"What happened here?"
Having just arrived from Liyue, Mu Qingge crossed the Stone Gate into Mondstadt and immediately encountered the scene left behind by Malice and Dain.
Though she knew exactly what had transpired moments before, her confusion remained.
Yes, she who had just died as Rola had returned as Mu Qingge.
After surveying the surroundings, Mu Qingge murmured to herself:
"It seems like the aftermath of a fierce battle. And both sides were incredibly powerful."
Making mental notes of the scene, Mu Qingge decided to report her observations to her companions in Mondstadt City later.
Unlike Lumine, who could teleport across vast distances, Mu Qingge had traveled alone, taking over a day to reach this place.
Originally, her presence in Mondstadt wasn't strictly necessary. The expansion and protection of the trade routes between Liyue and Mondstadt were tasks better suited to others.
The primary reason she had accepted this mission was to see her dear friend Rola again.
By her reckoning, their last meeting had been during the Lantern Rite. Since then, they had only communicated through letters.
Liyue had stabilized, and everything was running smoothly. It was the perfect time to catch up on the vacation days she had been putting off, just to silence the Millelith soldiers who kept nagging her about it.
As Qingge journeyed toward Mondstadt, she couldn't help but feel puzzled.
Why were there so few monsters in Mondstadt's territory? She'd only encountered one so far!
These monsters weren't the kind you could eradicate permanently. Even if you killed them, they would reappear after a while, like unkillable cockroaches—no, even more persistent than cockroaches, and infuriatingly tenacious.
Could Mondstadt have launched a massive monster extermination campaign recently?
It wasn't until she reached the outskirts of Mondstadt and saw the grader and the surrounding terrain that Mu Qingge realized something was terribly wrong.
Mondstadt... seemed to have suffered a major catastrophe?!
At the city gate, the original gate had been blasted apart, and the gatekeeper Knight wore a face etched with sorrow.
Mu Qingge stepped forward, presenting her credentials:
"Greetings, I am an envoy from Liyue, here to meet with the Knights of Favonius on urgent matters."
The Knight examined her documents and handed them back.
"I'm so sorry, Traveler. As you can see, Mondstadt has just suffered a great calamity. Please forgive our poor hospitality. You may enter the city to rest, but meeting with Grand Master Jean and the others... it may take some time."
"That's alright. I can wait patiently."
Mu Qingge entered Mondstadt and checked into a hotel.
-
Favonius Cathedral.
After Rola's body was brought back to Mondstadt, the sacred Anemo Archon vanished.
In his place reappeared Venti, his spirits utterly crushed.
"Rola... how could this happen?"
Barbara rushed forward in disbelief, attempting to heal Rola. But the body had long grown cold, beyond even the Anemo Archon's power to revive. How could she, a mere mortal, possibly save her?
Defeated, Barbara's eyes immediately welled with tears.
"Rola... sob..."
Jean helped Barbara up and embraced her.
Barbara buried her face in her sister's shoulder, sobbing until she had soaked Jean's shoulder with tears.
Jean simply lowered her head, gently patting Barbara's back.
Meanwhile, Paimon had also thrown herself into Lumine's arms, crying uncontrollably.
Little Paimon had never experienced anything like this before, and it was deeply traumatic for her young heart.
"Waaah, waaaah, ahhhh... Traveler, I'm so sad! I miss Rola so much! Waaah~"
Lumine comforted Paimon the way Jean comforted Barbara, gently patting the little one's back to help her catch her breath.
At the back of the crowd, Little Klee stood helplessly.
A gentle hand patted her right shoulder. Klee stiffly turned around and called out:
"Albedo... Brother."
Seeing Albedo, Klee seemed to find her anchor. She threw her arms around his neck.
Witnessing the usually lively Little Klee reduced to this state, Albedo couldn't bear it. He tenderly embraced her small body.
"Brother Albedo, Sister Rola... Waaah... (˚ ˃̣̣̥⌓˂̣̣̥ )"
She had promised to go fish blasting with Klee! Sister Rola was a big liar!
In Albedo's memory, Little Klee had rarely cried like this before. At most, she'd feel wronged, but by the next day, she'd be her usual energetic self again.
Sigh~
Albedo carried Klee away to comfort her.
Rola's body lay covered by a white cloth. Archbishop Simon personally conducted her farewell ceremony, while the nuns prayed for her soul, hoping the Anemo Archon would guide her back to Mondstadt.
Venti listened quietly, saying nothing.
After deliberation, Jean, representing the Knights of Favonius, formally approved Rola's application to join the order. She publicly declared Rola a Knight of Favonius who had heroically sacrificed herself in battle against Abyss Monsters.
Diluc raised no objections.
This had always been his sister's wish. His mind kept replaying her asking him, "Am I strong enough?"
Rola had yearned to prove herself to him, and she had indeed succeeded.
But this kind of proof... it wasn't what he had hoped to see.
-
Late at night.
Favonius Cathedral.
Rola's body lay still. Barbara cleansed and dressed her, Kaeya sealed her in ice, and Diluc finally covered her with a white cloth.
The vast Favonius Cathedral was now empty save for Venti, Diluc, and Kaeya.
The nuns who had been present earlier had been summoned away by Archbishop Simon.
"You two should go and rest," Venti said to Diluc and Kaeya.
A full day and night had passed since Rola's sacrifice, and in a few more hours, it would be two nights.
Diluc had remained steadfastly by Rola's side, and Kaeya, concerned for his sworn brother, had stayed with him.
Diluc remained silent, his eyes dull and lifeless.
Venti sighed inwardly. Rola's sacrifice had struck Diluc harder than anyone else.
Suddenly, footsteps echoed through the silent cathedral.
Kaeya and Venti turned toward the sound.
A woman with white hair, clad in a tailored black robe, walked slowly to Rola's side and stood there silently for a long moment.
Mu Qingge gently lifted the white cloth covering the ice block, and Kaeya and the others made no move to stop her.
She embraced the ice, pressing her face against it. "Goodbye, Rola."
"Are you... the Kaiyang of Liyue?" Kaeya asked.
"I'm just Rola's friend now."
With a sorrowful expression, Mu Qingge stepped before Kaeya and the others.
"I've learned everything that happened in Mondstadt from Grand Master Jean. Rola was my friend, and her cause is my cause. I will find that creature, kill it, and avenge her!"
With those words, Mu Qingge turned and left.
After she departed, the cathedral fell silent once more.
After a long silence, Diluc finally shook off his dazed expression. He slowly rose to his feet, his body slightly unsteady.
"She... my sister... if revenge is to be taken, it should be by me!"
Diluc limped toward the cathedral exit, saying:
"Kaeya, I entrust Rola to you. Bury her in the cemetery. The child loved company and couldn't bear loneliness. I'll come to pay my respects after I've killed that creature!"
"Diluc, stop!"
Ignoring Kaeya's cry, Diluc continued walking. Kaeya lunged forward to chase after him, but Venti restrained him.
"Let him go," Venti said. "I'll watch over him. He'll be fine. This is the only thing giving him the strength to carry on right now."