A few uneventful days passed. Having restored herself to peak condition, Jean sought out Lumine, Diluc, and Venti. Tonight, she would finally resolve the external threat of Dvalin. If they delayed any longer, Mondstadt's economic revenue would start suffering.
"Wow, Acting Grand Master Jean looks so energetic! You should remember to rest more from now on, Master Jean!"
Inside Angel's Share, Jean's entrance immediately caught Paimon's attention. Radiant and refreshed, Jean heard Paimon's concern and couldn't help but recall the mountain of paperwork on her desk—towering as high as a person. If she didn't deal with Dvalin soon, she'd probably have to process that accumulated paperwork for seven days and seven nights straight.
"Ehe~ Since everyone's here, let's set off! The world's best bard is about to compose a new epic ballad~"
"Let's go!"
Venti's enthusiastic cheer went unappreciated by everyone except Paimon. Lumine was pondering why, after being away for just a few days, her home had somehow gained three additional female residents. Jean was contemplating how to trick Lisa into handling her paperwork. As for Diluc, he wore a permanent scowl like a cat with a sour face, still puzzled—could adding fireflies to wine really make drinkers' tongues glow?
---
Wolvendom, rarely visited by humans, was especially eerie at night. Grim, pale moonlight shrouded the pitch-black forest, which lay so still it seemed everything slumbered in the embrace of death. Occasional wolf howls added a mysterious veil to this atmosphere of fear.
As Jean and the others advanced toward Stormterror's Lair, a figure stepped into Wolvendom. However, Wolvendom's 'residents' seemed unwelcoming to this unfamiliar visitor. Dozens of wolves encircled the newcomer.
"My, my~ What's wrong with Senior Andrius, the mighty God who once ruled these lands? Being so wary of a harmless little fox like me? How surprising~"
"You are not welcome here. Leave."
A booming voice echoed from deep within Wolvendom. Hearing this, Yae Miko feigned regret and turned as if to leave, muttering as she walked.
"It seems Senior Andrius is exactly as the rumors describe. Not only does he refuse trials from others now, but his courage has also diminished considerably."
"Since Senior Andrius doesn't wish to see me, I suppose I'll just go back. When I return to Mondstadt, I'll be sure to tell everyone that the rumors are completely accurate."
As she spoke, Yae Miko silently counted in her heart: three, two, one. The moment she reached one, Andrius's voice echoed again, this time carrying considerable anger.
"Those rumors are utter nonsense! How dare a mere little fox speak so arrogantly here? Since you're so eager to see me, then come."
With Andrius's howl, the wolves surrounding Yae Miko melted back into the darkness. A path leading deep into Wolvendom opened before her.
Deep within Wolvendom, the blue-white residual soul of Andrius—Boreas—stood majestically in the center of a clearing. The pride of a God made him loathe the one who spread those rumors. It wasn't that he was afraid to accept challenges—it was simply that no one came to challenge him. How had that twisted into him being too cowardly to fight?
"Don't let me find out which whelp spread those rumors. Otherwise, I'll make him taste the bite of wolf fangs and claws."
"Ara ara~ Senior Andrius needn't be so angry. After all, I don't think the rumors are entirely wrong."
Andrius's gaze instantly locked onto Yae Miko. Cryo energy seeped continuously from his clenched wolf jaws. Clearly, if Yae Miko didn't provide a reasonable explanation, a fierce battle would be unavoidable.
"Am I wrong, this junior? When one of your own young was bullied, Senior Andrius, as the patriarch, did nothing. I thought wolves were supposed to be fiercely protective of their pack?"
"Hmph! If I were at my peak, even with Barbatos protecting him, that whelp Dvalin wouldn't escape my wrath for daring to harm one of mine!"
Boreas's wolf face flickered with disdain, but the anger in his eyes didn't escape Yae Miko's notice. Razor had grown up under Boreas's watchful eye. The wolf God held high hopes for him and doted on him greatly. When Razor returned covered in wounds that day, it had pained Boreas deeply.
Yae Miko noted every expression on Boreas's face. Back when she had free time, the late Hanachirusato loved telling her stories from the Archon War era. She had heard tales of this God's deeds. At his peak, Andrius could fight Barbatos, the Anemo Archon, to a standstill.
"Senior Andrius, what if I said I could temporarily restore you to your prime? Would you go teach Dvalin a lesson then?"
"Hah! My prime? Little fox, have you ever witnessed my prime?"
Boreas snorted derisively. A mere girl less than a thousand years old dared speak so boldly before him. Aside from the God of Storms and Barbatos themselves, he didn't recall anyone else witnessing his prime.
"So you're saying even if you returned to your peak, Senior Andrius still wouldn't avenge Razor?"
"Hah! If I returned to my peak, I'd go beat Dvalin senseless right now! Make him understand who not to mess with!"
Yae Miko smiled slightly. That was enough. As for venting on behalf of her little Bai... surely her old friend wouldn't blame her for sensing the Gnosis's movement, right?
Besides, with Hanachirusato in the Plane of Euthymia, her old friend would be even more reluctant to leave. Thinking this, Yae Miko waved her hand lightly, and an exquisite purple chess piece appeared in her palm.
The moment he clearly saw the chess piece, Boreas's wolf pupils instantly contracted into vertical slits. Wind and Cryo energy surged within him. If he remembered correctly, this object was called a Gnosis. That good-for-nothing Barbatos had one too.
"I've heard that Senior Andrius once exhausted his power to drive away Mondstadt's snowstorms. Such magnanimity earns this little one's deep admiration. Never having witnessed Senior Andrius in your prime has always been a regret of mine."
"Today, let this little one truly see—just how powerful was the legendary God who could rival the wind?"
Yae Miko channeled the divine power within the Gnosis into Andrius. As the purest form of power within a Gnosis, with proper manipulation, maintaining Boreas at his peak for a short while wasn't difficult.
Within Boreas, the divine power coursed through this residual soul, making his somewhat ethereal form grow substantially more solid. Unprecedented exhilaration continuously impacted Boreas's consciousness. Beyond the pleasure, Boreas even felt a sensation of being overfull—it seemed, as a residual soul, he could only bear this much divine power.
"Alright, stop. It's time we settled accounts with Dvalin."