Chapter 76: The Dark Night Hero

Nolan felt very familiar with it. He had encountered an Abyss Mage in the Secret Realm just two days ago. There was no mistaking it was a Cryo Abyss Mage.

Why would it be here?

Mondstadt City was surrounded by walls. If the Abyss Mage had flown over the city walls to get in, the patrolling Knights of Favonius wouldn't have missed such an eye-catching creature.

Could it have teleported in using magic? Or did it use the Abyss Order's teleportation network?

The teleportation range of Abyss Mages didn't seem too far. It was possible they could have been spotted by the Knights if they had teleported near Mondstadt.

So it must have used the teleportation network to get in.

Was it here to gather intelligence? Or was it plotting some conspiracy?

And it was hiding so strangely in the bushes. Were those furry ears sticking out really necessary?

Why would the Abyss Order trust such a creature of questionable IQ...

Nolan entered stealth mode, carefully controlling his footsteps as he approached silently.

His right hand rested on the hilt of his Dull Blade +20, ready to draw it in an instant for a sneak attack.

"Damn it! I almost had it. Why did I get discovered?!"

The green shrubbery trembled slightly, and the unique synthetic sound of monsters came from it. Indeed, it was an Abyss Mage.

It seemed to have failed at something it was about to succeed at because someone had noticed it.

Nolan was a bit curious now. What was the Abyss Order up to this time? Last time it was the remains of a Demon God in the Secret Realm. Could they be making a direct move on Mondstadt itself now?

It made sense for the Abyss Order to send scouts since Barbatos hadn't shown himself in Mondstadt for years.

After all, their goal was to overthrow the nations ruled by The Seven Archon.

Nolan could not let this happen. The continent of Teyvat was relatively peaceful under the archons' rule.

He didn't know what secrets the Abyss Order held or why the Traveler was their prince.

But since they were openly doing unjust things, he had to stop them when it was within his power!

Just like now, as Nolan tightened his grip on the dull blade, ready to draw it at any moment...

From the corner of his eye, he glimpsed a flaming sun barreling down from above. Nolan's pupils contracted as he immediately halted his motion, forcing his legs to take a step back.

The next second, a burst of fire erupted where the Abyss Mage was standing, and the nearby green shrubbery was consumed by the flames.

"Ahhh!"

The Cryo Abyss Mage let out a wretched scream as it lay motionless on the ground, a flaming greatsword pierced through its body.

The magnificent sword, with its intertwining silver and purple colors and intricate patterns.

Nolan was quite familiar with this sword; Noelle also had one. It was the four-star two-handed Claymore, unique to the Knights of Favonius — the Favonius Greatsword.

That cunning attack angle just now was definitely not random. It seemed he had been discovered!

Nolan looked in the direction the greatsword had come from.

A tall figure stood on the roof, a black cloak fluttering slightly in the night breeze, a mask under the hood with only the chin slightly exposed.

With his keen eyesight, Nolan saw a few strands of red hair peeking out from under the hood connected to the cloak.

Damn, it's the Darknight Hero!

 (Image)

There was no mistake. The fact that Diluc, owner of the Angel's Share tavern, was the rumored Darknight Hero was common knowledge to Nolan who had played the original game.

Oh no, could I be misunderstood? After all, the stealth technique is a staple of both the Darknight Hero and the Debt Agent of the Fatui, and he seems to remember that Diluc had a grudge against Fatui!

His father's death seemed related to the Delusions created by the Fatui.

With that context, even if stealth technique wasn't solely a Fatui ability, Diluc would likely assume the worst upon seeing it.

Furthermore, he had indeed acquired this skill from the Fatui.

Nolan's heart began to beat faster. His optical stealth was somewhat ineffective against a powerful and experienced fighter like Master Diluc.

Diluc leapt down from above, landing on the ground. He raised his right hand slightly as intense pyro element swirled around it.

Even though his expression couldn't be seen clearly, the sharpness in his gaze was quite intimidating. Diluc calmly said, "Come out. I don't want to wait for you to stammer out your words later."

Phew, at least he wasn't attacking yet. As long as Nolan explained things clearly, Diluc would likely be reasonable given his personality.

Nolan released his grip on the sword hilt and lightly patted his chest, deactivating stealth mode.

Seeing the black-haired, Liyue-featured young man in adventurer's attire appear before him, Diluc was briefly surprised before frowning and asking, "Who are you? Why are you here?"

Though suspicious, this person didn't seem to be from the Fatui. He lacked their nauseating aura.

Could he be a Liyue spy?

Seeing that Nolan didn't display the caution and discreetness of a spy and was likely not from Mondstadt either, Diluc didn't want to resort to violence in uncertain situations.

After all, this was within Mondstadt. If a person from Liyue caused trouble here, it could escalate into a diplomatic issue.

Although he was no longer part of the Knights of Favonius, and their troubles were not his concern. However, as a resident of Mondstadt, Diluc didn't want his country to have conflicts with other nations.

"Um, are you... uh, the legendary Darknight Hero, sir? Hehe, living in Mondstadt City, I occasionally hear praises from others about you."

Nolan almost blurted out Mr. Diluc's name but luckily realized the problem in time. Otherwise, the already delicate situation would become even more troublesome.

Since he was hidden so well, apart from the Acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius and a few others, few people knew about it.

It was originally a trivial matter, but if he accidentally revealed the identity of the Darknight Hero, hey, Master Diluc might have to use his underground intel means to thoroughly investigate his background.

Though he had nothing to hide as a transmigrator in Teyvat, Nolan disliked the feeling of being seen through completely. It made him feel unsafe.

"Are you an adventurer?" Diluc said thoughtfully.

Nolan smiled and nodded.

"Yes, Katheryne from Adventurers' Guild can vouch for me. And I'm friends with Amber, the scout of the Knights of Favonius. You needn't worry I'm some suspicious figure."

"I'm here because, on my way home, I happened to spot a monster that infiltrated the city and was going to take care of it."

After saying that, Nolan breathed a sigh of relief. He really didn't want any conflict with Diluc. His strength was at least at the level of a captain in the Knights of Favonius.

Facing him, Nolan would only be beaten up.

(End of Chapter)

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