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Chapter 4 - Chapter 4

"Me?"

"Knight-King—you're joking, right?!"

Hearing Venti's words, Rowan Galehart pointed at his own nose with a look that plainly said, Are you messing with me?

He wasn't just talking nonsense.

Yes, he had obtained Arthur Pendragon's Saint Graph—and everything that came with it—

but he did not inherit the man's memories, battle experience, or the know-how of ruling Camelot.

He was just an ordinary person who'd acquired the King Arthur Saint Graph.

Asking him to be a king who leads a nation—wasn't that absurd?

Not to mention, hadn't Venti once toppled a tyrant and declared that Mondstadt would never again have a king?

Why the change of heart now?

"Venti, back then you led the Gunnhildr, Ragnvindr, and Lawrence clans to overthrow the tyrant Decarabian."

"Didn't you say that from then on, Mondstadt would have no throne?"

"So why change your mind now? Are you still the Anemo Archon Barbatos I thought I knew?"

When Rowan said this, Venti's eyes changed.

"So you do know me—and a lot about Mondstadt, too."

"It's true, I never wanted Mondstadt to have a king—because the tyrant's deeds once made its people suffer deeply."

"But the Mondstadt of today needs someone to lead it forward."

"Otherwise…"

As the wind god, he was worried about everything he saw in Mondstadt now.

He believed Mondstadt was the nation of freedom, and Mondstadters were free people.

But they'd grown a little too used to that freedom.

Jean, as Acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius, truly was diligent and hands-on.

But under her leadership, look how the Fatui from Snezhnaya had ground down Mondstadt.

If no one stepped up to change things now—to change that ending—

Mondstadt was not far from ruin.

The Fatui had nearly taken full control of the city's defenses.

That, precisely, was Jean's line in the sand—otherwise Mondstadt would already be a hollow shell.

Seeing Mondstadt like this, if Venti still insisted "no king," wouldn't that be the same as watching Mondstadt perish?

"So what? Aren't you on good terms with the old man?"

"Just strike a strategic protection pact with him. It's not like you've never done that before."

Rowan could hear the steel-on-silk in Venti's voice—disappointment at Mondstadters who never seemed to stiffen their spines.

But come on—wasn't this what you wanted?

If the wind god himself set the tone for slacking, how could Mondstadters not follow suit?

It's not that Mondstadt had no heroes—Rostam, the Knight of Boreas, and more.

But the current crop was… underwhelming.

Even the Knights of Favonius had more than a few people phoning it in.

Granted, Venti's own laissez-faire had its reasons.

To maintain the Thousand Winds' grand hymn covering all of Mondstadt, keeping it in eternal spring,

he had to sleep to stave off erosion and recover strength.

But Mondstadters took the wind god's freedom to mean lying flat and doing nothing.

He woke from a short slumber and—well.

Look at all these slackers. Even within the Knights, so many could barely manage their own lives.

A city of overgrown babies—tell me that wouldn't make him angry, grinding his teeth.

Five hundred years ago, so many Knights bled and died for Mondstadt, winning the peace you enjoy today.

And this is how you repay it—by slacking?

Is that right? Is that right?

"The old man got ticked off last time already."

"If I do that again, he might just march from Liyue to bash my head in."

"You're a transmigrator—and you know our Teyvat. I think you're well suited to lead Mondstadt."

"As for 'no one ever ascends the throne'—I'll explain it to the Knights of Favonius and the Church."

"I can guarantee they won't nitpick your commands."

"Of course, I hope you won't issue reckless orders. If you harm Mondstadt's interests, I will stop you with everything I have."

Venti had already formed a guess about Rowan's identity.

A Descender—someone who could change all of Teyvat.

The Sustainer of Heavenly Principles is a Descender; as one of the most ancient of the Seven, Venti's ties with the Archon of Time, Istaroth, were not shallow.

Knowing the Sustainer was a Descender wasn't some great secret.

And from Rowan's string of changes just now, it was obvious he had the power to reshape the land—

at least Mondstadt. The holy sword in Rowan's hand radiated a lethal threat Venti couldn't ignore.

Which made sense. Even if Rowan's mana pool was small,

if he staked his lifespan to fire the holy sword, he could erase Mondstadt from Teyvat.

Felling a wind god who'd lost most of his power wouldn't be hard.

Assuming, of course, Venti didn't simply… run.

"You're serious?"

"Venti?"

Rowan's gaze sharpened, meeting Venti's eyes.

"Of course. Mondstadt cannot go on like this."

"I want you to lead Mondstadt back to greatness!"

"And you—you've nowhere to go, right?"

"Make Mondstadt your home."

"In the name of Barbatos, Anemo Archon—I invite you to join Mondstadt!"

Venti didn't look away; he met Rowan's eyes, willing him to see the sincerity there.

"Staying in Mondstadt—I don't mind."

"But this is too sudden. I'm not mentally prepared."

"How about giving me some time to think it over?"

It was all too abrupt; Rowan truly wasn't ready.

And Venti wanted him to restore Mondstadt's glory—that was a heavy ask.

He needed time to adjust.

Cross into Genshin and become a king on day one?

Become King Arthur the moment he arrives?

Besides, Rowan needed time to get used to his power. Strength was the bedrock of leading Mondstadt to strength.

Without absolute power, even if he reshaped Mondstadt, it wouldn't matter.

The Fatui would just strip it bare again. Power was the root.

The reason they didn't dare act so brazenly in Liyue was Zhongli's martial repute—

it kept them from pushing Liyue around.

"This… all right."

(End of Chapter)

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