"Reluctant to let her go? Then why did you send her away?"
Standing atop the walls of Mondstadt, Lisa watched the gradually receding carriage and asked.
On the surface, she was here to see Cyno off, but in reality, she was also keeping an eye on Bailuo. Who knew if this Snezhnayan Instructor would pull off something big at the last moment?
"Not really, it's just... never mind."
After a moment of contemplation, Bailuo didn't elaborate.
Collei couldn't stay by his side. The enemies he faced were beyond her imagination, and staying with him would only put her in greater danger.
Moreover, the remnants of the demon god within Collei would be easier to resolve at the Sumeru Akademiya. If she stayed with him, she might end up being dissected by the mad scientist, the Doctor.
Both emotionally and logically, sending her to Sumeru was the only option.
In truth, when Bailuo initially chose to help Collei, aside from making up for his earlier regrets, he also had his own plans.
That was the Vision.
Yes, Bailuo had anticipated that Collei would obtain a Vision. In fact, it was under his arrangement that Collei gradually approached the condition of "being noticed by the gods" and obtained her Vision.
Having studied Visions, Bailuo had summarized the process by which people obtained them and found that most received theirs at turning points in their lives.
Some were as dramatic as holding their newborn child for the first time, or discovering that their child wasn't biologically theirs.
Others gained new insights during their travels, understanding the true value of life.
Or moments of intense emotion during life-and-death situations.
Of course, there were also some strange cases.
Like accidentally activating one they had intended to sell.
Or having one appear while they were trying to study it.
There was even someone who woke up the next day with a Vision poking them in the back after a night's sleep.
Collei's life had been full of such turning points.
The despair of being critically ill and near death, followed by the hope of being "saved" by the missionary. The despair of learning she had been injected with the remnants of a demon god and witnessing her mother's death, followed by the hope of being rescued by a mysterious figure.
Having experienced so many ups and downs in her life, she should have obtained a Vision long ago, right? But the so-called gods seemed blind, refusing to even glance at this little girl.
So when Bailuo saw her again, he decided to go all out.
He made her experience a few more of these so-called turning points.
The results proved he had gambled correctly. Bailuo literally lifted Collei and pressed her onto the "forehead" of the so-called god, repeatedly saying, "Come on, take a look. It's free if it's not tragic enough."
Finally, the exasperated god glanced at Collei and also responded to Bailuo's provocation.
A cold "Dendro!" from Snezhnaya.
Collei obtained her Vision, and Bailuo completed his experiment while also achieving an accomplishment.
A double celebration, truly something to rejoice over.
Only the so-called god was left wounded.
Bailuo could sense that the Tsaritsa of Snezhnaya, his patron, had subtly aided him. For instance, when Bailuo planned to deal with the missionary, the Tsaritsa not only didn't stop him but also helped suppress the remnants of the demon god within the missionary.
Was the Tsaritsa also testing something?
For example...
Bailuo raised his head and looked toward Celestia, the floating island visible from almost every corner of Teyvat.
For example, their bottom line?
But these matters were of little concern to him for now. As one of the Tsaritsa's twelve Harbingers, he knew he would eventually have to face those beings.
But before that, he needed to grow stronger as quickly as possible.
The carriage carrying Collei gradually disappeared beyond the horizon. Only then did Bailuo return to the Goth Grand Hotel to pack up and prepare to leave Mondstadt.
The Tsaritsa's mission for him was complete. He had no reason to stay any longer. It was time to return to Inazuma and laze around.
"Hmm?"
Upon returning, he noticed a gift box on the bedside.
It was a gift Collei had given him after the Windblume festival ended. At the time, he had been too busy with his plans to open it.
"Could it be food...?"
In Bailuo's view, what else could a little girl like Collei do during the Windblume festival besides eat and shop? Either it contained food or clothes.
Surely she wouldn't buy a toy for him, right?
But recalling how Collei had insisted he open it, he leaned toward it being food. Perhaps she was worried it would spoil if left too long.
However, upon opening it, he was quite surprised by its contents.
"Wings of Descension?!"
Yes, lying quietly in the gift box was one of Mondstadt's most common items—a glider.
In fact, when Bailuo first arrived in Mondstadt, he had wanted to get his hands on a glider.
But the Mondstadt authorities had refused, citing that "without passing the assessment, one cannot fly freely."
Even when Bailuo expressed his willingness to take the assessment, the Knights of Favonius came up with a slew of excuses to brush him off, clearly unwilling to let him obtain such a glider.
But how did Collei get a glider? Did Amber give it to her?
Unlike the initial gliders, this Mondstadt-exclusive wing was a rare item, almost like a medal of honor, awarded only to those who had made significant contributions to Mondstadt.
Vaguely, he recalled that during the Windblume festival celebrations, there had been talk of a girl wrapped in bandages catching the shuttlecock. Could that have been her?
Was this her reward for catching the shuttlecock?
What a... wonderful gift.
Speaking of gliders, there's another point worth mentioning.
In Teyvat, those who possess Visions or have mastered a certain level of elemental energy possess a unique skill.
That is, the ability to summon their weapons.
Just as obtaining a Vision grants the ability to use it, they can also make their weapons appear out of thin air and then vanish when not in use.
Unfortunately, Bailuo hadn't mastered this skill, so he always had to draw his dagger from his waist.
This glider, however, was quite magical. It didn't require any special skills to use, not even for ordinary people.
And so...
[Achievement Unlocked: You Are All My Wings]
[Reward Acquired: One-Winged Angel (Outfit)]
Hearing the system's prompt, Bailuo's face showed a look of surprise. This system... had it been appearing a bit too frequently lately?
Was it because he had actively probed the rules of Visions, thereby establishing some connection between the system and Teyvat?
With endless questions in his mind, Bailuo looked at the so-called One-Winged Angel he had just obtained.
[One-Winged Angel (Outfit)]: Wings are an advantage for most angels, but a disadvantage for the one-winged angel. He must hide his wing at all costs, for he can never dream of flying again in this lifetime.
When equipped with a glider, lose all gliding abilities, jump height increased by 100%, fall damage attack increased by 30%, and immunity to fall damage.
Bailuo: "..."
That fake Anemo Vision he bought from Inazuma might actually come in handy now.
Most importantly, wouldn't this be a bit disrespectful to the adepti?