Amos sat alone in her chamber. On the stone table, several parchment maps of Mondstadt were spread out, completely unmarked—just like her chaotic thoughts that could find no outlet at this moment.
Outside the window was the howling of the eternally unchanging wind wall.
Beneath the fragile calm between the nobles and the commoners, the accumulated contradictions were deepening, like dry firewood piling up, waiting for just a single spark.
The King said an External God had infiltrated Mondstadt... Was it those two foreigners? Had they not given up yet?
She recalled the faces of Coppelia and Columbina.
But the cracks had existed before their arrival. After they came, although there was some commotion in the city, it hadn't evolved into true turmoil. If they were truly determined to get that "treasure," how could they behave with such... restraint?
She ruled out the option of the foreigners.
The root of the problem still lay with those leech-like nobles.
They must be made to cough up some benefits to ease the conflict. Otherwise, the people's patience and faith in the King would sooner or later be exhausted, and the King would truly become a "Solitary King."
But as soon as this thought arose, she snuffed it out herself.
Those fools, with brains containing only their coin purses and authority—how could they possibly make concessions voluntarily?
What chilled her heart even more was another possibility:
What if the King... chose to protect them anyway?
Amos's gaze fell upon the bow at the corner of the table, which had accompanied her for many years.
The bow's lines were fluid, gleaming with a cold white luster.
She reached out and gripped it tightly, the cold sensation spreading from her palm.
A trace of ferocity flashed in the depths of her eyes.
Perhaps, she could no longer count on change from the top down.
Just then, the hurried footsteps of guards and a reporting voice came from outside the door: "Lord Amos! Several cavalrymen guarding the armory say there is urgent military intelligence! They claim to possess clues regarding the External God stealing weapons and demand an immediate audience with the King!"
Amos's eyes sharpened; she stood up immediately, grabbing her bow.
...
At the entrance to the high tower, in front of the massive stone platform.
The white-robed attendant Hector had already led several cavalrymen, looking nervous yet slightly excited, onto the stone platform.
The power of the wind was gathering beneath the platform, preparing to lift it toward the tower's summit.
Just then, a white figure leaped lightly onto the stone platform, landing steadily on the edge. It was Amos. She held that powerful white bow in her left hand, her expression calm, but her eyes scrutinizing.
Hector frowned. "Amos, why have you come? The King has not summoned you."
Amos did not answer. She raised the bow level with her left hand and placed her right hand on the string. With her movement, a white arrow condensed purely from light appeared out of thin air upon the bowstring. The arrowhead dipped slightly, yet it flickered with a heart-palpitating radiance.
The rest of Hector's words came to an abrupt halt; he shut his mouth, a trace of apprehension flashing in his eyes. The cavalrymen were even more frightened, shrinking their necks and unconsciously huddling closer to Hector.
Amos's gaze swept over the cavalrymen, her voice devoid of emotion. "The moment the incident occurred, you bypassed all superiors and came directly to report it?"
The lead cavalryman felt his blood run cold under her stare but braced himself and nodded.
Amos released her right hand from the string, and the arrow of light vanished as silently as it had appeared. She looked at them no longer, turning to walk to the front edge of the stone platform, standing with her back to the group, gazing at the surging gales ahead.
Only then did the cavalrymen let out a breath of relief, feeling their backs soaked with cold sweat.
Amidst the howling wind, the stone platform rose steadily, reaching the top of the tower.
The moment they stepped into the domain of the throne, Hector immediately stepped forward quickly, bowing to report: "My King! The External God lurking within the city has finally lost patience and acted personally! Just now, it used strange methods to ambush the Knightly Order's armory and steal weapons! A full one thousand pieces! Its wolfish ambition is now clearly revealed!"
He then signaled the cavalrymen behind him to come forward and explain the situation.
The lead cavalryman took a deep breath and recounted the events in full detail—how the weapons had strangely vanished into a cloud of dust, and their conjectures regarding the "abnormal wind" and the "workings of an External God."
Although he muttered internally about the weapon count changing from three hundred to one thousand, under Hector's glaring stare, he continued to speak as instructed.
Amos listened quietly from the side, saying not a word.
When the cavalryman finished, Hector bowed again, his tone becoming increasingly sorrowful. "My King! The External God is so rampant because the people's hearts are wavering, giving it an opportunity! We implore you to seize this chance to hold a grand ceremony, gathering all citizens in the plaza to bathe in your holy gales for three days! Only in this way can the bewitchment of the External God be thoroughly dispelled and peace returned to Mondstadt!"
Amos glared at Hector. These guys... they want to terrorize the populace? Do they want to intensify the conflict even further?!
Above the throne, the fierce winds spiraled, and that magnificent voice resounded: "Permitted."
Amos's eyes turned cold. She immediately seized the opportunity, stepping forward and speaking clearly:
"My King, Hector is correct. Faith must be pure. However, these cavalrymen bypassed their superiors to meet you directly. Though their hearts may be sincere, it shows that the Knightly Order is not of one mind! I believe the Knightly Order and the internal noble administration may not be a unified block; their loyalty also requires scrutiny."
She raised her head slightly, her gaze sweeping over Hector's instantly soured face, and continued, "To demonstrate your justice and equality, I suggest that for this ceremony, all nobles and their families must also participate fully. Let them bathe in the divine wind alongside the commoners, to show their resolve to live and die with Mondstadt!"
That magnificent voice replied with almost no hesitation: "Reasonable."
The cavalrymen who had brought the report were dumbfounded, their legs going weak. They had intended to fish for some credit, so how did they end up dragging themselves and all the nobles into this?
Standing for three days in those gales that could tear skin and flesh?!
Hector's face was ashen. He hurriedly tried to speak up for the nobles again: "My King, the nobles bear the responsibility of management. If..."
Before he could finish his sentence, a sudden change occurred!
Above the cyan-gray wind wall to the east, countless bright white spots suddenly erupted without warning!
Those spots were like boiling water, violently impacting and eroding the wind wall, emitting a muffled roar like thunder!
"Andrius—!"
From the throne came a low growl filled with anger.
Decarabian's body instantly erupted with even more violent gales. Cyan light shone brilliantly as he exerted his full strength to stabilize the wind wall under attack. The airflow atop the entire tower became chaotic and dangerous.
...
Outside the wind wall.
The King of the North Wind, Andrius, wrapped in a furious blizzard strong enough to tear the earth asunder, slammed again and again into the sturdy wind wall.
The aftershocks of the storm plowed through the ground, and hard rocks were ground into fine powder under the crushing power.
Venti hid behind a massive ice rock, his small body pressed tightly against the freezing ground to avoid being swept away by the devastating turbulence of the storm.
Hope this buys some time... The next part of the plan must go smoothly!
Seeing that Andrius's attack had fully commenced, Venti lingered no longer. His body glowing with flowing cyan light, he flew rapidly toward the east like an arrow released from the string.
He still had to find another reinforcement.
If the relationship between Time and Wind is truly as close as Coppelia described, then that entity should not ignore my wish.
Istaroth!
___
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