The wind rose.
Under the towering giant trees, Venti arrived here.
The light wind rustled the tree leaves, and Venti took out a jug of wine, placing it beneath the tree.
"Vennessa, Yuxie has returned. Though I don't know what happened, he truly appeared in front of me."
"When I first saw him, I thought I was mistaken, but after taking a closer look, I could confirm it was really him."
"Back then, he left without saying a word, and we couldn't find him anywhere. I never expected he'd come back after so many years."
"But it seems like he doesn't remember us, or anything from the past."
"This world is strange, isn't it? Things always happen that we never expect."
Venti sat down, opened the wine jug, and drank nearly half in one go.
"I really miss the times when the three of us would drink together."
.....
"So, you're all alone now, trying to find a place to stay in Mondstadt?"
"Yes, I'm sorry to trouble you."
"It's no trouble at all. We're heading to Mondstadt anyway, so it's just a small favor."
"My name is Yuxie, old man, what should I call you?"
"Just call me 'old man.' I'm not young anymore, and it doesn't matter if you call me even older. I have a granddaughter. She's younger than you, but if fate allows, I can introduce you to her. She's a good kid."
"Ah, old man. I mean no offense, but at your age, shouldn't you be retired? Why are you still out here on knightly duties?"
"Well, people always have things they want to do. Actually, I'm not originally from Mondstadt, but after everything that's happened, I've long considered Mondstadt my home. So, while I'm still able, I want to do my part."
"I see, that's admirable."
"By the way, do you have any friends in Mondstadt?"
"No... well, I have one."
"Are you planning to go find that friend?"
At this point, Yuxie paused for a moment, glancing outside the window of the carriage.
Could he ask Venti to help him find a place to stay? It would be awkward to bother Venti directly, and besides, Venti probably didn't have a fixed place to live either.
Seeing Yuxie's silence, the elderly Knights of Favonius spoke again:
"Do you need any help?"
"No, just letting me catch a ride to Mondstadt is already a big trouble for you. I can't ask for more."
"I see. Well, good luck, kid," the elderly Knights of Favonius smiled.
The young boy in front of him seemed completely capable of looking after himself, so there was no need to worry too much.
The caravan continued its journey, passing through the Windrise area.
Through the carriage window, Yuxie saw the towering tree standing in the Windrise area.
He thought back to the things Venti had said earlier.
Vennessa...
He hadn't expected that he had once been to Mondstadt before, and that he had been so familiar with both Vennessa and Venti.
Time and fate are truly strange things.
As the sun set, the caravan finally arrived at Mondstadt.
After entering the city, Yuxie bid farewell to the elderly Knights of Favonius and left the caravan.
The streets of Mondstadt stretched before him, with shops and stalls lining the way, each one more dazzling than the next.
The unique architecture stood tall, and people on the streets chatted and laughed, filling the air with joy.
The sun was nearly gone, and although he didn't have to sleep outside, if he didn't find a place to stay soon, he might end up sleeping on the streets…
He had just arrived in Mondstadt, and since he was unfamiliar with the area, it wasn't easy to find a place to stay quickly.
Yuxie wandered around for a while but still couldn't find a place to stay.
As night fell, the streets were brightly lit, and although quieter than during the day, a sudden sharp voice from the side of the street caught his attention.
"Leave! I won't do business with you!"
"I don't want to sell anything to someone from the Lawrence family! Go away!"
Lawrence family?
Yuxie quickly walked toward the sound, and he saw a young girl with light blue hair standing in front of a general store. Her expression was serious and composed.
The girl had a beautiful face and looked to be around Yuxie's age.
"Still not leaving? Don't think you can change my mind! I've made it very clear, I won't sell anything to someone from the Lawrence family!" the store owner snapped again.
The girl still didn't respond, but she didn't linger either. She simply turned and walked away.
Seeing this, Yuxie scratched his cheek. Though his own problem was unresolved, he decided to follow her.
By the Cider Lake.
The girl had arrived here and sat by the lake.
The moonlight was bright, and the reflection of the moon was clear on the water.
A night breeze blew across the lake, creating ripples on the surface.
Yuxie walked up and sat down beside her.
"May I sit here?"
The girl turned her head and glanced at Yuxie but didn't answer, continuing to gaze at the lake in silence.
Yuxie sat down beside her.
"I saw what happened earlier, when you were buying things."
"So? Are you here to mock me?" the girl replied, her voice as sweet as a silver bell.
"Of course not! What I wanted to say is, prejudice is like a mountain, sometimes it's hard to change. You don't have to keep butting your head against it. If you want to buy something, I can go buy it for you."
"No need." The girl answered immediately without thinking, then realized there was something slightly off about her response.
She turned to look at Yuxie, a bit confused, and asked, "It sounds like you know about my family's situation."
"Yeah, I know."
"Then why are you talking to me? Aren't you worried that others will find out and shun you too?"
"Why should I care? You're not the type to be bound by the old, outdated nobility rules."
"We're meeting for the first time, right? It seems like you know a fair bit about me?" A hint of suspicion appeared in the girl's eyes.
"Really? It's just my intuition." Yuxie smiled awkwardly.
"Well, whatever. I've warned you, though. If you end up being ostracized, don't say I didn't tell you." The girl turned her gaze back to the moon's reflection in the lake.
The atmosphere fell into silence. Yuxie wasn't sure what to say next.
"The Lawrence family used to be a good family, didn't it?" After a long pause, Yuxie slowly spoke. "Like the other two great families, they protected Mondstadt."
The girl seemed momentarily taken aback.
Yes, the Lawrence family had been protectors of Mondstadt in the past. But somewhere along the way, the family had been tempted by power and greed, forgetting the common folk.
Under the family's rule, slavery had flourished, and the lives of ordinary people had lost all hope.
That was a long time ago—so long, in fact, that the current Lawrence family had completely forgotten that they had once been guardians of Mondstadt.
"You seem to know a lot about Mondstadt's history," the girl remarked.
"Not really, just a little bit," Yuxie said. "By the way, my name's Yuxie. What's yours?"
"Eula." The girl paused for a moment. "Eula Lawrence."
End of chapter
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