The Outlander Who Caught the Wind

Huh, that's weird. Jean said this is where the event is supposed to be. But, there's nothing here...

Oh, yeah! Now that you mention it... This is where our journey officially began.

That sure brings back memories. Kinda nostalgic, really!

Even after all this time, this place hasn't changed one bit.

Fleeting moments...

Aww, look who's getting all sentimental and poetic, hehe!

Well, we still need to find Jean and the others. Let's have a look around.

Just like old times.

Yeah!

Huh? Why did someone hang Jumpy Dumpty mines all over this tree?

To look like Sunsettias, maybe...

What? But, they don't look alike. You can't even eat them... Ah, hold on. Could this be an event setup thing?

Not a lot of people come here, but a bomb's still a bomb. If someone gets hurt by accident, Klee's gonna get marched off to the confinement room again.

Yeah... But, let's take a picture with the Kamera before we take them down.

First the Fungus and now this... Something weird is going on.

If it turns out not to be event-related, it'll be good to have a record of what we found.

You know what, Paimon? You've gotten sharper.

You couldn't just compliment Paimon's smarts like a regular person? Hmph, whatever. Paimon'll take it — better than being called "emergency food," at least...

Anyway, it never hurts to be careful. We've seen through lots of tricks, but we've also gotten the short end of the stick a bunch of times too...

I'm not getting a bad feeling this time, though.

Paimon likes the optimism!

C'mon, let's get that picture taken, then get rid of these bombs.

That's a Statue of The Seven!

"Among the seven gods, this god controls the wind." Haha, you remember too!

It's weird, though... It seems like there's something different about it.

I think so too...

Let's take a closer look.

Okay, Paimon's sure of it now. This can't be for an event!

No one in their right mind would replace that huge Statue of The Seven with a statue of Klee!

It pretty cute, though.

Yeah... and well-made too.

But... But, that's not the point! You're not weirded out by this?

Oh, you're right! This must be Alice's doing!

...She could put a hundred Klee statues all around Mondstadt, and Paimon still wouldn't be surprised.

That explains the other weird stuff we saw up till now, too.

Yeah, even though she hasn't showed herself...

She must've asked Jean to write that letter so we'd lower our guard.

No, wait! Maybe that was Alice just pretending to be Jean... Paimon wouldn't put it past her.

Looks like the jokes on us.

Yeah... Paimon's not upset.

The surprises were nice, and this statue is pretty cool. Plus...

We got to take a little trip down memory lane, hehe. Makes Paimon feel all warm and fuzzy, remembering where it all began!

Same here.

What do we do now, though? There's nobody around...

If this is some sorta elaborate prank, guess we're in it until the people behind it jump out and say, "Gotcha!"

Maybe what Alice wants...

Huh? What does that mean?

The Fungus, the Bombsettia Tree, the Statue of The Klee-ven...

Oh, yeah. And there could be even more...

Guess all there's left to do is touch that statue and find out.

Maybe it'll give you the power of Pyro or something!

The world opens itself before those with noble hearts.

Sparks 'n' Splash!

Look! There he is!

Back then, Dvalin was tainted by the Abyss, and Tone-Deaf Bard was about to heal his wounds.

But your control over Anemo wasn't so great, so they noticed you and ran off.

But you've had tons of practice since then, so mistakes like that should be a thing of the past, right?

True, no need to go for a full on reenactment. Let's go.

Ah, our old friends have arrived.

And it is our great pleasure to greet them.

Welcome to Mondstadt, you two — the place where it all began.

Apologies. You were just... even livelier than I remembered, and I wasn't expecting it.

Which means, mission accomplished on the surprise front, I suppose. Whaddaya say, Alice? High marks?

Oh, yes indeed. That was fantastic. I've recorded it all, in fact!

Hah, so you were watching us all along! And, hold on... You can't just record people like that!

Hehe, what a delightful reunion.

Welcome to Mondstadt, you two — the place where it all began.

Lovely to see you, dearies. So, what's the verdict? Did our special welcome ceremony meet the mark?

It was impressive.

It was very... "you," that's for sure. Paimon can't believe the Knights of Favonius let you go that far...

Where'd you move the real Statue of The Seven, anyway?

Oh, gracious me. You still haven't figured it out...

If I had actually done something to that statue, I would've been locked up in the teensy room next door by now. Certainly not my idea of a pleasant afternoon...

So... What's going on here?

Ah! Now, you're asking the right questions, Paimon!

The answer lies over here.

Nicole! You're here too?

That's right. Our two lovely mages are here on vacation. In fact, everything you just experienced was their handiwork.

But, I'll leave the explanations to Miss Nicole. I trust you're well-acquainted with her skill at explaining all manner of magic and phenomena.

Yup, we experienced that first-hand in Nod-Krai...

This bubble is a new kind of magic Alice and I invented. Inside it is a small world created using a person's memories.

When you were busy reading that invitation to Mondstadt, Alice took the opportunity to place you within it.

Whoa, we didn't even notice.

Hah, I wouldn't be much of a Dodo-King if I couldn't pull off a simple trick like that...

All that to say, the things you saw weren't real. They only exist within this bubble.

Ah, except for Venti and Dvalin, of course. I invited Venti, and he brought the dragon along.

It's not every day you get to relive the beginning of your journey. It feels like... listening to a verse you haven't heard in a while, right?

You might not remember the name or melody, and still, you start humming along in no time...

I'm assuming your trip down memory lane was similarly nostalgic?

Uh, so does Jean know about this or not? Paimon's starting to think that invitation letter was a fake.

Oh, no no. Jean wrote that herself, I assure you. I wouldn't dare forge a letter under her name.

Huh, so you do draw the line somewhere...

Whew... Not with my daughter in her clutches... *sigh* If you ever become a mother, you'll understand.

Oh, c'mon. It's not like she's being held hostage!

The point is... This magical bubble was created at the request of the Knights of Favonius.

With the expedition in Nod-Krai coming to an end, the Knights will be home before long.

Varka thinks it's better to give people time to reunite with their families, so he told Jean to hold off on a huge welcome reception for now.

Of course, Jean has her own thoughts on the matter. You can get the details from her soon.

As things stand, we're keeping the reception small, but there will be some activities.

This magic bubble is one of them. The returning Knights can use it to catch up on all the major events that have occurred in Mondstadt while they were gone.

Simply put, it's a reenactment of your adventures!

Indeed. The ultimate goal is for everyone to have a chance to take part in the excitement.

I see.

So, what about the parts that took a few, um... creative liberties?

Oh, those were there because the bubble-world is still being transcribed and debugged.

Memories are easy to extract, and the resulting information density is fine, but it's not exactly a stable medium.

If memories are the only thing used to recreate a world, it's hard to ensure a lack of deviations.

For example, these memories belong to Venti. But, even for someone like him, whose memories are quite reliable, there's bound to be some variance.

Not to mention, on their own, memories lack an interactive component. So I added some self-deductive capabilities to this magic, which exacerbated the instability issues, unfortunately.

Yeah, yeah. That, uh... makes sense.

For instance... Say we're recording memories, and Lisa happens to fly into a fury over some overdue library books at the same time...

A powerful thunderstorm might unfold in the bubble world out of nowhere.

Luckily, there's a simple solution. We just have to send someone to scout things out first. Then, we can manually correct anything that doesn't make sense.

Exactly. Plus, once the recording is complete, the magic will loop, so there won't be further deviations, and we won't need real people to act things out.

Ah, and before it's all said and done, we'll be sure to cover up your identity, Venti.

Much appreciated! Otherwise buying a round at the Angel's Share's gonna be much more of a hassle, hehe.

Like you're the one who does the buying...

It's settled, then. We'll allow you to be the first to relive these precious memories, and in return, you'll be our eyes on the inside.

I knew it...

Yeah, but it sounds like fun! Besides, we already snapped a few pics of some potential bugs... Like that weird Statue of The Seven.

Oh, no no, Paimon. That one was entirely intentional.

What? Seriously?

As the creator of this world, I'm afforded a bit of creative license, I would think. Creating this bubble was no easy task. Is a little personal touch too much to ask for?

Hehe, I doubt anyone will mind. As far as I'm concerned, you're free to do as you please. This is Mondstadt, after all.

Oh well... Paimon can't argue with that.

In that case, we'll be counting on you to continue testing our work tomorrow.

It's still early. Why not check out the other events at the testing grounds in the meantime? Jean should be there, too.

Yeah, we'll go say hi. She's the one who invited us, after all.

Thanks all. See you tomorrow.

Think nothing of it. Now that the world is at peace, you two are overdue for a vacation. Best to make the most of it.

Yes, good work. We'll go with this set-up.

Hey, Jean! We're here!

Honorary Knight Traveler, Paimon, welcome back.

Did you have a good time in Alice's magic bubble?

Yeah, it was so cool. Paimon's looking forward to getting back in there tomorrow!

I'll be sure not to spoil it, then. I imagine you might be interested in what went into the preparation, though.

I loved the idea when Alice brought it up, but I knew it would take a great deal of reenactors, not to mention recruiting Dvalin...

Luckily, Venti... Or, rather, Lord Barbatos agreed to help. After that, I opened up recruitment to the people of Mondstadt.

Countless volunteers jumped at the chance to reenact your stories, Honorary Knight — it took me two days just to read through all the applications.

A lot of people have gotten involved, and that includes quite a few familiar faces as well.

Are you one of them?

Haha, yes. According to Alice, I'm one of the "leading ladies."

I hope it wasn't too much work.

Yeah. There are other activities here too, right? Sounds like there's a lot on your plate.

Ah, well, such are the duties of the Acting Grand Master. I'm used to it.

For those of us who have been holding down the fort, so to speak, the return of the expedition team is a matter of great importance.

The Grand Master contacted me and said not to organize a grand reception on their behalf, and I understand where he's coming from.

I'm sure the team will be exhausted upon returning, and making a big fuss might just tire them out further...

Paimon's sensing a "but" in there somewhere. Tone-Deaf Bard said you had other ideas...

Yes, well... Those of us here in Mondstadt have been awaiting their return for a long time.

Resuming normal life after such a long expedition will be quite an adjustment. An official welcome might help them feel at home and reacclimate to life here.

Not to mention, it's a chance for the people to show them, no matter how long we've been apart, we're still family.

Yes, absolutely. And, I don't know... Perhaps I am overstepping. I just hope the Grand Master isn't too upset.

So, besides the whole bubble thing... What've you got planned?

Here, I'll show you.

First, this is an arena we've set up to showcase Favonius Bladework.

The Cavalry Company is in charge of this one. I'm sure there will be some exciting sparring sessions.

Ooh, that means we'll get to see Kaeya on stage!

That's right. Compared to me, he's much better at keeping things interesting, even when the subject matter is quite serious. I can think of no better person for the job.

You're as modest as ever, huh, Jean...

Over here, we're running a wind glider speed shooting event — it's not hard to guess who's in charge of this one, I'm sure.

Amber, of course.

Yes. Her gliding skills are top notch, and she's quite creative when it comes to event design. Be sure to check it out when the time comes.

There's also a booth that will serve as a reception area, where people can relax and chat with each other. A few simple games will be available as well.

Hertha is in charge of the drink stall, but we're still working on the menu...

The more alcohol options the better, I think. The expedition team likes the strong stuff, haha.

Hm, fair poi— Huh!?

Hahaha! What's with that face?

G—Grand Master? Y—You're back? Has the entire team returned as well?

Apologies, we're not quite done with the preparations. But, I assure you, it's limited to what you see here. We're exercising the utmost restraint...

Hey, hey. Relax, Jean, relax. No need to get all formal with me. I split from the group to make it back first. Pretend I'm not even here.

Besides, I knew you'd want to surprise us... no matter what I said, haha.

Oh... I see...

If I didn't tell you to put on the brakes, I knew you'd go full throttle and start planning the next Ludi Harpastum or Windblume Festival...

You put so much pressure on yourself, diving head first into the deep end without thinking about how much is on your plate... I just didn't want you to overwork yourself, that's all.

Oh, wow... That's actually really nice of you.

Heh, well, looking out for my fellow knights comes with the job.

As for the event... Food, drink, and fun in spades, without too much pomp and circumstance. Yep, it's just like a Mondstadt festival should be. The team will feel at home in no time.

That's far too kind, Grand Master. But... Thank you.

Heh, I mean it, y'know. Just trust my judgment. Anyway, you two got a sec?

Now that I'm finally back in my old stomping grounds, lemme treat you to a meal. I'll even introduce you to the Good Hunter's secret menu.

Ooh, nice! Paimon's never heard of that before!

...

Hmm? What's wrong? Not hungry?

Actually, Grand Master... There's a few things I'd love for you to look over. Since you seem to have some time to spare...

Perhaps we could go back to headquarters first.

Uh, hang on, you know this is just a... pit stop, right? There's not gonna be time for me to take over the whole shebang...

Of course. Still... You are the Grand Master.

Can't argue with that.

Ah, you have no idea what this means... I'll be trapped in the office until tomorrow morning.

It's not that dramatic. If we make haste, we'll finish before dawn.

As much as Paimon wants to check out that secret menu, you should at least do some work now that you're back.

Alright, alright. *sigh* Let's go...

Guess I'll... see you tomorrow...

Oh, and didn't you say Kleiner would be making the trip with you this time, Alice?

He's been delayed, I'm afraid. Troublesome happenings on another planet... And, of course, just when he jumped through all those hoops to make it back to Teyvat, Dottore starts causing trouble...

The "border" is a terrible mess even now. So, unfortunately, his vacation has been postponed.

Just yesterday, he did give us a call on the Dodocommunication Device, though. As you can imagine, Klee was pleased as punch to hear her dad's voice.

I see. Being a "Seeker" is a tough job indeed...

...

Um, Klee can't reach those from here. And Master Jean says it's not polite to just take people's things...

So... Pass them to me when no one's looking, okay?

Dvalin appeared a little late, but it shouldn't be too big an issue. A trim here, a stitch there, and he'll be back in front where he should be.

Klee's Sparks 'n' Splash triggered a deep magical reverberation, causing the image to grow unstable. I'll need to check that out...

And the background music needs to start half a second later when we're gazing out at Starfell Lake.

...Hmm, I should put in another instance of trigger magic to control the pace.

It was working fine before. We added two squirrels, and now the diagnostics are failing? I just don't get it...

Nicole, dear, stop fretting. You're projecting rather loudly, you know.

Every detail is within your control, huh... Color me impressed!

Dvalin appeared a little late, but it shouldn't be too big an issue.

A trim here, a stitch there,

and he'll be back in front where he should be.

Klee's Sparks 'n' Splash triggered a deep magical reverberation,

causing the image to grow unstable.

I'll need to check that out...

And the background music needs to start half a second later

when we're gazing out at Starfell Lake.

...Hmm,

I should put in another instance of trigger magic

to control the pace.

It was working fine before.

We added two squirrels, and now the diagnostics are failing? I just don't get it...