Jibril looked at the suspicious gazes of the group. She used her wing to push Paimon aside and looked toward the statue herself.
The statue held its hands cupped in front of it, two braids protruding from beneath the hood, and its eyes closed.
Behind the not-so-large body were spread wings, and the texture of the stone-carved feathers shimmered with a bluish-gray luster in the sunlight.
So where's the resemblance? Is it because of the wings??
"It doesn't have a halo."
"If you wanted to carve a floating rock, wouldn't it be... quite difficult?" Lumine also moved closer, carefully examining Jibril's face.
The Flügel was sweating profusely.
"I just arrived here!"
"Mondstadters... haven't seen the Anemo Archon for a long time."
Amber didn't let Jibril off the hook either; rather, her eyes held a hint of expectation.
"I... I heard the Anemo Archon is a man..."
"Why do you dare assume a deity's gender?" Paimon asked in confusion.
A gentle breeze blew past as it lightly stoked Jibril's hair, yet she seemed to feel some inexplicable malice.
"Then I ask you. Are you male or female?" Jibril suddenly grabbed Paimon fiercely.
"..."
"I'm asking you. Are you a male or female?"
"J-Jibril.. please wait." Seeing that the Flügel was already preparing to chew on Paimon's head. Amber quickly tried to intervene.
But it was useless. She had reached her breaking point and decided to "attack" Paimon.
Lumine, Paimon is no longer your emergency food. She's now my emergency food!
"Ahhhhhh!! Traveler, please save Paimon!"
"..."
"Wuwuwu..."
Lumine looked at the Flügel who had just pulled a few strands of hair out of her mouth and Paimon who was crying and burrowing into her arms. The blonde helplessly looked over at Amber.
She might look like the Anemo Archon but she's unlikely to be the Anemo Archon.
"Ptooey! Ptooey! Amber, if you truly believe I am the Anemo Archon..."
Amber and several passersby on the street also happened to stop, all looking at Jibril with hope.
"...Then give me 500 Mora and after I eat two fried eggs, I'll take you to solve the Stormterror problem."
Amber looked at the Flügel's outstretched hand and a drop of sweat slowly trickled down her forehead.
She is probably not the Anemo Archon....
Lord Barbatos... even during a "private visit." Surely wouldn't be unable to produce 500 Mora right? There's no way??
"Sorry Jibril...." Amber sighed softly. She looked up at the Statue of the Anemo Archon. "Everyone is just... missing Lord Barbatos..."
"It doesn't matter. If you need me to be, I can be."
Amber: ???
Seeing the girl's brain crash, the Flügel smiled proudly as she showed off her noodle arms.
"I mean.. in terms of fighting power while I might not be the Anemo Archon. I believe I have some power."
Heavenly Strike bombing Slimes—that's the power part.
"There's no need Jibril." Amber refused quickly.
"If Lord Barbatos has not appeared. Then the Knights of Favonius should naturally bear the responsibility instead of pinning their hopes on travelers from afar!"
Seeing the girl's determined gaze, Jibril said no more as she only offered an encouraging smile.
"...Alright, let's not talk about such heavy topics!" Amber returned to her previous energetic self and clapped her hands toward the group.
"Oh right! Since you've helped me deal with the Hilichurl camp. let me give you a present!"
The moment Paimon heard there was a gift involved her eyes lit up with excitement.
"What is it? What is it?"
"Uh... Paimon won't be needing it." Amber thought of something and suddenly looked at Jibril's wings.
"It's fine Amber! No big deal."
Amber scratched her head sheepishly, "Th-Then I'll treat you to Sticky Honey Roast tonight! It's delicious, you'll definitely love it."
Paimon nodded as she smiled. "Of course!"
"...Alright then. The promised gift is a wind glider!"
"Wind glider?" Lumine looked at the slightly drooping wings behind Jibril and seemed to understand why only she needed them.
"Outriders use them to ride the wind and the people of Mondstadt love using them!" Amber explained.
"Actually, the reason I brought you here was to give it to you so that you can experience it right away... Hehe..."
Perhaps seeing Jibril own wings again, the girl smiled sheepishly.
"Anyway, Lumine, hurry and try it... With a wind glider, you can fly too!"
Watching Amber leading Lumine toward the high platform, Jibril also reached behind her and gathered her wings in front of her.
White and soft feathers squeezed out between her fingers and she could faintly feel the power embedded within—that was the elements (Spirit Corridor) operating naturally.
'System...'
[Yes.]
'I want to dye my wings green~'
[??????]
Just as Jibril was routinely teasing the System and being scolded fiercely by it. The other two were ready for takeoff.
"Jibril..."
The Flügel looked up as Lumine was standing on the steps and waving towards her.
Was she asking her to come over?
"I'm coming!"
Jibril didn't use her teleportation but instead slightly flapped her wings and flew to Lumine's side.
"Lumine, what's wrong...?"
The blonde did not answer. She simply shook her head and looked at Amber nearby.
"Alright, watch me demonstrate first." Amber adjusted her hair accessory and took small steps to the edge of the stone fence. "Focus your mind, use your imagination, and let the wind become your wings...!"
Amber leaped as she spread her arms and a pair of wings with blue-green patterns appeared out of thin air behind her.
However, instead of flying, she glided.
"Alright, Lumine, Amber is asking you to try now."
Jibril pointed at Amber who was already over at the commercial district and was continuously waving at them. But instead she was pulled by the blonde beside her.
"Jibril... can you come with me?"
The Flügel looked at Lumine but the blonde's eyes were not meeting hers.
So she deliberately did not answer but neither did she grab the blonde's hand.
It was not until Lumine's cheeks were slightly flushed, her lips trembling, and her fingers slightly loosening. She took a step closer and firmly grasped the blonde's hand.
"It's just a wind glider. If you want, I can fly with you."
"Okay..."
The surrounding Anemo elements seemed to surge, gathering behind Lumine.
But the more immediate feeling was the warmth from the palm of her hand, as if a surge of courage was slowly lifting her up. She carefully looked at the Flügel's face and then looked down.
"Let's start Jibril. I-... I'm ready!"
Paimon was cheering them on from behind. But since she didn't need a wind glider and floated in the air. Talking while flying mid-air didn't bother her at all.
Lumine took a deep breath simultaneously then pulled Jibril's hand as she jumped straight down.
The sound of the wind rushed past their ears, but before long, Lumine was successfully able to deploy her wind glider.
Looking at the scenery below, the blonde no longer felt any fear but instead shouted happily.
"Jibril! Is this how the ground normally looks like to you?"
Looking at the blonde's happy expression, Jibril felt embarrassed to tell her that she hadn't flown many times herself.
Furthermore, factually speaking, direct teleportation is much less difficult than flying.
"Yes! Stop talking... I can only hear the wind!"
Once they were relatively close to the commercial street, Lumine's body had started to shake. She wasn't sure if it was due to this being her first time or because of her stamina bar being depleted.
Therefore, Jibril circled behind Lumine and wrapped her arms around the blonde's body. As she gently guided her downward.