Night fell.
A figure leisurely stepped through the gates of Mondstadt.
Upon entering the city gates, Su Xuan was momentarily stunned by the chaotic scene.
"It seems Dvalin came for a visit this afternoon," Su Xuan thought to himself.
Just at a glance, the current Mondstadt was more devastated than Su Xuan had imagined.
Houses on one street were dilapidated, a giant windmill lay overturned, half of its blades embedded in a rooftop.
This, perhaps, was the difference between the game and reality.
[Mondstadt after the Dragon Scourge.jpg]
[It's not much different from what I imagined. The Dragon Scourge in Mondstadt still happened.]
[Speaking of Mondstadt's Dragon Scourge, it's still Khaenri'ah's problem.]
The ruined state of Mondstadt made the beautiful girls from other nations tremble with fear.
They never expected Mondstadt to be struck by such a disaster.
Even more unexpectedly, Mondstadt's Dragon Scourge was actually linked to Khaenri'ah.
[Back then, during Khaenri'ah's Black Tide, one of the Abyss creations named Durin followed poetry and song and came to Mondstadt.]
[A great battle between man and dragon was on the verge of breaking out.]
[Later, thanks to Dvalin, the East Wind of the Four Winds of Mondstadt, Durin was defeated.]
[Oh, and the mountain-sized skeleton on Dragonspine is Durin's skeleton after its death.]
[Its heart is still beating beneath the snowy mountain, and I heard there's still a possibility of its revival.]
Acting Grand Master Jean, who had just returned from the abandoned Four Winds, suddenly stood up.
Lisa immediately gave her a look: "Don't get excited yet, Acting Grand Master Jean. Let's see what he writes first, and it won't be too late for us to take action against him."
[Back to the main topic.]
After Dvalin defeated Durin, he swallowed Durin's blood during the biting process and suffered corrosion from the Abyss.
Dvalin then fell into the earth and began a centuries-long slumber.
However, unable to withstand the mental corrosion of the Abyss, Dvalin finally awoke this year.
Yet, already muddled by the Abyss's power, poor Dvalin was tragically controlled by the Abyss Order.
The Abyss Order used magic to amplify Dvalin's mental contamination.
And continuously whispered in Dvalin's ear: 'Dragon, the people you protected have forgotten you, they abandoned you. Be angry, hate them, take revenge on them.'
Dvalin was bewildered; waking up to find himself forgotten and feeling betrayed, he began to attack Mondstadt.
As a result, the Citizens of Mondstadt were also very 'unappreciative,' calling the Dvalin, who once protected them, Stormterror.
They directly branded their former hero a demon dragon.
Who wouldn't be angry?
Dvalin hardened his heart and, in one go, drew on the power of the other three abandoned Temples of the Four Winds, turning his focus from harassing the outskirts of Mondstadt to seeking revenge on Mondstadt.
But it must be said, from the abandoned Temples of the Four Winds, one can see that the Citizens of Mondstadt were not very attentive to the guardians who once protected them.
Otherwise, how could these temple ruins be abandoned?
At least annual maintenance would be good; it would at least show respect for the heroes who once protected them.
The Ladies all felt that Su Xuan made sense.
The banner of heroes must not be extinguished.
Su Xuan looked up at the Angel's Share, which was still lit.
After pushing the door open and entering, he found that the bartender Charles was standing behind the bar, as if operating as usual.
"Boss, open as usual?" Su Xuan asked politely.
Charles glanced at Su Xuan, forced back the gloom on his face, and squeezed out a small smile: "You look like an Adventurer from out of town."
"Recently, the Dragon Scourge in Mondstadt has become increasingly severe. This afternoon, the main city was directly affected by the disaster."
"My grandfather wants to help everyone lift their spirits during these anxious times, so the tavern is open as usual, and it's free."
"It's just..." Charles glanced around the empty tavern and smiled awkwardly at Su Xuan.
"Your grandfather is very righteous," Su Xuan said with a smile. "Can I have a drink then?"
Holding the drink Charles had prepared, Su Xuan found a random seat and sat down.
He continued to update his diary.
The owner of the Angel's Share truly lives up to his title as Mondstadt's wealthiest man; in critical moments, his true character shines through.
In times of disaster, to help the Citizens of Mondstadt regain their spirits, he directly opened his doors for free drinks.
It's just a pity that I'm the only one here.
"He's at the Angel's Share now," Jean said excitedly.
Lisa remained silent, still signaling Jean with her eyes to calm down.
However, I see that the storm covering Mondstadt has already dispersed.
Presumably, the Acting Grand Master of the Knights, Jean, with the assistance of the blonde lady, has already destroyed the energy sources within the abandoned Temples of the Four Winds.
Cutting off Dvalin's ability to absorb power from them.
It must be admitted that with Grand Master Varka taking away four-fifths of Mondstadt's fighting force, Jean's ability to withstand the Dragon Scourge and the Fatui's diplomatic pressure is commendable.
She is worthy of being the Acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius.
Of course, things are developing much more smoothly than she imagined.
If nothing unexpected happens, by dusk tomorrow, Lord Barbatos will transform into a bard and begin to persuade the lovely blonde lady to help deal with Dvalin's Abyss corrosion.
The Dragon Scourge in Mondstadt will soon be quelled.
Therefore, the knights, who have toiled for this, can rest peacefully tonight.
Lord Barbatos will appear tomorrow at dusk?
The Ladies of Mondstadt instantly saw hope.
That was the legendary Lord Barbatos, who was thought to have disappeared long ago. They had thought the god who protected Mondstadt had died.
It turns out, he has always been silently watching over Mondstadt.
"Something isn't right," Lisa immediately stopped the excited Jean.
"What's wrong, Lisa?" Jean asked, full of doubt. "Su Xuan said that Lord Barbatos will appear to quell the Dragon Scourge."
"Is there a problem with that?"
"Jean, look closely. The main person to quell the Dragon Scourge is not Lord Barbatos, but the blonde lady Su Xuan mentioned." Lisa deliberately traced her slender finger over the phrase, 'begin to persuade the lovely blonde lady...'
"Su Xuan made it very clear that Lord Barbatos needs the blonde lady's help to deal with Dvalin's Abyss corrosion."
"But who is this blonde lady?"
The Ladies exchanged wide-eyed glances.
Furthermore, Su Xuan's diary also mentioned that Jean, with the help of the blonde lady, resolved the storm covering Mondstadt.
But the reality was that Jean, Lisa, and the Knights of Favonius went to deal with the abandoned Temples of the Four Winds after Dvalin left.
They had never met the blonde lady Su Xuan spoke of.
"No, I need to go ask Su Xuan," Jean was about to get up and leave but was pulled back by Lisa.
"If you rush to him like that, you might displease him, and it will be counterproductive." Lisa looked at Jean seriously.
Jean stamped her feet anxiously: "Then what do you suggest we do?"
"I'll go see him alone, test the waters first, and then decide." As Lisa finished speaking, she twisted her shapely, long legs and walked out.
At the door, she turned back to Jean and instructed, "Don't make any moves until you hear from me."