Tiamat looked slightly fatigued.
Her exquisite beauty, combined with her reassuring and kind presence, caused the favorability of everyone present to soar instinctively.
Furthermore, that incredible power from earlier made everyone curious about Tiamat’s identity.
Although ‘Emperor Ying’ was brave, romantic, and inspiring, earning the admiration and love of everyone present, human strength ultimately…
has its limits when facing a nation-destroying power.
They also knew that the one who had saved them by dissipating that sky-shattering attack was the young girl before them—who was also ‘Emperor Ying’s’ ‘Mother’.
Under everyone’s gaze, Tiamat simply floated over to Lumine and Paimon.
After observing them and confirming neither child was hurt, she broke into a smile and began gesturing something to Paimon.
Paimon nodded and led Lumine and Tiamat in a certain direction.
The crowd didn’t understand what was happening but didn’t dare speak loudly, as the big shot hadn’t spoken yet.
Nevertheless, they all followed along in unison.
The crowd, plus a dragon, passed through several main streets.
Upon reaching a certain spot, Paimon stopped and looked around.
Many passersby recognized the place and began whispering, “Isn’t this the vegetable market?
Why come here?” “Stupid, you need to eat to regain your strength after a fight.
Though this place is lucky; of all the places we passed, this one was least affected by the Dragon Disaster.” Paimon finally found what she was looking for and waved Lumine and Tiamat over.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Tiamat and the others walked over to two vegetable baskets, though the contents had likely suffered.
Fruits, vegetables, and meat were scattered across the ground, covered in footprints and trampled beyond recognition.
Tiamat silently squatted down, her small feet touching the ground.
With her tiny hands, she picked up a radish that was relatively intact, save for a large chunk missing.
A green light flickered in her eyes but quickly faded; she had already exhausted that type of energy.
Drip, drop.
Tiamat’s aggrieved tears began to flow uncontrollably.
Lumine hurried forward to comfort her.
Tiamat turned her head and looked at Lumine with a piteous expression.
The hearts of the onlookers broke at the sight of Tiamat wiping away her tears.
Just then, the dragon in the crowd spoke slowly.
“Barbatos, I am sorry.” Dvalin still mistook Tiamat for the Anemo Archon.
After all, he could only think of that wind spirit being capable of making an anemo element attack of that magnitude vanish instantly.
A change in appearance was trivial; perhaps the previous incarnation had caused some trouble and he didn’t dare use it for the time being.
As for the soul-shuddering pressure, he believed it was some kind of benefit granted to Him by the Heavenly Principles because of the war 500 years ago.
This caused an uncontrollable commotion among the crowd.
“Hiss, my god!
The Anemo Archon is above—no, right in front of us!” “Anemo Archon protect us!” “The Anemo Archon is shielding us!” …
Although Tiamat felt glad that the children were happy, the sorrow of losing the ingredients she and her child had painstakingly gathered that morning outweighed the joy.
Until…
Two fresh radishes were held out to her.
Tiamat stopped wiping her tears and looked up at the source, only to see the child who had sold her vegetables that morning.
“Um, Tiamat, right?
I heard that little one call you that.
Thank you for saving us.
This is a token of my gratitude; these are the two best-preserved radishes I have left.
Please don’t mind them.” Tiamat’s expression quickly turned to joy as she accepted the radishes.
She bowed to the shopkeeper in thanks, mimicking the other children.
The shopkeeper hurriedly supported Tiamat, unable to accept such a gesture from her.
This act served as a signal; several other shopkeepers rushed over, clutching their own relatively intact ingredients, surrounding Tiamat and trying to press them upon her.
The feeling of recovering what was lost, being surrounded by the children, and being loved instantly gave Tiamat a sense of happiness she had never felt before.
And so, the people around her witnessed the most beautiful sight of their lives: Tiamat’s smile of supreme happiness and joy.
Everyone felt that this smile healed their bodies and souls, causing the inner trauma from the Dragon Disaster to vanish.
All that remained was a longing for the future and love for the girl before them.
Even…
faith.
Dvalin smiled knowingly at the scene, then lowered his head to look at the crowd below.
“I will find a way to atone for the sins I have committed.
During this time, if Mondstadt faces any crisis, you may seek my help.” Hearing Dvalin’s words, the crowd below soon began to discuss.
“This is a good thing, right?
A dragon that big should be able to move stones very quickly.” “Is it really okay?
After all, that’s the Demon Dragon.” “With the Anemo Archon here, it should be fine…
right?” “I can’t accept this.
My house and the vegetable garden I carefully tended were destroyed by it.
Am I supposed to just forgive it?” …
Listening to the whispers below, which were mostly skeptical, Dvalin couldn’t help but sigh.
Just then, a loud female voice rang out, carrying an air of majesty and authority: “I can vouch for him.” The voice belonged to Jean, the Acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius in Mondstadt.