Everyone's Reactions, Praise Upon Praise

Knights of Favonius Headquarters, Mondstadt-

The afternoon sun streamed through the stained-glass windows onto the oak desk. Beside a mountain of files sat a half-empty cup of dandelion tea that had long gone cold. Jean rubbed her aching temples. She had just signed the last patrol report when the office door gently swung open. Lisa entered carrying two steaming cups of black tea, the hem of her skirt brushing the floor and stirring up the faint scent of books.

"My dear acting grand master, if you keep working this hard, you'll collapse before Klee has had her fill of trouble." Lisa set a cup beside her and casually pointed a finger into the air. A diary floated above the desk. "Here, take a look at this little fellow. It'll take your mind off things."

"I remember you said he was too wild back then, almost a match for Klee."

"Wild, yes, but remarkably steady." Lisa leaned against the edge of the desk, twirling a lock of hair around her finger.

Jean's gaze shifted slightly, and she nodded. "Temperament, comprehension, and perseverance—he has all three. If he'd been born in Mondstadt, he'd have been a promising recruit for the Knights."

Lisa burst out laughing. "That won't do. Such excellent research material—I'd have to lure him into the library as my assistant first."

"Oh, you." Jean shook her head helplessly, though her gaze remained on the boy in the mirror, with a measure of admiration. "Once he's grown a little more, if he gets a chance to return to Teyvat, we really could invite him to exchange ideas with the Knights."

The Jade Chamber-

Clouds drifted slowly beyond the carved railings. Ningguang stood before a floor-to-ceiling window, rubbing a smooth, warm Mora between her fingers. Soft footsteps sounded behind her as Ganyu approached with a thick stack of files in her arms, wisps of cloud from outside still clinging to the ends of her hair.

"Lady Ningguang, the mining approvals for the Chasm and the Millelith's defense reports have all been checked." She gently set the files on the table.

Ningguang turned and gestured for her to sit. With a light sweep of her fingers through the air, a water mirror slowly unfolded. "Official business can wait. Ganyu, you read yesterday's diary too, didn't you?"

The image of Gan Lin curled up on the ground while testing the medicine, his clothes soaked in cold sweat, flashed through Ganyu's mind. Her heart tightened, and she instinctively clenched her skirt. "Xiaolin... how could he gamble with his life like that?"

"It was dangerous, but he won the gamble." Ningguang's tone was calm, though it carried a note of approval. "Look at him now. He's gained immunity to both ice and fire, awakened a dual-element Vision, and absorbed the medicinal power of three... Immortal Herbs. Yet he hasn't grown the least bit restless. Instead, he's calmed down to write in his diary and sort everything out."

Ganyu recalled the boy's profile and said softly, "He's still so young..."

"Ruthless, but not reckless." Ningguang lifted her teacup, its curling steam blurring her features. "What's most remarkable is that he knows what he wants, and every step he takes is exceptionally steady. He isn't greedy for more, and he doesn't rush ahead. A child like that can reach the heights in any world. Ganyu, you can rest easy."

Inazuma, Kamisato Estate-

Late-blooming cherry blossoms fluttered down onto a stone table, where a plate of freshly made tricolor dango sat. The fragrance of matcha drifted on the breeze. Kamisato Ayato held a cup of tea, while Ayaka looked down through the festival register. Thoma stood nearby, smiling as he reported on the stall arrangements for the autumn festival.

"My lord, nearly all the vendors for the food street have signed up. We're just finalizing the schedule for the acrobats."

"Thank you for your hard work, Thoma." Ayato nodded slightly, then suddenly glanced at the diary on the table. "Come, take a look at an interesting old acquaintance."

"Amazing... can he use multiple elements now?"

Thoma leaned over for a look, clicking his tongue in wonder. "If he were in Inazuma, he'd be a bona fide genius. And he dared to test medicine on himself at such a young age. He's got some nerve."

"Brave and resourceful, and he can keep his composure." Ayato watched the boy in the mirror close his diary and smiled faintly. "The Yashiro Commission could use someone like him-capable of handling things on his own and meticulous to boot."

Ayaka nodded gently, gazing at the quiet figure in the mirror. "I hope the road ahead goes a little more smoothly for him."

Sumeru, Akademiya Scribe's Office-

Bookshelves cast long shadows across the room. Alhaitham leaned against one of them, an ancient book open in his hands, his expression indifferent. The door burst open with a bang, and Kaveh walked in carrying a stack of design drawings, a light sheen of sweat on his forehead. He began complaining the moment he entered.

"Alhaitham! How can you still be in the mood to read? The academic committee rejected my desert waystation proposal again! They actually said the structure wasn't innovative enough-"

"Who was this again? Four kinds of Elemental Power in one body? Wait, isn't this the one from Liyue..."

"It's him." Alhaitham closed his book. "He has considerable research value."

"Research value? He's gambling with his life!" Kaveh frowned, his face full of disapproval. "What if the medicinal power went out of control and made his body explode? Even if he gained power, what good would it do if he ruined his body?"

"Risk and reward are always proportional." Alhaitham's tone was calm. "His body has been tempered by ice and fire, and its adaptability far exceeds that of an ordinary person. Otherwise, he would have died the first time he tested the medicine. You only see him taking risks, not his precise control over his own condition."

"...All right, he is impressive. But I still think it never hurts to be more careful."

Fontaine, Fortress of Meropide-

In the metallic office, Wriothesley sat behind his desk, spinning a cold metal badge between his fingers. Neuvillette sat across from him with a glass of water before him. The two had just finished discussing waterway repairs and prisoner supervision.

"Things have been fairly peaceful in the fortress lately. Nobody's been causing trouble. Speaking of which, have you seen that strange diary lately?" Wriothesley leaned back in his chair and tapped the desk, a note of admiration in his voice. "That kid's got grit. He scraped through a brush with death, then turned right around and calmly sorted out his powers. He's cut out for great things."

Neuvillette nodded in agreement.

"If he ever comes to Fontaine, we could invite him to visit the Fortress of Meropide." Wriothesley raised an eyebrow. "I bet he'd have a knack for handling prisoners."

Snezhnaya, Training Ground-

A cold wind swept snow across the training ground. Tartaglia put away his sword, took the waterskin a subordinate offered him, and tipped his head back for a long drink. He wiped the water from the corner of his mouth, then suddenly chuckled and conjured a small water mirror at his fingertip.

"Lord Childe, what's got you so happy?" his subordinate asked curiously.

"I found an interesting opponent." Tartaglia lifted his chin, motioning for him to look at the water mirror. "Look. He can use four elements freely. A fight with someone like that would be a lot of fun."

The subordinate leaned over for a look and offered an ingratiating smile. "No matter how strong he is, he surely can't be a match for you, Lord Childe."

"Not necessarily." Tartaglia shook his head, his blue eyes gleaming with eagerness. "Someone who can be that ruthless with himself will grow faster than you can imagine. Once he gets a little stronger, I'll have to find a chance to fight him."

He rubbed the Delusion at his waist, his smile full of a warrior's excitement. "Geo, Anemo, Cryo, Pyro... I wish I could go over there right now and have a proper spar with him."

Douluo Continent, Sunset Forest, Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well-

From deep within the distant forest came a long Soul Beast's roar, followed immediately by the familiar sensation of surging poisonous fog.

The corners of Gan Lin's lips lifted slightly.

Dugu Bo and the others were back.