The door closed softly behind him, isolating the silent but heavy confrontation within the office.
He didn't head to the storage room immediately, but stood there as those tearful eyes, seemingly carrying all the grievances and fear, uncontrollably surfaced in his mind again.
"War bonds..."
Master Jean's last words were like a tiny thorn pricking his heart. He naturally understood the Grand Master's considerations; with the current financial situation of The Knights, every resource used required careful weighing.
A wave of inexplicable frustration welled up in his heart. He shook his head vigorously, as if to shake those cold, realistic rules out of his mind.
"He's just a boy... and he was so scared."
He said to himself, seeing the boy trembling under the Slime's attack and his fragile, breakable appearance when he wiped his cheek. That impact of beauty interwoven with distress was still clearly etched in his mind.
A strong protective urge mixed with an indescribable feeling spread through his heart. He thought of the looks the wealthy merchants in the city gave him, the business-like scrutiny of the Guard Knights, and Master Jean's calm assessment... What they saw was a trouble, an outsider, or a beautiful object.
But what Amber saw was a living person in need of help.
"I just can't... let him face that alone."
On the way to the storage room, Amber's thoughts became active.
Ordinary spare clothes? No, those coarse fabrics would chafe his seemingly exceptionally delicate skin, wouldn't they? And the size definitely wouldn't fit, he's so thin... He went straight to the Logistics Knight in charge of supplies, his face wearing the brightest, most harmless smile.
"Hey! I need some clothes, for... well, it's a bit of a special situation. A male, about this tall."
"He's very thin. And also... um, do you have anything in a softer fabric? And if possible, something that's new and unissued would be best."
The Logistics Knight looked at him suspiciously and asked.
"Amber, since when did you become so concerned about fabric quality?"
"He's... a very important guest! And Master Jean herself gave the order to take good care of him!"
Amber invoked Master Jean's name without batting an eye, even though he distorted the facts slightly. He tried to make his gaze look incredibly sincere.
Perhaps his acting was good enough, or perhaps Master Jean's reputation was strong enough; the Logistics Knight grumbled but eventually rummaged through and pulled out a set of casual clothes with noticeably softer material and gentler colors, even including a pair of soft indoor slippers.
"This is the finest available. Take good care of it."
"Thank you!"
Amber took the clothes as if they were a precious treasure, his smile becoming even brighter. He carefully checked the feel of the fabric, and once satisfied it was soft enough, he held it in his arms contentedly.
Turning to leave the storage room, his steps were much lighter, but the trace of worry in his heart hadn't completely vanished.
---
Clutching the stack of soft clothes, Amber almost ran back to the door of the Grand Master's office.
He took a deep breath to calm his slightly ragged breathing from the run before knocking on the door again.
"Please, come in."
Amber pushed the door open and saw Lu Hongze still leaning against the wall with his head down, his thin shoulders trembling slightly as if he had just been crying. Master Jean had already sat back behind the desk, placing a signed document on the corner.
"Master Jean, I've brought the clothes."
"Thank you, Amber."
"I have granted him temporary sanctuary within the Knights of Favonius Headquarters."
"He will be assigned a room in the guest quarters. However..."
She paused, her blue eyes looking at Amber with a hint of scrutiny.
"His case is highly unusual. He has no identity, no means of support, and there's a communication barrier. According to prescribed procedures, this situation warrants... closer observation."
Amber's heart skipped a beat. Here was the chance! He immediately straightened his back, his face wearing the serious expression of an Outrider on an important mission:
"Master Jean! I understand completely! As the one who found him, and given the special circumstances, I volunteer to take charge of his initial... adaptation and observation. It's the most efficient way!"
"While the guest quarters are comfortable, their isolated location presents practical challenges. Having him stay with me allows for direct supervision to ensure rules are followed, assistance with daily needs, and most importantly—constant oversight to prevent any... unforeseen incidents."
"This arrangement allows for ongoing assessment of his behavior and any potential... developments. I believe this is the safest and most pragmatic approach to mitigate risks."
Amber tried his best to make his reasoning sound entirely from a work and safety perspective, full of the resolve to share The Knights' responsibilities.
Jean listened quietly, her fingers lightly tapping the desk. She looked at Amber's Amber eyes, full of expectation and unquestionable determination, then glanced at the youth nearby, who was still immersed in a fragile atmosphere, unaware of the discussion deciding his fate.
Placing someone of unknown background in The Knights' dormitory, especially with an important Outrider like Amber, was undoubtedly risky. But Amber's reasoning, on the surface, was indeed logical—easy to manage and good for observation.
Moreover, Jean could see that Amber truly wanted to protect this boy. This sentiment seemed especially precious in Mondstadt today, where the war bonds from Varka's expedition and The Church taxes were weighing people down.
After a brief silence, Jean let out a soft breath.
"Alright then. I trust your judgment on this."
She picked up her quill and added another line to the previous document.
"He may reside with you temporarily. You will be held responsible for his conduct and safety, Amber."
"Yes, Master Jean! Thank you for trusting me! You can count on me!"
Amber accepted almost immediately, a bright and joyful smile blooming on his face as the heavy stone in his heart finally fell.
Lu Hongze looked up, staring blankly at Amber's brilliant smile, then timidly at Jean, who looked serious but had already given her consent. Although he didn't understand exactly what was happening, he could feel the tense atmosphere had softened, and Amber's joy infected him. He carefully gave Amber an extremely faint but truly genuine smile, still marked with tear stains.
This smile, like a glimmer of light breaking through dark clouds, made Amber feel that all the arguments just now and the responsibilities he was about to take on were completely worth it.
As Jean watched this scene, she simply filed the document away, silently noting in her heart: this matter needs closer attention, especially... Amber's state.