"Is it true that anyone flying in Mondstadt, regardless of who they are, needs a flight license?"
"Of course! Whether you're a commoner or a noble, male or female, a regular worker or an adventurer—as long as you're flying in Mondstadt, you need a flight license."
"Then… does that mean Paimon needs one too?"
"Eh?"
EH!???"
Paimon was stunned. "Why would Paimon need a flight license!?"
"Didn't you hear what Amber just said? Anyone flying in Mondstadt needs a license, unless you're not human. So—are you human?"
"P—P… Paimon a little sprite!"
"But are you human?"
"Of course Paimon is human!"
"Then you need a license. Where's yours?"
Amber said, "Uhh… where do I even start with this?"
Paimon's little face flushed red in frustration.
Zephyr said seriously, "Flying without a license is illegal. That counts as unlicensed flying and can land you in a dark little cell.
Just look at yourself—flying around a public area, right in front of a Knight. Amber, I suggest you arrest this person immediately."
"Uh…"
Paimon looked to Amber with teary puppy eyes. "Amber…"
"Uhh… even if you look at me with eyes like that… I think the Traveler kind of has a point."
Eh!?"
"This has nothing to do with our relationship—I genuinely think the Traveler's right here.
I mean, people using Wind Gliders can only stay in the air for a short while, but you? You can fly around all day! What if there's some kind of mid-air accident…"
"That won't happen! Flying is as easy as talking for Paimoncough cough!"
She started choking on her own spit.
Amber shrugged helplessly. "See?"
"Th-that doesn't count!"
Zephyr added, "Doesn't count? Then let's give her the most difficult flight test possible—harder than the one I had to take!"
"Hey! That's just you holding a grudge!"
"I don't understand what you're talking about."
Hey!!"
Amber giggled. "Alright, alright~ I've prepared a very special flight exam just for Paimon."
…
Leading the two of them to a special spot out in the wild.
"See that canyon over there? There's a Slime colony inside, roughly about fifty of them.
Paimon, your test is simple: fly in, and as long as you stay within one meter above the slimes, fly to the finish line—that counts as passing!"
"Why is my test completely different from the Traveler's!?"
Paimon panicked. "This difficulty is obviously hellish! And one meter? What if the slimes attack Paimon?"
"No worries, these slimes are very docile, and right now they're all sleeping. They won't attack you."
"Really?"
"Of course. Even though there are so many slimes in this canyon, they're all in a deep sleep. They only wake up once or twice a month and won't attack on their own. So don't worry."
Paimon swallowed hard. "Even if you say so… can Paimon just skip it?"
Amber shook her head. "Nope, otherwise Paimon won't be allowed to fly in Mondstadt anymore—only walk."
"Then maybe Paimon can just cling onto the Traveler…"
"Talk no more! Nice try, but I refuse."
"Nooo! This is murder! This is murder!"
"No problem, Paimon. Didn't you forget what I said before? Believe in yourself, believe in your courage. You've got this!"
"This isn't something belief alone can fix…"
Seeing she couldn't convince these two stubborn fools, Paimon gritted her teeth and flew in. As soon as she entered, it felt like a heavy weight was pressing on her body, almost making her fall.
"Wh-what's going on! Such strong gravity!"
Paimon was shocked. "No wonder the flight height is limited to one meter… with such pressure, it's impossible to fly any higher!"
So, trembling with fear and mixed feelings, Paimon fluttered shakily over the heads of a group of soundly sleeping slimes.
The Traveler looked worried. "Amber, is this really okay?"
Amber smiled. "It's fine, really. Do you think I'd team up with Zephyr just to bully Paimon?"
"Isn't that what it looks like?"
Amber pouted. "Of course not! Paimon's too cute—I'd never bully her. I might get angry otherwise."
"Sorry, sorry."
Zephyr asked, "Amber, what's the name of this canyon? How come I never knew about it before?"
"This canyon has existed for a long time. It's very remote and few people know about it. I named it Slime Canyon."
"Slime Canyon… a new map area, huh? But why are there so many slimes here?"
"That, I don't know. Maybe this canyon is good for sleeping? Teyvat is vast, and sometimes strange things just happen."
The Traveler nodded. "Makes sense… But why is Paimon flying so obediently so low? She's scared of slimes, so shouldn't she fly higher?"
Amber chuckled softly. "Well, she probably can't fly higher. The pressure in this canyon is huge—like being ten meters underwater in the ocean. Naturally, she just can't fly high.
Even walking is the same—her body feels very heavy, she gets tired after a few steps, and even doing nothing makes her feel awful."
The Traveler felt a little embarrassed. "You pick a place like this and then say you're not bullying her."
"I really'm not. I just want to tell Paimon that courage is the most important thing.
Also, at the finish line I placed a free meal voucher—you can use it at Mondstadt's biggest five-star hotel!
And the best part? It's free!"
"Ohhh, that explains it." Hearing that, the Traveler relaxed. If Paimon knew about the prize, even if she was scared, she'd probably go all in.
Zephyr said, "I've got a gift for Paimon too."
"You?" The Traveler rolled her eyes. "What could you possibly prepare for her?"
"A deeply unforgettable memory."
The Traveler rolled her eyes again.
…
Inside the canyon, Paimon gritted her teeth and moved forward.
"Come on, come on, Paimon, you're the fattest! Pfft, no, you're the best! Come on, Paimon!"
Looking down, Paimon saw that the colorful slimes were unintentionally crackling with purple electricity. She got so scared her hairs stood on end.
"No, no looking."
Paimon closed her eyes.
SuddenlyBam!—she collided with something soft, and her entire body tingled as if pricked by thousands of tiny needles.
//END
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