Barbara covered her mouth and chuckled softly, "To tell you the truth, when Mr. Oz suddenly appeared back then, it really startled me."
Fischl held Barbara's wrist, acting very intimately, and asked Oz, "Oz, why didn't you tell me earlier that Barbara was here?"
Before Oz could offer an excuse, the kind and considerate Barbara took the initiative to explain for him, "Fischl, don't blame Oz. I asked him to keep it a secret from you to give you a little surprise."
"By the way, Fischl, who is this gentleman standing next to you?"
Fischl then remembered that Arkz was still standing beside her. She had been too excited when she saw Barbara just now and had forgotten him.
Fischl looked apologetically at Arkz, then introduced him, "This is the formidable foe I encountered this afternoon—the Forest Tyrant Great Bear, Candiff."
"Wait—!"
Arkz quickly stopped Fischl from continuing the introduction and hurriedly explained to the shocked Barbara, "My real name is definitely not Candiff. Just call me Arkz."
"Ms. Barbara, I am absolutely not any kind of tyrant!"
Barbara covered her mouth and laughed, "I understand that. It's just like how Fischl has two names. Besides the Prinzessin der Verurteilung Fischl, there is also a little..."
"Stop—!"
Fischl quickly covered Barbara's mouth, stopping her from saying her other name.
At this moment, Arkz noticed that Barbara, with her mouth covered by Fischl, winked playfully at him, clearly showing her little devil nature. Obviously, Barbara was deliberately teasing Fischl just now.
While Fischl and Barbara, the two best friends, were chatting intimately, Arkz pulled Oz aside and asked:
"Oz, you helped Fischl and Barbara become such good friends, so why didn't she mention Barbara when I asked Fischl if she had any friends?"
Oz sighed and explained, "That was a matter of a few years ago."
"At that time, Miss had just obtained her Vision and registered as an Adventurer not long ago. She was not yet proficient in using her Vision, so she often got injured during missions. While getting her wounds treated at the Knights of Favonius Church, she befriended Miss Barbara, who was serving as a Healing Nun."
"However, as Miss became more proficient in controlling her Elemental Power, she gradually managed to retreat from battles unscathed. Although Miss missed Barbara dearly, as a church nun, Miss Barbara's work was extremely busy. Besides treating injuries, Miss didn't have a suitable reason to approach Miss Barbara."
"Therefore, it has been nearly a year since Miss and Miss Barbara last met."
Arkz pressed further, "Then didn't Fischl try to visit Barbara during her off-hours?"
Oz replied, "Miss certainly visited, but... the Church is a vital location in Mondstadt. One is not allowed to enter without a suitable reason. More importantly, Miss did not wish to disturb Miss Barbara's rest."
Arkz sighed, "So this is the reason why Fischl was so surprised to see Barbara just now."
At this moment, Fischl walked over pulling Barbara and asked, "What are you two chatting about?"
Arkz: "Um, oh, nothing. We were just talking about which feather-conditioning essential oil Oz prefers."
Oz: "I prefer Thunderclap Essential Oil, but Frost Calamity Essential Oil also seems quite nice; it feels cool when applied to feathers."
Fischl looked suspiciously at the man and the bird but couldn't find any flaw, so she reluctantly said, "Alright, Oz, I will buy you the essential oil you like, the one for conditioning feathers, of course."
Barbara smiled doubtfully, "Besides essential oils for conditioning feathers, are there other types of essential oils?"
Fischl's face instantly flushed red, and she stammered, "Well, of course, there are essential oils that can be used for..."
Seeing the blushing and shy Fischl, Arkz took off the sword case hanging from his waist and said, "Of course. As a qualified warrior, selecting the appropriate essential oil to maintain one's weapon is also an important lesson."
"Even the mightiest weapon will rust if it doesn't receive careful care and maintenance from its owner."
Barbara tapped her lips with her index finger, looking adorably enlightened.
"I see! So essential oils have this use too!"
...
Arkz cleared the path ahead, while Barbara directed their route from behind.
Barbara: "I often come to the vicinity of this forest in Wolvendom to pick Wolfhooks, so I am very familiar with this area. I know exactly where the ripe Wolfhooks are."
Fischl: "But Barbara, Wolvendom has wolf packs and dangerous monsters roaming around. Isn't it very dangerous to come here?"
Oz nodded in agreement, "Indeed, Miss Barbara. I heard there is a powerful wolf-shaped monster active in Wolvendom. Its claws are bigger than a house, and its teeth are longer than my wings. It's best to come to such a dangerous place as little as possible."
Barbara was wearing a pure white nun's dress that reached her calves, but she moved quite agilely.
Up ahead, a giant tree struck down by lightning blocked the path. Barbara placed a hand on it and leaped up as lightly as a butterfly, clearing the log and landing softly without kicking up any dust.
Barbara whispered, "Please don't worry. Although I look frail, I am also a Vision holder. Escaping danger is not a problem for me."
"Moreover, I didn't travel all the way to Wolvendom just to pick Wolfhooks."
Seeing the two people and one bird looking at her, Barbara gently swayed her body, turned her head away to avoid their gazes, and explained softly,
"Because... for various reasons..."
"It feels a bit embarrassing to say it out loud..."
"In Mondstadt City, I often sing for everyone, and they seem to like it quite a bit, so the other nuns are very supportive of me performing around. The number of people who listen to my singing is growing."
"Although I am very happy, whenever I go out to buy things or run errands, people stop me..."
"Even inside the Church, people come over to say hello."
"They don't mean any harm; they just want my autograph or simply want to greet me."
"So sometimes I just want to be alone for a while, that feeling of being by myself in a quiet place, not thinking about anything, just spacing out quietly... that feeling of relaxation."
Fischl put her hands on her hips, "I see. I was wondering why when I went to the Church to find..."
"Cough, cough, I mean, my dear friend, This Princess has heard your plea and shall certainly descend the thunder of judgment to eliminate your troubles. Fear not, pious nun."
Interpreter Oz immediately translated, "Miss means she is very willing to help and use lightning to drive away your annoying fans."
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