[Side Quest in Progress: Defeat 100 Hilichurls (3/100) Must use Lösen ]
Lumine sheathed her sword away and had looked up in the direction the black spikes had come from.
She saw the Flügel hovering mid-air, carelessly shaking her right hand as the residual black energy between her fingers dissipated like smoke.
Lumine's hands cupped around her mouth like a megaphone as she stood on her tiptoes and shouted. "Hey! Jibril!"
The blonde had just finished shouting when the Flügel had vanished with a swoosh.
Lumine felt someone poke her right shoulder. She hurriedly turned to take a look but saw no one.
"Where are you looking~"
A smiling voice suddenly came from the left.
Jibril tilted her head as she peeked out from behind Lumine's shoulder. Her pink hair hung down between the two of them and a mischievous light flickered in her eyes.
She gently reached out to brush off the dust that had clung onto the girl during the fight. "How is it? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine…" Lumine looked at Jibril and said with a smile.
Their previous encounter had been too intense for Lumine to take a closer look at her. Only now, with the two of them so close was she able to realize something.
Jibril was very tall, at least half a head taller than herself. While also being completely barefoot... "Jibril, those black—"
[T/L: Holy moly I just did some googling/checking and supposably Jibril is like around 5'10 while Lumine is around 5'2.]
"Traveler!!"
The two turned their heads, both Paimon and Amber were running toward them from the slope.
The fiery-red girl had first carefully checked the campsite before putting away her bow and arrows, looking at Jibril with a somewhat complicated expression.
"Jibril your strength... is immense." As an Outrider, Amber naturally possessed some skill. Yet even her, who was well known for her agility, couldn't even clearly see the Flügel's movements.
It seemed she had only slightly waved her hand and three black pillars had killed the monsters.
"Do you also have a Vision?"
"A Vision?"
Amber looked at Jibril's confused gaze, then turned to Lumine, only to find that she, too, was looking back with a helpless expression.
"It's this... here, take a look." Amber pointed to the red jewel on her waist. "Most people need it to use the elements."
Jibril spread her hands. "I've never seen one."
Lumine also shook her head, indicating she had also never seen one. Helpless, Amber could only cover her forehead and sigh.
"...Forget it. Let's enter the city first. We won't figure these things out right now."
"Wait!"
Under everyone's gaze, Jibril quickly teleported back and forth across the campsite several times. When she reappeared back, she was holding a pile of items.
They were all fragments of Hilichurl masks, along with some arrows that had fallen to the ground.
"Why are you picking these up?" Amber looked at Jibril suspiciously. The latter shoved everything into Lumine's hands.
"Amber, do you desire power?"
"???"
Jibril nodded affirmatively and then signaled Lumine to put the items away. "If you desire power, then they will definitely be useful for you."
While Amber didn't understand, she had still led the group onto the road towards Mondstadt.
Eventually, the group had arrived in front of a stone bridge.
The wide bridge surface stretched as far as the eye could see. There was only one small boy leaning against the side of the bridge and besides him, the bridge was filled with delicious... er- pigeons!
So, Mondstadt's pigeons hunt incoming!!
However, before Jibril could begin her "pigeon collecting" operation, Amber interrupted her with a warning look.
Thus, the Flügel 's first attempt at a pigeon hunt was declared a failure.
"...Jibril? and you said you weren't hungry!" Paimon said angrily, leaving Jibril completely confused.
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"W-Weren't you trying to catch the pigeons just now to roast and eat them??"
Jibril was once again impressed by Paimon's bizarre thought process and weakly gave Paimon a thumbs-up.
She had no response.
Is she really the supposedly Unknown God? How can she be this cute!?
After crossing the stone bridge, the group finally arrived at the gate of Mondstadt.
"Travelers... Let me officially introduce the city of wind, dandelions, and freedom." Amber glanced at Jibril intentionally or unintentionally and then continued her introduction.
"Welcome to Mondstadt!"
"Wow…" Lumine looked up at the towering city walls, her mouth slightly agape.
"Finally, no more having to map outdoors!"
While the group stood there, two Knights had spotted them from afar and performed a standard Knight's salute.
"Outrider Amber!"
"Outrider Amber! your mission is com—com—"
Both Knights stammered as they were unable to finish their words. Both stared at Jibril who was next to Lumine with exaggerated expressions.
Clang—
One of them even dropped his weapon.
"The Anemo..."
"Relax, they are all Travelers from other places."
Amber said calmly. The two Knights exchanged glances, and after sweeping their gaze over the Flügel once more as they seemed to calm down slightly.
"O-Outrider Amber, are you sure?"
"Yes, they're travelers from foreign lands."
After a brief silence, the two guards finally cleared the path under the confused gazes of Lumine and Paimon.
Led by Amber, the group was finally able to enter the city. Jibril even saluted the guards who immediately made an expression that wasn't much better than crying.
"Amber... why are they all reacting so strongly..?" Lumine leaned closer to Amber and asked quietly.
Ever since they entered the city, the surrounding citizens had all stopped what they were doing.
Blacksmiths, Merchants, Knights—everyone had stopped and looked at Jibril. Yet no one spoke.
However, Jibril, the center of all the focused attention, seemed completely unconcerned, merely shaking her head slightly, her two ear feathers swaying gently with the movement.
"We're heading to the highest point in Mondstadt's City. Once we get there... you'll.. understand..."
Lumine and Paimon exchanged glances, but eventually continued walking upward with the unconcerned Jibril.
The interior of the city was even more beautiful than it looked from the outside, but they noticed that besides surprise, the residents' expressions didn't seem very good either.
Everyone looked tired and somewhat restless.
"The city folks don't seem to look too cheery…"
"Ah... Everyone's been put out of place by Stormterror recently. Many trade routes have been closed down and few travelers barely come here now."
The steps slowly receded beneath their feet, and at the same time, a gray silhouette gradually rose from the horizon.
Amber said while leading the way, "Not only the people in the city, but everyone in the Knights of Favonius are also very tired recently..."
The usually energetic girl's tone was briefly subdued but she quickly put on a smile again. "Alright, take a look!"
She stepped aside as she opened her arms. "This is the Plaza of the Anemo Archon and—" Her voice suddenly became solemn. "The statue of Lord Barbatos, the Anemo Archon!"
Brief silence
"Why are you all staring at me?"
Jibril crossed her arms as she felt uncomfortable under the scrutiny gaze of Lumine and Paimon.
Paimon scratched her head, switching her eyes back and forth between the statue and the Flügel.
Suddenly, she flew forward and used her small hand to cover the halo above Jibril's head, instantly realizing something.
"Oh! This statue is you!"
"Huh!?"