Chapter 6: First Arrival in Mondstadt
"I'm so tired!"
"When will we finally reach Mondstadt?"
Carrying Galara on his back, Ember was sprinting along the deserted dirt road.
It was almost noon, and the bright sun illuminated the entire land. Neither dazzling nor dim.
I hope the sun I left in the borderlands is like this too.
As Ember ran, his mind wandered.
"We're almost there. Just keep going along this road, and you'll encounter a big bridge. Once you cross it, you'll be in Mondstadt," Galara reassured Ember, feeling a bit embarrassed that he had been carrying her from night until midday.
"Almost there? Hang on tight!" Ember shouted loudly, "I'm an undying man who can sprint through the filth of Fran!"
"Swoosh!"
Suddenly, Ember's speed increased!
If anyone had seen a big black rat zooming past before, now they could only feel a gust of wind sweeping through without seeing any figure.
By now, Galara was being blown by the strong wind and couldn't even open her eyes. She could only tightly grip the seams of Ember's armor, afraid of falling off.
But fortunately, this sensation didn't last long. Soon, the strong wind dissipated, and Galara opened her eyes.
Then she saw in the distance a stone bridge spanning a large river, and on the other side of the bridge was the massive wall of Mondstadt.
By now, there were more people on the road, bustling with people entering and leaving the city. Mondstadt, one of the Seven Nations, was home to countless people.
Ember put down Galara, looking at the towering walls of Mondstadt, rubbing his chin.
Not as tall as Rodel, but still quite impressive—Ember was still bothered by the fact that his gaze wasn't considered divine yesterday.
He had to demand an explanation. How could foreign gods not be considered gods?
But soon, Ember deflated like a punctured ball, as he suddenly realized that there were more people in Mondstadt than in Rodel. He felt like he had lost again.
"Oh well, forget it! I won't compare anymore!" Ember quickly gave up his idea of comparing himself to Mondstadt, as he felt he might lose.
"Mondstadt! Finally here!" Galara exclaimed as she got down. Ever since they escaped, after months of hardships, they had finally arrived.
But soon she hid behind Ember again. The reason? Their outfits were too peculiar.
One fully clad in armor, the other in attire not existing in this world—quite eye-catching.
However, Ember didn't mind the attention. Having faced even stray dogs during his time in Dark Souls and the Halo world, he was truly at odds with the world.
He took Galara's hand, and with his head held high, they walked towards Mondstadt.
Everything before them was a scene Ember had never witnessed. Trading, arguing, greeting—everyone was so full of life. This was a intact world!
Ember's hand holding Galaro's trembled a bit. He feared he was falling into an illusion of supreme will.
"Sir, and this lady, here are your temporary identification cards." Laurence handed two cards to Ember and Galara.
Although their outfits were indeed strange, Mondstadt was a free city, and as long as they didn't harm others, anything was acceptable.
"Oh? Thank you." Ember turned around and accepted the cards.
"Welcome to the City of Freedom and Ballads. I wish you both a pleasant stay!" Laurence saluted them with a knightly gesture.
Ember, belatedly, bowed back, feeling a bit out of place. He hadn't been accustomed to normal life for too long.
Seeing Ember's confusion, Galara giggled and jumped in front of him, saying, "Ember, from now on, let me be your tour guide. I've been preparing for this for a long time!"
"Oh? Then I'll leave it to you, Galara." Ember graciously accepted Galara's offer. He truly didn't know what to do next.
"First, let's exchange some Mora! Haha, luckily I was prepared!" Galaro pulled out a necklace from somewhere.
Then she grabbed Ember's hand and ran towards the distant Mondstadt Square.
Mondstadt Square was the liveliest place in Mondstadt, whether day or night. Therefore, it had the most shops in the city.
Both Ember and Galara were dazzled by the numerous shops. They looked left and right like country bumpkins.
Of course, they were country bumpkins.
"After looking at so many shops, do you two know what you want?" A beautiful woman in a brown-black dress approached Ember and Galara.
Ember turned to look, noticing that although the woman's attire was low-key, the accessories she wore were extraordinary.
"Rich people!" Ember and Galara exchanged a glance, and then Ember asked, "Who might you be..."
"Marjorie from the jewelry store." Marjorie listened to Ember and couldn't help but smile. These two foreigners were quite amusing.
"I noticed your outfits are styles I've never seen before, so I came over to ask. If there's anything you don't need, I can buy it from you." Marjorie pointed to a nearby shop and said to Ember and Galara.
"Got anything to sell? Show me and let me have a look. Don't worry, with just your few words, I won't haggle." Marjorie entered the shop and eagerly waited to see what Ember and Galara had.
"Alright, let's see..."
"Galara, not this one." Ember pulled Galara back, realizing that the necklace had some special meaning to her.
Then he took out a rapier from his body.
The rapier was entirely golden, with a circular guard and golden branches extending from both sides of the circle, creating a beautiful and luxurious appearance.
Noble Rapier—a rapier held by aristocrats, designed for easy use as a weapon. The blade is decorated with gold, making it expensive.
"Rapier of the Lament of Liyue?" Marjorie's eyebrows jumped. As one of the top jewelers in Mondstadt, Marjorie had heard of the Lament of Liyue.
"Lament of Liyue? Liyue? What's that?" Ember scratched his head, realizing he needed to read some books; otherwise, he couldn't understand what people were saying.
"Oh? Interesting!" Marjorie just smiled and didn't pay much attention.
She picked up the Noble Rapier and examined it carefully, occasionally twirling it around and emitting words of admiration.
"Not bad, a fine piece!" Marjorie put down the rapier and exclaimed. The patterns, decorations, and forging techniques on this rapier were all unheard of to her, giving her valuable insights.
"How much do you want for it?" Marjorie looked at Ember and Galara, asking.
"Um... Galara, how much?"
"I don't know, it's my first time in the city too!" Ember and Galara whispered to each other and found they had no idea.
"Uh... Are you guys from some ancient ruins? Even you don't know this?" Marjorie covered her face with one hand, her mouth twitching
slightly.
"600,000 Mora. Although this rapier is beautifully crafted, its production time is not long. This price is quite reasonable." Marjorie was afraid Ember and Galara wouldn't be satisfied, so she explained.
"Good! Deal!" Ember agreed without hesitation. He had plenty of these rapiers, so even if he lost out, it would be a lesson learned.
And 600,000 Mora sounded like a lot. After all, 600,000 Lunes could match over half of Malina's at her peak.
"Alright, I like straightforward people!" Marjorie said as she took out a box and put some Mora inside.
"Mora is a catalyst, and its pricing is determined by the concentration of media inside." Galara explained to Ember, seeing his puzzled expression.
"Are you really from ancient ruins? You don't even know this?" Marjorie thought Ember was joking and handed the box to him.
Exiting Marjorie's jewelry store, Ember suddenly felt the atmosphere in Mondstadt become heavy.
"Did you hear? Two diplomats from Snezhnaya were killed on their way back!"
"What? Weren't they escorted by Master Jean and Captain Kaeya? How could this happen!"
"Hmph! Who knows? But it's good they're dead! I heard they were burnt alive by black flames! Justice served!"
"Shh! Keep your voice down. If the Fatui hears you, you're in trouble!"
...
At this moment, people in Mondstadt Square were discussing the murder of the Snezhnayan diplomats, some clapping in approval, some frowning, some indifferent, and so on.
"What's wrong, Galara?" Ember felt Galara clutching his armor and asked.
"Black flames, it's Sister Collei!" Galara whispered to Ember.
(End of this chapter)