"You're back! Did you find out anything?"
"You're standing up?"
Hopkins stood in place, glancing around shiftily as he questioned Amber. Paimon was surprised—this man had been lying on the ground moments ago, looking like he was on the verge of death. Now he was standing up so quickly. Amazing.
"Haha, I've recovered. You could even say I crawled back from hell itself."
"So, does the Knights have any findings?"
Hopkins' face bore the joy of a survivor, but his tone was unabashedly demanding, as if Amber were obligated to answer him. Paimon found this rudeness quite irritating.
"From the remaining fur, we can only tell the wolves likely live in Wolvendom. Beyond that, there aren't any other clues."
"But don't worry. I'm heading to Wolvendom right now to investigate thoroughly. The Knights won't allow such dangerous incidents to happen again."
With good breeding, Amber seriously answered Hopkins' question while also assuring him the Knights would properly investigate the matter.
"Fine, fine. Better late than never, I suppose."
Hopkins shrugged, seemingly dissatisfied with this outcome, as if placing all blame on the Knights. Paimon finally couldn't hold back, hands on her hips, as she weakly retorted.
"Wow, this person has no manners at all."
"Hmph, say what you will. We're going to do what needs to be done now."
"Hey, don't do anything stupid!"
Amber watched Hopkins' retreating figure, stomping her foot in frustration. These people... That Liyue saying her grandfather told her was right: "Good words cannot persuade those determined to die."
"Wolvendom is a very dangerous place! Come back!"
"Ridiculous. We're different from the Knights. We must have our revenge!"
The hunters spurred on by Hopkins shouted about going to Wolvendom to avenge themselves against the wolves that attacked them. Draff, who had witnessed the entire scene, shook his head and tried to advise them.
"Ah, come back now. Young people shouldn't be so reckless."
"Mr. Draff, if you're not reckless, are you even young? You should go find Miss Barbara for treatment."
Draff was left speechless by this young hunter's retort. 'Fine, I'm trying to save you and you talk back to me? Forget it, I won't play the Good Samaritan. I'll go to Mondstadt to find Barbara instead. If I'm lucky, maybe I can grab a drink at Angel's Share afterward.'
"How tragic."
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
"Their future."
Paimon scratched her head, not quite understanding Draff's words. Draff cast a long glance at the hunters' retreating figures, then hobbled toward Mondstadt with his makeshift crutches. Behind him, Diona supported Olaf as they slowly moved forward.
The Katzlein family had always believed in the legend of the Wolf King of Wolvendom. When attacked by wolves, Olaf had firmly stated they couldn't have been from Wolvendom. But even if they explained this to Springvale's hunters, those consumed by rage wouldn't listen.
"Please look after these hunters a bit longer. Young people these days simply won't listen to advice."
"Don't worry, Mr. Draff. I'll protect them. We're heading to Wolvendom now."
After bidding farewell to Draff and the others, Amber immediately ran toward Wolvendom. As a Knight of Favonius, it was her duty to protect Mondstadt's citizens, even if some of them had a death wish.
---
Back in Wolvendom, after dealing with these few Riftwolves and Rifthounds, Su Bai found himself quite interested in this species. He was also puzzled why they had appeared here. According to Inazuman historical records, aside from large-scale appearances during the cataclysm years ago, weren't they nearly extinct?
'Indeed, you can't fully trust what's in books. I wonder who wrote that one.'
"Brother Su Bai, why are you, here?"
Razor jumped down from a tall tree, surprise evident on his face when he spotted the Riftwolf corpses beside Su Bai—as if he'd seen something unbelievable.
"Bennett was worried when you didn't visit today, so he asked me to check on you. See if you'd run into any trouble. Looks like I came just in time."
"No, not exactly. The problem is already solved."
Razor shook his head, haltingly explaining what had happened. By the end, Su Bai realized he'd arrived late—the wolf pack had already driven off the Riftwolves.
"Are wolves in Mondstadt this impressive? These things float in the air—I had some trouble dealing with them myself."
Su Bai nudged a Riftwolf corpse with his foot. Not only were their claws incredibly sharp, but they could also reach insane speeds. Now you see them, now you don't—disappearing and reappearing behind you. If he hadn't reacted quickly, he might have been caught off guard.
"It was him. The wolves only fought the foreign black wolves for a short while. The black wolves were all driven off."
"Him? Who is 'him'?"
Owwwoooo~
A wolf howl interrupted their conversation. Hearing it, Razor's stoic face showed both anger and concern. He immediately ran toward the source.
"No good. The wolves and those unfriendly people have met. I need to help."
'Good grief, what is all this? But since I'm here, I might as well check it out. Maybe there'll be something interesting to see.'
Razor's sturdy legs weaved through the forest. Somehow, despite all the branches blocking his path, he remained as swift as ever, seemingly unaffected.
This was driving Su Bai crazy. While fighting the Riftwolves earlier, his coat hadn't torn. Yet after squeezing through some woods, branches had shredded it. He couldn't understand—if a fox couldn't be this agile, how could Razor manage it?
---
Meanwhile in Mondstadt, Eula had just finished her patrol and was heading to Angel's Share for some apple cider. Sister Miko was making udon and fried tofu tonight—the perfect accompaniment for drinks. Eula wouldn't miss this.
"Mr. Draff? What happened to you? Did you get drunk and stumble into a Hilichurl camp again?"
Inside Angel's Share, Draff's bandage-wrapped figure immediately caught Eula's attention as she pushed open the door. Taking her teasing in stride, Draff told her about Springvale. Hearing that Amber had gone to Wolvendom, Eula forgot about buying wine, grabbed her Sacrificial Greatsword, and rushed toward Wolvendom.
What neither noticed was Diluc observing everything. After Eula left Angel's Share, he took down the greatsword hanging on the wall, instructed Charles to keep an eye on that bard, and headed toward Wolvendom as well.
"Ehe, if I remember correctly, Andrius still has some remnants of the Electro Archon's power within him. I wonder if Diluc can gain Andrius's recognition."
"If he passes Andrius's trial, maybe he'll be so happy he won't make me pay back my debt~"
"Can't miss this show."
With a gust of wind, Venti vanished from Angel's Share. Charles, tasked with watching him, slumped in defeat. That bard had escaped again. This was the third time today—no, his wages were getting halved.