"I—"
Boom!!!
The Abyss Mage had barely forced out a single word when his whole body exploded.
And the instant he burst apart, the flames ignited the bomb floating beside him.
With a thunderous boom, a crater five meters wide blew open on the spot.
Luckily, no one was standing close to the Abyss Mage.
Otherwise, someone would've been seriously hurt.
Rowan froze for a moment, then instantly looked around warily.
His eyes narrowed.
This situation… wasn't this like silencing a witness?
But it was just a small bomb—why would someone bother killing him to shut him up?
Unless this Abyss Mage wasn't from the Abyss Order?
The Abyss Order was only one faction within the Abyss. Most of them were originally survivors of Khaenri'ah.
Because their bloodlines were purer, after being cursed they received an "immortality curse," and their bodies turned into something neither human nor monster.
The powerful ones became things like Abyss Heralds, or the Black Serpents.
Those were all Khaenri'ahn remnants.
Meanwhile, the ones with impure bloodlines turned into Hilichurls.
The Abyss Order's nominal founder, Clothar's son, Caribert, had an impure bloodline.
To restore him, Clothar—under the guidance of the prophet Vedrfolnir—created the Abyss Order.
He also established the Loom of Fate plan, which the "Prince" was still carrying out even now.
And the Abyss Order's core goal was to restore their nation and take revenge on Celestia.
Other matters didn't concern them. Stealing Klee's bombs… didn't really feel like something they'd do.
Unless someone with ulterior motives had noticed Klee was Alice's daughter and planned to kidnap Klee to control Alice?
That was a little too absurd, wasn't it?
The original story never had anything like this.
Rowan couldn't help growing suspicious.
Otherwise, Klee wouldn't still be able to run around freely outside blowing up fish.
After all, Alice's "request" might have caused Mondstadt plenty of damage…
But she'd also brought Mondstadt plenty of culture. You could call it mutual benefit.
"W-whoa… what just happened?!"
"Why did it suddenly explode?!"
Paimon shrank behind Lumine, only sticking her head out a little.
Her face was full of fear. That moment had genuinely scared her.
The Abyss Mage had just… exploded out of nowhere.
Was it Rowan?
Everyone had seen the Abyss Mage trying to run.
But the instant it turned around, its body stiffened.
It was obvious someone had restrained it.
Then it blew up.
Was it really Rowan?
But that didn't make sense—if Rowan did it, why ask him where the bombs and treasure were?
Wouldn't that be pointless?
The problem Paimon noticed, Lumine noticed too.
Lumine subconsciously drew her weapon and scanned the surroundings on guard,
afraid some monster would jump out from the shadows and ambush them.
Only Klee looked heartbroken as she stared at the crater.
Her Jumpy Dumpties…
"No need to be so wary. I have no intention of being your enemy."
"I'm merely a traveler passing by."
Just as Lumine stayed alert, Rowan stayed doubtful, and Klee stayed sad, a voice came from the distance.
And as it spoke, it kept moving farther and farther away—like the speaker was already leaving.
Only Rowan's eyes narrowed further, and he called out the name directly.
"Dainsleif?"
"Hm?"
The voice sounded again—clearly startled that Rowan knew who he was.
What he did just now had been flawless.
He shouldn't have left any opening.
So how did Rowan recognize him at a glance?
And Rowan actually knew him—this was even stranger.
In Dainsleif's memory, he'd never met Rowan.
Not five hundred years ago.
And certainly not now.
With the ring left to him by his brother Vedrfolnir, Dainsleif's memories still suffered erosion…
but far less than others. That was exactly why, later on, Aether would scheme against Dainsleif.
Because Dainsleif's memories were the most valuable—the only one who could fully remember Khaenri'ah.
But even so, he was certain of one thing:
He had never met Rowan.
Especially since Rowan was a lackey of the gods.
Because of what happened to Khaenri'ah, Dainsleif hated the Seven. It was they, along with the Heavenly Principles, who destroyed Khaenri'ah.
And Rowan—the "Knight King" chosen by the Anemo Archon—was even worse.
"We haven't met before, have we?"
"Why do you know who I am?"
Dainsleif had actually arrived at Whispering Woods a while ago.
He just stayed silent and observed.
That Stonehide Lawachurl had been something he used to test Lumine.
Case solved—so it really was this old bastard Dainsleif.
Who knew Lumine would just probe once, realize she couldn't win, and run.
She was nothing like her brother Aether.
That made Dainsleif interested in Lumine.
Maybe he could cooperate with her to find out what Aether was trying to do.
Why had he become the Abyss Order's prince?
Did he still dream of restoring the nation?
Ridiculous.
Khaenri'ah had already fallen—whether in time or in space, it was over.
Why couldn't he accept it?
Or had he been deceived again?
Thinking back to what happened in Khaenri'ah's royal palace back then, Dainsleif's eyes dimmed.
Even now, he still couldn't understand why the five of them had betrayed everything.
Why?
For power?
What a joke.
"…You should be very familiar with Dainsleif."
"The ring."
Rowan's lips curled as he spoke.
Dainsleif's body jolted. He lowered his head to look at the ring on his hand.
That was the ring his brother—one of the Five Sinners, the "Prophet" Vedrfolnir—had given him.
It could continuously "reset" Dainsleif's condition.
What Rowan meant wasn't the ring itself.
It was… enlightenment.
Prophecy?
So after all these years, another prophet had appeared?
Then was this prophet another bastard like his brother…
or something else?
Dainsleif narrowed his eyes, considering whether he should seize this chance and kill Rowan before he could grow.
He'd already been betrayed once.
He didn't want a second time.
But then he remembered what Rowan had done at the Snezhnaya border, and his eyes loosened again.
Forget it.
Even if he went all out, he probably still couldn't beat Rowan.
And that would only bring disaster to Mondstadt's people.
There was no need.
"Hmph!"
(End of Chapter)
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