Amos stood before the two of them. She did not bow, but merely gave a slight nod, her movements elegant yet filled with a distant pride that spoke of her status without a single word.
Coppelia, unfamiliar with the specific etiquette of this place, immediately stood up with Columbina and returned the gesture with a nod of her own.
Amos's gaze swept coolly over them, finally settling on Coppelia. Her clear, cold voice echoed in the stone chamber:
"It has been long since Mondstadt welcomed outlanders requesting an audience with my king." Her tone was calm and placid, betraying no emotion. "Since you are such... 'special' visitors, I, Amos, who serves before the throne, shall be the one to receive you."
Inside the exquisite stone hall, Coppelia and Columbina sat on cold stone seats, facing the white-haired woman, Amos, across the table.
"My name is Amos. I serve by the side of the great Lord Decarabian." she began, her voice as crisp as ice. "An audience with my king is no small matter. Before I make the introduction, I must confirm a few things." Her gaze slowly swept over the pair, lingering for a moment on Coppelia's inhuman body and Columbina's otherworldly appearance.
Coppelia met her gaze and replied calmly, "Please, go on."
Amos leaned forward slightly, her fingertips tapping the tabletop. "You two appear travel-worn, yet I take it you are not here seeking shelter?" Her eyes flickered over their relatively thin clothing, which was starkly different from Mondstadt's style. "That attire doesn't look like it belongs to those who have struggled to survive in the north winds and snow."
"That's right," Coppelia said, following her lead and delivering her prepared lines. "We have journeyed across the wilderness specifically to seek out the great power of the Lord of the Gale."
"Is that so?" A faint curve played on Amos's lips, as if she were seeing through a child's clumsy lie. "I'm afraid that is not the whole truth." Her eyes, which seemed to be made of solidified frost, locked sharply onto Coppelia. "Your gaze lacks the fervor and humility of a devout believer. There is only... purpose. Tell me, travelers from afar, what is it about this kingdom that has truly piqued your interest?"
What does 'the fervor and humility of a devout believer' even look like? Is my purpose that easy to see through? Coppelia couldn't understand it at all, but she steeled herself and stuck to the original plan. "We are indeed here out of admiration..."
"Outlander!" Amos's voice turned abruptly cold. She didn't raise her volume, yet her words carried an undeniable pressure. "Before the throne of the gale, lies are blasphemy. If you try to prevaricate any further, I will have no choice but to treat you as assassins sent by Andrius and detain you immediately!"
I can't keep up this act...
"...Alright." Coppelia allowed a hint of exasperation at being seen through to show, deciding to offer a partial truth in exchange for trust. "We came in pursuit of a falling star. More than ten days ago, it streaked across the sky and fell into Mondstadt... it's even said to have pierced His Majesty's indestructible storm wall. That star is of the utmost importance to us."
A glint flashed in Amos's eyes, and she leaned forward half an inch. "Utmost importance?" She seized on the phrase like a hunter finding the trail of its prey. "Why?"
She didn't ask 'what star.' Amos definitely knows about it. Being so close to Decarabian, she's probably even seen the fragment.
"Those falling stars contain a power that is extremely dangerous to humans. They contaminate the land and corrupt life. We have been tracking and recovering them to prevent them from causing a greater catastrophe."
"Oh? A dangerous power?" Amos raised an eyebrow, her tone laced with scrutiny. "And how do you recover them? Perhaps... you could demonstrate for me now." Her words were like bait, trying to lure out more secrets.
Coppelia shook her head. "We are not carrying any fragments, so we cannot demonstrate out of thin air. But if you could take us to see the star for ourselves, we could break off a small piece on site and show you the entire purification process."
"Purification?" Amos suddenly laughed, a cold and confident smile. "As far as I know, that star fragment rests quietly in my king's treasury, and has not displayed any 'harm' whatsoever. Are you... still lying, perhaps?"
Coppelia's heart skipped a beat. Treasury? It seemed the god-king wouldn't give up the fragment easily. And 'harmless'? Judging by her certain tone, the fragment must be controlled by Decarabian through some means, preventing its harmful properties from being exposed.
"Its harm to ordinary humans and the environment is immediate," Coppelia tried to persuade her from another angle. "But for a god of supreme power like His Majesty, the harm might be subtle and slow, not easily noticed, but it is not non-existent. We simply wish to prevent a disaster before it happens."
Amos listened quietly, the last trace of expression vanishing from her face. She slowly stood up, folding her hands before her and resuming the posture of a perfect attendant, but her eyes had frozen over completely.
"Travelers from afar," her voice was placid, yet it carried the unmistakable tone of dismissal. "Thank you for your candor. But I now understand clearly. You are not here to seek an audience with my king, but only to demand the gift bestowed upon him by the heavens."
She lifted her chin slightly. "My king's power is sufficient to command all things in this world; he has no need for the concern of outsiders. Since the star has fallen into the royal city, it belongs to my king. Any designs on it are an act of disrespect toward the Lord of the Gale."
"The city of Mondstadt does not welcome visitors with ulterior motives." She made a 'please' gesture, pointing toward the exit. "You two, please leave. Beyond the storm wall, your own vast world awaits. If you insist on staying, the next conversation you have will not be with me, but with my king's guard."
Coppelia looked at Amos's uncompromising stance and knew that any further argument was futile. She pulled up Columbina, who had been listening quietly all this time, and stood as well.
"We understand," Coppelia replied calmly.
It seems getting the fragment back through peaceful means will be difficult.
...
Coppelia led Columbina out of the city gate, walking slowly along the road within the canyon while pondering the details of their conversation.
Amos said the falling star was a gift from the heavens? The heavens... Celestia... the Heavenly Principles?
The Archon War was about fighting over fragments of the Heavenly Principles, wasn't it? Don't tell me the Heavenly Principles ran out of their own fragments, so they tore down a moon to supplement them?
No, no, that's not right. If these fragments were really from the Heavenly Principles, why did the wolf king seal them when his pack found them before?
In the end, that's just Amos's version of the story. 'A gift from the heavens' is probably just something she imagined.
I'll have to initiate "Plan B": wait for the people of Mondstadt to overthrow the solitary king, and then figure things out.
But... can I really wait for that day to come?
In that story, the existence of the wind spirits was crucial. They helped Gunnhildr establish her faith and assisted the nameless bard in starting the rebellion...
However, the two of them had traveled from east to west and hadn't seen a single wind spirit along the way.
Judging from what Parsifal said earlier, Gunnhildr hasn't encountered the wind spirits yet, nor has she established a faith in the wind.
The nameless bard probably hasn't met Venti yet either... That's right, a storm wall this violent can block anything, so of course it can block the wind spirits too.
At this thought, Coppelia stopped in her tracks, her resolve hardening. If the bard hasn't met Venti yet, then I'll help him meet him. If Gunnhildr can't establish a new faith, then I'll help her establish it...
A chill ran down Coppelia's spine as she considered this.
Don't tell me I've been set up by the God of Time?
"What do we do next?" Columbina asked, seeing her standing motionless for a long time.
Coppelia came back to her senses, turned to face the road they had just traveled, and said with determination:
"We're going into the city of Mondstadt to find a bard and learn a few things."
__
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