Wangshu Inn, Liyue.
Zhongli, who had maintained a solemn expression the entire time, finally let out a long, unhurried sigh.
"So… he really did walk out just like that. Bold and unrestrained."
Cloud Retainer, Xiao, and the other adepti looked at Zhongli in confusion.
From that single sigh, they seemed to hear something unexpected—
a sense of relief.
Was it merely an illusion?
Or had the Geo Archon already devised a way to deal with Aerin?
"Rex Lapis," Cloud Retainer asked impatiently, "have you already thought of a countermeasure?"
At moments like this, one could only rely on the strongest god of the present era—
Morax, the Geo Archon.
Zhongli lifted the teacup before him and gently blew across its surface.
After taking a small sip, he finally spoke, his expression utterly calm.
"There is no countermeasure."
"The Fifth Descender, Aerin, is unlike anyone else. I do not know how he possesses knowledge even more complete than the history I remember… yet under such circumstances, he still dares to come in person."
"That alone proves he fears neither Barbatos, who still observes from the shadows, nor the combined might of Barbatos and the witch Alice."
"The moment he personally steps onto the stage, the outcome of this war against Mondstadt is already determined."
"What remains uncertain is merely the price Mondstadt will have to pay."
Cloud Retainer froze.
The other adepti lowered their heads in silence.
They had expected some profound insight from their lord—
yet instead, he told them there was nothing they could do.
Were they truly meant to do nothing but wait for the ending?
Such words sounded dangerously like surrender.
Had the once-unyielding Geo Archon truly been worn down by time?
"But Benareus clearly concealed itself within dark clouds to ambush Dvalin," Cloud Retainer argued.
"Doesn't that suggest Aerin still harbors some fear toward Barbatos?"
Ever sharp-minded, Cloud Retainer voiced the doubt that had been troubling her.
She could not understand why Aerin would order Benareus to hide its massive body within storm clouds.
If he truly intended to plunge Mondstadt into despair, Benareus' very appearance would have been devastating.
That creature dwarfed Dvalin in sheer size alone.
Even imagining Benareus slowly emerging from the clouds—its colossal head and monstrous frame revealed inch by inch—was enough to make Cloud Retainer shudder.
Such a sight would be no different from a god descending over the city itself.
The morale of ordinary people would collapse instantly.
After all, how many in this age had truly witnessed the terror of a god?
"Cloud Retainer, you are too impatient," Zhongli said calmly.
"The matter that will decide Mondstadt's fate has only just begun."
"The Mondstadt shown within the light screen contains merely one-fifth of its total forces."
"Outside the city, the expeditionary army is still returning. Moreover, we are observing the future from an outsider's perspective."
"The people within Mondstadt have no knowledge of Benareus' existence."
Zhongli felt a sudden dryness in his throat.
Whether from speaking too much—or from tension—he could not say.
In his heart, he believed Aerin's most terrifying trait was this:
no one truly knew how much power he still concealed.
Meanwhile, everyone else stood before him as if laid bare.
The disparity in information was simply too great.
"When Mondstadt unites and repels the mutated hilichurl forces, just as they prepare to celebrate their victory, disaster will arrive as scheduled."
"But that alone is not enough. Mondstadt's greatest combat strength does not lie within the city. Grand Master Varka commands four-fifths of their forces and is already on his way back."
"Even if Aerin takes Mondstadt City, they will still cling to hope—the expeditionary army."
"And then, when that army finally returns… the sky will tear open."
"The colossal Benareus will descend and deliver a fatal blow."
"He has already accounted for every person in Mondstadt, methodically crushing every last shred of their hope."
…A terrifying individual.
After hearing Zhongli's analysis, the adepti stood frozen, unable to utter a single word.
"So this is the true face of the Fifth Descender?" Cloud Retainer felt her heart tighten as she swallowed hard.
"Is his heart truly that dark?"
["Is that him… the mastermind behind everything? Aerin?"]
[Alice remained extremely vigilant.]
[Jean and Amber might not have sensed anything amiss.]
[But Alice, whose strength far surpassed theirs, could clearly feel the danger emanating from him.]
[Yet what shocked them even more was the woman standing beside Aerin.]
[Aside from her clothing and hair—which were different from before—her face remained unchanged. Amber blurted out instinctively, "Eula… is that you?"]
["What happened? It's only been a few days—why is your hair so long now?"]
[Amber forced a strained smile.]
[She had noticed something was wrong at first glance, yet still couldn't help asking.]
["And… why are you standing with him?"]
[Eula?]
[Only then did Paimon and Lumine realize—the woman beside Aerin was the very friend Amber had been searching for all along.]
["Eh?!" Paimon exclaimed. "She came with Aerin! Didn't you say Aerin was the one targeting Mondstadt from behind the scenes?"]
["Then why is he together with one of your knights?"]
["This must be a misunderstanding! I said it before—Aerin is a good person!"]
[As soon as Paimon thought of Aerin's roasted suckling pig, her mouth practically watered. She waved eagerly at him. "Aerin! Do you remember us?"]
["Me—Paimon! And the one next to me is Lumine!"]
["We've met before!"]
[Paimon was just about to fly over when Alice swiftly grabbed her back.]
[She had no time to explain things to Paimon. Her gaze remained fixed on Eula.]
[For women, a love of beauty was instinctive.]
[Especially for someone like Alice, who belonged to a rare fairy race of Teyvat.]
[Though her pointed ears set her apart from humans, fairy folk were known for producing extraordinary beauty, far surpassing humans in both appearance and presence.]
[Alice of Mondstadt, Chasca of Natlan—both were examples.]
[Yet at this moment, Eula's aura made Alice feel hopelessly outmatched.]
[This was not arrogance. The changes in Eula's every detail were simply too great—her bearing had reached a realm unattainable for ordinary humans.]
[More importantly, Eula now gave Alice an unmistakably dangerous feeling.]
[A fear that arose instinctively in the weak when facing the strong.]
["Was Eula forcibly transformed by Aerin?" The thought flashed through Alice's mind.]
[Suppressing the fear rising in her heart, Alice narrowed her eyes and smiled. "Before visiting Mondstadt, introductions are in order, wouldn't you say?"]
["Especially for the lady who so closely resembles the Knights of Favonius' Spindrift Knight, Eula Lawrence."]
["Aerin, surely you wouldn't be so stingy as to refuse an introduction?"]
[Hearing this, Aerin instantly understood her implication.]
[She must have assumed that Eula was nothing more than a mindless puppet—like the mutated hilichurls.]
[Having seen through Alice's thoughts, Aerin merely shrugged.]
["You're right. Before coming to Mondstadt, an introduction is only polite."]
["But the lady beside me is not a puppet. She possesses her own will and thoughts."]
["As for introductions… I think it's best she does it herself."]
[The moment Aerin finished speaking, Eula stepped forward from behind him—like a well-trained maid eager to please her master.]
[Without the slightest hesitation, she spoke clearly:]
["Alice. Jean. Amber."]
["I am Lord Aerin's Valkyrie—Eula Lawrence."]
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