The Sage Who Accepted Her Pact
Mondstadt City.
Located in the northeastern reaches of Teyvat, this free city-state sat between mountains and plains.
The winds of freedom carried the scent of dandelions across Cider Lake, delivering Barbatos' gentle blessings to the island city.
Five hundred years had passed since the calamity.
Its scars had long faded, and under the leadership of the Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius, Mondstadt once again flourished after stumbles, hardships, and growth, it regained its lively, invigorating charm.
Morning arrived.
Within moments, the once-quiet streets burst into activity.
City gates opened, the drawbridge descended, merchant caravans passed through, and adventurers began heading out.
Among the adventurers, one petite girl stood out immediately.
A young maiden with brilliant golden hair, tied into twin tails with black ribbons.
A purple ribbon at her collar added a hint of playfulness, her dark-laced dress fluttered elegantly, and her mismatched violet stockings emphasized her youthful figure.
Her expression was dignified, chin raised proudly, though her left emerald eye was hidden behind a black eyepatch.
"Oz, mein Gefährte… spread your wings that blot out sun and moon, and seek out the one who shares with me a bond across three lifetimes!"
With that mystical proclamation, the black night raven perched on her shoulder answered in a calm, human voice:
"As you command, my lady."
He ascended into the sky, surveying Mondstadt from above.
To outsiders, such a scene should have been shocking.
But to Mondstadt citizens, it was already commonplace.
People greeted the girl—Fischl—with amusement and fondness.
Her lofty speech never annoyed anyone; instead, her adorable earnestness brought smiles.
Soon, Oz returned.
"My lady, that esteemed one appears to still be at home. If you go now, it will be perfect."
"Well done, Oz. Remember to recount to my illustrious mentor our valorous battle last night—how we cleaved through brambles and triumphed over nameless abominations!"
"…Yes, my lady."
She strode through the crowd, responding to greetings:
"Hey Fischl, any good finds yesterday?"
"Heard you got into a scuffle with the Knights during your investigation?"
"Fischl, don't roam at night! Especially not Wolvendom—wolves and monsters run rampant there."
Fischl answered those concerns with polite, if cryptic, responses.
When teased, she snapped back instantly with indignant, dramatic flair.
Her strength was no joke: the Adventurers' Guild relied on her scouting skills often.
Her reputation, however, traced back to several years ago…
When she was younger, her obsession with the "Prinzessin der Verurteilung" stories grew to the point where she became the protagonist in her own mind.
Her parents tolerated it as childish fantasy—until she turned fourteen.
That day, her parents firmly shattered her illusions.
Fischl ran away in heartbreak… only to meet a young man who patiently listened to everything she said, encouraged her dreams, and even accepted her identity as a "princess from another world."
That night, her Vision and Oz appeared.
Since then, she often visited the man she reverently called "The Sage."
For who else could mentor a Prinzessin, if not a sage?
Walking past the fountain and reaching the plaza, she approached a cozy two-story house near the Cathedral—her Sage's residence.
Pushing open the small garden gate, she knocked.
"From the lands of everlasting night I descend!
Prinzessin Fischl von Luftschloss Narfidort summons thee, O Wise Sage!
Praise my arrival!"
Inside the elegant white home.
Hearing her familiar voice, the house's master slowly awakened.
"She's early today…"
Luo Li sat up, turning to the peacefully sleeping woman beside him.
Makoto's long violet hair spilled over the sheets like liquid silk, her serene face glowing softly.
Awoken by his movement, Makoto opened her hazy amethyst eyes, the blanket slipping to reveal her flawless collarbone and snow-white skin.
"…Is it little Fischl?"
Her voice was sweet with drowsiness.
Luo Li brushed aside the hair covering her face and nodded.
Even after four or five years of living together, he never tired of her gentle sleeping expressions.
"I'll go see her. Get a little more rest."
"Mhm…"
Makoto nuzzled into his hand like a pampered cat.
The once-majestic Electro Archon acted like a soft, affectionate wife before him.
Luo Li couldn't help thinking: no accomplishment—not even founding Old Mondstadt—compared to this.
After dressing, he headed downstairs.
Through the window's sheer curtains, Fischl's silhouette could be seen waiting in the garden, whispering hurriedly to Oz.