Amber's eyes sparkled with satisfaction. "It's not the strong winds that matter—it's courage. That's what made you the first birds of the world."
She smiled. "That line is what gave me the courage to fly, to become a scout knight, and Mondstadt's flight champion."
"That line…"
"It's from my favorite book. If you're interested, I can lend it to you sometime."
"Next time, for sure."
"Alright, it's a promise."
"Okay, enough talk—let's get started with the test. Don't be nervous, just fly like you usually do."
"Follow the route I marked for you. Fly steadily all the way to the endpoint."
The test wasn't too difficult. By following the markers Amber had carefully prepared, he reached the finish point quickly.
"Very good! Just as I expected! You passed without a hitch. The next test will be in Mondstadt city. Let's head back."
"There's more?"
"Of course! That was just the basic test. The real challenge is next."
"You know, it is possible to fudge things a little behind the scenes…"
"No way!"
Paimon asked, "So, where are we headed next?"
"To the Mondstadt Cathedral."
"The cathedral… That's Barbara."
"Huh? You know Barbara?"
Zephyr stayed silent. Could he really admit that Barbara was the first character he maxed out?
And why?
Well—anyone who's ever traveled with Barbara knows exactly why.
The two of them used the teleport waypoint and arrived at the cathedral.
A knight standing in front of the cathedral greeted Amber. "Good day, Knight Amber."
"Hello. I'm here with this Traveler to take the flight license exam. Don't mind us, carry on."
"Yes, Knight Amber."
Paimon whispered, "Wow, Amber actually has some standing here."
"It's not like that—I'm just a scout knight. Most of what I do is the grunt work, the rough jobs.
If you want someone with real authority, that'd be Acting Grand Master Jean.
But even though she's the highest-ranking, she's also super approachable and kind."
Zephyr said, "You're standing right here with me, and all you can talk about is Jean. I'm getting jealous."
"Eh!"
As payback, the next step: he'd make sure to pull Jean into the party.
Yes—decision made.
"Alright, let's continue the test. Same rules as before—fly through the markers and make it to the end in one go."
Flight began.
…
Eventually, he landed on the top floor of the Knights of Favonius Headquarters.
Amber said, "Not bad at all! Looks like you've really gotten the hang of gliding with the Wind Glider. Now for the final stage of the test."
"There's more?!"
"I told you, I designed this exam according to the standards of the Flight Champion. No complaints—or I'll just mark you as a fail."
"…"
Paimon muttered under her breath, "Abusing… abusing authority…"
"Hm? Paimon, do you have a problem with that?"
"N-Nope! Not a single complaint! Paimon mean, Paimon is not the one taking the test anyway!"
That one comment made Zephyr glance at her several times, making her feel a little uneasy.
But in the end, Zephyr didn't say anything, which left Paimon puzzled—wondering just what kind of scheme he was brewing in his head.
Amber said, "Well, this is the final stage. Once you pass, your license will be ready to be issued—wait a sec. Where's the treasure chest? There was a big chest here."
"What chest? No idea."
"Right here! There's supposed to be a treasure chest!"
Ahem… I took it."
"You… sigh. Fine, you took it."
Paimon grumbled, "What do you mean 'fine, you took it'?"
"Well, it wasn't really my chest to begin with. Or rather, it didn't belong to anyone. Maybe it's just one of the gods' whims—random treasure chests appear from time to time.
I remember there was a chest here, but that day I was too tired to open it. I thought, 'Well, this is Knights of Favonius territory, no one's gonna just take it.'
Never thought you'd be the one. But, oh well—guess it was meant to be."
Fate works in mysterious ways.
"Alright, let's begin the third test," Amber said.
Flight commenced.
Zephyr wasn't sure how difficult this test would be for the people of this world, but for him, it wasn't challenging at all.
"Seems like Amber's 'Flight Champion standards' aren't that hard after all."
As expected, Amber still holds me in high regard!
Suddenly, a voice shouted from below:
"You up there in the sky! Land immediately and submit to a Knight of Favonius inspection!"
Zephyr looked down and saw a group of unfamiliar knights. He ignored them and simply flew on.
"They're calling out to us—shouldn't we land?" Paimon asked.
"As everyone knows, Mondstadt is the land of freedom. I'm a free person, so I must follow the voice of my heart."
Seeing this, the knights began pursuit.
"Calling HQ, calling HQ. Suspected sighting of the strange bird. Requesting backup, requesting backup!"
"What is he talking about?" Paimon frowned. "Strange bird?"
"He said you're the strange bird."
"You're the strange bird!"
"I didn't say it, he did!"
But before long, they saw over a dozen knights blocking their path up ahead, with even more reinforcements arriving from the distance.
"What the—how are the Knights of Favonius this fast?!"
After all, Wind Gliders are just flight aids—they don't allow for true free flight. Eventually, he had no choice but to land.
Surrounded by over a dozen knights, Zephyr said indignantly, "What's the meaning of this? I'm calling the police!"
Paimon whispered, "They are the police…"
One of the knights stepped forward. "Hello, I'm with the Knights of Favonius. Please show your flight license."
"Don't have one."
"Unauthorized flying! In accordance with Mondstadt Public Safety Code, Article 7, Clause 12, you are required to come with us. You have the right to remain silent, but the wind will remember every word you say."
With that, the knights began to close in, clearly intending to arrest him.
Paimon panicked. "W-Wait, seriously?! It's just flying without a license! Isn't this a bit much?"
Zephyr opened their info panels—every knight here was level 10 or above. If it really came to a fight, even a Vision holder wouldn't be able to take on so many well-trained knights.
Even Lumine, at her visible level, wouldn't stand a chance.
But that was just her visible level. If he factored in her hidden stats… that'd be another story.
Still, he couldn't do that here.
This was the Knights of Favonius—they couldn't just start a brawl with them.
So, he furrowed his brows, puffed up with false bravado, and shouted,
"What are you doing?! Which division are you from?! Do you even know who I am?!"
The knights immediately froze.
"I'll have you know, I'm personally acquainted with Acting Grand Master Jean! If you dare arrest me, don't come crying when you can't clean up the mess!"
The knights looked at each other nervously. One of them, named Ott, stepped forward.
"You… know Acting Grand Master Jean?"
"Of course I do! Don't believe me? Go ask her right now!"
"This…"
Seeing how confident Zephyr was, the knights hesitated. They couldn't guess what his relationship with Jean might be, so they didn't dare to act rashly.
Sure, Jean was fair and just, and even if they arrested the wrong person, they probably wouldn't get fired for it.
But… what if?
Then they noticed Lumine's hair—golden, just like Jean's. Could it be… they were sisters?
But no one had ever said Jean had a sister.
Well… just because no one said it doesn't mean it's not true. Isn't that private info? Why would they tell us?
…Fair point.
Paimon muttered, "Traveler, sometimes Paimon really admire you."
"Admire what?"
"Seriously admire you. That ability to lie without blinking!"
…
Just then, a red figure rushed over.
"W-Wait!"
"Knight Amber!" The knights all saluted.
"She's my partner. We're in the middle of a flight license test."
"Ah… I see."
Otto looked embarrassed. Not only did this person know Acting Grand Master Jean—they also knew Knight Amber.
"But it's really unfortunate timing to be doing a test right now…"
"Why? What happened?"
"The Knights just got a report from one of the cathedral sisters.
That strange bird used a Wind Glider to escape again, so I assumed this lady here was an accomplice…
I had no idea she was acquainted with Jean and Knight Amber. I deeply apologize."
Amber tilted her head and looked at Lumine.
"A friend of Acting Grand Master Jean?"
//END