Flying in the Wind [Genshin Impact]

Chapter 03. The duty of a Kamisato

Chapter 03.
The duty of a Kamisato

"I didn't know you were such friends with Ms. Naganohara," Ayaka muttered slowly, glancing at her companion out of the corner of her eye once they were far enough away from the fireworks shop.

The sudden comment certainly caught Thoma off guard.

"Ah? What makes you say that, milady?" He replied with a slightly ironic tone.

"I don't know... It was just my impression, I guess," Ayaka answered tersely, turning back to the front. "There would be nothing wrong with it, really. After all, she and her family have always been very attentive and kind to us. And... I don't know her very well personally, but she seems like a nice girl."

"I guess so," Thoma answered vaguely. "Although, if you allow me to speak freely, I have a feeling you're trying to imply something else with your words, milady."

"Huh?" Ayaka exclaimed in alarm. "No, no... of course not... I'm sorry, excuse me if I was too nosy..."

The young Kamisato lowered her flushed face at that moment, embarrassed that she might have crossed a line she shouldn't have. Even though she had always viewed Thoma as a true friend, or even her second brother, sometimes it was difficult for her to discern the proper behavior with him. At what point was the line of friend and servant drawn?

However, if her concern was that she had pissed him off, that dissipated a bit when she heard him laugh rather nonchalantly.

"You don't have to apologize, milady," the blond boy clarified once he had stopped laughing. "Yoimiya is indeed a very nice and sweet person. But the exact nature of our friendship is..." He paused briefly as he stared intently ahead, a half-smile on his lips. "It's complicated..."

"Complicated?" Ayaka muttered, looking at her companion somewhat perplexed. What does it mean to have a "complicated" friendship with someone? She was curious to ask him more about it, but she didn't want to be too nosy again.

Even if she had wanted to ask something else, the opportunity passed quickly because almost immediately, something else captured the attention of both.

Just outside the city, they suddenly ran into a crowd of people gathered around a point on the road. They all seemed to be contemplating something and whispered silently among themselves. The atmosphere also felt heavy.

"What's going on there?" Ayaka muttered curiously. And before Thoma could say anything, she began to move quickly towards the people. "Maybe someone needs help!"

Her statement turned out to be accurate, in part. They both noticed what caught people's attention so much as they approached the crowd. In their distinctive purple armor, there were three Tenryou Commission soldiers surrounding a fourth person. He was a tall, stocky man with a dark beard and close-cropped hair, wearing a slightly worn greenish kimono. However, the most striking thing about his appearance was the Pyro Vision that hung from his belt...

That man looked really upset and nervous, consecutively looking at the three guards that surrounded him, while his hand was firmly grasping the handle of the sword that he was carrying fastened to his waist, ready to unsheathe at the first step.

Ayaka fell silent when she saw the whole scene. She didn't need much more information to understand what was happening...

"Don't be silly, don't resist," Tenryou soldier told him in a deep voice, holding his sword defensively in front of him. The other two held their spears with their points pointing toward the bearded man's back. "This doesn't have to get any worse than it already is. Just give up your vision for good, and you can be on your way."