To be honest, the reason I bought the sword wasn't just to avoid leaving empty-handed. It was also about a small, selfish desire I've had since I was a kid: to hold that coveted piece of steel in my hands. This is a goddamn fantasy world! A peasant with a spear is, without a doubt, in a class of his own, but a sword has always been the most popular companion for book characters of all stripes. To hell with logic and common sense, I just want it, and that's final!
After parting with a small sum of coins and receiving my coveted new toy, I left the forge with a clear conscience, my companions staring after me with utterly baffled looks.
"Kyu?"
"My precious!"
"Mark?"
"(o_O)?"
"Should I wait until evening or head to the Guild's training grounds right now?"
"Mark!?"
"What?" I snapped out of my thoughts and turned my full attention to my companions, who were hovering right in front of my face. And when did Rimuru manage to hop over to Bennett's shoulder?
"Are you okay? You've been standing in one spot staring at your sword for, like, three minutes now..." the white-haired adventurer said, then added in a quieter voice, "...and I don't think you've blinked once."
"Just lost in thought. It happens." I shrugged, trying to look casual, and then stared at the slime, who was eyeing me with suspicion. I got into a staring contest with the brazen blob of ectoplasm, who refused to return to his rightful place on my shoulder. I finally gave up and waved a frustrated hand at him. "Traitor," I muttered at the little slime, who was now puffed up importantly and, on his emophone, was practically sticking his tongue out at me.
"Uh, um, Ma-a-a, ahem, let's get going," Bennett said hastily, having become an unwilling witness to our little squabble.
The next stop on our tour was the market, located one block from the forge. Because of yesterday's rain and the dampness still lingering in the air, there was almost no one there. Just a few stalls with fruits and vegetables, and a lone girl selling all sorts of trinkets. Out of sheer curiosity, I decided to take a closer look at her wares, but I didn't find anything interesting. My hope of running into that classic fantasy cliche — the humble shop with a legendary artifact — was dashed. Again.
After combing through the market, we visited a few small shops. In one of them, I managed to get my hands on some decent writing supplies and also bought myself a large notebook for taking notes. I've never been known for my great memory, so while I still have some knowledge about Teyvat that Mark's brain hasn't managed to forget yet, I need to transfer it to a more reliable medium as soon as possible. I can figure out how much of my knowledge is actually applicable to this reality later.
After that, they showed me the Mondstadt branch of the Adventurers' Guild, the domain of logisticians and scouts whose job is to create the best possible conditions for adventurers like me and Bennett to work productively, and then the Knights of Favonius Headquarters. I have to admit, the building was impressive, not just for its long history, but also for its pleasing architecture.
"Hey, listen. Sounds like someone's training. Let's go watch," Bennett suggested, leaving me no choice but to follow him.
The Knights' training ground was a short distance from their headquarters and was relatively small, barely half the size of a football field. And right now, practicing there all by herself amidst a sea of training dummies, was a certain blue-haired knight I knew all too well. Her fluid, precise movements blurred in my perception; only when Eula transitioned to the next stance could I see her actions in more detail. It was frustrating. Even after a month of constantly working on myself with the active support of the System, the gap in our strength felt like it hadn't budged an inch. It was still a chasm. We watched Miss Lawrence train for about five more minutes, until the girl, unable to stand being watched any longer, decided to interrupt her practice. With a proud air, she strode toward the main building, casting one last meaningful glance over our little group, her eyes lingering on my face for a moment.
"You two know each other?" Bennett asked, surprised.
"Yeah, we've met," I replied, not wanting to go into unnecessary detail.
Seeing my reluctance to continue the conversation about the former blue-haired aristocrat, Bennett didn't press the issue and chose to return to our original plan.
The next and final significant place for the day was the Cathedral of Barbatos, situated at the highest point in the capital. Right in front of it stood a stone statue of the Anemo Archon, surrounded by a landscaped square that was currently empty due to the bad weather. But according to my companion, it was usually the liveliest place in all of Mondstadt. I could believe it; even now, I found the place quite pleasant and relaxing. After wandering around the square for a bit and taking in the view of the capital from its highest point, we headed for the cathedral, whose doors, according to Bennett, were always open to anyone wishing to visit the shrine of the Anemo Archon.
Right at the entrance, we were met by a young nun and a knight deep in their own conversation, who paid our noteworthy pair of adventurers no mind. We slipped past them and finally found ourselves inside. Only, as it turned out a few moments later, we had chosen a terrible time for our visit. With a grating screech, we pushed open the heavy doors, drawing all attention to ourselves and unwittingly interrupting the service. Realizing my mistake, I quickly rushed to close the door again, but our blunder didn't go unnoticed.
The moment I let my guard down, the white-haired kid's cursed karma struck again.
"Bennett, what is the meaning of this?" a blonde girl with a knight by her side demanded, hands on her hips as she gave us a displeased look.
"Well, uh, hehe..." My companion laughed awkwardly, running a hand through his hair in embarrassment and trying to avoid the nun's gaze as he scrambled for an excuse.
Doing my best to blend into the wallpaper, I silently watched as the blonde nun with two symmetrical pigtails read my teammate the riot act, slowly and with relish, completely ignoring the fact that this, undoubtedly important, event had a couple of uninvited witnesses. I stepped aside a little and, to my surprise, my eyes met with the knight who had done the same. Then, as if following some stupid book trope, we both shook our heads in unison.
It didn't take long to figure out who this person was. Barbara Pegg, sister of Jean, the current Acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius. Another encounter with a major character from this Chinese online casino to add to my collection. Though, I have to say, I'd always pictured her differently. Hmm.
Barbara Pegg
Lvl 68
"Do you understand me!?" she asked, her eyebrows furrowed and her pose unchanged, as she stared down the white-haired boy who was visibly wilting under her gaze.
After getting a nod in response, the blonde sighed heavily and finally turned her attention to the uninvited witnesses of her verbal execution.
"I'm sorry, and you are...?" Barbara asked, trying to hide the embarrassment that had crept onto her face.
"Mark. As of tomorrow, his official teammate," I introduced myself to the petite, blue-eyed beauty, nodding towards Bennett, who was fidgeting behind her.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mark. My name is Barbara Pegg, and I'm currently the Deaconess of the Favonius Cathedral," the girl replied, giving me a welcoming curtsy. "I apologize, but visitors are strictly forbidden during a service. So if you were planning on visiting, you'll have to wait a little while."
With the worst of it over, I assured Barbara that I would definitely do so later, but for today, I'd had more than enough excitement for one day. I quickly grabbed my other companion by the arm and hurried us away from the cathedral. I really didn't want to be the center of attention, and after our epic fiasco, the two of us and one slime in particular were guaranteed to be just that. So, to stay out of trouble, I figured I'd drop by some other time. Bennett was in complete agreement with me on that point, so he obediently let me tow him along all the way to the city center, where we finally decided to part ways. It had been a busy day, but Bennett still had his own things to do, and I wanted to relax a bit, preferably in the company of something hot and tasty.
"Well then, shall we go see Chloe?" I asked the defector, who had returned to my shoulder.
"Kyu!"