Chapter 61 — The Lawrence Clan's Road to Self-Destruction
After Kael and the others finished their meal, Jean hurried back to the Knights of Favonius Headquarters to handle paperwork that had likely piled up in her absence. Eula, too, rose from her seat and prepared to leave — but before she departed, she turned to Kael and said firmly,
> "Let's meet again tomorrow morning… at Jean's residence."
Kael nodded. "I'll be there."
Eula gave a faint, almost imperceptible smile — the kind that lasted only a heartbeat — before vanishing into the crowd.
Once the night had deepened, Kael, Barbara, Ying, and Paimon returned home. But as they approached the door, a familiar, carefree melody drifted through the wind.
And sitting on the railing outside their house, strumming a lyre, was a figure dressed in green.
"Heh~ Wind and song, always guide the soul back home!"
"Wait—! It's that bard!" Paimon shouted, her eyes widening.
Barbara blinked. "That bard…? You mean Venti?"
The Deaconess tilted her head curiously. It was surprising — she'd seen him performing countless times in the plaza, yet somehow, this was the first time she saw him look serious.
Lumine, meanwhile, frowned slightly. She felt something strange about him — a divine aura buried beneath his carefree façade.
"Hey there! Hello, Traveler! Hello, Paimon!" Venti waved cheerfully, hopping off the railing.
"Venti! You vanished earlier without saying anything!" Paimon huffed, puffing up her cheeks. "We thought something bad happened to you!"
"Hehe, relax~ I'm a Vision holder, remember?" Venti replied, shaking his Anemo Vision with a playful twirl. "I can handle myself! Besides, fate brought us together — I treated you to a drink, you treated me to grilled fish. Once the meal ended, I had to let the wind carry me elsewhere!"
Paimon crossed her arms, squinting suspiciously. "…That kind of makes sense, but I still don't trust you."
Venti only grinned and turned toward Kael. "Kael, I was hoping you'd come. Care to watch a performance with me?"
Kael raised an eyebrow. "A play?" he asked, intrigued. "What kind of performance are we talking about?"
Venti's eyes glimmered. "Oh, it's not the kind you'll find in a theater… but trust me, the audience will never forget it."
Kael understood immediately — this wasn't about music or art.
The real show was about to begin.
---
They didn't mention the Good Hunter incident that had occurred earlier. There was no need. Those who mattered already knew what had transpired — and those who didn't were better off ignorant.
After all, Kael wasn't just another man.
He was a force of balance, a walking contradiction between divinity and mortality.
Some gods would have turned a blind eye to such disrespect. Others would have obliterated the entire tavern just to make a point.
If Kael had brought the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles with him that day… the entire upper district of Mondstadt might have vanished in a single heartbeat.
Sometimes, people needed to understand that even in a city of freedom, words carried consequences.
---
Venti exhaled, his tone turning serious — an odd sound coming from him. "You know, Kael, I feel guilty about Eula."
Kael turned to him with mild curiosity. "Guilty?"
"She's one of the best knights Mondstadt has," Venti said quietly. "But her family's name holds her back. The Lawrence Clan's sins still stain her reputation — no matter what she does, people see her as their descendant, not her own person."
He kicked at a small stone on the path. "And now, with her family stirring again… she's going to be dragged down whether she wants it or not."
Kael folded his arms. "So the rumors are true — the Lawrences are moving."
Venti nodded, his expression dimming. "They've started conspiring with the Abyss Order. Schubert Lawrence — Eula's uncle — thinks he can use their power to reclaim control over Mondstadt."
Kael's expression hardened. "There's never a shortage of fools in this world."
"The arrogance of men who once held power," Venti murmured. "They believe if Mondstadt had never been freed, if the aristocracy still ruled, they would be living in luxury instead of shame."
Kael scoffed, his tone cutting. "So they cling to a glory that was never theirs. How pathetic."
---
Inside the house, unaware of what was being discussed, Lumine turned to Barbara.
"Barbara, how much do you know about Venti?" she asked, curiosity lacing her tone.
Barbara smiled. "He's a wandering bard. You can find him performing in the plaza, singing about old heroes and ancient stories. At first, people thought his poems were made-up… but when the Church compared his verses to historical records, they found they were accurate."
She clasped her hands together with admiration. "He's the best bard in all of Mondstadt! And… maybe a little strange, but in a good way."
Lumine's eyes narrowed slightly. So he knows history that no ordinary man could know.
Her instincts were screaming at her — this bard wasn't what he appeared to be.
Barbara smiled warmly, oblivious to the tension. "Anyway, you should rest tonight! Tomorrow's going to be busy."
Paimon yawned midair. "Paimon agrees… Paimon's ready for a nap."
---
Meanwhile, Kael and Venti reached a secluded clearing just beyond the city walls. The night air carried the scent of pine and cold stone, and the faint hum of the ley lines rippled beneath their feet.
Kael stopped walking. "Is this the place?"
"Yeah," Venti said, his usual playfulness gone. "Up ahead. The Lawrence clan is meeting with the Abyss tonight."
Kael's gaze sharpened. "And you want to stop them."
Venti sighed. "I want to see first. Mondstadt is built on the principle of freedom — even the right to destroy oneself. But…" He clenched his fist. "If their foolishness endangers others, then I'll intervene."
Kael chuckled. "You gods and your cryptic logic."
"Freedom doesn't mean chaos," Venti replied. "It means choice. And right now, the Lawrences are choosing ruin."
Kael's expression softened slightly. "You want to use this as a test for Eula."
Venti nodded. "If she can face her family — and reject their past — she can finally be free. Truly free."
Kael tilted his head with a faint grin. "And if she fails?"
Venti strummed his lyre softly. "Then the wind will decide her fate."
Kael looked out toward the distant manor, where flickering torches marked the Lawrence estate. He could already sense the Abyssal energy gathering there — faint, but unmistakable.
"The road to redemption," he said quietly, "always begins with self-destruction."
Venti's eyes glimmered under the moonlight. "Then let us see, Kael… which way the wind blows for the Lawrence name."
---
End of Chapter 61 — The Lawrence Clan's Road to Self-Destruction
---
Next Chapter Preview — Chapter 62: Shadows at the Lawrence Manor
As Kael and Venti infiltrate the Lawrence estate, the truth behind their Abyssal alliance begins to unravel.
Meanwhile, Eula stands at the crossroads of her fate — between bloodline and justice.
> "Eula Lawrence," Kael said softly.
"It's time to decide whether you'll inherit their sin… or become the one to end it."
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