Hello! This is Gabriel, and I'm back to posting on the regular schedule now that the exam period is over. I hope you enjoy this chapter!
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As the conversation unfolded, Aether and Paimon barely noticed time passing. Before they knew it, Amber returned from the report she had given to the guards at the main gate, allowing the group to finally enter Mondstadt.
Following the large flow of people, the young scout guided the travelers through the bustling main street of the city. Aether, observing attentively, noticed various stalls and shops exchanging monster materials for mora, the official currency of the continent. Amber explained that mora, besides being a creation of the Geo Archon, had unique properties that made it valuable for both commerce and personal strengthening.
Curious about the currency, Aether asked Amber for a moment to exchange some rare materials he had gathered during his brief solo adventure in Teyvat, before he met Paimon and began his current journey. Speaking of the fairy, she took the opportunity to fly around and look for food stalls to observe.
After Aether sold his spoils, Amber resumed the tour, introducing several places of interest. Mondstadt's main street seemed endless, full of life and culture. Among the places they visited, two caught the attention of Aether and Paimon: the Adventurers' Guild and one of the city's most famous restaurants, the Good Hunter. The Guild was one of the most imposing buildings in the city, offering missions and commissions to adventurers in exchange for generous rewards. Aether realized that becoming an adventurer would be an excellent way to earn mora without too much effort.
As for the Good Hunter, a renowned restaurant, it was the highlight for Paimon. The little fairy floated around the place, enchanted by the smell of the food coming from it. It didn't take long before she insisted that they visit the restaurant later. Aether, sharing the same desire for a good meal, agreed, but he knew he would need to bring a good amount of mora to cover Paimon's expenses.
"Well, this is where I say goodbye," Amber said with a sincere smile, looking at the duo.
"Thank you very much for guiding us and for the explanations about the city," Aether returned the smile, making Amber blush slightly. She quickly regained her composure, but the brief moment of shyness did not go unnoticed.
"Yes! Paimon also thanks you for guiding us!" The small fairy puffed out her chest, trying to appear more serious and imposing. However, the effect was the opposite, and the attempt to seem authoritative only made her more adorable. "Paimon is so grateful that she'll forgive you for pointing an arrow at us!" she added with an exaggeratedly serious expression.
Amber let out a shy giggle, touching a strand of her hair. "Sorry about that."
"That's alright, Amber," Aether replied gently. "It was a natural reaction, given the circumstances." He stepped closer and, in a quick motion, cupped his hands together. A greenish-blue light began to emanate from his palms. "Here, a gift of thanks."
With a soft glow, the light in Aether's hands began to take shape. Within seconds, a brooch in the shape of a bunny, tinged with Anemo energy, materialized. He handed the creation to Amber.
"I originally wanted to make it red, but I don't have full control over Anemo energy yet," Aether shrugged with a smile.
Surprised and charmed by the gift, Amber held the brooch delicately. "Thank you, Aether. It's beautiful!" she said, her cheeks flushing again.
"This brooch isn't just decorative," Aether continued, with a more serious tone. "It has a practical purpose. I noticed your work is risky and involves long distances, so I created something to help. Just infuse a bit of your elemental energy to activate it."
Curious, Amber followed the instructions and channeled her Pyro energy into the brooch. Immediately, a light, warm aura enveloped her body.
"Wow! I feel... lighter!" Amber exclaimed, surprised by the sensation.
"That's one of the effects of the brooch," Aether explained. "It reduces stamina consumption and also speeds up recovery."
Amber looked at the brooch, impressed. "This is almost like an artifact..." she murmured, before carefully storing the gift. "Thank you again."
"You're welcome," Aether smiled, satisfied with her reaction.
"Well, since you're new to the city and don't have a place to stay, how about I recommend a place that's affordable and has excellent facilities?" Amber suggested enthusiastically.
"Paimon thinks that's a great idea!" the little fairy exclaimed, nodding in approval.
"That sounds great to me," Aether agreed, matching Paimon's enthusiasm.
Amber let out a sigh of relief, but for a brief moment, Aether noticed a hint of hesitation in her eyes. "I have a friend named Eula who is renting out some great houses. Since you mentioned you don't plan to stay in Mondstadt for long, it could be a temporary arrangement."
"That sounds perfect," Aether replied, though he noted the slight tension in Amber's expression. He wasn't sure what might be causing it, but for now, he was more focused on organizing their plans and addressing their hunger.
"Amber, how about you go find your friend while Paimon and I sort a few things out? We'll meet you at the Hunter's Feast later."
"That's fine with me!" Amber agreed. "We'll meet there at the next church bell chime, okay?"
"Deal." Aether responded with a smile before bidding farewell and heading towards the bustling main street with Paimon.
Walking through the busy streets, Aether and Paimon stopped at a food stall where they bought chicken and mushroom skewers. Enjoying their snack, they leisurely strolled past various shops until they reached the Adventurers' Guild building. With determined steps, they approached the reception desk.
"Ad astra abyssosque! Welcome to the Adventurers' Guild," the receptionist greeted them with a warm smile.
She was a woman of average height with black hair and a perfectly aligned fringe, her blue-gray eyes shining with a soothing calm. Her fair skin contrasted with the long white dress she wore, adorned with a black corset and green details. A neatly tied red bow at the back completed the outfit, which featured the Adventurers' Guild logo—a star with eight points—on the neckline. To Aether's eyes, she appeared almost like a doll, given the precision and delicacy of her details. However, something about her was peculiar: besides not emitting any bodily scent, he could have sworn he saw a small lock at the back of the attendant's neck. Aether, always curious, suspected that Katheryne might not be human.
"Good afternoon, I'm Aether, a wanderer," he introduced himself politely, maintaining a formal demeanor. "I would like to register as an adventurer."
"Good afternoon, Aether," Katheryne tilted her head slightly in greeting, keeping her polite smile. "I'm Katheryne, the receptionist of the Adventurers' Guild, and I'll be happy to assist you with your request." She picked up some documents organized on a nearby shelf and placed them on the desk in front of her. "First, I need to explain a few details about the guild. The Adventurers' Guild was established to support all adventurers in Teyvat, across the seven nations. We provide a platform for newcomers to adapt to the adventurer lifestyle, as well as resources and assistance for veteran adventurers, allowing them to explore the world with greater freedom."
Katheryne paused briefly, checking if Aether was still attentive. Noting that he was listening with interest, she smiled and continued: "The guild also collects commissions and information from various corners of the continent to assist adventurers on their journeys."
Aether raised a hand to get the receptionist's attention. "How are the commissions assigned? Can I accept any of them?"
"You can accept any mission, as long as it is suitable for your adventurer rank," Katheryne responded. Seeing the doubtful expression on Aether's face, she continued with more details: "We use a ranking system that goes from rank 1 to 60 to classify adventurers. These ranks are divided into groups. The first group covers ranks 1 to 25, the second goes from 26 to 35, the third from 36 to 45, the fourth from 46 to 50, and the fifth from 51 to 60. Commissions are assigned based on the group to which the adventurer belongs. You can undertake missions from your current group as well as from any lower group."
"I see. So, what do I need to do to become an adventurer?" Aether asked, curious.
"A drop of blood," Katheryne replied directly, as she handed him a small stone tablet. "To be more specific, you just need to let a drop of blood fall on this tablet. After that, we'll need a day to complete the registration process."
"How does that work?" Aether asked, intrigued, as he removed one of his gloves and bit the tip of his finger to make a small cut.
"This stone is made of a material extremely sensitive to elemental energy, with the ability to store information," Katheryne explained, watching as the drop of blood fell onto the object, which absorbed it quickly. "The information it stores is what we, at the Adventurers' Guild, input to identify the owner. The drop of blood binds you to the tablet, ensuring that only you can access it and benefit from some of the advantages we offer our adventurers. It's a control system and at the same time a facilitator to ensure security."
"What kind of benefits do I get with this registration?" Aether asked as he circulated Anemo energy through the tip of his finger, testing something. The small wound healed rapidly, making the traveler smile as he put his glove back on.
"We offer a range of advantages, such as access to exclusive auctions for adventurers, a vast network of information, temporary housing, affiliated restaurants, and much more," Katheryne replied, handing him a small booklet. "Here are detailed descriptions of all the benefits, as well as the risks you might face in the adventurer life. Also, I recommend reading the books by the writer Alice. She wrote several valuable guides on exploration and survival."
"Thank you for the recommendation," Aether replied as he stored the booklet in his imaginary space. He then remembered something. "Katheryne, do you know how much time is left until the next chime of the Barbatos Church bell?"
"It's still a while away," she said after a brief reflection. "I'd say you have enough time to explore the main street and perhaps grab a light bite."
"I see." Aether murmured, already thinking about his next steps. It was then that he noticed something: Paimon was missing. She wasn't around him, nor had she returned to her mysterious resting place—a subspace, perhaps, like his own, which he struggled to manage, although Aether wasn't sure how Paimon's worked. What he knew was that if Paimon were in her own subspace, he would still feel her presence. And at the moment, he felt nothing.
"She must have gone out to buy something to eat," Aether concluded, remembering he had given her some mora earlier. "Katheryne, I have someone to find, so I'll see you tomorrow." He bade farewell to the receptionist, who responded with a gentle smile and a wave, and left the guild to search for his travel companion.
Walking through the bustling streets of Mondstadt, it didn't take long for Aether to spot Paimon. She was seated at a kiosk table, struggling to devour a huge piece of chicken—bigger than her, in fact. The sight made Aether chuckle quietly as he once again wondered where all that food the little fairy consumed went.
"You know, Paimon, with the way you eat, something bad might end up happening to you," he said, approaching with a playful smile.
"Something bad? Like what?" Paimon asked, confused, but still taking another bite of the chicken. "This honey chicken is so good!"
Suppressing his laughter, Aether replied, "We'll be traveling to many places, so if one day we run out of food... well, I might end up starving and imagining that you're edible. I know, I'll promote you from guide to... emergency food!"
The look of horror and indignation that appeared on Paimon's face was priceless, and Aether burst into laughter.
"How dare you, you idiot!" Paimon shouted angrily, before punching Aether's arm, which barely felt the hit. "Paimon helps you so much, and you — AAAAAAAAA!" Paimon let out a startled scream as Aether gave her hand a light nibble. "You fool!" She turned red with rage and, without thinking twice, started chasing him around the table.
"You're not going to catch me!" Aether teased, running away. Paimon, shouting in frustration, tried to catch up with the traveler, but he was too fast. His laughter echoed through the square while the little fairy flew angrily behind him, without success. The scene attracted the attention of a few passersby, who smiled at the amusing dynamic between the two friends.