Meanwhile—
Leon sat alone on one of the wooden benches overlooking Windrise Plaza. The Mondstadt afternoon breeze blew gently, bringing a warm atmosphere after a day of sunshine.
This view was usually enough to soothe anyone.
And today, Leon really needed it.
He leaned back against the back of the bench, staring blankly at the sky. The sounds of birdsong, the footsteps of Mondstadt's citizens passing by, and the gentle chime of church bells in the distance blended together. But it all felt distant—as if separated by a thin wall that existed only inside his head.
His heart was still in turmoil.
He let out a long, slow breath, as he usually did whenever his thoughts became too busy. An old habit he had learned long before he knew the world called Teyvat.
Because in truth—
Leon was not originally from this world.
Six years ago, he had been reincarnated.
At first, he didn't even understand what was happening. All he remembered was extreme exhaustion. In his previous life, he was just an ordinary office worker—waking up early, working late, coming home exhausted, and then spending the rest of his time playing Genshin Impact as an escape.
That day, after completing Luna IV's Quest, he fell asleep in front of his computer screen. And he never woke up again.
When he regained consciousness, the world had changed.
He woke up in the body of a fourteen-year-old boy named Leon—an orphan living a simple life on the outskirts of Mondstadt. The boy was raised by his grandfather, an old adventurer who had spent most of his life exploring the various regions of Teyvat.
He was kind. Too kind, even.
But that brief happiness was short-lived. A few months after Leon "occupied" this body, his grandfather died of old age. His departure left behind a suffocating silence—and the harsh reality that Leon was now completely alone in this 'foreign' world.
At first, Leon had been hopeful.
He wished he had something often mentioned in isekai novels: a golden finger, a system, a hidden power, or at least extraordinary talent.
But time passed, and those hopes never materialized.
There was no system.
No instant power.
No Vision appearing when he was in dire straits.
Eventually, Leon gave up on that empty hope.
If this world didn't grant him privileges, then he would create them himself.
From then on, he trained his body rigorously. Waking up before dawn, practicing swordsmanship until his hands trembled, reading tactic books, and studying the world he knew so well from the screen—now a far harsher reality.
Months later, he enlisted as a knight in the Knights of Favonius.
And as he expected—he was underestimated.
A boy.
No Vision.
No noble background.
To many knights, Leon was just a reckless child who would give up after a few weeks.
But Leon had long practiced stoicism—a life principle he learned in his previous life. Ridicule, doubt, and condescension never truly swayed him. He focused on what he could control: effort and discipline.
The results weren't instant.
But within two years, Leon had managed to silence many voices. His achievements in the field, his consistency in his duties, and his calm demeanor had gradually earned him the respect of the other knights.
Ironically—
His true reasons for joining the Knights of Favonius weren't entirely noble.
Leon smiled a little bitterly.
"Come to think of it… I was quite selfless."
To be honest, one of his reasons was because he wanted to get close to the female characters he'd previously only seen on screen: Jean, Lisa, Amber, Noelle, Barbara, and the others. This world was too real to continue treating it like a game—but the feeling of admiration remained.
And it was that feeling that repeatedly hurt him.
"I've been rejected three times…"
Leon took a deep breath.
The first rejection came three years ago.
Back then, he was often on his morning patrols and accidentally met Barbara Pegg, Mondstadt's idol and a nun of the Favonius Church. Barbara often sang near the Anemo Archon Statue, her voice bright and warm.
Meeting after meeting brought them closer. They chatted lightly, laughed, and encouraged each other. Leon felt—for the first time—that he was truly close to someone.
So he confessed his feelings.
And he was rejected.
Barbara gently explained that she was a nun. Her life choice wasn't something she could simply abandon.
At that moment, Leon realized how impulsive he had been. He had taken closeness as a guarantee, without truly understanding the other person's position.
From that day on, Leon kept his distance. Not out of hatred—but out of fear. Afraid that those feelings would rekindle and hurt him once more.
The second rejection came a year later.
Leon often spent time in the library to escape his own thoughts. It was there that he met Lisa Minci, the librarian of the Knights of Favonius—a beautiful woman with a seductive smile and a dangerously relaxed aura.
Their interactions were full of ambiguous banter. Lisa often teased Leon without a clear line, making it difficult to distinguish between joking and seriousness.
Leon fell in love.
Especially since in his previous life, Lisa had been his first favorite character.
Ultimately, he chose honesty.
And again, he was rejected.
Lisa thought of him as a little brother. Someone fun to tease, but not to love.
The rejection hit harder than he expected.
For the first time, Leon began to doubt himself. Was he unworthy? Unattractive? Or just expecting too much of something he shouldn't have?
He turned everything to training.
And now—
He was rejected again.
By Jean Gunnhildr.
Leon stared up at the darkening sky, letting the evening breeze sweep across his face. There were no tears. No anger. Just deep emotional exhaustion.
He leaned his head back, closing his eyes.
"Calm down… it's not the end of the world," he muttered softly to himself.
The winds of Mondstadt continued to blow freely.
And Leon, for a moment, just wanted to sit there—let time pass, before standing again as the same knight he had always been.