Night had fallen.
A lone figure walked leisurely through Mondstadt's city gates.
The moment he entered, the chaos inside made Su Xuan pause.
"So, Stormterror paid the city a visit this afternoon, huh."
Just a single glance and Mondstadt looked even more battered than he expected:
collapsed homes along the street, a windmill torn from its tower, half its blade lodged into a rooftop.
This… was the difference between a game, and the real world.
[The Aftermath of the Dragon Disaster.jpg]
[No surprises—the dragon calamity of Mondstadt happened exactly as expected.]
[And at the root of Mondstadt's dragon disaster… is still Khaenri'ah.]
The watching women from every nation went silent.
Mondstadt looked like a city hit by war.
And now, Khaenri'ah was named again.
[Back then, among the abyssal beasts released from Khaenri'ah, there was one — Durin — who chased the songs and winds to Mondstadt.]
[A great battle between man and dragon erupted.]
[It was only thanks to the Four Winds — to the East Wind Dragon, Dvalin — that Durin was defeated.]
[The enormous skeleton in Dragonspine is Durin's corpse.]
[And its heart still beats beneath the mountain. Reviving is… not impossible.]
Jean, who had just returned to headquarters, froze mid-step.
Lisa only gave her a sideways glance.
"Don't react yet. We read first. Then we act."
[When Dvalin tore into Durin, he ingested Durin's blood. The abyssal corruption seeped into him.]
[Overwhelmed by that power, Dvalin sank into the earth and slept for centuries.]
[But the abyss never stopped whispering. This year, he finally awakened.]
[And the Abyss Order seized the opportunity — amplifying that corruption, filling his ears with whispers:]
They forgot you. They abandoned you. Hate them. Destroy them.
[Dvalin's heart broke. Betrayed. Forgotten. He turned to wrath.]
[And so, the hero who once protected Mondstadt… became what they now call the "Stormterror Dragon."]
[Who wouldn't be furious?]
The narration stung.
Even the Mondstadt girls felt their throats tighten.
He wasn't a monster.
He was wounded.
Forgotten.
Su Xuan pushed open the doors to Angel's Share.
Inside, bartender Charles still stood behind the counter, trying to smile through his exhaustion.
"Still open?" Su Xuan asked casually.
Charles nodded. "To keep spirits up. The owner… thought it would help the people endure. Drinks are free tonight."
His voice was quiet. And tired.
"Your grandfather's a good man," Su Xuan said.
He took his glass and found a seat by the window.
Then continued writing.
[Angel's Share's owner truly lives up to Mondstadt's reputation — heart before profit.]
[It's just a shame I'm the only one drinking here.]
Jean's eyes softened.
But the next lines—
[Anyway, the storm covering Mondstadt is already gone.]
[Meaning: The Acting Grand Master Jean, aided by the "blonde traveler," has already cut off Dvalin's energy sources from the abandoned Four Winds Temples.]
[Even with Commander Falka taking 80% of Mondstadt's military strength abroad, she still held the city together.]
[She deserves to be the Acting Grand Master.]
Jean's breath trembled.
Lisa gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
But Su Xuan wasn't finished.
[Of course, the situation isn't won by Jean alone.]
[Tomorrow at dusk, Barbatos will descend in the form of a bard.]
[He'll go convince that same blonde traveler to help purify Dvalin's corruption.]
[Soon, the dragon crisis will end.]
[So the knights who have suffered these days… may sleep peacefully tonight.]
Wind God Barbatos — tomorrow?
The knights nearly burst into tears.
But Lisa froze.
"…Wait. Something's wrong."
Jean blinked. "What's wrong?"
Lisa pointed to the line:
[Barbatos will go persuade the blonde traveler.]
"Who," Lisa whispered, "is that traveler?"
Jean slowly widened her eyes.
They hadn't met any blonde traveler.
"This is the first time we've even heard of her!"
Jean stood up immediately—
"I have to go find him—!"
Lisa grabbed her wrist.
"Calm. If you rush him carelessly, you'll only make it worse."
Jean bit her lip, shaking.
"Then… what do we do?"
Lisa exhaled slowly, stood up smoothly, hips swaying lightly as she walked toward the door.
"I'll go."
Her amber eyes gleamed like a cat hunting in moonlight.
"Let me meet this 'traveler from beyond the world' myself."
"Wait for my signal."
And with that—
The Witch of Mondstadt moved.
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