At this moment, atop a distant mountain peak far from Mondstadt, two hooded figures in cloaks stood on a high cliff, gazing out over the land. They surveyed the vast landscape below.
One of them let out a sinister laugh from beneath his mask. "Heh heh, just look at this forest. It's about to be destroyed by Ursa the Drake, and I actually feel a little sorry for it. Would you say that makes me too kind?"
The two figures looked out at a dense forest and a winding road that cut through it. There was even a sizable convoy making its way toward Mondstadt along that road.
But soon, Ursa the Drake would appear. This entire forest and that entire convoy would become victims of its claws. At the thought, the masked figure laughed again.
His companion snorted coldly. "Even if it's destroyed, it's Mondstadt's land. What does that have to do with the Fatui? As long as we can force the Anemo Archon out and locate him, this mission will be a success."
Their goal in luring Ursa the Drake was simple: to carry out the Tsaritsa's orders, force the hidden Anemo Archon into the open, and pinpoint his whereabouts in preparation for seizing his Gnosis.
The other continued with a grin. "Heh heh, the Knights of Favonius are far too busy right now. There's no way they can deal with Ursa the Drake in time. I refuse to believe the Anemo Archon will just stand by while his people are slaughtered."
The second figure also laughed. "Let's just stay hidden and enjoy the show."
With that, both figures vanished from the cliff.
…
Meanwhile, on the road to Mondstadt, Diluc, freshly turned eighteen and about to hold his coming-of-age ceremony, rode proudly at the head of the convoy on his warhorse. He looked radiant and confident.
Becoming a knight at such a young age, and a Knight Captain before even coming of age—by all accounts, Diluc was a prodigy in everyone's eyes, a key figure for the Knights' future. He might even rise to a leadership position, perhaps even Deputy Grand Master one day. His future was bright.
Now, Diluc rode at the front while his "ordinary" father sat comfortably in the carriage. Not only the two of them—Crepus's adopted son Kaeya had also returned for the ceremony. Unlike Diluc's confident demeanor, Kaeya appeared more composed, his expression serious and watchful as he guarded the rear of the convoy.
The group pressed on toward Mondstadt.
Then, the adopted son, Kaeya, who was guarding the rear, noticed something unsettling. He turned toward the carriage and spoke.
"Father, there's something wrong with the forest. It's too quiet. Eerily quiet."
Normally, this forest on the road to Mondstadt should have been alive with birdsong and the calls of beasts. But now, it was as if a spell had been cast over it, shrouding it in an unnatural silence.
Though calm, the atmosphere was thick with unease. Despite his youth, Kaeya was more experienced than Diluc. His strong sense of foreboding made him restless.
Hearing Kaeya's warning, Crepus leaned out of the carriage and looked around in confusion.
"Eerily quiet? Kaeya, are you being too cautious?"
Without the Delusion, Crepus was just an ordinary man, completely unaware of the danger approaching.
Not only Crepus—the confident Diluc also laughed. "Kaeya, didn't you go off to learn powerful swordsmanship? Now that you're back, why are you such a coward? With a Knight Captain here, what's there to fear? Just stay behind me."
At this point, Diluc had faced no setbacks or failures in life. He was overly confident.
Kaeya didn't argue with Diluc. Instead, he said seriously to Crepus, "Father, there have been many strange incidents in Mondstadt lately. The situation is unstable. I think we should be cautious."
Crepus nodded slowly from the carriage. "Kaeya is right. Be careful. Diluc, have the convoy pick up the pace. We should reach Mondstadt as quickly as possible."
Crepus looked at Kaeya, who had returned and had also awakened a Vision and mastered powerful swordsmanship. He was overjoyed. Just like his biological son, his adopted son was a genius. The future was bright.
Crepus added, "Kaeya, once we reach Mondstadt, have Diluc introduce you to the Knights. With your current strength, you might even become a Knight Captain too. If our Ragnvindr Clan produces two Knight Captains at once, we will truly have honored our ancestors."
Kaeya smiled. "I'll follow your wishes, Father."
Though he was adopted, Kaeya had always respected Crepus deeply.
At the front, Diluc overheard their conversation and laughed. "No problem. Kaeya can join the Knights as my subordinate. I won't hold it against him."
Kaeya shot back, "I should be your superior."
The two brothers had always enjoyed competing with each other. Now that Kaeya had returned from his training, they were bound to spar.
Crepus chuckled. "Enough, now's not the time. After the ceremony, you can spar all you want—winner gets to be the boss. Now let's move."
Diluc confidently called out, "Everyone, full speed ahead!"
At his command, the convoy suddenly picked up speed, heading toward Mondstadt. At this pace, they would soon leave the strange forest and reach the city.
But just as they accelerated, Diluc's warhorse suddenly reared, spooked by something unseen, and bolted wildly. Not only Diluc's horse, but Kaeya's mount and the carriage horses all went berserk as if frightened by an approaching threat.