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Chapter 13: Amber — I'll Strike in My Baron Bunny Form
If Su Han had come here alone, he would have been utterly overwhelmed by the multitude of traps and mechanisms scattered throughout this temple.
Luckily, Amber was with him. She knew this temple inside out, and soon the work of clearing it was already halfway done.
"From this angle, the ridges rise like peaks… such a pity that they can only be admired from afar, not toyed with."
Su Han sat in a safe corner, watching Amber fight with grace, her white slime bouncing with her every move, completely oblivious to the way her ears were slowly turning red.
"Ya!"
When the last Hilichurl fell to Amber's attack, a sudden blast of horn sounded through the empty temple. From the shadows surged dozens of highly trained Hilichurls, brandishing weapons as they charged her.
"Shit! Amber's in danger! Su… Su Han, go save her!" Paimon's tiny, snowy hands pushed frantically at him.
"Paimon, a bow-wielder who can't fight up close isn't a good bow-wielder. We have to trust Amber's ability," Su Han said slowly.
Even so, he readied himself. If Amber found herself outmatched, he would immediately use his instant-step to extract her from the fray.
At this moment, Amber showed no sign of panic.
She first shot a flaming arrow, blasting the head of a Hilichurl that hadn't dodged in time. Then, she pulled several red rabbit-eared dolls from her satchel and flung them into the crowd like blossoms scattered by a celestial maiden.
"Hmph hmph hmph, I knew this would happen! Let's see how you like the Baron Bunny bombs improved by Klee!"
The moment the Baron Bunnies landed, an arrow streaked after them.
Before the Hilichurls could even react, BOOM—the temple shook violently as an indescribable explosion swept through the enemies. The stone floor was blown open, forming a bottomless pit.
As the burst of flames threatened to engulf Amber, Su Han decisively acted, scooping her up and retreating to a safe upper level.
"Ehehe… I didn't expect Klee's improved Baron Bunny to be this powerful…"
Amber scratched her cheek in embarrassment. Her snowy, slender waist pressed against Su Han's slightly warm hand—a closeness her grandfather would have called "skin meeting skin."
Su Han adjusted her rabbit-ear accessory. "So? I promised I'd protect you. Not a word broken, right?"
Amber's face flushed crimson. Her bright eyes flickered with emotion, and she nodded vigorously, letting out a cheerful, "Mm!"
Paimon: "Su Han, look! There's a jade-green dragon egg here!"
Amber: "Pfft! That's not a dragon egg. That's a node of Teyvat's power. Smash it, and our mission's done."
With that, Amber fired an arrow, shattering it to pieces.
Paimon exhaled dramatically. "Phew… exhausting."
Su Han blinked. "Little one, you didn't even fight. Exhausting what?"
Paimon put her hands on her hips. "I've been cheering for Amber this whole time!"
Amber: "That way, we can ease some of the burden off Captain Jean."
"Before, our defenses could at least protect the city. Simply put, it was mostly thanks to Jean."
"But now, the Windblume Dragon has struck Mondstadt from within. The wind has shifted, and our strategy must adjust accordingly."
Paimon clapped. "Philosophical words there."
Amber cleared her throat. "That's something Lisa likes to say. If you want to know the history, you can ask her."
"Let me clarify—I'm not bad at history!"
"The librarian's knowledge… let's just say it's more complete than a scout knight's."
Su Han laughed. "Exactly. Amber's right."
Amber pouted. "Hmph… teasing me. I'm ignoring you."
—
Meanwhile, Lisa and Lumine had just finished clearing the Temple of the South Wind Lion.
Lisa: "East Wind Dragon, South Wind Lion, North Wind Wolf, West Wind Eagle…"
"They are the guardians of Mondstadt's four winds and attendants of Lord Barbatos."
"You might know that before it became known as the 'Dragon of Corruption,' the Anemo Dragon, Dvalin, was once the East Wind Dragon among the Four Winds."
"This explains why Teyvat can only borrow the power of three directions. From the very start, it was already burning itself out…"
Lumine: "Why would it do that?"
Lisa: "I think… it was hate."
Lumine: "Hate?"
Lisa: "Yes. Hatred toward Mondstadt. Using that hatred as fuel, as a force stronger than wind itself, transforming into the Corrupt Dragon."
Lumine frowned. "One of the Four Winds Guardians… why would it hate the city it was meant to protect?"
Lisa sighed and handed Lumine a book. "As a Mondstadt citizen, it's hard to say aloud."
"Here, read this. It's a story from a hundred years ago."
Lumine took the book titled Wind Whispers in the Forest: The Book of Dragons and silently flipped through it. Her expression grew complicated.
Centuries ago, Mondstadt was attacked by a powerful corrupted beast—the Corrupt Dragon, Dvalin. At that time, the Knights of Favonius were scattered and powerless. In people's prayers, the will of the Anemo Archon awakened, summoning Dvalin and the Dragon of the West, Teyvat, into a bloody battle.
Ultimately, the Wind Dragon bit through the poison dragon's throat, swallowing its toxic blood, and fell from the sky with it.
Dvalin's corpse embedded in the frozen earth, while Teyvat was recalled by the Archon into slumber.
…
As peace returned, Teyvat gradually awakened, only to find people had lost faith in the Four Winds Guardians. Temples were abandoned, and once-familiar lands were alien to it.
Indeed, people had forgotten its existence, forgotten its contributions to Mondstadt, and even its dear friend Barbatos had vanished.
Lumine silently wondered—if she were Teyvat, would she not feel loneliness, fear, and betrayal too?
—
Outside Mondstadt, by the stone bridge.
"Heehee, Traveler, we're back!" Paimon waved at Lumine.
"Been waiting long?" Su Han asked.
"Not really. I just arrived. Where's Amber? Why isn't she with you?" Lumine asked.
"She's still clearing the nearby Hilichurl camps. So we came back ahead of her."
Lumine nodded silently. Seeing no one around, she signaled Su Han to come closer.
No sooner had he obeyed than Lumine grabbed his wrist tightly.
"Mr. Su Han… remember what you said before?" She gave a teasing, almost dangerous smile, her bloodlust rising.
"As a Traveler, I never hold grudges, because usually… I settle them the same day!"
"W-wait, Lumine, we can talk this out, no!" Su Han's face froze in terror.
"You think my butt's cute? Wanna kick it? No special feelings for me? I'm not as cute as Amber, huh?! Die!"
For half an hour after that, Lumine chased Su Han before calming down.
West Wind Knights, Swann and Lawrence, watched in bewilderment as Su Han limped into the city, holding his backside.
Lumine and Paimon followed behind, hands on hips, looking completely refreshed.
"Hss—"
Lawrence drew in a sharp breath, piecing it together.
Swann: "What's wrong?"
Lawrence: "That Traveler is… probably a cute boy."
Swann: "?"