4 Stormterror

Standing on Mondstadt's stone bridge, Mark stared intently at the group of Amber, Paimon, and Lumine—well, he was mostly trying not to look at Lumine.

"What?"

Mark didn't turn his whole body, just his torso, signaling that he didn't want to talk to anyone and only had the will to leave.

Amber looked nervous for some reason, her gaze alternating between Mark and the book floating around him as if searching for something on her body.

Mark felt slightly embarrassed being scrutinized so closely by a girl, so he crossed his arms over his chest, giving Amber a disappointed look.

"Pervert."

"E-E-Ey!!!!"

The bunny girl was left speechless, her face turning slightly red, and she heard a small chuckle from beside her.

Turning, she saw Lumine looking towards the lake behind them, trembling for some reason, but she quickly shook her head and turned back to Mark.

"...Why do you want to attack Mondstadt?"

"Excuse me, what?"

Amber cautiously pointed at the book floating next to Mark, and he followed her gaze.

"It's a book, have you ever seen one before?"

A vein bulged on Amber's forehead, and she pouted, glaring furiously at the boy in front of her.

"I've seen it before... idiot. I mean, why are you carrying a weapon right at the entrance of Mondstadt, and more importantly, why are you hiding your vision from plain sight?"

Mark raised an eyebrow at the insult and, without giving it much thought, took out his Electro Vision from his pocket, intrigued to know why they seemed so agitated.

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"Hey, brat, I don't have a weapon, and I'm not hiding my vision, it's just stored away. Do I have an obligation to show it?"

Amber lowered her head, repeatedly tapping the ground with her foot, her arms trembling from the force with which she clenched her hands.

"To whom... TO WHOM ARE YOU CALLING A BRAT, YOU IMBECILE."

'Wow, she exploded.'

Mark ignored Amber's screams as he stuck a finger up his nose to annoy her, his gaze unconsciously wandering over to Lumine, who had grabbed onto one end of the bridge while gazing sadly at the wide lake below her.

Sensing a gaze on her, she turned to find Mark looking at her. Embarrassed, he withdrew his finger from his nose and looked away, directing his attention back to Amber.

"Paimon thinks something's fishy here, Amber. Seems like he doesn't know anything about anything."

Amber stopped her shouting as she felt Paimon lean in to whisper to her ear, showing a slight confusion as she shook her head.

"That strength he showed doesn't seem like someone who's a novice with elemental energy use; he must have some common sense..."

Mark had grown tired of it all; he didn't want to get involved with them any further, and sticking around would only lead to more trouble. He quickly waved his hand and began to march away, but not before showing his middle finger to those on the wall once again.

"Whatever, sorry for the trouble and all that, see you never and good luck."

'Then I'm at the beginning of the game... If they won't let me in, I should go to Springvale to buy some food and then backtrack to head straight to Wangshu Inn; they might need a cook. If not, I'll try my luck in Liyue.'

The reason Mark was so reluctant to relate to the main characters was that somehow, they all got involved with the protagonist, in this case, Lumine.

What's the problem with this? Lumine will get caught up in various events that surpass Mark's danger threshold: a dragon, killing an ancient sea god, facing off against the Electro Archon, all the Abyssal crap, Aether, the Chasm, etc...

Getting involved in constant danger after danger wasn't a good idea, so now that the story had begun, he considered it best to temporarily distance himself from Mondstadt until the Dvalin situation passed.

"Wait a moment, please."

His plans wouldn't even get a chance to start when a scream stopped him, coming from the young man with an eye patch, tanned skin, and blue hair playfully approaching from Mondstadt's entrance.

Mark needed to turn to recognize that voice, and when he did, he widened his eyes and quickly imbued his legs with electro, shooting forward.

'Another annoying nutjob, I'm out!'

Suddenly, the temperature in the air seemed to drop a few degrees, and Mark quickly halted his run, or rather, he was halted as he looked down to see his feet trapped in a large block of ice, and beside him were feet that obviously weren't his.

'Crap... first lesson, never turn your back on your opponent.'

"Hello there, lad, I'm Kaeya, Cavalry Captain of the Knights of Favonius. Would you mind accompanying me for a moment to the Knights of Favonius Headquarters?"

Mark glanced at the eye patch worn by the man embracing him, draping an arm around his neck, and a shriek in the air alarmed everyone.

"I don't think I can."

Kaeya frowned slightly in confusion, the winds starting to stir alongside a huge figure looming overhead. When they looked up, they were met with a gigantic celestial dragon.

With a grimace, Mark channeled elemental energy into his legs, shattering the ice that had trapped his feet into small pieces that scattered across the bridge.

Surprised, Kaeya summoned his weapon, but in the next moment, Mark ran by his side, and his weapon vanished from his hands. 

Alarmed, Kaeya turned and saw Mark playing with his Favonius Sword in his hand, while with the other hand, he rubbed the bridge of his nose, wearing a conflicted expression as he alternated his gaze between the gates of Mondstadt and beyond the bridge they were.

"*sigh*...You Knights of Favonius are a bunch of crazy assholes."

Mark watched as Kaeya and Amber's brows furrowed slightly, but he couldn't care less. Tossing the sword into the air, he took a small leap, spinning his whole body to deliver a powerful kick that left the sword embedded in front of Kaeya.

"Know your priorities."

Turning once again, he charged toward the gates, causing the guards who were guarding the gates to become alarmed. As he approached too close, he flexed his legs and shot off towards a tree.

"What the-!"

Amber could only watch in disbelief as the wall that had protected Mondstadt for decades was easily surpassed by a boy younger than herself, who leaped from one tree branch to another, quickly reaching the top.

The archers on the upper part never ceased aiming at Mark, but their morale had noticeably decreased after witnessing how easily he had disarmed their superior.

"Are you going to waste your damn time on me or are you going to help the citizens you've sworn to protect?"

Following Mark's gaze, the archers could see the chaos that had engulfed the interior of the city. The people of Mondstadt ran in fear through the streets, and various objects, from small to large, were being thrown, potentially causing harm to others.

Ashamed and angered, they lowered their gaze, which only further infuriated Mark, causing him to grit his teeth and unconsciously extend the electricity from his legs to his throat.

"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR, 'SOLDIERS'? MOVE OUT RIGHT NOW!"

With a powerful roar-like shout, the soldiers snapped out of their daze and reluctantly followed Mark's command, descending to aid the citizens.

With a disdainful snap, he turned towards Amber, pointing to her back and then to Lumine.

"You have plenty of wings, don't you? Give her some."

"How-?"

Without giving her time to respond, he turned, electrifying his legs once more, and launched himself downward.

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"Muuu, who the hell does that guy think he is! Captain Kaeya, do something!"

Amber turned with a pout as she searched for a Wind Glider for Lumine, only to find Kaeya staring trance-like at the spot where Mark had disappeared.

"Captain Kaeya?"

Amber approached Kaeya, shaking him slightly until he seemed to snap back to reality, shrugging with a defeated expression.

"I couldn't do more. Let's go, Amber, we need to help the citizens and somehow drive Dvalin away. Oh, and who's the person next to you?"

"Oh! Right, she's a traveler, Lumine. She's searching for her brother and she's quite strong and capable too."

Kaeya glanced sideways at Lumine, who nodded silently as she received a peculiar set of two wings, looking confusedly at Amber.

"These are Wind Gliders, they help you harness air currents and glide through the air. I was planning to give it to you later, but things have gotten out of hand... in fact, how the hell did that guy know,-"

"Amber!"

Kaeya began running towards the city, noticing that the winds were becoming more unstable and dangerous. He quickly snapped Amber out of her daze.

"I'M COMING! I mean, WE'RE COMING!"

Amber grabbed Paimon along with Lumine and started running towards the entrance, unaware that Lumine's gaze was fixed on the spot where Mark had departed.

'I don't know him, but he seemed to recognize me and everyone else. Suspicious... He sings good tho.'

⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯

"UGHHH!!"

After running for a while through the streets, Mark encountered a boy whose leg was trapped under huge stacked boxes. He quickly tried to help, but his weak body lacking brute strength made it impossible.

With a mischievous smile, he infused his fist with electro and looked at the boy, who was watching him expectantly amid tears.

"It was the bad big dragon, understood? Cover your ears."

The boy nodded confusedly as a powerful explosion next to them sent the box trapping his leg flying.

Wide-eyed, he looked at Mark, who made a grimace and rummaged through his backpack, pulling out shortly after a pillow, an old-looking t-shirt that he tore instantly, and also grabbed a nearby wooden stick.

"Can you lift your leg?"

"Eh? Y-Yes, thank you for helping, big bro-."

Mark shook his head and knelt on one knee, pointing to his own knee.

"If you can, then stop talking and put it here."

They both fell silent, and the boy put his leg on Mark's, noticing that it had a huge purple swelling near the shin.

"I won't tell you it might hurt, it will definitely hurt, so bite and endure."

The boy's face paled slightly at seeing the seriousness in Mark's expression and the condition of his leg, so fearfully, he grabbed the pillow offered and put it in his mouth.

Amid the strong winds and the cries of pain from the boy, Mark quickly moved his hands, placing the wooden stick parallel to the leg and tied it with the torn t-shirt.

"This should be enough for now, but when all this is over, you have to go to the cathedral so Deaconess Barbara can cure you, understood? Now tell me where are your parents or your hou-"

Mark's words stopped as he received a tearful hug from the boy, and slightly surprised, he lifted the boy in his arms.

"T-Thank you."

Embarrassed and with a smile, Mark started running towards the Knights of Favonius headquarters, where he kicked the door open to find it closed, and left the boy there.

This process was repeated for more than a quarter of an hour, helping various people, running all over Mondstadt, and finally ending when the storm subsided.

Totally defeated, disheveled, and lying next to the fountain in the city, Mark felt his legs trembling as he saw Lumine descending from the sky and Dvalin fleeing north, which he assumed was to his lair, Stormterror's Lair.

"Phew, I'm not doing this again."

His stomach seemed to respond to him by the sound it emitted, and grabbing his belly, he began to look for a restaurant he knew quite well nearby.

'Good Hunter.'

With great difficulty, he managed to get up, leaning on the fountain, and limping slightly, he approached the area of the tables, starting to lift some chairs and tables onto the floor.

"Oh! Thank you for the help, now I'll serve you something to eat."

Mark turned confusedly to the woman with hazelnut hair and red eyes who was ordering things behind the counter.

"...I can see by your face that you're wondering why, let me tell you that if someone tried, the sound your belly made could have been heard from the cathedral, hehehe."

Mark's face turned completely red, and he turned his head back to rearrange the chairs while listening to the woman's laughter in the background.

After arranging a couple more chairs, he sat down melting from exhaustion, and now more relaxed, he decided to introduce himself to the woman.

"I'm Mark, by any chance could I know your name?"

The woman approached Mark with a smile while carrying two freshly cooked plates in both hands and sat down next to him, letting out a long sigh.

"The specialty of the house, 'Pile 'Em Up'. My name is Sara, I'm the waitress at Good Hunter... or what's left of it. A pleasure."

Looking at her extended hand, he accepted the handshake and while looking surprised at Sara and the maid costume she was wearing.

'Oh God, it's her, I always used to shop here. It's like meeting a celebrity.'

"...What do you mean?"

Sara's face became noticeably tired and annoyed, so Mark became alarmed and waved a hand in front of her.

"You don't have to tell me if it makes you uncomfortable."

"Ah! No, no, it's okay. Please eat while I tell you."

With some hesitation, Mark grabbed the huge sandwich in front of him and took a bite, marveling at the flavor while listening to Sara's concerns in the background.

"The Stormterror attacks are becoming more frequent to the point where some citizens or workers like the cook who worked here decided to leave. So now I'm in charge of everything, my boss has doubled my workload as well as the job, but the variety of dishes has decreased since I'm not a fully trained chef... *sigh* I'm managing."

Mark looked interestedly at Sara, placing the sandwich back on the plate and wiping his mouth with a nearby napkin.

"As I suppose you've noticed, I'm a foreigner. I came looking for work as a cook. Do you know of any job openings that aren't in this area?"

Sara looked confused at the boy in front of her. She had just said he needed help, and now he's asking for a job somewhere else?

"Before you get mad, I'm not joking, I'm asking because-"

"Because he used Electro element at the entrance of Mondstadt, disarmed the Cavalry Captain of the Knights of Favonius, sneaked into the city, and kicked down the door of the Knights of Favonius headquarters. Isn't that right, Mark?"

Mark jumped alarmed from where he was and grabbed his backpack, looking at the person who was now sitting next to Sara.

"Kaeya."

"A pleasure to know your name, Mark."

Kaeya's gaze shifted to the old book floating next to Mark, and Mark squinted while furrowing his brow, staring intently at Kaeya.

"You've been following me since I entered the city, isn't it enough to harass me for fifteen minutes?"

Kaeya's eyes showed surprise, but his expression remained unchanged except for his usual polite and mischievous smile.

"You noticed..."

"Let's just say you're not very good at being an assassin." Mark couldn't help but smirk as he spoke.

Sara was confused by what was happening, so she kept alternating her gaze between the familiar Captain of the Favonius and the friendly young man she had just met, although after hearing Kaeya, he didn't seem as friendly as she imagined.

"Hey Mark, let me ask you something. Did you attack first at the entrance?"

"Are you crazy? No. I got shot with a damn arrow even when I left my backpack in front of me."

"...And you have no idea what it means to carry that book at all, right?"

"...Not at all."

Kaeya's face showed a slight grimace, and his playful attitude disappeared as he bowed his head shortly after, surprising both Mark and Sara.

"I apologize on behalf of the Knights of Favonius."

Mark stopped furrowing his brow but still kept his distance and occasionally glanced at the entrance, ready to bolt out of the city.

"I still don't understand a damn thing."

"*sigh* In every city or place you go in the future, carrying that book openly and hiding your vision is an indication that you're looking to cause trouble."

Mark's face contorted for a few seconds, letting out an annoyed sigh as he searched for his vision and placed it on his shirt.

"I have no idea what to do with the book."

"What? Pfft, did you just receive your vision or something? Haha."

Kaeya had to stop laughing when he saw that Mark's expression remained deadly serious, and even a small vein bulged on his forehead.

"...Fucking Barbatos. You serious?!"

"This morning."

"...."

Mark frowned slightly as he watched Kaeya lower his head, bringing both hands to his face while murmuring strange things in an almost inaudible tone.

"Weirdo."

While Kaeya was lost in his thoughts, Mark attempted to force the book closed but achieved nothing. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Sara hesitating for a few seconds but ultimately decided to signal him.

Following her directions, he grabbed his Vision and touched the book with it, causing it to disappear. Then, he closed his eyes as Sara had done, and a book appeared in his mind. As he approached the book, he realized it had reappeared in front of him, and he unconsciously brought a hand to his face.

'Now I understand why everyone was looking at me so strangely.'

Totally embarrassed, he crouched down and began drawing circles on the ground with his head bowed. But upon hearing a loud sound in front of him, he made a big leap backward.

'At this point, I look like a rabbit... wait, what the hell, Kaeya?'

Kaeya's face was totally animated, as if he were seeing a new toy, and standing with his hands resting on the table, he leaned slightly forward.

"A cook? Come on, Mark, you got your Vision this morning and outwitted the knights, disarming me in a second. The speed at which you ran through the streets helping people... join the Knights of Favonius, and I will make sure you become the strongest of them all."

"No thanks, your order of knights is defective. None of them seem to have initiative, and when they do, they act impulsively without considering the repercussions of their actions. And especially you, Captain, freezing my feet."

Kaeya closed his eyes and put on a look of loss, remaining silent for a few seconds as his expression gradually turned serious.

"As I said, what happened at the entrance was our mistake, so you won't be blamed for anything, not even for breaking the door of the headquarters."

"Don't tell me, you wouldn't want to take me to the headquarters now to thank me for my efforts."

"...We truly appreciate your efforts in helping so many citizens, and we would like to invite you to a meeting with... the Acting Grand Master... of Favonius..."

Kaeya's words trailed off as he felt embarrassed for being so transparent.

With a raised eyebrow, Mark let out a sigh and began rummaging through his backpack.

"Here."

Pulling out a bag of money, he walked over to Sara and placed it on the table in front of her.

"Huh?!"

"I think this should be enough to cover the food and the embarrassing situation you've had to witness."

Sara looked at the bag in front of her and couldn't help but let out a mischievous smile as she glanced at Kaeya.

"In the least, you can't imagine how Vile will react when I tell her all about this, hehe~."

Mark and Kaeya turned their confused gazes toward her, making her feel embarrassed as she took the bag and played with it, while Mark grabbed the last piece of meat he had left to eat on the way.

"Wait! I have to take you to the headquarters, my boss asked me to."

'More main characters? Screw that.'

"*munch* Hell no."

Kaeya lowered his gaze to his fist and shook his head, putting on a mischievous smile.

"You said you wanted to be a cook, right? The only restaurant in all of Mondstadt is here, even if you go to Springvale, you won't find anything, and you'll have to go to Liyue or Sumeru to find another restaurant..."

Mark stopped in his tracks as he swallowed the last bite of food in his mouth and looked at Kaeya's smug face.

"Plus, you must be tired from the long journey and all the effort you've just put in, have you even had a drink of water? You must be so, so tired..."

Kaeya's smile grew bigger by the moment, but when he saw Mark's indifferent expression, he felt strangely uncomfortable.

Mark comically tapped his fist against his palm as he flashed a slight smile and pointed at Kaeya.

"Thanks for the idea, I can go to Springvale and start my own restaurant. I saw along the way that it's a highly trafficked area with a great supply of meat because it's the hunting capital."

Kaeya's smile vanished instantly, and his face gradually turned pale as Mark continued speaking.

"Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Kaeya. I'll name the restaurant in your honor: 'Intelligence may pursue me, but I'm quicker.' See you!"