Jean replayed the strange, absurd experiences from her dream over and over in her mind.
As she recalled them, she murmured softly to herself,
"Lin Mo… the newly appointed Grand Master of the Knights…"
"Under Grand Master Lin Mo's leadership…"
"Mondstadt's military surpasses Snezhnaya. The Knights of Favonius become the strongest army in all of Teyvat."
"Mondstadt's economy surpasses Liyue, overflowing with boundless wealth."
"Mondstadt's education surpasses Sumeru. The Akademiya faces a shortage of applicants, because the finest students all choose to study at the Favonius Academy…"
"Technology… culture… all flourish together…"
"And in the end, Mondstadt is guided to glory, becoming the foremost nation in Teyvat."
…
"How could I possibly have such a ridiculous dream?"
Jean shook her head in confusion as she revisited every detail.
Doubt crept into her heart.
Was it because she longed so desperately for Mondstadt's rise that she had dreamed up such wild fantasies?
And yet, everything in that dream had felt vividly real—
So real that it seemed she had truly lived twenty full years within it.
"Could it be… that this dream was trying to tell me something?"
The thought struck her suddenly.
In the next moment, she grabbed a quill and began writing earnestly in her notebook.
"Modernized military management… establish mandatory service for adult men…"
"Establish the Bank of Mondstadt, issue low-interest commercial loans to merchants…"
"Develop Falcon Coast and Brightcrown Canyon into Falcon Harbor… vigorously expand maritime trade routes…"
"Found the Mondstadt Academy… implement nine years of compulsory education…"
When she reached the section on education, Jean even pulled out a sticky note and carefully added:
"Albedo and Sucrose as instructors in bio-alchemy…"
"Klee as instructor in explosive studies…"
"Lisa as instructor in elemental theory…"
"Eula as instructor in swordsmanship…"
"Bennett, Razor, Amber… outdoor practical training instructors…"
"Kaeya… instructor of navigation?"
When she wrote that last line, her gaze turned puzzled.
"The others all make sense…"
"But why is Kaeya teaching navigation?"
"Since when did he have talent in that area?"
Jean's brows knit tighter and tighter.
She clearly remembered that, in the dream, Kaeya truly had served as a navigation instructor.
But why he was qualified for it—she couldn't recall at all.
"Oh no… the memories of the dream are starting to blur…"
She suddenly realized how serious this was.
Looking at her notes, she could remember only the headings.
The actual policies and details tied to them had vanished completely.
"If only someone like Lin Mo really existed…"
"Then maybe… the prosperous Mondstadt from that dream could truly be reborn…"
Jean's eyes dimmed slightly.
With only these scattered fragments, she knew it would be nearly impossible to recreate the brilliance she had seen in her dream.
Besides…
She turned to look at the gloomy sky beyond the window.
Now was not the time to dwell on dreams.
The most urgent matter at hand was resolving the dragon crisis threatening Mondstadt.
And just then—
Knock, knock, knock…
Hurried footsteps sounded outside the Acting Grand Master's office.
"Grand Master Jean!! Something terrible has happened!!"
"Klee—Klee is missing!!!"
…
At the Knights of Favonius training grounds.
Two young women were sparring with swords.
One of them was the captain of the Reconnaissance Company of the Knights of Favonius—
the Spindrift Knight, Eula Lawrence.
The other was a probationary knight—
Ellin.
"Shatter!"
With a sharp cry, Eula gripped her greatsword in both hands and slashed horizontally toward Ellin.
Ellin immediately raised her Dull Blade in defense.
Clang!
A crisp clash of steel rang out.
Ellin staggered back several steps—but she had managed to block the blow.
Eula halted her attack.
Beads of sweat glistened along her fair neck.
It was clear she had been fighting at full strength.
Confusion filled Eula's pale blue eyes.
Her swordsmanship was among the very best in all of Mondstadt.
And Ellin?
A mere probationary knight—someone who usually couldn't even break six wooden training dummies at once.
Yet today, under Eula's full-power assault, Ellin's defense had been airtight, without the slightest opening.
The sheer absurdity of Ellin's improvement left Eula utterly baffled.
"Miss Eula… you don't seem to be in a very good mood today?"
Ellin asked cautiously.
She had been happy at first—after all, it was rare for Eula to personally guide her sword training early in the morning.
But after an entire morning of sparring, Ellin realized that Eula was far harsher than usual.
She knew Eula didn't intend to hurt her, but the force behind her strikes was heavy—far heavier than normal.
It felt less like Eula had come to teach her…
and more like she had come to vent her frustration, with instruction as a side benefit.
Eula finally voiced her doubts.
"Ellin, we sparred just the day before yesterday, didn't we?"
"Mhm."
Ellin nodded lightly.
Eula frowned.
"In just one day, how could your swordsmanship improve this much?"
"Ah… I…"
Ellin's cheeks flushed as she faltered.
She didn't know how to explain it.
Because her sudden leap in skill came from a dream.
It had only lasted a single night—
yet within it, Ellin felt as though she had lived a full five years.
For five whole years, she had trained in swordsmanship under the secret guidance of an adventurer named Lin Mo.
Under his tutelage, she became a full knight of Favonius in just one month.
In three years, her swordsmanship rivaled Jean's and Eula's alike.
By the fifth year, she had risen to become the Knights' chief swordmaster.
And at the height of her glory, the mysterious mentor who had guided her from the shadows—Lin Mo—vanished without a word.
Ellin had believed it was nothing more than an unrealistic dream born from her desperate desire to grow stronger.
But after a full morning of sparring, she no longer doubted one thing—
The swordsmanship she had learned was real.
Seeing Ellin hesitate in silence, Eula spoke again.
"With the skill you just displayed, you're already qualified to be a full knight—no, even a captain would be well within reach."
"Ellin… have you been deliberately hiding your true strength all this time?"
Suspicion filled Eula's gaze.
Blocking one or two of her strikes could be coincidence.
But countering her techniques for an entire morning was no coincidence at all.
If anything, it felt like Ellin had been feeding her openings.
"I… I haven't…"
Ellin looked troubled.
But how could she possibly say that her skills came from a dream?
This "vengeful knight" would definitely be angry—
No, she would certainly be furious.
Ellin could tell that Eula was already in a terrible mood today.
"Miss Eula!"
"Ellin!"
A voice called out from afar.
Both of them turned.
A knight waved urgently.
"Grand Master Jean has ordered everyone to assemble at the Knights' headquarters immediately!"
They nodded in acknowledgment.
Eula then turned back to Ellin, her expression serious.
"After this is over, we'll continue sparring."
"Ah… Miss Eula, you really don't seem to be in a good mood today…"
"Maybe we could… do it another day?"
Ellin hesitated, worried that her swordsmanship might only make Eula angrier.
"In a bad mood? Don't bring that up!"
Eula snapped, turning her face away, resentment swirling in her eyes.
"Forget it. Let's assemble first."
"We'll talk about sparring later."
…
As Eula walked toward the front gates of the Knights of Favonius, her thoughts returned to the dream that had soured her mood.
"That scoundrel! That absolute scoundrel!"
"I gave you everything—body and soul—and you vanished without a word!"
"This grudge… I'll remember it!"
--------
T/N:
You'll also get 5 extra chapters just for being a free member!
Access 40 chapters in advance on my Patreon : [email protected]/furinaimpact