Chapter 37: A Young Girl's Heartfelt Intentions

The next morning, at the break of dawn, sunlight gently bathed the earth, rousing Mondstadt from its slumber.

Following the plan established the previous day, Chen and Paimon arrived early at the designated meeting point outside the city walls. Upon their arrival, the Knights of Favonius squad had also just finished assembling. After some deliberation, it was decided that the group would split into three, with each team heading to purify one of the temples.

Naturally, Chen and Paimon were assigned to Amber’s group, as she was the only one among the knights they were familiar with. To accommodate their two guests, Lisa and Kaeya had consulted and chosen the Temple of the Falcon, which was the closest to the city, for their team.

On the way to the temple, Chen and his dozen companions trudged forward against the fierce winds raging across the wilderness. Suddenly, Amber reached into her Vision and produced two long, rectangular boxes—one large and one small—and held them out to Chen.

"Chen, these are for you."

Curious, Chen reached out to take them. He opened the smaller box first, revealing a single-handed longsword of exquisite craftsmanship. Amber was a thoughtful girl; during their journey to the city yesterday, she had noticed that Chen was only using an ordinary silver-plated iron sword. For an average person, such a weapon might suffice, but for a Vision wielder, it was clearly inadequate. Consequently, after leaving the inn yesterday, she had made a special trip to the blacksmith’s forge and purchased the "Harbinger of Dawn" from Master Wagner.

"Wait! Is that the Harbinger of Dawn? Isn't that the pride of Master Wagner’s shop?"

Just as Chen was about to ask, someone from the knights following behind identified the blade.

"That's right, it's the Harbinger of Dawn. I’ve seen it at Wagner’s before. He treasures it dearly; no matter how high the price, he refused to sell it."

"Whoa! Amber actually managed to get it, and she's just giving it to this young man? What is their relationship, exactly?"

"Heh, you must not know. Let me tell you, this guy invited by Captain Kaeya is no ordinary person. Yesterday, when the Stormterror attacked the city, he... and at the plaza, he and Amber were..."

"No way, is that true? Sigh! Why wasn't I in the city yesterday? I missed it!"

"Hey, that’s already common knowledge. I know more. I was patrolling the streets near the forge yesterday and heard the whole exchange between Amber and Wagner. Do you want to know how she convinced him to sell it?"

"Oh! You know? Tell us, tell us! How did she persuade Master Wagner?"

"Here’s the thing: at first, Wagner refused. But when Amber said she wanted it as a gift for a friend, he asked if she meant the hero who repelled the dragon. Once she confirmed it, he changed his mind immediately and insisted on giving the sword to Amber. He said he had never sold it because he felt none of the previous buyers were worthy of his finest work."

"Oh, so that’s it! In that case, the relationship between Amber and this hero really is quite something..."

"Tch, what’s so strange about that? He’s the hero who fought off a dragon! He’s so handsome and young, if I were Amber, I would definitely..."

"Ugh, pervert! Get away from me, you're a man!"

"I was just saying, if, if..."

Although the knights had lowered their voices, both Chen and Amber were no ordinary people, and they heard every word clearly. Amber turned her head away in embarrassment, her cheeks flushed, and she stumbled over her words: "A-actually, I did pay Mora for it in the end, but Master Wagner insisted on only charging for the materials."

Chen gently stroked the sword in its box and looked up at the shy girl. He recalled what Paimon had told him the night before—about the reckless, self-sacrificing things Amber had done to save him. A wave of emotion stirred within him. He looked at her sincerely and said, "Amber, thank you."

The girl’s stride faltered, and she bowed her head even lower. After a moment, she whispered, "Y-you're welcome."

Chen smiled faintly. He tucked the sword away and opened the larger box. As he suspected, it contained the wind glider Amber had promised to replace for him. This pair was a deep azure, with a frame seemingly forged from a special alchemical alloy. The material was far superior to the previous one, and the craftsmanship was breathtaking.

Just as Chen thought this, too, was a carefully selected purchase, a chorus of gasps erupted from the knights behind them—much louder than when they had seen the sword.

"My goodness, is that the Wings of Azure Sky? My eyes aren't deceiving me, are they?"

"It’s definitely the Wings of Azure Sky. You can see the Anemo energy flowing through them. There's no mistake."

"Amber is giving this to him too? Their relationship is officially confirmed!"

"If I recall correctly, she won these as the prize for taking first place in her first Mondstadt Gliding Championship. They are incredibly significant!"

"More than that! It's said these are among the few remaining gliders in Mondstadt blessed by the Anemo Archon himself, previously kept in the Cathedral. When Amber won that championship, she not only took first place but broke the record, becoming the youngest champion in the event's history. That’s why Bishop Simon decided to award them to her."

"This is worth far more than the Harbinger of Dawn."

Hearing of the glider's immense value and significance, Chen was stunned. He looked at the girl beside him in disbelief. He had never expected the replacement gift to be so precious.

Amber felt both embarrassed and strangely elated. She was embarrassed that her colleagues had exposed the history behind her gift, but elated because, deep down, everyone wants the recipient to understand the heart behind their offering. She snuck a glance at the young man, and seeing him hesitate—as if he were about to decline—she quickly spoke up, casting shyness aside: "The Wings of Azure Sky are as special to me as the Harbinger of Dawn is to Master Wagner. I believe only you are worthy of them. I hope they carry you through the skies and help you find your lost sister soon. This is my wish; please, do not refuse."

Hearing her words, the refusal that had been on Chen's lips died away. Ultimately, touched by the girl’s sincerity, he could only offer one reply:

"Thank you, Amber."