The wind in the room shifted, bending to Eula's will.
It gathered before her, forming into a faint green blade of air—only to dissolve a heartbeat later, leaving no trace.
Eula lifted her head, staring blankly at Xia Zhi. "Mr. Xia… why is this happening?"
"Hm?"
"Why can I control the power of wind?"
"Because this isn't just some ordinary unclaimed Vision. It's a Vision blessed by the Anemo Archon. No matter who carries it, they can use it to summon the power of Anemo."
"!!!"
Eula had never once heard of such a thing.
She lowered her gaze to the Anemo Vision in her hand. It looked no different from any other, yet her heart trembled in awe.
Lord Barbatos actually left behind a relic like this?
This was leagues beyond the Holy Lyre der Himmel in the Church of Favonius!
Hesitating, she asked softly, "Mr. Xia… where did you find it?"
Xia Zhi shook his head. "That's not important. What matters right now is you."
"…"
Eula fell silent, then said with uncharacteristic seriousness:
"As you said, if I can wield Anemo in front of everyone, they'll believe the Archon Himself has acknowledged me. But that also means I'll forever be branded as someone who wields two Visions. In other words, I'd have to carry this Anemo Vision with me at all times…"
Xia Zhi nodded. "Naturally."
"But it's not mine. It belongs to you."
Her eyes locked on him.
"If you're only lending it for tomorrow, fine. But if I carry it with me from now on, then I've essentially taken full ownership of it. This is a priceless treasure. Are you really willing to hand it over so easily?"
Xia Zhi smiled. "Of course. The moment I gave it to you, I had no intention of taking it back."
"Why?" she whispered.
"Because we're friends, aren't we?" he said softly.
Friends…
Something stirred in Eula's chest—strange, warm.
She tightened her grip on the Vision, then suddenly pressed it back into his hand. Her voice was quiet. "Then I can't accept it."
"Why not?"
"You don't have a Vision yet, do you, Mr. Xia? I think you need it more than I do."
"Me?"
"You'll be traveling to other nations soon, right? No one knows what might happen on the road. If you keep it with you, you'll be that much safer."
Through the crystalline lenses of his glasses, Xia Zhi studied her earnest expression. She was truly thinking of him.
But he didn't take the Vision back. "You don't need to worry. I have Adeptus Cloud Retainer by my side. Even if something happens, I'll be fine."
Eula shook her head. "Adepti aren't omnipotent. You can't put all your hopes on her. In the end, relying on your own strength is safer."
"You really won't take it, Miss Eula?"
"I can't."
Xia Zhi mused aloud. "So your answer is you can't, not you don't want to. Which means… you do want it. You're just waiting for a reason strong enough to convince you. Am I right?"
Eula didn't reply.
Of course she wanted it.
Who wouldn't want more power? Another Vision meant control over another element.
Even aside from the 'redemption plan' Xia Zhi mentioned, such strength would help her immensely in hunting monsters.
But she wasn't greedy. She had her pride, and she couldn't shamelessly accept something so valuable.
And as his friend, she truly wanted Xia Zhi to keep it for his own safety.
Xia Zhi sighed. "Then there's no helping it."
He took the Anemo Vision back. At once, the mysterious bond she'd felt with the wind was gone.
A pang of loss flickered through her, but she didn't regret it.
"If you won't take it, then we can't go through with the plan."
"It's fine. Even without Lord Barbatos's recognition, I'll change everyone's view of me with my own strength."
"That's no easy feat. You've tried before."
"That was because I hadn't fully severed myself from the clan. Tomorrow, during the trial, I'll make it official."
"No regrets?"
"No regrets!" Eula declared firmly.
Xia Zhi chuckled. "Really, none at all?"
As he toyed with the Vision in his hand, another suddenly appeared—this one a deep, earthen yellow. A Geo Vision.
The two orbs clicked together with a sound like glass marbles colliding.
Eula's eyes were drawn to them. She stared, momentarily forgetting his question. "Mr. Xia… that one…?"
"What?"
"The thing in your hand—what is it?"
"As you can see, a Geo Vision."
"It's just an ordinary unclaimed one, right?" she asked cautiously.
He shook his head. "No. This one was blessed by Morax Himself. Whoever carries it can wield the power of stone."
"!!!"
Eula fell silent again.
Finally she murmured, "That can't be…"
"You don't believe me?"
"It's not that—I just…"
But her words cut off.
Xia Zhi had already pressed the Geo Vision into her hand.
The instant it touched her, that same strange familiarity bloomed inside.
She willed it—
And a stone pillar erupted from the ground at her feet.
Her eyes went wide.
This was…
Geo.
Xia Zhi held up the Anemo Vision, summoning a playful breeze that brushed her cheek. The cool touch jolted her back from her shock.
"You've felt it, haven't you?" he asked gently.
She swallowed hard, staring at him with conflicted eyes. "…Yes."
"Then you believe me now?"
"I do. This really is a Vision that lets anyone use Geo."
Until today, she'd never imagined such a thing was possible.
An unclaimed Vision anyone could use freely?
It made her think of the Fatui's Delusions.
She'd heard rumors from Inazuma—soldiers of Watatsumi Island lured into wielding those foul devices, only to meet tragic ends.
But she had carefully checked herself. Her life force hadn't drained at all. This power came at no cost.
It was nothing like a Delusion.
If there was any explanation, it could only be divine blessing.
"Miss Eula," Xia Zhi said, "I wasn't planning to show this one. But to convince you, I had to. Geo is best for protection. With it, you don't need to worry about my safety on the road. So… is that reason enough?"
Eula gave a helpless little smile. "Enough…"
"Then our plan tomorrow can proceed as we discussed?"
She nodded. "Yes."
He tilted his head playfully. "If I took back my offer now, would you regret it?"
Eula flushed. "Probably… yeah."
Xia Zhi laughed. "You're remarkably honest, Miss Eula."
She admitted openly, "In front of a friend, there's no need to hide things, is there?"
"Fair point."
She handed the Geo Vision back to him. "Then how did you even get this one?"
"That? …Not really important, is it?"
"You just said friends shouldn't hide things, didn't you?" she teased, a spark of mischief in her voice.
Caught in her trap, Xia Zhi chuckled. He hadn't expected the proud, aloof noblewoman to have such a sly side.
"All right, fine. You know Yiyan Hall?"
"I do. The shrine in Liyue that honors the Geo Archon."
"I picked it up there."
"Then Mr. Xia is truly lucky."
"Not me."
"Hm?"
"I run a shop in Liyue, right next door to the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. You know them?"
"Yes. The parlor that handles funerals."
"You're well-informed. Anyway, because we're neighbors, I became close friends with one of their consultants—Zhongli."
"…Zhongli?"
"He found this Vision at Yiyan Hall. Since he already has a Geo Vision, he gave it to me."
"I see…" Eula nodded thoughtfully.
"And the Anemo Vision?" she asked. "Where did that come from?"
"That involves another close friend. You know him too."
"Huh?"
"The famous bard of Mondstadt—Venti."
"Wha—?!"
"He found it somewhere outdoors. And since he already has an Anemo Vision, he passed it on to me."
"…I see."
Eula wasn't entirely convinced.
How could treasures like these just be lying around waiting to be picked up?
But she didn't press further.
He'd given her an answer, and whether it was true or not… didn't really matter.
What mattered was that he was willing to entrust such treasures to her.
That kindness was worth more than the Visions themselves.
The strange warmth in her chest swelled stronger.
She had so few friends.
Her family was a cage she couldn't fit into.
Never in her life had she met someone like Xia Zhi—someone who treated her kindly, without conditions.
Kinder even than Amber.
Just like in the novel he'd written, where the male lead was endlessly good to the heroine.
Wait… was that really unconditional? Or just lust dressed up as devotion?
"Miss Eula? Miss Eula?"
"Ah? Mr. Xia?"
"You spaced out just now."
"No, I was just thinking about tomorrow."
"Oh."
Through the glass lenses, Xia Zhi noticed her cheeks were tinged red. Clearly, whatever she'd been thinking had nothing to do with the trial.
But who could guess a girl's thoughts?
They chatted a little longer.
Eula drained her teacup and set it down. "Then tomorrow's settled."
Xia Zhi nodded. "Right. You're not busy today?"
She shook her head. "No. I'm still on leave. I was planning to work part-time at the alchemy shop, but the family trouble pulled me away yesterday."
"Then how about lunch together?" he suggested.
She didn't hesitate. "All right."
With the serious talk over, the quiet between them felt strangely awkward.
Eula rose. "The pet shop's recruiting today, isn't it? I saw lots of people applying outside. They must be swamped. I'll go help."
Xia Zhi chuckled. "If you don't mind. Thanks."
"It's nothing. We're friends."
With that, she left the room.
Xia Zhi was alone now.
He looked at the Anemo and Geo Visions on the table and smiled faintly.
Then, reaching into his inventory, he pulled out several more smooth orbs—Electro, Dendro, Hydro, and Pyro Visions.
Of course, they weren't real.
They were glass spheres he'd carved the night before.
He'd etched divine script onto them, turning them into gold-tier items.
Their effect: [Automatically grants the wearer mastery of all spells up to tier three in the corresponding element].
In practice, they worked almost no differently from genuine Visions.
Xia Zhi nudged the glass orbs with his fingers, thoughtful.
Then he took out his phone and sent Venti a message, briefly explaining tomorrow's plan.
The reply came instantly: Ten bottles of Rainbow Wine!
"Deal."