"Hmm? You're preparing to leave Mondstadt?"
Outside Nordic Hunt, Durandal, who had accepted Lumine's invitation, heard this statement and stopped what she was doing.
"Yes, I need to find my brother, so I can't stay in one place for too long. It's already confirmed that Mondstadt's Anemo Archon isn't the god I'm looking for, the one who took my brother, so I plan to go to Liyue to check it out."
After learning that Venti was the Anemo Archon Barbatos and not the god who took her brother, Lumine no longer had any reason to stay here.
Venti also agreed with this point and told Lumine that if she truly wanted to find the Geo Archon, she could meet him at the upcoming Rite of Descension.
He descends once a year, bestowing divine oracles to guide the direction of Liyue's operations for the year. If she missed this year, she would have to wait until next year to see the Geo Archon again.
Fortunately, there was still a relatively long time before the Rite of Descension began, so Lumine didn't need to rush and could bid farewell to the friends she had made in Mondstadt one by one.
It wasn't that they couldn't meet again in the future; it was just a few days of travel. For her as a Traveler, eating and sleeping in the open was the most basic thing, it was no big deal.
Besides, she had already promised Amber to return for the Windblume Festival and participate in the festivities with everyone.
Durandal didn't know all this. She, who was usually so quiet, had kept her head down and said nothing since hearing the news of Lumine's departure.
Even Paimon, who had been eating continuously, noticed Durandal's abnormality and quickly swallowed the food in his mouth.
"What's wrong, Durandal? You haven't said anything since just now. Is something the matter?"
"...Nothing, I was just thinking about those people who came to me for healing recently. It's nothing major."
Durandal shook her head and put down her knife and fork: "I still have some things to deal with, so I won't chat with you two anymore."
With that, without giving Lumine and Paimon a chance to persuade her to stay, Durandal got up and walked towards the Mondstadt city gates, leaving Paimon utterly confused.
"What exactly is going on? Did we do something to displease Durandal just now?"
Paimon was a bit bewildered. When they were with Durandal, Durandal rarely spoke, but she had never acted like this before.
She had been busy eating just now and hadn't said anything, so did the Traveler say something that displeased Durandal?
Facing Paimon's gaze, Lumine reached out and pinched his cheek. Did this person think she was the kind of person who liked to speak carelessly?
However... she seemed to understand why Durandal had become like this.
Lumine stroked her chin thoughtfully. It seemed she still had some things to do before heading to Liyue.
Meanwhile, Durandal, having left Mondstadt, wandered aimlessly and unwittingly arrived at Starsnatch Cliff.
Durandal found Cecilia there, the flower Venti used to adorn her hat, and even her lyre was decorated with this flower.
What was wrong with her? She knew very well that as a Traveler, Lumine would definitely leave Mondstadt for other nations in the future, so why did her heart feel so uncomfortable when she heard Lumine was leaving?
Sitting on the edge of Starsnatch Cliff, gazing at the distant sea, Durandal pondered the reason for her feelings.
After a long time, Durandal still couldn't figure it out. Was she reluctant? Reluctant for her to leave Mondstadt? Reluctant to lose this good friend with whom she could communicate?
Perhaps... it really was like that. In the past, she had no choice, so she never felt this way, but now that she finally had a normal person as a friend... Lumine should count as a normal person, right?
In any case, Durandal didn't feel very good about losing Lumine as a close friend, but she understood that Lumine's journey wouldn't stop for her. As a friend, she offered her blessings.
"I remember, the weapon she's currently using isn't very good. Should I make her a weapon?"
She had already made a spear for Rosaria, so Durandal naturally wouldn't be stingy with a friend.
Anyway, she had so many materials for making weapons on her, and with her ability, she could create a weapon with just a thought.
But what kind of weapon should she make? The one she gave Rosaria was made according to the weapons of this world. Lumine's weapon could be better, but not too over-the-top.
If she made too powerful a weapon, Durandal worried that Lumine might be noticed by the Heavenly Principles due to the aura the weapon emitted.
ε = ( ' ο ｀ * ) ) ) Ah~ So troublesome. If not for the Heavenly Principles, Durandal could totally make Lumine a set of top-tier weapons, instantly giving Lumine strength that even gods couldn't contend with.
But then she would be noticed by the Heavenly Principles, so all she could do was give Lumine a decent, top-tier weapon. As for artifacts, Lumine would have to farm them herself; Durandal couldn't help with that.
Hmm? Why couldn't she help? You can't possibly expect Durandal to help Lumine with luck, can you? That kind of thing is really difficult.
Durandal had seen souls, seen various other energy objects, but she really didn't know how luck could appear in any form. Such an elusive thing, even an Apostle couldn't control it.
Just like that, Durandal didn't go to Mondstadt for several days in a row, and her disappearance made the people in Mondstadt think she might have left for other nations.
Venti, however, knew that Durandal had been staying at Cape Oath, but she didn't know what Durandal was doing there. The spirits in the wind also didn't tell her the answer.
Helpless, Venti could only go there herself to check on Durandal's situation, but when she arrived, she saw a monster pouncing on her.
Venti was startled by the sudden appearance of the monster and immediately dodged, but the monster twisted its body in mid-air, directly ignoring physical laws and pinning her to the ground.
This was the first time Venti had faced such a monster at close range, like some very extraordinary plot, which made even Venti, the Anemo Archon, panic, almost unable to resist using her divine power.
At the last moment, she suppressed the urge to use her power and shouted, "Durandal! Stop watching! Come help me!"
"...You've come at the wrong time, Barbatos."
The monster didn't bite. After Durandal's voice appeared, it released Barbatos, its body merging into the shadows and disappearing.
Then Durandal walked out from behind a tree, looking at Venti whose clothes were disheveled.
"When have I not come to find you like this? How mean! You clearly knew it was me, yet you did this to me. Do you like the feeling of swallowing me whole?"
Could it be that after she swallowed her last time, she grew to like this way of punishing her? What a nasty fellow.
"It's you too, isn't it? Since you're both you, why do you treat me like this? You must be doing it on purpose."
"I was busy with something very important, so I ordered it to expel anyone who entered here. It wouldn't kill them, just make them unconscious for a few hours and forget what happened here."
That monster just now was indeed a clone of Durandal, a phantom she created with her abilities, an assistant to expel outsiders when she was busy.
Precisely because it was a clone, it was the same as her, and its feelings for a certain person were also replicated. Seeing Venti run over, it couldn't help but play a "joke" on her.
The clone was already ready to bite. Venti had been swallowed by her before, so letting her experience it a few more times, as a joke between friends, her exclusive joke... she herself just wouldn't like it.
"What's the matter that made you suddenly come looking for me? You should be playing your lyre or drinking in Mondstadt right now, shouldn't you?"
"Ah! Speaking of which, that's why I came to find you! What's wrong with you lately? You usually come to Mondstadt for a few hours, why haven't you been coming recently?"
Even if nothing happened, Durandal would still stay near the fountain in Mondstadt. Occasionally, passing children would greet her, and she could also help check if any children were sick.
But then she suddenly stopped coming. What happened? Did she get tired of this life and want to hide?
"No, I just had something to do, so I didn't go."
"Something? What thing? The Fatui? Or the Abyss?"
Could it be that the Fatui had become restless again, or that the Abyss had made some move, prompting Durandal to specially make time for it?
Durandal shook her head, extended her hand, and a dark purple Sword appeared in her hand.
Divine weapon! That was Venti's first thought upon seeing it. As the Anemo Archon, she had some discernment; even though her weapon was a bow, it didn't diminish her appreciation for other weapons.
She curiously took the Sword and examined it carefully. Such a weapon, if left out in the open, would surely attract the attention of many, especially those master swordsmen.
"This aura... did you use materials from your own body?"
"Yes, it's mine anyway, and I have as much as I want. The best materials are on me; the most troublesome thing is how to adjust the weapon's strength to an appropriate level."
What Durandal had been doing these past few days was precisely this: making a weapon and then destroying it. She had done this process countless times, finally managing to get one that was suitable.
"This weapon will continuously improve with the growth of its wielder's abilities, so there's no need to worry about the wielder being unable to control the weapon."
This was Durandal's final conclusion. Since no matter how she set it, the weapon would be overpowered, she might as well let the user decide the weapon's strength. She believed Lumine would also support this arrangement.
"No wonder I said it's clearly a divine weapon, yet it doesn't have the aura of a divine weapon. So that's why. But... it has no reaction at all, why is that?"
"Because... it already has a master, it's just waiting for its master to activate it."
It already has a master? Venti blinked. She remembered Durandal used a great scythe, that very exaggerated scythe, not a Sword.
Hmm? Oh~ she understood.
"You're preparing this for the Traveler?"
"...Yes."
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