Waking up with someone you love in your arms would never get old.
Being able to lift up the blanket and see the only thing she was wearing was her panties was even better.
I couldn’t help myself; I squeezed the tushy.
Artoria shifted against me, letting out a noise of acknowledgement.
She was awake, but she was not a morning person. Honestly, she’s similar to Rin in that regard; both of them are just not morning people.
But honestly, her perpetually tired morning face was just too cute as she opened her eyes with her messy hair.
I wouldn’t mind waking up to this every morning for the rest of my life.
“Is it morning already?” She yawned, rolling to the side.
Despite her not being a morning person, it was somewhat negated by her sense of punctuality and nature. That is, once it was time to get up and get dressed for the morning, she forced herself to do so without hesitation.
She looked my way as she got out of bed; she noticed where I was looking and pouted ever so slightly with a hint of pink coloring her cheeks. “You continue to stare so intently; it is not as if it is not a familiar sight.”
She didn’t cover herself, however.
Well, until she started to get dressed.
Usually, I would prefer a shower beforehand. And I’m fairly sure that Artoria has come to adore a warm morning shower too.
But the room from the inn that we rented for the night didn’t have personal bathrooms.
Funnily enough, they did have running water and plumbing all around. That was an interesting thing to learn, so maybe this world is as primitive as I first imagined?
Honestly, it just makes me more excited to explore it.
Thankfully, I knew spells to clean someone enough so you didn’t feel icky without taking a shower in the morning.
Unfortunately, I had magic resistance that prevented even beneficial spells from the outside. And I don’t know whether to be thankful or not that I could put my finger down my throat and cast the spell inside of me, and it still works.
I slid to the edge of the bed, and Artoria found herself in my lap, sitting comfortably like she owned it and happily leaning against me.
“I am lethargic.” She said in a deadpan.
“Yeah…” I couldn’t help but feel the same way. “I think that was the first time we actually gorged ourselves.”
She seemed slightly embarrassed as she nodded.
We were big eaters; she was a dragon incarnate, and I was whatever the fuck I was. It was normal in our part of the world that we eat a lot.
Hell, we both enjoyed eating; it was pleasant, and there weren’t any real negative consequences for doing so.
Getting fat?
I don’t think that was possible for her, and it was very difficult for someone like me to get fat.
So, basically it just meant feeling shitty when we overindulged. But the thing is, we don’t usually overindulge.
We weren’t gluttonous.
I think there was a firm line there between being a big eater and overeating.
And we definitely passed it last night.
I don’t think we could be blamed either. The food here was…amazing, to put it lightly. Everything tasted so much better than we were used to.
Artoria once told me how good food was once she started eating in the modern world. She compared what she ate back in Camelot to mashed potatoes, how everything usually tasted bland or without much flavor.
I now understand how she felt.
It had something to do with how this world operated, how the mana in the environment looked to be converted to elemental mana? I was able to take a few guesses, and I could see how the wind in the air around this city was heavily elementally aligned.
That kind of thing was rare back home.
Like, even if you found a magical lake or something, that isn’t to say that it was filled with mana that became elementally aligned. Dust was an example; it was elementally aligned in crystallized form.
But becoming elementally aligned naturally was rare enough that I think that’s the cause.
Plants getting infused with mana imbued with the element of wind as opposed to a neutral concept of just plain mana. Because regular mana didn’t tend to have overt effects on natural life unless it was in overt amounts like in the Age of Gods. And even then, it still was probably falling short in comparison because an elementally imbued plan mutates proportionally to the new alignment.
Animals eat those plants and absorb that kind of nutrients and elemental affinity.
And the dinner that ends up on our plate tastes much better than normal food.
“I guess we’re going to be sourcing our food from here for now on, aren’t we?”
She looked up at me with the most beautiful smile. “We can purchase foodstuffs as we explore.”
Yeah, there was really no downside to doing so.
Just this alone made everything worth it.
"Wilhelm," she spoke up again. “I’m hungry.”
I had the faintest inkling that she wasn’t talking about food.
@***@
Artoria held my hand as we walked out of the tavern.
“The atmosphere is rather lively still.” Artoria noted, looking very pleased with herself, for various reasons.
I was, perhaps, a tad more drained in energy. “Venti did say that they’re celebrating after some kind of attack?”
She nodded. “Yes, it is familiar. It is easy to forget the common people that suffer while the Knights fight.”
I know she didn’t mean that dismissively. Just that, as a knight, you’re so focused on the enemy in front of you that it’s easy to forget that behind you, the common people are suffering just as much.
Knights band together, fight together, bleed together, and claim victory together.
The common people see the start and the finish and suffer in between when conflict arises.
“What’s on the agenda today?” I asked.
“Mayhaps we view their blacksmith? I am curious about the arms they wield in these lands.” Artoria offered. “And I know that we both share the same interest.”
“I would be thrilled.” Well, it’ll be a good way to spend time until we can find Venti. He does owe me payment, and I don’t think he would try to run away, so I wasn’t in any overt hurry. “I think it was near the entrance.”
“Yes, I smelled the fire and coals when we first entered the city.” Artoria beamed and led the way, pulling on my arm.
There weren’t as many people out as last night and the evening when we arrived, but it was still early morning.
I imagine that plenty of people are sleeping off hangovers or catching up on lost sleep from late-night celebrations.
We made our way back down the center stairs that led to the gate entrance. The open market was still there, but more than half the stalls and sellers had yet to set back up for the day.
Artoria’s ears perked up as she pulled at me, and we found the blacksmith rather easily.
It was an open smithy concept.
Which had its advantages, I supposed. It makes it much easier to forge when you aren't stuck in a cramped room with smoldering heat. But I could imagine that it was easy to get distracted by all the noise and commotion of the city.
“Hey there folks.” A younger gentleman, perhaps around my age, greeted us as we approached as we clearly intended to go towards him. “Forge is just heating up; if you want to set a commission, it’s probably going to take a few hours.”
Behind him, there was an older man, gruff, big beard, sweat-dripping muscle, the kind of figure you would expect to work a forge.
“We are travelers, and we come to inspect the craftsmanship. If possible, is there a selection of wares we can browse?” Artoria asked.
“Something already made? Absolutely.” The man perked up. “Master Wagner, I’m going to pull out a few weapon racks early; we got a couple customers," he yelled back over the noise of a hammer hitting a few pieces of steel.
The blacksmith paused, turning around. He looked at both Artoria and me for several moments before setting his hammer down. “Go ahead and bring out the custom equipment too.”
“Really? Alright.” The younger man’s eyes sparked, and he went behind the forge before wheeling over a few weapon racks with an assortment of weapons. “Here you go, folks. Anything in particular you’re after? Swords, spears, greatswords, lances, spears—we got it all.”
The blacksmith glanced at my divine sword at my waist.
I could tell he was curious, but it wasn’t something I was going to let a human inspect. It sounded harsh, but I think it would be for the best.
The blacksmith, without a word, reached for a sword off the rack and tossed it to me.
I caught it with ease and gave it a light swing. “Good sword.”
The blacksmith grunted. “It’s called Lion’s Roar. It was made with some electro crystals from Inazuma and some Trishiraite from Sumeru. It’s good with Pyro and Electro.”
I didn’t recognize half the words he said, but I could catch most of the meaning.
So, it was a Fire and Lightning Mystic Code Sword?
The name, I presumed, came from the guard being in the same shape as a lion's head.
Unfortunately, it fell short of my other swords, so it wouldn’t become one of my armaments I use in a fight, but even so…I wanted it. “What’s the price?”
“10,500,000 Mora," he said plainly.
That was, honestly, not a bad price. If anything, that felt kind of cheap as I mentally compared monetary conversions in my mind.
It was more than worth that price.
He had a good eye too, being able to pick that out for me.
“Got one for her?” I asked curiously.
He grunted and went to another, different rack, pulling off a large greatsword.
“Master, that’s –” The younger man was about to speak up as he tossed it to Artoria, but the words died in his throat as she snatched it out of the air and twirled it like it was weightless.
In her hands, it was swung, lifted up, and casually slashed through the air despite being taller than she was.
The blacksmith shot the other a look. “Don’t judge a book by its cover, Schulz.” He clasped the younger man on the shoulder. “If you want to be a good smith, you need to be able to read the people who wield your creations.”
“It is a good sword.” Artoria had the same reaction as me. “However, I prefer a smaller blade.”
The blacksmith grunted. “Didn’t have a heavy longsword that you’d like.”
“Does it have a name?” Artoria asked.
“It’s part of the Favonius Knight armaments.” The blacksmith crossed his arms. “They’re all made the same way. Just a Favonius Greatsword.”
If anything, that probably made her more enthused about the weapon.
She appreciated a series of weapons crafted with the Knight Order in mind. It made things easier when there was an array of weapons of the same standard to choose from.
“How much for the greatsword?" I asked because I knew she liked it even if it wasn’t her normal weapon of choice.
Well, if we were going to be here, why not play around with some local weapons?
It was part of the charm of exploring a new world like this.
“5,500,000 Mora.” He said plainly again.
“I don’t mind paying, but would you be open for a trade?” I did have some mora; now we paid a visit to a jeweler near the restaurant we sat at last night. Suffice to say, I have a bit of local currency at this point. “I have some metals you probably haven't seen before.”
“Let me see.”
I set down a few things from Skyrim on the table. “Moonstone, Malachite, Corundum.” I listed them off, nothing overly insane, but some impressive metals that you can make some good weapons with.
The blacksmith took his hammer and lightly knocked on each one before picking them up and weighing them in his hand.
“I’ll take the trade.” He put his hammer down and held his hand out.
I could tell he was excited, maybe even thinking he got the better end of a deal. He probably never heard of these metals before and thought he was getting them for a steal.
Well, we both got what we wanted in the end, so it didn’t matter.
I took it happily. “Thank you for the trade.”
Artoria held onto her sword happily, so I knew she was pleased.
“Got any sheathes for these?” I asked.
The blacksmith grunted. “I’ll add them on.”
@***@
It felt a little weird having two swords at my waist, but I also felt like it made me look imposing.
Artoria had her greatsword strapped to her back, tilted slightly because, well…it was very long. But all the same, she was very pleased as well, and she liked her new weapon, even if it wasn’t her normal pick.
“Where to now?” I asked.
“We can walk around the city. I wish to explore it a bit more, perhaps see the sights?” She offered.
“That’s –”
“Oi, Diluc!” A voice called out, and I subconsciously turned towards it.
A man came walking over, waving casually, clearly familiar with Diluc. It wasn’t until he took a few steps closer, getting within reach of me, that he stopped and looked at me really. I noticed his eyepatch, and his particular fashion choice was worth noting.
Not many guys can pull off a boob window and a half-fur coat into a cape.
But, well, credit where it was due.
“Oh…you’re not Diluc.” He muttered.
“Sorry about that, you must be mistaking me for my twin.” I responded.
He let out a chuckle. “I heard that there was someone who looked almost exactly like Diluc walking around, but really…” He rubbed his chin, inspecting me closely. “It’s almost uncanny. You look very similar.”
“Truly, it’s hard being this handsome.” I said helplessly.
He let out a bark of laughter. "Definitely not Diluc. I’m Kaeya, Cavalry Captain of the Knights of Favonius." He shifted his footing, standing up straight and pulling her arm across his chest in a polite salute. “Apologies for the mistaken identity.”
“It’s not the first time.” Artoria said humorously.
“Ah, and you must be the one that was being mistaken for Grandmaster Jean.” He eyed her too. “I heard rumors that Diluc and Jean were dating now, publicly. Alas, I’m now disheartened to hear that it was a case of mistaken identities.”
Artoria’s lips twitched as she held back a small laugh. “Mayhaps, but they appeared close.”
Kaeya’s one eye twinkled. “They certainly have history.”
“I am Artoria Pendragon; this is my boyfriend, Wilhelm Schweinorg. It is a pleasure to meet you, Ser Knight.” She politely introduced us.
“Ah, to be called Ser Knight! I’ll be riding this compliment all day.” He chuckled. “Are you two new to Mondstadt? I assume because the rumors only started recently…”
“We arrived here yesterday.” I nodded. “We’ve been enjoying seeing the sights and all that. The food is wonderful as well.”
“If you want my recommendation, we have the best beef in all of Teyvat. I’ve been to Liyue and Sumeru; they may beat us in seafood and vegetables, respectively, but when it comes to our cows, they can’t be beaten.”
“We’ll make sure to thoroughly test this claim.” Artoria responded.
Kaeya smiled. “It’s the perfect time to arrive. The city has been celebrating the past couple days, and I suspect it will continue to do so through the week.”
“I heard about that, something about a Stormterror?” I asked curiously.
“Did the news not travel that far away?” Kaeya hummed. “That’s right, the Dragon of the East Wind, one of Mondstadt’s Four Winds. Word on the street is that something happened to anger him some time ago and he finally lost his mind and went crazy.”
“A dragon, you say?” I perked up.
“That’s right. Such mighty beasts are rare these days. It was certainly a spectacle.” He confirmed without any hesitation, meaning it must be common knowledge. “Thankfully, we managed to settle things before it got any worse. We have the Traveler to thank for his help.”
The second time I’ve heard about this 'traveler.'
Curious.
“So, anywhere you want to visit specifically? I can give you good recommendations," Kaeya offered.
“You are kind, thank you. We were sightseeing while waiting for an acquaintance to reappear.” Artoria replied, seemingly getting along with him pretty well. “I was told about the Knight’s Headquarters in the northern parts of the city. Mayhaps a look would be enjoyable, if it is open.”
Kaeya laughed. “We have people coming around all the time, though the insides aren’t usually open for tours if that’s what you’re hoping. But the headquarters for the knight order is impressive in itself and worth a look.”
“I wouldn’t mind.” If Artoria wanted to take a look. Maybe we’ll see Venti on the way.” I hummed.
“Pardon, did you say Venti?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, you’re acquainted with the Wandering Bard!” Karya perked up. “If you’re looking for him, I just passed him not long ago; he was with the Traveler on the way to the Cathedral to return a sacred artifact that I heard they borrowed to help resolve the Stormterror crisis.”
I shared a look with Artoria, and she gave a nod. “The Cathedral isn’t far away from the Headquarters, is it?”
“It’s down the road, not far at all," Kaeya confirmed. “Would you like me to show you the way?”
“Are you sure? Do you not have other duties to attend?” Atria asked in concern.
“It’s no matter. Part of my duties is to help the citizens of Mondstadt.” He puffed up his chest. “Come on, I’ll show you the way.”
“Very well, thank you, Ser Knight.” Artoria smiled.
I actually saw the cathedral already when I was chasing Venit, but I didn’t get a good look at it. I’d love to actually act like a tourist this time and take in the full breath of it.
Artoria took my arm again as we were led through the city. It was about the same as I expected, ascending the stairs towards the northern parts of the city.
I noticed this before, but I think Artoria was feeling very at home in a place like this. It must have reminded her of Camelot a lot more than I initially suspected.
Something caught my attention; I breathed out, and the air was significantly colder.
I turned to Artoria, and she noticed too, and we weren’t the only ones.
“Stay here; I think something is amiss.” Kaeya told us as we walked up the stairs, noticing some frost on the ground.
A shadow appeared underfoot, and a figure leapt out of it, wearing a mask and red and black cloaks.
There was a trinket on Kaeya’s hip that glowed bright before a sword appeared in his hand and he deflected a dagger from the newcomer that was aimed at his chest.
“A Fatui!?” Kaeya seemed to identify him immediately. “How dare you attack a Knight of Favonius in Mondstadt!"
“This pathway is closed.” The Fatui, as he had been named, let out a metallic voice under his mask.
I raised an eyebrow, then looked at Artoria, who basically gave me a silent go-ahead.
With a short burst of Shunpo, I moved past them, and the Cathedral courtyard opened up to me.
I paused because I saw Venti on his hands and knees and a woman stepping on him.
Literally, actually.
She had something shiny in her hands.
And honestly, I felt like this whole situation was rather familiar.
There were other people too, but I didn’t pay them much attention for now. Because I made a new friend, and it looked like he wasn’t in a good spot.
I moved again, appearing at their side.
The woman’s eyes actually tracked me as I got within her range, widening at seeing me. I could feel the cold air coming out from her as the source.
"Oh, what’s this? It looks important." I snatched the object from her hand.
It sort of looked like a chess piece?
@***@
A/N
Wilhelm: Ooh, shiny!Aizen suddenly feels infuriated for a reason he can’t explain.