Stone buildings sped past beneath them as Coppelia and Columbina flew at a low altitude, almost skimming the uneven rooftops.
Columbina unfurled her power to negate gravity for them, while Coppelia manipulated the Anemo element, providing continuous and precise thrust. The two of them tracked the man in black in complete silence.
Below, the black figure carried a still-shaken civilian on his shoulder, his movements exceptionally agile as he weaved through the maze-like alleyways.
After following for some distance, the man in black stopped in a secluded alley and put down the person he was carrying. Coppelia immediately gave a signal, and the two of them landed in the nearby shadows, observing quietly.
The man in black asked the civilian a few questions in a low voice. They were too far away to make out the specifics, but they could see the civilian's violent trembling gradually subside as he responded intermittently. Afterward, the man in black patted his shoulder and led him in another direction.
Coppelia and Columbina followed once more.
Eventually, the man in black stopped before a wooden door. The civilian, clutching his tool bag, gave the man a slight bow, then quickly pushed the door open and slipped inside, the door closing softly behind him. After confirming the civilian was home safe, the man in black didn't linger, his figure blurring as he sped off toward the wilderness at the city's edge.
Coppelia continued the pursuit without hesitation.
The terrain ahead began to open up, the buildings growing sparse, until finally, the man in black stopped in a field piled high with rubble. He spun around abruptly, his gaze shooting toward the direction where Coppelia and Columbina were hiding.
"Come out." His voice wasn't loud, yet it carried clearly to them.
Their cover blown, Coppelia and Columbina no longer hid. They stepped out of the shadows and onto the rubble-strewn platform, casually pulling off the gray robes and cloaks they had worn as disguises, revealing the exquisite dresses underneath, which were starkly different from the style of Mondstadt.
Seeing that they showed no intention of attacking, the man in black spoke again, "You two are foreigners. I don't believe you have any ill intent. Why were you following me?"
Coppelia met his gaze and stated her purpose. "To oppose, and even overthrow, Decarabian. And to obtain something from Him that He will not part with easily. To that end, I wish to cooperate with the resistance forces in Mondstadt. And I suspect that you are a member of that resistance, or at the very least, connected to it."
"I merely rescued an innocent civilian from those knights, and you call that 'resistance'? A resistance force? Miss, don't be ridiculous. There's no such thing in Mondstadt. You should leave as soon as possible. We have nothing to discuss."
Coppelia was unmoved, her tone instead taking on a hint of pressure. "And what if we insist on talking? That red hair of yours is rather uncommon. Perhaps we've seen you somewhere before? If we can't speak in the shadows, it's not like we can't take this conversation into the light..."
"Wait!" The man in black, realizing his identity was compromised, spoke up to stop her.
Coppelia paused, looking at him. "Can we talk now?"
The man in black fell silent for a moment, seemingly weighing his options, before saying, "Yesterday, two magnificently dressed women came seeking an audience with the god, demanding a treasure. That was you, wasn't it?"
How does he know we were here yesterday? Coppelia's eyes shifted slightly.
"Those soldiers from earlier seemed to be investigating foreigners. Are we wanted?" Coppelia pressed, seizing the opportunity. "If that's not the case, then your identity must be quite something. What is your relationship with Amos?"
"Amos believed the two of you wouldn't give up on the treasure so easily, so she ordered the knights to conduct a strict investigation of any foreigners who might have infiltrated the city," the man in black explained. Then, he reached up and pulled off his black hood, revealing a conspicuous head of hair like burning flames and a face that was young yet composed.
"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Lumiere Ragnvindr, a Cavalry Captain of the Mondstadt Knights."
"Coppelia," she introduced herself, then gestured to her companion. "And this is Columbina. So, Captain Lumiere, why were you helping a civilian at night with your face covered? You are connected to the resistance, aren't you?"
Lumiere didn't deny it but corrected her phrasing. "I am indeed associated with an organization. The people in it are dissatisfied with a series of actions taken by the leadership, but the organization's purpose is not resistance."
Dissatisfied with the leadership, but not resisting? An idea struck Coppelia as she recalled information she'd heard earlier. "Is this organization connected to the petition rally happening the day after tomorrow?"
Lumiere didn't show much surprise at this and admitted it frankly. "Yes. I've been cooperating with some of the bards to plan an unprecedentedly grand petition rally. We hope that our odes and prayers can change the King's heart and alter the current method of rule."
He paused before adding, "However, some of the contents being discussed for the petition would harm the interests of many nobles. If made public, the impact would be immeasurable. Therefore, discussions about these parts are usually held secretly at night in secluded locations. I'm responsible for protecting them from being discovered by the leadership... The man from before is a member of our organization."
Coppelia seized upon the key point. "But you can't do these things in your capacity as a Cavalry Captain, which is why you were masked... Do you all truly believe a single petition can change the status quo?"
"The scale of this petition will be unprecedented," Lumiere said, his voice filled with firm conviction. "I believe that even a stubborn stone would be moved in the face of such a powerful and sincere chorus of voices."
"Water can wear away a stone, but it cannot turn the stone itself into water," Coppelia retorted. "You've held many petitions before, haven't you? Has even one of them ever succeeded?"
Lumiere avoided the direct question, saying instead, "I still believe the power of words and prayer has not yet been exhausted."
He refocused his gaze on Coppelia. "You mentioned 'oppose and even overthrow' just now. Miss, foreigner, do you understand what kind of being resides atop that high tower? Decarabian's fierce gales are enough to shred any army that dares to approach. The path of opposition will only cause the blood of Mondstadt to flow like a river, and it will not shake the tower in the slightest."
"That's hard to say," Coppelia replied calmly. "To the south, there is a vast nation called Liyue. There once was a 'Salt God' there named Havria. Her life was ended by a handful of mortals. It's not impossible for Decarabian to be killed by humans, as long as His power can be weakened."
"Can a god's power really be weakened?" Lumiere pressed.
"Decarabian remains powerful because there are still many who are willing to believe in Him—or more accurately, have no choice but to believe in Him," Coppelia explained. "If we can make these people transfer their faith, Decarabian's power will naturally weaken."
"Believe in whom? Andrius?" The only other object of faith Lumiere could think of was the King of the North Wind.
"Not the King of the North Wind," Coppelia shook her head. "But another..."
"'The God of Freedom and Wind,' Barbatos!"
___
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