thefictionvixens Chapter 1244 Diluc is really leaving.
Chapter 1244 Diluc is really leaving.
Meanwhile, in Mondstadt, within the city of Mondstadt, at the headquarters of the Knights of Favonius.
Sunlight streamed through the tall stained-glass windows, casting dappled shadows on the ground.
The troupe leader sat behind her desk, her brow furrowed with worry.
At this moment, her feelings were a mixture of joy and sorrow.
One joyous event after another followed, starting with the great success of the alchemical potion business in its first phase.
Previously, through the Liyue Temple Fair platform, Mondstadt's alchemical potions attracted a large number of merchants from various countries with their excellent effects and reasonable prices. This not only enhanced the reputation of Mondstadt's alchemy industry but also made a lot of money for Mondstadt.
Now, there is more than enough funding to rebuild the West Wind Cathedral and the statue of the wind god, and reconstruction can begin.
What made Qin most gratified was that her younger sister Barbara finally returned home after taking a break.
Since Mondstadt experienced a series of upheavals, Barbara temporarily left the Church of Favonius to adjust her state. As a result, a controversy arose within the church regarding whether to worship Barbatos or the new god of wind, Dvalin. This forced Jean to deal with the affairs of the Knights of Favonius while also mediating the conflicts within the church.
Now that Barbara has returned, not only has the Church of Westwind found its leader, but the controversies have also finally subsided for the time being, and the burden on Qin's shoulders has instantly become much lighter.
Whenever Qin saw Barbara leading the believers in prayer toward Barbatos in the square in front of the church, she felt incredibly at ease.
Despite her joy, a thorny worry lingered in Jean's mind: the problem of Liyue.
As the economic engine of the Teyvat continent, Liyue's every move affects the economic pulse of the entire continent. If Liyue encounters problems, the resulting economic fluctuations could impact most of Teyvat.
Jean knew very well that Mondstadt's successful start to its alchemy potion business largely depended on Liyue's platform and stable trading environment.
Now that Liyue's economy is in turmoil due to Keqing's coup, what will happen to Mondstadt's potion business?
Without Liyue as a platform, everything would have to be replanned. She would have to find new sales channels herself, contact merchants from other countries, and establish new trade channels, but this would take time, and time is exactly what Mondstadt lacks right now.
Just as Qin was considering whether to expand the market on her own, the office door was suddenly pushed open with a creak.
She looked up and saw Diluc standing in the doorway, staring at her with a complicated expression as she sat behind her desk.
“Jin…” Diluc called her name, but the words he was about to say stopped in his tracks.
He had mentally rehearsed "leaving Mondstadt" countless times, but when he actually faced the piano, he didn't know how to say it smoothly.
Jean was still preoccupied with how the situation in Liyue would affect Mondstadt, but when she saw Diluc return, most of the worry on her face instantly disappeared, and she even forgot her anxiety from just now.
She immediately stood up and walked quickly towards the door, greeting him warmly, "Senior Diluc, you're finally back! Please have a seat, I'll get you a glass of water to welcome you back."
As Diluc watched Jean stride forward and reach out to invite him to sit down, he instinctively took two steps back, avoiding her touch.
If you continue to cut off, you will be subject to chaos.
Moreover, there was no ambiguity or unclear connection between him and Jean. Leaving Mondstadt was a well-considered choice, and there was no need to drag it out.
Taking a deep breath, Diluc's tone returned to its usual indifference, even carrying a hint of determination.
“I won’t sit any longer. I’ll get straight to the point.” He looked up at Qin and said, word by word, “I’m leaving Mondstadt.”
No sooner had he finished speaking than he pulled out the land deed for the Dawn Winery and a thick estate ledger from the inside pocket of his clothes.
Instead of handing it to the piano, he slapped it down in front of the piano like discarding unimportant trash, causing the paper to slide to the ground with a crisp sound.
Jean's smile froze instantly, and she was completely stunned. She had never expected Diluc to say such a thing.
“Senior Diluc, you…” She opened her mouth, then said incredulously, “Why are you really leaving Mondstadt? This can’t be true, can it?”
She had heard Diluc express his dissatisfaction with the current state of Mondstadt before, but she never imagined that he would actually make the decision to leave, or even hand over the Dawn Winery.
That's Diluc's property!
After realizing what had happened, Qin immediately squatted down and picked up the land deeds and account books scattered on the ground.
She stood up, walked quickly to Diluc, and handed him the land deed and ledger, trying to smooth things over.
"Diluc-senpai, this joke isn't funny at all. Has something happened lately? We can sit down and talk things out, there's no need for this!"
Diluc watched as Jean carefully handed him the winery deeds and ledgers, his eyes showing no wavering, but rather a hint of coldness and hardness.
He didn't even reach out to take it; he simply raised his hand and tossed the land deed and account book that Qin had picked up into the distance.
The land deeds and ledgers scattered in the air, like a pile of worthless waste paper.
He used this almost brutal method to extinguish all of Qin's hopes of salvaging the situation, leaving her no room for maneuver whatsoever.
“I’ll leave my things behind.” Diluc’s voice was completely flat. “I need to go back to the winery to pack my things. I’ll be leaving Mondstadt today or tomorrow.”
His gaze swept over the familiar furnishings in the office, finally settling on Qin's tense face.
"Listen to the music, and I wish you all the best in your future in Mondstadt."
Jean looked at the stack of land deeds thrown into the corner, and listened to Diluc's resolute words. She could no longer care about the dignity of being the Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius. She stepped forward, reached out and tightly hugged Diluc's arm, pleading:
"Senior Diluc, I know I made some bad decisions before, please, please don't go."
"Mond is finally showing signs of improvement!" Jean said in a panic.
“The Lawrence family is gone, Yura went to Fontaine; Lord Barbatos… is gone too. Now if you leave too, then Mondstadt will truly fall apart!”
The foundation of Mondstadt was built by the three families of Legonfind, Gunnhild, and Lawrence, under the leadership of Barbatos.
Now the Lawrence family is completely extinct, Yura has gone far away; Barbatos has passed away, and the new wind god Dvalin... alas...
If Diluc, as the heir to the Legionnaire family, also leaves, then the Gunnhildr family will be the only remaining pillar supporting Mondstadt.
By then, can Mondl still be considered the Mondl of the past?
Diluc stiffened as Jean held his arm; he could feel her trembling and hear the despair in her words.
He knew that what Jean said was true, and that his departure would have a huge impact on Mondstadt, but the desire to escape in his heart had become incredibly firm through countless days and nights of struggle.
However, as Diluc listened to Jean trying to persuade him from the perspective of the greater good of Mondstadt, he felt a wave of exhaustion.
He kept saying it was "for Mondstadt," but the weight of that "for Mondstadt" had already made it hard for him to breathe.
Diluc had even begun to subtly connect Jean with the former Inspector General "Irodu."
The thought of this made Diluc feel unbearable, and his disappointment in the piano, or rather in himself, deepened even further.
“I know you’re doing this for Mondstadt. You’re the acting Grand Master, and everything you do must be for Mondstadt’s sake.” He paused, looked away from the lyre’s face, and shook off her hand.
"But in Mondstadt, I only felt oppressed. That's it, my decision won't change."
He ultimately gave Jean some face, refraining from directly comparing her to Ylock, who had betrayed Mondstadt a few years prior.
After all, it doesn't make logical sense...
As Jean was pushed away, she looked at Diluc's distant gaze and felt a sharp pain in her heart, as if she had been pricked by needles.
She knew Diluc harbored resentment, and she was even more aware that her decision to cooperate with Doctor Daughtore had truly hurt Diluc.
He could hate himself or curse himself, and Jean could accept that, but she couldn't let Diluc leave again!
Mondl can no longer afford to lose any more.
"No, Diluc-senpai, I know I didn't do well enough before, and I didn't think things through enough."
Qin's voice was choked with sobs, and she reached out to grab Diluc's arm.
“But I’m serious this time. Mondstadt will recover soon, and the Anemo Archon… Lord Barbatos the Anemo Archon will be resurrected! When that happens, Mondstadt will definitely return to its former state!”
She could only pin her hopes on Dottore's slim chance of keeping Diluc.
Upon hearing this, Diluc was thoroughly enraged and abruptly shook off Jean's hand that was holding his arm.
Qin lost her balance and staggered back two steps, almost falling.
"Haven't I made myself clear enough? I'm not comfortable living in Mondstadt; I feel very repressed!"
"I don't blame you. I only blame myself for being incompetent, unable to change anything, and unable to endure anything!"
"Now, I have given my family's Dawn Winery and the Legendhand family's properties to the Knights and to Mondstadt!"
At this point, Diluc retorted resolutely, "And Jean, what right do you have to stop me? To stop me from leaving this oppressive place?"
Diluc's words severed his relationship with Jean.
The two are at most senior and junior, partners who once protected Mondstadt side by side, nothing more.
So what right do you have to stop me from leaving this oppressive land?
Qin opened her mouth, but her throat felt like it was stuffed with cotton, and she couldn't make a sound.
She harbored a secret love in her heart, a quietly growing affection.
At this moment, she longed to express her love, to use this affection to bind Diluc and make him stay.
But her inherent "emotional idiocy" and her almost obsessive loyalty to love prevented her from taking that step.
She didn't want her pure love to be tainted by any utilitarian interest, even if that "utilitarianism" was to preserve Mondstadt's hope, and even if her affection for Diluc had long since transcended the boundaries between senior and junior.
This contradiction bound her like shackles, leaving her only able to watch Diluc without being able to utter a single word.