"Is that so?"
"It really feels like you're hiding something."
Paimon didn't know if her sixth sense was just too sharp, but she actually noticed that Jean had her own private motives.
And Jean did.
Because she wanted to go out and have fun with Rowan for a while. Even though Istaroth would be coming too—
Given Istaroth's situation, she wouldn't mind.
And a few days ago, Jean had already spoken frankly with Istaroth.
Istaroth was a bit unhappy, but she didn't say much.
Over these past few days, Jean and Istaroth's relationship had eased up a lot. Istaroth had even said that if they went to Liyue, Jean could come along too.
It was Istaroth who invited her proactively.
When the time came, they could take turns—one day each—going out to enjoy themselves.
Jean's status as Rowan's queen consort hadn't been made public, but in the eyes of those paying attention, it was already clear.
That made Eula, who had noticed the situation, dig out a long-lost little notebook and write Jean's name inside.
A daughter of the Gunnhildr Clan—this grudge, I'll remember it!
Hmph. Just you wait!
In truth, Eula had already been prepared. She wanted to invite Rowan to Dragonspine for skiing and a bath together—
And she was even planning to dance a sacrificial ritual dance for him.
Who would've thought Jean would get there first?
Honestly, the best choice for this trip to Liyue would've been Eula.
Or Amber.
Because these two, more or less, both had connections to Liyue.
Jean did too, but hers was the weakest.
The most suitable was obviously Eula.
Eula had once studied under a Scout Knight from Liyue—that person was Amber's grandfather, which was also why Amber was suitable.
Not only that, Eula had once rescued someone at Port Ormos—this person was a half-illuminated beast…
Yanfei, the famous legal expert of Liyue Harbor.
After saving Yanfei, the two of them kept in touch. They exchanged letters every month.
Through her correspondence with Yanfei, Eula had also seen the world beyond Mondstadt.
That was why Rowan had once said that if Mondstadt didn't welcome her, she could always choose to leave.
The strong are respected anywhere.
Except in a nation like Mondstadt, where "freedom" goes too far.
It wasn't a joke—given Eula's ability, if she went to the Fatui, she might even earn a seat as a Harbinger. Believe it or not?
Just give her a Delusion.
Rowan wasn't talking nonsense. Eula's combat power might not be Mondstadt's strongest, but she was not inferior to Jean or Diluc at all.
If Diluc could undergo a qualitative change with a Delusion—
Why couldn't Eula?
It was just that this girl was stubborn. She didn't want to leave. She felt that leaving would be betrayal.
So she kept insisting on protecting Mondstadt, even if hardly anyone there liked her, she still protected it anyway.
A girl who was both heartbreaking… and exasperating.
Fortunately, today's Eula had not only broken free from those rumors—she'd also become the Vice Captain of the Knights of Favonius.
Now, which Mondstadter would dare see Eula and not respectfully call her "Vice Captain"?
Especially after her contributions year after year, day after day in the wild were made known.
In short, Eula's life had undergone a complete transformation.
Alright—enough digression.
Eula was the most suitable to go to Liyue, but this time she didn't sign up, so Rowan didn't bring her.
And Amber was also suitable because her grandfather had once been a Liyue native—and Mondstadt's tenth Scout Knight.
Under his leadership, Mondstadt's Scout Knight squad was successfully established.
But after her grandfather disappeared, the Scout Knights gradually vanished as well.
Mainly because Mondstadt's atmosphere had problems to begin with—once they lost their backbone, they became lax, and lost their fighting power.
That was what overdependence looked like.
The Scout Knights were exactly like that. They relied too heavily on Amber's grandfather, and when he disappeared—
Good grief, the whole squad became like loose sand. A mess. In the end, it existed in name only.
Which finally led to the Knights of Favonius having only one Scout Knight left—
Amber.
Those former Scout Knights either transferred to other squads, or left and retired.
Some even turned into ungrateful traitors and claimed Amber's grandfather had defected.
(An old Mondstadt tradition.)
That made young Amber extremely upset and unwilling to accept it. She didn't believe her grandfather would ever flee in the face of battle…
So she desperately wanted to grow up and become a real Scout Knight.
So she could inherit her grandfather's will and find out where he had gone.
More importantly—she wanted to take his place and rebuild a Scout Knight squad belonging to Mondstadt.
With Rowan's suggestion, Amber would use her abilities to train a new batch of Scout Knights for the Knights of Favonius.
A troop type like Scout Knights was extremely important, whether in war or in daily operations.
Intelligence was crucial—know yourself and know your enemy, and you'll win a hundred battles.
That saying wasn't a joke.
You could say it finally fulfilled Amber's lifelong wish. Now Amber was enthusiastically training the Knights.
She probably had no time at all to go to Liyue and see the place where her grandfather had grown up.
"So we're gathered—how are we getting to Liyue?" Paimon asked.
"Are we riding Dvalin?"
Paimon was only curious for a moment before she stopped caring.
Then she looked at Rowan with eager anticipation, wanting to see what method he planned to use to travel to Liyue.
Would he summon Dvalin, the Anemo Dragon of the East Wind?
Or use some other method?
Lumine and Jean were curious too, both turning their gaze to Rowan.
Only Istaroth wasn't curious—because she already knew how Rowan planned to go to Liyue.
After all, that Golden Ark had appeared right in front of her.
"It's simple!"
"Snap!"
With everyone so curious, Rowan didn't keep them guessing. He raised a hand and snapped his fingers.
Then, under the stunned gazes of Lumine, Paimon, Jean, and the Mondstadt citizens around them—
Golden ripples spread, and a massive pure-gold ship slowly emerged from within.
The moment this Golden Ark appeared, it was as if the entire sky was flooded with golden light.
In that instant, all of Windrise Plaza turned gold.
"Wooooah!!!!" Paimon snapped back to her senses and screamed.
Then, without warning anyone, she flew straight onto the Golden Ark without hesitation.
When Lumine recovered, she hesitated and said,
"This is how you're going to Liyue… isn't it a bit too high-profile?"
(End of Chapter)
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