Noelle held a box of fruit, her clear eyes looking at Ryan, who was grinning foolishly, holding a bag of Mora and a swordplay notebook.
"You fought someone for ten million Mora?"
"No! Yes!" Ryan denied, then immediately admitted.
He pointed ahead with an embarrassed smile, "Look, it's really lively up ahead!"
"It really wasn't for me?"
Noelle looked at Ryan, whose words contradicted himself, her expression unreadable.
"Do you know what the hottest topic these past few days is?"
Ahead, someone spoke loudly.
Ryan and Noelle walked to the liveliest spot, a fountain where a crowd had gathered.
"A foreigner defeated a Knights of Favonius?"
Someone echoed.
Upon hearing this, Ryan couldn't help but touch his face. "The protagonist, is it me again?"
"Praise me! Praise me!"
"No! You're already behind the times!" The person denied.
"Now, the hottest topic is the way of the knights from another world, as told by the foreigner!"
"The eight virtues and seven deadly sins of the knight's way!"
"I heard Acting Grand Master Jean was very impressed after hearing it and decided to add the eight virtues and seven deadly sins to the 'Knights of Favonius Guidance Manual'!"
That person waved his arms, explaining the whole story, so even the onlookers understood.
He wasn't satisfied yet and ran to a high place, shouting loudly.
"Come! Come! Everyone look at me!"
"I have an announcement to make!"
Only when all eyes were on him did he speak.
"Who among us in Mondstadt do you think truly embodies the eight virtues of a knight?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the sound of murmuring was like a tide.
The constant arguments almost led to them fighting.
However, it was generally agreed upon:
"Acting Grand Master Jean embodies the eight virtues!"
"Then, who else?"
Below, a quarrel broke out.
One by one, people named candidates who met their standards.
"Captain Kaeya, Knights of Favonius Amber… "
"…Noelle…"
Ryan's ears twitched, and he nudged the Damselette beside him with his elbow.
"Hey, hey! Noelle, they mentioned you! Although some people think you're not a knight and can't be selected, most people recognize your virtues and consider you a knight!"
"Noelle? Noelle?"
Ryan suddenly realized that the Damselette had run off, still holding the fruit box!
Was this excitement? Or shyness?
He chased after her, silently following.
"Am… Amber!" Noelle, who was tidying her mood and hurrying along, almost crashed into Amber, who had descended from the sky with her Wind Glider open and braked with her feet.
"You're here?"
"I finally found you two!"
Amber rushed in front of Ryan.
"Ta-da! A gift for your apprenticeship, a Wind Glider!"
"Put it on, and let's go to a high place and fly around, how about it!"
Ryan gazed at the Wind Glider he had longed for day and night.
Its overall color was black, and at first glance, its shape was not much different from a four-star beginner's Wind Glider.
However, at a second glance, its extraordinariness could be seen.
In the middle of the wing, on the upper outer part, there was a circle of golden patterns outlining a simplified sun, emitting sun-like patterns that connected each feather.
On the lower inner part, the sun pattern transformed into a treasure pattern, connecting to tomb-like textures.
"Treasure Beneath Crow's Wings," a legend of the Treasure Hoarders, a treasure passed down through generations, the four-star Wings of Morning Light and Death.
Ordinary Wind Gliders are mainly made of wooden frames and carefully selected feathers; although easy to make, they are easily damaged.
Better ones have Alchemy runes carved onto them, reaching two or three stars.
As for four-star Wind Gliders, aside from those unique four-star beginner's Wind Gliders born from the legends of the first Wind Glider, where people, driven by their dream of flight, had their wills fused into wings after death, accepting the sublimation of Ley Line power, they are relatively common.
Other four-star Wind Gliders, inheriting other legends and human wills, are born from Alchemy and Ley Lines; they are all unique and rarely duplicated.
For example, the Champion's Wind Glider that Amber obtained, which is primarily red and brown.
It requires a person who has won multiple championships to, after death, refine their ordinary Wind Glider or beginner's Wind Glider with their will and life experiences, and then condense it.
Therefore, such Wind Gliders, like artifacts, carry the endless hopes and deep affection of their predecessors for future generations.
They can fuse into the body and Soul.
In Teyvat, every wing with a different style represents a legend.
This legend is not limited to humans but also includes Strange Birds and even gods.
Barbatos, in the legends of the Mondstadter, has a pair of white wings symbolizing freedom.
In the Mondstadt region, there are also the extremely rare Wings of the Azure Sky and Clear Wind, blessed by the Anemo Archon, which require immense prestige to obtain.
This one, the Treasure Hoarders' Wings of Morning Light and Death, corresponds to a kind of Sunchildren, a discoverer of shiny treasures, a Strange Bird next to a decaying corpse.
The crow, called a Strange Bird by ancient humans!
Crows like to place shiny objects in their nests, and in some parts of Liyue, they are also known as Sunchildren.
At the same time, they often appear next to corpses and tombs.
Therefore, this wing, "Wings of Morning Light and Death," is aptly named.
The Treasure Hoarders bathe in the morning light as they ascend the mountain to scout, arriving at tombs to steal treasures and kill pursuers.
Crow feathers, Strange Bird wings.
Sun's brilliance, death's announcement.
Ryan took the unique Wind Glider.
Upon touch, the Wind Glider transformed into a purple light, entering his back and then his Soul.
Before his eyes, scenes of previous owners, and even the very first Strange Bird, flashed by. Countless flying techniques automatically flowed from the Wind Glider's residual consciousness.
The blessings of fire and sunlight, as well as death and shadow, and the desire for treasure.
Good and bad things alike, all impacted his will.
The Wind Glider seemed to come alive.
It transformed into a Strange Bird, wanting to invade his body and change his habits.
This was something Amber would not have anticipated.
After all, she had no intention of trying out the gift she had given away.
Ryan was not in a hurry either.
Subduing this four-star Wind Glider was more difficult than a set of two-star max-level artifacts.
But times were different now.
Having practiced swordsmanship for so long and comprehended a trace of Sword Intent, his Soul, like a sword, possessed a sharp edge.
Anemo, cut down the Strange Bird in the high sky.
Amber and Noelle waited for Ryan, who had his eyes closed and was surrounded by purple light.
Fifteen minutes later, Ryan opened his eyes, the purple light receded, and the Wind Glider was subdued.
With a thought, the gray-black and gold-patterned wings unfolded.
The Wind Glider felt like a part of his body; he could easily feel the flowing Qi, and as long as there was a height difference, he could glide with effort.
"Let's go to the Upper City's main plaza! Jump down from there and experience the scenery of Mondstadt."
Amber enthusiastically recommended her favorite place for illegal takeoffs.
Anyway, her flying license had been revoked and she hadn't retaken the test, and Ryan didn't have a license either.
As long as they flew, they'd immediately escape.
The Knights of Favonius wouldn't be able to catch them.
As a habitual offender who had once carried people while flying, flown with heavy objects, and flown illegally, Amber was very experienced in dealing with the Knights of Favonius.
She recalled that she had once jumped from the Cathedral with a Little Girl named Collei in her arms and hadn't received much punishment.
"Senior Amber, you, you, you… this is wrong!" Noelle, holding the fruit box, stomped her foot in annoyance as she watched the two leave.