Chapter 15: The Holy Knights of the Cathedral

After resolving the issue with the Temples of the Four Winds, Lumine finally learned the truth about Stormterror from Lisa. It turned out that Stormterror was none other than Dvalin, the Dragon of the East, one of the Four Winds and a revered figure in Mondstadt's history. But this reverence had been forgotten. Once, Dvalin had fought to protect Mondstadt against the evil dragon Durin, falling into a deep slumber after the battle. The people of Mondstadt had once believed that the Dragon of the East would awaken again when needed to protect them. But in times of peace, faith in the Four Winds faded, and their temples fell into ruin. Some speculated that this neglect was why Dvalin now harbored hatred for Mondstadt and sought to destroy the city that had forgotten him. "Isn't this their own fault?" Having paid rare attention to the story because of Astrea, Axue couldn't help but roast the situation after reading the book Lisa provided. "They forgot the hero who once protected them? Mondstadt's messed up! No wonder Lisa said it was embarrassing to explain as a Mondstadt native. I finally understand why the Knights of Favonius didn't want to slay Stormterror... At least they still feel some shame." 「Poor Astrea!」 「Yeah, why should Astrea suffer for Mondstadt's mistakes?」 "Alright, enough. Let's not go overboard. Jean clearly felt guilty about it earlier and even seemed ready to take action against Stormterror." Seeing the chat getting heated, Axue quickly steered the conversation back on track. "But Lisa's right. If they had slain Stormterror, Astrea wouldn't have been happy when she woke up and learned the truth. So, let's keep pushing the story and aim for a perfect resolution." The rest of the story progressed without much fanfare. Astrea remained unconscious, while Lumine, inspired by her, resolved to solve the Stormterror crisis. With the help of her companions, the issue was successfully resolved. The only real surprise was the revelation that Venti was the Anemo Archon, Barbatos. But Axue had already guessed this after learning Stormterror's true identity. The mysterious voice helping Lumine and the boy talking to Stormterror had to be Venti. The remaining 1% doubt was just in case Mihoyo decided to pull a twist. Thankfully, Mihoyo didn't mess it up and tied up the plot neatly. Of course, there were still some interesting moments along the way. For example, Venti claiming to be Barbatos but being dismissed by his own believers, the confusion between Jean the Acting Grand Master and the instrument "lyre," the fact that the Anemo Archon had to steal his own lyre, the revelation that Lumine's sibling was the Prince of the Abyss Order, and... the Anemo Archon having his Gnosis stolen. When La Signora, the Eighth Harbinger of the Fatui, took Venti's Gnosis, Axue's stream exploded. 「What?! The Anemo Archon can't even beat a Harbinger?」 「Damn it, La Signora, show me your HP bar!」 「My Venti!!」 「Now I get why the Hydro Archon needs bodyguards. Gods aren't invincible, huh?」 Venti had gained a lot of popularity through the story, so seeing this scene left many viewers furious. Axue, too, felt frustrated and fully immersed in the story. But there was nothing she could do. This was a scripted event—even the Anemo Archon was defeated. What could a mere Traveler do? In the end, Lumine passed out and later woke up at Windrise, where she had a final conversation with Venti. Players learned that La Signora had already left, and Venti suggested that Lumine's next destination should be Liyue. Hearing this, Axue's spirits lifted. Liyue! The nation inspired by China! In the PV, when exploring Teyvat with Amber, players had caught a glimpse of Liyue, and the awe it inspired was one of the reasons Genshin Impact had become so popular. While many games catered to domestic audiences, few globally released games were set in a Chinese-inspired world. Western fantasy was always the default, and even Japanese culture had more presence than Chinese culture in gaming. A game with a Chinese cultural backdrop? The idea itself felt almost out of place. Could Genshin Impact pull it off? Axue was both excited and nervous. She hoped Genshin Impact would succeed, so the Chinese gaming industry could stand tall on the global stage. But... given past disappointments, she couldn't be too confident. Still, Axue had decided that as long as it wasn't a complete failure, she would support it wholeheartedly. Chinese players desperately needed a game like this. As Axue's thoughts swirled with anticipation, the dialogue ended, and the 1.0 prologue officially concluded—wait, no? Axue's eyes widened as an animated cutscene suddenly played. The scene showed La Signora hurrying through the wilderness, clearly trying to leave Mondstadt as quickly as possible to avoid complications. Perhaps, under normal circumstances, there would have been no complications. But suddenly, La Signora's pupils contracted to pinpricks. The scene was so detailed, and with the sudden shift in the background music, the tension skyrocketed. Axue and her viewers were on the edge of their seats. What was happening? Were the Knights of Favonius intercepting her? However, La Signora looked up, and the camera angle shifted to reveal a girl descending from the sky. Everyone gasped in shock. Axue nearly screamed in disbelief. "Is that... Astrea?!!!" Yes, it was Astrea. But not the Astrea they knew. This girl had three pairs of pure white wings, golden eyes radiating authority, and an outfit of white and gold that clung to her figure, revealing large swathes of pale skin. Her left hand and wrist were adorned with five white rings and a bracelet, all connected by gleaming golden chains. Her face and hair color were unmistakably Astrea's, but everything else was different. What was going on? Axue was filled with questions, but in the story, La Signora coldly demanded, "Who are you?" The angelic girl, identical to Astrea, looked down at La Signora with indifferent eyes and replied in an equally indifferent tone, "Themis, Second Knight of the Holy Knights of the Cathedral, Knight of the Void. By order of the Supreme Archbishop, the Anemo Archon's Gnosis now belongs to Fontaine." "The Holy Knights of the Cathedral? I've never heard of such an organization in Fontaine." BAM!!!! Without another word, La Signora was sent flying. After tumbling across the ground, La Signora spat blood and struggled to her feet, looking up at the angel in disbelief. "Impossible!! This power rivals even the top three Harbingers! How could Fontaine have such a powerhouse besides the Supreme Archbishop and the Chief Justice?!" Ignoring her, Themis raised her left hand, the golden chains connecting her rings and bracelet glinting in the sunlight. In an instant, wind rings bound La Signora's limbs and neck, forcing her to arch her back in pain as she floated helplessly in the air. Then, a chess piece—the Gnosis—floated out of La Signora's body and into Themis's right hand. Themis examined the Gnosis spinning on her palm and nodded. "This is indeed the Gnosis. With this, my mission in Mondstadt is complete." "You... what does the Supreme Archbishop... mean by this?" La Signora struggled and spat out angrily, "Has he forgotten... his agreement with... our Tsaritsa?" Storing the Gnosis, Themis looked down at La Signora and replied indifferently, "Shall I repeat the terms of the agreement between the Supreme Archbishop and the Tsaritsa?" "..." "The Tsaritsa desires the Gnoses, and the Supreme Archbishop has agreed to provide them, including but not limited to the Hydro Archon's Gnosis. In exchange, each Gnosis comes with a condition." Themis spoke as if discussing the weather: "This Anemo Gnosis will be the first in the Supreme Archbishop's transaction with the Tsaritsa." La Signora's chest heaved with rage. "That Gnosis was mine! It belongs to Her Majesty!" "But now, it belongs to the Supreme Archbishop." Themis's tone was calm but infuriating. "Your failure to protect the Gnosis is your own problem. The Supreme Archbishop bears no responsibility for your mistakes." "You...! Her Majesty will not let this slide!!" Themis had no interest in further conversation. With a squeeze of her left hand, La Signora fell unconscious. Then, Themis flew away, landing outside Mondstadt. A flash of light later, her wings disappeared, her eyes turned red, and her outfit reverted to Astrea's usual attire. No, wait. The white-haired, red-eyed girl swayed slightly, looking around in confusion. "This is... outside Mondstadt? How did I... get here?" The animated cutscene ended. Then, text appeared on the screen. 『Prologue, Act III: Complete』 [Song of the Dragon and Freedom] 『Quest Complete』