To fulfill his dream of becoming a master swordsman and a knight, Crepus took a great risk. After receiving the message about the Delusion, he traveled alone to the address written on the paper. There, he met the "Delusion seller" and successfully purchased one for two million Mora.
He returned to Dawn Winery with the mysterious Delusion clutched in his trembling hands.
Yet when he touched it, his emotions were mixed. The two hooded strangers had warned him that using the Delusion would consume a small amount of the user's life force. They had spoken lightly, but Crepus felt that things were not so simple. For Vision holders, that "small amount" might indeed be trivial. For an ordinary person, it could mean their entire life.
In other words, the Delusion was dangerous.
Despite the risk, his desire for power overpowered his caution. He held the Delusion tightly and bought it.
When he returned to Dawn Winery, his son Diluc and the butler were waiting. The butler looked worried. "Master Crepus, where did you go? You look pale. Please rest."
Diluc also showed concern. "Father, you look terrible."
Crepus forced a weary smile. "I went to buy something important. Diluc, now that you're officially a knight, don't neglect your swordsmanship. Go practice."
With that, he placed a hand over the Delusion hidden in his coat and retreated to his room, closing the door firmly behind him. He seemed unusually agitated.
Diluc frowned. "What's wrong with Father today? He seems strange."
The butler grumbled, "Probably drank too much with that blasted bard yesterday. If that bard shows up again, I'll send him packing."
He had never held a good opinion of the bard.
…
Inside his room, Crepus immediately pulled out the mysterious Delusion. It was an oval gem, burning like a hot flame. Just touching it sent waves of searing power surging through him.
Following the strangers' instructions, he clenched it in his fist. An endless torrent of heat flooded into his body. For the first time, Crepus felt true power. He felt what it was like to be strong.
All his pent-up frustration erupted. His body surging with Pyro energy, he threw a punch. Flames materialized and blasted forward, slamming into the desk before him. With a loud crack, the desk was reduced to ashes.
Crepus was stunned. So powerful! Even the elite knights couldn't match this strength. His eyes blazed with hope.
But before he could celebrate, his body felt hollowed out. He staggered, nearly collapsing. He quickly set down the Delusion. Just one punch, and the life force consumed had nearly knocked him unconscious.
"Is this what they meant by 'a small amount'? Just one punch, and the side effects are this severe. Perhaps it's because I'm not used to it yet."
He reasoned correctly. It was his first time using the Delusion, so the sensation of life force being drained was especially vivid.
After experiencing its power, his gaze grew even more intense. According to the strangers, Delusions were forbidden in Mondstadt. If discovered, he could be arrested by the Knights. So becoming a knight with the Delusion was impossible. But becoming a powerful warrior was still within reach, as long as he didn't use it too frequently.
With that in mind, Crepus conducted more tests to understand the Delusion better. He practiced swordsmanship while holding it. To his amazement, techniques he had never been able to master now came to him effortlessly. Could the Delusion even enhance one's talent?
Over the following weeks, Crepus used the Delusion to learn more and more sword techniques. He even had a special glove made with a slot to hold the Delusion. By wearing the glove, he could instantly access its power and transform from an ordinary man into a warrior.
A month passed. Crepus spent it studying the Delusion and training with its power.
Meanwhile, his son Diluc was not idle. As a newly appointed knight, he took on one mission after another: hunting monsters, protecting citizens, and capturing bandits. Every task was completed flawlessly. His abilities and potential impressed both the people and the higher-ups of the Knights of Favonius.
In just over a month, Diluc rose from ordinary knight to Knight Captain, the youngest in Mondstadt in nearly five hundred years.
Upon receiving the promotion, Diluc went straight to his father. "Father, I've done it. The Knights have promoted me to Knight Captain."
For the Ragnvindr family, simply becoming a knight was already a fulfillment of their ancestors' legacy. But Diluc, who had not even held his coming-of-age ceremony, had achieved even more in such a short time. He had surpassed all expectations.