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Chapter Text

“Grand Master Varka’s expedition force has returned!”

“What?” “They’re back?” Mondstadt citizens glanced out their windows and stepped outside their homes as Outrider Amber sprinted down the streets towards the Knights of Favonius Headquarters. A crowd soon assembled outside Mondstadt, lining the area outside the city’s main gate and the bridge as a column of figures appeared in the distance, flying the distinctive Anemo-green banners of the Knights of Favonius. The first Knights soon came into view, marching with a steady pace in four columns as Mondstadt’s people waved and cheered at the return of their expedition force. By now, Acting Grand Master Jean and the other Knights had also arrived, standing together at the gate to observe the procession. Though Jean’s sharp eyes could not discern the details, she could tell something was wrong.

Even though the Knights’ armor shined and their uniforms looked impeccably polished, they marched with a deep, unsettling atmosphere as if they had lost a battle. None of them smiled, and many had their heads bowed. This unusual behaviour was soon picked up by the civilians too as the cheers died down, leaving them to stare at the procession in silence. The columns extended for what appeared to be at least a mile of silver armor and azure banners, but above the lines of knights, still a distance away was a large… box? Chest? Jean could not tell clearly, but it was carried on the shoulders of eight tall Knights. Behind it, two white and gold banners, Grand Master Varka’s personal standards fluttered in the wind, even though the Grand Master, who was easily a head taller than any regular person, was nowhere in sight.

That was, until the men carrying the box stepped onto the bridge leading into the city and lowered it to their waist level, and the horrified shriek of a civilian standing nearby announced its contents.

“GRAND MASTER VARKA!” It was a casket. And inside was none other than Varka, Knight of Boreas, Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius. Silence fell over the gathered Mondstadters for a moment, before reality finally dawned on them that their beloved Grand Master was dead. Wails and cries filled the air as Jean and her fellow Knights tried to maintain order, clearing out a path for the expedition force to head into Mondstadt with Varka’s body before the citizens could swarm over it. As Jean watched the casket disappear into the distance, even she could not help but hold back tears, not just for herself but for Mondstadt, its people and its future.

Varka’s funeral was simple as according to his wishes. In the early morning his casket was placed in front of Barbatos’ statue, where for the entire morning it was surrounded by people who came to pay their respects. Flowers and candles piled high, to the point where Barbara and the sisters had to move some of it away to prevent them from becoming a fire hazard. At noon the casket was carried under the reluctant gaze of the Mondstadters into the Favonius Cathedral, where Jean, Diluc, Venti and a few key personnel of the Knights and Church of Favonius were already seated. Seneschal Seamus Pegg presided over the ceremony, giving a speech to begin the service, while Jean stood up to open the doors so all the citizens outside could hear better. Seamus let them in and hundreds of Mondstadters filled the seats or stood against the walls, with even more gathered outside.

“It was an ambush from the Abyss, and an Abyss Herald appeared out of thin air before driving his blade deep into Varka’s chest. Varka tore the enemy apart with his bare hands and cut down two more with his sword before finally collapsing, and when I rushed to his side he was beyond saving, not even our best medics could do anything. As we gathered around him the Grand Master turned to me and said his last words, which he had entrusted me to announce to Mondstadt, and I shall do so today.” Seamus paused for a moment as the cathedral fell into complete silence, everyone waiting to hear their beloved Grand Master’s final words.

“I fall today, and you will too one day, but Mondstadt will live on for hundreds and thousands of years because of people like us, so until that day comes, we will continue to fight for Mondstadt, for the freedom of our people. I entrust the Church and our faith to you, Seamus, and the Knights of Favonius and our people to…”

“Jean Gunnhildr, the Dandelion Knight.”

A collective gasp from the crowd made Jean’s head snap up, glancing back at the Mondstadters before turning her gaze towards her father.

“I’m… in charge of the Knights of Favonius now?”

“Yes,” her father replied, “this was witnessed by both myself and several other Knights, who can confirm the validity of Grand Master Varka’s statement. As according to his last wishes, and also the standard practice in the Knights of Favonius, the deputy Master and Acting Grand Master Jean Gunnhildr will take over as the new Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius.”

In a moment’s notice several hundred pairs of eyes were now on Jean, who stood up and solemnly walked down the central aisle towards the podium, then turned around to face the crowd. All these people whom she knew were now her responsibility to protect, and as the Dandelion Knight, Jean knew she could not step back from her new role. Executing a perfect Knights of Favonius salute, she turned towards Seneschal Pegg, her father, who took her sword from its sheath and raised it into the air.

“I, Seneschal Seamus Pegg, Cardinal of Daybreak, hereby declare Jean Gunnhildr the new Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius, as witnessed by the people of Mondstadt!” Jean took her weapon from her father’s hand and turned her attention towards the people once again, her eyes now filled with determination.

“I, Jean Gunnhildr, hereby swear that I will serve Mondstadt as its Grand Master, as witnessed by the people of Mondstadt!”

The funeral ended hours later as Varka’s casket was finally lowered into a freshly dug grave in the cemetery behind the Favonius Cathedral and the people began to disperse, leaving Jean sitting next to the former Grand Master’s grave. Though she was now the Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius, she was not one bit excited for her new role. She had already been overwhelmed by responsibilities as the Acting Grand Master, so becoming the Grand Master would only be a far bigger burden for her. Furthermore, she knew that without Varka’s influence, Mondstadt was now far more vulnerable, and there was no doubt its enemies would begin to act.

“Hey, how’s it going?” Jean looked up and found none other than Venti, the bard in green, though she already knew of his true identity.

“To be honest, I don’t know what to do,” she sighed, “Varka was just too great, and now I find myself confused and frustrated because I don’t know what to do anymore. The people are looking up to me, but I’m afraid I will only disappoint them.”

“And why do you say that? When you were the Acting Grand Master, even for just a few months, Mondstadt enjoyed peace and prosperity. That was not just thanks to your efforts, but also those of your friends and colleagues. You must remember that the burdens of Mondstadt are not for you alone to shoulder, but rather for all the people of this nation to bear together, and you are the one bringing them together, the thread that will sew this tapestry together. I have confidence in you, Jean Gunnhildr, and I hope that you too can feel the same about yourself.”

“Thank you, Venti, or should I say Barbatos? But there is one more question I have, and I hope you can hear it and give your advice. Mondstadt is currently in a period of instability and vulnerability, and there is no doubt that external influence will seek to undermine our nation. Back when I was the deputy Master, Varka was the one handling all this. What should I do now?”

Barbatos hesitated for a while, perhaps deep in thought, then stared deep into Jean’s eyes. “I can sense it coming, Mondstadt will face challenges like never before, and I fear that it will be difficult, if not impossible for you to handle. The Abyss is also involved, hence I too will step in and defend Mondstadt. Leave the Abyss to me, you can be assured about this, but the people of Mondstadt will have to face the other challenges from this world on their own. Nevertheless, I’m confident that you can overcome these challenges. Remember, stay true to your heart.”

“Thank you, Lord Barbatos.” Jean stood up and bowed to the bard before leaving, while Venti started playing a solemn tune on his lyre, a hymn in honour of his deceased friend.

“May the winds protect you, my friend.”

Chapter Text

The grass rustled under Amber’s shoes as the Outrider walked through the woods north of Stormterror’s Lair, her bow at the ready. Since Jean’s inauguration as the new Grand Master, she had announced a series of reforms to the Knights of Favonius, bolstering its ranks by recruiting more Mondstadters into the Knights. This also meant that Amber was now in charge of an entire Outrider company of a dozen Knights, all of which were currently training with Eula’s 4th Company, leaving the Crimson Knight herself to take on the role of patrolling Mondstadt’s lands. The forest was quiet, aside from the occasional chirping of birds and rustling of leaves in the early autumn breeze. Until the sharp crack of a twig caught Amber’s attention.

“Huh?” The Outrider glanced towards the direction where the sound came from. Between the trees and bushes she could make out several silhouettes, which appeared to be dressed in blue. These were definitely humans, Amber could tell, but she still had to confirm their intentions; few people ever came here, so whoever was up ahead was more than likely to harbor ill intentions. “Hello? Who’s there? Please state your identity!”

Amber was about to repeat her words when a bright flash came from the figures, followed by a sharp crack from behind her. The Crimson Knight glanced back and noticed a dark spot on one of the trees, still smoking from where it had been hit. As Amber reached for an arrow and cocked it onto her bow, she could hear cursing coming from the figures, followed by one of them stepping forward and into view.

“State your identity and intentions!” Amber shouted with her bow raised, backing off as a woman about her age appeared, dressed in a blue coat and a tricorne hat.

“I’m Captain Amelie of the Fontainian Army’s Erinnyes Regiment, that’s my comrade Adrien, he’s got some loose fingers and probably got spooked, apologies for that,” the woman shot a glare at the man behind her, who slung his musket over his shoulders with a sheepish look. “we were pursuing an Abyss Mage and some hilichurls but it looks like we’ve gotten lost, do you mind guiding us back to Fontaine?”

“Sure, I’m Outrider Amber of the Knights of Favonius by the way,” Amber saluted the Fontainian captain who tipped her hat in return, “you’re currently within Mondstadt, so allow me to guide you back to the Fontainian border.” The Fontainians nodded as Amber placed her arrow back inside the quiver, then took a quick glance at her surroundings before deciding on the path they would take. As the Outrider led the Fontainian squad through the woods, she could not help but feel a sense of uncertainty. Something was not right, but she could not tell what it exactly was.

As they ascended a hill, a wild boar suddenly charged out from the foliage and ran straight into the Fontainians, knocking them off their feet and sending their items scattering all over the ground. As the beast vanished, the Fontainians began picking up their belongings, Amber helping them in the process. Several items had rolled down the hill and into a ditch, so the Outrider slid down to pick them up while the soldiers remained a distance away.

Once in the ditch, Amber reached for the large leather bag on the ground and turned her back to the Fontainians before opening it, revealing a stack of papers. Giving them a quick skim through told her this was not what it appeared to be.

Among the documents were several eerily detailed sketches of Mondstadt’s terrain and geographical features, including a large map which illustrated the exact area they were in. Some of the maps and drawings had colored lines drawn over specific paths, including one tracing the exact route they were currently taking. “Now that’s weird,” Amber whispered, “why did they say they were lost when they literally have maps here? And why would they need such detailed maps leading right into Mondstadt if they’re just looking for some monsters?”

Amber soon received her answer when she dug deeper into the bag and found empty maps as well as cartographic and writing materials, including colour pencils which matched the colours on the map. These maps were not brought here, they were freshly drawn. So what were Fontainians doing inside Mondstadt, drawing oddly detailed maps of the countryside?

A while later, the group was on their way again, Amber having passed over the recovered belongings while acting natural, but even she could sense something was wrong. These Fontainians were definitely lying to her, but there was no way she could just point it out now. The “misfire” earlier was likely not just an accident but also a warning to her that they had far superior weapons. The rest of the journey passed without incident and they soon arrived at the Fontaine-Mondstadt border, at which the Fontainians thanked Amber for bringing them here, the Outrider hurrying away as she now had far more important things to do.

Sprinting through Mondstadt’s forests, the Outrider did not stop until she collapsed at the gates of Mondstadt, completely out of breath. Swan and Lawrence at the entrance quickly found another Knight to bring Amber into the Knights of Favonius Headquarters, where she spent some time resting before barging straight into Jean’s office.

A while later, Jean, Eula, Lisa, Kaeya and Amber were gathered in the Grand Master’s office. The Grand Master had written down Amber’s report and passed it around the room for the others to read, allowing them to understand what was going on.

“All evidence is pointing towards Fontainian preparations for an incursion into Mondstadt. They sent their military here to document the terrain and sketch maps to plan their invasion route, there is literally no other explanation for their abnormal behaviour, and Amber has also mentioned that their words didn’t add up.” As the group continued to discuss their plans, someone knocked on the door and a Knight rushed in, looking just as hurried as Amber before. Jean instantly knew something was wrong.

“The Fatui… they’ve invaded Mondstadt! Dornman Port has been besieged by a large Fatui army, while another is believed to be somewhere around the border and ready to invade!” Upon hearing this, Jean stood up from the table immediately and told Lisa to take over while she headed outside to give orders to the Knights. As the Grand Master left, the four at the table glanced at one another nervously. It had barely been a week since Jean became the Grand Master, and it looked as if trouble was already brewing.

A while later, Jean returned to her office and called Eula and Kaeya out, the two Captains quickly following the Dandelion Knight out of the Knights of Favonius Headquarters where a large group of Knights had been gathered. Albedo, Mika and many others were here, all ready to receive orders from Jean.

“Mondstadt is at war. The Fatui have invaded and besieged Dornman Port, where my mother and a detachment of Knights are currently holding out, but reinforcements are needed urgently. As a result, I have decided to establish the Wartime Command which will completely change our current organisation. New regiments will be raised for battle, which I will decide with the current company captains on their formation. In the meantime, I need all of you to increase training as well as recruitment processes, as Mondstadt will need a large and powerful army to fend for itself against this new threat.”

Back inside the Headquarters, Jean gathered the commanders of the current companies to issue new orders.

“The new Wartime Command will replace our companies with regiments, which will consist of Knights with various abilities as each regiment is expected to operate as an independent tactical unit. As a result, all of you will be appointed as colonels when you take command of a regiment. Seven regiments will be formed, and each of you can decide on a name for your regiment, if not I shall just refer to it by its colonel’s name.” After a few minutes of discussion, the newly appointed colonels eventually formed their regiments:

The Favonius Guard (200 Knights) commanded by Jean
Ravenwood Regiment (180 Knights) commanded by Note, the Second Company Captain
Arundolyn Regiment (180 Knights) commanded by Skeiron, the Third Company Captain
Rostam Regiment (180 Knights) commanded by Eula, the Third Company (Reconnaissance) Captain
Dragonspine Regiment (160 Knights) commanded by Albedo, the Investigation Team Captain
Springvale Regiment (160 Knights) commanded by Hertha, the Sixth Company (Logistics) Captain
Kaeya’s Cavalry Regiment (120 Knights) commanded by Kaeya himself, the Ninth Company (Cavalry) Captain

As Jean dispatched the colonels to sort the Knights into their ranks, another messenger arrived bearing even worse news: Fontainian troops had been sighted crossing the Mondstadt border.

“Dornman Port is currently still holding strong, so we’ll deal with the Fontainian attack first,” Jean ordered as the colonels began to report with their regiments sorted out, “what’s the first regiment that can be mobilised?”

“Currently only the Favonius Guard has reached the standard regiment size of two hundred Knights, the rest are still organising their troops. However the Springvale Regiment has a force of around fifty Knights and some volunteers stationed in Springvale as well as a hundred here in the city. We’re ready to mobilise at your notice, Grand Master Jean.” Hertha saluted while continuing to help the other colonels with allocating manpower and Jean nodded. “I’ll take the Springvale Regiment, we’re moving out in one hour.”

An hour later, three hundred Knights of Favonius marched out of Mondstadt with Jean and Hertha in the lead. Many of the Knights were nervous, as the Knights of Favonius had not been mobilised for war in centuries. In addition, the thought of facing off against the Fontainian Army, one of the strongest armed forces in Teyvat, with two regiments formed an hour ago felt almost impossible.

As the army resumed its march after linking up with the fifty Knights and civilian volunteers, Hertha quickened her pace and came to Jean’s side. “Grand Master, many of the Knights are nervous, they think this battle cannot be won. To be honest, I too am doubting both myself and the Knights. Can we really win like this?”

"I don't know,” the Grand Master replied, "but we can't turn back now. The fate of Mondstadt lies in our hands.”

Chapter Text

The Knights of Favonius army halted at the edge of the forest after Jean took them around Stormterror’s Lair to avoid waking up whatever was inside. Amber had sketched a copy of the map she saw from memory for them, listing several routes the Fontainians could take to reach them, which Jean was now showing Hertha and some of the newly appointed lieutenants now in charge of individual battalions within the two regiments.

“We’re going to split up into two groups. The Favonius Guard will head through the forest first to reach the clearing in front of the lake on the other side, since it is likely for the Fontainians to also seize the area to regroup after passing the lake. Springvale Regiment will enter the forest five minutes after us.” Jean gave the order as her commanders dispersed to command their Knights, then turned towards the forest and raised her sword. “Knights of Favonius, forward!”

The army moved through the forest swiftly, soon emerging at the clearing and immediately getting into battle formations. However, much to Jean’s surprise there was no Fontainian army waiting for them on the other side, but she soon realised why when she saw what was on the other side of the lake.

An entire line of palisades had been erected on the other side of the lake, complete with Fontainian banners flying overhead. Jean immediately ordered the army back into the woods or down behind cover while she crouched down and began observing the enemy lines with a telescope. A few Fontainians dressed in their distinctive blue coats and tricornes could be seen atop the fortifications, but they did not appear to have noticed the Mondstadt force yet. However, what was far more concerning for the Grand Master was the sight of several black, round barrels extending out of the gaps on the palisades. Cannons. She had seen them while in Fontaine on a diplomatic visit when she was still Deputy Master, and the deafening blast they made when firing was still fresh in her memory. There was no doubt that the cannons would make short work of the Knights.

“Grand Master, it appears that the Fontainians are unaware of our presence. Perhaps a surprise attack can catch them off guard and force them to flee,” one of the Knights beside Jean suggested, but she shook her head. “They have cannons, which can easily kill a dozen men with just a single shot from across the lake. There is no way they won’t hear us with all our armor and gear before we’re halfway past the lake, all the while under no cover at all. In addition the area around the lake for us to move through is very narrow, so we’ll basically get annihilated if we attempt to cross.”

“Then we attack at night,” Hertha suggested, now crawling up next to Jean. “The Knights can take off their armor and only carry swords in order to move as fast as possible. We'll approach their fort from the sides and charge into their camp before the cannons can be turned around to fight us. Fontaine thinks we’re playing on the defensive, hence why they’re bold enough to set up camp right here in enemy territory.”

“That’s a brilliant idea, we’ll go along with that. There’s still one problem though, we need to get 350 Knights onto the other side of the lake to attack with our full force, except the paths around the lake are too narrow. Only fifty Knights will be able to attack the fort if the battle starts the moment they reach, and I fear the enemy will be able to repel them and crush the rest of our army still on the way.”

“No need to worry, Grand Master,” Hertha smiled, clearly having a plan already formulated in her mind, “since we can’t cross the lake on foot, we’ll just build some wooden rafts to send some of our Knights across while the rest of the army advances on foot. There’s still ample time for us to cut down several dozen trees and construct rafts in the forest before we bring them out at night for the operation. Just give the order.”

Hours later, as darkness finally fell over the land, the Mondstadt Knights filed out of the forest silently, each wielding only a sword or spear covered in cloth to prevent the reflected light from the moon giving them away and no longer dressed in armour, which had been discarded for mobility. Ten wooden rafts were carried out and carefully lowered into the water before being boarded by five Knights each, two of which carried makeshift oars while the other three carried weapons for their comrades to use. The remaining two hundred Knights split up into two groups to advance around the lake under Jean and Hertha, leaving a hundred Knights and civilians back at the clearing as reinforcements.

As the last of the Knights fell in behind her, Jean raised her sword and uncovered the cloth on one side, allowing the moonlight to reflect off its polished surface as a signal for the Knights to begin their attack. Seeing the signal from the other side of the lake, Hertha drew her sword and began advancing with her column of a hundred Knights while the raft riding troops also set course for the fort opposite them. Turning back at her own soldiers one last time, the Grand Master gave them a determined look before leading the advance.

Under the cover of the night the Knights of Favonius army moved like ghosts, their steps lighter now that they were no longer dressed in heavy armour. Jean and Hertha timed their forces, ensuring that they did not advance too far ahead of the Knights in the water. There was still no motion atop the enemy palisades. If all goes well…

“KNIGHTS! MONDSTADT ATTACK!” The cries of a sentry in the Fontainian camp broke the silence as the Knights froze for a moment, before Jean drew her sword and pointed it at the enemy, ordering the Knights to charge the remaining distance. Their cover had been blown and the first battle for Mondstadt was about to begin.

Jean crashed into the first Fontainian officer standing at the gate and rammed him back into the cheval du frise at the entrance, killing him instantly as the Dandelion Knight forced the obstacles aside to clear a path for the other Knights into the fort. A line of Fontainian musketeers stepped forward with their weapons raised and she ducked at the last moment, rolling aside as the sharp crack of their musket fire was followed by several cries of pain from Knights behind. The Grand Master got back on her feet and slashed at the first enemy she saw, cutting his head off as the Fontainians began to mount bayonets, only to be met by the rest of the Knights charging full force into them. With the gate open, the Knights began flooding into the fort, killing every Fontainian in sight while muskets and bayonets cut away at their ranks.

Back on the lake, the cannons positioned along the palisades also roared to life, one of them smashing through a raft and instantly killing all five occupants while another tore through two men’s bodies and scattered their limbs into the water. However most of the rafts had already reached shore at this point and their occupants quickly travelled across the beach before storming the cannon positions, pushing back the guns and slipping through the gap between the wooden fortifications. The blue-clad gunners inside were caught off guard by this sudden turn of events, many of them barely having enough time to reach for their weapons before being cut down by the Mondstadters.

By now Hertha’s force had also penetrated deep into the Fontainian camp, their colonel picking up a burning stick from one of the campfires and hurling it into the largest tent in the center to set it on fire. Panicking Fontainian officers climbed out of the collapsing tent, some on fire, only to be knocked down by Hertha fighting her way to the flagpole next to the tent bearing a large standard of what she assumed to be the opposing colonel’s. The fire from the tent soon reached the pole which Hertha cut down with one swing of her sword, sending the burning flag falling into a line of musketeers attempting to stand their ground. With their colonel’s banner brought down, the Fontainians lost all cohesion among their ranks and broke.

Barely ten minutes after the battle started, the Fontainian camp was now half ablaze, filled with hundreds of panicking soldiers fleeing for their lives as the Knights of Favonius crushed any futile attempt to resist. Jean did not intend to completely destroy the Fontainians however and ordered the Knights to stop pursuing the enemy and focus on seizing the camp, including putting out the fires either started by their own or in the wake of the fleeing troops. As the last of the Fontainian army vanished from view, the Mondstadters knew this battle was finally over. The Knights of Favonius had won.

As the Knights began gathering supplies left behind in the camp by the Fontainians, Hertha reported back to Jean with the battle reports, her old habit as an logistics officer coming into good use again. “The enemy suffered 72 killed and 31 captured out of five hundred soldiers according to their own documents found in the camp. In addition we captured four enemy cannons, fifty muskets and a dozen pistols. Our own forces suffered 18 killed and 26 wounded.”

After all the Fontainian prisoners were rounded up, Jean decided to release them after confiscating their weapons, sending the Fontainians scattering into the countryside to link up with the rest of their retreating army. The dead Fontainian soldiers were buried in a solemn ceremony, while the camp was repurposed by the Knights as a new base. Jean had also sent a messenger back to Mondstadt to call in reinforcements to help move the cannons and the deceased Knights back to the city, while the rest of her army settled into the camp in preparation for their next offensive.

The next day, just as a convoy arrived to take the cannons and bodies back to Mondstadt, a Fontainian messenger appeared outside the camp with an official letter sent by the Hydro Archon herself.

“Fontaine has sued for peace and declares it will withdraw all its troops back to the border. That’s good, tell your leaders we accept it.” As Jean watched the Fontainian messenger disappear, she turned to the rest of the Knights. “Everyone, we’re going back to Mondstadt. The war with Fontaine is over.” This declaration was met with cheers and applause as the Knights of Favonius began packing up their belongings and falling in behind the convoy that was just beginning to depart. Jean and Hertha stood atop the palisades, watching the rest of the Knights leave the camp before following them.

Even though the atmosphere was joyous and celebratory after the delivery of good news, Jean knew there were far greater challenges ahead. Their next target would be the Fatui, but unlike Fontaine, those Snezhnayans would definitely be far more difficult to deal with.

Chapter Text

“Get your asses over here, privates! This trench’s not gonna dig itself!” The Fatui sergeant roared over the howling of the cold November winds as a cluster of Fatui soldiers emerged from their tent, grumbling about the harsh weather while putting on their coats. The walls of Dornman Port loomed in the distance, barely visible through the early morning fog as the Fatui troops resumed the construction of siege works and fortifications around the port city.

The rest of the day was spent hacking away at the cold, hard soil in shifts as Fatui sergeants and lieutenants barked orders at the soldiers, mostly new recruits transferred from the capital who had barely completed their basic training. The bulk of the Fatui force was made up of these recruits, spread across the contravallation spanning several miles in a semicircle around Dornman Port just outside the reach of the defenders’ arrows. Numerous Fatui camps were set up along the trenches, with a larger fortified camp located in the center, in which the Fatui commanders were currently discussing their battle plans.

“It appears the Grand Master has finally made her move, after spending the entire autumn building up an army. However I am confident that even if they attempt an attack to lift the siege, it will end in nothing but failure. They’ll be able to gather a thousand knights at maximum, while we have almost three thousand troops including Lord Capitano’s and Columbina’s personal regiments made up of Snezhnaya’s strongest fighters, as well as a cavalry detachment of two hundred under Lord Pantalone. In addition, we have dozens of cannons and elemental rifles, while all they have are bows.” The Fatui army’s overall-in-command was Yevgeny, one of the Tsaritsa’s most trusted generals. The embarrassing defeat Fontaine had suffered months ago made them look like a fool on the international stage, but Yevgeny would not make the same mistake.

“General, the siege works are nearing completion, but the weather is also getting colder. Our troops have not received new gear for the winter campaign, and over a thousand recruits are still missing firearms. Morale in the camps is generally low.” A Cryo cicin mage colonel spoke and several other commanders nodded in agreement. None of them had expected Dornman Port to resist for so long, as the army was equipped for just a month in the field before being sent out. Baggage trains and convoys continued to arrive daily, but the supplies were barely enough to sustain three thousand soldiers.

“Our scouts reported seeing Mondstadt Knights leaving the city three days ago. Based on my estimates their full army should arrive in a month. Once we crush them with our overwhelming numerical superiority, Dornman Port’s defenders will likely give up. I understand our troops are getting tired, so when the siege works are complete, they can be allowed to rest in their camps until the end of November before training will resume.” Yevgeny dismissed the commanders before turning back to the map on the table, showing the positions of the Fatui units. Despite almost half the army being new recruits, the other half consisted of elite Fatui fighters, which he was certain would wipe out the Knights of Favonius.

The Knights of Favonius had spent the last few months completing the recruitment and organisation of their forces according to Jean’s Wartime Command, while training intensified to bring new recruits up to the expected standard. The captured Fontainian cannons and muskets were thoroughly studied by Albedo, who provided their blueprints and specifications to Wagner and a few other craftsmen in the city for reverse engineering and mass production. However these would not be operational until the next year as Mondstadt does not have experience in the production of such equipment yet.

At the same time the Grand Master restructured the deployment of the Knights of Favonius. It was decided that the Favonius Guard, the cavalry regiment and the three regular regiments named after historical figures, namely Ravenwood, Arundolyn and Rostam would follow Jean in the campaign against the Fatui, while the Springvale Regiment would remain behind to guard the city. Albedo’s Dragonspine Regiment would also remain in Mondstadt to defend Dragonspine and the border with Liyue.

It was halfway through November when the army marched out of the city, which Jean estimated could reach Dornman Port by the end of the month if they kept up their pace. The four cannons captured from Fontaine were towed by the horses of Kaeya’s cavalry regiment, while the fifty muskets were given to the first battalion in the Favonius Guards. Jean was also preparing for this battle to evolve into a longer campaign, so a hundred civilian volunteers brought along the army’s supplies in a baggage train of thirty carts. Altogether the army consisted of approximately a thousand people and two hundred horses, of which eighty percent was expected to engage in battle.

“Dornman Port should be four miles away,” Mika announced, brushing away snow that had accumulated on the map in his hands. Unlike other regions of Mondstadt, Dornman Port was located further north, meaning it had already begun experiencing snowfall. “Should we send some scouts ahead?”

“Permission granted, but just a few. Make sure you tell them to keep alert and avoid startling the enemy.” Jean turned back to the army and raised her hand to give a signal; immediately hundreds of lanterns and torches were snuffed out, plunging the entire army into darkness. All the Knights wore coats or cloaks over their armor and had their weapons covered in cloth, preventing the metal from giving them away. The army had come to a stop as Jean ordered the baggage train to halt and move into cover behind some trees, while the rest of the Knights awaited their scouts.

After half an hour of waiting, a dash of yellow hair emerged in the distance, standing out from the brown, grey and white of the snow-covered landscape. Mika and his fellow frontline surveyors returned to Jean, their expressions a clear sign they had run into something up ahead.

“We’ve sighted the Fatui forces. They’ve built a long line of defences around Dornman Port in a semicircle, complete with trenches and a ditch before that. Their camps are spread across the back of the line with a larger fortified camp in the center, surrounded by palisades and sharpened stakes. No troops were sighted but there was movement in some camps.”

“What do you think, Eula?” By now the Spindrift Knight had came to the Grand Master’s side to hear the report before sending the scouts back to the Rostam Regiment, which was basically raised from the old Reconnaissance Company.

“The Fatui definitely have more troops than we do, and I would expect them to have Skirmishers and Agents who can beat most of our Knights in hand to hand combat. However I believe their troops are scattered across the line in thin and loose formations. The only reason they would set up their camps in a perimeter around Dornman Port is to avoid arrows from the city’s defenders, while spreading out their troops could help them spot us if we attempt to relieve the city. The ditch will prove a significant challenge and slow us down if we spread out to cross, allowing them to cut us down easily. Therefore I would suggest we split our army into two forces and strike the enemy lines, before turning outwards to start pushing them out of the trenches from within. This will be especially effective against their fortified camp, which I believe is heavily protected from the front but likely connected to the trenches.”

“Great minds think alike then. Concentrating our troops also means we can cross the ditch quickly without having to remain in the open for them to shoot us. As for how to cross the ditch…”

Ten minutes later the Knights of Favonius army stopped just five hundred meters away from the Fatui siege works. Their force had been divided into two groups, the Favonius Guard and Rostam Regiment on the left and the Ravenwood and Arundolyn Regiments on the right. The four cannons brought along were placed in the center to fire upon the fortified camp directly opposite them, while Kaeya and his cavalry lingered behind the army, ready to provide assistance at a moment’s notice. The first dozen or so soldiers in each infantry regiment also carried fascines made from bundled up logs or planks, some of which were taken from disassembled carts in the baggage train. In addition, all the archers and arbalists were redeployed to the front, as Jean intended for them to fire off a volley before making way for the Knights to charge. With all set in place, Dahlia, the deacon from the Church of Favonius who had chosen to accompany the army began to lead the prayers.

Unfortunately for the Mondstadters, the Fatui had already noticed them. Yevgeny immediately ordered all the troops into their trenches and to plant their banners atop the earthworks, forcing many of the troops to head out of their tents and into the cold night. By now a blizzard had also picked up, blowing freezing snow and wind in their direction and making the Fatui huddle inside their trenches for cover from the unrelenting winter.

On the Mondstadt side, the blizzard blasted the backs of the Knights, making many of them shiver as the freezing sensation flowed into the exposed body parts their armor and coats could not cover. Several officers glanced towards Jean with hesitant looks, as if expecting their commander to postpone the attack, but the Grand Master stood her ground as she drew her pistol, then aimed it at the Fatui lines and fired.

Eight hundred Knights broke into a charge as they swiftly covered the distance between them and the Fatui lines. It was not until the Fatui troops in the earthworks could hear the clanging of armor and stomping of boots against soil did they realise the Mondstadters were already upon them, but by now it was too late. The first Knights threw down their fascines before crossing the ditch with light steps, then slammed their bodies into the snow, giving the archers and arbalists behind them a clear view of the Fatui ranks.

A volley of arrows rained down upon the Fatui troops as they emerged from behind cover to engage the Knights, only to be met with the deadly hail. Bodies fell forward and rolled off the slope into the ditch while others fell back, their blood staining the snow red. The Knights gave them no time to rest. Raising her sword, Jean hoisted herself over the slope and fell upon the first Anemoboxer Vanguard she saw, slashing him across the throat and dropping the hulking corpse with a kick, then plunged the blade through another Fatui soldier’s chest. The rest of the Knights followed, falling upon the Fatui soldiers like a storm of metal. Elements exploded across the line as Pyroslinger Bracers discharged their weapons at point blank range while Electro Cicin Mages sent lightning bolts down on both the enemy and their own. In any other battle the Fatui would be tearing through the Knights with ease, but the confines of their trenches meant none of their elements could be applied long enough for reactions to occur, as the soldiers facing the Knights were often killed before they could even use their weapons. The large number of recruits among them who had barely gotten used to their elemental weapons only made it worse, allowing the Knights to wipe them out with ease.

Eula roared as her greatsword clashed with the hammer of an Electrohammer Vanguard, then forced him back before delivering a heavy blow across his chest that cracked his armor. Hanging onto one of the stakes protruding out of the slope leading up to the fortified camp, the Spindrift Knight used it as a foothold and leapt onto the hilltop, cutting the first Cicin Mage she saw in half while kicking back a Cryogunner Legionnaire, sending his massive body rolling down the hill and eventually impaled on one of the stakes below. Gradually the rest of the Rostam Regiment began ascending the hill as Eula charged into the largest tent in the center.

What she had expected to be the enemy commanders turned out to be nothing more than a few attendants, which she quickly took prisoner before leaving the tent and climbing up the flagpole next to it, tearing down the regimental standard at the top and unfurling a Knights of Favonius banner. With the streak of bright teal now waving across the sky, the Fatui forces finally broke.

Thousands of Fatui troops climbed out of the trenches and back into their camps or ran through the lines as the Knights pursued them. On the left flank Pantalone’s cavalry was preparing to engage the enemy, but upon seeing the horde of Fatui stampeding towards them the Regrator simply decided it was “not his day” and turned his force away, leading them off the battlefield as what remained of the army followed the Harbinger out of the slaughter.

On the right flank however, the battle was not over yet. While much of the line had been routed, the only way out of the battlefield on their side was a single wooden bridge crossing a river that fed into the sea. Barely a couple hundred soldiers managed to escape before the bridge collapsed, sending dozens into the currents where they were either swept out to sea or simply drowned. Any form of organised resistance or retreat had effectively ceased, aside from Capitano’s and Columbina’s regiments. While the rest of the Fatui army continued to panic, what remained of the two Harbinger Regiments had constructed a makeshift fort next to the collapsed bridge using wagons and carts from the camps, which they now held while the Knights of Favonius rounded up their routed comrades outside.

Jean emerged from the Fatui camps half an hour after the battle had begun, holding the bloodstained cavalier hat which had once belonged to the Fatui general Yevgeny. She had found the general’s body curled up inside one of the tents, slashed several times by a Pyro Agent’s blades. It was likely he had fled the moment the line began to collapse, hiding and looking for a way out until one of his own soldiers killed him. The sight of their commander’s hat was all it took for the remaining Fatui to surrender, handing themselves over to the Knights of Favonius. The battle was now effectively over, aside from the wagon fort still being held by the Harbinger Regiments, which showed no sign of giving up.

As the blizzard that had lasted throughout the battle began to die down, the Grand Master ordered the four Fontainian cannons, as well as several other artillery pieces captured from the Fatui forces, to be rolled forward and aimed at the wagon fort, which was enough to make the remaining soldiers inside surrender, thus avoiding further bloodshed. The Battle for Dornman Port was over.

It took over an hour for the Knights of Favonius to round up all the prisoners and count all the bodies, but as the first beams of the morning sun cast long shadows across the field where one of the greatest battles since the Archon War had just taken place, the finally tally of battlefield casualties had been confirmed:

The Knights of Favonius suffered 46 killed and over a hundred wounded out of 740 engaged in the battle, while the Fatui casualties were far greater. Out of three thousand soldiers who took part in the battle, over seven hundred were killed and 573 were captured. Due to the huge number of prisoners, Jean eventually allowed them to be released after repairing the bridge and gathering supplies, being sent away with a map guiding them back to Snezhnaya. Unbeknownst to them, many of these Fatui soldiers as well as the Fatui who fled the battlefield would not make it back to Snezhnaya alive, as the increasingly harsh weather took hundreds more lives. By the time the survivors finally made it back home, more than half the army would have lost their lives due to this battle.

Back at Dornman Port, the Knights of Favonius were hailed as heroes, having finally lifted the months-long siege. A feast was held in Jean’s honour while a messenger brought the good news back to the city. For the Dandelion Knight however, this battle was more than just saving the port.

“You’ve really grown a lot since I’ve last seen you, Jean. One moment you were the Deputy Master, the next you were the Acting Grand Master, now you’re the Grand Master leading hundreds of people. I was watching from the city’s walls when you led the army into battle, though it was not very clear, I still saw you standing atop the ramparts with your sword raised as you led the Knights into battle…”

Jean spent the entire day talking to her mother while the Knights of Favonius took part in rebuilding the city. Frederica spoke about raising another regiment to defend Dornman Port and Mondstadt’s northern domains, which Jean agreed to, as she was also preparing to expand the Knights of Favonius. In the meantime, the winter meant that the Fatui were unlikely to strike anytime soon, giving Mondstadt some time to rest and recuperate.

But even as the celebrations went on and Mondstadt rebuilt itself, the Knights of Favonius remained blissfully unaware of what was to come, for Fate has a way of toying with its victims.

Chapter Text

The Knights of Favonius army spent the entire winter in Dornman Port, reorganising their forces as Jean carried out another series of reforms. Under the Grand Master’s orders, a local garrison regiment was raised in Dornman Port, with Frederica Gunnhildr placed in command, while two more regiments were formed in the capital: the Windrise Regiment with Lisa as its colonel, raised with Knights from the 8th Company and the Wolvendom Regiment headed by Amber. Both were assigned to regional defence duties in Mondstadt, or in other words as reserve units that would build up their strength gradually until they were needed for another campaign.

The Fatui made no attempts to attack Mondstadt during this period, which Jean assumed was due to the disastrous loss of an entire field army in the previous battle. Nevertheless, the Dornman Port Garrison Regiment was placed in charge of guarding Mondstadt’s northern borders while Jean turned her attention to another critical issue: Liyue’s treasure hoarders.

The treasure hoarders have constantly been a threat to Mondstadt and Liyue with their raids on merchant convoys, though recently their presence near Mondstadt had increased. Jean knew they were likely not of much concern to the nation’s safety, but with more attacks happening in broad daylight, they had to do something about it.

“Don’t let them get away!” Eula raised her greatsword and led the Knights forward as the treasure hoarders fled down the road leading to Liyue’s Stone Gate, leaving several scattered carts and wounded merchants. The Knights pursued them until the two cliffs marking the end of Mondstadt entered sight. The hoarders were almost within reach, some of them frantically firing arrows at the Knights in the front, forcing them to raise their shields and block the incoming barrage.

Eula however could sense something was wrong. Glancing up at the cliff overhang, she could barely make out a few silhouettes which were obviously not supposed to be there. “All Knights, return and regroup! Do not proceed forward!” The Spindrift Knight’s words cut through the air like the frosted blade she wielded as the Knights of Favonius halted their advance, reorganising around their commander. Seconds later Eula’s intuition was proven right when dozens of tonnes of stone and soil collapsed onto the area they were at just a moment ago, the dust settling to reveal a wall of debris blocking their way.

“Those cowards destroyed the only path to reach them!” A Knight beside Eula cursed, “we don’t have the ability to clear this mess with what we currently have, should we send a messenger to the city for them to send reinforcements?”

“Grand Master Jean told me when we left that her army would depart from the city for Stone Gate at noon. Judging by the position of the sun I would say they’re close, but still send someone down the main road to meet them just in case. In the meantime we’ll form up our lines by the river near Dawn Winery.”

Jean Gunnhildr and her army, now four regiments strong with the Springvale Regiment transporting the army’s supplies in carts, arrived earlier than expected. They halted in the field outside of Dawn Winery and linked up with Eula’s force now observing Liyue from across the wide river. As the new arrivals fell into position, Jean turned to Hertha and gave the order for them to deploy. With the carts placed along the riverbanks, the Knights began removing the tarp covering their contents, revealing long wooden beams, waterproof sheets and other equipment as if they were constructing buildings.

“What’s going on?” Eula asked as the Knights got to work, setting up wooden frames and securing them together with ropes and nails. Jean dispatched Hertha to oversee the process, then turned to Eula with a stern expression on her face. “The Dragonspine Regiment fended off an attack by treasure hoarders days ago, but among the bandits attacking them were Millelith troops. According to Albedo they were dressed as treasure hoarders, but some wore armor and carried Millelith polearms. In addition they made use of gunpowder weapons while attacking our troops, further confirming their identities. I’m fearing Liyue may no longer be on good terms with us, since the use of explosives is limited to their elite units and not just a few rogue soldiers.” Eula immediately thought of the explosions that brought down the cliffs. Initially she assumed they were the result of overload reactions caused by the treasure hoarders’ potions, but thinking back she did not recall seeing any elemental flashes. Only gunpowder, which is abundant in Liyue and used both for civilian and military purposes, could have such an effect.

“We’re setting up landing boats now, they’ll get us across the river. I had some of the carpenters in the city work on these after the battle with Fontaine, thankfully they were done just in time. Each boat has a folded ramp to allow us to ascend the hill on the Liyue side. In addition two of the boats are able to carry light artillery guns reverse engineered from the captured Fontainian guns, so we’ll use them to provide cover for the rest of the army when they’re crossing.”

The blasts of cannonballs colliding with the hill and blowing up chunks of dirt and rocks caught the Liyue soldiers’ attention, forcing them out of their camps as their commanders lined up their ranks for battle. The ground rocked from every impact, while on the Mondstadt side a thick cloud of smoke obscured their sentries from being able to discern any movement aside from the occasional arrow volley that forced them to retreat behind cover. With the Millelith distracted, Jean kicked her plan into action as hundreds of Knights of Favonius boarded their vessels and set sail for the riverbanks, raising up pieces of cloth as makeshift sails while Anemo-generated gusts of wind from their allies on the shore blew their barges forward, either to victory or into certain death.

As the barge carrying Jean neared the shore, the Grand Master leapt into the waist-deep water while splashes resonated around her from the other Knights disembarking as well. With her sword held high, Jean charged up the hill, coming face to face with a Millelith soldier and his white tassel which she quickly sent rolling back with a deep cut into his throat, spilling the first drop of blood that marked the start of Mondstadt’s war with Liyue.

The Knights of Favonius scaled the slope behind their leader and instantly clashed with a line of spears, which impaled several of them upon impact. The rest quickly reorganised their formations and advanced, slashing at the enemy with their swords and breaking polearms in half. Bodies dropped across the frontier as arrows and iron cannonballs hurled through the sky overhead, crashing into the Millelith and scattering their lines, allowing the Knights to penetrate the seemingly impregnable line of spears that was now being smashed apart.

Jean sliced off the arm of a Millelith captain, disarming him and sending him crashing into a line of soldiers and throwing them aside while the other Knights fell on them. Bodies now piled high, more of Liyue descent than Mondstadters, so when Jean ran her blade straight through the chest of another officer their lines finally broke. Dropping their spears and tassels, the Millelith line folded as many men took flight from their positions which were quickly filled up by Mondstadt Knights. It took less than a minute for the last of the Liyue soldiers to break and retreat, to which Jean did not order further pursuit but rather the establishment of their own positions to facilitate the movement of manpower and equipment onto the Liyue side of the river.

“We lost 35 Knights out of the two hundred who took part in the initial landing, while for the Millelith we’ve counted 120 bodies. We didn’t see any treasure hoarders in the battle, only the Millelith, which definitely suggests that the Liyue government is behind this. The treasure hoarders were backed by the Millelith, hence why they even dared to enter Mondstadt in the first place. All of these signs suggest… that war with Liyue is imminent.”

“It has already begun,” Jean glanced at the horizon where the silhouettes of the fleeing enemy were still visible against the backdrop of the setting sun. “Though Liyue provoked us first, we still entered their territory for war. I expect a declaration of war from the Qixing soon.”

Ningguang didn’t need to acknowledge her presence. She knew Yelan would be here at any time. “Mondstadt defeated the force near the Stone Gate, they crossed the river and caught the Millelith off guard, since we were expecting the Knights to pass through Stone Gate instead. Now would be a good time to send a declaration of war, accusing them of attacking our military on our own land.”

But Ningguang knew otherwise. Liyue may appear calm now, but as an experienced businesswoman she knew that the currents of disorder would only flow underneath the surface. Even though Morax was gone, there was still a lot of discontent with the Qixing’s rule, with the biggest voice of opposition coming from no one other than Keqing, the Yuheng. Hence when Ningguang contacted the treasure hoarders and formed an alliance for them to carry out commerce raiding on Mondstadt’s trade it was done in secret, so as to not alert anyone else in Liyue’s government. The initial plan was a false flag operation targeting Mondstadt under the guise of rogue treasure hoarders, to which the Millelith would come to Mondstadt’s rescue and thus lure the new Grand Master into a diplomatic trap where Mondstadt would be on the receiving end of any deals or agreements no matter how absurd they were. However this plan was jeopardised when Mondstadt’s Knights of Favonius impressed all of Teyvat with their grand victory at Dornman Port against the Fatui, forcing Ningguang to seek alternatives.

Under pressure from the treasure hoarders to initiate the operation earlier to take minimal losses from confronting the Knights, Ningguang eventually sent a force of Millelith to fight alongside the treasure hoarders, but they were repelled at Dragonspine by the Knights of Favonius. The commerce raiding continued, but upon learning of Jean’s intent to send forces to protect the trade route the Tianquan sent another army to support the treasure hoarders, which led to the battle hours ago where they were defeated by the Knights again while further arousing suspicion.

“I will enter the war on my personal behalf rather than as Liyue’s leader, so only the army generals loyal to me will take part in the war. We will fight Mondstadt while delaying the Qixing’s intervention until the conflict gives Liyue a legitimate reason to enter the war, then even Keqing won’t be able to do anything. Send the message to the commanders, we mobilise for war tonight.”

Jean sat in the middle of the Knights of Favonius camp, polishing her sword while the Knights around her set up tents and laid out clothing to dry after crossing the river. Eula was nearby, processing the release of Liyue prisoners of war captured during the battle. Under the Grand Master’s orders, each man was to be given a sum of two thousand mora and released, much to the dismay of many Knights even though the money came out of Jean’s own pocket. “I do not bear grudges against these men, for they only joined the war under the orders of their overlords. In addition, I hope this will convince more people in Liyue not to bear arms against us.” No more words were uttered over this matter, though the Knights now held a higher sense of respect towards their Grand Master.

Chapter Text

“These arquebuses are inspired by both Fontainian and Snezhnayan weapons and rely on Pyro to trigger an Electro crystal as propulsion to fire the bullet. Hence they require careful handling and a rather tedious reload process, but the shot can easily break through armor and kill a mitachurl from ten meters away. A preliminary batch of twenty has been given to the Favonius Guard, while more are undergoing production in Mondstadt.” Jean took the arquebus from Lisa’s hands, turning the weapon around and examining its details. The weapon resembled the muskets used by the Fatui soldiers and Fontainian troops, but was heavier and slightly longer. In addition a cord dangled from the mechanism on the side, slightly smouldering at the tip as it had been burnt. Lisa reached into her pocket and retrieved a small paper cartridge that seemed to emit a purplish glow, then took the weapon from the Grand Master.

The Librarian twisted off the top of the cartridge and poured its contents into the muzzle of the arquebus, explaining that they were ground up Electro crystals used as propellant, then dropped down an iron ball before pulling out a long stick on the side of the barrel, ramming it down the gun until it could not go down further, then inserted the rod back into where it was. She lifted up the weapon to her shoulder level, then blew on the smouldering flame of the cord before fixing it onto a lever by the side of the gun. Jean followed Lisa outside of the tent and they walked to the training area made up of a few dummies and targets.

“Would you like to fire it first, Jean? All you have to do is to pull back the cover on the right side, where the Electro crystal powder is already in the pan, then pull the trigger and ignite the powder to create an overload reaction that would fire the arquebus.” The Grand Master nodded and took the firearm from her friend again, then raised it up and rested the wooden stock against her shoulder. Aiming the barrel at a target twenty meters away, she did as Lisa instructed, then pressed her finger down on the trigger.

The recoil slammed into her shoulder like a hilichurl’s club, not exactly dangerous but still stunning her for a moment. On the other side, the target had a valberry-sized hole blown into it slightly off-center. She blinked as the smoke from the explosion dissipated, but a smile crept up her face from the sheer adrenaline from the blast.

“This is a fabulous weapon and I know exactly how to use it. For now, please deliver the rest to the Favonius Guards. I will update them on the tactics once I devise a battle plan.”

Jean had intended to camp in Dihua Marsh for a while longer while manpower and supplies continued to be brought in through the newly restored Stone Gate, but Liyue had other plans for the unwelcome knights. Treasure hoarders continued to harass them over the weeks, but the swords and armor of the Knights of Favonius kept them at bay most of the time. There was still no declaration of war from Liyue nor did the Millelith organise any attacks, but none of these made Jean any less wary of her opponents. Until it happened one day.

“Grand Master Jean, Liyue has declared war on us! They claim we have used lethal force on civilians, though without evidence, and the Qixing believe it is necessary to use armed intervention to fight us.”

“Then that gives us justification to fight them. I don’t want to make Liyue my enemy, but they have made poor decisions by attacking us through covert operations and declaring war. Snezhnaya is still preparing for war, so I do not intend to spend too much time here. We’ll knock them out of the war then turn to the Fatui.”

Two days later the Mondstadt army in Liyue, now five regiments strong including the Cavalry Regiment, was marched to just a mile from Wangshu Inn. A force of some five hundred Millelith were camped outside the fortified building, which was now surrounded by trenches, cheval du frise and a few ramparts. A detachment of scouts from Amber’s Wolvendom Regiment were sent forward, but when they returned they reported that the Millelith were armed with some new weapons, mostly tubes and barrels fixed onto sticks but a few cart-drawn mechanisms too.

“Those must be the rumoured black powder weapons Liyue has. I’ve heard stories about ores harvested from the Chasm being used to produce this black powder, which Liyue uses in their fireworks but also for gun propellant. Make sure the army stays out of sight, lest a well-placed shot from the enemy cause unnecessary panic among them.” The presence of arquebuses among the Knights slightly eased Jean’s worries, though the new weapons would prove to be a new variable in their battle. While they had faced Fontainian muskets and Fatui guns in the past, Liyue’s black powder was still very much unknown to them.

Days later, the Knights were awoken from their sleep as heavy rain beat down relentlessly in the middle of the night, drumming against their tents and seeping into everything from clothes to supplies. Jean was up immediately, sword in hand as she lit a lamp and ran to the center of the camp, banging her sword against the bell to wake the soldiers up. Despite the heavy rain the Knights of Favonius assembled in the clearing outside their fortified camp in under three minutes, Jean and her commanders at the forefront.

“The strength of the Millelith lies in their black powder weapons, which this rain will render useless and leaving them with no choice but to face us in a melee, a battle which we will always win. Tonight we will take Wangshu Inn from the enemy and show them the might of the Knights of Favonius.”

With the heavy rain covering their movement, the Knights split into two groups and surrounded the Millelith camp, then crept across their defensive positions without alerting a single enemy. The downpour forced all the soldiers into the comfort and warmth of their barracks, leaving them oblivious to the carnage that was about to unfold.

The thunderous explosion followed by a mushroom cloud erupting above the camp marked the start of the battle as Lisa and her men set fire to the black powder storage which the Millelith had taken special care to keep dry unlike their other weapons, but this also meant that it retained all of its explosive potential. The aftermath of the shock was followed by the battle cries of the Knights under Jean and Eula, charging into battle as the banners of the Anemo Archon were raised and the followers of Barbatos waged their first war in foreign land since the Archon Wars.

A little more than an hour later the last of the Millelith threw down their spears and fled from the battlefield, leaving Wangshu Inn in the hands of the Knights of Favonius. Only a few Knights were injured while the Millelith suffered a dozen casualties, though even more would drown during their hasty retreat across Dihua Marsh. No black powder weapons were captured in usable conditions, but to Jean it was nothing of concern. After all, they have their own arquebuses which were of no less quality.

The capture of Wangshu Inn inflicted a huge blow on Liyue’s morale. Wangshu Inn had been a key stronghold connecting Bishui Plain and Qiongji Estuary, so its capture left much of the vast nation fragmented. Yet even as her generals panicked, Ningguang remained calm, her gaze set on the map of Liyue in the Jade Chamber.

“Jean’s logistics will be too stretched for her army to continue its advance towards Liyue Harbour, so she will definitely turn towards Qingce Village to establish a strong presence in the region and to set up strong logistic lines. Yelan’s army is already in Chenyu Vale while mine will depart soon. Together our forces outnumber Jean’s two to one, we’re also fighting on our own land against a weakened invasion force far from home. The Dandelion Knight’s reckless bravery has led her through battle after battle, but the ego which stems from it will be her downfall.”