The next day.
Ken rose from between Jean and Lisa, couldn't help supporting his waist.
Osmanthus Wine really is good stuff—its restorative power is impressive. He still felt clear-headed and invigorated.
Seeing Jean and Lisa still fast asleep, Ken dressed and stepped out.
From the latter half of the night, thunder and lightning had crashed outside amid a torrential downpour, and it hadn't let up even now. Bean-sized raindrops scoured everything, washing the green leaves in the flowerbeds and vineyards into an oily, inky sheen.
Workers in raincoats shuttled through the vines, snipping off ripe grapes to keep them from being battered by wind and rain.
The distant mountains and waters were hazy; tree-shadows swayed and flowers flourished, lending a distinctive rustic charm.
Just standing under the eaves was enough to make one feel carefree and at ease.
Such serene, unadulterated beauty was rare on Blue Star.
"Mr. Ken, are you heading out?"
Hillie spotted Ken on the second-floor corridor, ran up from the yard with an umbrella, and asked warmly.
Ken shook his head. "What is it?"
"Master Diluc instructed me: if it's convenient, he'd like to have a word with you." Hillie said, cheeks flushed. She knew Jean and Lisa were in the room and felt a touch of envy.
Ken considered briefly. "Lead the way."
Dawn Winery covered an immense area, a luxurious manor as orderly as it was beautiful, like a garden—at least dozens of times larger than in the game.
Passing through a rose-wreathed corridor, Ken arrived before a standalone villa behind the winery.
"Sir, you can go on your own from here."
Hillie handed Ken the umbrella. This was Diluc's private domain—no admittance without orders.
Ken took the umbrella, crossed the rain-soaked grass, and reached the door.
Creak—
The door opened from within, revealing Diluc's striking fiery red hair.
"Come in," Diluc said with a faint smile, casual and at ease.
Though he didn't get along with the Knights, he was on good terms with Ken. Ever since Ken helped resolve the Dvalin incident, Diluc would occasionally visit Blue Star to chat.
Ken left the umbrella outside and stepped in.
The villa's hall was done in dark tones, with elegant rock sconces set around. With the heavy rain darkening the sky, candles flickered on the sconces, giving off a turn-of-the-century classical ambience.
Two plates of exquisitely prepared steak sat on the long table, with freshly picked 050 grapes and decanted red wine beside them—but there was only one glass.
"Not busy lately?"
Ken pulled out a chair, sat, cut a piece of steak, and asked casually.
Diluc, eating across from him, replied softly, "Mm. Not much going on recently. I returned to the winery this morning. I heard you were here and invited you for a couple of drinks."
"Just for that?" Ken raised a brow.
"All right…" Diluc set down knife and fork and got straight to the point: "I do have a favor to ask. People from the winery were out buying supplies and were attacked by wolves passing through Wolvendom. Something seems off over there."
Even with his identity as the Darknight Hero exposed, Diluc still protected Mondstadt in his own way.
He was no longer the hot-blooded youth of years past—now steadier, with his own ideals and goals.
Sensing something wrong in Wolvendom, he had intended to investigate, but last night's downpour washed away all traces, and he had to return to Dawn Winery.
Learning Ken had stayed the night, he invited him over.
After all, Ken was the Great Prophet—and one of his few close friends—so why not ask him?
"Wolvendom…" Ken pondered, then said solemnly, "Wolvendom is indeed a mysterious place, but the wolves there don't normally cause trouble. For this matter, you might work with Springvale's Draff. He's an excellent hunter and knows Wolvendom's terrain well."
"Oh? So the attacks in Wolvendom aren't a big deal," Diluc caught the implication.
If it were serious, Ken wouldn't suggest teaming up with a hunter.
"Mm. The Wolf King guards Wolvendom; nothing major will happen. But be cautious while investigating—best not to enter the depths," Ken reminded him.
Unlike Osial, who had been suppressed earlier, the god Boreas had long since died. The guardian of Wolvendom now was merely his residual soul—the Wolf King.
As a protector of Mondstadt's Four Winds and a vassal of Barbatos, the Anemo Archon, while not as powerful as a god in his prime, he still possessed the power to freeze the land. If something truly grave occurred in Wolvendom, he would awaken from his slumber.
Barring necessity, it was better not to disturb the subtle balance.
In the game, this plotline had the Traveler helping Springvale investigate. But with Ken's involvement, many things had changed, and this matter happened to land with Diluc.
"Could it be…" Diluc's eyes glinted as he seemed to grasp the subtext, then nodded. "Understood."
"The steak and wine are good, and the grapes are sweet," Ken said, sipping the soft, mellow wine, his mood lifting.
"Earning your praise is an honor for Dawn Winery," Diluc teased. "I'll make sure they remember it."
"Even better." Ken unceremoniously finished his steak at an easy pace.
Sampling Mondstadt cuisine now and then was a nice change of pace.
"By the way, Mondstadt's Ludi Harpastum starts next month. Might be nice to join the festivities," Diluc added.
Though he wasn't much for lively festivals, the Ludi Harpastum was an ancient Mondstadt tradition, highly regarded through the ages.
"Sure. I'll come take a look." He wouldn't miss such unique Teyvat merrymaking.
But before that, he had plenty to do.
First, the matter of the mental restoration potion—he planned to head to Nantianmen with Zhongli to test it after returning.
After that would be the comic convention.
It was Genshin's first expo; the marketing push was essential. He'd bring Klee and Yaoyao plus Lumine to attend, to make a strong showing.
After the expo would come overseeing version updates and such—quite a list.
Once the busy stretch ended, the Ludi Harpastum would be a fine way to unwind.
…
After eating, Ken brought two breakfasts back to the private suite.
The rain was only getting heavier and looked unlikely to stop soon. Thankfully, neither Jean nor Lisa were ordinary, and with the Vortex Gate, otherwise returning to Mondstadt would be troublesome.
"Awake?"
Carrying the breakfasts, Ken reached the door and saw Jean, already dressed, gazing into the curtain of rain, lost in thought.
Dignified and elegant, Jean's pale cheeks were faintly flushed—more alluring than before.
"Mm." Jean turned slowly, her azure eyes not quite daring to meet his, and said a bit awkwardly, "Last night was… really too outrageous."
She didn't want to bring it up, but facing her lover, she felt a stab of chagrin.
She truly wasn't very rational when drunk. Coaxed by Lisa, she'd actually agreed to that request. Thinking of it now made her heart pound like a fawn's hooves.
"Ken, you don't think I'm too casual, do you?"
Jean asked hesitantly.
The well-bred, dignified Acting Grand Master had always presented a severe, gentle, and graceful image—when had she ever been like last night?
The contrast left her a little uneasy.
It really had been too outrageous.
"How could I? You were beautiful and captivating then."
Ken certainly didn't think that. Whether Jean or Lisa—they were both his women.
Even if, under the witch's request, things had gotten a bit… adventurous, it was bound to happen sooner or later. Having them together now just meant getting familiar.
"That's good."
Jean lightly smoothed her hair, glanced at the food box in his hand, and pursed her lips. "Breakfast?"
"That's right. Lisa's not up yet?" Ken asked.
Jean shook her head. "No, still asleep."
"Seems she really is exhausted. Jean's physical fitness wins out," Ken joked. "Then you should eat first."
At his teasing, Jean's cheeks flushed deeper.
Lisa being that worn out—the culprit was clearly Ken—yet he spoke so casually, as if blaming Lisa's poor stamina.
Still, compared to Jean, Lisa's physique really was a bit lacking… Jean's thoughts tangled; she decided Lisa needed more training in the future.
Though last night was hard to speak of, she had to admit…
Lisa's enthusiasm and wildness toward Ken exceeded Jean's expectations, and Jean had learned quite a few techniques.
"What are you thinking?" Ken asked, noticing Jean's private amusement.
Jean shook her head. "Nothing… I was just thinking maybe Lisa should train more."
Inside the suite's bedroom, the witch had just opened her sleepy eyes. Hearing that, she couldn't help silently complaining.
Compared to the dignified Jean, she'd clearly worked harder last night, hadn't she?
Naturally her body was the most fatigued.
She'd also sung the longest, and her throat was still hoarse.
The ache in her waist gave Lisa a bit of fear. Even awake, she didn't get up right away, choosing to keep sleeping.
She was afraid Ken would eat her again.
She needed to recover. Once back in Mondstadt, she would head to her lab to see if there was a way to enhance her physical fitness.
A witch can be overdrawn, too.
In truth—
When Lisa opened her eyes, Ken had already sensed it.
But since she continued to feign sleep, he didn't expose her, sparing everyone the awkwardness.
Once he finished breakfast with Jean, he'd be dragging Zhongli to Nantianmen. Whether Lisa kept pretending then would be none of his concern.
…
Nantianmen.
The Dragon-Queller region north of Nantianmen lay in a remote corner of Liyue.
It was said a world-shaking dragon was sealed here, occasionally roaring in fury and causing landslides and quakes. Now, almost no one lived nearby.
In earlier years, some adventurers still ventured here.
In tales passed from mouth to mouth, every place sealing a great beast hid a vast treasure. Men die for wealth and birds for food; even knowing the danger, adventurers kept trickling in.
But each year many died here.
As a borderland with no developed towns, the area was desolate—monsters were plentiful. Many died at their hands long before finding any treasure.
As this happened more often, even adventurers grew wary, and the place became ever more deserted, monsters everywhere.
Even the treasure-obsessed Treasure Hoarders gradually avoided it.
It was noon.
Afterglow lit the valleys of Nantianmen, refracting into gorgeous brilliance. Were it not so dangerous, it would surely be a favorite Liyue destination—the scenery rivaled Jueyun Karst.
But the tranquil valley now echoed with furious bestial roars.
With each roar, the mountains trembled.
The source lay in the abyss beneath the Dragon-Queller.
"Yaksha of the Adepti… make Morax crawl out to face me!"
A thunderclap of a bellow exploded from the abyss, sonic shock shaking the surrounding ranges.
It came from Azhdaha.
The leviathan crocodilian, vast as a mountain, was covered in patterns condensed from Geo. In the pitch-black depths, those markings glowed faintly.
Thousands of years sealed, inverted in humiliating posture, its tail's flesh had fused with the Dragon-Queller, leaving its form grotesquely contorted.
"Suppress!"
Even facing Azhdaha's mountainous bulk, Xiao felt no fear.
A dark teal radiance burst from him, surging to reinforce the ancient seal.
"Impudent little yaksha—how dare you presume!!"
"Even if you waste away here with me, you cannot stop my emergence!"
"Morax is heartless and faithless—make Morax come!"
Feeling the pressure of the seal, Azhdaha grew even more enraged—
Even spitting crude curses.
Behind his mask, Xiao's expression tightened with anger, his power pouring madly into the seal.
Even if he couldn't stop Azhdaha, he would give it his all.
As for whether the Geo Archon had truly passed, Xiao still had doubts, but there was no conclusion yet. Azhdaha must not break free now—or Liyue would face calamity.