Chương 11: 10. Mondstadt: Changes and Recovery #3
The streets of Mondstadt had changed, but not in the way I expected. There were signs of the recent chaos everywhere—scaffolding along buildings, piles of stone waiting to be rebuilt, and dust still settling in the air—but there was also life. The kind of life that said the people here were moving forward. Children's laughter echoed from the plaza, and shopkeepers called out their daily specials. It was almost like a dragon hadn't threatened to tear this place apart just days ago.
Amber walked beside me, her step as light and carefree as ever. She glanced over, catching me watching the city with that look of quiet disbelief still on my face.
"It's nice, isn't it?" she said, a grin playing on her lips. "Seeing everyone get back to normal?"
I nodded, shoving my hands into my pockets. "Yeah. It's... it's strange, but in a good way. After all that, you'd think the place would still be reeling."
Amber's grin widened. "Mondstadt's tough! We've been through worse before, you know. Storms, attacks, a few Hilichurl parties trying to break through the gates... We always come back stronger."
She said it so easily, like it was just another part of life. Maybe for her, it was. I couldn't help but admire how casually she carried it all—the danger, the recovery, the way people looked to her for leadership. It didn't seem to weigh her down.
A child ran past us, his friends laughing and chasing behind him. I smiled at the sight, but before I could get too lost in thought, a voice called out.
"Hey! You there!"
I turned to see an older man, weathered but sturdy, waving me over. His face was familiar—maybe I'd passed him during one of my previous walks around the city.
"You're that lad from the attack, aren't you? The one who helped save everyone?"
I blinked, not sure how to respond. "I guess that's me," I said, trying to sound casual.
The man grinned. "You did good, son. Real good. Don't think we've forgotten what you did out there."
I scratched the back of my head, feeling Amber's amused gaze on me. "I just did what I had to."
Amber nudged me with her elbow, her smile bright. "Tayden's just being humble. He was amazing out there, wasn't he?"
The man laughed. "Humble, huh? Well, whatever you are, you've earned the gratitude of this city. Don't forget that."
I nodded, not quite knowing what else to say. As we continued walking, more people turned their heads, some nodding in acknowledgment, others offering soft words of thanks. It was strange, being seen like this. I wasn't used to it.
"Hero treatment," Amber teased, throwing me a playful look. "Not bad, huh?"
I chuckled softly, but there was something deeper stirring inside me. This wasn't the kind of attention I was used to. "Hero" didn't seem like the right word for what I had done. But these people—these citizens I had barely known before—they were thankful. And maybe that was enough.
We turned a corner, and I caught sight of a mother and child standing by a market stall. The woman looked up, her eyes widening as she spotted me. Her daughter tugged on her sleeve, pointing toward me with excitement.
"That's him, isn't it?" the girl whispered, her voice loud enough for me to hear. "The one who saved me!"
The mother's gaze softened, and she took a step forward, the girl clinging to her hand. "You…" she began, her voice shaky with emotion. "You saved my daughter. I don't know how to thank you."
I opened my mouth to speak, but the little girl beat me to it, darting forward and wrapping her arms around my legs in a tight hug. "Thank you," she said, her voice muffled against my clothes.
For a second, I froze, not sure what to do with the unexpected affection. Then, slowly, I knelt down and gave the girl a gentle pat on the head. "I'm glad you're okay," I said, the words coming out quieter than I'd expected.
The mother smiled through her tears, her gratitude almost palpable. "You don't know what this means to us. If there's anything we can do for you…"
Amber stepped in before I could reply, her voice light and cheerful. "No need for that! Tayden here's just doing what he does best—saving the day!"
The woman nodded, clearly still overwhelmed, and with a final, soft "thank you," she and her daughter turned and walked away. Amber looked over at me, her grin wide. "See? You're a hero, whether you like it or not."
I shook my head, a smile tugging at my lips. "I'm not sure I'm cut out for the whole hero thing."
"You'd better get used to it," she said with a laugh. "Mondstadt doesn't forget its heroes."
Suddenly, another voice cut through the air.
"If you two are done patting each other on the back…"
I turned to see Eula approaching, arms crossed over her chest, her usual stern expression firmly in place. But there was a flicker in her eyes—a flicker of something that wasn't quite annoyance.
"Eula!" Amber exclaimed, grinning as she skipped over to her. "We were just talking about how awesome Tayden was during the attack."
Eula rolled her eyes, though a faint smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. "I'm sure you were." She glanced at me, her gaze sharp. "You're reckless, you know that?"
I shrugged, offering a half-smile. "Maybe. Or maybe I'm just lucky."
"Reckless and lucky," Eula muttered, but I could hear the relief in her voice. "Just try not to make a habit of it. I can't always be around to bail you out."
Amber laughed, clearly enjoying the banter. "Don't worry, Eula! We've got this guy under control."
Eula sighed, though there was a glimmer of amusement in her eyes. "I'm not so sure about that."
We continued walking, the three of us falling into an easy rhythm. The sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows across the cobblestone streets. There was something peaceful about it all—something that made the weight of the past few weeks feel a little lighter.
As we walked, Amber chattered on about the rebuilding efforts, pointing out different parts of the city that had already been restored. Eula chimed in occasionally with her usual dry comments, though I could tell she was just as relieved as the rest of us to see Mondstadt on the mend.
At some point, Amber stopped by a food stall, grabbing a basket filled with bread and pastries. She handed me a warm loaf, her grin wide. "You've gotta try this. It's fresh!"
I took the bread, tearing off a piece and popping it into my mouth. The taste was simple but comforting, and I found myself smiling. "Thanks, Amber."
"No problem!" she replied, taking a bite of her own. "I figured you could use a snack after all that sleeping you've been doing."
I chuckled. "Two weeks of rest, and now I'm getting spoiled with food. Not a bad deal."
Amber grinned, tossing a piece of bread at Eula. "What about you, Eula? Want some?"
Eula caught the bread effortlessly, raising an eyebrow. "I suppose I could use a break."
---
We found a bench near the market, sitting down to enjoy the food. The air was cool but pleasant, the sound of the city humming in the background. For a while, we just sat there, eating in comfortable silence.
It felt good, just sitting there with them, like we weren't in the middle of some grand story. No dragons, no demons—just a quiet afternoon, friends sharing a meal. I didn't realize how much I'd missed this—missed the simple things, like relaxing and just enjoying the company of people who cared.
Amber broke the silence, as she always seemed to. "So, Tayden, you gonna tell us more about how you survived getting flung halfway across the city?" Her eyes twinkled with mischief. "It was pretty dramatic, you know."
I let out a soft laugh, shaking my head. "Honestly, I don't even know how I survived that. When I woke up, everything was just… healed."
Eula's gaze sharpened slightly, though she tried to mask her concern with her usual cool demeanor. "You were reckless. You know that, right?"
I nodded. "Yeah. I know."
Amber leaned in, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "But seriously, it was kind of amazing. You took a hit that should've… well, let's just say most people wouldn't have gotten back up."
"Most people don't have the same regeneration abilities," I pointed out.
Eula crossed her arms, her expression firm. "Even so, you're not invincible. Your powers have limits, Tayden. And you need to be more careful. Next time, there might not be anyone around to pick up the pieces."
There was a softness in her voice that caught me off guard, a hint of worry she wasn't bothering to hide as much as usual. I didn't know how to respond to that—didn't know how to explain that I did try to be careful, but sometimes things just didn't go according to plan.
"Yeah," I said after a moment, my voice quieter. "I'll be more careful."
...
We were halfway through our meal when Amber suddenly froze mid-bite. Her eyes went wide, and before any of us could ask what was wrong, she coughed, choking on the piece of bread she'd just swallowed.
I quickly grabbed the pitcher of water and poured her a glass. "You okay?" I asked, handing it over.
Amber took it gratefully, still coughing a little before gulping down the water. "Yeah, I'm—" she broke into a fit of coughs again, waving her hand to reassure us. Finally, after a few moments, she caught her breath, blinking at me with wide eyes.
Eula raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed by Amber's theatrics. "What now, Amber? Did you manage to inhale a whole loaf of bread this time?"
Amber's face flushed, though whether it was from embarrassment or the coughing fit, I couldn't tell. "No! I just—" she suddenly shot me a guilty look. "Uh, Tayden?"
I narrowed my eyes, leaning back. "What?"
She scratched the back of her neck sheepishly, avoiding my gaze. "I might have… forgotten to tell you something."
Eula groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Amber…"
Amber's sheepish grin turned into a nervous laugh. "Okay, okay, don't get mad! I just forgot to mention that… well… Jean wants to meet with you again. Tomorrow."
"Jean?" I repeated, blinking. "As in, Acting Grand Master Jean?"
Amber nodded, trying to smile like it wasn't a big deal. "Yep! That Jean."
I stared at her for a moment, my mind scrambling to catch up. "You forgot to tell me that Jean—one of the most important people in Mondstadt—wants to meet with me? Tomorrow?"
Eula sighed heavily, shaking her head. "Honestly, Amber. Could you be any more careless?"
Amber winced. "It slipped my mind, okay? We've just been so busy, what with the rebuilding and everything… and, you know, you were unconscious for two weeks."
I groaned, running a hand through my hair. "Great. So, what does Jean want this time? I already had my big introduction with her when I first got here."
Amber shrugged. "Not sure. Probably just wants to check in after everything that happened. You know, make sure you're doing okay, now that you're up and about."
Eula, however, didn't seem so convinced. "Or it could be about the fact that you threw yourself into a fight with a dragon."
Amber chuckled, still with a guilty smile. "Yeah, that might have something to do with it."
I sighed, setting my half-eaten bread back on the table. "Well, at least I've got some time to prepare. Tomorrow, right?"
Amber nodded quickly. "Yep, tomorrow morning. And don't worry, it'll probably be fine! Jean's super nice, and it's not like she's going to throw you in jail or anything."
Eula smirked, taking a sip from her glass. "Not unless you've done something reckless since waking up."
I shot her a look, but she just raised her eyebrows innocently.
Amber, sensing the tension, grinned and reached across the table to give me a reassuring pat on the back. "It's going to be fine, Tayden. Jean just wants to make sure you're all good. She's not as scary as people think!"
"I hope you're right," I muttered, though I wasn't entirely convinced.
As Amber happily returned to her meal, I couldn't help but feel a knot of nerves forming in my stomach. Jean wasn't someone you just casually met with. If she wanted to talk to me again, there had to be a reason and this time its probably going to be about my powers.
Eula must've noticed the tension in my shoulders, because her gaze softened just a bit. "You'll be fine. Jean's professional, but she's fair. Though, you are probably going to have to explain to her, Lisa, and probably Kaeya about your abilites."
"Noted," I said with a dry chuckle, though the knot in my stomach didn't loosen.
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