"Elder brother."
"Elder brother."
The sweet voice, calling out to him like a lover's whisper, rang in his ears. Yilan opened his eyes drowsily.
Then he saw a girl with long cherry-white hair sitting beside the bed, gazing at him with extremely gentle eyes.
"Ayaka?!"
Yilan looked at the girl in front of him with some confusion.
But he soon realized that something was wrong—his hands and feet were shackled with iron chains!
Noticing the panic on his face, Kamisato Ayaka gently cupped his cheeks with her small hands.
A soft smile appeared on her face, and the words that spilled from her cherry-red lips were as sweet as honey.
"Don't be afraid, brother. Don't be afraid of anything."
She gently stroked Yilan's cheek, her eyes so tender they could melt anyone's heart.
"Even though brother deceived Ayaka, Ayaka will not blame him. Ayaka loves brother so much—how could she bear to hurt him?"
Her tone remained gentle, but her expression began to collapse little by little, and her fair cheeks were stained with a bloody red flush.
"But to stop brother from leaving Ayaka again, Ayaka had no choice but to tie him here…"
"But don't worry, brother. Ayaka will feed you, give you water, bathe you. Ayaka will take care of everything. We will be together forever, forever… never apart."
***
"Elder brother?"
"Brother Yilan?!"
A voice full of vitality rang in his ears.
The scene in front of him faded little by little.
Yilan opened his eyes dazedly and saw a girl in a white nun's outfit standing in front of him, looking at him with concern.
"Barbara…la?"
"It's Barbara. Brother Yilan, are you okay? I saw that you looked like you were in pain just now. Did you have a nightmare?"
"I'm fine."
Yilan shook his head. After all, with his Spirit attribute above 25, he quickly recovered from the dream and asked:
"Speaking of which, Barbara, why are you in my bedroom?"
"Mr. Yilan, it's already nine o'clock in the morning."
The one who answered him was Noelle, standing nearby. She spoke carefully:
"Miss Barbara came at eight o'clock, but you hadn't gotten up. She was worried, so she came in to check on you… I'm sorry, I couldn't stop her."
So that's it.
Since crossing into this world, he had gotten up before six o'clock every day to exercise and train. Sleeping until nine naturally made them concerned.
Still, he teased Noelle out of habit:
"Then Noelle, weren't you worried about me?"
"No… I… Of course I was worried about Master Yilan. That's why… I failed to stop Miss Barbara. Oh… Master Yilan, please punish this maid who has failed in her duties!"
Watching Noelle wail and blush under his teasing, Yilan felt refreshed.
Soft girls were much better—forget the yandere types.
Just as he was about to continue teasing the cute little maid, Barbara suddenly inserted herself between their line of sight and said in a slightly complaining tone:
"Brother Yilan, didn't you notice anything different about me today?"
"…Hmm."
Yilan finally noticed that Barbara was no longer wearing the usual Church uniform but a white nun's outfit that resembled a dress.
"You put on that outfit?"
"Yes! I couldn't wait, so I went to the clothing store early in the morning to pick it up. After I put it on, the first thing I wanted to do was show it to you, Brother Yilan."
Barbara stood on tiptoe, lightly spun in front of Yilan, posed in the classic game pose, and blinked her eyes playfully, smiling:
"Brother Yilan, do I look good?"
Honestly, say what you will about miHoYo's games, but the character design really was top-notch.
Golden twin ponytails paired with sparkling blue eyes.
The pure white dress was engraved with sacred light-gold religious patterns.
Coupled with her lively, adorable demeanor, the word "angel" seemed tailor-made for Barbara.
However, the hem of the pure white dress only reached slightly above her knees, and her slender legs were wrapped in high-grade cotton tights, revealing an alluring absolute zone.
She gave off an aura of pure innocence tinged with a trace of temptation.
"You're beautiful. Just standing there, Barbara already feels like a real idol!" Yilan gave her a thumbs-up.
"I think so too! After putting it on, I feel a little different… Is this what it feels like to be an idol?"
Barbara's blue eyes sparkled as she looked at Yilan with admiration.
"Brother Yilan, you're amazing. You can compose such beautiful songs, design such lovely clothes… You've helped me so much. I don't even know how to thank you."
"Well, you can think about how to thank me later. For now, I think the most important thing you should do is leave this bedroom." Yilan said.
"Why?"
Barbara and Noelle both blinked in confusion, not understanding why Yilan suddenly wanted them to leave.
Sometimes actions spoke louder than words.
Yilan sat up straight from the bed. Although his exposed upper body didn't have explosive muscle mass, every muscle was perfectly defined, sharp, and powerful.
Truth be told, such a figure was far too stimulating for inexperienced girls.
"I'm not wearing any clothes yet."
At Yilan's slightly teasing voice, the two innocent girls instantly blushed bright red, covered their eyes, and ran out in a flurry.
By the time Yilan finished changing and stepped out of his room, Noelle had already prepared breakfast, seasoned slightly salty just the way Yilan liked.
After breakfast—despite having an appointment with Jean under the large tree at Windrise at noon—Yilan still completed his usual exercise routine.
During this time, he also gave some pointers on Noelle's practice.
Then he took Barbara with him and began walking toward Windrise.
Maybe it was because both his Soul and Spirit attributes had reached 25, but he faintly sensed—
What Jean was about to tell him today might change the entire trajectory of his life.
***
Although the expanded Mondstadt in reality was much larger than the one in the game, after spending more than an hour on the journey, Yilan finally brought Barbara to the Sacred Tree at Windrise.
When Yilan arrived, Jean's graceful figure was already waiting there.
The blonde knight stood under the Sacred Tree, holding her sword in both hands. The breeze made her knight's cape flutter gently.
A strand of golden hair mischievously brushed against her cheek. She reached up and tucked it behind her ear. Upon hearing footsteps, she turned her head and revealed a stern yet beautiful smile in Yilan's direction.
"Yilan, you're here."
She smiled warmly at Yilan, then shifted her gaze to Barbara following behind him.
"You're here too… Barbara."
"Sister Jean…"
Barbara responded softly, her cheeks turning slightly red as she instinctively hid behind Yilan.
Seeing this, Jean couldn't help but reveal a slightly bitter smile.
They were sisters by blood, but after their parents' separation due to irreconcilable differences, Jean had been taken away by their mother, while Barbara had been raised by their father.
The discord between their parents had also complicated the relationship between the two sisters—
They clearly wished to be close to one another, but because of the complicated circumstances, they always hesitated to approach each other.
However, Jean didn't realize there was another layer to the story this time.
For Barbara, her sister had once been her most admired person. But recently, she found herself thinking of her sister less and less.
Every time she spaced out, the one who filled her mind was… Brother Yilan.
And last time, without knowing where she found the courage, she had even kissed Brother Yilan on the cheek…
This left Barbara with a strange, guilty feeling, as if… she had betrayed the affection she once held for her sister.
As for Jean, seeing Barbara hide behind Yilan, clinging to him as if she were very close yet unwilling to look at her, left Jean with a complicated feeling — much like a victim in an NTR story.
(And I'm not even blonde! I'm white-haired!)
Yilan, caught between the two girls, felt a bit awkward. He coughed lightly and said, "Jean, you haven't told me yet—why did you ask me to come here today?"
"Ah, that's right."
Jean collected herself quickly at the mention of business. She turned her gaze to the Sacred Tree beside them.
"Yilan, do you know the origin of this Sacred Tree?"
"This is something every citizen of Mondstadt knows—the legend from a thousand years ago."
Yilan smiled slightly. The breeze lifted his red ceremonial robe gently, and the serious aura the young man radiated at that moment was enough to make even a mature woman like Jean, who had seen many capable men, feel her heart skip a beat for a second.
"Back then, Mondstadt was ruled by the cruel aristocrats, and the people lived in suffering. At that time, a young slave girl named Vennessa stepped forward. Under the guidance of Barbatos, the Anemo Archon, she raised the flag of rebellion, overthrew the corrupt rulers, and founded the Knights of Favonius."
"At the end of her life, she came to Windrise, the sacred ground blessed by the Anemo Archon. Here, she bid farewell to the city-state she had protected and entrusted all her blessings and hopes into a seed… Now, a thousand years later, that seed has grown into this towering Sacred Tree."
Yilan looked at Jean and smiled lightly.
"This marks the end of the Lionfang Knight's path of rebellion and the beginning of the Dandelion Knight's road of protection."
"I am still far from being worthy of being compared to Lady Vennessa," Jean said modestly, her cheeks blushing faintly. Then she grew serious:
"Yilan, I have a very difficult task here. It's extremely dangerous and may even threaten your life. I want to ask you—are you willing to accept it?"
"Brother Yilan…"
Hearing Jean speak so gravely, Barbara grew anxious. Her blue eyes filled with worry, and she tugged gently on Yilan's sleeve.
Yilan patted her hand reassuringly and said calmly:
"If a person backs down just at the word 'danger,' then their journey ends there.
Jean, tell me the mission."
Jean's eyes lit up with admiration, and she said:
"This Sacred Tree has witnessed the rise of countless heroes throughout Mondstadt's history. Among them, Yilan, you are one of the most remarkable. However, you've undergone many changes recently. I'm unsure how far your strength has evolved, so—"
Clang!
A sharp burst of wind accompanied the sound of a sword being drawn.
Jean pointed the Windfall sword at Yilan with a serious expression:
"Challenge me, Yilan. Show me how much you've grown."
"S-Sister Jean, you want to fight Brother Yilan? No! Brother Yilan might get hurt!"
Barbara panicked at Jean's declaration. Although she had been leaning closer to Yilan recently, in her heart, her sister was still the strongest person she knew.
Seeing Barbara stand up for Yilan, Jean's determined face softened slightly into one of helplessness.
"Don't worry. I'll be careful.
But Yilan, you must go all out. If you cannot earn my approval, I cannot allow you to undertake such a dangerous mission."
For Jean, the safety of Mondstadt's people, her friends, and family would always come first.
"It's alright, Barbara. Just stand back a little, so you don't get caught up."
Yilan smiled, shaking his head, and then stepped forward to face Jean.
Show mercy?
Go all out?
Yilan thought Jean was being a little too optimistic.
He smiled faintly and replied, his tone like a blade slicing through the air:
"I'll say the same thing to you, Acting Grand Master Jean—I'll show mercy. You'd better go all out."
"Then let's see."
Barbara reluctantly stepped back with a worried expression. Jean and Yilan moved a few paces forward, facing each other. According to Mondstadt's tradition before a duel, they crossed swords lightly as a sign of mutual respect.
And then—
"Wind Pressure Sword!!"
Jean shouted clearly.
In an instant, where Yilan had stood, there was only a whirlwind!
Yilan was blasted thirty meters into the air by the forceful gust.
Shielded by a rock barrier, he looked down in bewilderment at Jean, who was now the size of Paimon in his vision—this was supposed to be a Wind Pressure Sword?
With this kind of power, even a Ruin Grader would get swept up into the sky and shattered!
(How badly was Jean nerfed in the game?!)
"Jean, I didn't expect you, the proud knight, to actually pull a sneak attack!" Yilan shouted down.
"A knight must know how to adapt. The enemies you will soon face won't observe the rules of knightly etiquette," Jean responded firmly from below.
"…It's me, a time traveler, who's still too naive."
Yilan laughed softly.
"But good. From that one move, I've gotten a measure of Jean's strength… I'll respond accordingly and refine my own skills."
Beneath his feet, a thick stone slab formed, embedded with metal. Lightning crackled around his legs, anchoring him firmly to the stone despite his upside-down position.
Jean hadn't expected Yilan to use such a strange method to stabilize himself, disrupting all her follow-up attacks.
And at that moment, Jean felt it—a surge of killing intent and fighting spirit only found in true warriors.
Following her instinct, Jean raised her guard.
The next instant, Yilan moved.
With a thunderous step, the slab under him shattered into dust.
He plunged downward, a streak of purple lightning slicing through the sky.
Jean reacted swiftly, lifting her Windfall sword to block.
A second later, Yilan landed before her, his wild gaze flashing, dragging two arcs of purple lightning with him as he swung his sword down on her!
BOOM!
A violent shockwave rocked the ground. The area surrounding them cracked and collapsed, the earth trembling under the force.
Dust and gravel exploded outward in a chaotic storm.
Barbara, standing far away, was blown backward by the shockwave. Tumbling awkwardly, she finally crashed into a rock, ending up sprawled with her legs in the air, her skirt flipped embarrassingly.
But there was no time for embarrassment.
Scrambling up, Barbara looked anxiously at the battlefield:
"Brother Yilan! Sister Jean! Are you okay?!"