Goethe Hotel in Mondstadt, the lodging of the Fatui Delegation.
After lunch, Rosalyne felt like the sky had fallen.
Inazuma wasn't even fully explored yet, and he was already turning around to head to Mondstadt?
Moreover, the sea-crossing distance from Inazuma to Mondstadt took Su Xuan less than a day.
Wait, buddy, you can fly across the seven nations of the Teyvat Continent in just a week?
Why not visit other places first instead of coming straight to Mondstadt?
Rosalyne pulled back the curtains and peered out the window at Mondstadt.
She was certain Mondstadt's development level wasn't much better than Inazuma's fishing villages.
She couldn't imagine what fun or experiences Su Xuan could find here.
"Damn it! He's arriving in Mondstadt tonight, and I still haven't forced Barbatos to show himself."
"No time left at all."
Knights of Favonius Library.
A flash of relief crossed Jean Gunnhildr's face. "Lisa, that traveler from beyond this world is heading our way."
Not long ago, Mondstadt's former guardian of the Four Winds, the East Wind Dragon, had appeared out of nowhere and wreaked inexplicable havoc on the city.
The pipelines and trade routes outside Mondstadt had all been damaged by the East Wind Dragon.
Su Xuan's sudden arrival from Inazuma was nothing short of great news for Jean.
"Come on, Jean, don't tell me you've imagined some fairy-tale scenario where a white knight prince comes to save the princess?" Lisa teased with a playful smile.
She knew Jean all too well. Despite the Acting Grand Master's strict professionalism at work, she was a girl at heart in private.
She often hid away to secretly read romance novels.
With Mondstadt's current chaos weighing heavily on her as Acting Grand Master, Jean had likely projected herself into Su Xuan's diary under the immense pressure, spinning some unrealistic fantasy.
"Huh? What are you talking about, Lisa!" Jean shot her a displeased glance, her cheeks flushing red.
"Sigh." Lisa let out a breath. "That shy, expectant look on your face has already given you away."
"You don't seriously think that just because he helped Inazuma's Raiden Shogun restore the Snake God Suppressors and destroy the Delusion Factory, he'll help us resolve the dragon disaster, do you?"
"After all, the one who requested his help was Inazuma's almighty Narukami Ogosho. We're not comparable."
"Besides, we don't even know if there was some deal between them."
Reminded by Lisa, Jean recalled that Su Xuan had originally refused to meddle in Inazuma's affairs.
The spark of hope in her eyes faded just as quickly, and she sighed softly. "Sigh, you're right, Lisa."
"So instead of daydreaming about the impossible, better to rally the team quick. I've already figured out the source of Dvalin's power," Lisa said with a grin.
In the woods outside Mondstadt.
Having just touched the Statue of The Seven, Lumine stood atop a hill, gazing at the distant Mondstadt.
A bit further, and she'd reach the city today.
But Lumine stopped in her tracks.
"Lumine, are we really not going to Mondstadt?" Paimon looked at her worriedly. "But Su Xuan said he'd arrive today, right?"
"I feel like he knows everyone's secrets. He must know where your brother is."
"We should go to Mondstadt and wait for him. Just ask him directly."
Paimon didn't have her own diary replica, but she could see Lumine's.
And Lumine's exclusive diary replica specifically mentioned Paimon, claiming she was an indispensable part of Lumine—which made Paimon special enough to view it.
"Paimon, that's exactly why I'm worried—he knows too much," Lumine frowned slightly.
Su Xuan claimed to be a traveler from beyond this world, just like Lumine.
But she was a stranger to this world, knowing nothing.
Su Xuan, on the other hand, not only knew everyone's affairs but even certain world rules.
Especially what he'd mentioned: Celestia, the Heavenly Principles.
Lumine didn't know who the Heavenly Principles were, but she knew Celestia.
She and her brother had been blocked and sealed by the god there.
Lumine had set out on her journey to find her kin with the prior grudge against Celestia's god.
She feared Su Xuan's true identity wasn't from beyond the world, but from Celestia.
His "travels" in Teyvat were a facade.
She suspected his real purpose for descending to the continent was to hunt down and recapture her, now awakened from her seal.
Though she didn't understand why his diary had appeared in her hands, better safe than sorry.
If Su Xuan was truly after her, with his power, Lumine knew she had no chance of escape.
"Whooo~~~" A gale whistled overhead, a massive shadow blotting out the sky as it enveloped Lumine and Paimon.
Both looked up to see an enormous emerald dragon soaring toward the distant woods.
"Whoa, what is that?!" Paimon exclaimed.
Lumine's expression grew grave. After a few seconds, she said slowly, "Whatever it is, it has nothing to do with us."
"Paimon, we need to change course now. Let's stay as far from Mondstadt as possible for the time being."
"Once that Su Xuan leaves, we'll come back."