Eula finished reading the book, and now only one thought lingered in her mind: "Lord Barbatos has returned... Can he forgive the sins of the Lawrence Clan?"
"Eula, are you heading back to monitor the Fatui?" Amber asked.
"No rush. I'll return to the city with you first to deal with Dvalin's attack," Eula shook her head.
As the captain of the Reconnaissance Company, the task of surveilling the Fatui wasn't hers alone. Her subordinates were still keeping watch, and they would report to her if anything happened.
"That works," Amber nodded.
The group wasn't far from Mondstadt now and would arrive within the day.
===✧✦✧===
Meanwhile, in Mondstadt, Barbara finally found time to finish the book her sister had given her.
"Lord Barbatos... have You truly returned?" Barbara clasped her hands to her chest, her voice filled with reverence.
The moment Lord Barbatos returned to Mondstadt, He resolved the dragon crisis. Truly, He was the dependable Anemo Archon.
"Sister Rosaria, come pray with me!" Barbara turned to Rosaria.
Rosaria had tried to slip away earlier but was forcibly dragged back by Barbara.
"Fine, fine... Bartobas... Basbato...?"
"Who was it again? Ah, whatever—Lord Bartobas, welcome back."
"It's Barbatos!"
===✧✦✧===
Over in Liyue, though a day later, Xiangling, Xingqiu, and the others also received Lucian's letter and book.
As close friends of Hu Tao, they had interacted often with Lucian, her personal attendant.
After enduring Fontaine's "dark cuisine," even Xiangling's experimental dishes now seemed delicious to Lucian.
Thus, his letter to Xiangling contained a line that left her utterly baffled:
"Miss you, Prison Xiang."
His letters to Xingqiu and Chongyun, however, were much more normal—just a simple update confirming his safety.
As for Lucian's book, only Xingqiu and Chongyun showed much interest. Unaware it was a book of prophecies, they treated it purely as fiction.
Xiangling wasn't particularly drawn to adventure stories, but Chongyun enjoyed them, while Xingqiu was more intrigued by Lucian's creativity.
===✧✦✧===
The following days passed uneventfully. After arriving in Mondstadt, the Traveler's group finally got a proper night's rest.
But the Traveler herself had no time to relax—with Paimon's monthly food expenses reaching 30,000 Mora, Lumine had to take on commissions day and night.
(Note: Mora's purchasing power has been adjusted, hence the revised amount.)
From slaying Mitachurls to finding lost cats—if the pay was right, Lumine accepted it all.
The good news? She could teleport using Waypoints. Once she activated Mondstadt's Waypoint, returning became effortless.
This ability made her the ultimate freelancer—fast, efficient, and always available for the right price.
While other adventurers were still en route to their objectives, Lumine would already be back, mission accomplished.
Her efficiency was so legendary that some even sought out astrologers to track her down, just to hand her their commissions directly.
===✧✦✧===
"Lumine! Paimon!" Amber waved cheerfully, Eula standing beside her. They had just returned from clearing out monsters outside the city.
Lately, Amber hadn't strayed far from Mondstadt, focusing on scouting the surrounding areas—monitoring for signs of Dvalin and eliminating nearby Hilichurls.
Eula, meanwhile, had been temporarily assigned to prepare for Dvalin's attack. She rarely left the city, only occasionally joining Amber on patrols—claiming that if anything happened to Amber outside, she'd lose her chance for revenge.
"It's Amber and Eula! Hi~!" Paimon waved back.
As they spent more time together, their bond grew stronger. Lumine and Paimon had even grown accustomed to Eula's peculiar way of speaking.
"Just got back from a commission? Want to grab some Sticky Honey Roast? My treat," Amber grinned.
"Really!?" Paimon's eyes sparkled. "Sticky Honey Roast! I want some!"
"Paimon... You make it sound like I starve you," Lumine sighed.
"Not at all! Food just tastes better when someone else is paying, don't you think?" Paimon reasoned.
Had Lucian been there, he'd have agreed wholeheartedly—even with his own Mora, he preferred when others footed the bill.
===✧✦✧===
"Now, now, little cuties—I'm afraid your lunch plans will have to wait," Lisa's voice interrupted the cheerful chatter.
"What's wrong, Lisa?" Paimon asked.
Before Lisa could answer, Kaeya stepped forward from behind her and explained:
"Lisa just detected Dvalin's energy. I believe he's coming."
Beside Kaeya stood Jean, Noelle, Barbara, and others—every Vision holder currently in the city had gathered.
(Except Klee. She was in solitary confinement.)
The Knights were busy evacuating civilians. Trusting the Knights implicitly, the people of Mondstadt obediently returned to their homes.
Even the Fatui sensed the danger and retreated to the Goth Grand Hotel. The once-bustling city grew eerily quiet.
In the shadows of an alley, the "Darknight Hero" Diluc stood with arms crossed, silently observing.
At the Angel's Share, Venti pretended to sleep atop the bar counter—though in truth, he was preparing to intervene.
===✧✦✧===
"He's here."
The moment Lisa spoke, a deafening roar tore through the sky.
It happened too fast. When Lisa first detected Dvalin, he was still far from Mondstadt—yet in the span of their conversation, he had arrived!
The evacuation wasn't complete. Violent whirlwinds, conjured by Dvalin, began tearing through the city.
The group sprang into action.
"Freeze!" Kaeya's cry echoed as he flash-froze a whirlwind, shattering it to pieces.
Lisa, with masterful elemental control, dispersed another vortex with precise Electro energy before it could fully form.
Jean was the most composed. A gentle gale swept across the plaza, shielding civilians while neutralizing the raging storms, dissolving them into harmless breezes.
"ROAR!"
Dvalin's massive form loomed overhead.
With his arrival, the winds grew even fiercer, twisting into towering tornadoes that threatened to swallow the city whole.
"So this is the power of the Anemo Archon's Four Winds..." Jean murmured in awe.
But the Knights of Favonius would not yield to the Dragon of the East!
"Wind, heed my call!"
Jean raised her sword as if taking an oath. A barrier of soothing winds expanded, defying the apocalyptic tornadoes.
Even the most violent storms gradually calmed upon contact, reverting to mere whispers of the breeze.
But there were too many tornadoes. Jean alone couldn't hold them all back—but the Knights of Favonius were never alone.
"Let the weight of my vengeance... CRUSH YOU!"
Eula's voice rang out as a glacial gale erupted.
With a single slash, her blade unleashed a frigid arc that split two tornadoes apart, scattering them into nothingness.
The attack's momentum carried onward—straight toward Dvalin.
===✧✦✧===
Character Voice – Eula: About the Book
"Lord Barbatos has returned... I wonder if He can forgive the sins of the Lawrence Clan... Can I sever this grudge with my own hands?"