The night was deep, and the city of Mondstadt had fallen into a dead silence after the wounds of the day.
As agreed a few days prior, Coppelia and Columbina arrived at the rubble-strewn lot on the city's edge.
A black figure already stood in the center of the lot, blending into the night.
He had his back to them, seemingly gazing into the distance, gazing at the tall tower that emitted a faint cyan glow.
After Columbina confirmed that the newcomer was indeed Lumiere and that no one else was around, Coppelia and Columbina stepped out from the shadows, removing the gray cloaks and hoods they wore as disguises to reveal their true appearances and attire.
Hearing footsteps behind him, Lumiere slowly turned around. He was still wearing his night-prowling attire and hadn't removed his black cowl, revealing only a pair of exceptionally somber eyes.
"You're here." His voice, muffled by the fabric, carried a tone of exhaustion and disappointment. "You saw the results of the petition with your own eyes. The king's response... was completely disconnected from the people's thunderous cries."
Coppelia walked up and stopped a short distance from him. "Words and voices won't change Decarabian."
"Yes..." Lumiere let out a long sigh, the short word filled with both agreement and helplessness. "You're right."
"So, what do you plan to do next?" Coppelia watched him. "Organize another petition?"
Lumiere shook his head. "Petitions, protests... or any similar activities will no longer have any effect. I see that clearly now." His voice gradually took on a hint of resolve. "It's time to consider more forceful methods."
"So you've finally decided to walk the path of resistance?" Coppelia pressed, wanting a clear answer.
"Resistance..." Lumiere repeated the word softly, weighing its gravity. "It's not yet a full-blown rebellion. My plan is to first secretly organize a group of trustworthy people, gather weapons, and then launch attacks against some of the most corrupt nobles."
"When the nobility is attacked, they will certainly mobilize their forces to suppress us. Conflict will be inevitable, and at that time, there might be—no, there will definitely be casualties." He calmly laid out his plan. "I hope that blood and sacrifice will be enough to get the king's attention. Perhaps this way, He can truly 'hear' the people's voices—not of supplication this time, but of anger."
From his words, Coppelia grasped his deeper intent: armed force was a form of extreme and painful remonstrance. Lumiere wanted to use it to 'move' and 'change' the lonely king.
"I understand," Coppelia said, refraining from judging the cruelty or the success rate of the plan itself.
"If..." Lumiere's voice grew deeper, with an almost imperceptible tremor. "If even the people's sacrifices aren't enough to move His heart of stone, if He is truly content to be a tyrant who remains satisfied with the status quo, blind to the suffering at His feet... then we will only have one last path left."
He didn't explicitly say what that path was, but all three of them present knew perfectly well.
A silence pressed down on the rubble-strewn lot. In the distance, the faint sound of the perpetually howling wind could be heard.
"If it truly comes to that," Lumiere spoke again, "I hope a new, sufficiently powerful being will be willing to protect the people of Mondstadt."
He lifted his head, looked toward the storm wall, and said: "Whether it's the 'God of Freedom' Barbatos you believe in, or the King of the North Wind, Andrius. As long as either one is willing to accept the people of Mondstadt, it will be fine."
"That is a problem I will help you solve from the outside."
"I'm immensely grateful," Lumiere said solemnly.
"Our goals have much in common. Helping you is also helping ourselves." She paused for a moment, recalling something. "Oh, right. There's one more thing I think you should know."
"Please, go on."
"Do you know someone named 'Gunnhildr'?" Coppelia asked. "She's leading a group of refugees who fled Mondstadt and are struggling to survive in the territory of the King of the North Wind. They have many well-trained knights among them, a force not to be underestimated. They could potentially be reinforcements."
"Gunnhildr..." Lumiere pondered for a moment before shaking his head. "I don't know this person. However, about a few months ago, a rather large contingent of knights did break free from the king's control and leave Mondstadt for unknown reasons. Not long after, the attacks from the King of the North Wind, Andrius, became more frequent and fierce."
He speculated, "The refugees you mentioned and that contingent of knights are probably the same group. Perhaps Andrius learned of the situation inside Mondstadt from them, which is why he decided to intensify his attacks."
"But I have a question," Lumiere raised a point that had long troubled him. "As far as I know, the King of the North Wind, Andrius, isn't particularly interested in humans. Why is He so persistent in attacking Mondstadt? He shouldn't have any need to expand His territory."
"Because," Coppelia looked at him, "the tragic plight of the people in Mondstadt is something that even the King of the North Wind, who doesn't care much for humanity, can no longer stand to watch."
Lumiere fell silent. He had never considered it from that angle.
If even the King of the North Wind, whom people regarded as barbaric and dangerous, felt compelled to 'interfere' in Mondstadt's fate, then what was the true nature of the king high up in his tower?
He was speechless for a moment, his heart reeling from the immense shock.
Coppelia didn't press the issue further and changed the subject. "By the way, this time, can you give me a concrete way to contact you? If you need help, we can provide some."
Lumiere was already prepared. He took a folded, slightly coarse leather map from his clothes and handed it to Coppelia.
"Keep this map safe. It marks several secure contact points." he instructed in a low voice. "When we need to make contact at night, go to the places marked on the map. Someone will ask for a password. You answer, 'The wind will bring a turning point.'"
"'The wind will bring a turning point'... I've memorized it." Coppelia carefully put the map away. "We plan to leave Mondstadt tonight, to go to the outside world and sort out the matters of faith and reinforcements. It will be a long time before we return. Do you need me to bring any 'gifts' in from the outside?"
Lumiere shook his head, his gaze once again turning to the high tower, his voice calm again. "There's no need. You two... be careful."
"You too, take care," Coppelia said a solemn farewell.
Lumiere gave them a final nod, and then with a flicker of his figure, he quickly vanished into the shadows of an alleyway.
___
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