On the way out of the cave, whether it was because she had survived the ordeal or because it was the first time a man had held her, Eula unexpectedly felt protected for the first time in her life. That sense of safety made her lower her eyes again and again until she finally drifted into a deep sleep.
Outside the cave, the blizzard was still raging.
"Rest here for now. I'll be right back. Hm? Already asleep? Looks like she's reached her limit."
Su Han had been speaking when he suddenly realized that Eula had gone silent. When he lowered his head, he saw that she had fallen unconscious. Thinking about it, it made sense. She had fought intensely the entire night; of course she would be exhausted.
Looking at Eula's pale little face, Su Han felt a pang of distress. She had done nothing wrong, yet she had to bear the guilt of a crime committed by her clan a thousand years ago. It truly was hard on her.
Using the Fire qilin Sword, Su Han dug out a small pit nearby to block the wind and snow, settling Eula inside while placing the others at the entrance to shield her. After finishing everything, he returned to the cave.
He had been too busy saving people and fighting earlier, so he hadn't dealt with the matters inside the cave yet.
Returning to the deepest part of the cave, he found that despite the intense battle, the chamber was still very sturdy. Su Han searched slowly and actually discovered quite a few things.
For example, obscure Abyssal script on the floor, almost identical to the markings on Dvalin.
He also found a large number of filled containers near the walls, likely used to transfer Abyssal toxins. How they transported them was unclear, but after thinking for a while, he believed it must have been through Ley Lines.
Abyss Mages had the ability to shift themselves, so if they were the ones responsible, everything would make sense.
"To avoid unnecessary trouble, better destroy this place completely."
Su Han lifted the Fire qilin Sword. A blazing light burst forth, followed by a thunderous boom. Durin's nest was buried deep underground.
Even if the Abyss Order wanted to use it again, it wouldn't be easy.
As for why he didn't seal it completely, the first reason was that Su Han lacked the ability, and second, once Dvalin fully recovered, Durin's corpse would lose its value anyway. A temporary block would be enough.
Returning to the surface, Su Han didn't linger. He carried Eula and flew the group back to the outpost.
...
At the Dragonspine outpost.
Urbain looked at the raging blizzard outside, worry written all over his face. "It's been nearly twenty-four hours since we lost contact. They still haven't returned?"
"What can we do? This mountain isn't a place we can casually explore. All we can do is prepare medicine and hot soup to fight the cold and wait for Lady Eula's return."
The outpost cook, Harris, tried to comfort him, though he was just as anxious. The problem was their lack of strength. If they went out, the only outcome would be death.
As everyone discussed, Joseph's excited shout came from outside. "Hey, come quick! Lady Eula and the others are back! Medical team, hurry!"
Hearing that the missing team had returned, the people inside rushed out like mad.
"How's their condition?"
"They're fine for now. Just some hypothermia and frostbite, nothing serious."
"This lord, does Miss Eula need treatment?"
Seeing that Su Han still refused to let go of her, the medics assumed she was severely injured. But Su Han shook his head. "I plan to take her back to Mondstadt. You take care of the others." With that, he rode the Jade Bamboo Flute and flew away.
The people at the outpost looked at one another. Urbain spoke sternly. "Listen well. No one is allowed to leak any information about what happened here, including this mysterious lord. Understood?"
Though he didn't look like a Mondstadt native, he wore the Honorary Knight's medal. Without the Knights' orders, they had to keep quiet.
Everyone nodded vigorously, promising to say nothing.
But adventurer Yuxia showed a pensive expression, as if she found him familiar. No matter how she tried, she couldn't recall who he was, but she was certain she had seen him before.
After who knows how long, Eula finally woke up slowly. Her body felt unbearably heavy, as if falling apart, and she couldn't stand even with all her strength.
A gentle voice came from beside her.
"Don't move. Your body isn't seriously injured, but the accumulated damage isn't light."
Eula turned her head and saw Su Han sitting in front of her. She also realized she was back in the city. How long had it been?
"Where am I?"
"Third floor of the Mondstadt Manga Shop. Oh, Lisa came earlier. She helped treat your injuries. Rest for now. You should be able to move by evening."
Su Han put down his manga and spoke softly.
Eula looked down and realized her clothes had all been changed. Bandages covered her torso and arms, and the scent of medicine lingered everywhere.
She lowered the blanket and tilted her head. "What about the people who were with me? And Qin?"
"They only suffered light wounds. As for Captain Qin, I think she should have gone to the Stormterror ruins. I didn't see her return. Rest well now. If you overexert yourself in the coming days you won't be able to move freely."
Hearing that all her companions had survived, Eula breathed a sigh of relief. As long as everyone was okay, that was what mattered.
Su Han then asked, "By the way, wasn't Qin's order for you to investigate? Why did you go deeper into the cave?"
"I wanted to withdraw, but the blizzard suddenly intensified and one team member insisted on sheltering from the wind. By mistake they wandered in. By the time I chased after them it was already too late."
Recalling yesterday's scene, Eula was furious. Undisciplined members were dangerous. If she hadn't been strong enough, those people might have died.
Su Han nodded. "Tell Qin about this later. Acting without authorization almost cost everyone their lives. This should be announced to all members."
"Mm, that's what I plan to do."
Eula nodded lightly. She agreed this incident was terrible; without Su Han's aid the outcome would have been disastrous. Harsh punishment was necessary.
After chatting for a while, Su Han rose to leave. Eula was awake but still weak and needed plenty of rest.
Outside, Lisa, who was leafing through a manga, asked, "She woke up?"
"Mm. She's awake but very weak. Let her rest. How do you plan to handle this?"
"Expel them from the team! Reckless people don't belong in the Knights. Make an example of them so other newcomers learn a lesson."
"That's right. In times of crisis, strict measures are needed."
Su Han agreed with Lisa's decision. Such recklessness could not be tolerated.
Meanwhile, on the beach near Starshatter Cliff, a certain blonde girl said to her little companion, "Paimon, if you keep eating like this we'll starve again tonight."
"So what? I told you before: that direction is the Anemo nation. If there's nothing to eat here, let's go have a look. Fish without seasoning tastes awful."
Lumine: "..."
Lumine looked at her in disbelief. If it tastes bad, why are you still eating so much? That's already the fifth one!
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