The Shining Warriors Take the Stage

Hey there, Amber!

Ah! Honorary Knight, Paimon! Sorry, I was chatting away and didn't even notice you arrive. It's so good to see you again!

Oh, I was just discussing competition stuff with Mr. Heinz. So what brings you to Dragonspine? Not a commission, I assume?

Nope, we just saw some cool flyer and thought we'd come see what all the fuss is about.

I go where the fun is.

Well then, you've come to the right people! Mr. Heinz and I are staff on the organizing committee here.

Hello, Honorary Knight. And you must be Paimon?

Field Officer Heinz, 1st Company, Knights of Favonius. It's an honor to meet you both.

The contest hasn't kicked off yet. We're still in the process of issuing the spectator tickets and VIP tickets.

Speaking of which — take these. We reserved a couple of VIP tickets for you.

Thank you so much!

You're welcome.

You mentioned an organizing committee... Is that for the Dragonspine International Cross Country Challenge? That's what we saw on the flyer.

Yep! The organizing committee's a joint effort between the Knights of Favonius and representatives from Springvale.

More specifically, Heinz and I are in charge of registrations and security, while the Springvale team is responsible for refereeing and support.

So any problems, just come find us! We're here to make sure all contestants and spectators have an enjoyable experience.

We can always count on you.

This is the biggest contest of its kind we've ever had. A lot of international contestants have signed up, even some from Natlan. It's sure to be an exciting few days.

Oh, Natlan? I think I know who you mean.

If we're thinking of the same team, there's this one contestant with pink hair and a really impressive pair of horns on her head.

Also, she has a huuuuge appetite! A lot of the staff really enjoy dining with her.

Hahaha, the way she relishes her food, it puts everyone else in the mood to eat, too.

Then there's the girl with the stripy yellow-and-black tail. It's so fluffy and cute...

Uh, but she seems super cool though. I wouldn't dare call her cute to her face...

Okay, those definitely sound like people we know...

Varesa and Xilonen.

Oh, no way! You know them?

Well, if you wanna find them, their team's camp is over there. Their tent has a really unique design, you can't miss it.

Honestly, it's a really cool camp in general. Plus, they brought a whole stash of comic books with them.

Paimon sees it! We'll go check it out later. Thanks, Amber.

Great. Oh, and when you do, any chance you could borrow one of their comic books for me?

Their team's always talking about the comics they read, and it's gotten me kinda curious. I would go ask them myself, but I can't really leave my post.

Sure, no problem. Leave it to us!

Hello. Are Varesa and Xilonen around?

Ah, so you're looking for the captain and vice captain.

...Traveler? I thought I was seeing things... I can't believe it's really you!

Don't even go there... Please, I'm supposed to be on vacation here.

However much I want to finish my thesis, I'm only human. I've been fighting a losing battle with it recently.

Right now, I feel completely defeated by it. It's knocked me to the ground, and I'm just gonna lie here until I'm ready to get up and face it again. Until then, I'm begging you — please, please don't bring up my thesis.

Wow, we've run into so many people we know already. What a small world!

Since we all know Varesa and Xilonen, that makes things a lot easier.

We heard they're taking part in the cross country contest, so we thought we'd come say hi.

They're not here right now. But if you're not in a hurry, you're welcome to stick around the camp and wait.

Sounds good. Your tents are really cool by the way... Ah, and there's that stash of comic books Amber mentioned.

Looks like Amber wasn't exaggerating.

Oh, yeah. A friend of ours mentioned that. Hearing you all talk about comic books got her interested, too.

Which series have you guys been reading?

Comics? So, you, too, are fellow comic book lovers? Haha! And so the truth comes to light.

"Intensity" draws "intensity"... The "strongest" will surely cross paths with the "strongest"... Thus it was written, and thus has it come to pass.

You approach us humbly in search of the truth...

And I, Tang Yigang, will show you the light.

The series you speak of is a bible to us, the Legion of Soulblazers. And its name is... The Soulblazer Saga.

But what is a "Soulblazer," I hear you ask? And what kind of organization is the Legion of Soulblazers?

Wasn't asking.

Yigang, answer me this... What are the founding tenets of the Legion of Soulblazers?

Answer you I shall. Tenet the First: "If you think bitter tears and strong words are enough to broker peace, you are woefully naive!"

Tenet the Second: "I pledge to give my life fighting the forces of eternal darkness, even if we fight in vain!"

We, the Legion, swear to follow the Soulblazers even unto death! Our motto is:

Through pain and defeat, I shall never fear! I will always champion love and imagination!

Also, it may interest you to know that those two tenets are actually taken directly from the series itself. Soulblazer 6: Shadow of Tenebrium.

...

...

...Uh... Why aren't you saying anything? Didn't that make you feel something? Like, light a fire in your heart? Not even a little spark?

Honestly? No. It was all kinda abstract... Paimon couldn't really follow.

This is a failure of immeasurable proportions...

You'd better stop lighting fires in people's hearts, or you'll burn 'em to a crisp.

Vice Captain! Thank goodness you're back. Listen, we have a situation—

It's okay, I don't need all that. The look on Traveler and Paimon's faces tells me everything I need to know.

I'm completely lost. Can you explain?

Let me guess, Alrani and Tang Yigang said a bunch of stuff, and it was all pretty baffling, right? Yeah... Just think of it as them kidding around. Like an inside joke you're not in on.

They probably hit you with a barrage of quotes from The Soulblazer Saga, a comic book series published by the Yae Publishing House.

Also, every time you hear "Legion of Soulblazers," think "comic book fan club."

Ohhhh... Okay. That clears everything up. Well, except... why did this fan club suddenly decide to meet in Mondstadt?

Heh, well, beats me. But I'm sure they'll happily answer that question. With plenty of gratuitous passion and drama.

The usual scathing accuracy...

I'm pretty sure Alrani doesn't even know why they're here. But, if you ask them, they'll probably say something like:

Because we are Soulblazers! The passion of youth is strong with us, and it demands that we heed the call to adventure! With every great trial comes great opportunity!

...Yeah, something like that.

But more to the point, though, it was one of their members, Minnie, who suggested they hold their next meeting here. The Dragonspine cross country contest, yeah, was her idea too.

And after much consideration, they thought Minnie's suggestion was a good idea, so they went ahead with it.

And that's how the Legion of Soulblazers and I ended up here.

So, any chance I can borrow one of your comic books?

Absolutely! I made sure to bring a few extra copies in case we happened to run into some like-minded people.

Who's your friend? Where are they based?

She's actually on the organizing committee. Her name's Amber, wears a red bow, bubbly personality... Does that ring a bell?

Oh, I know who you mean! She's super friendly. I can run over a copy to her right now.

I'll come with.

Perfect. Thanks, you two. Oh, and Traveler, you still wanna say hi to Varesa? She's over at the training grounds.

Won't you come with us?

...Guess my nap will have to wait then. Okay, fine, if you insist. Let's go.

Hey, Varesa! We've come to watch you train, hehe!

Wait, was that Paimon? Paimon! Traveler! Ah, I've missed you guys so much!

Ahahaha! So Alrani and Yigang were just quoting lines at you? Way to make a first impression...

Exactly! Their whole conversation was like a closed loop. Even Paimon couldn't find a way in!

If it were me, I would have started with: "Maximum power!"

Mmm, that doesn't exactly welcome people into the conversation either.

Especially not when they see you hoisting Minnie up into the air and spinning her around in circles the first time you all meet up. Before anyone's even said a word.

Oh crumbs... Yeah, now I think about it, that's pretty embarrassing...

I mean, we all kinda knew each other... but only through writing letters and trading illustrations. That was our first time meeting in person.

I just got overexcited when I recognized Minnie, hehe... Couldn't help myself.

Hold on, you two traveled here together, right? So why did you say "the Legion of Soulblazers and I" when you were introducing everyone earlier?

Aren't you part of their team?

It's because I'm not a member of their fan club. Nepecha is. I'm sort of standing in for her.

Pretty good. She's eating, getting enough sleep, and doing well in her studies. Hooked on comic books, though. And that's where Minnie comes in — they're pen pals.

Nepecha's always telling me how amazing Minnie is. She's such a great artist, knows how to make comic book props, gives the best life advice...

Honestly, she made her sound more like a mom than a peer... So, I was pretty surprised when I got her and found out that nope, Minnie's actually pretty young.

Anyway, when Nepecha heard that Minnie had suggested a cross country contest on Dragonspine, she wanted to join in.

But... She is in no condition for extreme sports, and well, she knows it. So instead, she asked me to go represent her at the contest and say hi to Minnie while I'm here.

Hehe, and I'd been preparing to go traveling for a while anyway, so we figured we'd team up.

Uh-huh, and before I knew it, I'd inexplicably ended up with the title of vice captain...

W—Well, yeah! You were the obvious choice! You're clearly captain material, and... y'know the best vice captains are the ones you can turn to and say, "keep this up, I know you'll make captain one day!"

You could also argue that the person who is "clearly captain material" should be made captain, but hey — what would I know? ...Ugh, never mind, I refuse to get drawn into that whole discussion...

Anyway, I'm mostly here to buy souvenirs for Nepecha. Huh, it's like, Soulblazer-themed... uh...

Merch!

Oh... Okay, "merch," I guess. Uh-huh. Basically, badges, novelty notepaper with character art, reprints of old comics, painted wooden character cutouts...

...Um, what's with that look, Varesa? Did I... Did I say something wrong?

N—No, nothing's wrong. It's just, kinda strange hearing you talk all about that merch with such a straight face...

The thought of Xilonen, the master craftswoman, carrying boxes of merch back home to Natlan... Hehe, it's such a funny image!

That's a pretty long list, too. Did Nepecha really ask for all that!?

Oh, no. She'd never ask other people to buy gifts for her. It's not in her nature.

But based on what I know about her, I'm sure she'll appreciate some, uh... merch. I still prefer "souvenirs" personally, but...

Oh, definitely! Nepecha will be over the moon! Hehe, you really understand her, Xilonen. You're like her older sister.

Close enough, I mean, we are technically family. Although, we haven't known each other long, so I can't claim to understand her that well. I'm still learning.

*panting*... Push-up... I mean, Varesa... I finished my push-ups...

That makes four sets, right? Good job! Time for a breather.

Minnie, I'd like to introduce you to Traveler and Paimon. They're friends of me and Xilonen. We met in Natlan.

Wait... blond hair, flying companion... Are you... Mondstadt's Honorary Knight?

Pleased to meet you.

Wow... I can't believe I get to meet you in person! I heard about you from my older brother. He works at the tavern, so he hears all the local gossip from the customers.

Apparently, you go from nation to nation, making a huge name for yourself each time? Like a real-life comic book hero! So. Cool.

Do you mind if I ask you a question? Of all the adventures you've had... which is the most memorable?

Wow... incredible! Sounds like Fietena's homeland is just as magical as in the stories!

Ohh, you have no idea! Where I'm from, in the Collective of Plenty, we live right next to a huge volcano! And when it erupts, it sends fireballs shooting all over the place! Super dangerous, obviously, but it's the perfect place for hero training!

You know how much I've always wanted to take a trip away from Mondstadt... Just get away and see the outside world...

You totally should! Mondstadt's supposed to be the land of freedom, right? So... what's stopping you?

It's just...

If the Honorary Knight's journey is anything to go by, it sounds so daunting. Surely, you gotta be really tough to keep pressing on through so many dangers... I just don't know if I'm up to it.

Traveler sets a pretty high bar for toughness, that's for sure... But, y'know, we each make our own journey at our own pace!

So stay strong, and soldier on! Just like Fietena. In moments of doubt, following her example will never lead us astray!

You're right... Okay, I won't give up!

If nothing else, I have to make good on the deal with my parents: train hard, and get a good race time.

A deal with your parents? You didn't mention that before.

Oh, uh... Yeah, well...

You'll be fine! I do the same thing with my coach, Iansan. Before every competition, I promise her I'll get a better result than the last time.

You can never know for sure how it'll go, but sometimes having that pressure can really help with motivation.

That being said, you can't forget to have fun! Don't lose sight of that. It's the whole reason you organized this Dragonspine meetup in the first place!

You're right! Still... this is a competition. Sure, I might not win, but I still wanna be proud of my result.

Alrighty, well if you wanna kick some butt in this contest, then let's get back to training!

Sure! Watch out, Varesa, this time I'm gonna keep up with you!

Enough. You only just finished training. Varesa, I'm sure you're still raring to go, but Minnie, you have to rest if you want to recover.

But I'm fine...

*rumbling*

Your stomach begs to differ. Sounds like it's time to eat.

Yup, you gotta eat hard to train hard!

Don't undereat...

It's true, diet is an essential part of any training program! I can share Coach Iansan's special recipes with you. You'll wake up tomorrow bursting with energy, guaranteed!

Really? What about the local food in Mondstadt, though? Any idea what would make a good post-workout meal?

I'm not too sure... But you can never go wrong by listening to your stomach!

I think, start with a Meatnado... then move onto a Grilled Fish in Mint Sauce, a few Tatacos, some Stuffed N' Mashed Potatoes, wash it down with a Grainfruit Meat Soup, then finish it off with an Apple Roly Poly for dessert!

What!? All that for one person!?

Yup! Open your mind and stomach, relish the delicious flavors, and before you know it, you'll demolish everything!

Oh, we're almost back at the camp. After what Xilonen was saying earlier, lemme give this to you before I forget...

Here! The Soulblazer Saga, volume 2. I figured other people might wanna read it, so I made sure to bring some extra copies.

Unfortunately, it looks like I somehow forgot to pack volume 1 in my luggage... Shame. It's always best to start from the beginning when you're trying to get your friends into a new comic series...

Anyway, take a look in your free time, see what you think... Ahhh, I really hope you like it! It would be soooo cool to have an awesome person like you in the fanbase!

Alright, we're gonna meet back up with the others. Come hang out with us again soon, okay?

Ugh, why'd it have to end there? Fietena and her buddies fought an amazing battle, Paimon really wants to see what happens next!

Let's go meet up with Varesa and her team when we get the chance. We can ask them what happens in the next volume.

We're still setting up the course. If you were hoping to take a look around, I'm afraid now's not the time.

You know when the contest starts, right? Don't forget to come and watch on the day!

Thanks! It'll be nice to have something to read after my shift ends.

Don't mention it. I'm always happy to meet people who share my interests.

Ditto that.