Mondstadt.
You know what they say—"The city of freedom!" And by freedom, they mean "freedom to walk all the way across the damn continent just to find a blonde, cryptic man who wears an eyepatch, probably bathes in trauma, and speaks in riddles like he graduated from the same Academy as Zhongli."
But hey, I said we had to go there, so we went. Why? Because I said so. That's it. That's the reason. I'm the plot conductor here. If I say we're chasing after a sad man with an eyepatch, then by the Archons, we're sprinting.
And yes, before anyone says it—I did say I know what's gonna happen next. But plot twist! I'm rewriting a few things from here on out, which means… I'm going in blind, baby. No script. No spoilers. Just vibes. And panic. Mostly panic.
"So why are we heading to Mondstadt again?" Lumine asked, brushing some ash off her shoulder from the earlier training session.
I flicked a roasted mushroom skewer into my mouth and chewed dramatically. "Because it's time to meet Dainsleif."
"The guy with the glowing eye thing and depression issues?" Paimon piped up.
I nodded sagely. "Yes. The very same. Tall, dark, mysterious. Probably listens to sad ballads at night."
"So... why him?" Lumine asked again, frowning.
"Because," I said, standing up like I was about to make a revolutionary speech. "He is the Lore Dump incarnate. The Spoiler Man. The Plot Device in Blue. He knows things, Lumine. He knows everything."
Cue dramatic thunder. Except there was none. Just a wild boar running into a bush.
We trained a lot on the road. Well, Lumine did trained. I mostly watched while doing some 'deep thinking' and 'mental strategizing' a.k.a. sitting under a tree and throwing pinecones at squirrels. But hey, someone has to be the brains of this outfit.
After two grueling days filled with walking, camping, more walking, a near-death squirrel incident -don't ask,- and even more walking—we finally arrived in Mondstadt. And I swear by Rex Lapis' ass, I kissed the cobblestone road the moment I saw the front gate.
My feet were screaming. My back? Gone. My knees? Non-existent. But my will to narrate unnecessary exposition? Stronger than ever.
"Ugh, I missed you, air-that-doesn't-smell-like-Treasure-Hoarder-sweat," I groaned dramatically.
We went straight to Katheryne. Because obviously, the Adventurers' Guild knows everything. Probably more than the Archons at this point.
"Ad Astra Abysso—"
"Yeah, yeah, Katheryne, skip the slogan," I said, waving my hand. "Have you seen a tall blonde dude with an eyepatch? Looks good, but screams emotionally unavailable? Might've walked in muttering something about fate and destruction?"
Katheryne blinked. "That's oddly specific… but yes. A man like that arrived a few days ago. Though I can't confirm the emotional damage part."
"Confirmed enough," I nodded wisely. "He reeks of unresolved trauma."
Paimon tilted her head. "Wait, he wears an eyepatch?"
"Yeah. Because apparently that's a prerequisite for being mysterious and broody," I said, gesturing vaguely. "Take Kaeya, for example. We still don't know if that eyepatch is covering an eye or just hiding extra drama."
Lumine sighed beside me, which is her universal way of saying, "I'm tolerating you, barely."
"And you're sure this is the guy?" Lumine asked.
"Oh yeah. Dainsleif's vibe is unmistakable. You'd know it even if you were blind and buried underground."
"So… what now?" Lumine asked.
I turned on my heel and walked off. "Now, we go to the tavern."
"The tavern? Shouldn't we look for him directly?" Lumine frowned, following.
I shrugged. "Nah, he'll come. Taverns are like lore magnets. Besides, I just know that's where we will find him."
She looked skeptical. I gave her my best "trust me, I'm an Isekai'd genius" smile.
We walked in. Charles, the bartender, gave us a nod.
"Yo, Charles," I greeted. "Nice gin and tonic yesterday. I mean, I didn't drink it but thanks for existing."
He blinked slowly like he had no idea who I was—which is fair.
I led the gang upstairs. Sat at a round table like we were planning a heist, not waiting for Mr. Lore-Dump Extraordinaire.
"So," Paimon began as she floated over the table like a lemon-scented drone, "while we wait, can you please tell us what's so important about this Dainsleif guy aside from the whole 'he traveled with Lumine's brother' thing?"
I took a dramatic breath.
"He knows the truth. Like, the truth. The capital 'T' truth. The kind of truth that makes people stare at walls and question their existence. He's technically a walking spoiler. Think of me… but sadder. And taller. And he probably doesn't eat enough. Difference is, he knows the past, I know the future. We're like the grim reapers of exposition. Two sides of the same 'we're screwed' coin."
Paimon blinked. "...That sounds terrifying."
"It is terrifying. But also cool. Kinda like petting a wolf. You might lose an arm, but hey, now you've got a story."
Lumine raised an eyebrow. "And you still know what comes next, right?"
"Well, actually. Knew. Past tense." I pointed at my face. "Remember when I told you I knew how everything would unfold?"
They nodded.
"Well, I did. But now I'm making changes. Big ones. Butterfly effect and all that jazz. So from here on out…" I stood up again dramatically, "I'll be as clueless as all of you. Isn't that exciting?"
Paimon blinked. "Wait, what?"
"I mean, I still have instincts. Vibes. Gut feelings. That kind of thing. But the main plot? I tossed that out the window like a broken teacup. But don't worry, I still know what will happen for the most part."
Lumine looked at me like she wanted to slap me. I respected that.
"Why would you do that?" she asked.
"Because," I said, grinning. "It's more fun this way."
And then… the tavern door creaked open.
I didn't need to turn around. I could feel it. The brooding. The weight of forgotten sins. The sadness of a man who probably lost a bet with destiny.
"Target in sight," I muttered. "Ready for some lore bombs?"
***
You ever walk straight into a situation thinking, "Yeah, this is gonna go great," and then five minutes later you're getting slammed into ancient ruins by a centuries-old emo knight with trust issues?
No?
Just me?
Cool.
Honestly, it all started like one of those nights you just know will spiral into chaos. The tavern was way too quiet. No music, no laughter, not even the clink of mugs — just heavy, pressing silence. Even the air felt thick, like the whole place was holding its breath.
And then he walked in.
Dainsleif. Man had the presence of a tax collector and the aura of a Shakespearean tragedy. Every step he took screamed "I have dark secrets and trust issues longer than your grocery list."
Paimon floated nervously, clutching her emergency snack stash like a lifeline. Lumine crossed her arms, radiating that special "I'm seconds away from violence" energy. And me? I sat there wondering if it was too late to order another plate of ribs before we got wrapped up in whatever world-ending secret this guy was carrying.
Spoiler alert: It was too late.
We headed downstairs, like a squad from a detective movie. Real serious. Real mysterious. Real... unsupervised.
I saunter over and sit right in front of Dainsleif like I own the place. Lumine follows, sitting beside me. Paimon hovers behind us, still glancing around nervously like she's expecting a tax audit.
"Waddup, Dain?" I say with the kind of smirk that's gotten me slapped, kicked, and once chased out of a tea shop by angry ladies. Worth it.
Dainsleif narrows his eyes like I just called him by a nickname only his therapist is allowed to use. "Who might you be?"
Now, I could've answered normally. I could've said, "I'm Shigeru, a traveler from another world." But no. That would be logical. Sensible. Boring.
So naturally, I stood up, stretched my arms like I was about to recite slam poetry, and went:
"I am Shigeru the Wise, Slayer of Boredom, Wielder of Irrelevant Knowledge, Breaker of Fourth Walls, Master of Internal Monologues, First of My Name, and Professional Lore Sniffer."
Pause. Blink. Crickets.
Dainsleif looked at me like I'd just introduced myself as a sentient cabbage. "...What?"
"And this," I continued, throwing my thumb dramatically toward Lumine, "is Lumine the Blonde, Destroyer of Hilichurls, Defier of Fate, and also..." I leaned in, lowered my voice, and smirked. "She's Aether's sister."
BAM. Right in the existential trauma.
Dainsleif stiffened. His eyes went from annoyed to full-blown oh-no-she's-hot-and-also-tragic real fast.
But instead of asking anything else, he stood up, muttered something suspiciously plot-related under his breath, and told us to follow him.
And we did.
Because when a mysterious brooding man with great cheekbones tells you to follow him, you do it. That's anime law.
We walked out of Mondstadt, past the guards who didn't even question the walking sadboi leading the sunshine squad, and ended up at the Temple of the Falcon.
Good times. You know, ruins, memories, maybe a cursed statue or two.
And then—WHAM.
I found myself pinned against the wall by Dainsleif's iron grip. Collar bunched up, back hitting stone, and face-to-face with 500 years of pent-up distrust.
Paimon screamed. Lumine immediately unsheathed her sword, but I, being the peacemaker — and not wanting a sword to the face — waved her off.
"It's fine," I grinned, despite very much being in a not-fine position. "This is just his way of saying hello."
Dainsleif's voice dropped to that low growl people use when they're two seconds away from murdering someone. "Who are you? How much do you know? Are you part of the Abyss Order?"
My first thought?
Wow. Rude.
Second thought? Time to make things worse.
I snorted. "Me? In the Abyss Order? Bro, I'd rather be roommates with slimes. At least they just bounce when they're mad. Those Abyss guys? Sketchy as hell. Smell weird too. Like betrayal and bad cologne."
He didn't laugh.
Tough crowd.
"They've caused us more problems than your tax system," I continued. "Especially with that whole Dvalin corruption thing. That was them. And probably her brother as well. By the way. Cleaned it up. No biggie."
Still wasn't letting go.
"You think I'd team up with the same people I'm actively trying to punch into next week? Nah, man. I'm on Team Beat Some Sense Into Aether. That's the whole plan. Travel, learn things, and give Lumine moral support while she dropkicks her brother into a therapy session."
Finally, finally, Dainsleif released me. I stumbled a bit, adjusted my coat, and gave him a thumbs up.
"See? Not the enemy. Just... aggressively curious."
Dainsleif crossed his arms. "Then why did you seek me out?"
"Oh," I said casually, like we hadn't just reenacted an anime betrayal scene. "I wanted to get some lore, obviously. Info. Knowledge. The usual. Also, to warn you about a few things."
Dainsleif raised an eyebrow. "Warn me?"
I nodded, a little more serious now. "Yeah. About something that's gonna happen soon. Something that'll affect all of us. You, me, Lumine, the whole world. And knowing it ahead of time? Might just save us a whole lot of trouble. Could be... mutually beneficial, you know?"
"Beneficial how?" he asked, still skeptical.
I smiled, a little crooked. "Because if you know where the cracks will form, you have a chance to brace for it. And me? Let's just say... I prefer my future with a few less apocalypses."
He stared at me a moment longer, as if weighing the chaos I radiated against the sincerity in my voice.
Finally, he stepped back.
I pulled out my sword, flipping it casually before pointing it toward the path behind us.
"But first," I said with a grin, "let's track that Abyss Herald you're hunting. Y'know. Bonding activity."
To my surprise, he actually looked amused. Maybe even impressed. Like a sad, war-torn version of "huh, not bad."
Then he looked at Lumine.
Really looked at her.
And for a second, it was like he was staring at someone else entirely. Someone he lost.
"You really are just like him," he muttered. "You have... really good traveling companions."
Lumine blinked.
Paimon wiped a tear that may or may not have been caused by my heroic deflection skills.
Me? I grinned like I wasn't almost murdered five minutes ago.
"Aw, thanks, man. Group hug?"
"No."
"Fist bump?"
"No."
"...Pat on the back?"
Dainsleif turned around and started walking.
"Not even a pity handshake?"
Dainsleif walked faster.
"Alright then," I said, following him with way too much cheer. "Onward, squad. Time to beat up emo mages and uncover soul-crushing secrets!"
Paimon zipped after us, mumbling something about "idiots with death wishes" and "please let there be snacks after this."
Lumine sheathed her sword and glanced at me, a tiny smile tugging at her lips.
And me?
I walked with my head high, heart pounding with excitement and just a tiny bit of terror.
Because deep down, I knew:
This was just the beginning.
The real storm — the one that would rip across Teyvat, through gods and mortals alike — it was still gathering far beyond the horizon.
But hey — if I was gonna get swallowed by fate, destiny, and ancient grudges, at least I'd do it in style.
And maybe, just maybe, change a few endings along the way.
________________________________
End of Chapter 31
Quest Completed:
*Meet with the mysterious Dainsleif to uncover the truth behind his connection to Lumine and the Abyss
Sub Quest:
*Confuse Dainsleif with an introduction that sounds like a brain fart wrapped in sarcasm.
Rewards:
*+1 Dainsleif's Respect,
*+2,000 Adventure EXP,
*+5 Monstadt Reputation Points,
*+1 Lore Drop Access Token
*+1 Confused Lumine Expression Added to Gallery
New Party Ally: Dainsleif (Temporary)