"But… even so, how are we supposed to save him? The power of Dvalin isn't something we can match."
Eula's words were like a bucket of cold water splashing over the other two.
They had the resolve, but what about a method?
Amber and Kaeya exchanged glances before both turned toward Su Han. Since the suggestion came from him, surely he had a way, right?
"Uh… as for how to make Dvalin regain his sanity, I'm not entirely sure. But I think you can seek help from the Church of Favonius. After all, they are the mortal representatives of the Anemo Archon, Barbatos.
They must know something. If that doesn't work, then appeal directly to the Anemo Archon himself.
But first, you must understand what exactly is causing Dvalin's current condition.
The damage he's suffering actually comes from the toxins he received five hundred years ago while fighting the Abyss Dragon, Durin. Because the abyssal poison in his body couldn't be purged, it eventually drove him to attack Mondstadt. That's the real root of the problem.
And there's another thing, his sudden rampage this time isn't just because of the poison."
"You mean… the Abyss?!"
Kaeya finally grasped the key issue. He'd been wondering why, upon awakening, Dvalin had chosen to attack instead of seeking help.
If the Abyss was behind it, then everything made sense.
Su Han nodded. "It can only be that. Only the Abyss seeks to overturn peace. And here's a bit of advice: a steadfast will can resist the Abyss. While thinking about how to save Dvalin, also think about what he truly needs right now."
His words were vague, hard to decipher.
But that was enough. Su Han believed that some things could only be understood through personal experience.
And when one couldn't make a firm decision, experience itself would bring clarity.
Amber wanted to ask for more details, but Kaeya stopped her.
She looked at him in confusion, and he shook his head. "Amber, that's enough. The rest is up to us. Mr. Su Han has already said plenty."
"This… alright."
Amber bit her lip in frustration. She still wanted to ask more, but she understood that Kaeya must have a reason for stopping her. It just wasn't the right time to say it.
Seeing the girl fall silent, Kaeya nodded lightly, then took out a land deed from his coat and placed it on the table.
Su Han looked down and found that it was a shop near Mondstadt Plaza, three stories tall and over 300 square meters in area.
He looked up in confusion. "This is…?"
He didn't know Mondstadt's property prices, but a building near the plaza was basically in the city center.
This shop definitely wasn't cheap.
Kaeya smiled. "This is a gift from Acting Grand Master Jean. We couldn't let you help us for nothing. We didn't expect that you'd step forward out of kindness, moved by tears alone.
But still, a favor is a favor. The Knights of Favonius won't forget your great help. So please, accept this deed. And if you ever open your shop in Mondstadt, we'll only collect a three percent tax."
"I'm just too soft-hearted, I can't bear to see young ladies cry. Besides, Mondstadt is an allied nation. How could I stand by and let it fall into misery?"
With a flick of his wrist, Su Han made the deed disappear into his storage, the motion so fast that even Amber and Eula didn't catch it.
But… kindhearted, yet he still took the deed? He was practically diving headfirst into a pile of money.
Then again, it wasn't really his fault, if you're asking for help, you should bring out your bargaining chip early, or what's the point of negotiating?
Ignoring the strange looks from the women, Su Han cleared his throat and spoke seriously, "Ahem. Now that we've talked about external threats, let's discuss internal troubles. I have quite a few suggestions."
Since he'd accepted the gift, he didn't bother pretending anymore. He began analyzing Mondstadt's situation, reforms for the Knights of Favonius, the issue of public faith, and even the growing influence of the Fatui, all of it.
His professional insight left the three utterly stunned.
An hour later, Kaeya stood up with Eula and Amber, bowing to Su Han.
"Thank you so much, Mr. Su Han!"
"No need, no need. If there's anything you still don't understand, feel free to visit again. Oh, and since I'm in a good mood today, here's a little bonus piece of information...
The Fatui are also investigating how to control Dvalin."
Kaeya froze mid-step at the door. Then, without turning back, he simply said, "Thank you."
The message seemed simple, yet carried great weight.
Outside the comic shop, Amber looked at Kaeya. "What did Mr. Su Han mean by that last thing he said? It sounded like there was something behind it."
"It's simple," Kaeya said. "The Fatui already knew about Dvalin's situation. They're the true culprits behind Mondstadt's chaos. But… Mr. Su Han was right, if Mondstadt stands united, no one could ever sow discord."
Looking at the orderly streets of Liyue, Kaeya's eyes filled with envy. If only Mondstadt could be like this.
Eula's gaze flickered. "Yes. External enemies are easy to deal with. But the prejudice in people's hearts is harder than ice."
After that conversation, her opinion of Su Han had changed drastically. Though a bit materialistic, she couldn't deny his insight.
Especially the moment he had stood up for her and cursed out all of Mondstadt, it had been deeply satisfying.
A so-called nation of freedom, yet it clung to hatred from a thousand years ago. Was that truly freedom? How laughable.
They were just venting their dissatisfaction, bullying the weak while fearing the strong.
"After we finish purchasing the medicine, shall we return right away?"
"Yes. Time is of the essence."
Kaeya dared not delay. Their journey here had been slow because they traveled with a caravan. On the way back, things would be different.
Eula could escort the goods while he and Amber rode ahead to return faster.
On the road, Amber suddenly asked, "By the way… does the Knights of Favonius really have a spare shop?"
As far as she knew, the order didn't exactly have much funding.
Eula looked at Kaeya curiously, she hadn't heard of this either. Seeing him remain silent, she suddenly realized something.
"Wait… could it be Jean?" she asked, startled.
"This is something we'll keep to ourselves," Kaeya said quietly. "No need to spread it around."
Jean had sold her own property to fund this mission. She wouldn't have done it unless absolutely necessary.
Kaeya had even tried to dissuade her before they left, but Jean had told him, "Since I'm the Acting Grand Master, I must take responsibility for Mondstadt! This is our chance. And Kaeya, I trust you won't let me down."
Before they came here, Mondstadt's situation had been at a dead end.
Back in the comic shop, after seeing the group off, Su Han picked up the deed and studied it carefully. Looking at the address, he frowned slightly. "This location… across from the Goth Grand Hotel? The Knights own property like this?"
Though a bit skeptical, he figured that the game hadn't shown every little detail, maybe this was one of the order's hidden assets.
Having suddenly acquired a new shop, Su Han was genuinely excited. After all, direct sales were far more profitable than acting as a middleman, even if Mora didn't mean much to him.
But... who would ever complain about having too much money?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bonus chapters every 300 Power Stone!
10, 20, 30 Advanced chapters in my Patreon!
patreon.com/hollyrisk