Aether then returned to Jean's office, and inside, besides Paimon, Jean, and Lisa, there was also a new figure—an old acquaintance.
A girl with ash-gray hair and olive-green eyes, wearing a maid's hat on her head.
She was none other than Noelle, the strongest maid of the Knights of Favonius. Her strength was not only in being a reliable servant but also as a formidable fighter.
'I can't see her status either,' Aether thought.
'Traveler, this is Noelle. If you need anything, you can ask her,' Jean said.
'Nice to meet you, Mister Traveler,' Noelle greeted.
Aether nodded at her and replied, 'You can call me Aether, Noelle.'
'Understood, Traveler.'
'Traveler, after they return, let's think about what actions we should take next,' Jean said.
'No problem.'
'In that case, Noelle, please take the Traveler to rest in the upstairs room.'
'Understood, Acting Grand Master Jean. Please follow me, Traveler and Paimon,' Noelle said.
'Yeah.'
Just before the three of them left, Jean spoke again.
'Traveler, if you get bored, you can go to the library to read.'
'Alright, I'll do that.'
After that, the three of them went upstairs, and Noelle led them to one of the rooms.
It was a very standard room with a single bed, a set of tables and chairs, and a wardrobe.
'Traveler, do you need anything?'
'Sorry for troubling you, Noelle. Coincidentally, I'm really hungry,' Aether said.
'Now that Traveler mentioned it, Paimon is feeling hungry too!'
'Alright, I will bring food for both of you,' Noelle replied with a smile.
'Make sure to bring a big portion since Paimon eats a lot.'
'Hey!'
'I understand.'
Noelle then walked out of the room and went to the kitchen to prepare food for them.
'Huff, even though we've only been traveling for half a day, we've already been through so much, huh, Traveler?'
'You can come out now.'
'Hmm? Traveler, who are you talking to?'
Suddenly, another person appeared in the room as a gust of wind blew in.
'Whoa!'
'Venti!'
'Hello! We meet again, Traveler and Paimon.'
'Have you finished your business?' Paimon asked.
'Well, to be honest, I haven't completed it yet. Because Dvalin suddenly attacked Mondstadt, I had to return immediately.'
'If you hadn't come back at that time, the situation could have gotten much worse,' Paimon said.
'Even if it's unfinished, you must have gotten some results, right?'
'Yes, I found another contaminated Tear Crystal. I also discovered that Dvalin is burning his vitality with the fire of rage.'
'What?!'
'If Dvalin dies, that would be so unfair to him,' Paimon said.
'How long will it take for him to burn away all his vitality?' Aether asked.
'Ten days, but because of your attack back then, he probably only has five days left,' Venti replied.
'Traveler, we have to do something!' Paimon said.
'Five days… That should be enough time for us to save him.'
'Then, Venti, do you have a way to lure Dvalin out?'
'Of course! By using the Holy Lyre der Himmel. It is Mondstadt's most precious relic and the lyre I used to play in the past.'
'Maybe by playing it, I can summon him and bring out his true gentle nature.'
'Give the Traveler power, Mondstadt's most valuable relic, something you used to play, summon Dvalin, Dvalin's friend… Wait a minute! Venti, are you the Anemo Archon?!' Paimon asked.
'Huh? You didn't know, Paimon?'
'Of course not! Paimon just realized it now!'
'Didn't the Traveler already tell the Knights of Favonius that he received a blessing from the Anemo Archon?'
'Traveler did say that back then.. Why didn't Paimon think about it at all?! Then, Traveler, when did you realize Venti's true identity?'
'Since we first met him.'
'Uugh, so that's what you meant back then… But Traveler, Paimon guessed it right, didn't she?'
'Yes. Next time I grill fish, Paimon will get five extra portions.'
'Yay!'
'So, where is the Holy Lyre der Himmel located?' Aether asked Venti.
'The Favonius Church.'
'Do you have a way to take it?'
'I actually tried asking for it directly, but unfortunately, I was rejected.'
'In that case, let's discuss this with Jean. We should be able to ask for her help.'
'You want me to reveal my true identity to her?'
'Why are you hesitating? You already told the church that you are Barbatos, right?'
'Well… yeah.'
'Then it shouldn't be a problem to tell one more person. After all, Jean is one of your most devoted followers. Don't you want to greet your loyal believer?'
'It's not that… It just feels awkward. I've been absent for so long. And she might reject me just like the people from the church did.'
'Alright, then I'll do it myself.'
'Hehe, Traveler, you really are the best.'
'Well then, I'll come back to you later, Traveler and Paimon.'
'Are you leaving now, Venti?' Paimon asked.
'Why not wait a little longer?'
'Because someone will be bringing food soon.'
'That's a shame, but right now, I want to spread the story of Dvalin to the people of Mondstadt.'
'I see. We won't force you,' Aether said.
'....'
'But now that I think about it, it's already noon, so I'll have a little food to regain my strength for reciting poetry later.'
After 15 minutes, Noelle returned, pushing a cart full of food. To avoid raising any questions, Aether told Venti to hide for the time being.
After finishing lunch, his body was back to 100%, and Aether then asked Noelle to take him to the library.
The library's location was exactly the same as in the game—right in front of Jean's office.
After thanking Noelle, Aether and Paimon started looking around the library, which was completely empty at the moment.
'Paimon, even though it's just the two of us here, don't cause a commotion, okay?'
'I understand, Traveler.'
After that, Aether began searching for books he wanted to read.
The first was a book related to Ley Lines.
The second was a book about different types of monsters.
The third was about other nations and their maps.
From the first book, he learned that Ley Line Blossoms do indeed exist in this world, and the Knights of Favonius often clear them, both as a duty and as part of their training.
Clearing Ley Line Blossoms wasn't just about absorbing leaked Ley Line energy, but also about eliminating the monsters that were attracted to the energy leak.
To absorb the leaking Ley Line energy, Original Resin would appear around the affected area.
Once the leaked energy was absorbed, the Original Resin would be processed through alchemy. The result of this process would grant Wanderer's Advice, Adventurer's Experience, Hero's Wit, and Elemental Stones at random.
Unlike in the game, where Ley Line Blossoms also produce Mora, in this world, that wasn't the case. The right to create Mora belonged solely to Rex Lapis, also known as Morax, the Geo Archon and ruler of Liyue.
From the second book, he learned that monsters evolve after absorbing too much Ley Line energy. However, humans cannot do the same. Only after Ley Line energy is processed into the aforementioned materials can humans absorb it.
For this reason, Ley Line Blossoms must be cleared regularly. If left unchecked, powerful monsters would continue to appear.
From the third book, he gained more specific knowledge about the regions of each nation that he had never visited before his reincarnation.
For example:
• Sumeru is an academic city.
• Fontaine is a city with advanced technology.
• Natlan is a region constantly engaged in warfare.
As for Snezhnaya, he only found information about the Fatui, but nothing else.
Even though the book clearly had more information, he was unable to read it. When he showed it to Paimon and had her read it aloud, he still couldn't hear the words.
For this, he could only come up with one explanation—the System was restricting him, and he had no idea why.
Among the three books he studied, the one about Maps and Territories made him the happiest. Why?
Because when he touched the map, the Map feature appeared in his System!
Although most of the map was still blacked out, this feature would be incredibly helpful.
However, unlike in the game, where touching a Statue of The Seven would reveal a portion of the map, in this world, he had to explore each area himself to clear the black areas.
Fortunately, the reveal radius wasn't too small. Since he was currently level 54, every area he explored would reveal a 540-meter radius in the shape of a circle, with him as the center.
In the evening, Aether and Paimon returned to Jean's office. Inside, aside from Amber and Barbara, everyone had returned.
'So, how did it go?' Jean asked.
'The connection crystal hasn't been completely destroyed. If left alone, there's a chance the storm could return to Mondstadt. But for now, there's no more danger,' Albedo replied.
'What about the rest of you?'
'Same as Albedo, my task is also complete. As for Amber, she said she'd patrol the area to check for any traces of monsters,' Eula answered.
'I'm done too. Besides that, I also encountered an Abyss Mage at Wolvendom. How about you guys?' Kaeya asked.
'No, I only found Hilichurls, Samachurls, and Mitachurls in my area,' Eula replied.
'I'm the same,' said Albedo.
'Then, what about that Abyss Mage, Kaeya?' Jean asked.
'Coincidentally, Diluc was also at Wolvendom at the time, and he was the one who defeated the Abyss Mage. It seems he's now trying to extract information from it,' Kaeya replied.
'In that case, we don't need to interfere in his business,' said Jean.
'Uh, Jean, who exactly is this Diluc?' Paimon asked.
'He is the richest person in all of Mondstadt.'
'What?!'
'The richest person? Wow, Paimon can't even imagine how much Mora he has.'
'He's also Kaeya's brother, Paimon,' Lisa added.
'Eh? Brothers?'
'Yes, more precisely, stepbrothers,' Kaeya replied.
'Anyway, what about your side, Jean, Lisa?' Kaeya smoothly changed the topic.
'Their diplomatic representatives are getting more arrogant. They said we should leave the matter of Dvalin to them, and they would 'help' Mondstadt by eliminating him,' Jean explained.
'If fighting them wouldn't worsen the situation, I'd love to punish them,' Lisa said with a hint of irritation.
'Besides that, they also insist on meeting with the Traveler, claiming they want to discuss something,' Jean added.
'But I think it's probably related to you receiving the Anemo Archon's blessing.'
'What do you think, Traveler?'
'Do you want to meet with them?' Jean asked.
'Are you referring to the Fatui?'
'Yes.'
'There's nothing to discuss with those Fatui,' Aether replied firmly.
Other than that white-haired woman, the thing Aether hated most in this world was the Fatui. They caused chaos wherever they went and acted however they pleased.
Moreover, it was because of the Fatui that he died and was reincarnated. Even though he no longer dwelled on it, that didn't mean he had forgotten or forgiven that man—Scaramouche, the Sixth of the Fatui Harbingers.
Jean nodded at Aether's response.
'Then, Jean, what's our next step?' Kaeya asked.
'We need to track Dvalin and find a way to heal him. Besides that, we also need to figure out how to contact Lord Barbatos,' Jean said.
'Actually, the Anemo Archon has already contacted me,' Aether stated.
'Really?'
'Yes, he can summon Dvalin, but to do that, he needs your help, Knights of Favonius.'
'And what is that, Traveler?'
'He wants to borrow the Holy Lyre der Himmel with your assistance.'
'But the Holy Lyre der Himmel originally belongs to Lord Barbatos,' Lisa said.
'Why would he need to ask us for permission to borrow it?'
'I don't know what your Archon is thinking,' Aether replied, shrugging.
Jean fell silent for a moment before turning to Kaeya.
'I will write a letter requesting to borrow the Holy Lyre der Himmel from the church. Kaeya, deliver it to Cardinal Calvin. Since Fath.. Cardinal of Daybreak is absent, he has the highest authority in the church right now.'
'Understood.'
'Also, be careful not to let the Fatui notice anything suspicious.'
'It seems they are eager to interfere with anything related to Lord Barbatos.'
Kaeya nodded in understanding.
'Alright, that's enough for today. You can all rest,' Jean said to Eula, Albedo, and Lisa.
Eula, Albedo, and Lisa nodded, and two of them left Jean's office, leaving only Lisa behind.
'Traveler and Paimon, what books were you reading earlier in the library?'
'Hehe, Paimon was reading about the signature foods of each region!'
'As for Traveler, he was reading books about Ley Lines, Monsters, and different regions.'
'Oh? Are you interested in Ley Lines and Monsters, Traveler?'
'Yeah, to be honest, I find it quite interesting. Especially the connection between Ley Lines and Hilichurls.'
'Unlike Slimes, which are born from concentrated elemental energy, Hilichurls don't seem to have any form of 'reproduction.' Yet, even though they're constantly being defeated, their numbers never seem to decrease.'
'That means there's only one possible explanation—Hilichurls and Ley Lines must have a very close relationship.'
Upon hearing Aether's words, Lisa, who was nearby, Kaeya, who was leaning against the wall, and Jean, who was writing a letter at her desk, all turned to look at him in shock.
They knew about this as well, and it wasn't that they weren't curious about the connection between the two or that they didn't want to put an end to it. The problem was that they lacked the means to investigate it properly.
And when someone with extensive knowledge of Ley Lines had appeared in the past, they had warned that this was a taboo subject. Since then, the Knights of Favonius had refrained from researching the matter any further.
'Paimon is curious too! Huh? What's wrong?'
'Why do you all look so serious?' Paimon asked.
'Traveler, it's not that we want to stop you from investigating,' Lisa said. 'But this subject is considered taboo.'
'So, please promise us that you won't look into it until you become truly, truly strong. Because this is incredibly dangerous,' Lisa warned, her voice filled with concern.
Aether looked at Lisa, who was seriously warning him, and at Jean and Kaeya, who also seemed worried.
'It's been a long time since someone genuinely worried about me like this,' he thought.
'Alright, don't worry. I promise,' Aether replied.
Paimon also nodded to reassure them.
Hearing Aether's words and seeing Paimon's nod, they finally sighed in relief.
'Traveler, I've actually been thinking about giving you a title,' Jean said. 'But I don't know if you'd be willing to accept it.'
'A title?'
'Yes. You know that the people of Mondstadt already recognize you as someone blessed by the Anemo Archon, right?'
'But this title is like a double-edged sword. Many people with ill intentions might target you, especially since the Anemo Archon has not been seen for a long time.'
'So, I want to give you an official title. That way, those with bad intentions might think twice before making a move against you.'
'Hmm… I don't mind. In fact, I could use an official identity,' Aether replied.
'With that, I wouldn't have to keep thinking of different ways to enter other regions.'
'Well, Traveler, actually, if you register with the Adventurers' Guild, you'll be able to freely enter other regions,' Kaeya said.
'Isn't the Mondstadt Adventurers' Guild identity only valid in Mondstadt?' Aether asked.
'No, it can be used throughout all of Teyvat.'
Aether turned to look at Paimon, who was pretending to whistle.
'Alright, Jean, I will accept the title you give me, and I will also register with the Adventurers' Guild.'
Jean nodded.
'In that case, do you want to name your title yourself?'
Aether thought for a moment, then drew Excalibur and took a knightly oath pose—but not in a kneeling position.
'With this, I swear—whenever the Knights of Favonius face a crisis that could destroy them, whether from within or from outside—'
'I, who from this day forward bear the title of 'Guardian Knight of Favonius,' will protect them.'
Then, a light emanated from Excalibur and his heart, signifying that the oath had taken effect.
'Traveler, you didn't have to swear an oath like that,' Jean said.
'It's fine, this is my decision.'
'But as a protector, I will only appear during times of crisis. In times of peace, I won't be staying in Mondstadt often. I hope you understand, Jean.'
'No, I completely understand. Besides, I'd feel guilty if I had to tie you down to Mondstadt.'
Aether smiled, then looked at Lisa, who seemed to be staring at him strangely.
'Traveler, since you want to register with the Adventurers' Guild, let me accompany you. And after that, let's enjoy an afternoon snack at Good Hunter,' Lisa suggested.
'A snack?'
'Let's go!'
'Paimon, all you think about is food… Sorry to trouble you, Lisa.'
'Well then, Jean, we'll be off,' Lisa said.
'See you, Master Jean!' Paimon added.
'If you obtain the Holy Lyre der Himmel, let us know,' Aether said.
'Understood,' Jean replied.
The three of them then left Jean's office.
'It seems like Lisa is quite fond of Traveler,' Kaeya remarked.
'Of course, isn't that true for all of us?'
Kaeya gave Jean a strange look because the 'fondness' he was referring to was different from what Jean meant.
'Looks like I won't be getting a nephew anytime soon,' Kaeya thought, recalling the relationship between his brother Diluc and Jean—one was stiff, and the other was a workaholic.