Weeks have passed since the gang have been at the Golden Apple Archipelago and Jordan and Klee couldn't have been any closer as official siblings now. Almost any chance that Klee wanted, Jordan would spend time with the tiny little Spark Knight as they would either play games, Jordan would read Klee a bedtime story or sing her a lullaby, or go fish blasting which would always have them both end up in Solitary Confinement.

Besides that, the crew have actually been getting a little too relaxed lately. Although they are still the Honorary Knights of Favonius, some people also forget that they are still young adults who can act like some teens at times. In the Knights of Favonius library, Jean and Lisa had entered the area expecting a warm welcome... but what they heard next were voices from the Honorary Knights themselves making their eyes widen.

TheNintegaGuy: Guys, get in your spots!

Lumine: Ugh! Okay, Nintega! This is the LAST time!

Jordanwolfboy9743: Don't flip me this time!

Shadowlight2784: *groans* I knew we shouldn't have had pizza before this...

Feeling extremely curious on what that could've been, both women immediately marched down the stairs to see what was going on and when they looked to the side, their eyes widened to see that apparently one of the corridors in the library had ALL of the books taken down and made into stair towers in different areas with Lumine, Shadow, and Jordan in between those different spots either laying down on the ground or standing up tall. Nintega was down at a perpendicular hall, picturing his next move as apparently he was trying to do parkour as a training exercise... indoors... in the library.

TheNintegaGuy: And now it's time for the Hero Knight to make a new Teyvat record! He's going to attempt three flips in a row, all in one go.

Meanwhile, the rest of the crew had annoyed looks.

Shadowlight2784: I can't believe he talked us into this...

Nintega then bends down into a starting position before he begins sprinting towards the little obstacle course that they made getting ready to attempt his little parkour trick. However, Jean and Lisa saw the predicament and were not so happy at all.

Jean: What is going on in here?!

The moment everyone, except for Nintega heard Jean's voice, they all stood up to their feet and turned towards her and Lisa with shocked faces.

Lumine/Jordan: M-Master Jean!/L-Lisa, I can explain!

However, they all stood up a little too early as Nintega jumped and screamed seeing them out of position. The rest of the gang screamed too as Nintega tackled all of them down, knocking over all of the book towers that they made and they all ended up on the floor, each with dizzy swirls in their eyes, and books scattered all over the place. Meanwhile, Jean and Lisa were more than prepared to scold them.

Jean: How many times have we told you all that the library is NOT a place for you to do any physical types of training?

Everyone looked at each other with raised eyebrows.

Shadowlight2784: Um... None?

Lisa: No... We shouldn't have to tell you!

They all then stood up and faced the two women with guilty looks on their faces.

Lumine: Y-Yes, we... definitely should've known better...

TheNintegaGuy: W-With all due respect Master Jean, we do at least want some variety to our training to... make it a little more fun. I mean... doing the same routine over and over again? Where's the fun in that?

Jordanwolfboy9743: I... hate to say it, but Nintega's got a point. It gets kinda boring if we're doing the same kind of training repeatedly. Isn't there somewhere new we could train at?

Jean and Lisa shared a glance before pondering that very question. After a bit of rubbing their chins in thought, Jean was the first to smile at finding an idea.

Jean: Actually... there is somewhere that would be perfect for you all to train.

Just about every one of the Honorary Knights gained a smile.

Shadowlight2784: Wait... really?

He asked as Jean nodded.

Jean: For such great heroes like you four, I can't think of a better place than this.

Lumine: Well, where is it?

Right as she asked, we cut to the four of them pouting while within the small confines of Solitary Confinement. Jordan was reading a comic book he found, Shadow was trying to find out what he could do with some crafting materials, Lumine was sitting over at a wall with a hand to her chin, and Nintega was pacing before he stopped and lightly bangs his head on a wall.

TheNintegaGuy: *groans* How do you even stand being in here, Jordan?! This place sucks!

Jordanwolfboy9743: *sigh* It's only for a day, buddy. Just suck it up until tomorrow and then we're out of here.

Shadowlight2784: Hey. I thought "sucking up" was my thing?

Lumine sighs and rubs her face.

Lumine: Jean and Lisa do kinda have a point though. It really wouldn't hurt us to find a new place to train.

TheNintegaGuy: But, we've literally trained everywhere in Mondstadt! Even Dadupa Gorge hasn't felt much like a challenge lately and that place is always packed with Hilichurls.

Paimon appears out of thin air, tisking them like a parent.

Paimon: You'd all better think of something soon, or else you'll have to be roommates with how much you'll share this room together.

Shadow deadpans at Paimon before a lightbulb appears over his head and he turns to the flying pixie.

Shadowlight2784: Wait, Paimon can appear and disappear with ease! ...Why doesn't she just unlock the door from the outside?

Everyone's eyes widened from Shadow's suggestion before they all looked at Paimon as that was indeed a genius way of getting them out of there early.

Jordanwolfboy9743: A jailbreak?! *chuckles* I'm totally in!

Lumine: But what's Jean gonna say?

Jordan smirks at Lumine before trying to imitate the Acting Grand Master.

Jordanwolfboy9743: *mocking Jean* I don't know what's going on because they snuck out when I clearly locked the door.

Lumine: *scoffs* Real mature... As the oldest of you four... I say no one is getting out of here.

TheNintegaGuy: *smirks* Well, as leader of this group, I say... We're not losing our sanity inside of here. Paimon, teleport out of here and unlock the door.

Unfortunately, Paimon was with Lumine as she crossed her arms and turned her head away from Nintega.

Paimon: Paimon's not doing anything of the sort!

TheNintegaGuy: Do it and you get dibs on my pizza next time~!

A small sweatdrop went down the back of Paimon's head as she tried to keep her cool, but her nerves ultimately failed her as she groaned and stomped the air.

Paimon: Fine, but you'd better keep your word, Nintega!

Nintega then turned to the rest of the crew with a sly smirk on his face as this was all going according to plan. Jordan and Shadow both fist bumped each other without looking while Lumine sighs with a hand to her face.

Lumine: Don't you guys think that you're being a little bit immature?

Shadowlight2784: Me? Mature? You should do stand-up, Lumine.

Paimon then teleports outside and they all hear a loud click which means that she unlocked the door from the outside. They all then slowly opened the door and looked to see if the coast was clear of either Jean or Lisa. Seeing neither of them made them all smirk as they all snuck out while also keeping the door to Solitary Confinement closed and locked so that it would be convincing.

Outside, the four Honorary Knights and Paimon were all relieved from the little mischievous act that they just pulled as they were now walking along the plaza wearing confident smirks on their faces.

Jordanwolfboy9743: *sighs* I think Kaeya would be proud of us right about now.

Shadowlight2784: That sounds about right. You said that sometimes Kaeya cons Klee out of Solitary Confinement, right?

Jordanwolfboy9743: Yep... Now I know the feeling and boy does it feel good.

Lumine: They're still gonna find out we're gone though...

TheNintegaGuy: You worry too much, Lumine.

As they were all walking, they were approaching the Crafting Bench where Timaeus works, but they also saw Albedo and Sucrose there too, making them all confused as Albedo was talking to them before walking away with a serious look.

Paimon: Hey, Timae- Huh, is that Albedo? Why is he leaving?

Shadow noticed Albedo's expression as he crossed his arms looking somewhat concerned.

Shadowlight2784: (And what's with the face? Knowing him though... he's probably got something conjured up his sleeve.)

He lets the thought go as the group approached Sucrose and Timaeus who smiled upon seeing them coming over.

Timaeus: Hey, it's the Honorary Knights and Paimon!

Sucrose: Hello, everyone! It's been a long time!

Jordanwolfboy9743: Things kinda seemed serious there between you and Albedo a moment ago. Something we need to be concerned with?

Timaeus: Just a regular catch-up. We meet here once in a while to go through any recent developments in our research projects.

Paimon: Ugh, so we just missed him. Maybe we should have hollered to him.

Shadowlight2784: Didn't look like he was in the best mood.

Sucrose: Huh... you mean, Albedo?

Shadowlight2784: *sarcasm* No, bro. The forty-six cosplayers we hired to stand in for him. *sincerely* Yes, I mean Albedo. What's the deal with him looking like a sourpuss?

Sucrose: Sourpuss

She thinks for a second before something came to her mind that made her eyes widen slightly.

Sucrose: Uh-oh. I wonder if...

Her gaze wandered over to Timaeus as if expecting him to have an answer as he just nervously stared back.

Timaeus: Wh-What are you looking at me for?

Sucrose: I wonder if Timaeus's research topic is... so boring this time that Albedo finally snapped?

Timaeus: S-Surely not... it's not that boring! ...Is it?

A laugh from Paimon got the attention of everyone as they turned to her next.

Paimon: Hehe, nah! Anyways, Paimon just remembered that she wanted to ask you for a favor, Timaeus!

Timaeus: A favor? Haha, well sure! How can I help?

Jordan leans over to Nintega and whispers to him.

Jordanwolfboy9743: *whisper* 300,000 Mora says it's food related.

TheNintegaGuy: *whisper* Double or nothing that it had to do with the Sunsettias that she had the other day...

They shared a quick handshake as Paimon spoke.

Paimon: Well, Paimon found a bunch of super-duper sweet Sunsettias in the mountains the other day. But if Paimon eats them all, then they'll be gone, so Paimon isn't ready to finish them all yet...

Both Nintega and Jordan nodded to that while smirking.

Jordanwolfboy9743: *whisper* Told ya.

TheNintegaGuy: *whisper* *snickers* Dumb luck for both of us.

Paimon: Paimon was thinking maybe you could make a device that you put fruits in, and it turns them into juice! That way, they'll be preserved for a sling as Paimon needs!

Lumine deadpans at her before facepalming.

Lumine: Do you realize how absurd you sound right now?

Timaeus, meanwhile, looked unsure of her request as he rubbed his chin.

Timaeus: I'm afraid that sort of thing... is a little, uh...

The floating pixie girl caught onto his confusion, crossing her arms with a frown.

Paimon: Huh? Seems pretty straightforward to Paimon... can't you do it?

TheNintegaGuy: *sigh* Paimon, what you're asking for would more likely be in the hands of someone like Marjorie as she collects all kinds of relics and items.

Jordanwolfboy9743: Or Sara at Good Hunter. Or Charles and Master Diluc at Angel's Share. They can literally make you juice anytime that you want.

Paimon: Aww, but Paimon wants one of her own though!

Timaeus: Hahaha. Paimon, I'm afraid both the Hero Knight and Savior Knight have a point there. Besides, what you're asking for makes it sound like you've entered into the realm of the weird and wonderful with this one...

Realizing that he too had a point, Paimon sighed in defeat.

Paimon: Okay, so how about you, Sucrose? Any idea?

In her usual fashion, Sucrose blushed from the sudden attention given to her as she bashfully looked to her right.

Sucrose: I'm sorry... it doesn't sound like it falls within my area of expertise. I could give it a try if you really want, but... I'd probably just end up giving all your precious fruits arms and legs.

Shadowlight2784: Wow... Am I the only one here who actually wants to see that?

He received a round of deadpans from his fellow Honorary Knights for that question until they shook their heads while sighing.

Timaeus: Woah... your tones are so calm but your words are so terrifying. You'd think I'd be used to this by now...

He commented, referring to both Sucrose and Shadow.

Jordanwolfboy9743: Trust us, Tim. It... takes a while.

TheNintegaGuy: *sigh* A long... LONG while.

Sucrose clears her throat and turns to Paimon.

Sucrose: Well, as you know, my focus is on Bio-Alchemy... Besides, keeping things fresh forever is just not possible. If you just wanted to modify certain properties of the fruit or their seeds, on the other hand, I'd easily be able to help with that. Alchemists usually focus in on their own research areas. Take us for example – Timaeus, Albedo, and I all have very different research foci. Paimon, your idea is very imaginative... but it's beyond Timaeus's and my ability. I don't think even Albedo could make such an incredible device... After all, alchemy is not mechanics. There is a big difference between the two.

Paimon: Huh... Well, excuse Paimon for overestimating the power of alchemy...

Lumine flicks Paimon on the head with a finger at her snarky remark as Paimon rubbed her head while Sucrose was actually reminded of something thanks to that comment.

Sucrose: In fact, before Albedo showed up, everyone in Mondstadt thought alchemy was useless.

Shadowlight2784: He does make the concept of alchemy more enlightening than anyone else, so... makes sense.

Sucrose: Of course, we know better now. But even then, I have to admit that alchemy is only one of the many wondrous arts in the world. It's certainly not some kind of all-powerful magic that can simply take a substance and preserve it indefinitely...

She then realizes how she said that as she gets embarrassed and tries to justify her sudden assertiveness.

Sucrose: Ahem! Uh, sorry, that wasn't meant as a criticism against you personally...

Shadowlight2784: Oh, don't worry, we absolutely rule Paimon out as someone who would understand... just about anything...

Paimon gets a tick mark on her head as she stomps in the air in anger.

Paimon: P-Paimon just wanted some fruit juice... What's wrong with that!?

Shadowlight2784: It always starts with the fruit juice...

Paimon: What's that supposed to mean?

Shadowlight2784: Then there's the coconut milk, the salt water, the cow milk, the chicken eggs, and then the whale—

Honorary Knights: Just ask Sara or Marjorie!

They all shouted in unison, silencing him.

Sucrose: Oh, of course, these are just Timaeus's and my subjective opinions on the matter. If you're really intent on pursuing this wondrous device... you can try your luck asking Albedo. But I wouldn't get your hopes up. If he has no idea how to make one either, you'll have to give up on the idea.

TheNintegaGuy: That... might be a tad difficult seeing how sour he looked before he left. You think he might ignore us if we went and talked to him?

Timaeus: He won't. Albedo is not that kind of person.

Shadow then puts a finger to his chin in some thought.

Shadowlight2784: (Still... There was something different about Albedo there...)

Jordanwolfboy9743: Well, I guess all we can ask from you two is to wish us luck, especially Paimon... *smirks* she's gonna alcheNEED it.

That made everyone around snicker except for Paimon who just fumes from the joke sent at her and she starts bonking Jordan on the head with her tiny little hands.

Paimon: *groans* Y-You big meanie! Why do you always have to make jokes about Paimon wanting something she really needs!?

Jordanwolfboy9743: *laughs* Come on, Pai! I had to! It's funny!

Sucrose, on the other hand, just tilted her head in confusion.

Sucrose: H-Huh? I-I'm afraid I don't quite understand what's so funny.

Nintega rolls his eyes playfully and looks back at her.

TheNintegaGuy: *sigh* It's just one of the many infamous puns brought to you by the Savior Knight himself, Sucrose. You'll get used to it.

Lumine: So Albedo's going to Dragonspine, right? Shadow told us that's usually where he works.

Sucrose: Unless he specifically says otherwise, Dragonspine is where he usually goes. He seems particularly fond of that place. And somehow, the cold doesn't seem to bother him at all.

Shadowlight2784: I know exactly who to hook him up with.

Again, Sucrose couldn't quite understand Shadow's reference at all as she just shyly looked away.

Sucrose: S-Sorry... I... still don't understand...should that be a concern?

TheNintegaGuy: Again, that's just Shadow's language, Sucrose. You'll get used to both of them just like we did. But now that we know where Albedo is heading to, I say we go see what's going on with him and see if he needs any help.

Jordanwolfboy9743: Better than sitting in Solitary Confinement all day long.

With that being said, the crew decided to leave Mondstadt and take a trip out to Dragonspine to try and see if they could figure out Albedo's strange mood or if he just needs some help.

When the Honorary Knights arrived at the camp near the entrance to Dragonspine, they noticed that it was a little more active there than usual. They noticed some people talking, doing alchemy, or forging materials.

Paimon: Hmm? This looks lively, what's the occasion?

TheNintegaGuy: Beats me, but I say we go have a look if the camp seems prepared for something!

As they were about to walk and see what the situation was, Jordan suddenly sees someone that made his eyes widened before they turn into heart shaped ones and he suddenly gets a grin as he sees none other than Amber.

https://youtu.be/U73NsGzbBQQ

Jordanwolfboy9743: Bun girl~!

Immediately, one of Amber's ribbons twitched and she turned to her boyfriend and quickly gained a wide smile before rushing over and jumping into his arms in a tight hug.

Amber: *giggles* Hey, Blue~! Fancy meeting you all the the way out here~

They pull away and share a quick kiss before ending it.

Jordanwolfboy9743: *chuckles* I could say the same for you.

Amber then noticed the other Honorary Knights which made her smile widen even more.

Amber: Oh, hey everyone! Nice to see you all again!

She then remembers something as she quickly gets a small confused eyebrow raise.

Amber: Wait... aren't you all supposed to be in Solitary Confinement?

Exclamation points appeared above all of their heads as they all tried to quickly come up with a good excuse.

Shadowlight2784: K-Kaeya broke us out!

Jordanwolfboy9743: The doorknob was loose!

TheNintegaGuy: J-Jean let us off easily!

Lumine: W-We were suddenly sent on a mission!

A sweatdrop appeared behind Amber's head as she could obviously tell that those were all lies.

Amber: Uh-huh... You guys snuck out, didn't you...?

Jordanwolfboy9743: A-Amber, there's a perfectly good explanation for that.

Amber crosses her arms with a playful smirk.

Amber: Oh really? Do tell~

Clearing his throat, Jordan raised a finger and was about to give his explanation until he suddenly pointed it at Nintega.

Jordanwolfboy9743: This was all Nintega's idea!

TheNintegaGuy: *nods* Indeed, it- wait, WHAT?!?!

He shouted, hitting Jordan with a surprised and annoyed glare as Amber shook her head.

Amber: *sighs* Why am I not surprised...?

TheNintegaGuy: Okay, technically speaking, Shadow was the one who came up with the idea to use Paimon to break us out!

Shadowlight2784: Hey, don't point fingers at me! Paimon would do just about anything for something finger-lickin' good.

Now it was Paimon's turn to glare at Shadow as she stomped the air.

Paimon: H-Hey, if anything, Lumine's at fault for not stopping you guys!

Before another argument could break out, in one big swipe, Lumine smacked everyone across the heads, making them all dizzy with stars over their heads.

Lumine: If I recall correctly, ALL of us were in that room, so we each share the same responsibility...

The boys and Paimon all rubbed their heads, pouting like children after they've been scolded by their parental figure of the group.

Shadowlight2784: *sigh* I hate to say it, but... she's got us there. We all had a hand in that breakout in some way, so if anything, it was a group effort.

TheNintegaGuy: *sigh* Fine, fine.

Paimon: By the way, what's everyone doing at Dragonspine? Don't you mind the cold?

As she said that, the group was then approached by the Branch Master of the Adventurers' Guild, Cyrus along with another adventurer, Reckless Pallad.

Cyrus: Oh? The Honorary Knights are joining us too. Great, fantastic, wonderful! Hahahaha, the more the merrier.

Reckless Pallad: I agree. I feel much better with the travelers joining us. Definitely the kind of group that you want to have in a tight spot.

Shadowlight2784: Speaking of which, did we stumble upon the beginning of some expedition here? What's with all of you gathering around here?

Jordanwolfboy9743: Yeah. I mean, most of you are from the Adventurers' Guild. Although, it seems that a certain beautiful Outrider decided to tag along~

He aims a flirty smile over at said Outrider who blushed and giggled with a smile as well.

Cyrus: Hahaha... allow me to explain. The Adventurers' Guild is holding winter training on Dragonspine. As you know, our members have varying levels of adventure experience. Dragonspine is an excellent place for budding adventurers to challenge themselves and improve... but it's dangerous to go alone.

Shadowlight2784: Annnnnd suddenly Legend of Zelda...

Cyrus: So, we made a plan for senior members to pair up with junior members. This way, everyone can experience training on Dragonspine together under safe and controlled circumstances. Now, every adventurer can progress together. I have been working on this grand plan for half a year now, and it's finally coming together! Hahaha, it's a great plan, isn't it!?

Jordan's eyes suddenly widen as he spins around to face the group.

Jordanwolfboy9743: Guys, this is perfect!

Paimon: H-Huh? What is, Jordan?

Jordanwolfboy9743: This! This whole excavation! We've been dying for a new place to train at and the opportunity's literally been presented to us!

Nintega grins at Jordan's suggestion as he gives the Savior Knight a thumbs up.

TheNintegaGuy: Even in the cold! No pain, no gain! We're so traveling through that mountain to see what exercises we could do! Snowboarding, hunting some Cryo Hilichurl Archers, pushing large snowballs, investigating some temples, maybe even-

Lumine covers Nintega's mouth with a deadpan as she sighs before shooting him a weary smile.

Lumine: Let's take it one step at a time, okay?

She then turns to face Amber.

Lumine: Wait, then why are you here Amber?

Paimon: Is the Adventurers' Guild short on experienced members?

Amber rubs the back of her head with a nervous look.

Amber: Well, that's part of it, actually... The other reason is, when I was patrolling the perimeter of Dragonspine, I found a lost kid named Joel. I heard he lives on the camp, so I escorted him back.

Shadowlight2784: Wait... I think I know that kid... He said that his father went missing for a while now.

Amber: I totally sympathize with how much Joel misses his family. Dragonspine is so bleak and deserted, it must be so lonely for him here.

Given that Jordan knows exactly what Amber was talking about, he walks up to her and puts a hand on her shoulder.

Jordanwolfboy9743: Hey, it'll be okay, Am. We'll find his dad even if it takes us all day.

He then goes and wraps an arm around her waist.

Jordanwolfboy9743: Besides, you've now got yourself a few more incredibly reliable adventurers on this operation along with your very capable boyfriend, so things should be easier for you.

He gives her nose a boop, resulting in her giving him a small smile.

Amber: Heh, that's true. Thanks, Jordy~

She replied before giving his lips another peck and facing the others again.

Amber: Anyway, I wanted to do something to cheer Joel up, so I said I'd build a snowman with him. It's something he enjoys doing. It also gives me a chance to stay here and help Cyrus out.

TheNintegaGuy: *smiles* Like Jordan said, if you're involved in this, you'll definitely need some allies with you. Count us all in to help you out!

Amber: Aw, really? Thank you!

Shadowlight2784: If it also means helping Joel out, I don't mind either. Can't have that kid feeling so lonely all the time.

Amber: Let's go meet up with Joel, then.

Amber then turns to Nintega with a smirk on her face.

Amber: Oh, and Nintega, this might get a little more exciting for you than you think.

This causes the fearless leader to raise an eyebrow.

TheNintegaGuy: Uh... Why's that?

Amber: Let's just say I also invited another special friend of mine too. One that you're well into of course~

It took Nintega a second to know who Amber was talking about as he got the same reaction Jordan had earlier as a blush came onto his face and a grin grew too.

TheNintegaGuy: Eula's coming?!

He noticed how excited he got as he clears his throat trying to play it cool.

TheNintegaGuy: I-I mean, uh, Eula's coming, huh? This may indeed be better than I originally thought it was going to be.

Amber giggled at Nintega trying to cover his excitement. Jordan on the other hand, facepalmed with a tick mark above his head as Eula was definitely not someone he was eager to see or talk to at all.

Jordanwolfboy9743: *sarcasm* Oh great! Miss Condescending Ice Queen's coming with us! Oh, happy day indeed!

Amber grabs his hand gently in response.

Amber: Jordy, it'll be okay. I promise.

Jordanwolfboy9743: *sigh* No, it won't be! Even after the incident with her uncle and me saving her and Nintega, she STILL treats me like dirt, lower than dirt in fact!

Nintega deadpans at Jordan as anyone could easily see through that exaggeration.

TheNintegaGuy: You're just saying that because she doesn't like your jokes, pal.

Amber rolls her eyes playfully before turning back to Cyrus.

Amber: Hey, Cyrus, we've gotta take off. Is that okay?

Cyrus: No problem. Go ahead. I still have some final checks to make, so I will call you before we depart.

Lumine: Let's go find little Joel then, shall we?

TheNintegaGuy: Yeah, time to see exactly how we can help out this lost and lonely child.

They all then depart for the entrance to Dragonspine as when they arrive near the bridge, they see a tiny young boy trying to build a snowman with some of the snow from Dragonspine. Amber calls out to him with a small smile.

Amber: Hey, Joel, we're here.

Seeing Joel again made Shadow smile while crossing his arms.

Shadowlight2784: It's been a long time, Joel. Last time, I was just passing by and now here we are again in a completely different encounter.

Joel was ecstatic to see so many people with him now.

Joel: Hi, Mister Shadow. Hi, everyone. Haha, I'm so happy right now! It's nice to have so many people to hang out with.

Jordan whispers over to Lumine.

Jordanwolfboy9743: *whispers* They really weren't kidding about the lonely part.

Lumine: *whisper* *sigh* It's... really sad to see.

Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, Nintega sees someone approaching them as he gains hearts in his eyes with a big smile of his own as it was none other than the Spindrift Knight, Eula Lawrence.

TheNintegaGuy: Hi, Eula~!

She looks in his direction and gains a small smile before nodding to him.

Eula: Good afternoon, Nintega.

She then turned her gaze to the rest of the group.

Eula: Good afternoon, Amber, Lumine, Shadow, Paimon...

When she got to Jordan last, she went quiet and looked away with a frown. Unsurprisingly, this annoyed him as he crossed his arms.

Jordanwolfboy9743: Really? Not even a hello?

Eula: Hmph... I'll be sure to give one if you plan to keep your awful jokes to yourself.

Turning to Nintega, Jordan could see the glare he was giving back to him as he nodded his head to Eula, silently telling him to just agree to it. Shaking his head, Jordan sighed and looked down at the ground.

Jordanwolfboy9743: Fine.

Eula nods and looks back at him.

Eula: Good. In that case, good afternoon, Jordan.

Jordan groans as Nintega rolls his eyes at him.

TheNintegaGuy: Get over it...

He said before turning back to his vengeful girlfriend.

TheNintegaGuy: I've actually been meaning to see you again after some time.

He said before getting ready to kiss Eula, only to have his mouth blocked by one of her hands, making Nintega's eyes widen before he shrugs his shoulders.

TheNintegaGuy: *muffled* What? What did I do?

Eula: We've been over this, Nintega. I do not exchange romantic gestures when I'm on duty.

Nintega moves her hand away and tries putting on his best pleading face.

TheNintegaGuy: Aw, come on~! Not even one little peck on the cheek~?

Although Eula wanted to keep to her rule, she couldn't help but sigh and shake her head before leaning down and giving Nintega a quick peck on the cheek.

Eula: There. Happy?

TheNintegaGuy: Almost~

He said before he quickly steals another peck, this time on Eula's lips making him smirk.

TheNintegaGuy: There, now I'm satisfied~

He smirked as Eula sighed again with an eye roll before Amber spoke up.

Amber: Oh, sorry. I forgot to do the introductions.

She turns back to Joel.

Amber: This is Eula, the Spindrift Knight and Captain of the Knights of Favonius Reconnaissance Company...

Jordanwolfboy9743: *mumbles* And the biggest narcissist to ever grace Mondstadt.

He mumbled before Nintega promptly stomped on his foot hard, making him yelp.

Eula: Amber, you're being far too formal. The child is never going to remember all that. Please, just call me Eula.

She said to Joel who smiled and nodded at her.

Joel: Okay, Aunty Eula! You can call me Joel.

Eula's eyes widened from the sudden nickname as she didn't see that coming.

Eula: Aunty... Eula...

Paimon: *whispers* Uh oh, Eula's gonna add that to her long list of scores to settle...

However, Eula's next response surprised the rest of the group.

Eula: ...Alright, if that is what you want to call me, go right ahead.

Some jaws hit the floor at this as Eula was not one to just openly let something embarrassing or worthy of vengeance slide.

Paimon: Whoa, Eula just let something go for once!

Jordanwolfboy9743: A-And... that's not all...

Everyone gained sly smirks before their eyes all darted towards Nintega who looks at all of them perplexed on what they were implying.

TheNintegaGuy: ...What??

And just like that, Lumine, Shadow, Jordan, and Paimon all burst out laughing while pointing at Nintega as given that Joel gave Eula the nickname, "Aunty Eula" they know full and clear what that makes Nintega now. Nintega's eyes widen before he fumes at the sudden laughter.

TheNintegaGuy: Hey! What's so funny?!

Shadowlight2784: I think it's pretty obvious, "Uncle Nintega."

Jordan then falls onto his back cracking up from the name too.

Jordanwolfboy9743: *laughs* Oh, I am SO using that nickname from now on!

TheNintegaGuy: *blushes* Y-You better not!

The laughter died down afterwards as Eula faced Amber next.

Eula: Amber, what's this I hear about a snowman? I came to assist because you told me the Adventurers' Guild was short-handed.

Amber: Yeah, that's something else. But look, Joel's at that age where he should be having fun, and there's nothing to play with on Dragonspine. He used to play snowmen with his dad, and since his dad's not around, we're keeping him company instead. Besides, Eula, it's gotta be more fun than taking an ice bath all by yourself. Let's combine our forces to build ourselves a huge snowman! It'll be a ton of fun.

Her suggestion earned a round of grins from the Honorary Knights.

Lumine: I approve!

Paimon: Yup, yup, count Paimon in, too! Paimon wants to build a snowman!

Jordanwolfboy9743: Before we do though, we've gotta set some ground rules. In the event that a snowball fight takes place, there will be...

He takes a deep breath and goes down the list of the types of snowballs to not use as they pass by his head one by one.

Jordanwolfboy9743: No iceballs, no sludge slappers, no horse hoppers, pepper poppers, liberty launchers, downtown hammers, dream hackers, thrashers, no Freddie Prinze Jr's...

He clears his throat for a second.

Jordanwolfboy9743: No quirk snowballs of ANY kind! We aren't savages.

Meanwhile, Shadow turns away with a sinister grin while petting a snowball in the shape of a skull in his hands.

Shadowlight2784: *whisper* Speak for yourselves~!

Amber: *giggles* It may take a while for us to understand all of that, but I think we'll get it. Joel, Jordan, Shadow, and I will be on one team. Nintega, Eula, Paimon, and Lumine can be on the other one.

Amber then bends down to Joel's level with a confident smile as she looks over to her left and points to a giant tree.

Amber: Hey Joel, see that huge tree over there? Wanna race me there?

Joel excitedly nods at Amber's suggestion.

Joel: Yeah, let's do it!

Amber and Joel immediately took off and both Jordan and Shadow were right behind them leaving the other half of the group behind.

Paimon: Wow, Amber and Joel are pretty fast. I wonder how Jordan keeps up with her all of the time. It's hard to tell which one of them is having more fun.

Paimon and Lumine then noticed Nintega and Eula staring at each other which made them both confused.

Lumine: Nintega? Eula?

Paimon: Hey, what's up with you two? Why are you just staring at each other without saying anything?

TheNintegaGuy: Because you were right about something earlier, Paimon. Eula, I noticed you... were acting a little bit out of character.

Hearing Nintega's observation made Eula turn away and clear her throat nervously as her boyfriend just takes a step to her.

TheNintegaGuy: You can tell me anything, Eula. I'm your boyfriend.

Eula: Joel probably hasn't spent much of his time in the city. He doesn't know me... and he doesn't know what the Lawrence name means to people in Mondstadt.

Paimon: Right, that's why he calls you Aunty Eula... *smirks* We're still using Uncle Nintega at times though...

Nintega heard the tiny pixie and he picks up a snowball and tosses it behind himself as it hits Paimon in the face as Lumine deadpans at her.

Lumine: Choose your words carefully, Paimon.

Eula: ...True. In his eyes, I'm just another ordinary person from Mondstadt. It was a surprise, but not in a bad way at all.

TheNintegaGuy: So there's something else bothering you then?

Eula: Hm. How very perceptive of you. Were you staring at me the whole time when everyone was talking? You shan't be getting off lightly for that.

TheNintegaGuy: Yeah, but it was more of a concerned stare, not a creepy one. So what's the real reason for your slight change in character?

Eula: The truth is, I'm a little concerned that I might be quite inept at building snowmen. I have never built a snowman before. My upbringing was very strict, so I never had the chance when I was a child. And after I grew up, of course, it's not the sort of thing I would spend my time doing.

This was admittedly sad to hear, especially for Nintega since he's heard about how hard Eula's childhood life has been.

Paimon: Oh no, Paimon's starting to feel sorry for Eula.

Nintega however smiles before he walks up to Eula, wraps an arm around her torso, and shoots her a confident smile.

TheNintegaGuy: Then allow the leader and Hero Knight of yours to show you that there's a lot more fun than just ice baths in Dragonspine.

The Spindrift Knight stares at Nintega before she takes his word and aims him a smile of her own.

Eula: ...You sound confident. Alright then.

She then looks ahead and notices some people approaching them.

Eula: Enough small talk for now. I see we have a member of the Adventurers' Guild joining us.

They all turned where she was facing as Cyrus came with another member of the Adventurers' Guild with them.

Cyrus: Greetings. We have a slight problem here. We've done a headcount and it turns out that we have an odd number of participants. In other words, we still have one instructor slot left to fill. How it happened was, we originally asked Fischl to be an instructor, but she was buddy with something outside of Mondstadt during this period. So we found another adventurer to fill in for her, but they still haven't shown up yet... Thank goodness you are here. *sigh*

The other member spoke up after Cyrus was done.

Gerald: Oh, hello. My name is Gerald. I'm a new adventurer...

Eula: In that case...

TheNintegaGuy: *smiles* Eula can help you guys out. She's the most capable person amongst us, right?

He looks up at her as she sighs to herself while pondering her choice. She eventually came to one as she frowned at Gerald which scared him.

Eula: Fine. But for that, you will pay.

Gerald: Huh? P-Pay for what?

TheNintegaGuy: *chuckles* Calm down, Gerald. That's just how she talks. You're totally safe around her.

His reassurance was able to calm Gerald down as he breathed a sigh of relief.

Gerald: Okay, I-I got it. I'm ready and willing to learn!

Cyrus: Good, good. Then everything is settled. Thank you for your help, Eula.

He then looked at Nintega.

Cyrus: Hero Knight Nintega, if anybody else signs up later, I may have to ask for your help as well.

TheNintegaGuy: *nods* You can count on me, Cyrus!

As he left along with Eula and Gerald, Lumine and Paimon walked up to Nintega.

Paimon: Why'd you give the spot to Eula, Nintega?

TheNintegaGuy: *chuckles* She may be cold, but I know Eula is a great person deep down. I just want people to get a better understanding of her... even if some don't always turn out to be great.

He says, thinking about Jordan for a second.

Paimon: Ohh, okay. *giggles* You're so nice to your girlfriend, Nintega.

Lumine: Seems Eula appreciated it too. I could see just a tiny little smile on her, so it had to have meant something to her.

TheNintegaGuy: Plus, Eula is honestly a best candidate when you think about it more. Dragonspine isn't really a popular place for expeditions due to the sheer cold that you'll have to deal with, but Eula can handle it quite well.

Paimon: Oh! Now Paimon gets it, this must be the whole reason why Amber got Eula involved in the first place!

Lumine: They are the best of friends after all. Amber cares about Eula's image, so having her help the Adventurers' Guild is a great opportunity for her.

Paimon: So... what do we do now? We were supposed to find supplies, but now Eula's busy with other stuff and Paimon doesn't feel like going around collecting things...

TheNintegaGuy: We might as well go and meet up with the others then. They were racing to that large tree with the gem inside of it, so we'll likely find them there. Come on, let's move.

The three of them do so, but when they got to the large tree... all they saw was only Jordan and Shadow, but Amber and Joel were nowhere to be found, making them all raise an eyebrow. Shadow was apparently thinking about something while Jordan was staring at him while scratching his head.

Lumine: There you guys are!

TheNintegaGuy: Where's Amber and Joel?

Jordanwolfboy9743: I told them that they could go on ahead. Shadow stopped us cause he heard some strange noise apparently, but I keep feeling like that's just some broken twigs around the area...

Shadowlight2784: *sigh* You know, for someone who was recently appointed as a new Outrider, you can really be clueless sometimes, bud. I'm not deaf, I know what I heard.

Paimon: Hmm. What did it sound like?

Shadowlight2784: Like rapid footsteps or something creeping around the area.

TheNintegaGuy: *chuckles* Oh, come on. That's probably just an animal passing through.

He said before suddenly... a loud rustling sound that sounded a lot like someone was running caught their attention as they all look around getting on guard.

Lumine: ...You mean like that?!

Paimon: Uh... C-Could they be in danger!?

Shadowlight2784: Only one way to find out. Come on! Let's go see what it is!

The group ran further up the mountain, determined to find the source of the noise. They passed through the snow capped landscape while not caring about how cold it was as they heard it again from higher up the mountain.

TheNintegaGuy: Up there! Hurry!

He urges. After another few seconds of running, they made it to an open area on the side of the mountain where the sound had originated. Looking around, they couldn't find anything or anyone that might have made the noise.

Paimon: The sound has completely stopped...

Jordanwolfboy9743: *sigh* Dang it, we must have just missed whoever or whatever it was!

Paimon: How could that happen? After all the adventures we've been on, our tracking skills are honed to perfection, aren't they?

TheNintegaGuy: That doesn't necessarily mean that nothing can elude us...

Shadowlight2784: So what now? We don't know what we're dealing with here.

???: I know that voice...

All of their eyes widened, especially Shadow's as his stoic look didn't change.

Shadowlight2784: And I know that voice too...

And just like, the person who appeared before them was the Knights of Favonius, Chief Alchemist, Albedo, who they were concerned with earlier.

Albedo: What brings you all to Dragonspine?

Shadowlight2784: *smirks* Just taking an afternoon stroll through the icy cold tundras of this mountain. So, I guess I can take a guess and that it was you all along as the person making all that racket earlier.

Albedo: "All along" ...? What do you mean by that?

Jordanwolfboy9743: Well, just now, we heard all this noise that sounded like someone either running around or stalking us, but we're guessing that it was just you.

Paimon: Honestly, you really gave us the creeps! If you're bored up here, go find something useful to do – don't go sneaking around and scaring the poop out of people!

Nintega, Jordan, and Shadow let out a quiet snicker from her use of the word "poop" as they had never heard that phrase being used with that word instead.

Albedo: The things you felt and heard could easily be attributed to animals, or bandits perhaps. You should all be wary at all times in this environment – there are all too many ways to sustain losses here if you aren't careful. So, what business brought you here?

TheNintegaGuy: Well, it's kind of a long story, so we'll summarize it. We came here looking for you which then transitioned into us looking for Amber instead, but then we found you anyways. So... a bit confusing, but now we're looking for another person.

Albedo raises an eyebrow before rubbing his chin.

Albedo: Hmm. Your thought process is rather chaotic, as is the way in which you articulate it.

Nintega took a bit of offense to that as a tick mark appeared on the back of his head.

TheNintegaGuy: H-Hey, I just said it's a bit confusing, didn't I!? We were looking for you in the first place!

Albedo: Oh? Is that so? Then it must surely be something of great importance. I'm all ears.

Lumine: Actually, it wasn't anything serious at all. We just wanted to see if everything was alright.

Shadowlight2784: Your mood doesn't seem any different than usual. Like we said, it's nothing serious, but we were just overthinking something that seemed off earlier.

Albedo: It's okay if you can't tell me about it. Just treat this as an opportunity to stroll on the mountain and enjoy the view.

Jordanwolfboy9743: Well, the other thing is that we were actually also here on adventurer duty... Well, I guess Outrider duty in my case, but you get it... Let me explain.

Jordan, along with some of the others, explained the event that was going on at the Adventurers' Guild earlier and the little boy, Joel. Albedo put a hand to his chin and nods before turning to Nintega with a raised eyebrow.

Albedo: I see. So Nintega foisted the rookie off onto Eula, so that you all can wander off and goof around? Cause I seem to also recall you all were supposed to be in Solitary Confinement under order of the Acting Grand Master. Unless she let you all out for this specific reason.

Paimon stomps the air.

Paimon: We're not goofing around! And Eula was the right person for the job – we were just being nice. What about you then, huh? What're you doing here on Dragonspine?

Albedo: A friend commissioned me to do some artwork recently, and I have yet to finish. I came here because it's a quiet place where I can gather my thoughts, gather inspiration – and gather some raw materials while I'm at it.

Lumine: Raw materials? For what purpose?

Albedo: Paint. Starsilver can be used to make high-quality silver paint. I just ran out of my previous batch, so I'll collect some ore while I'm here.

Jordanwolfboy9743: Wait, ore can be converted into paint?

Albedo: Yes. But you have to be selective with the specimens you choose. Even with a high level of impurities, Starsilver still contains fine silver-colored particles. But they lack luster, which impacts the color saturation of the pigment made from them. Paint made with such pigment is generally viewed as a fake or a defective product.

This made Shadow awfully curious as he put a finger to his chin in some thought before giving Albedo a small smile.

Shadowlight2784: You know, Nintega and I are quite the artists. Maybe you can share some inspiration with us.

Nintega turned to Shadow, a little bit surprised by his suggestion before he smiled with a finger to his chin too.

TheNintegaGuy: Not a bad idea actually. We can't really write our stories here, but nothing says that we can't do a little arts and crafts.

Albedo: You two want to learn to paint?

TheNintegaGuy: Well, yeah. Pretty much. Back home, Shadow and I do a lot of artwork ourselves. Funnily enough, despite that, Shadow experiments more than me, my art is more advanced than his, but it's nonetheless with the same method.

Hearing that they can do art, Paimon gets an excited grin on her face and claps her hands eagerly.

Paimon: That sounds fun for us to do when we want to just relax outside too. All we do is practice, practice, practice, but we should do something memorable once in a while. Do you two think that you can paint Paimon?

Shadow goes up to the floating pixie and lets his eyes scan her, humming as he took in as many details as he could.

Shadowlight2784: It... might be a bit challenging, but I'm sure it can be done if we're skilled enough.

Albedo: *smiles* Well, since you two would like to learn more about painting, why don't you come with me to the campsite? I have painting materials there. You can practice while I give you some guidance.

TheNintegaGuy: *nods* Sounds good to me.

Jordan then remembered something as he turned to them with a raised eyebrow.

Jordanwolfboy9743: Wait. What about Amber...?

Shadowlight2784: She's gone solo before, so I doubt we need to worry about her for right now.

TheNintegaGuy: For now until she comes around, we can put that aside for right now.

Paimon: Come on, let's go! It's so cold out - Paimon wants to get to the camp and warm up by the fire!

Nintega, Shadow, and Paimon then follow Albedo to his campsite while Jordan and Lumine shrug their shoulders before following right behind them as well. Their hike carried them even further up the trail until they finally found Albedo's camp... but all was not well and good. The camp had been completely ransacked. The alchemy table had been flipped over, various equipment was either smashed or shoved off the tables, and some important items were missing. Paimon shrieks while the rest of the group gaze in shock at Albedo's camp now being a pigsty.

Lumine: What's going on...?

Paimon: Thieves! It's gonna be!

Jordanwolfboy9743: B-But, who would come all the way up a freezing mountain just to rob a small camp?

Albedo scans the area with a hum to see what exactly went down while he was away.

Albedo: Some things are missing.

They walk into the camp to investigate as they find empty beakers, opened books on the ground, and just stuff stolen in general.

Paimon: Nothing valuable, hopefully.

She then checks her pockets.

Paimon: Wait, where's Paimon's Mora?

Albedo: It's hard to say their value, but... Some of my alchemy notes are missing.

Shadowlight2784: Would those even be valuable on the market?

Albedo: To the uninitiated, they are merely scraps of paper. But for someone who knows what they're doing... the knowledge contained in those notes is more valuable than any treasure.

TheNintegaGuy: So, the only people who would ever steal alchemy notes are alchemists? But this place is only visited by adventurers, thieves, and monsters. What could they possibly get out of stealing your notes?

Lumine: I don't think it's that simple, Nintega.

Albedo: I feel the same way. However, hilichurl break-ins and other such incidents are not unheard-of on Dragonspine. It's difficult to draw a conclusion based solely on the evidence at hand.

He sighs and focuses back on the mess that used to be his work, but something else caught his eye.

Albedo: Hmm? These appear to be...

The others looked over in the same area and were surprised to find footprints in the snow.

Jordanwolfboy9743: Footprints?

Albedo strides over and kneels down to get a closer look at them.

Albedo: Fresh ones. Meaning, our thief can't have made it far.

Paimon: Let's chase them down. We can't let 'em get away!

Nintega shoots her a smirk.

TheNintegaGuy: Look at you taking charge all of a sudden. She's right, though. Let's find this thief and take them down!

The group began following the footprints as they led even higher up the mountain.

Albedo: From the entrance, the footprints go that way.

Paimon growls and stomps the air.

Paimon: That thieving... thief!

Jordan raises an eyebrow at her with a smirk.

Jordanwolfboy9743: Thieving thief? Seriously? I can think of way better names than that for our, and I use the term loosely, thief. We can call them, Dr. Alchemy or The Alchemist King! Captain Cold!

Shadowlight2784: ...You do know that one of those names is a real villain, right...?

Jordanwolfboy9743: Yeah, but it's not like they have one in Teyvat!

Lumine: Can it, Jordan.

Albedo: The footprints lead up there.

They all stop at a dead end with a broken ladder that leads more upwards on the mountain.

Paimon: So they scaled the cliff? Okay, after them!

Nintega runs over and turns to face his friends while bending down with both of his hands on the ground so that he can boost each one of them upwards. Each person came after the next before Lumine reaches down to help Nintega up herself so that they can continue tracking down the thief.

Paimon: Footprints on the snow are so hard to notice... It's so easy to lose track completely...

Albedo: That's why we have to hurry.

The footprints went a bit down this steep drop, but when the group followed it further down, they discovered that they stopped at a cliff.

Paimon: Huh? The footprints stop here?

Shadowlight2784: Our thief most likely jumped off then.

Albedo nods in agreement before facing the Honorary Knights.

Albedo: Get your Wind Gliders ready. We're going down.

TheNintegaGuy: You heard the man. Time to fly.

He and the rest of his friends took out their Wind Gliders and jumped off the cliff before opening them, safely drifting down onto solid ground again. There, they found more footprints as Albedo went to investigate immediately.

Albedo: Here. More footprints.

He examines them as they led to a small cavern of sorts.

Jordanwolfboy9743: *smirks* Well, well. Looks like our thief made it easy for us by trapping themselves in there.

He cracked his knuckles and was about to head inside before Albedo put a hand up.

Albedo: Wait. I have an idea. I'll go in alone. Nintega, Jordan, Shadow, Lumine, please stay here and guard the entrance.

TheNintegaGuy: You want to split up?

Albedo: This cavern has two points of entry, and there are shortcuts inside. Judging from the state of the footprints, he hasn't been in there long. I should be able to reach the other side before he does.

Paimon: Cut him off at both ends. Good idea!

Albedo: Whoever apprehends the thief first has to notify the other party. This way, we're fully covered. Still, safety comes first. We do not yet know the identity of our thief. Please take care.

Shadowlight2784: *smirks* You know who you're talking to, right?

Albedo gained a small smile as he nods his head.

Albedo: Good point. See you shortly.

Lumine: Stay safe, Albedo.

He turns away and looks back over his shoulder.

Albedo: Of course.

After Albedo leaves, the group waits outside the cavern for a while. As they stood by the cave entrance, Nintega, Shadow, Paimon, and Lumine were shivering from the cold as Albedo has been gone for a small while.

TheNintegaGuy: Can Albedo hurry it up in there?! Not all of our clothes are designed to withstand the cold weather.

They all then heard a slurping sound as they turned to Jordan to see him sipping a coffee cup while in his Outrider outfit, making them all shocked on how Jordan got changed so quickly.

Shadowlight2784: H-How...? When...?

Jordan just smirks back at his friends.

Jordanwolfboy9743: I told you guys that we should plan ahead. Now I'm sitting here all toasty.

He said before sipping on his coffee cup again. Nintega lets out an annoyed sigh.

TheNintegaGuy: In that case... Come on, Shadow...

They both quickly head behind some large rocks so that their friends couldn't see them for some time. After a little bit, Nintega was in his Knights of Favonius uniform while Shadow was in his Church Monk outfit.

Jordanwolfboy9743: I mean come on... Why didn't you guys think of that before Albedo went into the cavern?

Shadowlight2784: It was Nintega!

TheNintegaGuy: Hey! No one forced you to wear our usual outfits out here, Shadow!

Even though they passed time changing, Albedo still wasn't back yet and now Paimon was getting impatient.

Paimon: Waiting is so boring! Why don't we find something to do to pass the time?

Lumine: And what's your suggestion besides coming up with terrible nicknames earlier...?

Paimon: Y'know, something like... something like...

Paimon then notices some Starsilver ore in the distance as she points to it remembering that Albedo needed some for his paint.

Paimon: Oh! Look at all that Starsilver over there. Why don't we gather it up for Albedo? It's right next to the cavern, so we won't be going far. If anything happens, we can be right back here in no time.

TheNintegaGuy: Hm... that's not a bad idea, Paimon. Jordan, you go and collect the ore.

As soon as his name was mentioned, Jordan spits out his hot beverage and glares annoyedly up at Nintega.

Jordanwolfboy9743: W-Wha? Wha? Why?!

TheNintegaGuy: Because you decided to be smug, now get to collecting!

Sighing, Jordan puts his drink down and walks past the group and over to the Starsilver ore, grumbling under his breath. As he got to it, he was about to take out his weapon only to remember that he had nothing but a bow.

Jordanwolfboy9743: How am I supposed to mine it with just a bow and arrow?!

He shouted back over to the group.

TheNintegaGuy: Get creative then! Albedo said he needed some good quality ore, so chop chop!

Jordan groans in reply before looking around for something he could use to smash into the ore. He settled for a sturdy enough rock and slammed it repeatedly into the ore, chipping off some pieces of it. He takes a good look at it and facepalms at seeing that it didn't look that good in terms of quality. Moving onto the next ore vein, Jordan hits it a few times and to his surprise and slight annoyance, it was sturdier than the last, meaning it must have been higher quality. Now smirking, he hits the ore a few more times and then rips off a few pieces before holding them high in the air.

Jordanwolfboy9743: Woohoo! How's that for being creative!?

He shouted, feeling rather proud of himself... until a large heap of snow fell on top of him as his arm was the only thing that stuck out. A smirking Nintega approaches him and takes the ore chunks from him.

TheNintegaGuy: Thank you kindly for your service.

He said before Jordan's eyes were seen inside of the snow and they shot Nintega a deadpan before he shook the snow off of him. The rest of the group then gathered to see that they now have Albedo's requested ore.

Paimon: Alright, this should be enough. ...Some Starsilver shines a lot more brightly than others, huh?

They then heard footsteps approaching as they all look to see that it was Albedo making them all sigh in relief.

Shadowlight2784: Took you long enough... Wait. Where's the thief?

Albedo: Sorry, I was unable to catch him. He was faster than I had imagined.

Paimon: O-Oh... So, after all that, we still don't even know who the thief was... Ugh, what a waste.

TheNintegaGuy: Well, at least we're not completely empty-handed with Jordan fetching us some Starsilver ore for you, Albedo.

Paimon: It's just like you said - some are really bright and shiny, and others just look like regular lumps of rock with a little shiny bit here or there.

Albedo: ...Starsilver... Haha, I was merely saying what was on the front of my mind. I hadn't thought you would genuinely go and gather some.

Shadowlight2784: Well, you mentioned how it can be turned into paint, so naturally, we thought we'd cut out the middleman for you as far as mining it. Besides, it's the thief's fault that we haven't been able to do it yet. Otherwise, we'd be making some paintings by now.

Albedo finds himself smiling a little as he was thankful for them getting the Starsilver he needed.

Albedo: ...Yes, it's all the thief's fault. The notes mean a lot to me. I'm not quite ready to give up the search yet. Let's keep an eye out for clues as we go.

Paimon: Oh, just one thing – do you want us to bring all of this ore back? Or did you wanna sort through and get rid of the useless bits first? There's no point bringing the bad ones back if it'll ruin the quality of the paint. Some of them do look pretty dull to Paimon, so it doesn't seem like those'll be of any use at all.

Jordanwolfboy9743: W-Wait... don't tell me that you sent me out there for nothing!

TheNintegaGuy: Quit complaining, pal. It only took you a few minutes.

Meanwhile, Albedo hums in thought, looking at the ore that they had accumulated.

Albedo: Indeed, the sorting process is necessary. Humans are such practical creatures. They only want those things that are good. Once they have learned to distinguish between good and bad, they will never stop comparing things in their minds. Useless things should be disposed of at the outset.

TheNintegaGuy: Well... I don't know about that. Even some things that don't have as much of a quality as others can still have a quality of their own. Like, maybe the Starsilver that's of lower quality might not be used for paint, but could be used to make, say, a wrench?

Shadowlight2784: *nods* I agree. So how should we start this?

Paimon: Hmm... Let's start by...

???: ...Help! Help me!

Paimon: Wait, did you guys hear that?

Shadowlight2784: You mean that loud cry for help? *sarcasm* Nooooo...

TheNintegaGuy: Wait... That voice sounded familiar...

Paimon: It's likely an adventurer in danger!

Lumine: Well, let's not stand here! Let's go check it out!

All of them ran towards the direction of where the voice came from and eventually they ended up at a Fatui campsite.

Jordanwolfboy9743: The voice for sure had to have come from here.

???: Is anybody there?! Help me!

The voice rang up again. Now, the group had a way easier time tracking it down as it came from a cage that sat in the middle of the camp. A person stood inside, one that they recognized, especially Nintega who gasped.

TheNintegaGuy: Is... is that...?

He runs ahead of the others.

TheNintegaGuy: Bennett!

Sure enough, the prisoner was indeed revealed to be the unlucky adventurer himself who turned and smiled upon seeing the Hero Knight.

Bennett: Hmm? Is that Nintega!? Y-Yeah, it's me, Bennett!

Nintega runs up to the cage and sees his fellow adventurer friend as he gets a concerned look.

TheNintegaGuy: Don't worry! We'll get you out of here, buddy!

Bennett: So sorry to trouble you guys again... The key should be someplace nearby, please help me find it!

TheNintegaGuy: *chuckles* Like you need to ask.

He then turns back to the others with a serious look.

TheNintegaGuy: Spread out and see if you can find a key in any of their belongings!

Everyone does just that as they comb the whole camp for a key. Try as they might though, they just couldn't find one anywhere. The more they looked, the more they felt discouraged. After a couple more minutes of aimless searching, they met back in front of Bennett's cage.

TheNintegaGuy: Anything?

Shadowlight2784: *sigh* Nothing on my end.

Jordanwolfboy9743: Me either.

Lumine: I couldn't find anything either.

Paimon: Wow, so much clutter... We're not going to find the key here, surely?

They all then suddenly heard evil chuckles as they all turned to see that the Fatui who were part of this camp had returned to them.

Paimon: Uh oh, we've got company!

TheNintegaGuy: Well, let's give them a warm welcome!

Everyone pulled out their weapons as they went into battle. Shadow faces off against a Pyro sniper as he ducks under a shot before he thrusts his polearm at its gun to knock it out of his hands before he spins his polearm around and knocks it away. Jordan faces off against a Cryo Fatui Soldier as he cartwheels around it, dodging the mist from its gun before he jumps behind it, and shoots an Anemo infused arrow at the tank on its back, causing a Swirl reaction that froze the entire agent.

Nintega then runs and hops off of a rock to kick a Fatui with an Electro hammer in the gut. It then tries to counterattack with its hammer, but Lumine uses her Wind Blade to spray some Cryo onto it before blasting it with the Swirled element. This Fatui was knocked out cold, but Lumine saw that he had dropped something as she ran over to pick it up and it was indeed a key to the cage that Bennett was trapped in.

Paimon: Oh, so they kept the key with them! Huh, we were searching around for nothing!

Lumine: At least we have it now.

She goes over to Bennett's cage and unlocks it, finally setting the poor guy free as he steps out and breaths a sigh of relief.

Bennett: Finally, I'm out. Thank you so much! If only there hadn't been rocks mixed in with the snow on the tree, it wouldn't have made me all dizzy when it fell down onto my head, and then I would've never walked into the Fatui's trap...

TheNintegaGuy: *playful sarcasm* You being locked in a cage due to bad luck? Nahh... I could never imagine that happening. *sincerely* Still, I'm glad you're not seriously hurt, Bennett.

He and Bennett shake hands, smiling at one another.

Bennett: Haha, me too! I won't bore you with the rest of the details. Just me being unlucky again.

TheNintegaGuy: *chuckles* No worries, pal. We got some revenge for you. Those Fatui are long gone.

Paimon: Yep. Taking them out was child's play. No need to thank us!

Shadow deadpans at Paimon.

Shadowlight2784: Minus one on the term, "us."

Bennett: You did? Hahahaha, that's so nice of you guys! I know they were probably just following orders... but still, thanks for helping me out!

Shadowlight2784: So... what's Razor's close friend doing in Dragonspine? Is he here too?

Bennett: Did you hear about the Adventurers' Guild thing? They're hosting a winter camp here. As one of their veteran adventurers, I'm here to help out the rookies. Razor's not an adventurer, and as the leader of Benny's Adventure Team as well as the only actual member, I had to come on my own.

Jordanwolfboy9743: And that's when you got yourself stuck in that cage, huh?

Bennett: *sigh* Yeah. But now, I've been stuck here for so long, I've probably missed it... I hope Cyrus doesn't get mad at me...

Lumine: Wait, so you're leading the rookies too?

TheNintegaGuy: ...Then that must mean Gerald was supposed to be paired up with you back down at the entrance. Sorry about that, Bennett. A different instructor was assigned to him instead.

Bennett's eyes widen from this news in shock.

Bennett: What!? Weren't they short on instructors? Where'd they suddenly get extras from?

Jordanwolfboy9743: Let's just say that some Knights of Favonius that Nintega and I know volunteered, so now there's more instructors than students in the camp.

Bennett: Knights of Favonius... Yeah, they're definitely more reliable than me - I'm just a walking accident waiting to happen...

Nintega shakes his head at Bennett's doubt.

TheNintegaGuy: Don't be like that, bud. Sure, you're unlucky, but you can't directly compare the knights with adventurers. They're two completely different leagues.

Paimon: Right, right. Anyway, that was the situation when we last saw them, it might've changed now. Who knows, maybe a whole load of rookies will have turned up to join in! Besides, after all the trouble you've gone to show up as an instructor, Paimon's sure Cyrus will put you to work.

Bennett stares at both Nintega and Paimon as a smile slowly formed on his face from their words.

Bennett: Really?

TheNintegaGuy: We meant every word.

Shadow, Lumine, and Jordan nodded in agreement before the edgelord notices that a certain someone in their party went missing all of a sudden as he looked around confused.

Shadowlight2784: Albedo? Where'd he go?

Bennett: Albedo? You mean the alchemist from the Knights of Favonius? He's one of the instructors too?

Jordanwolfboy9743: No. We just happened to meet him up here. We were actually doing something else with him until we heard you calling for help. Guess he must have slipped away while we were speaking with you.

Paimon: Hmm, could he have gone back looking for clues?

TheNintegaGuy: Maybe there's something he needed back at the cavern entrance that was important...?

Shadow puts a finger to his chin as this seemed rather out of character for Albedo to just up and disappear especially when they all heard that Bennett was in danger. They all then decided to run back to the cavern entrance to see if the Chief Alchemist was anywhere to be found. Strangely though, there was no sight of him anywhere.

Paimon: Still no sign of Albedo. This is weird, where did he run off to?

While the mood was rather in confusion, Bennett decided to look on the brighter side of things.

Bennett: This is great, Dragonspine's so fun today! There's so many people around - it's never usually like this.

Lumine: Well, it is a cold mountain after all.

Shadowlight2784: Hold on... isn't this where we heard Bennett's cry for help?

Lumine: Yeah, why Shadow?

Shadowlight2784: I thought Albedo was right behind me here... it's like he just vanished all of a sudden.

Paimon: *gasps* Huh! So he just... didn't feel like helping us save Bennett!?

The assumption shocked Bennett a bit that a Knight of Favonius neglected to help him out.

Bennett: What!?

And that's when the mentioned man himself walked back to the group.

Albedo: What are you talking about?

Everyone then shoots Albedo suspicious glares for his sudden disappearance and reappearance.

Paimon: Albedo! Where the heck have you been? We've been looking for you!

Albedo: I should be the one to ask you that. Didn't I tell you all to stay at the cavern entrance?

His question deeply confused everyone as they could have sworn that he came with them when they went to help Bennett.

Jordanwolfboy9743: *whisper* I-I'm not imagining that, right? I'm dead sure that he came to help us free Bennett.

He whispered to Lumine who shrugged back at him.

Lumine: *whisper* I saw him running right behind Shadow too... I don't know what's going on either...

Bennett looks at everyone and just rubs the back of his head with a nervous smile.

Bennett: I'm not really following who was waiting for who, and who was looking for who... But, first things first!

He turns to Albedo and places both of his hands together to bow respectfully to him.

Bennett: I apologize, Albedo. I don't fully understand what's going on, but it seems like it's mostly my fault...

Albedo was confused by Bennett's apology, but he shook his head nonetheless.

Albedo: No, no... Bennett, this is not because of you. You needn't blame yourself.

He then turns to the others wanting some answers from their earlier response.

Albedo: Can one of you clear this up for me? What was the reason you all left the cavern entrance, did you-

???: There you are!

Everyone turned to that voice as it was Eula who was shooting Albedo with a stern glare.

Eula: Stay right there. You have a lot of explaining to do.

Albedo could tell that Eula was looking at him as his eyes widened before pointing at himself.

Albedo: Me?

TheNintegaGuy: Eula? I thought you were with Gerald earlier.

Eula crosses her arms while still glaring at Albedo.

Eula: Hmph, yes, that's what I would be doing – if I hadn't been interrupted by a certain someone's malicious scheming.

Shadowlight2784: Scheming? What did Albedo do exactly that we should be aware of?

Eula: Albedo, I saw you taking Joel towards a wasteland at the edge of Dragonspine. That place is crawling with monsters. What the devil do you think you were doing?

The look on Albedo's face showed that he had absolutely no clue of what Eula was talking about.

TheNintegaGuy: W-Woah, woah, woah! Timeout for a second! How did that happen all so quickly?!

Nintega's question was ignored as Eula continued her accusations of what she saw Albedo do.

Eula: When I came to stop you from leading Joel any further, your first reaction was to throw the child down and attack me. When I fought back, you quickly fled. Care to explain?

Albedo puts a hand to his chin and thinks on all of these accusation on him from both Eula and the Honorary Knights and the more that he thought about it... it made sense now on who this thief from his workshop really was.

Albedo: I see. Interesting.

That was not the answer Eula was expecting as her eyes widen before she glared at Albedo again while putting a hand to her hip.

Eula: "Interesting!?"

Albedo: Eula, it sounds like you met an impostor. Someone who was impersonating me.

Eula: Impersonating you...? To what end...?

She asked, not entirely believing his story to which Nintega stepped up in between them while putting his hands up.

TheNintegaGuy: Alright, Eula... Cool off. I'm sure there's a perfectly good explanation for this.

Jordanwolfboy9743: I can help with that!!

They both turned towards Jordan to see a snowball suddenly flying towards them as Nintega ducked, but it instead hits Eula in the face.

TheNintegaGuy: Jordan!

Jordanwolfboy9743: What? You said she needed to "cool off."

In an instant, the snowball falls off of Eula's face and she appears right in front of Jordan with flaming eyes of anger making the Savior Knight shake in fear with a forced smile while pointing up to Eula.

Jordanwolfboy9743: Wow... Eula, you should see your face right now... *chuckles nervously* You look SO mad...

TheNintegaGuy: Dude... I think you should start running now.

Jordanwolfboy9743: G-Gladly!

He spins around and sprints away as Eula chases after him, brandishing her claymore and letting out a battle cry. With unbelievable speeds, Jordan finds a nearby tree and climbs up it. Eula stops at the base, still with her claymore out and smirks up at him.

Eula: Jordan, come on~! You can't stay up there all day~! Don't you wanna help me "cool off~?" It'll happen as soon as you come down from there~!

Jordan, who now sat at the top of the tree while looking like an ant, just stared down at her with a sweaty face.

Jordanwolfboy9743: U-Uhh, no thanks! I'll just stay up here, catch some rays! Maybe another time!

With a growl, Eula starts hacking away at the tree.

Eula: Alright, that's it! You come down from there right this instant, Jordan!

The tree shakes violently from her slashes as Jordan's screams of fright could be heard. Meanwhile, the group all watched with huge sweatdrops going down the backs of their heads.

Shadowlight2784: H-He's... still gonna be alive by the end of this, right?

TheNintegaGuy: H-He'll be lucky if she doesn't end up breaking every bone in his body.

Lumine sheepishly chuckles before facing Albedo again.

Lumine: A-Anyways, you said that someone was impersonating you, right Albedo? Do you know how that's possible?

Albedo: It is difficult to draw a definitive conclusion for now. But these strange incidents do seem to be connected.

Albedo recounts meeting the group, discovering the theft at the camp, and the pursuit of the culprit to everyone.

TheNintegaGuy: So with the notes stolen, the chase with what apparently was another Albedo, his sudden disappearance, and everything else Eula said, I think we can safely say that we're dealing with a doppelganger.

Albedo: As things stand, I don't have any reason to harm the child. Whoever you met is likely to be both the thief who stole my notes and also an impostor. Of course, it's entirely natural for any of you to be skeptical of my story. I was separated from you all for a significant duration while we were pursuing the thief. My word alone cannot serve as a definitive account of my actions and whereabouts during that period.

Eula: Then you'd better hope that we come across some sufficient evidence to prove your innocence.

She interjects, coming back over with a hogtied and heavily bruised Jordan before throwing him onto the snow and stomping on the back of his head with her foot, burying his face into the snow. Nintega sighs and shakes his head before he kneels down to his friend.

TheNintegaGuy: Sorry, pal, but you brought this predicament onto yourself...

Jordanwolfboy9743: *muffled* Don't rub it in!

He receives a kick to his head from Eula, making him yelp and silencing him. Nintega winces before looking back up at his ice cold girlfriend.

TheNintegaGuy: ...F-Feeling better?

She nods and smiles back at him.

Eula: Much.

Bennett: Albedo, do you have any enemies? Could it be one of your enemies impersonating you to get revenge on you or something?

Albedo shakes his head.

Albedo: I don't have any enemies, and I'm not aware of having given anyone cause to exact vengeance upon me. There is insufficient evidence to assert what happened with any certainty at this point. Given how serious the situation is, I intend to investigate it myself, even if you decide not to pursue it further.

He then turns to Eula with crossed arms while keeping his stoic look.

Albedo: Eula, I won't discourage your ongoing suspicion of me if you can't believe my story. Though naturally, I would hope you can afford me some credibility on account of our solidarity as fellow members of the Knights of Favonius. Lumine, Nintega, Jordan, Shadow, Paimon, Bennett, if you are willing, I welcome you to monitor my activities beyond this point so that you can act as my witnesses. If I am what this impostor wants, he will come looking for me again eventually. Things can only become clearer from that point on.

Eula narrows her eyes at Albedo before putting a finger to her chin and the more she thinks about it, his story does add up. She sighs before deciding to let her accusations on Albedo slide for the time being.

Eula: I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, as preposterous as your claims sound, and I will choose to believe that an impostor went after Joel, and not you. I will keep Joel safe. If you need any support with the investigation, contact myself and Amber.

Albedo: *nods* You have my gratitude.

Eula: As far as Amber goes, I will...

???: Eula! EUUULAAA! Where are you!!!

That peppy voice was none other than Amber herself as they all see her over in the distance as she was running to try and find Eula until her best friend got her attention.

Eula: Amber, we're here!

She hears her call and smiles brightly to see Eula with the rest of the group as she sprints over to join them.

Amber: Eula! Oh, and the Honorary Knights, Paimon, Albedo, and Bennett, you're all together! Great!

She then notices Jordan with a bunch of snow on him and slight scuffs from Eula beating him up earlier as Amber raised an eyebrow.

Amber: Jordan... What happened to you?

Jordanwolfboy9743: I-I uh...

Eula: He slipped and fell!

Jordan looked back up at her, nervously sweating a bit.

Jordanwolfboy9743: Y-Yes... I slipped and fell. Tripped on some ice and... took a nasty tumble.

Eula nods and looks down at him with a small frown.

Eula: Well, now you know what ice is capable of doing when you don't treat it with respect.

Jordanwolfboy9743: R-Right, right...

He looks down with an irritated look and a grumble.

Jordanwolfboy9743: *mumbles* Kick the crap out of you for just throwing a snowball...

Amber sweatdrops as she doesn't know if she entirely believes that story, but she shrugs her shoulders nonetheless.

Amber: O... kay? But I'm glad that I actually ran into Bennett. Cyrus was telling me you still hadn't shown up. He was worried you might've run into some trouble.

Bennett nervously laughs and rubs the back of his head.

Bennett: Haha... Yeah, I ran into a little trouble... thanks for your concern.

Amber: Sure thing. Well, now that I've found you, let's go check in with Cyrus. But before that - has something come up? How come you're all gathered here together? Need any help?

Eula: Between us, there have been a few minor incidents. But nothing I haven't already dealt with.

Bennett: Oh, uh, yeah, hehe, it's my fault really, all because of my bad luck. But everything is fine now!

Amber: So, it's all set then? Great. Shall we head back down together? I did say I'd bring Bennett back if I saw him.

Bennett: *nods* Sure, I'm ready to go!

Eula: *sighs* ...Very well. Let's go.

Amber turns back to Jordan and leaps over to wrap her arms around his neck and peck him on the cheek before pointing at him with a determined smile.

Amber: Whatever it is you guys are handling, just stay safe and know that I'll be right there when you need me, Jordy!

Despite his bruised state, Jordan still managed a smile as he pecked her right back.

Jordanwolfboy9743: I'll always keep that in mind, Bun Girl~

Nintega smiles at them before he smirks over to Eula who just keeps her normal stoic expression at him.

TheNintegaGuy: What~? You aren't gonna wish me luck~?

Eula just deadpans at him.

Eula: Nintega... You're not getting another kiss...

Nintega scoffs and rolls his eyes.

TheNintegaGuy: Whatever.

And with that, Amber, Bennett, and Eula turned and walked away, leaving the others with Albedo.

Paimon: And then there were six.

Albedo then turned towards Shadow.

Albedo: Shadow, can we talk somewhere else? There is something I need to tell you and your comrades.

Shadowlight2784: *nods* Of course. Let's head back to your camp then.

The others nod in agreement as Jordan yelps and holds his abdomen.

Jordanwolfboy9743: *groans* I think your psychotic ice queen broke three of my ribs, Nintega!

TheNintegaGuy: Then that means you still have 21 unbroken ribs. *sighs* We'll get you healed up when we get back to the camp, buddy.

Albedo: I think I can whip you up a potion, provided that I still have the materials to make one that is.

Jordanwolfboy9743: *sigh* Anything helps at this point. Thanks, Al.

Albedo nods as they all follow him back to where his camp was to see what exactly he needed the entire group for. As they did, he once again looked around at the mess before him.

Albedo: My camp is somewhere that we can talk openly without reservation. But before that...

Everyone looked at the mess that most likely the Albedo impostor did as they all wince at the damage.

Paimon: Whoa... What a mess...

Lumine: Don't worry. We can help you tidy up.

Albedo: Thank you. I appreciate it.

Everyone then started spreading out across Albedo's camp to help him clean up the mess that the impostor Albedo made. Throughout the process, Albedo was able to make a healing potion for Jordan who drank it right away, clearing himself of all wounds.

Jordanwolfboy9743: It worked! Look at me! Hahaha, yeah, boi! I'm super cute again!

He then threw his arms around Albedo and hoisted him into the air in a tight hug.

Jordanwolfboy9743: Thanks, Albedo! You're the best!

Albedo simply nodded with a struggling smile, trying not to wince so much from the hug.

Albedo: *grunts* N-No problem at all.

Jordan sets him back down as he was allowed to breathe again, taking in the damage done to the camp.

Albedo: I've been absorbed in my research lately and haven't attended to the dusting... It's due for a cleaning.

TheNintegaGuy: *chuckles* It's lucky we're here, right?

Albedo: *nods* Indeed.

After a few more minutes, the group managed to tidy up the whole camp as they admired how spotless it looked now.

Paimon: Yep, that should do it. Neat and tidy.

Albedo: Thank you. All of you. Now that everything is in order... it's time to talk.

Shadowlight2784: This is about all the confusion earlier, isn't it?

The famous alchemist went silent in thought for a second.

Albedo: I remember I once told you that you must have questions, and that I would answer them. I also said that, while I did not wish to deceive any of you, there were certain things I could not go into detail on.

He pauses again, finding it hard to admit what was on his mind next.

Albedo: I am a synthetic human being... a human forged by human hand. The one who created me, my mother and teacher, her name is Rhinedottir – a researcher from Khaenri'ah, also known as "Gold."

Absolutely no one expected this as everyone stood, utterly stunned.

Lumine: A-A... A synthetic human!?

Jordanwolfboy9743: H-How does that even work!?

Albedo: When the pinnacle of attainment in alchemy is combined with unimaginably vast learning... the apex achievement is the creation of human life.

TheNintegaGuy: Khaenri'ah? I think we've heard about that land before... Although, not entirely clear about it. We do know that it's a destroyed nation from centuries ago.

Albedo: I am indeed somewhat older than my appearance might suggest. But when I came into being, Khaenri'ah had already been destroyed. I have no memories of it. My master raised me and taught me everything. Like her, I am a pure alchemist. I live for academic knowledge. Nationality and identity are not what ultimately define us. What are all of your general feelings towards Dragonspine? Shadow, you've visited numerous times with me and I know that the rest of you have encountered this place before with other Knights of Favonius. Would you say it's a... cold, eerie, and melancholy place?

Everyone didn't really know what to respond with to that as they all looked at each other either raising eyebrows, shrugging shoulders, or shaking heads. Nonetheless, their silence meant that Albedo could continue on with his explanation.

Albedo: Rhinedottir created two miraculous beings. One is me, and the other is the venomous dragon, Durin, who died here.

Shadowlight2784: So... Durin is like your brother then?

Albedo: As sons of Rhinedottir, Durin and I are indeed inextricably linked to one another. The phenomenon of our creation defies definition within the scope of a typical human worldview, but if we may tentatively call it "birth" ...then yes - we, by extension, are family.

Jordanwolfboy9743: That... that's insane. Also, from what I can remember from reading up on him, Durin was... pretty powerful.

Lumine: A strange and tenacious life force.

Albedo: *nods* That's right. Because of this, whenever strange things happen on Dragonspine, it always makes me wonder. For instance, the feeling of being watched that you described, as well as the sounds you heard... and the one impersonating me that Eula met...

Lumine: About that. There's something else I couldn't say earlier.

Paimon caught on rather quickly as she hovered closer to Albedo.

Paimon: Oh, right! Paimon knows what you mean! When Eula and the others were here just now, Lumine gave me a look as if to say, "Don't say anything." Probably because it would only make you more suspicious. So Paimon kept quiet...

Shadowlight2784: Astute observation there, emergency food.

He said, receiving a twitchy eyed glare from the pixie girl before he continued.

Shadowlight2784: I also took notice of that too. Right after we saw you come out of that cavern, you had said that you didn't manage to catch the thief. Then, that's when we all heard Bennett calling for help, so we went to rescue him. I thought I saw you following right behind me, but the moment we were done freeing Bennett, you were gone. The moment we came back to the cavern, you were looking for us.

Albedo: So it seems that you all met my impostor too.

Jordanwolfboy9743: If that was an impostor... his acting was more than on point. *smirks* Guess you can say it was... IMPOSTORble to tell the difference.

Everyone groaned from Jordan's corny pun while Albedo simply stared at him with a blank stare.

Albedo: I thought that was pretty clever.

Everyone shot Albedo strange looks as he didn't even laugh and yet he said that was funny.

TheNintegaGuy: You didn't even laugh at that though.

Albedo: Who says that one must laugh in order to enjoy someone's sense of humor?

Lumine: I... *sigh* I guess I can't argue with that logic.

She says in a defeated tone while Jordan smirks proudly.

Jordanwolfboy9743: See? This guy gets it! You guys should all learn a thing or two from him!

Nintega deadpans at Jordan before realizing something about Albedo's impostor which made him confused.

TheNintegaGuy: Wait... but why would the impostor just go after Joel? It's not like he's a synthetic human either.

Albedo puts a finger to his chin as that was a good question.

Albedo: Perhaps, Durin's power drives people to madness... But that's merely crude conjecture. Whether someone is impersonating me or there is another false "me" out there... This is a cursed tale, and it is not one who weight you should have to bear.

Albedo's selfless offer made the entire group smile at him.

Albedo: Honorary Knights, perhaps you all should return to Mondstadt if you have no further business here. The work that lies ahead will occupy me completely, I'm afraid I will be unable to entertain any of you beyond this point.

Everyone looked at each other sharing the same idea before Shadow walks up to Albedo and places a hand on his shoulder.

Shadowlight2784: Buddy... We're not going anywhere.

Lumine: *nods* Shadow's right. Allow us to help with the investigation.

Paimon: Yeah! We're Dragonspine veterans by now!

Jordanwolfboy9743: We're not leaving because some Albedo impersonating chump is confusing the whole thing, *smiles* so, like it or not, you're stuck with us, pal.

TheNintegaGuy: If there really is something big going on here on the mountain, we wanna help you fix it. We can't let you deal with this all on your own... Well, that and if we go back to Mondstadt now it's likely that we'll just be thrown back into Solitary Confinement again...

Shadowlight2784: It's best that you don't go back to Mondstadt either, Albedo. It could cause trouble for Timaeus and Sucrose. They don't know your secret yet, so we're really the only ones that can help.

Albedo looks at Shadow with some surprise before the rest of the Honorary Knights and even Paimon nod alongside him. Albedo then chuckles with a small smile as it looks like they won't take no for an answer.

Albedo: ...Alright. Thank you. You were all intending to participate in that winter camp if I recall correctly? That could serve as an excellent pretext for you all to remain on the mountain.

TheNintegaGuy: We did want to get some training done after all, so sounds good to us.

Albedo: Then please join in the activities of the Adventurers' Guild as planned, and be on the lookout for any leads while you're at it. If anyone sees "me," or someone like me...

Paimon: We'll be sure to pass the info straight onto you!

Jordanwolfboy9743: ...IF we can all recognize who the "you" is though.

TheNintegaGuy: That shouldn't be that much of a problem. If the Albedo reacts irrationally to us, then it's the impostor. We'll just keep acting like Albedo is Albedo until we can tell the difference.

Albedo: *nods* Good. Then we're agreed.

TheNintegaGuy: I say we split up for the next day or so. Jordan and I will keep the Adventurers' Guild busy with the activities while Shadow and Lumine can either stay here with Albedo or patrol the area in case they see a fake Albedo.

Albedo: Sounds good to me. But please, whatever happens, put your safety first at all times.

Jordanwolfboy9743: Will do, Al.

To Be Continued.