A long time later—
At the fountain square, passersby were staring curiously at a disheveled but handsome young man.
He looked like a noble's pampered son, wiping fake tears from his eyes while loudly accusing the calm and composed youth beside him.
"Wuwuwu! It was just a tiny prank—how could you hit me so hard!"
"And that girl was so pretty! With Baal all the way in the heavens, why not take this chance to start a beautiful cross-country romance?"
"I was only trying to help you, but in the end I'm the one who gets hurt!"
The wind god rambled endlessly, complaining about Luo Li's ruthlessness as if he were the most pitiful creature alive.
Luo Li replied lightly,
"Good idea. I'll relay everything you just said to Makoto and Ei. I'm sure they'd love to visit Mondstadt and discuss it with you."
"Ehehe… that won't be necessary. I was only joking."
Dropping the act instantly, Venti jumped up as though nothing had happened.
"Come on! I'll buy you a drink!"
"You have Mora?"
Luo Li looked at him with deep suspicion.
The rumor that three gods couldn't pull out a single Mora wasn't just a joke.
Venti laughed sheepishly.
"I'll figure something out! I'm very familiar with the tavern staff."
Luo Li didn't bother pointing out that by "familiar," Venti probably meant several centuries ago.
By now, everyone Venti once knew had long returned to dust.
Who would still recognize him?
Venti himself hadn't realized this, and Luo Li didn't remind him.
It'd be more amusing to watch him discover it on his own.
"I'm not going. You go enjoy yourself."
Venti tried persuading him several more times, but seeing Luo Li unmoved,
he skipped happily toward the tavern alone.
After hundreds of years, even the tavern hasn't moved an inch.
Its business truly deserved admiration.
"He said he'd show me around Mondstadt properly… then forgot immediately."
Luo Li's impression of Venti's honesty took another nosedive.
"Forget it. I'll stroll alone."
Mondstadt had been the first place he ever arrived in—
the place he crossed over into, once ruled by the King of the Strong Winds,
now the Stormterror's Lair.
Luo Li had walked every corner of ancient Mondstadt.
But after Venti forcibly reshaped the land with his divine power,
the new Mondstadt still felt unfamiliar to him.
Revisiting everything now might give him a different perspective.
Just like Morax advised him—
walk the land, and you will understand everything.
Truthfully, Luo Li wasn't interested in the ancient war between the First and Second Thrones.
He didn't care about hidden truths buried by history.
None of that had anything to do with him.
Even Sky Island ordering the Seven Archons to destroy Khaenri'ah—
none of that touched him either.
The only things that could pull him into the storm…
were Makoto, Saiguu, and the people who might be endangered.
Otherwise, Luo Li couldn't care less what Teyvat became.
The longer he lived, the thinner his remaining humanity became—
an inevitable result.
Even the saddest stories turned numb after hearing enough of them.
Indifference followed naturally.
This wasn't erosion inflicted by the Heavenly Principles—
but the natural transformation of a once-human Luo Li
slowly turning into a long-lived being.
Half a month passed like this.
Luo Li visited Brightcrown Canyon, wandered the Windwail Highland,
and watched falling stars at Starsnatch Cliff…
When he finally returned to Mondstadt City,
the lively Featherball Festival had long ended.
Only faint traces on the main streets hinted at the celebration that once filled the town.
He didn't look for Venti.
Instead, he carefully observed the differences between modern Mondstadt and Inazuma.
Though Mondstadt and Liyue were his first stops on this continent,
the place he truly built and prospered with his own hands was Inazuma.
In terms of structure, Inazuma was superior—
built into mountains, leaning toward the sea, with harmonious layout and elegant design.
Following the main street at a leisurely pace, Luo Li arrived at Windrise Plaza.
The crowds from half a month ago were gone.
Only a few tourists now stood around admiring the statue of the Anemo Archon.
At the fountain, a nun from the Church prayed for a visitor.
As he walked past the surrounding fountains,
a sweet, melodic voice drifted into his ears—
full of joy and a faint trace of longing.
"The western wind carries away the fragrance of wine!
The mountain wind brings news of triumphant return!
The distant wind tugs gently on my heart!
The rustling breeze sings of how much I miss you…"
The girl's singing was soft and captivating,
drawing several tourists to stop and listen.
Luo Li hadn't planned to pay attention,
but upon seeing the girl's face, he couldn't help raising a brow.
"Well, what a coincidence."
When the platinum-haired girl finished her song,
the listeners applauded and generously offered her Mora before departing with smiles.
Rosaline stood and thanked each person,
her expression bright and optimistic.
When the crowd dispersed, she counted her Mora,
and her mood visibly improved.
"You sing here every day?"
Suddenly, a tall shadow fell over her.
Hearing the familiar tone,
Rosaline's head snapped up—
and upon seeing Luo Li, her eyes shimmered.
She scrambled to her feet, hurriedly storing the coins in her pocket.
"Yes! You… you're still in Mondstadt?"
After that day, Rosaline had tried searching for hints of his whereabouts,
but he had vanished without a trace.
She had been disappointed for quite a while.
Her budding feelings had withered before they even sprouted.
She thought she would never see him again—
yet here he was, appearing so suddenly,
like a gift from the heavens.
"I won't be here much longer."
Hearing that, Rosaline's expression dimmed.
Luo Li asked,
"Are you short on Mora?"
He didn't know much about Rosaline's family background.
Her past as "the future Lady" wasn't described in detail.
But she did look like she wasn't doing too well.
"No… it's for my studies."
"Studies?"
Softly, she replied,
"I'm saving Mora to study in Sumeru."
Sumeru, huh.
A fine place—
at least before the original Dendro Archon fell.
Five hundred years later…
based on how wary Lisa was of the Akademiya,
things probably weren't great.
Luo Li pondered.
If he could help Rosaline avoid her tragic future,
he wouldn't mind lending a hand.
Cold, elegant big-sister types were rare, after all.
And at this time,
she seemed not to have met Rostam yet.
That meant things were still changeable.
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