"Scatter, my lord!"
Under the bright morning light, several Fatui agents emerged from the shadows, kneeling respectfully before a foreign boy.
One of the debt collectors cautiously lifted his head, trembling as he reported to Scaramouche, "My lord, news has arrived from Dragonspine. The soldiers sent to search for the core of Durin, the corrupted dragon, and the ancient kingdom of Sal Vindagnir have all been wiped out."
"According to the investigation, they were all defeated and captured by Mondstadt's Honorary Knight Hiroshi and his partners."
"Honorary Knight Hiroshi?"
The boy with a kasa hat frowned and turned his gaze towards Liyue.
"A troublesome figure. Previously, that battle-crazed Childe, who coincidentally fully released the Vortex God of Old, was easily defeated by this guy and a bunch of strange creatures from who-knows-where. And then they even turned the remains into dinner."
"I thought he'd linger in Liyue for a few more days, but he returned so quickly."
"Speaking of which," Scaramouche muttered, stroking his chin thoughtfully, as the Sixth Fatui Harbinger. "It seems the plan to summon a star of destiny from the celestial heavens is likely to encounter problems now."
"That fleeting multicolored glow this morning must have been caused by Hiroshi as well."
Standing at the intersection of Liyue and Mondstadt, Scaramouche gazed from the massive cliff at the Stone Gate towards the distant Musk Reef in Mondstadt.
"With his power, has he already unraveled the truth of this matter?"
"And now, is he waiting for me, the instigator, at the final point?"
A faint smile played on his lips as he let out a quiet chuckle, turning back to the kneeling agents behind him.
"Soldiers! Proceed to Musk Reef at once to inspect the condition of the star core!"
The kneeling Fatui soldiers exchanged glances before bowing deeply in acknowledgment, "Understood!"
Their figures melted back into the shadows, disappearing completely. Scaramouche looked up at the sky with a soft laugh before walking away.
"I have no desire to face a monster that can slay Archons and then cook them into a meal."
"After all, I've already guessed most of what I wanted to know. Now, I just need some solid proof."
Time flew by, and before anyone realized it, the morning sun had set in the west, painting the sky with hues of orange and turning the clouds into a luxurious tapestry.
"Ha~"
Letting out a lazy yawn, Hiroshi casually tossed two cards onto the stone surface.
"Two twos, I'm calling double."
"Ah! I give up, I give up!"
Throwing down her cards in defeat, Lumine glared at Hiroshi's smiling face. "I said I surrender! Hiroshi, just put down those two jokers already."
Smiling slightly, Hiroshi placed his last two cards down and turned to look at the massive star core with a sigh.
"Miss Mona, is there really no way to divine who the mastermind behind this is from this star core?"
"It feels like I've wasted an entire day here."
"There's nothing I can do."
Mona, who had been poring over her notebook, closed it with a sigh and turned to the star core, shaking her head.
"If we had some information about the mastermind, I could divine something."
"But with absolutely no clues and the massive elemental energy radiating from this core, I'm unable to perform a reading."
"I see."
Standing up slowly, Hiroshi looked at the star core with a resigned expression. "Klee has been nagging me to come home for dinner. I don't want to spend the night here. Let's just head back."
"As for this star core…"
In a flash, Hiroshi appeared beside the core, placing a hand on it to Mona's astonishment.
Scenes from the past flowed into Hiroshi's mind through the star core's essence.
A rope could scale mountains; a wooden boat could traverse seas. Two thousand years ago, Mondstadt was home to a renowned adventurer named Leonard, who explored the world's mysteries until the age of forty.
Except for the Sharp Hat Peak—a towering, unyielding snowy mountain—a manifestation of nature's cruelty.
Leonard's adventures came to a halt at that merciless peak. His journey ended there, and he never ventured forth again, even in his later years.
Yet humanity's courage does not end so easily. Though insignificant before nature, humans are also resilient and ingenious. Where nature conquered humans, tools were invented to conquer nature. And when stronger forces of nature arise, humans rise again.
If feet cannot reach, then tools are crafted. If tools fail, wings are invented for flight.
Leonard dedicated his life to conquering the snowy mountain, fighting against nature until his end.
"Your wish has been fulfilled," Hiroshi said softly, opening his eyes with a smile. "You now stand atop Sharp Hat Peak. The once-untamed mountain has become a reef accessible to all."
"And the wings you invented have become humanity's feathers, guiding the brave to soar the skies."
The star core's essence rippled gently in response to Hiroshi's words, as if moved by a rhythmic harmony. A soft breeze carried the scent of Mondstadt's grass and flowers.
From within the star core, a serene laugh echoed. The core's blue surface began to glow, releasing soft beams of light. The wind carried faint, harmonious music, and tiny specks of light floated towards Mondstadt's land.
Watching the luminescent breeze drift away, Hiroshi turned his gaze to the starry sky.
Squinting, he smiled faintly. "False sky, supreme reason."
"The more I learn, the more ignorant I feel."
Looking towards Mondstadt, Hiroshi murmured, "So where has Venti, the elusive Anemo Archon, gone this time?"
"Hiroshi, what's wrong?"
From afar, Lumine waved and called out, "Paimon's getting impatient! Let's destroy the star core and head back!"
"Hold on a moment."
Hiroshi dissipated the residual energy from the star core before forming another core resembling the original. Placing it where the old core had been, Hiroshi disappeared from view.
A white cloud rose from Musk Reef, drifting towards Mondstadt.
Late that night, at three o'clock, thunderous sounds erupted from Musk Reef, and a golden sun appeared on the distant horizon.
In a secluded training space, Hiroshi opened his eyes, his voice tinged with realization.
"So it really is the Fatui. But considering Zhongli's dealings with the Fatui Harbinger…"
"Exchanging the Geo Archon's Gnosis for something suggests that Snezhnaya has a plan."
"How does this connect to Celestia, the Abyss, and this fractured world?"
Smirking softly, Hiroshi closed his eyes again, allowing the dense spiritual energy and law fluctuations to envelop him once more.