We traveled through time together, but I'm the only dragon? The others are all beautiful girls?

The woman simply gave a cold, mocking smile.

The next moment, she came to Ying's side with the elegant demeanor of a noble patriarch. Her tall figure perfectly concealed Qin's wary gaze.

"Our Northern Bank of Winterland holds a pivotal position in Liyue. Even if it were to have a direct dialogue with Tianquan, who controls the economic lifeline of the entire Liyue, the Fatui can easily arrange it for you."

"So, what do you think, my hero?"

The woman raised her glass of red wine, filled with fine wine from the Dawn Winery, to Ying, her cold eyes carrying a hint of knowing smiles.

“I am not interested in your offer, Ms. Rosalyn Kruzchika Loefat.”

Ying glanced at the woman indifferently.

Admittedly, she did not harbor absolute hostility towards the Fools.

After all, the Fools have not yet engaged in any hostile acts against her.

Moreover, the organization's modus operandi depends entirely on the personal will of each executive officer, which naturally includes both good and bad aspects.

The reason why this "lady" acts so arrogantly is simply because she lost her lover forever in the catastrophe that swept through the entire Mondstadt region five hundred years ago.

But for Ying, that's none of my business.

"!"

These seemingly casual words were like a boulder falling from the sky to the lady, instantly shattering her composed and elegant aristocratic facade.

"You...where did you learn about this name?!"

"Don't be so excited."

Ying glanced at Akalion behind her; his grey dragon eyes were already looking over.

The woman immediately wanted to vent her panic and anger, but after considering the otherworldly dragon that was full of unknowns and dangers, she couldn't bring herself to be angry.

One of the seven ruling powers of the mortal world—the Ice Queen of Winter Kingdom—clearly did not have much of a deterrent effect against a true dragon from another world that was beyond the standard.

Everything in this world leaves its mark. Unless you can truly transcend this world, or make this world completely forget you.

Looking at the woman's shocked and unwilling expression, Ying felt a surge of pleasure. This was the absolute advantage that intelligence brought! She feigned profundity and said:

"Otherwise, no one can think that everything is over once they abandon the past."

The woman struggled to control the panic and anger that was threatening to completely destroy her reason, and tried to persuade him again.

"Since you know about me, you should understand even more that Mond has never let down the heroes who stepped forward to protect them in times of crisis."

"Whether it's fair or not, and what the real reasons are, I think you know better than I do." Ying shook her head. Given the woman's different circumstances, anything she said would only be sarcastic remarks.

Five hundred years ago, the wind god was to obey the command of the heavens to deal with the calamity of Kanria, but at the same time Mondstadt was invaded by Dúrin. By the time He returned, it was too late.

Mondstadt suffered heavy losses, and Rosaline's lover, Rustan, known as the "Young Wolf," also perished in the battle. As a result, Rosaline harbored deep resentment towards Barbatos, the wind god of Mondstadt, who could not return in time to protect her. This led her to become a witch who burned with the flame of life, and in the years that followed, she became the executor of the Fatui.

"you!"

The woman glanced at Akalion, who was watching all this with great interest, and her anger quickly subsided.

"—Please forgive my rudeness, Duke 'Luminous,' but given that Mondstadt lacks the power to do so, you could certainly consider us. This is the Fools' gratitude for your help."

“Perhaps, the cooperation between you Fatui and the Seven Stars in Liyue is indeed very close, to the point that you even dispatched a joint exploration team to the Laminaria.” Luminous shook her head firmly, “But for us, getting involved with you is not a good idea at all.”

“The Fools—or rather, the Winter Kingdom—can provide Brightcrown City with a quarterly grant of two billion Mora. The Northern Bank can also provide Brightcrown City with interest-free loans exceeding one hundred billion.” The woman raised her stakes; no matter what, she couldn't give up establishing friendly relations with the forces capable of resolving the Demon God's remnants problem. “And most importantly, the residents—the Winter Kingdom can provide a large number of Winter Kingdom immigrants, enough to give a brand-new city-state sufficient 'popularity' in a short period of time.”

"Even if you possess the ability to eliminate the influence of the remnants of the demon god, you will absolutely not be able to attract enough immigrants in a short period of time."

Qin couldn't hold back any longer when she heard this.

"You Fools don't need to worry about that. Mondstadt will take responsibility for the source of Brightcrown's inhabitants."

"Does the Knights of Favonius still have the resources to maintain the protection and development of Brightcrown City?"

The woman looked at the piano in front of her with disdain.

"Just maintaining the security of the main roads and scattered villages throughout Mondstadt must have exhausted you, right? And once Commander Falgar returns from his expedition—it's still uncertain what will happen."

“We Mondstadt would never do such a thing!” Jean’s resolute voice stood like a solid wall against the lady’s seductive words. “This is the most sacred ‘covenant’ made by the Anemo Archon and His people! Every true Mondstadt citizen will remember it and abide by it to the very end!”

Although she still maintained the imposing presence of the acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius, a deep, almost imperceptible weariness flashed in the depths of her sapphire-blue eyes.

"Moreover, this is an internal affair of Mondstadt, madam. Even though our nation is nominally an 'ally,' you have no right to interfere in this matter in any way."

"Wind God—tsk."

The woman's face was filled with displeasure, almost overflowing with it. Yet, she ultimately offered no further rebuttal.

The current situation is completely different from the catastrophe five hundred years ago that nearly swallowed up the entire Mondstadt. This time, the wind god, who should have been inactive and free, has chosen to act without hesitation.

Thinking about this made her even more unhappy.

"Duke Ying, please consider my proposal carefully. We, the Fools, will be waiting for your arrival at the Goethe Hotel. I am busy with official business, so please allow me to take my leave now."

Before Ying could respond, the woman turned around, her haughty and cold back quickly disappearing into the crowd filled with laughter.

Only then did the eerie atmosphere finally return to its previous harmony.

"..."

"..."

Qin and Ying, without prior agreement, fell into a brief silence.

After a long silence, it was Qin who spoke first. Her azure eyes, filled with apology and gratitude, gazed at Ying before her.

“I’m sorry, Ying. Our Knights of Favonius… as the lady said, under the current circumstances, we truly do not have the ability to fully maintain the security of the Brightcrown City area.”

"However, I have already communicated in detail with Mr. Diluc, the chief of the Mondstadt Merchant Guild. The Mondstadt Merchant Guild and his affiliated Legonfind United Merchant Guild are both willing to take on the defense of the Brightcrown City region free of charge until the main force of the Knights' expedition returns."

"Please rest assured, Mond will do everything in his power to protect every citizen."

"That's a minor issue. Akalion and I will thoroughly 'clean up' the entire Brightcrown Mountains, minimizing any so-called defense problems." A confident smile spread across Luminous's face. "After all, that's my city, Akalion's city, and Paimon's city!"

At this point, her golden eyes looked at Akalion, who was eating and drinking voraciously, and Paimon, who was lying motionless on the table with a huge, round belly, completely unseemingly.

This made the curve of her lips even softer.

"Also, I've trusted Jean from the very beginning. And that line you just said, 'We Mondstadt would never do that,' was really cool!"

"...No, please stop making fun of me."

Upon hearing this, a barely perceptible blush flashed across Qin's cheeks.

"Ying, regarding the Fatui's proposal, I still hope you can reconsider it carefully, especially concerning Mora. Although the Fatui have many problems, if used correctly, they can also be—"

“I’m not very good at negotiating in this kind of situation that’s full of ‘calculations’ and ‘games’,” Ying interrupted Jean. “In the end, let Akalion talk to them; he’s better at it.”

"Should we... send the dragon to negotiate?"

Qin was momentarily stunned, but then a relieved smile appeared on her face.

“That’s certainly a good idea! But it’s time to put the important business aside for now. Now, let’s enjoy tonight’s feast. Ying, I recommend this pizza; it’s delicious.”

"Mmm—this tastes really good!"

After taking a bite, Ying happily waved to Akalion in the distance.

"Akaleidoscope! This pizza is delicious!"

"No need! It's not enough, it'll just fill my teeth."

Akalion responded without looking up, and held up the whole roasted pig that he had already half-eaten.

"Roasted pork is also quite good."

"...Here, have a taste!"

Ying's face showed a pleading expression.

"......Fine."

Akalion simply couldn't stand this.

Qin, standing to the side, silently watched this heartwarming scene, and her weariness was greatly relieved.

Volume 1 Snowfield Dragon Lord: 75. Operation to Annihilate the Abyss (Part 1)

The next day, at dawn—the twentieth hour after Akalion's arrival in this world.

In the still-warm Mondstadt morning light, Akalion had already discussed the next course of action in detail with Luminosity.

Among the three temples guarded by the Four Winds, which had long been occupied by the Abyss Order, he would be in charge of the two temples, the Lion of the South Wind and the Wolf of the North Wind, which were the furthest apart, located in the south and north respectively.

And then, the subsequent thorough territorial cleansing of the entire Brightcrown Mountains, and finally, the work of gaining the loyalty of that proud North Wind Wolf.

As for Ying, she is in charge of the Temple of the Favonius, which is the closest to Mondstadt.

In terms of mobility, Akalion's flight speed, which easily surpasses the sound barrier, is undoubtedly the fastest.

If the other places were left to Ying, even with her current strength, it would probably take more than half a month, especially the vast and complex Mingguan Mountain range.

Even though she now possesses the Wind Wings that allow her to glide freely, and can also use elemental power to create temporary updrafts for highly maneuverable three-dimensional movement, it still consumes too much energy for her.

After all, she was using elemental power in a way that resonated with the Seven Gods statues.

The true essence is still some kind of power within her that she cannot understand—most likely a manifestation of human power rather than light power, which is still sealed by the laws of nature.

In short, both Geo and Anemo elements use the same blue bar.

Although it can manipulate external elemental forces, it only works within the range of the Seven Gods Statue, which is a paltry four meters in size.

"Hmm—are we really not going to act with Akalion?"

Paimon watched Akalion's enormous, pure white figure disappear rapidly into the horizon. The loss of that powerful, reliable, and reassuring force filled her small heart with a sense of unease.

"Paimon, you... don't you believe me?"

Ying gripped the [Echo of Eldra] at her waist, her face dark as she stared at Paimon before her, her golden eyes even revealing a hint of dangerous ferocity.

"I, of course I trust Ying the most!"

Seeing this, driven by his strong will to survive, Paimon quickly expressed his unwavering loyalty to Ying.

"Let's set off quickly! Our destination is the Temple of the West Wind Eagle!"

"Little Paimon, there's no need to rush."

A vibrant chestnut-haired girl, Amber, dressed in Mondstadt's red scout knight's uniform, was following beside them. Looking at Paimon's hurried manner, she couldn't help but laugh and say:

"We can have breakfast first, and then go to the Temple of the Eagle of the West. You know, the temples guarded by the four winds are all very, very large!"

"breakfast!"

Paimon looked at Ying, and tears welled up in his eyes, which were like the night sky, representing longing.

"Ying, I'm hungry!"

"......All right."

Ying had no objection to Amber's suggestion to first appease the five internal organs.

First of all, Ying's Abyss Extermination Brigade is not just the three of them, but a complete Mondstadt cavalry squad consisting of forty well-equipped knights.

Secondly, Amber, as the only scout knight of the Knights of Favonius currently stationed in Mondstadt, possesses the strength to single-handedly annihilate a Hilichurl camp that poses a threat to Mondstadt—on this more realistic Teyvat continent, a Hilichurl camp that can be considered a threat typically numbers between one hundred and three hundred.

Meanwhile, high in the cloudless sky.

"I thought you'd stay drunk forever."

Akalion looked at the unconventional bard beside him, who was on par with him.

Wendy was the one who drank the most at yesterday's party; he even collapsed and fell asleep right there at the party venue.

"I am the best bard in the world! What is this little bit of wine?"

"—So, the greatest bard in the world, what are you doing following me?"

Akalion looked at Wendy with some displeasure, and his tone became somewhat somber as a result.

Wendy's flight was less like flying and more like a more relaxed and comfortable floating—he was shamelessly using Akalion's invisible force field to drift along with the current.

"Of course, it's to prevent our great True Dragon from damaging those two small 'Four Winds Temples' too badly."

Wendy seemed completely oblivious to Akalion's displeasure, and continued to speak with a grin.

"The [power of faith] within, once it loses its physical form, will also affect my [Millennial Grand Symphony]."

"Then why don't you, my divine being, personally take action?"