In Rosaria's room.
The white cat rose from the bed and glanced around.
Nothing.
It hopped down, padded a circuit of the room.
Still nothing.
Curious, Xia Zhi linked his senses to the cat and learned that the icy-tempered nun had apparently gone out long ago.
How long had they been asleep?
No wonder the dark circles under her eyes were so deep she needed cigarettes to stay awake…
He had the cat search the room more carefully, and on top of a cabinet found a white-covered notebook.
The cover bore the words [Church of Favonius].
The cat's paw gingerly flipped it open, revealing tidy, elegant handwriting—but the contents were nothing but a collection of random clippings:
[All Wine, 20% off!]
[Fisherman's Toast—enjoy the taste of your dreams at a price you won't believe!]
[Massive wheat discounts! If you need it milled into flour, leave a message for the shopkeeper.]
[Buy three tomatoes, get one free!]
[Fresh Small Lamp Grass—perfect for bathroom lighting! Sir, come take a look…!]
The writing, though casual and stylish, was nothing but sales pitches and shop slogans.
Closing the notebook, Xia Zhi felt that this nun's heart was not nearly as cold as her exterior suggested—
and somehow, that made her more interesting.
---
Cloud Retainer awoke from her dream, staring blankly at the ceiling.
She reached out and touched her lips as well, her face faintly flushed.
That feeling from before was something she had never experienced in thousands of years—
and it had been… quite pleasant.
No wonder she'd always woken midway through similar dreams before; this strange, electric thrill was impossible to imagine without actually living it.
She sat up, lifted the sachet from her neck, and peeked inside. As expected, it was empty—the hair she had placed inside last night was gone.
But that was fine; she still had plenty of Xia Zhi's hair, enough to last a long while.
Turning the sachet over in her hands, she wondered—
This counted as a date, didn't it?
She couldn't help but recall what Shenhe had once told her—
she, too, had developed her feelings for Mr. Xia through dream-dates.
Who would have thought that as the master, she'd end up walking the same road as her own disciple.
---
Jean had arrived early at her office, brewed herself a cup of [Silver Dew], and begun the day's work.
Before long, Kaeya knocked and stepped in, reporting on the latest patrols.
"…With the surge of people in the city and not enough knights to go around, incidents disturbing the peace have been popping up everywhere. Especially at night—lots of outsiders get drunk in the taverns, then either make a row or start harboring ill intent… Just last night alone, several Mondstadt citizens and visiting travelers reported being robbed. But…"
Jean frowned. "But what?"
Kaeya replied, "Although they encountered these serious incidents, the outcomes were… good."
"Good outcomes?"
A faint smile curved his lips. "At the crucial moment, a certain [Darknight Hero] descended from the rooftops, subduing the criminals with clean, powerful moves before slipping away, leaving only a mysterious silhouette behind…"
"Darknight Hero…"
Jean sifted through the papers on her desk until she found a stack—reports related to this so-called [Darknight Hero].
"Have you confirmed his identity?"
Kaeya shook his head. "Not yet. But… after chasing this lead for so long, I think I know."
Jean asked, "Who do you think it is?"
Lowering his voice, Kaeya said, "Master Diluc of Dawn Winery."
Jean's eyes widened. "!? You're saying it's Sir Diluc?"
He waved a hand. "Just a suspicion."
Her tone grew more serious. "Reason?"
Kaeya spoke slowly, "Based on witness testimony from the scenes, we know the [Darknight Hero] is a grown man of a certain height and build. Every time he acts, there's a flash of bright firelight, and his strikes are swift and decisive. That's enough to conclude he's a highly skilled Pyro Vision holder."
Jean shook her head. "While Sir Diluc fits that description perfectly, those details alone aren't enough. Plenty of outsiders could match them."
Kaeya's smile deepened. "Do you think an outsider could flawlessly avoid the Knights' patrol routes every single time?"
Jean considered this. "If they've never been to Mondstadt before, it would be difficult, yes."
"Diluc is different," Kaeya said earnestly.
"He served in the Knights once. He knows our patrol patterns by heart. Only someone like that could vanish so easily after an incident without us catching him. And last night, I even went to [Angel's Share] to look for him. The bartender said he was bathing. From what I know of him, he almost never bathes in the middle of the night—unless something unusual happened to dirty his clothes."
Jean was silent for a while.
"You have a point, but it's still speculation. The Darknight Hero may be unconventional, but he's handling problems we should be handling but haven't had the time for—lightening our burden. For now, leave him be."
Kaeya nodded. "Understood."
She studied him. "You didn't sleep much last night, did you? Don't follow Mr. Xia today. Go home and rest. I'll have Amber take your place."
"Alright."
Kaeya left, and Jean lifted her cup of [Silver Dew], sipping as she mentally reviewed his report.
Indeed, Diluc was a strong suspect.
"So, Sir Diluc… even after leaving the Knights, you're still protecting Mondstadt—just in your own way."
---
After finishing the notes and pacing around the room twice, Xia Zhi disconnected the "Shared Vision" with the white cat and intercepted the little girl who was about to press her face right up against his.
"Papa! Good morning!"
"Morning."
"Today we're going treasure hunting in the library, right?"
"That's right."
"Yay!"
The little girl was visibly thrilled. Dragons must really be born with an instinctive love for treasure.
Xia Zhi looked at her smiling face and suddenly remembered the [Abyssal Dragon's Blessing] he'd obtained from her last night.
Since she, like the white cat, had been classified by the system as a potential source of Blessings, that meant she should also be able to grant him her "Vision."
He gave it a try.
With the golden circlet suppressing all her powers—including her formidable spiritual strength—there was no resistance whatsoever.
Just like with the white cat, Xia Zhi immediately gained access to her Vision and, through her eyes, saw himself standing before her.
The sensation was uncanny, almost like looking into a mirror.
The little girl herself felt nothing unusual—at least until Xia Zhi spoke directly into her mind with spiritual power. She blinked up at him in a daze.
"Papa? Did you just talk to me?"
"No."
"Eh? But I swear I heard Papa's voice…"
Xia Zhi chuckled and explained simply.
"Oh, I get it now!" she said, her eyes lighting up.
"From now on, I might borrow your Vision often. Is that okay?"
"Of course! My eyes are Papa's eyes!" she said without hesitation, delighted.
Xia Zhi ruffled her hair, and she squinted happily into his hand.
"All right, time to get up. Go change your clothes."
"Mm!"
She scampered out of the room with light, rapid steps.
Xia Zhi leaned back against the bedframe, mulling over the test.
Her Vision could see far and clearly.
The flaw, though, was that unlike the white cat, she couldn't be fully controlled by him. True, he could forcibly take over using spiritual power, and she would probably even be willing to hand her body's control over to him—but it wasn't exactly convenient.
After pondering for a moment, a good idea struck him. He picked up the sunglasses on the nightstand.
They were a gift from Yanfei, nothing special in themselves—just a pair of ordinary glasses he used daily to cover his dull gray eyes. But after wearing them for so long, he'd grown attached.
He removed the two black lenses and stored them away in his inventory. They didn't have any use, but since they were a gift, he wanted to preserve them.
Then, opening up the [Shop], Xia Zhi spent two points to purchase a pair of strange items—two black crystals. On closer inspection, they quivered faintly.
They were alive. These were no ordinary minerals, but crystallized organisms from another world—Crystal Vortex Worms. They lived by devouring ore, refining elements within it, and shifting colors based on their elemental composition. They were highly prized as alchemical materials.
At that moment, the system's voice chimed in his head:
"New creature encountered. Acquired [Blessing of the Crystal Vortex Worm]. Defense +0.1."
"New creature encountered. All stats increased by 0.0001%."
Xia Zhi turned the [Crystal Vortex Worms] curiously in his hands, then cast [Art of Black Earth] on them. Under the alchemical transformation, their bodies reshaped, becoming indistinguishable from the two black lenses he'd just removed.
Despite the change, they remained alive.
He set them into the empty frames and slipped the newly remade sunglasses back on.
Activating "Shared Vision," he saw the room vividly through their eyes. Turning his head to test them, he nodded in satisfaction.
"Not bad."
He hadn't truly solved the Corrosion, but through this roundabout method, he'd finally regained the light.
Fischl had woken early. After washing up, she ran straight toward the Favonius Cathedral.
Crossing the plaza, she overheard two people chatting on a bench about last night's events.
They spoke of someone attacked in the night—only for the assailant to be swiftly subdued by a mysterious Darknight Hero who descended from above, dispatched the criminal with ease, and disappeared into the shadows, leaving behind only a silhouette…
The old Fischl would have adored this—another dramatic, mysterious urban legend. She would've stopped to listen with rapt attention.
But now… it was as though she had aged a few years overnight. She had grown past that chuunibyou stage. Her heart now longed for something greater, so she merely glanced at the gossipers and kept walking.
Behind the cathedral, near the dormitories, her eyes fell on a petite figure practicing spearwork in the courtyard.
She knew that girl—Yaoyao. They'd even shared a meal together once.
Fischl's impression of Yaoyao was warm: the girl had kindly offered her food that day. Pure, good-hearted. And she was said to be an Adeptus' disciple, which explained her remarkable skill with the spear at such a young age.
Fischl approached.
Beside Yaoyao stood Xia Lin, who turned to greet her. "Good morning, Sister Fischl—and Oz."
Fischl smiled and returned the greeting. "Good morning, Xia Lin."
Oz chimed in, "Miss Xia Lin, good morning." After all, this was the terrifying girl who called Mr. Xia "Papa."
"Is everyone else still asleep?" Fischl asked.
"Not yet, but they'll be up soon," Xia Lin replied.
"I see…"
Fischl lingered, a little awkward. She'd never been outgoing—no real close friends, little practice in casual conversation. Thankfully, Oz had plenty of experience, and he struck up an easy chat with Xia Lin.
Fischl could only stand silently, watching Yaoyao train. Her movements were clean, graceful—truly a delight to behold.
She couldn't help but whisper, "What kind of spear technique is that?"
Xia Lin blinked. "That's a style Madam Ping created herself. It's called… the Thirteen Fatal Strikes."
Fischl froze. The name sounded… rather chuunibyou. "Thirteen Fatal Strikes?"
Xia Lin nodded, lowering her voice. "But Madam Ping worried Yaoyao couldn't handle all thirteen at once, so she only taught her the first five."