"There's more... The Abyss Order has a name for this leader... They call them "The Monarch"."
"Monarch..." You mutter under your breath.
'"The monarch" he says? Then could that mean... the leader of the abyss... isn't my sibling?'
'The original MC got a response either 'prince or princess' because our sibling was the leader!'
You mentally screech. 'Are the leaders switched? Did they make it so that I can't identify who the leader is?'
You cross your arms and clench your gloves tightly. Overthinking wouldn't be good in this situation.
'Am I never gonna find my siblings because of this??'
In the middle of your mind predicament, Kaeya speaks up. "Now, I'm sorry to cut this intelligence briefing short, but I do spy Amber heading this way..."
You glance over your shoulder to see the familiar brunette approaching.
"I think she's still angry with me for my absence from the defense effort during the attack... I'd better slip away before she notices me."
'After he leaves, Amber will talk to me, then I'll go to Mondstadt cathedral, chase after Venti and...' your thought process drifts off.
"Wait Kaeya, before you leave.." you quickly raise your hand towards him. "..Have you thought of my proposal yet?"
He halts and turns back. "What proposal was it? I suppose you'll have to jog my memory."
"It's about the proposal of joining my adventures"
He hums in deep thought. "Oh, yes. I do remember that proposal."
"Have you decided to join me on my travels?" you ask earnestly.
"As a matter of fact, yes I have. You proposed it during our quest. As tempting as it sounds, I did mention I'd think about it."
'He hasn't decided yet..'
You retract your arm and smiled. "Alright, take as much time as you need. After all, the Knights of Favonius is one of your top priorities."
"Whoa there, I didn't say I wouldn't join you." he grins. "Actually, I might accept your offer, (Y/n)."
An irritated tic appeared on your head. Perhaps he forgot this offer was an alternative to repay for his manipulation tricks in the last story quest.
"So is it a yes or no?" You sent him a close eyed smile.
"Of course, I'd fancy to join you and your adventures." he replies - a wave of relief flooding over you.
'Huh..? What'd he say? Did he truly mean it? Oh my Archon. Kaeya is joining my party! Let's GOOO--'
You actually pause and grin sincerely. "Wait, really? That's great! Whoa man, I didn't actually expect you to--"
"On one condition." he cheekily adds.
You sweatdrop at that. "What condition would that be..?"
"I'll only join you in your travels if we occasionally go back to Mondstadt. As you mentioned earlier, my duty as Knight of Favonius is one of my priorities. That remains true. So, if you're able to provide my requirements, then we can travel together."
Paimon scratches her head, "That's it?" she turns to you. "Suspiciously, it doesn't seem like he's asking for much."
"I accept your requirements." You say bluntly. "I'd like to re-visit Mondstadt as well someday. Are you alright with joining my adventures now?"
He grins. "Well, that was fast. But since you accept those terms then... I suppose there's no holding back. This is still technically my repay for my old tricks. I'm officially part of your journey, (Y/n)."
'Kaeya has joined your party.' you think as if you're in a video game.
You clasp your hands together in joy. "That's wonderful! Now, I know you're busy but I'd like for you and I to meet at Windrise, Tomorrow."
He gave you a quick nod. He was about to ask why but he notices Amber and swiftly walks away. It wasn't long until Amber arrived and see the Cavalry Captain walk off.
Amber huffs. "One minute I see Kaeya, the next he's slipped away!"
"He does a lot behind the scenes.." you mention.
She shifts her attention to you. "Are you sure? Because that sounds exactly what he'd say to talk himself out of trouble..." she sighs. "Let's forget about him. I worked super hard today and my tummy's rumbling! Let's order!"
You look behind to see the lady behind the Good Hunter stand. Amber grins. "Hi Sara! One Sticky Honey Roast please!"
The two of you took a seat in a table while waiting for your order. Paimon was floating beside you while Amber spoke up.
"So. Now that the stormterror threat is behind us, what are your plans for the next trip?"
You tap your fingers lightly on the wooden table, you hum. "I think it's time to leave Mondstadt, and keep looking through Teyvat until we find clues about my siblings."
"Huh, really?" Amber casts her gaze down on the floor. "Oh... well, I guess this is goodbye for now..."
"I'll miss Mondstadt and my Favonian friends." you rest your chin on top of your palm.
She looks back. "Hey, don't feel down! You'll always be a friend of the Knights of Favonius and our Honorary Knight. Wherever you may go, and wherever the wind will blow."
"Let the Wind lead!" you say jokingly, "Anyways, don't worry. I'll come back and visit."
"That's the spirit! Remember, Mondstadt will always welcome you." The brunette beams. "Alright, now let's eat before it gets cold!"
You had a relaxing meal with Amber along with Paimon. Once you finished, you couldn't help but drift back to your initial thoughts.
'Yeah, Kaeya mentioned the abyss leader earlier! They were called 'The Monarch.' It was really shocking!'
You sigh internally. 'Even a god would be surprised to learn about the abyss leader..!'
'Yes, indeed, whoever the abyss leader is - probably has a correlation with my sibling.' you mentally sob.
You hum and lean downwards, a frown present on your face. Unfortunately, Paimon was busy inhaling the food, so you'd have to wait for her to finish. Conversations can be saved for later.
After Amber finished eating, she chats with Paimon for a while about food recommendations. Then, she suddenly remembers something.
She turns to you. "Oh, I almost forgot to mention... Jean's waiting for you at the Cathedral. It's something to do with Holy Lyre der Himmel... You'd better head there now."
"Alright, thanks for letting me know." you stand up and sent her one last look. "I'll see you later."
Paimon comes with you. "Let's go!"
You left Good hunter and venture on towards the Mondstadt Cathedral. Mid-way while walking to said location, you had a chilling realization. The next events would not be very pleasant.
Your floating companion takes notice and raises an eyebrow. "Hey hey, why'd you stop walking? Is something wrong?
'During this part, the traveler never acknowledge the possibility of danger outside the Cathedral.'
'In the game, following the chase after Venti goes outside the Cathedral, a Fatui member ambushes them as they never saw it coming...'
'So, what on Terra is stopping me from calling backup allies?'
You turn back and went around to look for someone. Paimon is baffled by your sudden change in demeanor. A certain red-head was still in Mondstadt, you think.
'I need to find Diluc. The Knights of Favonius aren't inefficient, but they're certainly short-sighted when it comes to the Fatui.'
'So, I'll be needing the vigilant guardian of Mondstadt.'
'And that vigilant happens to be a certain red head.'
Shortly afterwards running around Mondstadt, you find Diluc in his tavern. Your eyes lit up at the sight of the man.
"(Y/n) why are you running? Wait for Paimon!" she huffs behind you.
The sound of her high-pitched voice gains the attention of Diluc. He shifts his gaze to see you and your companion.
"Oh (Y/n), it's nice to see you again. Though, I thought you were exhausted from the battle... Anyways, what brings you here?"
You sent a worried glance. "I need your help with something."
"And what would that happen to be?" he suddenly sound serious, because you sound more urgent than before.
"It's about..." you look around before whispering. "..It's about the Fatui. I may sound paranoid but I need to truly say this; Could you watch over me outside the Mondstadt Cathedral?"
He's silent for a moment. "The Fatui? They're still here? What are those rascals up to this time..?" he crosses his arms. "This request sounds serious.. I'd like to help against the Fatui, but I need an explanation first."
'You got his help! This is a great sign. Now, time to filter the truth a little.'
You nod. "I have a feeling we might get ambushed by the Fatui at some point. They're not satisfied with the outcome of Mondstadt's situation. So there might be a possibility that their still inside this nation.."
He takes in this profound information with silence - an indication to urge you to continue.
"They'll strike at the moment the Knights of Favonius are absent. That's why I went to you, for help. Not that I don't trust the Knights, but they easily overlook the Fatui underneath their noses."
He sighs. "They've always been like that. Always ineffectual." he glances at you. "So, you'd fancy me to guard outside the cathedral?"
"Yes, but you need to be really hidden." you warn and sent him a gentle smile. "You know what the Fatui are like, please be very careful..."
"No need to worry, I've dealt with them before." he lightly reassures. "But how are you going to face them? What'd happen if they ambush you?" he continues to list down the possible outcomes.
"You'll protect me, wouldn't you?" You ask him in a soft voice - making him turn silent.
"Well, you're not wrong..." He mutters and then let out a small exhale. "Alright fine. What's the plan?"
You grin as you proceed to explain your plan. Both you and Diluc made a compromise, meanwhile Paimon floated during the whole time, bewildered during the events as she watched you two.
--Timeskip to Mondstadt Cathedral--
Making your way to the cathedral, you find Venti and Jean waiting for you two. Jean introduces you to Barbara, the deaconess of the church.
You nervously smile and held out to her the damaged lyre, much to her dismay. Venti sighed and repairs the lyre, then Barbara takes it and runs off, intending to never let it out of her sights again.
Venti turns back around to face all of you. "...We ah... really should get going..." He began walking around like a detective. "That trick I used to 'repair' the Lyre... hehe I mean the magic I used... Isn't going to hold forever you know."
"What!?" Your companions were taken aback by this revelation.
You reach out to him but he quickly sprints away with a cheeky grin.
"You Tone-Deaf Bard!" Paimon yells in frustration. "Hey, Don't go!"
You start darting after Venti as you leave Jean behind.
~~~~~~~
The empty cathedral intensified the sound of your running footsteps. As soon you exit the Cathedral, you were ambushed by some Fatui agents.
"Come here you Fatui fools!" you yell as you cast a breezy tornado after them.
You halt and turn back to Venti. The cutscene was officially starting and you'd not let the Fatui outsmart you this time. A glimpse of blond hair appears before you were blown away with ice-cold wind.
With a snap of her finger, she summons icy wind currents towards your direction.
Out of the corner of your eye, Paimon was frozen into a ball while Venti's legs were frozen in ice, rendering him immobile. Soon, the icy-cold wind blurred your point of view.
You mentally panic, trying to look at every part of the scene before opening your glider out of instinct. Suddenly feeling light above the ground, you were then sent flying above and beside the cathedral.
A woman with blonde hair and edgy appearance walks up with two Fatui guards behind her.
"At last, Mondstadt's rodent ruler in the flesh." she grins smugly.
Shivers went down your spine metaphorically and physically.
Under the shade of the buildings, a certain red-head grits his teeth in anger, but waits for his signal.
Dragging your eyes downwards, the first thing you saw is the face of a Fatui Harbinger you've seen before. For the meantime, you were stunned. Frozen still whilst gliding the night sky.
'La Signora. One of the Fatui Harbingers. I forgot what number of the members she is. I couldn't care less about which number she is. She's actually here!'
"Scurrying through the streets, looking for leftovers..." La Signora strides over to the scene.
Menace and authority were evident in her voice. Her Fatui guards following behind her like her servants.
If her confident smirk wasn't an obvious indication of her control over the situation, then Venti's immobile body certainly is.
She aggressively grabs his face. "Mondstadt calls this a god?"
Venti speaks up. "Resident rodent... beats invasive vermin--" he instantly gets a blow to the face.
"Venti!" You call out in the sky - watching the scene from above.
'No way... she actually punched him straight in the face!' you mentally panic. 'this scene is more brutal than I imagined.'
The impact of the action caused you to drop down from your glider. You raise your sword as soon as you land, and then strike to the ground to land safely.
'This is risky but screw it!'
La Signora glances behind Venti to see you, then the Fatui members immediately try to run and apprehend you. However, you think fast and sent an extreme wind attack right towards the woman herself and her assistants.
She raises her arm in defense and glares back at you. "Argh. That little friend of yours seems worried about this rodent. Wouldn't she realize she's being impudent?" she mocks.
'Oh, so NOW she's mimicking Venti's poem rhymes.' you roll your eyes.
Despite putting on a brave facade, you felt your stomach drop at the scene. You sweatdrop at the unfair power advantage of the situation.
Her smirks falls back in place, control evident on her demeanor. "No matter. I've gotten rid of pests in the past, this will be no different."
Before La Signora could do any move, you let out a bold and sudden call.
"Ignite!"
Burst of flames alike to missiles penetrates through the cold atmosphere, sending everyone except you in a moment of bafflement. As La Signora is still trying to recover, Diluc runs through the roaring fire and attacks her.
Raising the claymore above his head to strike - to which she notices, she blocks his attack with a weak ice blow. Her Fatui assistants instantly went to their Harbinger's side.
With the Fatui members distracted, you kick them through the knees causing them to stumble back. They tried to apprehend you but you swiftly bolt away. You carry your sword and back up Diluc.
"(Y/n)! Master Diluc!" Venti hollers in absolute distress. You turn to look at him. He was still stuck in his frozen knee predicament.
"Diluc!" You exclaim with relief as you run towards him before getting hit by ice. It strikes too hard, to the point you felt as if ice entered your vision. You let out a muffled shout. You can't see.
"NO!" Both of them yell. Until then, Venti began manifesting anemo energy and building up a strong bright hurricane. "Hang on, (Y/n). Just you wait..!" He tries to create a stronger cyclone.
Diluc glowers then turns to the side to see the main culprit, it was the Fatui Harbinger. "You scummy scoundrel..." he started approaching them as his face is scrunched up in fury.
He sends out his flaming phoenix until they slip away from his view. However, as the Fatui member slips away, Diluc's fire phoenix unintentionally forges into Venti's hurricane. Therefore, recreating the flaming tornado once more.
Diluc proceeds to attack the Fatui members fiercely as you try to deal with the Fatui Harbinger herself.
La Signora watches her servants suffering in shock. "You absolute fools..! You saw this coming, didn't you?" she glares at your unmoving figure, you're temporarily blinded by the ice.
It was Venti's turn to smirk. "That frown of yours looks out of place, did you steal it from your master's face?" he says.
Her expression turns dark before running through the flaming tornado, striking him straight to the gut. "Should've held your tongue." you couldn't see the situation but you assume this was the part Venti's gnosis gets stolen.
The flaming tornado soon wears off and the cold wind replaces it. Though you still felt occasional heat coming from somewhere the place.
"So, this is a gnosis." she observes the tiny object intently. "Wouldn't be caught dead wearing this ugly thing in public."
'She's calling a gnosis 'ugly'? Does she not realize that her leader literally has the same thing as them?'
You simmer. "That 'Tsaritsa' of yours has that 'ugly thing' too! Did you forget what you came here to do? Sitting for her beck and call like a voodoo!? "
Even without sight, you could feel her anger intensify with every word you laced with malice.
"Beauty is a waste... when the beholder has no taste.." Venti said - it was the last nail in the coffin. He attempts to crawl away but gets kicked by La Signora to the side.
"You impudent rats keep your mouths shut." Her voice slowly sounding as cold as her cryo powers. She scoffs and turns her head away. "Well, we have what we came here for."
But her servants didn't respond. See, Diluc was beating them up during the whole ordeal. When La Signora looks at them, she's slightly taken aback at the sight.
Diluc wipes a bit of dirt from his mouth with his hand. He looks at the scene. "The Fatui.. Of course you'd strike the moment Knights of Favonius are absent. Not that they're capable anyway."
"So this is the little rat's backup bodyguard." The Fatui Harbinger sees the red-head and then scowls at you. "You cunning little..." she sighs before commanding her servants. "Enough of this tomfoolery. We've caused too much of a scene. We must leave at once."
She clutches the gnosis before turning her back. "Come. Before our Favonian friends arrive. Leave nothing for them to find."
The limping members knocked out Venti, however, they were unsuccessful with you and Diluc. They soon gave up and immediately follow behind La Signora like kicked puppies.
As soon as Diluc sprints to try to stop them, the Fatui had disappeared in a strange mist.
"Where did they go!?" You yell, almost stumbling - Diluc luckily caught you before you hit the ground.
"They escaped. I don't have a clue how, but you need to heal first." He says sternly. He raises his hand and gently inspects the ice frozen on your face. "...(Y/n). Look at me. Can you see me?"
"..No." you whisper, still blinded by the ice attack from earlier. All you could see was a black abyss.
Diluc sighs, thinking of different ways to help you. He had a million possible outcomes for this situation but never expect it to take this turn. He chose the safest option for you for now, which was to find a healer.
"Come on, lay down." He says gently, before choosing to pick you up and carry you. "Hold still."
You obey in silence as you were hoisted up and was carried by the red-head. You felt the gentle rocking sensation as he carries you inside the cathedral. The once-icy wind converts back to a normal warm temperature with the pryo-user.
"Where are we going?" you quietly ask.
"To a healer. I heard some of the nuns can heal you, so that's why we're in the Cathedral."
The eerie but familiar silence of the cathedral welcomed you.
'That's.. That's very thoughtful of him..'
"But what about Venti and Paimon?"
"They'll be fine." He quietly reassures. "They are different from you after all. You know of Venti's true identity, he can't be beaten easily. As for your companion.. well, she will defrost sooner or later."
That reassured your paranoia for now. "..Thank goodness. But what about me though? I feel really confused. Why can't I see anything?"
"I assume you've been struck by a cryo attack in your eyes by the Fatui. It blinds your eyesight rendering you defenseless. Fortunately, it is only temporary. But that doesn't make it less dangerous."
"I see..." you whisper.
"No, you don't." he replies.
You let out a chuckle and lightly hit his chest. "Alright, Diluc, I get it. I can't see right now."
"Exactly, yet you somehow find humor in this situation." He let out what you could only assume was an exhale of amusement.
"My humor comes at the best of times, to be fair." you half-heartedly joke before resting against his chest.
Either way, the trip inside the cathedral was serene. Diluc's light breathing pattern slowly lulled you to sleep. Your consciousness fading into the dreamworld.
--After much time has passed--
"Hmmph..." you groaned in a groggy tone. Slowly fluttering your eyes open, your vision was blurry.
There was an unfamiliar bright ceiling. It looks like the cathedral's ceiling.
"Hmm...?"
"SHE'S FINALLY AWAKE!!"
A high-pitched yell came from a familiar person floating above you. Her voice scared the living life out of you, causing you to almost bolt up awake. You take notice it was Paimon.
Not long after that call, many footsteps were heard approaching. You turn to see the sight of Jean, Barbara, and Diluc.
'Venti is not here.'
"Ah! Honorary Knight, are you feeling alright!?" Barbara exclaims in worry.
"Do you feel any kind of pain?" Diluc asks.
"I heard about everything that happened yesterday." Jean says with her hand on her chest.
You squint your eyes, adjusting your blurry eyesight of the people in front of you.
You drag yourself to sit up. Rubbing your head, you mutter. "Is Venti, Diluc, and Paimon alright?"
"I'm here." Diluc speaks up, the sight of him alone calms you down. Along with Paimon, you felt relief seeing them being alright.
As for Venti, though...
"Um... I wouldn't say he's "alright", exactly." Barbara mentions nervously. "I found you lying unconscious in Master Diluc's arms, and used my elemental powers to heal you."
You sent the red-head a thankful glance. 'Right, I remember what happened last night.'
"That bard awakened first, but strangely my healing powers had almost no effect on him..." Barbara states that he abruptly left after that.
Jean appeared to understand his intentions, while you decide to keep quiet about Venti's god identity for her sake.
Jean clears her throat. "Now, for the important matter at hand. I heard everything I needed to know from Master Diluc."
'Did Diluc tell her everything that happened last night?'
"The Fatui have done something vile towards the Hero of Mondstadt and the go..." she glances at Barbara and rethinks her words. "and the go-to vigilante of Mondstadt."
'Nice save, Jean!' you chuckle lightly.
She shuts her eyes with a frown. "Due to the already-tense relations between Mondstadt and Sneznhaya, we see no reason keep in touch with the snowy nation."
Your eyes widen slightly. "What..?" 'Where is she going with this?'
"Diplomatic pressure to kill Dvalin, hurting you and Venti, and even an eyewitness testimony from Diluc. All of these malicious incidents are piling up, I no longer see good reasons to keep relations with the Fatui 'diplomats'."
"Wait, really!?" Paimon exclaims. Jean nods in response.
"Yes, despite their public façade of a benevolent group that seems to engage with merchants and politicians with friendly proposals, their infamy is already too obvious." Jean says sternly.
"That's... quite surprising." was all you could say. 'How would the Tsaritsa react?'
Diluc folds his arms. "Is that what you think, (Y/n)? Personally, I'd think it was only a matter of time until we cut ties from the fatuous fatui."
"This was just sudden.." you mutter.
"Don't worry about the effects of this action on Mondstadt, alright? If you're worried about our economy, we still have our neighboring trading partner: Liyue..." Jean rambles on about how Mondstadt is fine without Snezhnaya.
"Wait, did you say Liyue?" you tilt your head upwards.
'Liyue, as in the next nation? Oh, right! I already finished Mondstadt's archon quests. That means I must head to Liyue for the Rite of Descension!'
Jean confirms that she mentioned Liyue. She asks why you're curious until you respond that it was the next nation you were going to visit. As soon as you were about to leave - you remember something.
"Wait Barbara, how did you heal me again?" you backtrack.
"Erm.. with my elemental powers.. why do you ask?" she says.
"Do you have any advice or books about healing? I fear that this may not be the last time I'll get injured, so I'd like to learn some first aid tips."
She beams at that and swiftly runs into the cathedral rooms and pops back in with a special-looking book.
"Here, Honorary Knight. You may use this in your healing practices if you'd like! It's alright if you don't return it, as long as you learn something new!"
"Really? Thanks!" You grab the book and put it away. You glance at your companions. "We really have to get going now, thank you for healing me, see you later!"
You grab Diluc and Paimon's hand, despite their protests, before heading straight towards the symbol of Mondstadt's hero; Windrise.
--Timeskip to windrise--
"Why exactly have you brought me here?" Diluc gazes up towards the large tree in the distance.
"It's a surprise that you'll soon find out later." you wink at him in secret.
Then, the three of you head towards the grassy hills, walking straight to the large tree in Windrise. Surprisingly Paimon was quiet, mostly sleepy from being defrosted.
"By the way, Diluc, I want to just say thanks for saving me yesterday." you start.
He sends you one of his rare smiles, a reassuring one. "Not a problem. I hope you take care of yourself next time, (Y/n)."
You cracked a small grin over to the long red-haired man. "I will. I wouldn't forget this either. Thank you alot..."
"I suppose you owe me one. But since we already know about each other's secrets... I guess we're on even grounds now." he says. "Although my part doesn't feel that fulfilling.."
"Actually, about that. I think I can make it feel fulfilling. I have a proposal for you.." You smiled, nearing the Windrise tree. "You might be busy but still.. I'd like you to join my adventures in Teyvat."
He's silent for a while, mentally contemplating his thoughts. He watched, the smile on his lips beginning to fall. "I just may take you up on that offer, (Y/n)."
"Take your time." you say softly.
As you arrive at windrise, you both were taken by surprise by someone's appearance. Not only did you see Venti healing, but the Cavalry Captain himself was standing nearby the tree, seemingly expecting to see someone.
Diluc looks up with an unreadable expression - you assume he's baffled by the two's appearance.
His gaze landed on Kaeya, you swear you see Diluc furrow his brows in confusion.
"What is he doing here?" He mutters under his breath.