"Any thoughts?"
Collei didn't quite understand Lu Heng's meaning.
But since it was a five-star gold card, it must be incredibly powerful, right?
"This card is actually a bit surprising for me," Lu Heng admitted. He had initially thought it would be a talent card—something like growing a third eye on the forehead. But unexpectedly, it turned out to be a skill-based card!
In other words, the third eye would only appear when using the skill, and it would vanish when the skill wasn't active.
Moreover, the card's tier was among the higher ranks within the five-star category.
"In that regard, Collei's luck is pretty good," Lu Heng said with a smile.
Hearing this, Collei couldn't help but feel happy.
For her, being able to help others after constantly receiving help herself was something that brought her immense joy.
But after her previous emotional outbursts, she made an effort to calm herself this time.
I can't get too excited again!
Lu Heng continued, "The card's description is clear, right?"
Collei scratched her head, looking a bit lost.
Tighnari and Cyno, however, had already grasped its meaning.
Seeing Collei's confusion, Lu Heng patiently explained:
"With this card, when you activate its skill, you'll be able to see the sins committed by a person!"
"Sins?"
"Yes," Lu Heng nodded. "For example, if you use this eye to look at someone, you'll receive information about the evil deeds they've done—or are currently doing!"
"That's so strong?!" Collei stammered. "S-So… you can instantly tell if someone is good or bad, how many wrongs they've committed in their life?"
"You've got it right," Lu Heng confirmed.
"Collei."
Cyno looked at her seriously. "The doors of the Matra are open to you. With this card, you'd be perfect for the role of a Matra officer."
"Trying to steal my student?" Tighnari raised an eyebrow, but he couldn't deny the truth in Cyno's words.
With this card, Collei really was suited to be a Matra officer!
Just reading the card's description made it clear—
"All sin and evil shall be laid bare!"
"Aside from this ability, it also grants significant combat power," Lu Heng added. "If you're ruthless enough, you can use its power to attack others or form defensive shields. The boost in strength is substantial, but the main focus isn't on combat. In terms of raw power, it's roughly at the lower end of five-star tier."
Hearing this, the three of them grew even more excited.
The card's primary function was undoubtedly "revealing a person's sins."
Combat prowess was secondary!
But even as a secondary feature, it still provided at least Archon-level strength!
This was beyond incredible!
"You should seriously consider joining the Matra in the future," Tighnari said earnestly.
"N-No!" Collei waved her hands frantically. "I don't want this card!"
"Huh?"
Cyno frowned, confused. "With this card, your combat strength would rival an Archon's, not to mention its unparalleled ability to detect evil… Why wouldn't you—"
"I mean, I want to give this card to you, Cyno!" Collei quickly clarified. "Wouldn't you be a much better fit for it than me?"
Cyno was taken aback. "But we agreed before coming here that—"
"If it were a four-star, I might've accepted, but a five-star is too much!" Collei insisted.
She hadn't contributed much to the pulls anyway, so how could she justify taking a five-star card?
Even if it was her own luck that summoned it, she couldn't be so shameless—everyone had already been so kind to her!
"Actually, that works too," Tighnari mused.
"It's not as serious as you're making it out to be. It's just about catching criminals… Alright, fine."
Cyno nodded. "I won't stand on ceremony with you all."
They were friends—what was the point of excessive politeness?
Cyno took the card and immediately equipped it to his Vision slot. In an instant, he grasped the basics of how to use it.
As for more advanced applications, he'd have to figure those out himself.
"That old man's behavior was suspicious!"
"Knowing how powerful the cards are, how could he stay indifferent?"
"If it were just some random combat boost, his lack of interest would make sense."
"But the cards come with zero downsides!"
"You can get them just by spending Mora!"
"And the stat boosts even extend lifespan!"
"What kind of unshakable conviction is this?!"
"If it were Furina…"
"She'd definitely share good things with everyone!"
That was what Amber had taught her!
"This is for the best."
No matter how you looked at it, the Matra were far more suited to this card than a trainee like Collei.
"Cyno really is the better fit," Tighnari agreed. "Collei… she shouldn't be thrown into combat right away."
Cyno pondered for a moment. "Once I get back, I'm going to use this eye to take a good look at our Grand Sage, Azar."
Even if he didn't know what Azar was thinking, Cyno had already decided—once he returned, he'd scrutinize the man thoroughly.
If he was guilty? Immediate arrest and trial!
If that happened, Cyno would have to question how Azar had even become the Grand Sage in the first place.
"You'll need to be careful from now on," Tighnari advised after some thought. "Don't be too strict."
Cyno nodded.
He understood what Tighnari meant.
Society wasn't divided into absolute black and white.
True villains and true saints were both exceedingly rare.
Most people existed in shades of gray.
Take an ordinary person—someone who'd never committed any major crimes, but had done some mischievous things as a child. Could those be considered sins?
Technically, yes—but enforcing that standard would be far too rigid.
So, the criteria for judgment had to be flexible.
Cyno wasn't an idealist. He was pragmatic.
He knew exactly what was feasible and what wasn't.
Just like how Fontaine had the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale.
The Oratrice could monitor everything and even rewind time.
But how often was it actually used?
Only in major cases.
Most of the time, the Oratrice was more of a myth—something everyone knew about but rarely saw.
This was part of Neuvillette's considerations.
If every little thing was scrutinized, life would become suffocating.
Now, there was only one last ten-pull left.
Collei pressed the button.
Nothing happened.
But Collei was already overjoyed.
During their journey from the Fortress of Meropide to the Court of Fontaine, the three of them had learned a lot about gacha probabilities.
Five-star gold cards had two explanations:
Pure luck.Money—whaling!
But the second explanation wasn't widely accepted, because if your luck was truly terrible, even spending billions might not guarantee a five-star!
So, getting a useful and highly valuable five-star in her very first ten-pull?
Collei considered herself incredibly lucky!
Today must be her lucky day.
Not only was her Eleazar slowly healing, but she'd also managed to pull a perfect card for Cyno—the very person who had once helped seal the Archon residue within her.
"Let's move these cards over there to sort them out," Lu Heng suggested.
"Sure!"
The three of them carried the cards to another spot, making room for others.
Collei was only semi-literate, so the sorting was handled by Tighnari and Cyno.
The Dendro Archon watched quietly from the side, not interfering.
"Now that your Eleazar is slowly disappearing, do you want to tell Amber about it?" Lu Heng asked.
"Huh?"
Collei was startled for a moment before realizing—Oh right, he's an 'old friend.'
Clutching her hands together, she nodded eagerly. "Yes!"
To Collei, Amber was like the sun.
In her eyes, Amber was amazing—passionate, lively, and the person she admired most!
That wasn't an exaggeration.
Back when Collei's mother had naively trusted Dottore, believing his lies about curing Eleazar, she sent Collei to him.
Collei, too, had been full of hope.
But instead, she was plunged into hell.
Injected with Archon residue, the "treatment" did suppress her Eleazar… at the cost of unbearable agony.
It was like fighting poison with poison—except both poisons ended up ravaging her body.
How could that ever be right?
Collei hated Dottore.
But in her darkest hour, she was rescued.
Later, she ended up in Mondstadt, where she met Amber.
Collei was naturally introverted—frankly, she was even a little socially anxious.
Combined with her traumatic past, she had been even more reluctant to speak to others.
But Amber had changed her.
Amber was so bright and cheerful that even when Collei barely spoke, she never stopped caring for her.
Slowly, they became best friends.
The cheerful, kind-hearted Collei everyone saw in Gandharva Ville?
That was Collei imitating Amber.
She genuinely wanted to be like Amber—someone who could light up the lives of others like a blazing fire.
Without Amber, Collei might never have escaped her despair.
Now that her condition was improving, of course she wanted to tell Amber!
At this thought, Collei grew even happier.
She wasn't very literate.
When Cyno first brought her back from Mondstadt and handed her over to Tighnari, the latter had been stunned.
"Buddy, I didn't sign up to teach kindergarten!"
Collei's reading skills were abysmal. The most she'd read were illustrated fairy tales from Mondstadt—because the pictures helped her understand.
Though she worked hard to study, writing letters… was impossible.
Whenever she wanted to write to her old friends, she had to ask Tighnari for help!
But now?
She didn't need to send letters—she could just call Amber!
They wouldn't be meeting face-to-face, but she could still share her happiness directly!
Excited, Collei asked, "Mr. Lu, do you know Mondstadt's Outrider, Amber?"
"Of course. She's also an old friend," Lu Heng nodded.
"Does she… have one of these?" Collei held up her teal-colored phone.
"Yes," Lu Heng confirmed.
Anyone bound to the gacha system had their information recorded.
Lu Heng knew exactly who had a phone or an equipment slot—just like how an online store kept track of purchases.
"She does?!" Collei's eyes sparkled.
"T-Then, could you… give me her phone number?"
"Sure." Lu Heng smiled. "Hand me your phone—I'll add it for you."
"Ah, thank you!" Collei stood up and passed her phone to him with both hands.
"No need to be so polite."
Lu Heng pulled up Amber's equipment ID and entered it into Collei's contacts.
"I'll add Amber as a friend first, so you two can video call."
"That's perfect!" Collei nodded eagerly, her face glowing with joy.
Amber, who was currently in Mondstadt, must have been on her phone—the friend request was accepted instantly.
Lu Heng handed the phone back and pointed at a button. "Press this to start a video call."
"Got it!" Collei memorized it carefully.
Taking the phone, she glanced around, looking for a quiet spot.
Seemingly reading her mind, Lu Heng pointed to a door. "That's the storage room—no one's inside. The light switch is on the right wall."
Collei felt like Lu Heng was incredibly considerate.
He had anticipated everything she was thinking.
She thanked him softly before hurrying into the storage room.
The Dendro Archon watched her leave before remarking, "This child seems cheerful on the surface, but she's actually quite introverted."
"And a little socially anxious," Lu Heng added.
"Given Collei's past…"
Though Lu Heng already knew, the others might not. Cyno quietly recounted her story.
"That Dottore—!" Furina scowled in disgust.
The Fatui Harbingers were a mixed bag.
Out of the eleven, some were outright monsters, while others were… complicated.
Some pursued grand, terrifying schemes, while others simply sought to challenge stronger opponents.
"If I ever run into that bastard…" Furina muttered.
"How can someone be so evil?" The Dendro Archon sighed.
This was the madness of a scholar who had lost all respect for knowledge and life.
As the embodiment of wisdom, she could never condone someone like Dottore.
He didn't even deserve to be called a scholar.
"Speaking of which, Sumeru…"
The Dendro Archon rubbed her temples.
Unlike the others, she knew from Lu Heng that Dottore was still in Sumeru!
Her powers hadn't fully recovered yet, and Nahida lacked confidence in herself—she was no match for Dottore.
The only one in Sumeru who could overpower him was Apep, the Dendro Dragon.
But why would Apep bother?
Looking at it this way… Dottore really could do whatever he wanted in Sumeru!
"No need to worry," Lu Heng reassured her. "I've already seen his fate in the ever-shifting future… and it'll satisfy everyone."
"That's wonderful!" Furina beamed.
"This will also help Collei put her past to rest," Tighnari nodded.
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T/N:
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