While I was in Mondstadt, I never imagined becoming a god.

"No, there isn't."

"Can you feel the fluctuations in elemental power?"

"No."

"Do you feel any abnormality in your body temperature?"

"No."

"Is there...?"

Sugar asked very detailed questions, leaving no detail unexplored.

Xu Chuan answered seriously at first, but after a while his eyelids started to droop.

After finally finishing asking the questions, Sugar closed the notebook and smiled at him.

"Thank you for your cooperation."

Xu Chuan waved his hand, indicating that he was welcome.

Then, the memories of last night slowly began to return.

He remembered that he had taken the initiative to find Yura, that the two of them had been drinking together, that they had talked about all sorts of random things, and that the two blushes on Yura's face when she was slightly tipsy.

and many more.

Xu Chuan suddenly sat up.

He remembered!

He remembered how, after getting drunk, he patted his chest and promised to treat Yura to drinks!

He recalled that he had searched his entire body and found that he didn't have a single Mora!

He remembered Yura looking at him.

He paused for a moment, then laughed.

It wasn't mockery, I was genuinely amused!

Then she said, "You invited someone for drinks but can't pay the bill? I'll remember this grudge."

Xu Chuan closed his eyes and collapsed back onto the bed.

Embarrassing.

So embarrassing.

Having traveled to Teyvat, I treated my savior to drinks for the first time, but ended up not having enough money to pay the bill.

If this were written into a novel, readers would laugh themselves to death.

"Mr. Xu... Mr. Xu Chuan?" Sugar was startled by his series of movements. "What's wrong with you?"

"It's nothing," Xu Chuan's voice came through his fingers, "It's just... I remembered some unpleasant things."

Sugar blinked, not quite understanding, but didn't ask any further questions.

After a while, Xu Chuan put his hand down and sat up.

"Sugar, could you lend me some Mora?"

Sugar paused for a moment: "Y-yes, sure."

Xu Chuan sighed, "By the way... I'll treat you to a meal as a way of thanking you for taking care of me."

Sugar's face turned red again.

"No, you don't need to be so polite."

"Yes, I will," Xu Chuan said. "I'll pay you back when I get my salary."

Sugar hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

After borrowing the money, Sugar took him to the Deer Hunter restaurant.

This is an open-air restaurant located by the roadside, with a few tables and chairs set up in the open space outside, next to a busy street.

The boss, Sarah, was a capable woman. When she saw Sugar arrive, she greeted him with a smile.

"Sugar brought friends today? What are you eating?"

"Honey-glazed carrot and pork stir-fry!" Sugar whispered. "Two servings!"

Xu Chuan paused for a moment, then smiled.

Pan-fried pork with carrots in honey sauce.

The dish Paimon loves to eat the most.

While waiting for his meal, Xu Chuan looked at the people coming and going on the street and suddenly felt a sense of disorientation.

Now, he is actually sitting here.

The sunshine is real, the wind is real.

The aroma of the food was real, and the shy girl beside me was real too.

“Mr. Xu Chuan,” Sugar suddenly spoke up, “you and Miss Yura seemed to be having a very pleasant chat last night?”

Xu Chuan snapped out of his reverie and thought for a moment.

"She's alright," he said. "She's actually quite easy to get along with."

Sugar nodded and didn't ask any further questions.

But Xu Chuan knew what she wanted to ask—Yura's surname, Yura's situation in Mondstadt, and why Yura was drinking alone.

He thought about it and decided to take the initiative to explain.

“I know that Yura is from the Lawrence family,” he said, “and I also know how the Mond people view that surname.”

Sugar paused for a moment, then asked cautiously, "Then...then you..."

Xu Chuan said, "She saved my life in the snow mountain, and we got along very well while drinking last night. As for what her last name is... I don't care."

Sugar looked at him, her eyes holding an indescribable light.

"You really think so?"

“Really,” Xu Chuan said. “People don’t choose their own surnames. What she does is much more important than what her surname is.”

He remembered how Yura had been drinking alone last night.

That proud, awkward, and stubborn girl sat alone in a corner, deliberately shunned by everyone in the tavern.

She doesn't care.

Or rather, she pretended not to care.

The pan-fried pork with carrots and honey sauce was served.

Xu Chuan took a bite, and his eyes lit up instantly.

"good to eat!"

It's really delicious.

The sweetness of the carrots and the savory aroma of the meat blend perfectly, the honey sauce is sweet but not cloying, and the meat is fried to a crispy exterior and tender interior. One bite and your mouth is filled with the taste of happiness.

"No wonder Paimon loves to eat so much," he muttered.

Sugar didn't hear clearly, "Who?"

"Nothing," Xu Chuan said vaguely, "just a... friend who can eat a lot."

Sugar nodded as if she understood, and began to eat her own portion.

The two chatted as they ate, and the atmosphere became much more relaxed.

Sugar gradually relaxed and was no longer as nervous as at the beginning. Occasionally, she would even take the initiative to say a few words.

“Mr. Xu Chuan,” she suddenly asked, “why did you come to Mondstadt?”

Xu Chuan was stunned for a moment.

This is a difficult question to answer.

You can't exactly say, "I'm from another time, and the system told me to clock in," can you?

“Because…it’s about freedom.” He thought for a moment and said, “I heard that Mondstadt is the city of freedom, so I wanted to come and see it.”

Sugar blinked, seemingly satisfied with the answer.

"And what do you think?" she asked. "Is Mondstadt...free?"

Xu Chuan did not answer immediately.

He looked around; the street was bustling with people, chatting and laughing.

Several children chased each other by, only to be stopped and scolded by adults. In the distance, the singing of a street performer drifted on the wind, and the melodious sound of a piano floated on the breeze.

"It's quite liberating," he said.

Chapter Twelve: Wendy's Disappearance

Mondstadt is a very free city.

Free as the wind, able to go wherever you want and do whatever you want.

But freedom and security are two different things.

Xu Chuan stood in the center of the square, looking up at the majestic city wall in the distance, knowing clearly in his heart that this city would soon be unsafe.

According to the plot, Stormterror Dvalin would directly attack. He remembered that scene clearly.

A fierce wind howled, a tornado raged, and the square in front of the church was in a mess. The entire Knights of the Order were mobilized, and it was in this chaos that Luminous and Paimon forged an indissoluble bond with Mondstadt.

And what about yourself?

He glanced at the system panel.

[15 days until Mondstadt main story begins]

half a month.

It's not long, it's not long, it's not short.

Xu Chuan leaned back on the bench, squinting as he surveyed the unfamiliar city.

The church with its pointed roof, the windmills, the dandelions everywhere, and the citizens coming and going, all with that unique Mondstadt leisure on their faces.

They were unaware that soon, an angry dragon would descend from the sky.

Xu Chuan thought of Wendy.

This guy is clearly one of the seven gods, but he lives like a scoundrel.

Barbatos, the wind god, is the best bard in all of Mondstadt, and of course, one of Mondstadt's many drunkards.

Xu Chuan felt he should go and see him.

A good bottle of wine is all you need to deal with this guy.

He is arguably the easiest of the seven gods to deal with.

Grandpa Zhongli is also easy to get along with. He is capable and knows how to behave appropriately. He is a mature and reliable adult, and you can feel very safe with him.

However, that person has some bad habits; he doesn't like to bring Mora.

The gods who came after these two were not easy to approach.

Yes, it's contact in a physical sense.

If the Wind God and the Rock God can still see people, they can occasionally talk to them.

The thunder god who secluded himself in a pure land, pursuing eternity, and the grass god who was imprisoned by his people.

That's something you have to fight your way in with real strength to see.

What? You mean the water goddess Funina?

This one only counts as half, unless he sneaks into the Cardinal Council of Decree and meets with that cunning Fucarus who's up to no good.

Otherwise, the water god you see will be incomplete.