Repaying favors (maybe even, a favonious favor. :D get it?)

The sun had shifted by the time I made it back to Mondstadt, casting long shadows across the stone streets. I adjusted the sword on my hip as I strolled toward the Adventurers' Guild, feeling the familiar weight settle against my side.

Katheryne was, as always, at the counter, her expression neutral and unreadable. She barely looked up as I approached.

"Ad Astra Abyssosque. Welcome back, Adventurer Shiro."

I placed the commission slip onto the counter. "The slimes have been dealt with."

Katheryne picked up the paper and scanned it quickly before giving a satisfied nod. "Understood. Your report?"

"Normal Hydro Slimes, eleven in total, plus one large variant. All eliminated without issue," I reported with a small smile. i was definitely not going to talk about the slime that looked kinda retarded compared to the other slimes. I'd rather find it first and see what the deal is.

Katheryne gave a short nod. "Understood. Thank you for your work. Your payment is 60,000 Mora. Congratulations on completing your first mission, Shiro."

She handed over a pouch, which I took without hesitation, slipping it into my pocket. "Told you I was good enough," I said with a smirk. "Anyway, see you tomorrow."

Without waiting for a reply, I turned and walked out of the guild, already thinking about what to do next.

Hmm… I should go pay back my debt to Amber. Yeah, I don't want to owe anyone anything, no matter how kind she is.

Giving a small nod to myself, I changed course and headed toward the Knights of Favonius headquarters. 

kinda sad I can't climb the walls like in-game. Man, how sad. gotta do it the normie way.

---

After climbing several hundred steps, I finally arrived at the pale-stoned, three-story headquarters of the Knights of Favonius. Two guards stood stationed at the entrance.

They looked exhausted, their shoulders slightly slumped, eyes dull with the kind of weariness only a long shift could bring. It was the same dead-inside expression that all customer service employees wore after dealing with people for ten hours straight.

Like most players, I had visited this building countless times. And, like most players, I never bothered to remember the names of these two guards. They were just NPCs, after all. So, as far as I was concerned, they would forever be known as Knighty 1 aaaaaand Knighty 2.

If I remembered correctly, Lisa's library was also inside. That reminded me of something I wanted to test: whether I could gain skills just by reading. I mean, in most shows that have skill systems, this kind of thing works, right? Worth a shot. i mean, worst case, I read for a couple of hours, but best case, I get more skills.

And having more skills is always better. no matter what situation you are in.

But, anyway, sidetracked. I should be able to walk in, since the library is open to the public. Now, let's get going. to rea- wait, no, that is not why I am here. I am here to pay back a debt.

I stepped forward, but before I could enter, I was intercepted by Knighty 1. He raised a hand in salute, standing a bit straighter as he addressed me.

"Hello there. What business brings you to the headquarters? If you're here for the library, I should let you know that Librarian Lisa is currently on break."

Visitors during this break period were uncommon, which meant extra caution was needed. And given that I looked like I was from Inazuma rather than Mondstadt, I probably stood out even more.

A few thoughts ran through Knighty 1's mind as he observed me.

She looks Inazumin… and I don't recognize her either. Is she an adventurer?

Things hadn't been exactly peaceful lately. First, Captain Kaeya had reported spotting suspicious individuals near Stormterror's Lair. Then, Outrider Amber had brought back a young Inazumin girl who the Treasure Hoarders had attacked in Whispering Woods.

Wait… that girl couldn't possibly be her… right?

"Oh, no, I'm not here for books. Maybe another time. But I'm here to repay a debt to Amber. Is she in?" I asked, shaking my head in denial, before looking back at guard 1. (Guard 2, so lonely, so ignored.)

"Oh? You're looking for Miss Amber?" Guard 1 asked, tilting his head slightly. "Say... you wouldn't happen to be that Inazuman girl she brought back, would you?"

"Yep, that's me. Guess news travels fast." I let out a small chuckle. "Well, if it weren't for her, I would've been struggling quuuuuuuite a bit," I said.

"Of course. The Knights of Favonius will never stand idly by when someone is in trouble. Miss Amber made the right call bringing you back safely."

Before I could respond, Knight 2, who had been silent(ignored) until now, finally spoke up. "Yes! Miss Amber is everything a Knight should be. Kind, compassionate, and always driven by justice... without ever expecting a reward." He cleared his throat, realizing he'd started rambling. "Ahem. Anyway, she should be inside. Go on in."

I raised an eyebrow but decided not to comment on his ""admiration""

"Got it. Thanks."

Stepping past them onto the wooden entrance steps, I pushed open the heavy doors. The moment I stepped inside, a spacious hall came into view, adorned with banners, suits of armor, and various ornate decorations. Sunlight streamed in through the tall windows, casting long shadows across the polished wooden floors. 

I took a moment to glance around. It was just like I remembered from the game, but being here in person made it feel less like an extra room to walk past. 

Looking around, I spotted the familiar doors. The first room on the left was Acting Grand Master Jean's office. Next to it was the "solitary confinement" room. But despite it being named that, it's just the terrorist child's bomb research lab. 

To the right of the terrorist's room was Lisa's library, guarded by a knight. Not really sure why a public library needed a guard, but hey, not my problem.

Since Amber wasn't anywhere in sight, I decided to ask. "Hey, is Amber around?" 

The stern-faced, middle-aged knight turned toward me and spoke. "Miss Amber is currently in Grand Master Jean's office for work reports. Please wait until she has finished."

Damn it.

Now all I could do was wait. But it only took about a minute for boredom to set in. Thankfully, I remembered that I still had leftover EXP from the slime hunt. 

LvL 5 (29/500) --> LvL 6 (0/600)

Exp: 594 --> Exp: 123

aaaaaaaaand… I'm bored again. Ugh. Nothing to do.

I'd read a book, but from what that guard said earlier, I can't borrow one without Lisa around.

…Wait. Borrow. Not read.

I hope that means I can still go in and read without her here. i mean, there is a guard here for a reason... right?

"hey, excuse me, but could I read inside the library?" hopefully being polite would make me look more responsible. 

The knight gave a small nod. "Of course."

Nice. Fuck boredom.

"Thanks," I said with a quick wave before stepping inside.

Then, just as quickly, I popped my head back out. "Oh, right. When Amber comes out, can you let her know I'm waiting in the library? Name's Shiro, by the way. Thanks," and without waiting for a reply, I ducked back in.

"of cou- and she's gone... of course. i hate this job." (I still see your shadow in my roo-)

---

taking a sweeping glance, I quickly recognised the place it being pretty much identical from in the game, split above and below filled with a fuck ton of books.

"this is going to take a while to find a worth while book, fanfuckingtastic... at least it won't be boring" and with that I took to searching. i know that learning through a book is much harder than a teacher, because if a mistake is made, it can't be immediately corrected, and it may take a fuck ton of time, it's still better than nothing. i only need the basics to have it pop up as a skill.

Searching through the bookshelf, one by one, was a slow and tedious process. Thankfully, the books were organized into categories like combat, knowledge, food, and more, which sped things up a little. Still, it took a while.

When I finally reached the section that seemed to fit my needs, I slowed down to properly read the titles of each book:

Favonius Archery - Fundamentals

Universal Combat Breathing Rhythm Compendium

Mitigation Techniques Against Large-Type Hilichurls

Rhinedottir Single-Handed Swordplay

Basic Grasping of Polearms

Advanced Spearwork 

Perfect Parrying: Mastering Blade Defense

The Art of Elemental Infusion in Melee Combat

Tactics of Mondstadt: Battle Strategies for Knights

Combat Flow: Predicting and Countering Enemy Movements

Dodge, Roll, and Weave: Evasion Techniques for Survival

Understanding the Abyss: How to Fight the Unknown

Warfare and Wind Currents: Fighting in Mondstadt's Terrain

Looking through them, most were redundant, useless for me, or too hard at the moment. But two caught my eye and seemed worth my time: "Universal Combat Breathing Rhythm Compendium" and "Dodge, Roll, and Weave: Evasion Techniques for Survival."

Those seemed practical, and I could use them. I grabbed both and made my way to a nearby table to start reading.

---

Quickly reading through both books, I got the gist of them. They were both pretty simple.

The Universal Combat Breathing Rhythm Compendium was a guide to controlling your breath to enhance focus, stamina, and reaction time during combat. It broke down specific breathing patterns for different types of fights, like when to breathe deeply for power or when to focus on short, rapid breaths for speed and precision. The idea was to keep your body in a constant state of balance and control, allowing you to act without hesitation.

On the other hand, Dodge, Roll, and Weave: Evasion Techniques for Survival was all about how to avoid getting hit. It went into details on different evasion methods—like how to dodge in tight spaces, the right moment to roll under attacks, and the importance of weaving to confuse opponents. Unfortunately, since I was stuck in a library, I had no chance of practicing those movements here. buuuut. The first one was easy enough, too do.

Thus, I am now the proud owner of a new skill.

[Universal Combat Breathing Rhythm technique] - LvL 1 (0/100)

Description - Permanently increases stamina, focus and reaction time by a small amount. (2%)

ah... I can now breathe... might be useful in the far, far future. maybe... I hope at Lvl ten it gets better.