I opened a shop on the Astral Train-Chapter 17

Kevin spread his hands.

"Not right now, but I can ask Yuri for you."

When Silver Wolf heard the name "Yuri" from Kevin, she felt a wave of unfamiliarity. There was no mention of this person in Elio's script.

"Yuri? Who is he?"

Kevin pulled out his phone and found a photo of himself with Yuri.

"Hey~ This is Yuri. The game cartridge I sold you came from him."

Silver Wolf studied Yuri's face, trying to memorize his appearance.

"Where is he? I'll go find him myself."

Kevin spoke without hesitation.

"On the train. He rented a carriage there and opened a shop. You can find him on the train."

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Upon hearing this, Silver Wolf turned off the projection and disappeared in an instant.

March 7th didn't want to get involved.

"Kevin, are you really going to tell Silver Wolf about Yuri?"

Kevin nodded.

"Of course, what else? Didn't Yuri say we could say whatever we want? He even asked us to help him attract more customers. I'm helping him now."

March 7th facepalmed.

"But Silver Wolf is dangerous!"

Kevin lightly patted March 7th's shoulder.

"Don't worry, I know Silver Wolf. She's not a bad person. At worst, she's just an internet addict."

Hearing this, March 7th suddenly grew curious about how Kevin was so familiar with Silver Wolf.

"Kevin, are you really that familiar with Silver Wolf?"

Kevin sighed.

"I think I knew her before I lost my memory. I have memories of her in my mind. Recently, she added me to her contacts, and we play games together at night."

March 7th tilted her head.

"Wait, are you really close to Silver Wolf?"

Kevin shrugged.

"I guess, sort of."

Just then, Dan Heng spoke up.

"Don't say things too casually next time. What if you run into a bad person? Yuri might be in danger."

Dan Heng's voice was calm, but the weight of his words was felt by everyone.

March 7th, though, was not convinced.

"How do you know that?"

Dan Heng glanced at March 7th.

"I sensed it. You've known Yuri for so long, you must have felt his strength, right?"

March 7th let out a soft chuckle.

"Heh, that... well, you're right."

Dan Heng sighed, standing up.

"You all stay here. I'll go out and search for clues about the Stellar Jade."

With that, Dan Heng left the clinic.

In Mondstadt...

Jean and Lisa had just returned to the Knights.

Jean called Kaeya first.

"Captain Jean, what do you want to discuss?"

Kaeya walked into the room, a faint hint of drunkenness on his face.

Lisa wrinkled her nose at the smell of alcohol coming from Kaeya.

"Kaeya, you went drinking again?"

Kaeya chuckled lightly.

"Well, just a little. Besides, it's after work hours."

Jean and Lisa exchanged glances, both clearly unconvinced by Kaeya's words.

Kaeya, sensing their scrutiny, quickly shifted the conversation.

"Let's not focus on that for now. What's going on?"

Jean wasted no time and laid out her plan.

"Go and summon Amber, Noelle, Eula, Mika, and Diluc to the Knights."

Jean had decided to teach the trustworthy members of the Knights the "Wind Spirit Technique" first.

Kaeya raised an eyebrow when Jean mentioned Diluc.

"I don't know, Jean. Diluc has a bit of a... complicated history with the Knights."

At the mention of Diluc's past, Jean's face softened with understanding.

"If it weren't for what happened... Diluc might still be with the Knights today."

Lisa nodded in agreement. Diluc was undoubtedly one of the strongest members of the Knights.

Kaeya, however, didn't seem to share the same sentiment.

"I'll be honest. I'm not sure he'd come back after all these years. Especially given what happened."

Jean looked at Lisa.

"Lisa, would you be willing to talk to him?"

Lisa sighed but then smiled.

"I'll go see him."

Kaeya was relieved, grateful that Lisa was willing to help with the task.

"Thank you, Lisa. I'll go get the others."

Soon enough, everyone arrived in Jean's office.

Kaeya couldn't resist teasing Diluc, who was standing in the corner, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.

"Well, well, Master Diluc, I didn't expect to see you here. I thought you hated the Knights."

Diluc, as always, remained unfazed, his gaze icy.

"Jean, what is it you need from us?"

Jean didn't waste a moment and produced the "Wind Spirit Technique."

"This technique is called the 'Wind Spirit Technique.' Once mastered, it will allow us to control the wind."

The group stared in awe at Jean, their eyes wide with shock.

Amber was the first to react, her excitement bubbling over.

"Really? Captain Jean, can we really control the wind?"

Jean glanced down at the technique, still unsure of its authenticity.

"I'm not completely sure yet, but we need to test it."

Diluc frowned, sensing Jean's hesitation.

"If you're not sure, let's test it. If there's nothing else, I'll leave. Business at my tavern is doing well today."

Lisa then took out the Magic Heart.

"If you want proof, it's easy. We just need to see if this works."

The group turned to look at the glowing star-shaped object in Lisa's hands.

Amber leaned in closer to examine the Magic Heart.

"Lisa, what is this?"

Lisa explained, her voice soft but confident.

"This is the Magic Heart, and it can solve my physical issues. It came from the same place as the Wind Spirit Technique."

Kaeya quickly pieced things together.

"So, if this works, it means the Wind Spirit Technique is real?"

Lisa nodded.

"Exactly."

Amber's face turned concerned as she glanced at the Magic Heart.

"What if it's fake? What if something goes wrong with you, Lisa?"

Lisa smiled gently, though the worry in her eyes was clear.

"It's okay. For years, I've struggled with my physical condition. If I don't try now, I may not have much time left. This is my chance."

With those words, Lisa gathered her strength, her magic flowing through her as she connected with the Magic Heart.

The moment her magic touched the Heart, it pulsed brightly, turning into a dazzling array of light that flowed into Lisa's body.

The energy was overwhelming, but for Lisa, it was a feeling she hadn't experienced in years. The chaotic magic in her body settled into place, calming and restoring her.

Everyone watched in stunned silence, waiting for Lisa's response.

Amber reached out, gently pulling on Lisa's sleeve.

"Lisa, how do you feel?"

Lisa touched her cheek, her smile widening.

"It's incredible. The magic inside me... it's finally settled. I feel... better than ever."

Amber's face lit up with joy.

"Great! Lisa, you're back! We've gained another strong ally in Mondstadt!"

Jean was happy to see Lisa recover.

"Congratulations, Lisa."

Lisa casually summoned a spark of lightning in her palm. "It seems everything Yuri sells is real. Let's take a look at the 'Wind Spirit Technique' next."

Lisa shifted the conversation to the "Wind Spirit Technique," the real key to strengthening Mondstadt. The Magic Heart restored her own power, but a nation's strength wasn't defined by one individual—it was the collective power of its people.

Just like Liyue's Millelith, whose overall strength far surpassed the armies of the other six nations.

Jean opened the "Wind Spirit Secret" and flipped through the pages, allowing everyone to read.

After a moment, Diluc sat cross-legged, silently internalizing the technique's contents. A strange power stirred within him, flowing along his meridians.

Everyone watched in silence, wary of disturbing him.

After more than half an hour, Diluc suddenly opened his eyes, exhaling sharply. His body let out a crisp cracking sound, and his aura surged dramatically.

Amber leaned forward eagerly. "Well? How was it? Did it work?"

Instead of answering, Diluc extended his hand, summoning a ball of fire. The flames swirled, and then, as if caught by the wind, they began to spiral and expand.

Jean, a wielder of the Anemo element, widened her eyes in shock. That—That was the wind element's unique diffusion reaction!

"Success!" she exclaimed.

Diluc nodded. "According to the technique, I've reached the first level of warrior."

Amber's imagination ran wild. "Wow! That means I can shoot a fire arrow first, then use the wind element to spread it for area damage!"

Lisa chuckled. "In theory, yes."

Excited, Amber dragged Eula to sit down and practice together.

Diluc stood up and leaned against the door, resting his greatsword against the frame. "You should all practice. I'll stand guard."

With that, Lisa and the others sat cross-legged and began their training.

Outside the window, Venti had been eavesdropping for a while.

"This is quite interesting. Seems like I need to find some Stellar Jades."

Turning into a breeze, Venti drifted away. He had made up his mind—he wanted to visit Yuri's shop. As the Wind Archon of Teyvat, he had eyes and ears everywhere the wind touched.

More than an hour later, everyone completed their practice.

Their progress varied. Amber had been the fastest, reaching the first warrior level in just over ten minutes. Kaeya, however, was the slowest, taking over an hour.

Kaeya sighed dramatically. "Hey, hey, hey, why was I the slowest?"

Diluc smirked. "Because some people are just idiots, aren't they?"

Kaeya scoffed, about to retort, but Lisa cut in.

"Grandpa Diluc has a point. It's probably related to innate aptitude."

Kaeya frowned. "No way... Am I really the least gifted among us?"

Amber, still thrilled with her progress, found it hard to believe she had the highest aptitude.

"That can't be right. If anyone should have the highest aptitude, it should be Captain Jean. She's the strongest."

After a bit of discussion, they couldn't agree on a clear way to measure aptitude.

Soon, everyone left Jean's office and returned to their respective duties.

Amber and Eula headed out of the city. They had decided that two people would gather Stellar Jades daily to purchase Yuri's products.

The pair arrived at a Hilichurl camp. Amber channeled fire energy into her arrow, drew back her bow, and fired with pinpoint precision.

A Hilichurl brute raised his shield, successfully blocking the arrow. He let out a smug, guttural laugh. "Hahaha!"

Amber smirked. The next second, the fire-infused arrow suddenly exploded, igniting everything around it and setting the entire camp ablaze.

Eula seized the moment. She lunged forward, her greatsword crackling with both Cryo and Anemo energy. With one sweeping strike, frost and wind surged across the battlefield, instantly overwhelming the burning Hilichurls.

If this were a game, the screen would be filled with "Melt" reaction notifications.

The battle ended in an instant. The Hilichurl tribe was annihilated before they could react.

The two warriors sheathed their weapons and started collecting their spoils.

"This Wind Spirit Technique is amazing!" Amber marveled. "Before, it wouldn't have been this easy to clear out a Hilichurl camp."

Eula nodded. "The added wind element makes a huge difference in crowd combat. Before this, I relied on my ultimate move to handle groups. But that drained my stamina fast."

Now, simple elemental attacks combined with "Wind Spirit Technique" created devastating results. And with the right teammate—someone whose elements could react with hers—the possibilities were endless.

After securing the battlefield, they focused on collecting Stellar Jades.

For some reason, Hilichurls seemed to love hoarding them.

According to Amber's estimates from the previous day's raid with Kaeya, a single Hilichurl tribe had at least 100 Stellar Jades. Some had over 300.

Amber patted the bag full of raw stones, ensuring nothing would spill.

"All set! Eula, let's hit the next camp and finish quickly so we can get back to training!"

Eula crossed her arms and huffed. "I don't want to train with you. I'll practice alone at home."

Amber giggled and hugged Eula from behind. "Nope! I want to train with you~ Hehe, that's final!"

Eula turned away with a pout. "I'll remember this grudge! How dare you act so bold!"

With that, the duo continued their hunt for the next Hilichurl camp.

The locations were conveniently marked on the city's map, updated daily with intelligence gathered from adventurers and the Knights of Favonius.

Late that night, Diluc stepped out of his tavern and approached a known Abyss Order stronghold in the wilderness.

Rolling up his sleeves, he drew the Zephyr Greatsword, his grip tightening.

"I planned to let you live a little longer, but you'll make a fine test subject."

Flames and wind energy surged around him, swirling violently around his weapon.

"Dawn. Judgment."

A deep roar echoed as Diluc charged into battle.