Now, in the streets of Mondstadt, when the citizens learned of Ursa the Drake's invasion, panic spread. Many flocked to the statue of Barbatos, praying to the great Anemo Archon.
But soon, word spread that the Knights of Favonius had fought bravely and defeated the dragon, once again protecting Mondstadt.
The citizens murmured in admiration.
"Thank the Knights of Favonius for protecting Mondstadt once more."
"The Knights of Favonius are truly remarkable."
"I heard several knights sacrificed themselves in the battle against the dragon."
"Ursa the Drake is a fearsome foe. If not for the Knights' sacrifice, all of Mondstadt's citizens might have perished."
When they spoke of the Knights, the people's eyes were full of reverence. In their minds, it was the Knights who had defeated the dragon through their sacrifice. All the knights were heroes.
But no one knew Crepus's name. No one knew it was Crepus who had sacrificed himself to defeat and drive away the dragon. Under the Knights' cover-up, all memory of Crepus's deeds would be buried in history, forgotten by all.
…
At the Knights of Favonius headquarters, inside Inspector Eroch's office, Diluc listened to his explanation, his heart burning with rage. His eyes blazed like fire as he glared at the Knight's high-ranking official, his fists clenched.
With a furious roar, he shouted, "So you shamelessly erased my father's name and stole his achievements? I won't allow it!"
Diluc raised his fist and swung it at Eroch's face, driven by rage. He wanted to fight back against the injustice, to demand justice for his fallen father. But he was only eighteen, barely a man, having not even held his coming-of-age ceremony. Alone, he could not stand against the entire Knights of Favonius. All he could do was swing his flaming fist, hoping to smash the face of this shameless inspector and vent his fury.
But Eroch caught his fist with one hand and easily pushed him aside.
"Knight Captain Diluc, mind your place," Eroch said sternly. "You are a member of the Knights. Your father is dead. You should know what matters now. If you claim his achievements, you could be promoted again—perhaps even rise to the higher ranks."
Eroch's harsh words reminded Diluc of his place, forcing him to face reality.
But hearing those grating reproaches, Diluc's rage slowly subsided into a cold, bitter laugh.
"Heh."
"Heh heh."
"I understand now."
"The great Knights of Favonius. The guardians of Mondstadt's justice and freedom. How utterly laughable."
With that, Diluc tore off his Vision and then his Knight's badge, throwing them to the ground.
There had been a time, guided by his father, when the Knights of Favonius were a beacon lighting his path. He had dreamed of becoming a knight, taking pride in the title. His Vision had even awakened because of his devotion to the Knights. In a way, his faith had not been in the Anemo Archon, but in the Knights themselves. After joining, he had worn his badge with honor.
But now, after the tragedy of Ursa the Drake and his father's death, the glorious image of the Knights had shattered. His faith had crumbled. Even the light of his Vision had dimmed.
This was not the Knights of Favonius he believed in. This was a Knights that made him sick.
If this was knighthood, he wanted no part of it.
After throwing his Vision and badge to the ground, Diluc let out a hollow laugh and walked out of the office, his heart filled with bitterness. He was no longer a Knight of Favonius. He would protect justice in his own way, as an ordinary man.
…
When Crepus died and Diluc resigned from the Knights, far away in Sumeru, the great Anemo Archon was seated at a small table, playing a song of freedom for Sumeru's Lesser Lord Kusanali.
"Little Kusanali, you should learn from me," he said. "Look how carefree I am."
As he played, he eagerly shared his wisdom on governing a nation.
Kusanali looked puzzled. "Learn from you? Learn to slack off?"
Barbatos looked wronged. "Eh, how can you say that? That's so mean."
Suddenly, he felt something was off and sneezed.
Kusanali asked, "What's wrong?"
His expression grew serious. "Something's wrong. I need to go back. I'll teach you how to govern next time."
With that, a breeze swept through, and Barbatos vanished. But when he rushed back to Mondstadt with all his might, it was already too late. Crepus was dead. Diluc had resigned from the Knights.
The story of the twelfth life, Crepus's story, had come to an end.
…
At Wangshun Inn in Liyue, Li Mo sat calmly on stage, telling the story of the twelfth life's conclusion in a seemingly detached tone, revealing the truth of what had happened years ago.
When they heard the ending, every listener in the inn was stunned.
Damn. Even this one ended in tragedy. When Ursa the Drake appeared, many had thought this life would have a perfect ending, since many had heard the tale of the Knights fighting the dragon.
But none of them had expected Inspector Eroch to be so ruthless. To claim credit, he had shamelessly covered up the truth and deceived everyone. It was a stain on the Knights' honor.