"Lord Yilan, I've finished helping Miss Collei wash and change. May we come in?"
The sudden knock on the study door caused Yilan to pause the simulation. He looked up and replied:
"Come in."
The door creaked open, and two girls entered one after the other. Yilan's eyes lit up at the sight.
At that moment, Collei had changed into Noelle's clothes. Although Noelle had a fuller figure, making the outfit a bit large on Collei, the oversized fit only made her look more petite and delicate.
Her long, freshly washed hair gleamed with a healthy shine, and Noelle had even applied a bit of light makeup on her face. The kind-hearted maid had lent Collei a few of her own accessories as well, which gave her a soft, girlish charm.
Now, under Yilan's gaze, Collei shyly tugged at the hem of her skirt with both hands, trying to cover her exposed and chilly thighs.
But did she not realize that this timid, vulnerable demeanor—like a startled deer—only made her more enchanting?
Yilan had seen many beautiful girls, but the contrast between the battered Collei from before and this newly dressed-up version was so stark that he couldn't help but murmur with emotion:
"I didn't expect that after washing and dressing up, Collei… you'd turn out to be such a beautiful girl."
"Master Yilan, you flatter me. I'm not beautiful at all. I'm clumsy… and I don't even know if I'll make a good maid."
Only now did Collei realize that Yilan was none other than the Archdeacon of the Church of Favonius in Mondstadt. In the home of someone so important, surely the standards for maids were extremely high, right? Would she be dismissed halfway through her duties? Oh no…
"Don't worry, my standards for maids aren't as strict as those of the noble houses."
As though he could sense her anxiety, Yilan smiled gently and reassured her:
"And you can ask Noelle for guidance. She happens to be busy with her Knight of Favonius entrance exam recently. You can assist her… Noelle?"
"Yes—yes, Lord Yilan. Apologies, I was distracted just now. I'll teach Miss Collei the necessary skills for maid work."
Noelle blinked and came out of her daze, lowering her gaze as she spoke.
There was something unusual about the girl's state of mind, but Yilan's focus was still on the simulator. He didn't notice and simply said:
"You and Collei can tidy the third guest room on the second floor. Let her stay there for the time being. Also, take her shopping for clothes. Just charge the expenses to my account."
He looked at Collei with a warm smile and said:
"From now on, treat Mondstadt as your home. Once you get used to things here, I'll arrange for someone to teach you archery and a few self-defense techniques."
Since Collei wanted to serve as his maid to repay his kindness, Yilan had no intention of letting her go.
And based on the story in the game, Collei had no surviving relatives in Sumeru. For her, living in Mondstadt wasn't any different than living in Sumeru. In fact, it might be even better.
Here in Mondstadt, she could make more friends her own age. Later, Yilan planned to invite Amber to teach her archery—perhaps Collei could enjoy a much happier life in this city.
After Collei and Noelle left the study, Noelle led her to the third guest room on the second floor.
Thanks to Noelle's diligence, even rarely used guest rooms were kept spotless. After laying out new cotton sheets and quilts, the room was ready for use.
The two girls worked together to make the bed. Once it was done, Collei cheered softly and jumped onto the fluffy mattress.
Though they had only spent a few hours together, Noelle's warm nature and natural kindness had already melted Collei's defenses. In front of her, Collei revealed her cheerful and girlish side.
"It's so wonderful… being able to live with Master Yilan."
Looking at Collei smiling on the large soft bed, Noelle's green eyes dimmed slightly. She murmured to herself:
"…So wonderful."
"Sister Noelle? What did you say?" Collei hadn't caught the words clearly.
"It's nothing."
Noelle walked to the window and opened the curtains. Spring sunlight streamed in, cutting through motes of dust in the air and casting a golden glow on the bed where Collei lay.
Standing in the shadows by the window, Noelle said softly:
"I mean, Lord Yilan is a very kind person. You won't have to worry about being mistreated anymore. Just live happily here."
"Lord Yilan is indeed very kind." Collei nodded sincerely.
Initially, she had wanted to become Yilan's maid just to repay his kindness and because she had nowhere else to go. But now, her heart was truly filled with gratitude—Yilan had given her a home after she'd wandered across Teyvat alone for ten long years.
"Alright, let's go buy some clothes." Noelle patted her own cheeks lightly, forcing a smile.
Yilan remained unaware of the small exchange between the two girls. After they left the study, he returned his attention to the simulation.
[Age 6: After returning home, your two older brothers told your father everything that had just happened.]
[Your father grew intrigued. He picked up a sword and said he wanted to test you. After a fierce duel, you defeated him. However, he scolded you.]
[He believed that this was just a spar between father and son, and that your eerie smile during the fight had mentally pressured him. To him, that was a dishonorable tactic unbefitting a true knight.]
[You didn't understand this at all. To you, it was simply a joyful smile from getting to wield a sword.]
[Despite his criticism, your father acknowledged your talent and taught you the family's inherited swordsmanship, allowing you to train on your own.]
[Age 7: As your value grew, your two older brothers stopped playing with you. Even your father occasionally looked at you with unease.]
[You became more isolated. The sword became your only companion. Swinging it was the only purpose left in your life, and you practiced relentlessly.]
[Age 8: You began roaming the wilderness alone, a sword on your back. Even without a Vision, you could now wipe out a small Hilichurl tribe by yourself.]
[Age 9: You destroyed a Ruin Guard and rescued trapped adventurers. But when they saw your face, they screamed and fled in terror.]
[Age 10: You heard of a formidable boy your age named Rustan in Mondstadt. You challenged him.]
[After dozens of exchanges, you emerged victorious. It was the longest you had ever fought someone your age.]
[Delighted, you offered your hand in friendship. But Rustan, upon seeing your smile, merely shook it briefly before turning and running away.]
[Age 11: A rumor began to spread across Mondstadt—of a boy clad in black, wearing a cloak and carrying a longsword. With a ghost-like smile, he wandered the city at night. They said any child who didn't come home on time would be taken and eaten by him.]
[That tale became a bedtime threat to scare naughty children into behaving.]
***
[15 years old. In Mondstadt, 15 is considered adulthood. At this age, one can take the Knights of Favonius assessment to become an apprentice knight.]
[You don't seek the glory of knighthood, but you long to find deeper meaning in swinging your sword. You've heard the Knights of Favonius harbor many skilled fighters, so you head to Mondstadt, eager to challenge masters and perhaps join the Order.]
[At that time, Mondstadt was under siege by monsters. The Grand Master was away on an expedition, and the remaining knights struggled to fend off the beasts.]
[Amid the chaos, you appeared alone outside the city gates with a longsword strapped to your back.]
[You drew your sword, dashed into the fray, and severed monster heads one after another. Your blade moved as swiftly and sharply as the wind. Blood and limbs flew through the air, steel cleaved flesh and bone, and the screams of dying monsters echoed in the battlefield.]
["—Is this all there is to war?" you muttered.]
[Under the stunned gazes of the knights stationed at the gates, you single-handedly slaughtered all the monsters.]
[Then, turning to the knights, you calmly asked, "Could you open the gate? I'm here to join the Knights of Favonius."]
[By now, you'd begun to understand how your smile—so natural to you when wielding a sword—instilled fear in others. You tried to suppress your emotions.]
[But you didn't realize how terrifying you looked—standing amidst bloodied corpses, expressionless eyes, and a twisted smile frozen on your face.]
[The knight who met your gaze collapsed to the ground in terror and stammered two trembling words: "S-Sword Ghost…!"]
[At 16, you successfully joined the Knights of Favonius as an apprentice knight, though you'd already bested every knight who accepted your challenge—few dared.]
["That guy's a monster," others whispered. "He never eats or drinks with us. When he's free, all he does is swing his sword. Morning to night. No rest. No hobbies. What kind of life is that?"]
[You knew what they said behind your back. But compared to colleagues who wasted time drinking and chasing women at taverns, was it really wrong to practice swordsmanship every day? Did life only have meaning if lived like them?]
[The doubt weighed on you. And when you're confused, you swing your sword.]
[At 17, you'd made considerable contributions to the Knights of Favonius, yet your title remained 'apprentice.' The upside was that few people disturbed you.]
[But it also meant no sparring partners. You didn't mind. Training against the same people repeatedly was, to you, an insult to the true nature of combat—where victory or death is decided in a single move.]
[So you fought only one person: yourself. Not metaphorically. You treated each training session as a real life-or-death duel—against your own instincts.]
[However, gossip increased at the training grounds. The murmurs grew distracting, so you decided to find a more secluded place to train.]
[Entering Somatosensory Mode…]
"..."
According to the simulation system, your simulated self shouldn't have many emotions. But the moment Yilan entered physical sensing mode, an overwhelming emotion hit him—
"I love practicing swordplay. It makes me happy.jpg"
"There's only one thing on my mind: swordplay.jpg"
"If I don't practice swordplay for a second, I feel awful all over! .jpg"
"Women only slow down the speed at which I swing my sword.jpg"
The obsession with swordsmanship in this body was so intense that it even affected Yilan's real mental state while in somatosensory mode.
Even if Ganyu showed up wearing only black hip-hugging stockings, he doubted this body would do anything but keep swinging its sword with a blank stare.
But that was fine. After all, one of the goals of this simulation was to improve his own swordsmanship.
Following his instincts, Yilan began looking for a quiet place to train.
Before that, he checked his appearance in a mirror—it was still his faultlessly handsome face. But when he stretched his lips into a smile and looked with dead, unblinking pupils, it was… terrifying.
Mondstadt from 500 years ago was very different. Yilan wandered for some time before finding a relatively secluded area near the city walls.
From the half-built structures and abandoned equipment, he guessed this place had been intended for windmills or other facilities. But construction must have been abandoned due to monster attacks or safety concerns. Now it was just ruins—quiet and deserted.
Standing in the center of the open space, Yilan drew his sword. He held his breath and began practicing.
With every step on the muddy ground, the Windbreaker Sword flashed like silver light. Under the moonlight, a young man performed a sword dance—clear, sharp, and mesmerizing.
As he moved, Yilan realized this body had an extraordinary talent for swordsmanship. At only 17, it might already surpass his real self.
This was likely the benefit of the simulation. The mind of this simulated self had long since reached a state of "nothing exists but the sword." For more than a decade, he had done nothing but train, every single day—and would continue doing so.
"Your swordsmanship is very good."
"..."
His rare moment of sword-focused tranquility was interrupted. Yilan frowned slightly, annoyed.
He looked toward the voice and saw a girl seated atop a half-built windmill.
Her long golden hair shimmered like sunlight. Her face was as pale and delicate as moonlight. Her bare legs hung over the edge, swaying slightly in the wind, her white feet encased in summer sandals. She studied him curiously.
"This is the first time I've seen you here."
"..."
Yilan ignored her. She was undeniably beautiful, but right now, his heart held only one desire: swordplay. Women only slow down the speed at which I swing my sword.
He looked away and resumed training. To drive her off, he unleashed his unsuppressed swordsmanship—accompanied by the signature ghostly smile that terrified even experienced knights.
He knew how frightening it was. His cold, emotionless demeanor only amplified the effect.
That should be enough to drive her away.
"That's the first time I've seen such a pure smile," she said, resting her chin in her hands, still watching him.