"Phew... It finally ran away..." Paimon sighed in relief, watching the fading blue speck disappear into the sky.
"Aaaah! Why did it run away!?"
Completely contrary to Paimon's relief, Gabriela's smile instantly froze.
Her golden eyes stared incredulously at the empty sky. The black longswords floating around her body trembled violently with anger, clashing metal producing a sharp, ringing sound.
"...Gabriela, maybe we should first..."
"Lumine! You wait... Go back first!"
"W-What are you going to do?"
Gabriela's wings suddenly spread to their maximum extent, and black energy rapidly spread through the feathers.
"Today, I must make it understand... what it means to—return the favor!"
Regardless of whether Gabriela was truly angry, her commotion was certainly loud enough to make certain hidden presences cease their silence.
A gentle breeze slowly blew, bringing a tenderness completely opposite to the previous storm.
[The two of you... distinguished guests from afar, could you please spare this child for now?]
Suddenly, an unfamiliar voice arrived.
"Who, who is speaking?" Paimon huddled by Lumine's head, cautiously looking around.
Of course, she couldn't see any figure, including the wind gently circling the group.
[...I cannot show myself right now, but we will meet later, I promise.]
After saying this, the unfamiliar voice gave no further response.
Paimon and Lumine did not know the identity of the speaker, but Gabriela did.
Furthermore, relying on the power of the element Corridor, she could even sense that the other party hadn't left at all, but was still hiding within the surrounding flowing wind.
...If I suddenly disappear, will he immediately panic?
"...Gabriela?" Paimon asked tentatively, looking at the gradually calming Angel.
"Hmm?"
"Should we go down?"
Looking at the Swords surrounding her, Gabriela grabbed the longest one. Her fingertip lightly brushed the Sword spine, wiping across the reflection of her golden eyes.
"...Let's go down, listen to him," the Angel waved her hand and flew to Lumine's side. "Lumine, haven't you noticed you've been floating high up for a long time?"
Hearing Gabriela's words, the Damselette seemed to suddenly realize.
She had been floating high in the sky for over ten minutes relying only on her wind glider, whereas previously, merely gliding to the plaza would leave her breathless.
"Gabriela, are you saying... the other party was helping me?"
"Maybe. Anyway," the Angel pouted unhappily, "that cowardly Stormterror has already slipped away."
"Cowardly"... really?
Lumine looked at the poised longswords beside Gabriela, then recalled the scene of her stopping the dragon bare-handed just moments ago, and silently wiped the cold sweat from her brow.
Soon, accompanied by the Angel, the Damselette glided back to the plaza using her wind glider.
As soon as she landed, she saw Amber rushing over, anxiously grabbing Lumine's shoulder.
"Are you two alright! I saw, uh..." Amber trailed off halfway through her sentence when she noticed the dense circle of Swords surrounding the Angel.
She suddenly realized that Lumine had been accidentally caught up in it, but this person was not.
This person flew up there herself! Maybe she went up to..."Do you like them? Want to take one~"
"No, no thank you..." Amber quickly waved her hand, looking at the cold gleam of the Sword edges.
As an Archer, she couldn't exactly shoot a Sword, could she?
Just as Gabriela was about to force a Sword on her, a sound of "clap, clap, clap" applause suddenly came from afar.
A dark-skinned man wearing an eye patch slowly walked out. His steps were extremely slow, and his face held the expression of someone who had just watched a good show.
"I've long heard... that there is a Traveler who looks very much like the Anemo God. Now that I see it, it certainly isn't His Excellency himself."
The man stood a few meters away, his single eye meeting Gabriela's pupil, revealing undisguised scrutiny and caution.
"After all, with so many weapons surrounding this young lady, it looks like she intends to kill? Are you truly our guest, or..."
"Kaeya!?"
Amber cried out in surprise, interrupting Kaeya's 'casting'.
However, Gabriela thought it didn't matter; since this guy had a dark complexion, no changes in his expression could be seen anyway.
She prepared to needle him.
"Kaeya, you came just in time, Stormterror has started attacking the interior of Mondstadt, we..."
"Wait a moment, Amber."
Kaeya suddenly interrupted Amber, carefully scrutinizing the two young women who were strangers to him. However, rather than looking at Lumine, his gaze was fixed more on Gabriela.
"There are still people here who haven't been introduced."
"Ah... right, this is Kaeya, our Cavalry Captain of the Knights of Favonius."
After explaining to the two of them, Amber turned back to Kaeya.
"These are Travelers from afar: Gabriela, Lumine, and Paimon."
Kaeya listened and observed the two carefully. Lumine returned his gaze with a very polite smile, but Miss Gabriela was different.
...She picked up a Sword, a thin and long Sword.
"Handsome~"
Kaeya seemed unprepared for her opening remark. He looked at the silent Amber beside him, then pointed to himself.
"Me?"
"Of course, there's clearly no second male here," the Damselette said, turning the Sword hilt toward Kaeya and handing it over directly. "A small gift for our first meeting, please accept it~"
"Oh~ Thank you, beautiful lady, I am undeserving."
"It's fine, Cavalry Captain Sir. Amber said she didn't want it..."
A timely cold wind blew past, Kaeya's eyebrow twitched, and he suddenly felt the Sword in his hand weigh a thousand jun.
"...Since she usually uses a bow and arrow, I thought it would be more suitable to give it to you~"
"Haha, I see."
Seeing that Kaeya seemed reluctant to speak, Amber quickly continued introducing the pair's background.
"Miss Lumine came to Mondstadt to search for her biological brother, and as for Miss Gabriela... she is her traveling companion."
After hearing Amber's introduction, Kaeya slowly let out a breath.
"So that's the case. Welcome to Mondstadt, but I regret that it has to be during such an unfortunate time..."
Kaeya looked at the Damselette before him and said with genuine emotion, "I deeply understand the pain of separation from kin, Traveler."
"It's alright..."
"Don't mention it! Once the Dragon Calamity issue is resolved, we will certainly assist you, especially since..."
Kaeya shifted his eyes and looked at the Angel who was counting the remaining weapons nearby.
"You have such a powerful and excellent friend by your side; you will surely find him."
Kaeya sighed slightly and looked up at the still gloomy sky.
"In any case, the citizens we protected witnessed the battle against Stormterror just now. The Acting Grand Master is very interested in you and hopes to meet you at the Knights of Favonius Headquarters."
Lumine looked at Gabriela, who made an unfamiliar gesture. It must mean... approval?
"Alright, no problem."
"Then please follow me!" Kaeya led the way, flourishing his black Sword beautifully.
Taking small steps beside Gabriela, the group followed behind Kaeya, walking toward the depths of Mondstadt.