He changed Tiwat

"A cowardly rat hiding its head and tail dares to presume to pay homage to my honor?"

The voice was sharp, sarcastic, and tinged with mockery.

It was Sergei's superior, Chloe.

The screams of the two Fools soldiers had clearly alerted the strongest in the stronghold.

"Click".

Sergei heard the sound of his arm and ribs breaking.

The giant, fiery hand, which had maintained a terrifying stability and seemed never to tremble, nearly crushed the poor prisoner to death while trembling.

Sergei fainted from the pain when he heard the voice.

The "Hand of Reverse Flame" dissipated.

Mondstadt's "Hero of the Night," that mysterious and aloof man like the night, suddenly turned around.

A greatsword, as red as blood, had appeared in his hand.

Diluc raised his sword and charged towards Chloe, roaring out a name he would never forget—

"I-Lo-K!"

"A person's life can sometimes be changed by a single moment."

Diluc's knightly journey ended after his father's words.

That was April 30th, four years ago, Diluc's eighteenth birthday.

According to Mondstadt tradition, eighteen is also a coming-of-age ceremony for men.

Lord Cripps Legenfender of Château de Dawn had two regrets in his life: he never became a knight and he never received the "Eye of God".

And he has one more thing to be proud of: his son, Diluc Legenfind, perfectly made up for his two great regrets.

For this proud child, Kripps began preparing for Diluc's coming-of-age ceremony well in advance.

That day, Cripps held a celebratory banquet for his son in Mondstadt, inviting many guests to share in the joyous occasion. During the banquet, he announced that he would transfer ownership of the winery to the most proud rising star of the Leygenfender family as a coming-of-age gift for his son.

In reality, he had secretly prepared another personal gift—a red suit that he had specially made, perfectly suited to Diluc's red hair.

In Mondstadt's upper class, the coming-of-age ceremony also symbolizes a person's formal entry into social circles.

Now that Diluc has turned eighteen, he will be a guest of honor among celebrities and the object of pursuit by socialites, so he will need a very handsome suit suitable for social occasions.

Kripps was certain that Diluc, in that tuxedo, would be the most eye-catching star at the party.

After the coming-of-age banquet that day, the Leganfender family's caravan packed up the goods to take back to the winery and set off on their return journey early.

Kripps was unaware that behind one of the cargo wagons was a mechanical bird, or rather, a location transmitter, created by the executive "Doctor," designed to attract monsters.

Kripps, too, had no idea that he was about to become a victim of the dragon's maw.

His death was merely to gain a "diplomatic bargaining chip" from the Fools.

Diluc still remembers the conversation his father had with him that day.

The weather was rather gloomy that evening. Diluc was driving his father's carriage, hoping to lead the caravan to Springvale to rest before the rain started.

That day, his father drank some wine and talked on and on about how he himself had wanted to join the Knights of Favonius, but he was not capable enough and could not gain God's approval; and how fortunate he was to have an excellent son who could make up for his regrets.

Diluc comforted his father, saying that with his current assets and influence, as well as his contributions to Mondstadt, he was already on par with the Knights of Favonius, and there was no need for him to be obsessed with the knighthood and the "Eye of God".

My father fell silent, somewhat awkwardly.

Diluc later berated himself for his slowness.

If he had noticed his father's unusual behavior sooner, he might have been able to change the ending of the story...

No, he actually knew, but even if he discovered something, it wouldn't matter.

Because I was too weak back then.

"A person's life can sometimes be changed by a single moment."

He heard his father say this to him after a long silence.

He had no idea that his father was examining a black glove in the carriage... or more accurately, a glove inlaid with an "evil eye".

This was a tool that Kripps had obtained from a stranger a few years ago in an attempt to make up for his regrets; it was a tool that could change his fate.

If young Diluc hadn't awakened the Eye of God at that time, leading him to believe that God had approved of his ideal of protecting Mondstadt, he might have tried using that "evil eye" years earlier.

On that day, looking at Diluc, who had grown into a man, and at his son's still immature but already capable of shouldering responsibility, Cripps decided to forget about the "evil eye" forever.

"Diluc, I'm so proud of you."

That was the last thing Kripps said to his son.

That day, the dragon Usa attacked the convoy he and his father were traveling in.

The incident happened so suddenly that there was no time to contact the Knights of Favonius.

The dragon was incredibly powerful, leaving the young cavalry captain helpless.

The outcome of this encounter was beyond Diluc's expectations—his father, who was never recognized by the gods and could not be chosen as a knight, actually used an unprecedented ominous power to defeat the monster; and then, in the backlash of the evil power, he died before Diluc's eyes.

That night, a heavy rain fell.

Chapter 211 The Truth from Four Years Ago [4k]

"I-Lo-K!"

With this roar, red flames ignited on the greatsword.

Similar to "Reverse Flame Hand", this is Diluc's "Reverse Flame Blade".

Diluc raised his hands high, slashing his flaming greatsword down at the blond man, intending to cut him in two.

Chloe was momentarily stunned, not because the greatsword about to strike her head was too sudden, but because she heard her real name.

He hadn't used that name for over a year—because the greatest traitor in the history of the Knights of Favonius, the chief inspector who conspired with the Fools to usurp the throne, the descendant of a former nobleman and a meritorious elder who later joined the Knights of Favonius in accordance with the trend, the eldest son of the Calvin family, Irok Calvin, had been "purged" a year ago.

Moreover, the voice of "Hero of the Night" reminded him of an old friend.

Four years ago, a red-haired youth who had just turned eighteen also roared like that at his desk.

Although the height and voice of the young man in his memory had long since changed, and his face was covered by the Night Owl's mask, Irok could still remember those blood-red eyes and the burning anger within them.

Back then, the red-haired boy roared just like he is now, tearing off his knightly uniform and announcing his withdrawal from the Knights of Favonius on the spot.

Ilock's lips curled into a mocking smile. His left hand, adorned with a large family heirloom sapphire ring, reached down to his waist, revealing a silver-white royal longsword with an exquisitely carved blue wooden hilt and elaborate decorations.

This is the longsword once used by the nobles who ruled Mondstadt, crafted with the utmost care and materials. As a result, even after countless generations have passed since their time, this longsword remains as sharp as ever.

But no matter how exquisite a longsword is, it cannot stop a greatsword that comes crashing down on you.

Compared to a light longsword, a greatsword is more of a blunt weapon than a sword, with a completely different weight and a vastly different destructive power.

Under normal circumstances, Ilrock's royal longsword would be knocked away by Diluc's greatsword or smashed in two—not to mention that the greatsword was burning with flames that could incinerate everything.

But Ilrock managed to block Diluc's greatsword with his slender royal longsword.

He even used only one hand.

Black flames burned on that exquisite royal longsword—the black flames that Diluc had been searching for, the black flames belonging to the "Evil Eye".

"Diluc, the last surviving member of the Legnfender family, why don't you cherish your life? Wasn't the lesson that foolish Cripps taught you with his worthless life enough?"

Irok's smile grew even more arrogant.

"Ah, is that so? The stupidity brought by your lowly bloodline has seeped into your very bones, which is why you are so eager to seek death?"

Diluc remained silent, but the Eye of God hidden in his heart shone brightly, flames emanating from his chest like a heart burning with fury.

The heavy greatsword was wielded with the force of a whirlwind. The "Reverse Flame Blade" slashed down with unparalleled momentum, each strike possessing the power to melt gold and sever iron.

But Illok easily parried all of Diluc's attacks.

With his right hand behind his back, he parried Diluc's attacks with only his left-hand longsword, maintaining the "fencing" posture of nobles, without even moving his feet an inch.

This is a noble swordsmanship passed down from Mondstadt during the royal era.

In that era, fencing, along with equestrianism and hunting, was considered a noble sport among the aristocracy and a family tradition passed down through generations of the old nobility.

Royal swordsmanship prioritizes elegance. A fighting stance like Ilrock's, where the feet remain stationary and the upper body upright, with only the wrists moving, is considered the most elegant form of knightly swordsmanship by the Mondstadt royal family. If it weren't for Rustan, the son of a tenant farmer five hundred years ago, who founded "Farwind Swordsmanship," Ilrock's royal swordsmanship would have been the mainstream of the Knights of Favonius.

Although the Royal Swordsmanship is highly entertaining, also emphasizes speed and precision, and has corresponding practical combat techniques, it is far too flashy and impractical compared to the West Wind Swordsmanship.

Therefore, even the descendants of noble families in Mondstadt tend to learn the Zephyr swordsmanship, including the oldest knightly family, the Gunnhildr. For example, one of the Zephyr swordsmanship techniques Jean uses is an elegant yet powerful thrusting strike, which is a fusion of ancestral royal swordsmanship and the Zephyr swordsmanship.

There are very few people in Mondstadt who adhere to the "fundamental" royal swordsmanship like Ylock.

In fact, Ilrock, who was serving as the chief inspector of the Knights Order a little over a year ago, may be the only remaining royal sword master in Mondstadt. People who can serve as chief inspectors usually need to have the skills and strength to quell internal conflicts within the Knights Order.

Royal swordsmanship is by no means weak... or rather, it is a swordsmanship that can only be learned by the strong.

The original royal nobles of Mondstadt learned swordsmanship to protect the city and fight against the monsters of the ice and snow. Before the so-called "elegance," royal swordsmanship actually emphasized speed and power more—if you were given a sharpened stick to defeat a beast, your next thought would be how to stab the beast in the head faster.

And now, Ylock possesses the power to subdue Diluc, this beast.

"Ha, the so-called 'pride of the Knights,' the genius of the Legnfende family, the chosen one of God..."

Ilrock wielded his Royal Longsword and clashed with Diluc's Greatsword, each strike a direct clash of brute force without any fancy moves.

The black flames and the red flames clashed fiercely, locked in a stalemate.

But both fighters knew that the balance of power was tilting.

"...The one who was recognized by Falgar and awarded the first sword of the Knight of the North Wind—was so weak!"

The royal sword clashed heavily with "The Wolf's End".

The slender one-handed sword deflected the heavy greatsword.

Diluc took several steps back.

Irok's lips curled into a distorted smile, which was made even more sinister by the black flames surrounding him.

"Do you see that? This is the power bestowed upon me by the 'Doctor,' a power that only the chosen ones can wield!"

He started to move.

Like a black arrow, it pierced Diluc's face with a "whoosh," and even Diluc's dynamic vision couldn't keep up with the opponent's movements.

Diluc raised his sword and barely managed to block the attack.

This is Diluc's first defensive action since the start of the war.

But a new attack has already arrived like a storm.

"Recognize yourself, Diluc! You are not some genius chosen by the gods, nor are you a 'Hero of the Night.' You are nothing but a lowly, weak, incompetent... foolish son of a merchant!"

The black longsword burned with ominous flames, as if it wanted to devour everything in its path.

"What 'Dawn Knight' descendant? What three major families? A thousand years ago, that Leigenfender was merely my ancestor's servant, and a thousand years later, you are only fit to bow your head before my sword!"

The flames in Diluc's eyes gradually turned cold, like wildfire burning underground, gathering the power to explode.

The day after his father's death, Diluc, still grieving, returned to the Knights of Favonius to report the attack that had occurred the previous afternoon to the order's higher-ups.

On that very day, the man before him, Iloc, the chief inspector of the Knights, said these words to him—

"This case must not be leaked to the outside world; the truth must be covered up. This is an order."

An utterly absurd order.

Diluc, still puzzled, forced himself to suppress his emotions and argued with the Inspector General: "My father risked his life to defeat the dragon Usa. How can his sacrifice be buried like this? Moreover... the cause of my father's death needs to be proven with facts."

However, he received an extremely cold reply: "That would ruin the Knights' prestige. If the outside world knew that it was a mere merchant who solved the problem, the Knights of Favonius's abilities would be severely questioned."

"A mere merchant...?" Diluc could taste the bitter rust in his mouth, and he had bitten his gums until they bled in order to suppress the urge to swing his sword at Illock.

"How could a mere merchant possibly defeat the dragon Usa, which has plagued Mondstadt for a thousand years? As the 'pride of the Knights,' what were you doing at the time? What a mere merchant could possibly accomplish if you couldn't? Therefore, in order to protect the honor of the Knights, your father's death must be publicized as an 'unfortunate accident.'"

Diluc clenched his fists and roared, "Shut up, Iroha!"

Iroquois's words were like sharp, poisoned arrows, piercing Diluc's still-healing heart.

But he couldn't defend himself.

He couldn't say that Kripps used the "Evil Eye," nor could he say that he used evil black flames to repel the dragon, only to ultimately die from the backlash.

"Honor should be reserved for the living; that's what truly matters." Iroq said expressionlessly, as if stating something self-evident and self-evident. "The honor of the Knights of Favonius can protect the future of Mondstadt. If your father had survived, he could have joined the knightly order he dreamed of right now. Unfortunately, he didn't."

"Then I will leave the Knights of Favonius."