"Huh?" Ronava looked up at Eula in confusion. "Human, do you need something?"
"Yes! And it's very important!" Eula fixed her glittering golden eyes on Tang Wang.
Only then did she suddenly notice how... peculiar the way he wore his clothes was: his white-and-teal coat was draped diagonally over his body.
His left arm was properly through its sleeve, but the other side of the coat was draped directly over his right shoulder. The sleeve swung freely at his side, seemingly serving as a cape.
The button at the top of his coat was also fastened fairly securely, making the garment itself look more like some kind of external armor.
"Oh, Miss Eula, long time no see." He looked up at Eula, his expression still calm. "Since you're here, that means... I misunderstood you, right?"
"Although Lili healed your injuries, the pain you felt surely can't just be written off, right?"
As he spoke, he stood up and held out his right arm:
"First, I apologize for my actions. Under the circumstances, I had no choice."
"Of course, I know a simple apology means nothing. So, if you still don't feel satisfied..."
He pulled the Bloodtainted Greatsword from his Shadow Domain and placed it in Eula's hands.
"You can also cut off my right arm, as revenge and punishment for me. Besides, this Bloodtainted Greatsword is my gift to make amends."
With that, he immediately turned to look at Linaya beside him:
"Sorry for the trouble, Lili, but I'll have to ask for your help again in a moment."
"It's all right." Linaya smiled and shook her head. "No matter what, I'll heal you."
Before coming here, Eula had imagined many possibilities. Sophistry, denial... But she had never expected Tang Wang to readily admit he was wrong and even offer to let her cut off his arm to settle the grudge.
"I..."
"What? Do you think cutting off my arm isn't enough?" Tang Wang looked a little puzzled. "Then you can punch me a few more times. I promise I won't defend myself with Gang Qi."
"...Isn't that a little too lenient?" Danika, who was watching from the side, was dumbfounded. In her view, for a powerhouse of Tang Wang's caliber to apologize to Eula was already showing her considerable respect.
What was more, under the circumstances, Tang Wang had already made the optimal choice. Eula hadn't actually suffered any irreversible harm because of it, so surely there was no need for him to apologize for a wound that no longer existed?
"..." Holding the Bloodtainted Greatsword, Eula fell silent for a moment. After a while, she gave a loud, cold snort:
"I'll remember this grudge!" With the Bloodtainted Greatsword in hand, she left those ambiguous words behind and practically fled Angel's Share.
"Tang Wang, what was wrong with that human?" Ronava asked curiously, watching her leave.
"I don't know, and I don't care. Let's get back to business." Tang Wang sat down again. "She didn't return the Bloodtainted Greatsword, so it looks like she accepted my apology. Yes, that's right."
"As for the last Electro Abyss Lector, I've prepared three plans."
"Plan one is for me to go to Liyue and ask a very capable exorcist for help. He has a Cryo Vision and a unique infusion mechanic that can quickly break the Lector's shield."
"Just like Ronava did today."
"Me?" Ronava, who had taken a couple of sips of her carbonated drink, asked in confusion.
"That's right. You were a very important part of our fighting force today." He nodded. "And so was Danika."
"Plan two is to call on the Knights of Favonius, mainly Kaeya, or Mika and Eula."
"And plan three..." Tang Wang lowered his voice. "This one would take longer, and Mondstadt might not be able to wait. That would be Columbina."
"You want to call her over?" Danika sounded a little surprised. "But La Signora is already the Harbinger operating in Mondstadt."
"She won't work." Tang Wang shook his head. "She's too slow at breaking shields, and her physical defense is low. If she doesn't use her fire moth form, there's a chance she'll get beaten to death. If she does, she can't break the shield."
"That's true." Danika nodded. "If even you were helpless against this Herald, I don't think La Signora could do anything about it."
"At the end of the day, the Abyss Herald is a mechanics monster. If you don't break its elemental shield, there's no point attacking it." That was Tang Wang's final conclusion.
"So, after we eat, I'll call Columbina."
For Columbina, who was staying at Snezhnaya Palace, it was another boring day. After The Doctor had extracted the Kuuvahki from her for an experiment, she had been left with absolutely nothing to do.
In the garden, she repeated a song she had sung who knew how many times before.
"Doo doo doo doo..." Just then, the little mechanical device she carried against her chest suddenly rang.
"Hello, Columbina? Are you free right now?" The voice that felt familiar and reassuring to her came from the device.
"Mm." She answered softly. "Tang Wang, are you bringing the flowers over?"
"Yes, but I've run into a little trouble." His tone was as sincere as ever. "If you don't want to come, I'll send the flowers through the Adventurers' Guild's special channel, like before."
"But if you're free, I really hope I can put the flowers in your hands myself."
"All right." She nodded without hesitation. "I'll come over."
In fact, Columbina had wanted an opportunity like this for a long time. In her view, "family" was supposed to make use of one another, from the way the Frostmoon Scions had used her centuries ago to the way Snezhnaya used her now.
Once she lost her value, once others discovered she wasn't who they expected her to be, she would be abandoned.
Tang Wang was different from everyone she had met before. He seemed to have never intended to use her, and that often left Columbina feeling an incomprehensible sense of unfamiliarity toward their relationship.
In all fairness, it was a very warm relationship for her. For that very reason, she was often afraid of losing it.
If only she could grasp hold of something that would bind them more tightly. She didn't want to part from the person who had suddenly entered her life and brought her happiness and sunshine without asking for anything in return.
So when Tang Wang finally spoke up and said he hoped she could help, her heart, which had been hanging in suspense for so long, finally settled. At least, she now believed that this relationship wouldn't suddenly end.
"Pantalone." She went straight to Pantalone. "I'm going to Mondstadt."
"Oh? Miss Columbina, you should know very well that the contribution you can make by staying in Snezhnaya is far greater than what you could accomplish by going to another country to retrieve a Gnosis..."
"I'm going to Mondstadt." The girl wearing an eye mask repeated herself.
"But La Signora is already in Mondstadt. If you're going there to retrieve the Gnosis..." Although Pantalone tried to keep his tone as gentle as possible, he could barely restrain the malice in his words.
He had always hated "gods" like Columbina, who possessed great power from birth. So even though the girl's strength and rank were far above his own, he had no kind feelings toward her.
"I'm going to Mondstadt." The same utterly flat words were all Pantalone got in reply.
"...All right." Apparently out of options, Pantalone could only nod. "The carriage and escort will depart this afternoon. They should reach Mondstadt in three days."
"Can they go any faster?" A hint of urgency finally crept into Columbina's voice. "I have something very important to do. I need to get to Mondstadt quickly."
"...Please understand, most humans don't possess great power like yours." Pantalone let out a long sigh. "Three days is already their limit."
"All right." The girl nodded in disappointment.
And so, the girl left home and began her journey toward the city of wind and pastoral song.