On a hillside near the road outside the city, Klee waved excitedly toward the forest.
"Razor! Hurry up! The Prince of Snezhnaya is about to leave Mondstadt!"
Razor emerged hesitantly from between the trees.
Having grown up among wolves, Razor harbored an instinctive fear of humans. Over the years, hunters from Springvale had slaughtered many members of his wolf pack.
In the past, he would only move around Wolvendom—never venturing this far. He needed to protect the wolves from humans, and just as importantly, to avoid human contact altogether.
He saw himself as a wolf, not a human.
But ever since meeting the Prince of Snezhnaya, he had been thinking over and over about the word Severin emphasized to him—
Humanity.
If he did not understand humanity, did not attempt to think like humans, then his achievements in this life would end here.
He wanted to understand the human world.
To understand humans themselves.
To understand the meaning and value of his own existence.
So when Klee came to tell him that the Prince was about to depart Mondstadt, Razor rushed over without hesitation.
Along the way, he noticed something else—
The Fatui were repairing the Temple of the Wolf of the North.
The promise Severin had made to the old Wolf King was already being fulfilled.
This was a man who kept his word—not like the sly, treacherous humans Razor had often encountered.
"That person… a great human… lupical."
Razor spoke softly beside Klee.
"Yeah!" Klee nodded vigorously, hugging Dodoco. "He's actually a really good person! I understand now—Jumpy Dumpty can't just be used randomly. You need methods and strategy!"
"I used to hate fighting. I thought fighting was just throwing bombs. But now I think learning combat techniques is even more fun than fish-blasting!"
Her face glowed with a bright smile.
At that moment, Albedo walked over.
"Brother Albedo!" Klee called out happily.
Albedo crouched slightly and asked, "The Prince frightened you that day. Why weren't you angry?"
Klee tilted her head, thinking.
"When kids do bad things, their parents spank them, hit their hands, or make them kneel. But even though Klee's done lots of naughty things, no one ever scolded me like the Prince did."
"He made me think of Mom… and Dad…"
Albedo let out a quiet sigh.
Children raised in indulgence often envied those who were disciplined by their parents after mischief.
No amount of affection could truly replace parental guidance.
The Prince's sternness—like that of a parent—was precisely what Klee yearned for deep down.
"The things the Prince did to you… the harsh words he spoke," Albedo said quietly, "are things I could never do."
"He truly is extraordinary. To guide you and Razor to grow so quickly—no one else could have done that."
His voice carried genuine admiration.
Crows circled above the church rooftop.
The cemetery below lay silent and solemn.
Before a grave stood La Signora, Rosalyne, praying quietly. Her gaze lingered on the epitaph carved into the stone:
"If you do not return in triumph, I will not weep for you. I will drink deeply once more, just as I do today."
These words had been written during the Cataclysm by the then–Grand Master Arundolyn, originally meant as a blessing for Rostam before his final expedition.
Beside the gravestone lay a fresh bouquet of vivid purple irises.
"How rare," a voice remarked coolly, "to see a Fatui Harbinger mourning before a grave. People say you're all cold-blooded executioners—heretics who kill without blinking."
As she spoke, Eula saluted Rostam's grave.
Rosalyne sneered. "Are you spying on me?"
"Monitoring the Fatui is my duty as the Spindrift Knight," Eula replied evenly. "And this church cemetery holds fallen heroes. It deserves special patrol."
Rosalyne was about to retaliate—
Then she noticed something.
Eula had come alone.
No guards. No reinforcements.
Clearly, she hadn't come to make an arrest.
"It seems the Prince's lesson wasn't harsh enough for you," Rosalyne said coldly.
Eula showed no anger. Instead, she said calmly, "I came to ask you to pass a message to the Prince."
"I've found clarity about who I am. I'm still Mondstadt's Spindrift Knight—but my mindset has changed."
"In the past, I wanted the people's approval. I wanted the Knights' approval. Now, the ones who must earn approval… are the Knights of Favonius."
"My loyalty lies with justice and fairness. If the Knights fail to uphold those principles—if they betray them—I'll be the first to stand up and condemn them."
"Even if that means overthrowing them."
"Just like the Prince did."
From that day on, Eula not only fulfilled her duties as a knight, but also took it upon herself to act as a watchdog. If the Knights made mistakes, she would correct them without hesitation.
Rosalyne's voice softened.
"Very well, Miss Eula. It seems we've both found the answers we were searching for."
"The Prince ordered me to reflect… and I finally understood."
"The man I loved gave his life to protect the land he cherished. And yet, I was obsessed with destroying the very thing he valued most."
She looked gently at Rostam's gravestone once more.
"I'll pass your words on to His Highness."
"But if you keep bullying Fatui personnel in Mondstadt," Rosalyne added coolly, "I won't be so polite next time."
Eula snorted. "As long as you don't break the rules, I have no reason to target you."
"We Fatui never break the rules," Rosalyne snapped. "Don't slander us."
"Slander?" Eula scoffed. "Say that out loud—it'd make people laugh themselves to death."
As the two sparred verbally, a wave of terrified screams erupted from the distant crowd.
Eula's expression changed instantly.
"Not good—it's Dvalin! The wind disasters he's caused recently have injured many civilians!"
She rushed out of the cemetery and into the streets to protect the people.
But this time, Dvalin wasn't there to wreak havoc.
He descended directly into Mondstadt Plaza.
After allowing Barbara to finish treating his arm, Severin stepped calmly onto the dragon's back.
Standing atop Dvalin, he waved to the people of Mondstadt.
"The darkness belongs to me.
You belong to the light."
After that brief farewell, Dvalin carried Severin skyward once more.
At almost the same moment, a long howl echoed from Wolvendom—
The Wolf King's roar.
Wolves howling at the moon was nothing unusual.
But howling in broad daylight?
It terrified the hunters of Mondstadt—many of whom had lived their whole lives without ever witnessing such a phenomenon.
Severin left Mondstadt in a way no one could have anticipated, heading straight for the harbor.
The battleship "Empire" lay anchored by the sea, fully prepared.
Severin stood on the deck, letting the ocean wind wash over him.
The Anemo Gnosis and Electro Gnosis were already in his possession.
Four more remained.
Then, the Mirror Maiden, who had boarded the night before, stepped to his side and bowed.
"Your Highness," she said respectfully,
"Her Majesty has sent a secret letter."
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