Before long, the group reached the entrance to the Knights of Favonius headquarters.
The two knights standing guard immediately gave Kaeya a knightly salute, but when they saw Gabrielina, they shuddered and nearly lost their footing.
"...Do I really look that much like the Anemo Archon?" Gabrielina leaned close to Lumine's ear and whispered.
Lumine shook her head, turning her face slightly away to dodge the girl's warm breath.
"Haha, perhaps your presence is simply too imposing, Miss Gabrielina?" Kaeya spread his hands helplessly. "After all, while our knights have seen a great deal, guests like you are hardly a common sight."
After they entered the Knights of Favonius headquarters, a tall blonde woman in a knight's uniform came out through a doorway to greet them.
A charming, mature woman dressed entirely in purple followed right behind her.
"Jean, you're far too impatient. Didn't he say he was already bringing them... see? Here they are."
Seeing Jean, Kaeya introduced her to the two girls behind him.
"Acting Grand Master Jean, I've brought our guests. Let's go inside to talk."
Jean's gaze swept politely but cautiously over the two girls, finally settling on Gabrielina. "...Of course. Please follow me, both of you."
They entered the office together, greeted by a faint, pleasant fragrance.
After closing the door, Kaeya began reporting to Jean about Stormterror, even taking out the "gift" Gabrielina had given him to show her.
"And that's what happened." Kaeya finished and spread his hands.
Jean pondered for a moment, seemingly weighing something, before looking at the two girls before her.
"Mondstadt welcomes you, travelers borne here on the wind."
"I'm Jean, the Acting Grand Master. This is Lisa, the Knights of Favonius' librarian."
Gabrielina turned her head. Though she forced herself not to dwell on it, she couldn't ignore the particularly well-endowed older woman staring intently at her.
"Oh my, you've finally decided to look my way. Are you sweet girls here to help with our staffing shortage? How adorable..."
A shiver ran through the angel. The feathers by her ears trembled involuntarily before she forced them flat again.
...That's far too sugary~
Isn't my image supposed to be a powerful figure who might be a god? How does she dare flirt with me?
The system said scornfully, Some people can never hide the innocence in their eyes, not even in a lifetime.
Gabrielina: her fists clenched. Her fists were definitely clenched.
"Lisa..." Jean glanced at Gabrielina with concern, seemingly worried that she might take offense.
But clearly, she was delighted to receive that sort of offense. The more, the better!
"Acting Grand Master Jean, it's quite all right." Gabrielina smiled politely. "Miss Lisa's words are just like her beauty... an absolute delight."
As she spoke, she deliberately imitated Lisa's tone, giving her last few words a sweet, lingering lilt.
Poor little Lumine really had it rough, caught between two mature beauties!
"Oh my... what a sweet talker you are." Lisa covered her mouth and chuckled. "I'd love to show you both around Mondstadt for a few days, but unfortunately... the timing couldn't be worse."
"Ever since Stormterror reawakened, he's been active around the city, causing a great deal of chaos."
"...Now Mondstadt's elemental flow and ley line circulation have become like a ball of yarn clawed up by a kitten," Lisa explained helplessly.
Gabrielina drew her wings in slightly. To an outsider, she might merely have been keeping herself aloft. In truth, however, she was sensing the Elemental Corridor within her wings.
Just as Lisa had said, the flow of Anemo throughout Mondstadt was extremely chaotic. A certain Anemo Archon who never did any proper work might have taken some measures, but they had clearly accomplished very little.
"So that's what's going on!" Lumine nodded.
"Ah... for a mage, this is the worst possible situation. It's bad for both your skin and your mood."
As a Flügel, Gabrielina knew that feeling all too well.
Those raging elements were constantly forcing their way into her sensitive corridor. It was hardly a pleasant sensation.
"By the way, little... ahem, Miss Gabrielina!"
The beautiful older woman moved closer again. Though she still had to tilt her head up slightly to look at Gabrielina, she nevertheless made the angel feel a certain pressure.
Ahem, pressure in the physical sense.
...After all, as the saying went, there was always a bigger... mountain.
"If you don't mind, I'm very interested in the sword you gave Kaeya~ Was that some kind of magic?"
"Oh! Of course I don't mind. It's hardly an important secret..."
Gabrielina shifted, forcibly dragging her gaze away from the deep cleavage directly below her and over to Lumine beside her.
"The essence of magic is controlling the elements. My weapons are something like... 'manifestations' of the elements?" The angel pointed at the spellbook in Lisa's hand. "That's your casting medium, isn't it, Miss Lisa? Care to guess what mine is?"
Lisa quickly looked the angel over, finding no trace of any catalyst. Should she have been surprised or not...? The girl didn't even have a Vision.
Seeing Lisa's helpless expression, the angel's face suddenly took on a peculiar look. "Hehe... it's actually this pair of wings~"
"Ah... that is rather unexpected..."
"What do you think, Lisa~ Big sis~ Want to touch them? You have to be gentle, though. They're very-"
"Ahem!"
Two coughs rang out. Gabrielina and Lisa turned at the same time to find two blonde beauties, one tall and one short, exchanging awkward looks.
There was a strange sense of déjà vu.
"...All right, everyone. Let's get down to business," Jean reminded them from the side.
"If it weren't for the interference Lisa mentioned, the Knights of Favonius would have better ways to help you than putting up missing-person posters. But right now..."
At Jean's words, Gabrielina and Lumine exchanged a glance.
Now a certain idiot was about to start accepting quests! (Sob.)
"We can't just leave all the worrying to the Knights of Favonius. Let's lend a hand."
"Mm-hmm, me too," Gabrielina added casually.
"Then... shall we draw up a battle plan?"
Acting Grand Master Jean gave Kaeya an approving look. "Stormterror's attack on Mondstadt has actually given us an opportunity to put an end to the source of this disaster.
With Lisa's magical detection, we've pinpointed the source of the hurricane that swept through Mondstadt."
"So, where is it?"
"The abandoned temples of the Four Winds. Stormterror must be drawing on the residual power within those temples to whip up storms like this."
Acting Grand Master Jean looked at the storm gradually dispersing outside the window, and the tension in her face finally eased a little.
"Our targets this time are three of those temples. As for why only three, I think everyone understands."
"Wait! I don't understand..."
Paimon promptly raised her hand, joining Lumine beside her in giving Acting Grand Master Jean a clueless look.
"Haha... I think it'll be easier for our little cutie to understand during the mission~" Lisa gently stroked Lumine's head, showing all the tenderness of a mature woman.
As for why she didn't stroke Gabrielina's head?
Don't ask. If you must, she was flying too high, and Lisa couldn't be bothered to reach...
Before you continue