This was Jiang Bai's first time in Mondstadt.
How should he put it? Mondstadt and Liyue were two completely different worlds.
Liyue Harbor had no walls, but the first thing he saw in Mondstadt was its towering fortifications. Red-roofed buildings rose within those walls, and tall windmills spun gently in the breeze, bringing with them a breath of air utterly distinct from Liyue's.
As Jiang Bai drew closer to the city, he realized that Mondstadt was built on an island in the middle of a lake. The only path leading to the city was a massive bridge at the front—no other routes in or out.
That puzzled him. If there was only one way into the city, then why the high walls?
High walls drastically limited a city's growth, containing everything inside. In Liyue, he'd never seen such barriers.
Could it be that Mondstadt's environment isn't as peaceful as Liyue's? Do they face frequent threats from enemies… or monster attacks?
At the city gates, the bridge was bustling with people. Jiang Bai noticed a little boy trying to feed the pigeons, but there were too many passersby—the pigeons wouldn't come near.
When he reached the city gate, he saw two knights in armor standing at attention.
They stood tall and proper, appearing more like they were keeping watch than interrogating every passerby or checking cargo.
Jiang Bai walked straight up to one of them.
Seeing someone dressed in unfamiliar foreign garb approaching, the knight placed his right fist to his chest in salute, left hand clasped behind his back, and gave a formal greeting.
"Welcome to Mondstadt."
"Hello." Jiang Bai wasn't sure how to respond, so he simply nodded.
"Is there anything I can help you with?"
"Are you a member of the Knights of Favonius?"
From the uniform, the man looked like a knight, but Jiang Bai figured it was better to ask. Wouldn't do to approach the wrong person.
"Yes, I'm Swan, a Knight of Favonius, currently on gate duty. According to the Knights' Conduct Manual, I'm also responsible for assisting merchants and visitors. If you encounter any trouble in Mondstadt, feel free to come to me."
"The Knights' Conduct Manual? What's that?" Jiang Bai's curiosity was piqued.
"The Conduct Manual is a guiding code shared by all Knights of Favonius. It's the cornerstone of peace and order in Mondstadt. Every knight studies it and follows the principles laid out within."
"I see." Jiang Bai nodded, then pulled out the badge Albedo had given him.
"Albedo asked me to pick something up from his house. But since it's my first time here, I don't know where he lives. Could you take me there?"
Swan accepted the badge and examined it. After confirming that it was indeed Albedo's personal emblem, he returned it with a nod.
"Of course. Let me find someone to take over my post. Please wait a moment."
"Sure."
Swan called someone to take his place, then led Jiang Bai into the city. As they walked, he gave a friendly introduction.
"Mondstadt is the city of wind and song. There are many sights worth seeing here—like the Cathedral of Favonius, or the great statue of the Anemo Archon. Both are breathtaking."
As they entered deeper into the city, Jiang Bai saw the enormous statue Swan had mentioned.
The city was built on ascending tiers. The higher they climbed, the grander the architecture became—and at the summit stood that massive statue. From almost anywhere in the city, you could catch a glimpse of it.
It bore a strong resemblance to the Wind God's likeness on the Statue of the Seven—cloaked and hooded, with great wings. But the pose was different.
Here, the Anemo Archon's wings were spread wide, arms extended as though cradling something precious.
From outside the city, Mondstadt hadn't looked that big—but once inside, Jiang Bai realized he couldn't have been more wrong.
This was the capital of a nation. Of course it wasn't small.
While it might not rival the open sprawl of Liyue Harbor, it was by no means tiny.
After more than ten minutes of walking, Swan finally brought him to Albedo's residence.
It was a quaint three-story building, elegantly designed, with a small flower bed out front. A far cry from the traditional courtyard-style buildings of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
"This is Albedo's home. Is there anything else I can assist you with?"
"No, that's all. He gave me the key—I can go in myself."
"Very well. Farewell."
Swan gave a polite nod and left without hesitation—true to a knight's bearing, with no trace of suspicion. After all, robbing the Chief Alchemist of the Knights of Favonius wasn't something just anyone could pull off.
Jiang Bai stepped up to the door and unlocked it with Albedo's key. The sky was darkening, and without the lights on, the room inside was dim.
The last light of dusk filtered through the windows, casting a gentle warmth across the interior.
Where would someone store explosives in a place like this?
Albedo hadn't told him exactly where to find the items—only that they were somewhere in the house. But which room? That was the question.
Standing in the living room, Jiang Bai fell into thought.
---
In the kitchen, a little girl was standing on a stool, squeezing salad dressing onto a piece of toast. When she heard the front door open, her ears twitched. She immediately forgot about the toast, jumped down, and ran out with a clatter of tiny footsteps.
"Big Brother Albedo~!"
But the person in the living room wasn't who she'd expected.
Instead of the familiar face of her beloved Big Brother Albedo, it was a total stranger—someone she'd never seen before.
Still, she didn't look frightened in the slightest. Her wide, curious eyes stared straight at Jiang Bai.
"Big brother, who are you? Why are you in Klee's house?"
Klee?
Jiang Bai mentally compared Albedo's descriptions with the little girl before him.
He crouched down so she wouldn't have to look up at him the whole time and smiled warmly, giving her shoulder a gentle pat.
"So you're Klee! I'm Jiang Bai. Your brother Albedo asked me to come get something for him."
"Ohhh! You're Big Brother Albedo's friend!"
Satisfied with the answer, Klee relaxed.
She wasn't scared of strangers showing up at her house. If someone was bad, she'd just use a bomb to blast them away!
"Is Big Brother Albedo still doing experiments?"
"Yeah, he's still up on Dragonspine. He couldn't come back for now, so he asked me to pick up some things."
Jiang Bai scratched his head with a troubled expression. "But he didn't tell me where they are…"
Seeing the look on his face, Klee's instinct to help kicked in immediately. She puffed out her chest with pride.
"What is big brother looking for? Tell Klee! Klee will help you find it!"
"That would be amazing! I'm so lucky you're here. I'd be totally lost otherwise."
Jiang Bai really did have a knack for dealing with kids—he'd nailed Klee's eagerness to be helpful, and he was playing it just right.
---
T/N: boom boom boom