The two—and one mascot—walked along the forest path leading to Mondstadt.
Whether it was the promise of a feast or Yi Chen's natural friendliness, the atmosphere relaxed quickly, and the three became much more familiar in a short time.
As Yi Chen casually brushed aside low branches with Anemo, he turned curiously toward the blonde girl.
"So, Traveler—
you came from a distant world, and your brother was taken away by an unknown god?"
Lumine nodded. At the mention of it, the light in her eyes dimmed slightly.
"At the time… we were trying to leave that world, but an unfamiliar god stopped us.
She took my brother and sealed my power… When I woke up, I was already in Teyvat."
Paimon flew lower, unusually quiet, propping her chin with a tiny fist and putting on a tragic expression.
"Yeah, yeah, it's super sad! That's why Paimon decided to be her guide and help her find her brother!"
Yi Chen stroked his chin. His playful smile faded into something more serious.
"An unknown god, huh… sounds like a huge headache.
Attacking siblings too—that's just dishonorable."
He paused, then looked at Lumine.
"Don't worry."
He patted his chest and flashed his sunny grin again.
"Since you're in Mondstadt now, you're my friends!
Finding your brother? Leave it to me!
I know Mondstadt like the back of my hand, and I've got good connections. If I hear anything about strange gods or your brother, you'll be the first to know!"
It sounded a bit like bragging, but the warmth and sincerity in his voice made it hard not to trust him.
Paimon immediately cheered up.
"Really?! That's great! Mysterious Crash-Landing Man, you showed up weirdly, but you're actually pretty nice!"
Lumine smiled faintly. She knew finding her brother wouldn't be easy—but having another ally was never a bad thing.
"Thank you, Yi Chen."
"No problem!"
They chatted as they walked and soon arrived at Windrise.
The towering Statue of the Seven stood quietly, gazing over the land blessed by the wind.
Yi Chen walked ahead to the statue's base, casually patting the cold stone before pointing his thumb backward at the statue's gentle face.
"Here we've got Mondstadt's Anemo Archon—
Barbatos, the God of Freedom and Poetry."
"According to church legends, he blew away the blizzards, split the mountains, and led Mondstadt to freedom thousands of years ago. Pretty amazing guy."
"But, well… apparently he's been missing for centuries. Probably sleeping somewhere or mooching drinks. Honestly, praying to him is less reliable than praying for me to treat you to a meal."
Lumine gazed up at the statue. Soft whispers seemed to dance in the wind.
Drawn by something unseen, she stepped forward and gently placed her hand on the statue's base.
In an instant—
Gentle, radiant green light rippled outward!
Anemo energy surged joyfully around her, swirling before flowing into her body like a calm stream.
Lumine raised her hand in shock, watching the wind gather at her fingertips. A strange, wonderful sensation filled her.
Yi Chen witnessed the entire process, his mouth slowly falling open.
Then—
He slapped his palm loudly.
"No way! Is this the legendary protagonist perk—
walk around, pick it up for free, touch a statue and get powers, no grinding required, jealousy-inducing, non-luck-player-destroying golden finger?!"
He circled Lumine twice, eyes blazing like he was studying a rare creature.
"Tsk tsk. Incredible."
His exaggerated antics made even the still-dazed Lumine laugh, while Paimon floated up proudly with hands on hips.
"Hmph! See that, Crash-Landing Man! That's our Traveler for you!"
Yi Chen clutched his chest dramatically.
"Waaah… I can feel the world's deep malice toward non-protagonists…
Fine! You have to eat extra later—eat my share of envy too!"
Laughing and chatting, they finally reached Mondstadt's city gate.
When the knights on duty saw Yi Chen at the front, their solemn expressions instantly turned to shock.
His once-decent clothes were now torn, filthy, and soaked with dried blood. His face was smeared with scratches and stains—he looked like a survivor crawling back from a battlefield.
"Y-Yi Chen?!"
A young knight nearly dropped his spear.
"What happened to you?! Were you attacked by monsters?! Should we take you to the Cathedral immediately?!"
Yi Chen glanced down at himself belatedly.
"Oh. Right."
He waved casually.
"I'm fine! Small stuff—don't worry!"
Then he stepped aside, revealing Lumine and Paimon behind him.
"Oh, right—let me introduce you. These are friends I met on the road.
This is the Traveler, Lumine, and this is Paimon. They're visitors planning to stay in Mondstadt for a while."
The knights stared back and forth between Yi Chen's battered state and the completely unharmed newcomers.
This combination made no sense.
Still, trusting Yi Chen, they nodded.
"W-Welcome to Mondstadt.
May the Anemo Archon watch over you."
Paimon waved enthusiastically. "Hello, Knights of Mondstadt!"
Lumine nodded politely. "Sorry for the trouble."
"No trouble at all!"
Yi Chen laughed and led them inside.
"Oh, by the way—if someone has time, tell Acting Grand Master Jean I'm back.
Things are… uh… mostly handled. I'll report in detail later!"
As he guided Lumine and Paimon through the city, the two gate guards exchanged glances, then sighed and smiled helplessly.
"Yi Chen… same as always."