In the end, Eula didn't harm her own kin. The Knights of Favonius guarding the banquet hall arrived just in time to provide support.
They showed no mercy to the Lawrence nobles, immediately apprehending everyone, including Schubert. However, even after being captured by the Knights of Favonius, Schubert still couldn't stop his foul-mouthed habit, cursing at the Knights of Favonius while sharply rebuking Eula, the 'traitor' of the Lawrence Family.
Finally, the Knights of Favonius who apprehended them couldn't bear it any longer. They grabbed a nearby tablecloth and stuffed it into Schubert's foul mouth, and only then did the world finally quiet down.
However, after this incident, the originally lively and harmonious welcome banquet felt like it had lost some of its flavor. Moreover, everyone present turned their gazes towards Eula, who was still in the hall. Their strange looks made Eula uncomfortable, but she continued to fulfill her duty of standing guard.
Amber, Eula's good friend, naturally noticed her friend's predicament. After whispering a few words to Acting Grand Master Jean, Acting Grand Master Jean nodded, and then Amber ran directly to Eula's position.
Seeing Amber come to her side, Eula felt a warmth in her heart and asked, "Amber, why are you here? It seems you're not on duty tonight."
Amber replied, "Acting Grand Master Jean saw that you weren't in good spirits and ordered me to take over your post. You should go rest first. It's fine, Lawrence is Lawrence, and Eula is Eula. Everyone can tell the difference."
Eula looked around the hall and gave a bitter smile, "Can they tell the difference?"
Amber insisted, "Of course they can tell the difference. Alright, you should go rest quickly."
Eula said, "Then... thank you. I'll remember this debt."
Eula walked off Windrise with a restless heart. The moment Eula left, someone in the banquet, not sure who, shouted, "The Lawrence Family is gone! Everyone, let's play music and have fun!"
As soon as these words were spoken, they immediately received enthusiastic support from everyone, and Eula witnessed all of it.
With mixed feelings, Eula looked back at Windrise, overwhelmed with emotions. After pausing for a moment, she let out a heavy sigh and turned to leave. However, the direction she headed was not towards her home, but towards—the Angel's Share tavern.
After Eula's departure, the banquet resumed its clamor. However, Acting Grand Master Jean, who understood Eula's situation, immediately lost her interest in staying. After a few brief pleasantries, Acting Grand Master Jean left the banquet, citing official duties.
Shenhe, who had been a quiet observer in the hall, finally raised her question: Why were the Mondstadters so hostile towards the Lawrence Family? And why was the Lawrence Family so arrogant?
Miyashiro led Shenhe to a slightly secluded spot and began to explain the past history of the Lawrence Family.
In fact, throughout Mondstadt's over 2600-year history, the stories of three families have always been central.
The first is the Gunnhildr Family, to which Jean belongs. Their family was key to Lord Barbatos, the Anemo Archon's transformation from a wind spirit into an Anemo Archon.
The second is the Ragnvindr Family, to which Diluc belongs. Their family was the main leader and sole survivor of the overthrow of King Deshret's rule.
The third is the Lawrence Family. Their family rose to prominence when Mondstadt was first established.
Unlike the Gunnhildr Family, who were skilled at guidance, the Lawrence Family was a pragmatic family. In the early days, when Lord Barbatos, the Anemo Archon had just dispelled the ice and snow, their family was primarily responsible for reclamation work.
Strong family members would go out hunting, distributing the captured game to the people under them, thereby building prestige in the hearts of the people.
In the early days of Mondstadt, the tangible benefits of being well-fed and clothed clearly gained more trust from the people. After a long period of development, the Lawrence Family's standing in the hearts of the people had surpassed that of the Gunnhildr Family.
The leader of the Lawrence Family at that time was named Vennessa. After Mondstadt regained peace, she led her people to build the Statue of the Anemo Archon and carved an oath of eternal protection for Mondstadt beneath it.
However, as the Lawrence Family's influence grew among the people, it also led to a widening gap between their status and that of the common folk, and their descendants formed a class of nobles.
Initially, to offer prayers to Lord Barbatos, the Anemo Archon, a custom of gladiatorial combat arose in Mondstadt. Large numbers of ruins resembling gladiatorial arenas still exist near Mondstadt's Thousand Winds Temple today. However, at that time, gladiatorial combat had become an execution ground for the nobles' entertainment.
Because of the oath to eternally protect Mondstadt and the rising status of swordsmanship, which could both cultivate one's character and enhance personal martial prowess for defending the homeland, swordsmanship also became a compulsory course for noble descendants.
Even in present-day Mondstadt, prominent families like the three major families still retain the tradition of martial arts and sword practice. This is also one of the reasons why excellent Knights frequently emerge from noble descendants in Mondstadt.
Unfortunately, after Lord Barbatos, the Anemo Archon left for a thousand years, the power of time also changed the ancestral teachings of the Lawrence Family. The nobles began to rule tyrannically, seizing control of Mondstadt. Compared to their oath to protect Mondstadt, they were now more concerned with fulfilling their own desires.
To firmly embed their lofty image in people's minds, the Lawrence Family toppled the Statue of the Anemo Archon, which was carved with the oath of eternal protection for Mondstadt, and built a towering structure resembling the Stormterror's Lair.
Barbatos had left because he did not want to be a tyrant, but he never imagined that the people who had been granted freedom would create their own human tyrants.
A thousand years ago, when Lord Barbatos, the Anemo Archon returned to Mondstadt and saw the towering structure built by the Lawrence Family, his mind must have been buzzing.
Without the protection of Lord Barbatos, the Anemo Archon, a demonic dragon named Ursa appeared in the Mondstadt region. Yes, it was The Dragon Ursa, which caused the death of Diluc's father, and it had appeared over a thousand years ago.
Although The Dragon Ursa only had the strength of an Adeptus, Mondstadt at that time no longer had the ability to confront it directly.
Due to generations of inheritance, many nobles had become useless individuals who only knew how to indulge in idleness and oppress the common people. Their former swordsmanship had become a mere furnishing. Compared to the practical utility of swordsmanship, they cared more about the aesthetic appeal of sword dance performances. The nobles responsible for protecting the people no longer possessed their former bravery.
Facing the invasion of The Dragon Ursa, Mondstadt didn't even have the capital to resist. During Mondstadt's darkest period, the patriarch of the Lawrence Family even compromised with The Dragon Ursa, feeding opponents to it as sacrifices to gain peace.
The darkness of noble rule continued until a thousand years ago, when Mondstadt's future trajectory changed due to the arrival of one person. And quite dramatically, this important figure, who would shape Mondstadt's history, was not a Mondstadter.
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