archon's side?"
"…No. I'm a Traveler from another world. I'm running a meat shop in Mondstadt now."
"Traveler… meat shop…"
Barbara's eyes widened. "Wait—so the person everyone's been talking about, the one who killed the Great Snowboar King, that was you?!"
Whatever she imagined next instantly drained the joy from her face.
"You shouldn't have gone to Dragonspine. That place is dangerous—hunters with years of experience die there! And the Great Snowboar King is incredibly deadly—"
Kael cut in gently, trying to ease her panic. "But I came back safely, didn't I? And even if I got hurt, you're a deaconess—you could heal me."
The blush vanished from Barbara's cheeks. Her face went pale again.
Her whole body trembled with sudden fear. "No… no, that's not it…
There are some wounds… no matter how hard I try… I can't heal them…
I can't protect you…"
Kael recognized that fear immediately—the leftover feelings from the Life Simulation tightening around her.
He quickly soothed her. "Okay, okay. I promise. I won't go anywhere dangerous again. Don't worry."
Hearing his promise, Barbara finally started to calm down.
Then she realized how unreasonable her outburst had been, and she whispered in embarrassment, "I'm not trying to control your freedom… It's just… if you really have to go somewhere dangerous, you have to bring me with you. That way… I can heal you right away…"
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Here's yesterday's bonus chapter! I'll upload all of today's completed PS goals tomorrow, so make sure you keep showering me with those powerstones, okay? And um… did you want extra lemon chapters too? I'll write them myself if you do.