After seeing everyone leave, Rover slowly raised his head to look at a distant mountaintop where a figure had been watching for a long time.
"Won't you come out and talk?"
Rover shouted loudly. The black figure hesitated for a long time but soon disappeared from his sight.
"Choosing not to show yourself, huh..."
Rover lowered his blade. The reason he hadn't left with the others was, first, because he had noticed someone watching from the mountaintop during the battle, and second, because he needed more Echoes of various kinds to aid him in combat.
After spending some time sweeping through the Stormterror's Lair, Rover headed back.
...
"You're back."
Amber had been waiting at the gates of Mondstadt as if expecting something. When she saw Rover return, she waved at him.
"Amber?"
Rover looked at the bridge, which was littered with barricades and arrows, clearly indicating that a fierce battle had taken place here.
"Just as you guessed, while Acting Grand Master Jean was away on her mission, monsters launched a large-scale attack on Mondstadt. Luckily, I noticed early and had the Knights prepare in advance. And this was a coordinated assault."
Seeing Rover deep in thought, Amber quickly continued, explaining the whole situation.
"The Knights also issued a notice praising you and Aether for perfectly resolving the dragon crisis."
Rover was taken aback. He hadn't expected Jean to act so quickly. At the same time, he felt a twinge of relief.
If they hadn't dealt with the dragon crisis, Dvalin might have joined the monster army in attacking Mondstadt, making the situation far worse.
"Because of my abrupt absence last time, I wanted to invite you and Aether to another gathering."
Rover nodded and agreed on a time with Amber before entering Mondstadt alone.
The city was in disarray, though fortunately, the damage wasn't severe. As he looked up at the still overcast sky, Rover felt an ominous premonition. Remembering his agreement to meet Venti and the others at the church entrance, he quickened his pace toward the destination.
...
Venti and Aether stepped out of the church one after another, only to find two Fatui Agents lying in ambush behind Venti, ready to capture him. Aether reacted swiftly, unleashing a burst of Anemo energy from his palm to force the Agents back.
Gripping his Dull Blade, Aether narrowed his eyes and stepped forward to pursue, but the next moment, the two Agents vanished into the ground.
A snap echoed through the air, and a chilling current instantly filled the space. Sensing danger, Aether raised his sword to block, while Paimon beside him was frozen solid and blown away.
Venti turned his serious gaze toward the attacker—a lavishly dressed woman with an elegant figure walking toward them.
The Eighth of the Fatui Harbingers, La Signora.
Venti tried to move but soon realized his feet were frozen. Aether attempted to help, but the two Agents reappeared behind him, pinning him to the ground.
"Ah, finally found the little rodent that ran away from home," La Signora said mockingly as she approached Venti, gripping his chin.
"Gnawing on logs, biting through rice sacks, causing so much trouble for Mondstadt..."
Venti calmly interrupted her.
"What you're describing isn't a rodent—it's a rat."
The moment he finished speaking, La Signora slapped him hard across the face. Venti let out a muffled groan.
"Hmph! Do you know how rude it is to interrupt someone? Ill-mannered bard."
Venti clenched his fists, and a gust of wind rose from beneath his feet, gradually shattering the ice trapping him.
This forced La Signora to retreat several steps. A flicker of panic flashed across her face before she quickly regained her composure. She looked down at Venti imperiously as the wind whipped at their clothes.
"Is this all the power left to a god who abandoned his rule over Mondstadt...?"
"That smirk you wear looks out of place. Did you steal it from your master's face?"
Another ruthless interruption. La Signora's eyes grew colder as she watched Venti still struggling. She unleashed the Cryo energy gathered in her palm, sending Venti stumbling backward. In the next instant, she stepped forward and reached into his chest.
"Silver tongue."
With a forceful tug, La Signora ripped the Gnosis from Venti's body. Venti collapsed to the ground as if struck by a devastating blow.
"So this is a Gnosis? It's far less impressive than the exquisite chess pieces I collect."
La Signora held the Gnosis up to the sunlight, admiring it disdainfully.
"Beauty is a waste when the beholder has no taste."
Venti struggled to prop himself up with one hand while clutching his chest with the other.
Infuriated by his retort, La Signora walked over and delivered another vicious kick.
Venti rolled once before losing consciousness.
"Venti!"
Aether's pupils trembled violently. He wanted to act, but the two Agents held him down firmly, rendering him immobile.
In that moment, he felt utterly useless—unable to protect his companion.
La Signora glanced at Venti, her anger subsiding slightly. Clutching the Gnosis, she turned away.
"Whatever. No point wasting time on a god. The Gnosis is already in hand. Let's go—before the Knights arrive. Leave no traces."
The two Fatui Cicin Mages behind her turned away indifferently. Seeing La Signora's signal, the Agents prepared to knock out Aether, who was still pinned to the ground.
But then La Signora froze—because she saw someone.
A figure slowly drawing his blade. Under the dark clouds, the glint of steel was blinding.
"That's the one called Rover, right? Kill him."
La Signora recalled the two individuals marked for attention in the intelligence reports. Based on Aether's performance, he was just a small fry—two Cicin Mages would be more than enough to handle this.
With that thought, she didn't even bother to look at Rover properly, brushing past him instead. The next moment, the sounds of combat erupted—and just as quickly, silence fell.
La Signora yawned, still relishing the image of Venti's humiliation in her mind. It had put her in a splendid mood.
"Did I permit you to leave?"
La Signora stiffened, turning back in surprise.
Rover stood with his blade in his left hand, his right gripping a Cicin Mage by the throat, his foot planted on another. His icy side-glance sent a shiver down La Signora's spine.
The two Agents exchanged a glance, knocked out Aether, and charged at Rover.
Without hesitation, Rover hurled the Cicin Mage in his grip. A surge of Spectro energy erupted mid-air, freezing the Agents in place before blasting them away. They ended up in the same state as Venti.
Rover kicked the barely conscious Cicin Mage at his feet, sending her tumbling to La Signora's feet.
La Signora's face twisted with rage. She hadn't expected anyone to dare humiliate her like this, beating her subordinates half to death.
"Very well. I don't mind spending a little more time to deal with you."