Genshin Impact: I, the Winter Prince, reign supreme.

Su Yu looked up, his gaze seemingly piercing through the ceiling, and saw Sky Island high in the sky, still shimmering with faint light.

“I came to the Mondstadt Library with two things to do. The first one is already done. Now, for the second one…”

Chapter 42 A Perfect World

Lisa took the box of Evil Eyes and had a direct feeling of Su Yu's generosity, or rather, his sincerity in compensating her with the Eye of God.

If any one of these evil eyes were taken outside, it would be fought over by various forces, since only a few lucky people possess the Eye of God, and the vast majority of people do not have it.

Even within their Knights of Favonius, only a handful possess the Eye of God. Such a vast number of Evil Eyes would be enough to forge an extremely powerful army.

But Su Yu seemed completely unconcerned about these evil eyes, letting her choose whatever she wanted as if selecting merchandise.

These are the real big shots; what ordinary people consider treasures are nothing more than toys to them.

Lisa chose a lightning-type Evil Eye and was pleasantly surprised after using it.

The method of use is the same as the real Eye of God, and no discomfort occurred during use.

She used to be in awe of the Eye of God because she was unaware of the cost of using it. However, using the Evil Eye had no cost or side effects, and she could then unleash elemental combat techniques without any scruples.

"For thousands of years, we have consciously or unconsciously accepted the reality that the Eye of God is the only way to use elemental power. But there are many possibilities in this world... Did the gods mislead us, or did our own ignorance lead to all this? Perhaps this is closely related to the secret behind the Eye of God."

After Lisa made her choice of the Eye of God, she habitually pondered and muttered to herself.

Su Yu overheard her mutterings perfectly.

“Miss Lisa, have you ever imagined a perfect world where all beings are equal, and humans are born with the ability to freely use elemental power? In that world, everyone is a god from birth, there is no war, no birth, aging, sickness, or death, and everyone has an infinite lifespan.”

Lisa's mind went blank for a moment. She had never thought of it that way, nor dared to have such a thought.

"Your Highness, may I interpret this as the new world that you and Empress Winter are fighting for?"

The information coming from Zhidong indicates that the people of Zhidong and members of the Fools have repeatedly mentioned the terms "New World" and "Old World".

Lisa used to think this was a manifestation of the Winter Kingdom's ambition to annex the other six kingdoms, but now it sounds like the Winter Kingdom's goal is so grand, romantic and beautiful.

However, there's always a sense of absurdity about it.

Is this heavenly, ideal world, or fairytale-like perfect world detached from reality and existing only in imagination?

“Miss Lisa, this is not the Queen’s or my idea. But, perhaps it is Sky Island’s idea.”

Su Yu shared some of her guesses with her.

Lisa is a brilliant scholar with an open mind. Unlike ordinary scholars, she is curious about the secrets of the Eye of God and contemplates the nature of the gods. Different ideas and concepts can bring her new inspiration.

Su Yu's purpose in sharing this was not to get her to join Zhi Dong's side, nor was it to get her to help him with the research; it was simply as extra compensation for damaging her Divine Eye.

What could possibly bring more joy to a scholar than satisfying their curiosity?

Su Yu hoped that after she understood the true nature of the Eye of God, she would reduce her desire for it.

“The ancient knowledge of Teyvat tells us that every possessor of a Vision is qualified to become a god, and is therefore called a ‘Gengoblin’, but in the eyes of the Sky Isles, they are nothing more than a group of domesticated ‘guinea pigs’.”

Su Yu's words were truly unbelievable.

Lisa's eyes widened.

Su Yu further hinted, "The Eye of God is the tool that Sky Island uses to screen 'guinea pigs.' Their ultimate goal is probably to create a perfect world."

"Alright, Miss Lisa. That concludes our discussion on the Eye of God."

Su Yu stopped talking about it.

After all, the evidence he currently possesses is limited, and further investigation is needed.

"If what the prince said is true, then the entire continent of Teyvat has always been shrouded in lies and conspiracies... I swear, your deduction is something even those mad scholars in the Council of the Church wouldn't dare to imagine, enough to overturn the foundation of existing theocratic thought."

"Then Miss Lisa had better keep quiet to avoid unnecessary trouble."

Lisa placed her left hand on her right chest, removed her hat with her right hand, then bowed slightly and nodded, saying, "Thank you, Your Highness, for the new ideas. I have benefited greatly from your novel perspectives."

Su Yu's gaze swept over her slender figure, and he said leisurely, "To be honest, I'd rather see Miss Lisa's ladylike manners than your Knights of Favonius's knightly etiquette."

Lisa glanced at Kong and Paimon beside her and said with a knowing smile, "But there are outsiders here now. I'll perform the ladylike greeting next time I see Your Highness. If Your Highness enjoys watching the West Wind Swordplay, I can also change into military attire for a performance."

"As far as I know, the creator of the renowned Favonius Swordsmanship was Rustan of your Knights of Favonius. Five hundred years ago, he participated in the battle between Dvalin and the dragon Durin and tragically perished. Miss Lisa, may I see his belongings?"

Su Yu's words suddenly turned serious.

Lisa realized that Su Yu took this matter very seriously. Although she didn't know how Su Yu knew that Rustan's belongings were in the library's basement, she still readily agreed.

“The late Rustan is a great hero of Mondstadt. According to the rules, his relics should never be viewed by outsiders. However, Your Highness, you are different. I believe you admire heroes because you are also a legendary figure who is making history.”

"Traveler, Paimon, if you would like to come along, you can travel with me."

Paimon said happily, "Really? That's wonderful. I have a feeling that the Prince of Winter... oh, no, I should call you Your Highness, is about to do something big."

Paimon and the Traveler learned of Su Yu's identity through the conversation between Lisa and Su Yu earlier.

Kong nodded: "Okay."

In the basement there is a special exhibition hall that displays the relics of heroes of the Knights of Favonius throughout the ages, including those of Rustan, who earned the name "Young Wolf" at the age of 28.

The recipient of the title "Young Wolf" is often a candidate for Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius, which shows Rustan's talent. In fact, the Favonius swordsmanship he created remains unsurpassed even after five hundred years.

The battle with the dragon Durin was extremely fierce. Dvalin was seriously injured, let alone Rustan, who was born human. He didn't leave behind many relics, most of which were destroyed in the battle.

The only relics that can be seen today are a broken greatsword, armor and a battle banner corroded by poisonous blood, and a storage box made of the hardest refined iron.

Seeing Su Yu's gaze fixed on the storage box, Lisa said, "Your Highness, the Wind God set up a mechanism back then, and I heard that it requires a special key to open it."

At this point, Lisa felt somewhat ashamed.

The elders of the West Wind Cathedral once secretly invited countless skilled craftsmen to try to open the storage box and obtain the relics inside. Rumor has it that it hides the powerful secrets of Rustan, or perhaps his sword manual.

After examining the storage box, Su Yu pondered for a moment and said:

"Barbatos, by designing the mechanism in this way, you must have been filled with regret and guilt for the mistakes you made back then..."

Chapter 43 Your Brilliance

“Your Highness, I have no doubt about your strength, but if you forcefully open the storage box, the contents may be destroyed in an instant.”

Lisa offered a cautious reminder.

“Miss Lisa, perhaps it’s just a coincidence. Before my trip, eleven executives presented me with gifts, and one of them happened to be the key to open the storage box. Of course, this was also the result of your Lord Wind God’s intention.”

Under Lisa's astonished gaze, Su Yu extended his index finger.

A spark rose slowly, and suddenly, it spread its wings in the air, revealing itself to be a butterfly formed of flames.

The Hellfire Butterfly danced in the air, and when the flames expanded to a certain extent, a white-haired woman wearing a black crown-shaped mask appeared in front of Su Yu.

Paimon exclaimed, "What a... beautiful older sister! But why do the flames on her body look so evil?"

"Stop fooling around, little one. She's an executor of the Fools, codenamed 'Lady'."

Lisa looked on high alert and said nervously.

But she quickly calmed down, thinking that with Prince Zhidong present, the lady wouldn't dare to act recklessly.

The butterfly encased in flames is the Hellfire Butterfly, a gift from the Executor [Lady] to Su Yu. It is an embodiment of a part of her soul and can be summoned to appear by her side at any time.

"Your Highness, you are summoning me."

"Madam," Rosalyn said with utmost respect.

Then, she looked up at the void above her head, and her face showed utter shock.

“Your Highness, I have figured out why you summoned me. The miracles of Sky Island are fading. I am willing to chase the Holy Light in the form of Soulfire, to tear the sky apart with my faith, and to exchange my life for the secrets of Sky Island.”

"I am ready, and I will fly into the sky without hesitation when you give the order!"

Rosa's eyes revealed a fervent and persistent passion.

It was as if death was insignificant to her.

For the Ice Queen, for the Winter Prince, she would give up everything, even her life.

“Rosalyn, from the moment we joined Winter, we were all prepared to sacrifice, weren’t we? But death is often easier than life. And I hope you live to witness Winter’s future.”

"I have summoned you here because of Rustan. Do you remember his name?"

Rosalind's expression changed drastically, and she knelt on one knee, saying, "Your Highness, from the day we joined the Fatui, everything in the past, everything about ourselves, has become meaningless. Therefore, both our real names and our true faces should be completely abandoned. This is precisely why each of us wears a mask..."

Su Yu sighed softly, "Relax a little, Rosalyn Cruzshika Loehafat. The Queen and I have never doubted your loyalty."

This time, Su Yu addressed her by her full name.

The eleven executives of Winter all had their own secrets and wounds before joining the Fools.

Rustan, however, is Rosalind's wound.

They were once a couple who were about to get married.

During the Calamity of Kornria, the dragon Durin invaded Mondstadt. Rosalind was studying in Sumeru at the time. When she returned to Mondstadt full of joy, she heard the news that her beloved had died in battle.

Rustam's death completely shattered Rosalind's beliefs—

Teyvat without Rustan is nothing but an empty hell.

When her tears ran dry and Rosalyn was utterly despondent, she wanted to burn this hell to ashes in her despair, burning her body and soul until she was covered in wounds, and only molten iron-like flames could flow from her eyes and wounds.

As she burned her life away, the Fatui's CEO, Piero the Clown, appeared and offered her an Ice Eye that could suppress the fire within her in exchange for her joining the Fatui...

"Intelligence indicates that the Mondstadt Library holds Rustan's relics from back then, so I took advantage of my trip to come and see if I could find something of value to you and change your stubborn mindset."

"Back then, due to the incompetence of the Western Knights and the inaction of the wind god Barbatos, the dragon Durin brought disaster to Mondstadt. When the belated Barbatos commanded Dvalin to attack Durin, it was too late; your loved one had already fallen in a pool of blood."

"Therefore you hated the gods, hated the Knights of Favonius, hated the world, and finally chose to join the Fools."

At this moment, Rosalyn's pupils faintly held flames rising and burning, as if they were about to erupt at any moment.

“But Rosalind, what I want to tell you today is that the highest ideals of me and the Queen are by no means simply to destroy this world. Therefore, your obsession with using the power of Winterlands to destroy Teyvat and the gods is contrary to the will of me and Her Majesty the Queen.”

"Russtan's relics are right behind you. That storage box was designed by Barbatos to be opened only by your soul's presence. The wind god must have suffered greatly for what happened back then."

As Rosalyn listened to Su Yu's words, recalling these painful memories, flames gradually rose from her body.

The power of the Flame Witch is about to erupt out of control!

Lisa hurriedly led Kong and Paimon to a distance, as Rosalind's intense power made them feel extremely dangerous.