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The Knights of Favonius is the ancient and long standing chivalric order responsible for protecting Mondstadt, its people and its ideals of freedom.
Despite its members being known as knights, historically, none has been knighted by any royalty - for knighthood is a title they earned from the noble duties they assume.
That is of course, until the Lioness came along.
- Director Nestor of the Mondstadt's Office of Education, quoting a passage from the Knights of Favonius Handbook/The Codex Artorias Fifth Edition.
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The news of the large-scale Abyssal attack that occured in the northern most region of Liyue quickly spread like wildfire across the entirety of the country, and even beyond its borders reaching the other six nations in a matter of days!
Hundreds of casualties had been reported all across the several towns and villages of the Bishui Plain as the result of the abrupt and sudden unexpected attack.
People from all walks of life lay dead on the streets, both young and old.
Families forever torn apart while properties that had been passed down for generations were utterly destroyed in a single night of malevolent onslaught.
The Liyuen Government, headed by the Qixing, immediately mobilized a large scale relief effort from the capital city of Liyue Harbor.
But due to its vast distance from the affected region and the suddenness of the attack, the much-needed aid from the capital had unfortunately arrived at its destination 3 days after the battle.
Too late for those who were gravely affected.
To make matters worse, the hundreds of Millileth soldiers garrisoned all across the region were also caught off guard!
Several of their forts and stations were completely overwhelmed by innumerable waves of monsters brought about by the calamity.
On the first day after the attack, over an estimated 94 deaths from Liyue's finest we're reported, with many more injured!
Due to the extent of the crisis, the citizens of the Bishui Region, the ones who were affected the most by the tragedy, had began ask questions and demand answers from their government.
They started to sought out accountability from the very people that were supposed to protect them!
Where were our troops when those monsters attacked?
Why did the response from the Harbor took so long?
Could the catastrophe have been avoided if the government had been better prepared?
Morale among the Liyuen citizens living within the nation's northernmost region began to plummet as grief and anger took hold, causing instability throughout the entire area!
But a midst the grim news and the turbulent events that followed in the wake of the disaster, one particular group of reports stood out above the rest.
It talked about a pair of heroic events that had transpired at the very night of the attack which ultimately prevented the calamity from growing any further!
Soon, those two particular set of reports would give birth to a legend that would later become the shining beacon of hope and intrigue for the common folk of Bishui who had suffered so much from the aftermath of the chaotic events that had just transpired.
These extraordinary tales centered around the group of visiting foreign dignitaries from Mondstadt, who, by the time of the monsterous attack, were staying at the renowned Wangshu Inn. An establishment situated at the very center of the Bishui Region, just a stone throw away from Dihua Marsh which many considered to be the epicenter of the calamity!
The first of these stories told about the valiant and heroic stand of the 65-strong Honor guardsfrom the Knights of Favonius who held the line against the tide of dark monsters that aimed to destroy the Wangshu Inn and slaughter its denizens!
Reports coming from several key eye witnesses indicated that the small but overwhelmingly formidable contingent of foreign warriors didn't fought alone during the battle. They were supplemented by several groups of mercenaries from different nations who were coincidentally present in the inn on that fateful night.
The mercenaries fought bravely, utilizing a wide variety of fighting styles and techniques that originated from their respective homelands. Suprisingly, they were able to hold their own against the invading hordes of monsters for a while, that was until their formations began to crumble.
Despite their bravery however, the mercenaries fought mostly as separate and disorganized groups of individuals rather than a cohesive unit!
Because of this flaw, many among their ranks were unfortunately killed while several more were grievously injured as the tide of battle began to sway against their favor!
However, while the mercenaries groups began to falter and retreat back to the immediate safety of the Inn, the Honor Guards of the Knights of Favonius stood their ground!
Led by the veteran 4th company Captain Zhencha Yuan, a former mercenary from Liyue Harbor who decades ago migrated to Mondstadt, these elite cadre of Knights hold the line, becoming an impenetrable wall of steel against the surging tides of monsters!
Their complex defensive formations were so strong that none of the monsters who foolishly charged towards their shield walls had ever managed to break through!
These knights became a living barrier of steel and defiance that would not yield no matter how many times the enemy forces attacked them!
Testimonies coming from the surviving mercenaries and several of the Inn's staff who witnessed the battle stated that not only did the knights defend the periphery of Wangshu Inn with unflinching resolve, but they also methodically counter-attacked the invading horde when the opportunity arose!
Briefly unlocking their impenetrable shield walls to unleash swift yet punishing counter attacks of their own using their pistols and swords!
As the battle rages on, the knights' precise, coherent and sophisticated battle tactics began to bear fruit allowing them to slaughter their enemies in droves with surgical precision, almost akin to that of a choreographed dance!
It was said that each knight, in his or her glimmering steel armor, was able to take on at least 5 monsters at the same time without exhibiting any signs of fatigue or fear!
This incredible display of fighting prowess inspired many and gave hope to the desperate people hiding behind the protected (and enchanted) walls of the Wangshu Inn!
Then on their final counter assault, the situation turned completely against the invading horde!
The monsters, who initially charged as a chaotic and overwhelming mass of darkness, began to break their ranks and flee in a disorganized manner as the number of their casualties grew all thanks to the near constant onslaught of the knights.
Their rudimentary and instinctual morale began to collapse!
As the monsters began to flee, the knights in turn pursued them with such speed and ferocity that the monsters who had previously poised to hunt every single human being in the region were now the ones being hunted!
The pursuing knights mercilessly cut them down in droves, leaving a trail of black ichor and torn flesh behind them!
And in the midst of this triumphant route, an unexpected and awe inspiring event occurred.
A young man, who was not even a full-fledged knight himself, yet possesses prodigious skills in the art of the sword—Varka, the personal squire of the Grand Master herself—gave an impassioned speech to the weary groups of mercenaries who had lost their will to fight!
Instead of following his kin in hunting down the fleeing monsters, Varka instead turned back towards the entrance of the Wangshu Inn where the wounded and worned out mercenaries had gathered.
There, in a loud voice, the squire gave an impassioned speech that would later be immortalized in the songs and tales brought about by the survivors!
"You have fought bravely! You have given your all to the best of your abilities!"
"But now is not the time to wallow in despair! For behind you are hundreds of innocent souls who are relying on you! In us!"
"People who are powerless to defend themselves! People who have put their trust in us, warriors and knights, to protect them!"
"Your are mercenaries, warriors who fought for contract and coin... but tonight, I ask you, will you fight for something greater than that?!"
"Will you fight for your fellow man?! For your honor?! For your very soul?!"
"Will you let your fallen comrades' deaths be for nothing?!"
"No!"
"Fight with me! Fight with us! For all the good things in this world! For the future of your families! For the future your people!"
"Help us drive back this darkness into the pits of hell!"
His speech, filled with raw emotion and genuine valor, aroused the wounded and demoralized warriors from their despair, reigniting their spirits.
The young man's words drove deep into their hearts, reminding them of their own honor and duty as warriors!
One by one, the mercenaries stood up. Their wounds forgotten. Their fears replaced by the flames of their rekindled determination. Each one of them picked up their weapons and rejoined the fight once more!
In the end, a total of 83 mercenaries ultimately joined Varka and the knights in their final pursuit!
Together, the combined forces of Mondstadt's finest and the reinvigorated mercenaries hunted down and slaughtered every last of the abyssal monsters that dared lay siege upon the Wangshu Inn, effectively ending the immediate threat.
No mercy was shown…
No quarter was given…
Only swift deadly justice for the bastards from Hell!
When the battle finally concluded at around midnight, piles upon piles of monster corpses lay scattered across the battlefield surrounding the inn.
Twenty brave mercenaries lost their lives while many more were injured, yet, astonishingly, aside from a few minor wounds, none among the noble ranks of the Knights perished!
They stood as one, tall and proud.
A symbol of hope and salvation amidst the carnage!
And for the first time in so many years, the people's perception towards the Knights of Favonius as a whole began to shift.
These were not the knights many had thought to be incompetent.
These were not the knights rumored to pose as nothing more but fancy ineffective bodyguards in steel armor.
NO!
These ARE THE WARRIORS forged by five years of relentless military reform and intense training!
THE VERY PARAGON OF MONDSTADT'S RENEWED BRAND OF CHIVALRY!
The nation's premier blades pointed directly at its enemies!
The valor displayed by these foreign warriors inspired so many that night, but none more so than the very people who had fought alongside them till the end.
In a spectacular turn of event, never before seen nor heard, the surviving mercenaries, along with a single Millelith guard who quit his organization on the spot in a fit of frustration and disillusionment, asked the brave captain Yuan himself if they too could join them!
To become knights themselves and join the organization that had showed them what it means to be a true warrior!
Never before in the vaunted history of the Knights of Favonius had such a large number of foreign fighters, particularly from the proud and independent mercenary groups of Liyue, asked to be conscripted on the spot!
It was an unprecedented event!
But to the eyes of those very mercenaries, the Knights of Favonius had become more than just a mere armed organization.
The Order had become a symbol.
A beacon of something greater than themselves!
A brotherhood of Honor and Courage!
Reports about the deeds of this valiant group of warriors quickly spread through various means.
And as the news travelled, it soon began to eclipse the news pertaining to the criticisms directed towards the Liyuen government, shifting the people's attention to these brave knights from the neighboring north.
Local and foreign journalists alike who were either present at the time of battle, or had arrived later to cover the aftermath of the disaster, adored and sensationalized the event, dubbing the entire ordeal as "The Battle of Wangshu Inn!"
The image of knights in shining armor fearlessly defending the helpless against the dark horde of monsters was a story that easily captivated the public's imagination, and the reporters took every opportunity to embellish it!
However, the knights' victory over the invading horde was not enough, especially during a time crisis where the people needed a symbol.
They needed someone..
They needed a hero that would embody their hopes during those dark times!
And as if the heavens themselves answered their prayers, another story too soon began to emerge!
It was the story of second battle that occured on that very same night, but in a different location just a few miles northeast from the Inn, at the very epicenter of the conflict!
Dihua Marsh.
And it was this battle that would cause the most intrigue, for it was a tale that would soon be talked about in every household, tavern and guild hall across the entirety of Teyvat!
The tale of a lone warrior who stood against a god!
People at first couldn't believe it, and with good reason too, for it was said to have occured in the middle of nowhere, in a land that few had ever traveled to, leaving almost no witnesses!
But there was actually one witness.
One person, or rather one being who had 'seen' the event with his own two eyes!
A person whose words and testimony would solidify the beginning of a myth and the birth of legend!
The people would later call it, the Battle of Dihua Marsh, but the Fontainian reporters stationed in Liyue Harbor had a different, more popular name for it!
They called it, The Lioness' Triumph!
This epic tale was first narrated about three days after the end of the conflict.
At the time, the large relief force that was sent by the Qixing from Liyue Harbor, composing of Millelith soldiers, Qixing officials and various medical personnels, had finally arrived at the outskirts of the Wangshu Inn.
The group was dispatched earlier from the capital in order to bring relief aid and conduct a full survey about the extent of the damage left by the calamity.
When they arrived at the vicinity of the Wangshu Inn, the entire group was surprised by the sight of several knights and mercenaries gathering the corpses of the slained monsters and piling them one on top of another, forming a massive mound of rotting flesh and bone.
The Millelith, who had initially thought of themselves as the primary responders of the crisis, were stunned by the sight!
They had expected to find a scene of devastation, but not one where the enemies had already been thoroughly vanquished!
When the leader of the Qixing relief force inquired about the events that had transpired, it was not the knights nor the mercenaries who answered.
Instead, it was the Conqueror of Demons himself, the reclusive adeptus, Xiao who responded, suddenly appearing in front of them like a phantom shrouded in mist, much to everyone's surprise.
Though his body at that time was thoroughly covered in bandages (note: he's not really injured but his current look was suggested by a certain Grand Master), his very presence alone was more than enough to command the attention of everyone who were present!
But it was what he said next that truly shocked the minds of the newly arrived host.
He told the delegates about the hard fought battle that had occurred within the vicinity of the Inn. Praising the foreign warriors for their valor, commending their unyielding courage and discipline in the face of overwhelming odds!
However, he also told them about another, more important battle that had occurred just a few miles up north. One that he himself took part of.
Xiao, a venerated adeptus whose prestige is second only to that of Rex Lapis himself, spoke of a great monster!
A monster formed from the concentrated hatred and malice of a thousand tainted souls…
A being whose power rivaled those of the gods of old…
A being, born from the abyss itself, driven by the desire for the destruction of all life in Liyue!
Xiao called it the 'Heretical God', the very monster who caused the calamity in the first place!
The one being who commanded the hordes of monsters that laid waste to the Bishui Plain 3 days prior!
According to his own 'personal accounts', he, the Conqueror of Demons, fought against the vile beast, using all of his powers to try and slay the abomination... but at the end, he could not prevail against such a powerful foe.
He fought valiantly with all his might, but despite his immense effort, he was no match for the god-like entity.
"I was one the verge of defeat. My entire body nearly shattered by its vile and corrupted power. I was about to be consumed by the darkness had it not been for her." Xiao stated, his voice filled with a strange mixture of frustration and reverence.
"Who my Lord? Who was this 'her' you speak of?" One of the Qixing officials asked.
Xiao paused for a moment before looking up towards the Inn. Towards the direction of chamber where the Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius and her family were supposed to reside.
"She arrived in the battlefield in a golden flash of light. A lone warrior clad in a simple traveling attire, with her blue colored cloak whipping against the wind."
The adeptus words piqued the interest of the listeners, but what he said next left them utterly speechless.
"While I laid down in the muck, injured and torn, she alone stood against that terrible foe."
"The beast, upon seeing her, attacked her from all sides, conjuring up vile and tainted attacks of unimaginable power!"
…..
"But the blonde-haired warrior, much to my utter surprise and bewilderment, had easily evaded every single one of them, weaving through the storm of attacks with a precision of a master class dancer!"
Xiao's eyes narrowed as he pretend to remember the battle. Conjuring up a tale that showed the sheer display of skill and power of the woman he loyally deemed as his benefactor and savior.
"She striked back at the Heretical God with both her blade and magic, for the blonde-haired warrior, who was a master of the sword also appeared to be quite an adept practitioner of the arcane arts!"
Xiao 'recounted' how his benefactor's swordplay was of such mastery that it left the monster with no choice but to defend itself against her precise strikes.
He then spoke of the powerful spells she cast, each one more potent than the last, inflicting several grievous wounds upon the vile neferious dark god!
"The two combatants were locked on a long grueling battle, trading blows back and forth for what seemed to be an eternity. The power that they both displayed was beyond that of mortal comprehension!"
"The ground shook, while the night sky was filled with lightning and fire, as if the very soul of the world itself seemed to tremble in fear as the two titans continued to clash!"
Xiao then paused for the final time, as if to savor the upcoming climax of his tale.
"Then, after what seemed to be two hours of relentless fighting, the lone foreign warrior... with a mighty slash of her blade..."
Xiao made a dramatic pose, moving his hand in a slashing motion.
"....decapitated the dark god! Casting out its corrupted remains back to the pits of hell from whence it came!"
…..
"And that lone warrior, who stood triumphantly over that battlefield..."
Xiao looked into the faces of the now shocked delegates, as a tiny smile formed on his lips.
"The lone warrior who inadvertently saved Liyue from further destruction..."
"Was none other than the Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius herself, Artoria Pendragon Gunnhildr!"
...….
....
…..
…
The silence that followed was deafening.
No one among the delegates spoke.
They all looked at each other with shocked expressions, as if what they had just heard was something that came straight from a fairy tale about heroes from a long lost age!
The Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius?!
The woman who had been credited with the revitalization of Mondstadt over the past five years, and who was currently visiting Liyue as the head of the Mondstadt diplomatic delegation, had...
…defeated a god!
A HERETICAL GOD?!!!
The leader of the Qixing delegation, a wise yet shrewd old bureaucrat by the name of Yanjin, broke the silence.
"My Lord Adeptus, you mean to say that the Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius, the leader of the visiting delegation from Mondstadt, had personally slained the entity that caused this entire catastrophe?" The old bureaucrat asked, his voice still filled with utter disbelief.
"Yes!" Xiao replied without a hint of hesitation, then his eyes narrowed towards the doubting diplomat.
"Are you accusing me of lying, mortal?" The adeptus asked, his voice now cold as ice.
Yanjin, upon seeing the dangerous glint in the ancient adeptus's eyes, immediately kowtowed into the ground, as beads of sweat began to trickle down from his forehead.
"Forgive me my Lord Adeptus! I do not mean to question your words! It's just that... the very idea of a mortal, albeit an incredibly skilled one, slaying a god-like entity is... is...!"
"Inconceivable?" Xiao interjected, finishing the sentence for the diplomat.
"Ye...yes mah...my Lord. Inconceivable. It's just too - " Yanjin was about to finish when another voice cut him off.
"YOU DARED QUESTION OUR GRAND MASTER'S CAPABILITIES?!"
It was the Captain Yuan, the leader of the Mondstadt Honor Guard who furiously shouted, and he was fuming!
His knights, who were previously tasked with the cleaning of the battlefield, immediately stood up and placed their hands over their weapons. Their faces hardened in anger towards the perceived insult against their beloved (Archon) Grand Master.
Even the mercenaries who were present, as well as the staff of the Inn, all scowled at the Liyuen delegation.
Tensions were now running high, and the menacing aura that radiated off the now pissed off honor guards made the surrounding Millelith soldiers nervous.
The Millelith, though brave, were not foolish!
The Yaksha himself had not only confirmed the battle between the Knights and the Abyss, but also the exponential fighting prowess that this group of foreign warriors possessed.
They're not gonna fight a group of battle-hardened warriors who straight up fought monsters from hell itself and won!
As the situation was about to escalate, Xiao, released a bit of his adeptal power, causing the entire surrounding to become extremely cold.
He rised a single hand, gesturing the fuming knights to stand down, and then he spoke.
"Let me make this clear to all of you. The Grand Master is far stronger than what she appears to be. MUCH STRONGER."
"Guhua, Wind Reader, the Wuwang Kid, the Lone Butterfly of the Crimson Flame, and so many more, were mortals from our own lands who during their time were able to achieve power that rivaled that of the gods."
"And if you aren't still convinced, they say that the Pyro Archons of Natlan were once humans themselves before they ascended to godhood."
Xiao's eyes narrowed as he slowly reigned his power.
"So tell me minister Yanjin, is it truly impossible for a mortal to achieve a level of strength that rivaled a god? Or is your mind just TOO SMALL to comprehend the vast mysteries of this world?"
The words of the only remaining Yaksha who guarded the lands of Liyue for thousands of years struck the Liyuen diplomat like a thunderbolt!
Yanjin now realized that he was about to commit a diplomatic gaffe of the highest order if he continued to question the adeptus's testimony!
But Xiao wasn't done, he still have one more teaspoon of salt, courtesy of a certain rage-baiting Shade, to pour in the diplomat's self-inflicted wound.
"I wonder, what will happen if I personally report your 'insulting' doubts to the Geo Archon himself, Rex Lapis. I'm sure pretty sure that our sovereign lord, who greatly values courtesy especially towards our foreign guests, will be… quite interested in what you have to say."
That sentence alone was more than enough for the terrified minister to fully realize that he had messed up! BIG TIME!
In his doubt, he had almost insulted the very guest of honor who was invited by the Geo Archon himself! A guest who had not only saved the Bishui Region but also possibly the entire nation!
The minister kowtowed even lower, this time pressing and grinding his forehead against the dusty ground!
"F-FORGIVE ME, MY LORD ADEPTUS! PLEASE FORGIVE THIS FOOLISH MORTAL'S IGNORANCE!" Yanjin cried, his trembling body already breaking into a cold sweat.
"I BEG FOR YOUR FORGIVENESS AND TO THE HONORED GRAND MASTER AS WELL! I SHALL PUNISH MYSELF AS ATONEMENT FOR MY BLASPHEMOUS WORDS!"
The captain of the Millelith contingent, a tall and stoic woman named Huixian, also knelt down.
"My lord adeptus, please do not misunderstand. Minister Yanjin did not mean to cause any offense. He is just... just shocked by the revelation. We all are."
Captain Yuan, who had now calmed down a bit, approached the two Liyuen officials and helped them get back on their feet.
The captain then cleared his throat.
"My apologies as well. The recent battle left us all a bit on the edge. Forgive me for my earlier outburst." Captain Yuan said towards the two Liyuen officials with a surprising courtesy.
"We've always known that our Grand Master harbored great strength and power ever since she fought and won the duelagainst her predecessor. Though we've known her for many years, we never truly knew the full extent of her capabilities until a few days ago." The captain smoothly added, creatively painting a sort of image that seemed to cause the Liyuen officials to feel a little more at ease.
"Thank you, Captain Yuan." Captain Huixian said as she dusted herself off.
"And my deepest apologies to your Grand Master. We are truly grateful for her and your knights' heroic actions." The Milileth captain genuinely replied.
"Ye...yes, we're TRULY grateful for...for her...heroic actions." Yanjin staggeringly replied.
The diplomat was still nervous from the blatant threat that came from the Yaksha.
"I'm...I'm sure that Lord Rex Lapis himself will be… very pleased with the Grand Master's heroism!"
Captain Huixian cleared her throat and then turned her attention back towards Xiao.
"Speaking of our honored guest, my lord adeptus, may we ask about her current whereabouts? I would like to at least convey my gratitude in person." The Millelith captain asked.
Xiao, in a practiced act, feigned a sigh.
"Though the heroic Grand Master emerged triumphant over the Heretical God, we have to remember that she is still 'human'." The adeptus explained.
"While she did incurred several wounds to herself as the result of the fight, none of them proved fatal. The concerning part though was that the fight left her 'greatly exhausted' and she needed to recuperate her strength."
Xiao turned his gaze towards the Wangshu Inn.
"She is currently in her room resting and she wishes not to be disturbed for the next few days. Only her closest associates are allowed to see her." The adeptus added, finishing the lie that both Artoria and Alter (mostly Alter) had created.
He could almost hear Alter's cackling laughter inside his head. His savior's crazy maid dress-wearing Shade really had a flair for the dramatics!
Yuan then step forth, playing along with the venerable adeptus's narration.
"The Lord adeptus speaks the truth. Our Grand Master is currently in her chambers. She's quite exhausted after the battle. The best thing we can do right now is to allow her to rest. I will convey your gratitude to her once she recovers." The captain concluded.
That, in reality, was just another clever ploy concocted by Artoria with the help of her Shade.
She WAS NEVER INJURED to begin with, far from it actually!
In fact, as the Liyuen delegation was having their little meeting with the adeptus, Artoria herself was currently away from Teyvat!
She was back in her Tower in Avalon, spending some quality 'snuggle-bonding' time with her five precious children, especially with her newest daughter Beidou!
Artoria had specifically instructed both Yuan and Xiao to make sure that any inquiry directed towards her would be turned away for the next few days, as she planned to spend the rest of the week at rest with her children!
A short vacation which she assumed she rightfully deserves!
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The 'revelation' behind the ultimate defeat of the monster who was the mastermind behind the abyssal attack that devasted the northern most region of Liyue sent significant shockwaves that spread across the nation in a matter of days!
Words initially passed through person to person, as those who were present at the time it was revealed by the Conqueror of Demons began to convey the heroic tale throughout the various settlements of Bishui. From the smallest villages to the bustling towns and cities.
Then, the local journalists who came with the emergency relief delegation began doing their magic!
They began spreading the tale through hastily made newspapers and articles which then made their way throughout Liyue and beyond in less than 2 weeks!
Soon, a new legend was born from the aftermath of that calamitous night.
Taking shape not from the verses of songs nor pages of fairytales, but rather through various forms of news articles and exhalations written by both local and foreign journalists!
These news soon began to spread and circulate.
Over the great and vast arid deserts of Sumeru…
To the opulent and splendid galleries of Fontaine…
Many outside of the nation of Mondstadt began to know her by name.
The Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius…
The Matriarch of the Gunnhildr Clan…
The One blessed by the Anemo Archon…
The defacto ruler of the Nation of Freedom…
A renowned individual who was personally invited by the Qixing as ordered by the Geo Archon himself, Rex Lapis, as an honored guest for the upcoming Rite of Descension, had instead became a hero who brought salvation into the lands not of her own!
For the last five years, people from all across Teyvat began to hear about the revitalization of Mondstadt, initiated through the hands of a mysterious lost scion from one of its renowned noble clans, turning the once sleepy pastoral country into a burgeoning juggernaut.
Along with the growth of her nation came rumors regarding her superhuman strengthand otherworldly beauty.
Many, especially from Fontaine and Sumeru, had long been curious about her and even tried to get a photo of her. Yet this mysterious woman proved to be as elusive as she was renowned.
Throughout the years, there were some people who were successful in taking some photographic shots of her, like when the Fontaine's Steambird took a photo of her and her retinue as they entered Liyue from the Stone Gate. However, due to unexplained circumstances the pictures would always come out quite blurry, as if some forces were preventing them from spreading the visage of the Grand Master.
This weird phenomenon further added to the mystique surrounding the mysterious woman!
Yet despite her prior national fame, not many truly knew who she was. To many outside of Mondstadt, she was but a simple and powerful individual, akin to a strong adventurer or mercenary leader.
But all of that changed because of her battle against the Abyss Order brought to light through the 'testimony' of the revered Conqueror of Demons!
A nation was saved.
A legend was born.
Soon, across every home in Liyue, from the bustling apartments of Liyue Harbor all the way to the small fishing villages of Minlin, a new story began to be told, not by bards but by families huddled around a table during dinnertime.
It was the tale about the Lady of the Dandelions who led a small army of knights, and ultimately stood against an evil god and won.
It was the tale about the Lioness of the Mondstadt!
(End of Chapter)
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(The Liyue Qixing)
- The Liyue Qixing (The Seven Stars of Liyue) is a committee made up of seven merchants and business leaders who govern Liyue, specializing within the commerce and trade sectors.
- The job of the Qixing is to implement the policies laid out by the Geo Archon Morax and manage the day to day governance of the region of Liyue.
- Each year, one of their number is chosen to preside over the Rite of Descension, in which Rex Lapis appears before the people of Liyue Harbor and delivers predictions that determine the course of business for the next year.
- Both the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Millelith, Liyue's security officers, report to the Qixing. Additionally, the Eight Trades, which represent the major industries in Liyue, are under the jurisdiction of the Qixing.
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