Durandal, Jean had never heard such a name in her memory.
But her attire reminded Jean of rumors she had heard from Amber before. Rumors said that when a certain Adventurer encountered danger in the Cape Oath area, a girl dressed splendidly saved her.
There were also some people who came to Cape Oath at night and occasionally found a girl sitting on the cliff edge, gazing at the silent night sky.
Jean hadn't paid much attention to these, but upon truly meeting the subject of these rumors, she felt a bit unsettled.
The black plague, this should be Durandal's title. This title shouldn't have been given to her by others based on her appearance and clothing; if that were the case, she should have received the title 'Black Princess,' not an ominous title like 'the black plague.'
Considering how she referred to herself, could it be... she was a God hidden in Mondstadt? This possibility was very high, but Mondstadt had never heard of a terrifying enemy here at Cape Oath.
Was she overthinking it? Was Durandal not as terrifying as she imagined? Just like her senior, though usually expressionless, he was a reliable and respectable person.
"Although the toxins in your body have been absorbed by me, your body still needs a few days to recover. Stay here for this period; the Abyss Order won't disturb you."
Durandal coldly left these words, and after leaving Jean a few Sunsettia and Apple, she departed.
Every time, she would bring Jean enough food and water, allowing Jean to rest peacefully in the cave without needing to go out to find food.
Unconsciously, Jean had been here for two days. After this period of rest, she had recovered basic mobility.
In fact, as soon as she could move, Jean had already expressed her desire to leave to Durandal. As the Acting Grand Master of Mondstadt, many matters depended on her.
Facing Jean's plea to leave, Durandal merely looked at her coldly and asked, "Do you want to die?" This question made Jean dare not say anything further.
Was this... was she worried about her? What a novel way to show concern, making one feel as if not obeying her would lead to being killed.
Fortunately, Durandal did not restrict her freedom. She could move freely in the nearby area, otherwise, she would have been stifled in the cave for these two days.
Besides, some things were not convenient to do in a cave. Even though Durandal also had a feminine appearance, some things... were still not good to do.
That evening, Jean left the cave, wanting to feel the Anemo of Mondstadt. Not far, she noticed Durandal sitting by the shore, alone, gazing at the sky.
Around her were many animals, including deer, rabbits, and birds—animals that are usually very easily startled by humans.
Surprisingly, they showed no fear towards Durandal; instead, they were very affectionate towards her. Some rabbits even lay on her lap, and a little bird nested on her head.
Every animal lay around Durandal, a scene of remarkable harmony. Durandal seemed to enjoy being depended on by them, gently stroking their bodies, a faint smile gracing her face.
"She... smiled?" Jean said, somewhat incredulously.
In the two days they had spent together, Durandal had never smiled at her, nor shown any change in expression, as if she had no emotions.
She wasn't bad. Seeing such a scene, Jean could basically make that judgment.
Nothing can judge a person better than these small animals. An existence that even small animals aren't afraid of, how could it be evil?
The Shitou in Jean's heart finally settled. A smile returned to her face, and her gaze towards Durandal was no longer filled with vigilance.
Two more days passed, and Jean had basically recovered. She once again became the valiant and heroic Acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius—Jean.
"Thank you very much for your care during this time, Durandal," Jean said respectfully to Durandal.
Durandal shook her head: "It's nothing, I just dislike the Abyss Order's way of destroying my flowers, I wasn't specifically taking care of you."
Destroying her flowers? Speaking of which, there were indeed very beautiful flowers in the area where Durandal frequented. So, these flowers were planted by Durandal.
She only took action because the Abyss Order destroyed her flowers. She remembered that they were destroyed during her fight with herself… Uh (⊙o⊙).
Jean's expression stiffened. She seemed to have also participated in the destruction. Would she be alright?
"Since you've recovered, hurry and leave. This area doesn't welcome humans."
After speaking, Durandal waved her hand, sending Jean, who hadn't had a chance to say anything, away.
Having done this, Durandal looked at the big tree nearby and asked, "As per your request, I've sent her away. By rights, she should have stayed to replant the flowers she destroyed."
"Hehe~ Thank you for agreeing to my request, Durandal. Hahahaha~ I knew you'd agree."
A figure lightly jumped down from the tree and came before Durandal with a smile, saying, "Don't worry, even though the flowers were destroyed, they'll grow back quickly. Because of your care, they grow especially fast."
"Spare me the flattery, Barbatos. Your awakening at this time, does it mean something is about to happen in Mondstadt again?"
This unreliable-looking guy in front of her was Mondstadt's Anemo God—Barbatos. She and Durandal were old acquaintances; she had met Barbatos when she first arrived in this world from an alternate dimension rift.
Although a God, he was very different from the Gods in her memory. Even if he was unreliable, Durandal didn't dislike him compared to those annoying Gods.
So, though she never admitted it, Durandal considered him a friend, one of her few friends.
"Hehehe~ I knew you understood me. Mondstadt is indeed in trouble this time. The problem this time is Dvalin; he is in great pain right now."
As soon as this matter was mentioned, Barbatos became melancholic. As his familiar and friend, he really didn't want to see him in his current state.
"Dvalin? Dvalin, the Dragon of the East Wind? I thought you already knew his situation. I didn't expect you still haven't helped him deal with it?"
As his familiar, Barbatos actually didn't help Dvalin with his problems immediately? He was a bit unqualified.
"Wuwu~ By the time I realized it, it was already too late. But, don't I still have you! As long as you're here, Dvalin's problem can be easily solved."
Dvalin's problem stemmed from the blood of the poisoned dragon Durin. Simply put, he was poisoned, and the degree of poisoning was quite severe.
If there was no way to purify the poisoned blood within Dvalin, then he would be transformed into a war machine by the Abyss Order, which Barbatos was unwilling to see.
Barbatos didn't know how to deal with the poisoned blood, but Durandal knew how to handle it.
As the black plague, Durandal could absorb any toxins. As long as she wished, the poisoned blood within Dvalin could be easily removed.
Barbatos came to Durandal this time, besides Jean's matter, also hoping she would come out and help him deal with this.
However… "I refuse. I have no reason to help you, Barbatos."
Although they were friends, Durandal wouldn't be kind enough to help him with such troublesome matters. Besides, this was a hidden danger caused by his slacking off; she didn't need to clean up his mess.
"If you were a little more diligent and could have helped during the time of Durin, Dvalin's problem could have been dealt with at its inception. This is your doing; as a God, you should deal with this yourself."
"Hehe~ How can you say that? You know my situation; my remaining divine power is simply not enough to handle this. Please, do me a favor and help me."
Barbatos stepped forward, leaning against Durandal, and said in a slightly coquettish tone.
"Do your own work. Unless it's absolutely necessary, I won't intervene."
Durandal pushed Barbatos away, reached out and pinched his cheek, saying, "Don't forget how many favors you owe me. You always say you'll repay them, but how many years have passed? I've never seen you repay a single one."
"Wuwu~ We're friends, so don't be so distant."
"Friends… You just use the title of 'friend' as an excuse to procrastinate, Barbatos."
Releasing his cheek, Durandal waved her hand, just as she did when sending Jean away, and sent him out of this area.
With Barbatos's current strength, he could easily return, but he didn't. It seemed he wasn't going to continue persuading her.
After confirming that Barbatos had left, Durandal remained silent for a moment, then said, "Why didn't he come back to find me again?"
If he had pleaded with her again, she probably would have agreed to his request.
Never mind. Since he didn't shamelessly beg her, it meant the situation hadn't escalated to a too serious degree.
She extended her hand, and a small bird flew to her hand: "Keep an eye on the situation in Mondstadt City and tell me what's been happening recently."
"Chirp, chirp, chirp~"
Jean, leaving Cape Oath, quickly returned to Mondstadt City. Only a few days' absence felt like a very long time.
The guard standing at the gate saw Jean's appearance and immediately rushed over: "Acting Grand Master Jean, you're finally back. It's truly wonderful that you're alright."
Mondstadt City had fallen into considerable trouble due to Jean's disappearance. If it continued for a few more days, it would probably descend into chaos.
"I'm fine, thank you for your concern."
Jean greeted every passing Knight and returned to the Knights of Favonius headquarters at the fastest speed.
Entering the office, she saw a witch sitting in her seat, wearily processing documents. When she saw Jean enter, her eyes lit up.
"You're finally back, Jean."
"Yes, I made you worry, Lisa. You've worked hard these past few days."
Given Lisa's personality, asking her to help with her affairs was truly difficult for her.
"Since you know, then give me a holiday. I haven't rested for several days to deal with these matters."
"Go ahead, you can leave the rest to me."
Taking her seat, Jean was about to start working when she suddenly remembered something and called out to Lisa, who was about to leave.
"Wait a moment, Lisa. I have something I want to ask you."
"What is it? What do you want to know?"
"Do you… know the black plague?"