"Hmph ╭(╯^╰)╮, what a boring festival."
Eula, having finished her patrol, stood on a high vantage point, looking down at the bustling crowd below, letting out a disdainful sound.
She really didn't understand what was so good about this Windblume Festival; it was completely meaningless. Why were they all so happy?
She wasn't envious of these people having close companions; such things meant nothing to her. She didn't need such things at all.
Hey! What kind of look is that? Do you have an opinion on what I said? I'll remember this grudge!
As a member of the Lawrence Clan, Eula had always been unable to participate in any festivals like ordinary people. Each time, she could only hide in the shadows like this, watching from afar.
Although she had already started to change the situation of the Lawrence Clan, this couldn't be achieved in a short time. Fortunately, there were still some people in the clan who shared her ideas. Although there were only a few scattered ones, she wasn't fighting alone, was she?
Eula, not wanting to continue watching, turned to leave. The moment she turned around, she saw a familiar back exit Mondstadt through a side gate.
"Is that Durandal? Does she have something to do, going out at this time?"
During the Windblume Festival, Mondstadt's residents usually did things themselves to express themselves, and there wouldn't be any commissions at the Adventurers' Guild.
What was Durandal going out to do at this time? Eula wondered, puzzled.
Anyway, she had nothing to do, so why not follow Durandal and see what she was up to?
No sooner said than done, Eula followed Durandal's pace from a distance, watching her occasionally stop to observe the flowers by the roadside, then turn and continue towards Cape Oath.
[She's been looking at flowers this whole time. Is she preparing a windblume?]
Most likely, yes, but who was she preparing the windblume for? Eula was curious, and her tracking became even more motivated.
Durandal's steps were slow, and Eula could easily follow behind her until she reached a certain tree, where Eula lost track of Durandal.
Eula waited for a long time but didn't see Durandal emerge from there. She couldn't help but run over to check, only to find that Durandal was nowhere to be found, having vanished.
Hmm? Hmm? What's going on? How did she suddenly disappear? Where did she go?
Eula, bewildered, walked around the tree several times and even looked up, but Durandal wasn't hiding up there. What was happening? Could there be some trap here, and Durandal fell into it?
"So it's you, Eula. You've been following me; is something the matter?"
"W-wah!"
Eula was startled by the sudden greeting, jumping a step sideways with a cute yelp, looking in alarm at Durandal, who was holding a Slime with teary eyes.
Hmm~ Why was she holding a Slime? And why did the Slime look so scared?
Usually, wild Slimes would attack when they detected someone approaching, so why was this Slime so obediently staying in Durandal's arms?
Durandal tossed the Slime aside, came before Eula, and asked again, "What's wrong? You've been following me; is something the matter?"
"Nothing, I just saw you going out alone and couldn't help but follow to take a look."
Since she was discovered, she wouldn't pretend anymore! She just followed her, so what? Wasn't she honest?
"Follow to take a look?" Durandal tilted her head, looking at Eula in confusion. "Do you follow everyone who leaves Mondstadt alone?"
"How could that be? Why would I do such a thing? If it weren't for you, I wouldn't do anything so boring."
She would protect Mondstadt's residents according to the Knights of Favonius's regulations, but she wouldn't be so idle as to spend her usual time protecting people outside Mondstadt.
If it weren't Durandal leaving the city, she would already be home, preparing to rest a bit before contacting the reform-minded members of her clan to discuss future plans.
She wasn't following because she was worried about Durandal's safety; she was just curious about what Durandal intended to do.
However... considering Durandal's strength, capable of fighting a Fatui Harbinger alone, her worry seemed quite superfluous.
"Hmm? Are you worried about me?"
"Ugh! Some things are best kept to oneself; there's no need to say them out loud."
Durandal agreed with this statement. Shenhe had embarrassed her several times for this very reason. But since it was just the two of them here, was there a problem with that statement?
Since she was discovered, Eula no longer needed to secretly follow. She simply joined Durandal's party, following her towards Cape Oath, arriving at Durandal's flower field.
"I never expected such a place here; I never noticed it before."
Eula knew this area. It could be said to be the safest area; no one had ever encountered danger here, and not even the most widespread Hilichurls had appeared here.
This vicinity was like a forbidden zone for monsters. Only small animals were found here, and Adventurers would also come here to rest, camping overnight.
She never expected such a beautiful place to be hidden here. It also seemed to be Durandal's territory.
"Where did all these flowers come from? Many of them don't grow in this area."
"I planted all of these. I brought the seeds of any flowers I liked here to cultivate them. From an original small patch, this entire place eventually became covered in flowers."
She still remembered when there was only a single, lonely flower here. She slowly added new members, and gradually it became as magnificent as it was now.
"These flowers, you planted them all? How is that possible? It would take an unknown amount of time to achieve this. How did you..."
Eula wanted to refute that Durandal simply didn't have that much time to plant so many flowers, but she calmed down and thought. Durandal... wasn't as simple as she appeared.
She used to think Durandal was an ordinary human, but various events kept reminding her that Durandal was a very special existence. She might be different from what she thought, not an ordinary human.
So... what exactly was her identity? Could it be... Eula recalled a time when she had seen Durandal interacting with Jean from afar. Jean had been very respectful of Durandal, not with her usual polite attitude, but with the kind of reverence one shows to a great being.
She hadn't quite understood the reason for Jean's behavior before, but now she somewhat understood.
"Since just now, your gaze has become quite complex. What's wrong? Did something come to mind?"
"...Nothing, just some random thoughts, not worth mentioning."
Eula shook her head. Even if Durandal wasn't an ordinary person, so what? She was her friend, a very important friend who had enlightened her and made her understand what she should do.
This wouldn't change. She wouldn't alter her perception of Durandal because of her special identity.
Although all of this was her own speculation, she wasn't going to voice it until Durandal herself admitted it.
Their current way of getting along was also good, wasn't it? To have someone with whom she could speak her mind, someone who allowed her to say things she usually couldn't express, Eula quite liked this way of interacting.
So, skipping this topic, Eula focused her attention on the flowers in Durandal's hand. While she was thinking, Durandal had already picked some flowers.
"Are these flowers meant for someone? If you're giving them to someone, it's better to give individual flowers; it's more formal that way."
"Can't they be mixed? I understand."
Durandal nodded, placing the excess flowers on the ground. As she placed them, the flowers immediately began to root downwards, quickly growing back.
Eula, who hadn't expected the flowers to grow back, watched this scene with twitching eyebrows.
Was this her way of no longer trying to hide it? At least wait until they left to do something like this; she was making it very difficult for her.
"Are you planning to give these flowers to a friend? Is it that short-haired blonde girl who travels with you?"
Speaking of Lumine, Eula couldn't help but recall that strange person.
She was the strangest girl she had ever met, bar none.
She was quite nice, just like Durandal, she didn't distance herself because of Eula's Lawrence identity; on the contrary, she was very willing to be friends with her.
Only... after becoming friends with her and getting familiar, she would do some things that made one clench their fists.
There was one time when she stealthily approached her, grabbed the black strap on the inside of her high-heeled boots, and after stretching it a bit, released it, making the strap snap hard against her thigh.
She still couldn't forget the feeling at that time. That black strap was originally just for reinforcement, but that person actually found such a use for it.
She gasped in pain at the time, and while enduring the pain in her leg, that person was still laughing, laughing until she said, "Tit for tat," and that she could also joke with her.
She didn't hold back, unhesitatingly striking her beautiful face to make her understand not to play such malicious jokes again.
All in all, although that person's behavior was usually unreliable, she was still a good friend... provided she wasn't acting up. If she was, then it was hard to say.
"...She'll get some too, but I need to prepare several portions. There are others to give them to."
I see, she must be referring to the other beautiful white Damselette, and the little one who always accompanies them.
The four of them were quite a regular group; they were often seen appearing together.
"You're giving them flowers because of friendship, right? After all, your relationship is so good."
They lived together all the time; that kind of camaraderie was quite enviable.
Durandal didn't answer her for a long time, which left Eula confused. Had she not heard? Or were her words incorrect?
Durandal's flowers for them weren't flowers of friendship?
Hmm? Wait a minute! No way!
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