Chapter 152: Vision, Wind Glider, and the Art of Self-Deception—Everything Is Provided!

A rain of flaming arrows descended from the sky, annihilating the group of Slimes that had surrounded them.

Nao, dressed in a red Western-style ranger outfit, made her entrance.

As soon as the girl landed, the flaming arrows vanished without a trace.

In reality, neither the Slimes nor the fiery rain of arrows were real—they were all holographic projections.

The Slimes that the little witch had fought were merely projections attached to easily decomposable biological frameworks.

Yet at this moment, everyone present believed that those Slimes were real monsters, and that the fiery rain of arrows was an incredible display of magic.

Even Nao herself.

The highest form of self-deception was one where even the deceiver believed their own lies, fully immersing themselves in the illusion.

If I believe what I say is the truth, how could I fail to deceive you?

"May the Wind God bless you, stranger! I am Tomori Nao, a Reconnaissance Knight of the Knights of Favonius."

Nao straightened up and performed a peculiar gesture of salute toward the two of them.

If deception was to be played, it had to be done flawlessly, without a single flaw.

The Foundation had compiled an entire history, culture, etiquette, and set of traditions for "Mondstadt."

If there was any flaw, it would be that the name itself wasn't particularly Western in style.

However, since the little witch had grown up in an orphanage with limited exposure to knowledge, she was unlikely to recognize such a minor inconsistency.

Moreover, when interacting with the little witch, it was best to use real names, even in deception, to avoid being affected by her powers and having one's identity distorted into someone else.

Although all Foundation personnel wore psychic-blocking alloy accessories, it was better to be cautious.

After all, they were dealing with a reality warper.

The little witch wasn't startled by Nao's sudden appearance. Instead, she was excited by the fiery rain of arrows.

"Thank you for saving me."

The little witch expressed her gratitude.

Nao waved her hand dismissively.

"It was nothing, really. But you don't seem like citizens of Mondstadt. Please state your names."

"Huh? We're not suspicious people!" Paimon frantically waved her hands.

The little witch mimicked Nao's previous gesture and saluted.

"Everyone calls me the little witch."

"What a strange title," Nao mused thoughtfully. "And besides, suspicious people always say they're not suspicious."

Paimon stomped her feet angrily in mid-air.

Nao chuckled.

"Well, in any case, you're travelers, right? Mondstadt is just ahead. As a Reconnaissance Knight, I'll escort you there."

With that, the three of them began walking toward Mondstadt. On the way, the little witch couldn't contain her curiosity and asked Nao,

"Reconnaissance Knight big sister, was that fiery rain earlier magic?"

Nao shook her head.

"That was elemental power."

At that moment, Paimon raised her hand.

"I know, I know! It's the magnificent power derived from manipulating the seven elements! People can harness the power of elements through the medium of a 'Vision.'"

Hearing this, the little witch pointed to the red, diamond-shaped accessory on Nao's waist.

"Is it this?"

Nao nodded.

"Yes, this is my Vision. Its element is fire, which is why I could unleash that fiery rain of arrows earlier."

The little witch became visibly excited.

Children were always fascinated by mysterious powers.

"Then, can I get a Vision?" The little witch asked eagerly.

Nao hesitated for a moment before explaining,

"When faced with uncontrollable circumstances, people often lament their own powerlessness. But at the steepest crossroads of life, if a mortal's desire reaches its peak, the gaze of the gods will descend."

"This is a Vision, an external magical organ granted to those recognized by the gods, allowing them to harness elemental power."

"If you have a strong enough desire, perhaps you'll attract the attention of the gods and receive a Vision."

The little witch frowned in thought.

What was her desire?

Meanwhile, Paimon playfully interrupted,

"Desires aren't something you can figure out instantly! There's a statue of the Wind God just outside Mondstadt, why don't we go take a look?"

As the three chatted, none of them noticed that the red Vision on Nao's waist seemed to be igniting with real flames.

Originally, it had merely been a plastic model with an LED light as a decoration.

Standing before the surveillance monitors, Haruto turned to the Foundation staff.

"How is it? Have the parameters of the 'Vision' changed?"

The staff, overwhelmed by the flood of rapidly shifting data, worked tirelessly.

After a while, they confirmed,

"President, the 'Vision' has successfully undergone distortion. The one worn by Director Nao has undergone a fundamental material transformation. It is now composed of a new, unknown material that the Foundation has never encountered. Some kind of active particles seem to be present, and it has completely bonded with Director Nao, making it available for immediate use."

Haruto nodded.

"Okay, the concept of the Vision has been successfully implanted. Assign personnel within 'Mondstadt' to wear Visions as well. Make sure they wear them in visible locations. Once the subject enters the city, let her see them then, we'll attempt mass production of Visions!"

Meanwhile, at the test site, the three had arrived at the "Statue of the Wind God."

It was an ancient and distinctive stone statue, surrounded by a gentle, comforting breeze.

At its base floated a golden ring, seemingly symbolizing the power of the Wind God.

The statue itself depicted a figure in ancient clothing, cradling a tangible wind orb in their hands—

Was it Shiro?

However, the facial features were obscured, making it impossible for an ordinary person to recognize.

Looking up at the Wind God's statue, the little witch gasped in awe.

"This is the Wind God, the deity who blesses Mondstadt and its people."

Nao, too, gazed up at the statue, speaking reverently.

At that moment, a green light emanated from the statue, wrapped in the wind, and flew toward the little witch.

She stood frozen in surprise, unsure of what was happening.

Meanwhile, both Paimon and Nao were completely shocked.

"Little witch, you've received the Wind God's blessing! My goodness, this is the first time I've ever seen the Wind God's statue grant a blessing."

Nao marveled.

Paimon, equally excited, exclaimed,

"Traveler, it looks like the Wind God sees you as special! Maybe it's because you're a traveler from another world. Quick, try it! Maybe you can use wind-elemental power even without a Vision!"

Encouraged by Paimon and Nao, the little witch hesitantly extended her hand forward.

The next moment, a powerful gust of wind erupted in the direction of her palm, making the surrounding trees rustle wildly.

"I can really control elemental power!"

The little witch cheered.

In reality, it was just a wind device installed underground by the Foundation.

But since she believed it, the Foundation no longer needed to cover up this lie.

That was the beauty of the "Path of Forgetting", when she believed something to be true, it became real without the need for further deception.

Paimon clapped happily.

"It seems like the gods have chosen you! You must be a special existence with a grand mission!"

It sounded just like, "You pulled the village's legendary sword, so you must be the hero destined to defeat the Demon King."

But the little witch nodded seriously.

She was a kind child who wanted to help others.

(T/N: I don't mind a reality warper imouto, can bring my waifus to life.)

And now, with "elemental power" pushing her forward, she was even easier to convince.

"Though you've gained elemental power, you mustn't use it recklessly on ordinary people."

Nao added a restriction.

Just in case.

After that, the three of them followed the path leading from the Statue of the Wind God to Mondstadt.

A city overflowing with Western-style fantasy.

Seeing such grand architecture for the first time, the little witch's mouth dropped open in awe.

"Alright, the escort mission is complete! I'm heading back to report to the Knights of Favonius!"

"Little Witch, Paimon, goodbye! Everyone in Mondstadt is friendly, so don't worry. Oh, and if you want to learn how to use Wind Gliders, come find me to take the Wind Glider license exam!"

With that, Nao dashed off and disappeared in an instant.

Paimon watched her leave and sighed, "What a strange person!"

The little witch, however, asked curiously, "What is a Wind Glider?"

Paimon shook her head. "Paimon doesn't know either, oh."

Grrr—

At that moment, both the little witch's and Paimon's stomachs rumbled at the same time.

Paimon scratched her head in embarrassment.

"Anyway, let's get something to eat first! Traveler, you found some Mora in the treasure chest, right? I heard Mondstadt has a delicious dish called Sweet Madame. I've wanted to try it for a long time!"

The little witch nodded and walked into Mondstadt with Paimon.

"Madam, we'd like two... no, three servings of Sweet Madame!"

Paimon ordered enthusiastically at the Good Hunter restaurant.

"Alright, that'll be three Mora." The owner greeted them with a warm smile.

(Since the little witch doesn't have an inventory function, prices have been adjusted accordingly because Mora is difficult to carry.)

The little witch reached into her pocket and pulled out the Mora she had found in the treasure chest.

She had a total of ten.

After handing over three, the owner brought out three steaming hot, fragrant servings of Sweet Madame.

"Wow, I won't hold back!"

Paimon dived into the food immediately.

But the little witch looked worried.

"We only have ten Mora. At this rate, we won't be able to afford food soon."

She thought about the future.

Though naive and kind, she was also a smart child who made plans ahead of time.

Paimon froze mid-bite.

"That kind of thing is unacceptable!"

Just as the little witch was feeling anxious, the owner of Good Hunter interjected,

"If you don't have enough Mora, you can take on commissions in Mondstadt. You can accept up to four commissions per day. Not only can you earn Mora, but you can also obtain a mysterious item called 'Primogems'. It's said that consuming 'Primogems' can strengthen one's elemental power!"

Upon hearing this, the little witch's eyes lit up.

The restaurant owner had just placed the final piece of the puzzle for the Vision Project.

And so, the classic adventure template was completed; taking on commissions to level up, traveling across seven nations to grow stronger, and ultimately saving the world!