"By the way…" Aether asked, looking at Dvalin. "Are you okay? I saw you get hit and fall earlier."
"I'm fine," Dvalin replied calmly. "Sir Elios did it to cleanse the Abyssal filth from my body. It was a necessary procedure."
Then the dragon turned to Elios and lowered its head in a small, formal bow.
"Sir, I'll take my leave now. In my current state, I cannot accompany you into the city." Dvalin's voice lowered slightly. "And please… relay my apologies to everyone in Mondstadt, and to Barbatos if you meet him."
"Of course," Elios nodded. "I'll make sure the misunderstanding is cleared and everything is explained."
He paused, then added evenly, "And don't worry about Barbatos. I'm pretty sure he'll visit you soon—he's already awake."
There was no point hiding Venti's awakening from Dvalin anymore. The purpose of keeping it secret was nearly achieved.
Dvalin's wings spread, and with a final glance, he took off—heading back toward his lair.
Elios, Aether, and Paimon began walking toward Mondstadt. Along the way, Paimon launched into one of her enthusiastic "guide" lectures, rattling off common knowledge about the city. Aether only half-listened—he already knew most of it. His attention was elsewhere.
He kept observing Elios, silently scrutinizing him, wariness still tight in his chest.
When they neared the main gate, they immediately saw the aftermath of panic: Knights scrambling, forming lines, checking weapons, preparing as if another assault could hit at any moment. The moment the trio came into view, several guards snapped into alert—
—but as soon as one of them recognized Elios, the tension eased.
Swan, one of the gate guards, stepped forward, saluted sharply, and addressed him with visible relief.
"Sir Elios. Acting Grand Master Jean has asked us to welcome your return and requested your presence to report the situation." His eyes shifted to Aether and Paimon. "These two are…?"
"You can stand down," Elios said at once. "I dealt with Stormterror. It won't attack the city anymore."
He gestured calmly, voice steady enough to settle nerves.
"Acting Grand Master Jean will publish a full explanation soon. For now, return to your usual duties." He glanced at Aether and Paimon. "As for these two—they're travelers I met along the way. They nearly got caught up in Stormterror's havoc, so I'm escorting them into the city."
Then Elios turned to Aether and Paimon with an apologetic look.
"It seems I'll need to report the incident details to the Knights first… and my daughter will be worried as well." He sighed lightly. "Sorry, you two, but that meal I promised will have to wait. We can arrange a meeting at a later date—I'll treat you then."
Aether, who had been piecing together Elios' relationship with Jean and the Knights, was snapped out of his thoughts. He nodded, reluctantly accepting it. He wanted information immediately, but he also understood: the crisis had just ended, and post-incident work couldn't be skipped.
Paimon looked visibly aggrieved at the delay—her eyes practically mourned the loss of "free food"—but even she could read the mood of the city. This wasn't the time to complain.
Elios turned back to Swan.
"Swan. Please arrange temporary accommodations for these two travelers. Consider them my guests." His tone sharpened slightly. "I have urgent matters to handle. I'll excuse myself."
"Understood! Sir Elios!" Swan saluted respectfully.
Although Elios wasn't officially part of the Knights of Favonius, he was still treated as a respected figure—a benefactor who had saved Mondstadt more than once. His requests carried weight close to Jean's own orders.
Swan then escorted Aether and Paimon through the gates.
After Elios watched them disappear into the city, he headed straight toward the Knights of Favonius Headquarters. He already knew Jean and Klee would be waiting.
______________
Knights of Favonius Headquarters
As Elios suspected, Eula and Klee had returned to Solitary Confinement room—or, as everyone quietly joked, "Klee's residence" within the Headquarters—after seeing Elios drive Stormterror away and noticing the storm receding shortly afterward.
Eula trusted Elios' strength. When he took a task, he always completed it.
Still… her chest felt tight, she still felt inexplicably worried.
She forced herself to stay composed, especially for the child beside her.
"Don't worry, little Klee," Eula said, gently but firmly. "T—Elios is strong. He'll defeat the dragon within minutes."
"Un~! Klee isn't worried~!" Klee replied with a proud grin. "Klee knows Papa is the strongest, hehe~!"
Unexpectedly, Klee seemed calm—far calmer than the brief unease she'd shown when the dragon appeared. She sat there relaxed, like her Papa wasn't fighting a legendary dragon at all.
Eula blinked, then clenched her hands lightly.
'Even Klee is this calm… pull yourself together.'
She was just about to go check the situation outside when there was a knock—and the door opened.
Elios stepped in.
He looked exactly the same as when he'd left. No torn clothing, no blood, not even dust. Like he'd gone out for a walk instead of throwing a dragon out of the sky.
Eula released a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding.
But before she could speak, Klee had already launched herself forward and jumped into his arms.
"Hehe~! Papa, you already won against that baddy dragon?!"
"Of course." Elios hugged her with ease. "Your Papa is strong, you know."
He stroked her hair fondly and held her for a moment before turning to Eula.
"Thank you for taking care of her, Eula."
Eula's heart skipped.
For some reason, ever since he started calling her by name—without "Young"—her reactions kept slipping out of her control. It felt like the distance between them had shifted… just a little.
She forced the fluttering feeling down and replied quickly.
"No need for thanks, E-Elios. It's the least I can do."
Elios smiled.
"It's still a shame our time together got interrupted," he said lightly, "but at least the Stormterror issue is resolved. The Knights' burden should decrease… after we handle the post-incident matters."
Then his tone turned more serious.
"Now then, little Klee—Papa still has urgent matters to take care of today." He crouched slightly to meet her eyes. "Can you be a good girl and wait for me here? Or, if you want, you can go with Eula to our home and wait for me there."
He added, "I still need to report to Jean… and handle one more thing."
"Mhm! Okay~!" Klee nodded vigorously. "Klee will wait~!"
"Good girl." Elios stroked her head again, then turned back to Eula.
"I'll rely on you again, Eula. Please take care of little Klee until I return." His expression softened. "I know I'm eating into your rare vacation time, but I'll make it up to you tomorrow, alright?"
Eula flushed and waved her hands quickly.
"No, no—it's not a bother at all. I'm happy to take care of Klee and… share your burden, Elios."
"Haha. Thank you." Elios nodded. "I'll see you later, both of you."
He left the room and headed toward Jean's office nearby. He knocked once, then entered.
Inside, Jean, Lisa, and Kaeya were already discussing something. Elios nodded to Jean first, then greeted the other two.
"Long time no see, Lisa. Kaeya."
"Sir Elios," Kaeya said immediately, bowing slightly. "Long time no see. I see you've returned." His tone was respectful and restrained—none of his usual playful ease. "Thank you for your help out there, on behalf of the Knights."
Kaeya had always respected Elios—the man who had saved his adoptive family years ago. He didn't dare treat him casually.
"Ara~ you came back to Mondstadt?" Lisa rested her cheek in her palm, smiling lazily. "Why didn't you come visit me in the library? This Onee-san is hurt~" Her eyes glinted with teasing. "Or what… you don't like my type?"
"Cough." Jean coughed sharply—partly to bring focus back, partly to stop Lisa before she went any further. She wouldn't admit it, but a small part of her felt jealous of Lisa's boldness.
Elios, however, remained unfazed. He'd long understood that this was simply Lisa's way of talking. He doubted it had anything to do with genuine interest—if anything, he suspected she preferred men younger than herself.
Without wasting time, Elios gave his report: the battle, Dvalin's condition, and what mattered most—the Abyss Order's scheme to corrupt and control him. There was no longer any need to conceal it. The bait had been placed, and Venti was already tracking the trail.
Just then, a gentle wisp of wind brushed past Elios' ear, carrying a message inaudible to anyone else.