Genshin Impact: Mondstadt Alter
Act 1 Chapter 3:
Determination (Part 1)
Stepping out of the room, I see several sisters preparing to start working for the day. I also see that the Seneschal is already pretty busy as he talks with one of the sisters. Standing here while staring at them might seem a little too stand out as most people here notice my presence. Not long after, the Seneschal also sees me and walks toward me to greet me.
"Good morning, Morgan. I didn't expect to see you this early."
"Good morning, Seneschal. Yeah, I guess I want to take a walk in a while. Staying inside all day will deteriorate my health after all."
He seemed surprised for a second, but then he chuckled.
"Is that so? It might be too early, but do you want breakfast?" He offered.
I'm not sure, but I think he sounds relieved just now. Perhaps it's because of the sudden change in me.
I shook my head as I said, "It's okay. I can do that later. I'm not hungry yet."
"Are you sure? I can ask the sister to prepare you breakfast. If you're going out, I suggest you fill your energy for the day." The Seneschal advised.
I shook my head once again without saying a word.
The Seneschal now seems concerned with my decision because I can see his worried expression. He pondered for a few seconds before speaking to me again.
"If you say so." He paused. "But may I know where you are going, Morgan? Will you be long?"
"Well, I am just planning to walk around the city. I don't really have anywhere in particular in mind. As for how long, I don't know." I give him my honest answer since I don't even know what I'm going to do myself. "But I promise I'll be back before sunset." I continue.
"If that is the case," The Seneschal takes something out from his back. "Here, take this." He said while taking my right hand and putting a pouch on my hand.
"You can choose between having breakfast here by coming back in an hour or having breakfast outside. If you choose the latter, use this mora to purchase a meal. That amount of mora should be sufficient, right?"
I open the pouch to see it contains mora. Slightly surprised by the amount, I blinked a few times to ensure what I see is correct. Quickly closing it back, I shove the pouch back to him while saying,
"I- I couldn't possibly take this, Seneschal, especially with that amount of mora. I don't want to trouble you more than I already have."
"Please don't say that, Morgan. You're not troubling me or anyone here. If anything, I apologize for not being able to help you until now." The Seneschal pleaded as he looked me in the eyes.
"And don't worry about that amount of mora since you will be going out for a while, no? Just take this with you. What you will spend the mora besides buying food is up to you." He continues as he pushes my hand back.
I stare at the pouch in my hand and feel its weight fit with the amount of mora in it. The way he apologized to me sincerely with his heart made me have no heart to refuse it, but at the same time, I couldn't accept it with my whole heart either. I have questions in my mind regarding this, but I decide to shoo them.
I should do something about how easily I doubt everyone's kindness toward me.
"Then, I'll accept this," I utter as I put the pouch on my hip. "Thank you." This time I slightly lower my head, a gesture of gratitude.
"You're welcome, Morgan." He nodded.
Then we both went silent. The noises around us are just the sisters' heels taking steps and talking. There aren't many of them yet, but those here are already busy with their activities and duties. Being a sister doesn't seem easy. I always see my mother waking up early and going to work before my father.
"Tch." I unintentionally clicked my tongue.
"What's wrong? Is something wrong?" He asked.
"Ah, it's nothing. Just experiencing a flash headache." I lied.
"Morgan, are you in a fit state to go out? If not, please don't force yourself."
Well done, me. Now the Seneschal is skeptical about letting me go outside. I subconsciously brought up the thought that I don't want to think right now. Now I feel like my heart falters. As I thought, maybe it's too early for me trying to recover.
No. Stop it. Stop being a coward.
Raising my head to look at him, I force myself to smile.
"Please don't worry about me. Locking myself here would only worsen my mental state. If that goes on, I'm afraid something bad will happen." I pause to look at the window and continue, "So that's why I need to move on."
The Seneschal sighed before he said, "Very well, it looks like you made up your mind already. Take care, Morgan. Make sure you're back before sunset."
"I will. Then please excuse me." I bowed to him before turning to leave. But before taking more than two steps, the Seneschal calls me out.
"Morgan, one more thing."
"Hmm? What is it?"
"May the wind guide you. I hope you can find what you are looking for."
"Thank you very much. I hope so." I replied with a smile. A genuine one this time.
Walking towards the door, my conversation with the Seneschal ends there.
Stepping outside for the first time in a while, I look at the sky. The sky is clear, with no indication to rain for today. Inhaling fresh air in the morning relaxes my body and my mind at the same time, a perfect opportunity for me to clear my mind. However,
"What do I do from here?" I mumbled.
[Good grief, why are you acting like a lost lamb?]
"Well, I didn't think I would actually go this far. At first, I thought I would give up and go back to the room to lock myself again." I said while stretching my arms and legs.
I didn't realize until now that my whole body felt stiff and heavy. I guess this was the consequence of not moving my body enough. One time I read in a book that a healthy mind is a healthy body. Maybe I should warm up my body for a bit before going anywhere, and it's not like I have an idea who I should interact with for now. So much for recovery.
After finding a suitable place, I immediately warmed up. Doing it near the church felt weird, but since no one was there, I decided to ignore it and finished in 10 minutes. I ended it because I already felt exhausted just a little, and my body felt hurt when I tried to push it. Taking a break from that might be pathetic, but this is how I am, weak and pathetic.
[When I heard you exercise in your spare time, I thought your physical performance would be good. Did I misunderstand YOUR exercise here or what?]
"I'm not sure what you're referring to, but I did exercise. Though just a light one, and it wasn't often or anything. Sorry to disappoint your expectation. You can laugh if you want."
[Don't worry. It's just my misconception. Is there a reason why you're working out?]
"Hmm… When I think about it, not really. My body would feel stiff if I didn't, just like this time. Why do you ask?"
[I wondered if you were working out because you want to become stronger. I guess that was not the case.]
"Ah, now you mention it. I remember something. I told my parents I wanted to become a knight one day. How- Dammit!" I growl.
[Whoops. I guess I step on a mine.]
My hand clutched my head, and my vision became blurry. But not for long. I take a deep breath a few times to control myself, and it doesn't take long to make me calm. It appears to be effective most of the time. I guess reading a book about therapy was worth it.
But what happened to me? Remembering my parents always gave me a sudden headache out of nowhere. Hell, even just mentioning them also trigger it sometimes. It's like my mind refuses to lay a finger on that memory. I understand that I don't want to think about them now or anytime soon, but this effect bothers me.
[You good?]
"Probably I would feel better than now if you didn't ask."
[Should I apologize?]
"No, it's alright. It's sort of my habit already."
[Well, I won't apologize even if you ask me to.]
"You…!" Before I manage to say another word, he cuts me.
[Okay, let's change the topic then. Are you still planning to become a knight?]
His question isn't strange because anyone would probably ask me the same thing about it. Before answering him, I contemplate for a moment. Do I still want to become a knight now? Good question. My reason why I want to become a knight isn't something grand or commendable but a simple one.
I want to protect those I care about most and make my parents proud.
Although I said 'those I care about most' are only my father and mother. I'm not interested in becoming a hero. Protect Mondstadt? Protect the citizen? Give such noble tasks to the people with a noble dream! Because I'm not one of them. I care not about strangers. What happens to the people in Mondstadt and Mondstadt itself isn't my business as long as it doesn't concern those I care.
The more I think about it, the less reason I should join the knight. That's how I see it from my perspective. Learning from my mistakes, I can only think of a single reason to join the knight. Wait, I can also do that in Adventurers Guild. Nevermind then.
"Nope. I don't see the point why I should join them."
[Fair enough.]
He doesn't continue. Then I'll end our conversation for now.
"Well, let's go then," I said as I walked away from the Church.
Walking down the stair from the Church, I see some people gathering in front of the anemo archon statue. They hold their own hands together while a sister leads them. There aren't many of them, probably because it's still early in the morning. Hmm, so people also doing their praying session here, huh? I watch them from afar, but soon, I walk away from them since I'm not interested in joining them.
Going down again, I don't see anything worth my time or attention here, so I decided to move again. On the other side, I see a big building with two knights guarding the entrance of the building. That building is the Knights of Favonius HQ. It's been a while since I went there, maybe visiting wouldn't be a bad idea. I walk toward the entrance until the guards notice me.
"Good morning, citizen! Do you have a business in the HQ?" One of the guards greets me in high spirit manners.
"Er… No." I nervously replied, "I just want to visit." I continue.
"Visit?" The guard asks. He looked at his partner, confused. But that also goes to his partner.
I said to visit, but the only place I can go in there is only the library. I'm not a knight, so I can't freely roam the HQ as I please, but it's not like I want to anyway. Maybe it was not a good idea after all. While I am about to leave, the HQ door opens.
"Morgan?" A figure walks out from the HQ.
"Hmm?" I raise my head to see who it is. "Grandmaster Varka?"
Both guards stand straight on their posts as soon as they see who just came out from the HQ, ready to salute their leader.
"Good morning, Grandmaster Varka!" They salute him in unison.
The grandmaster greets them back casually as he walks toward us. Then he stands before me as he says,
"Good morning. I didn't expect to see you here today. What brings you here, kid?"
"Good morning." I slightly bow as I greet him and continue, "Nothing. I just want to get some fresh air. Are you going somewhere, sir?"
"Get some fresh air, huh?" He mutters. "Yeah, I want to see someone right now." He said as he denotes to the training ground.
"How about you coming with me? You're free, right?" He invites me out of nowhere.
"Eh?" That caught me off guard.
"Oh, but it's okay if you don't want to. I thought you were interested in knighthood since you came here, so that's why I invite you."
If I didn't say my intention for coming here, that way of thinking isn't wrong. I heard kids in Mondstadt want to become a knight, and that's what I heard from my father, at least. I understand because if you join the knight, you can make your parents proud and protect them and the people in Mondstadt, which sounds impressive for children. Who does not want to become an honorable knight?
Not me.
"Sure, if you don't mind me tagging along with you." But I decide to accept his invitation.
"It's decided then. Come." The grandmaster seems to be delighted.
He walks ahead of me as I follow him a few steps behind, heading to the training ground close to the HQ. Because I walk behind him, I can't help but notice his figure. So this is the leader of Knight of Favonius, known as the strongest person in Mondstadt with the title Knight of Boreas. I've met him a few times before and after the accident, but this is the first time I'm paying attention to his figure.
His posture, the way he walks, and the air around him give me the vibe of a strong person. Despite his carefree personality, his strength is no joke. I'm not sure why I can say that for certain. Maybe it got something to do either with the fact I have a vision, my keen senses, or even him. But seeing the grandmaster this close made me change my impression of him.
"So, how are you feeling today, Morgan?" He breaks the silence.
"I'm good. Thank you for asking."
"I see. So, do you mind telling me about your 'fresh air'?" He interrogates.
"Huh?"
"If you don't want to talk about it, don't force yourself. I'm merely asking."
"I'm sorry, but I'm not sure I get what you meant." I said while scratching my head.
He stays silent for a moment. I wonder what he means by asking such a question, and I didn't expect that to come from him. Was my behavior somehow raised his suspicion? Perhaps, but I don't think choosing 'to get some fresh air' reason is any strange. That left only my sudden change of mood then.
The grandmaster slows down his step and walks beside me.
"You know what? Forget that I asked that. If anything, I should be glad you are willing to go out to change your mood. I can't stand watching people suffer, you know? Especially younglings like you. I'll always lend a hand to those who need help."
Grandmaster Varka looks in the opposite direction of me, looking at something that I don't see. He then looks at me as he pats my shoulder.
"In your case, I could only help a little. It's a shame, and I have to admit it. I'm so sorry for not being able to help you as much."
"P- please don't say that, grandmaster Varka!" I stop my track.
The grandmaster's apology has taken me by surprise. I didn't see that coming, not with this timing. And I didn't know he's been feeling guilty about it this whole time. The Treasure hoarders managed to escape from the knight can either mean the knight is incompetent or the treasure hoarders are simply clever. But I wouldn't say the knight is inept because I'm sure they did their best in the pursuit, especially with the grandmaster himself involved.
Besides, I never blame them for what happened. The grandmaster had told me why there was no one guarding the gorge that night when the accident occurred because the reason was that the knights were on their shift. That means their leader had known about it and used it to their advantage.
It's understandable why the grandmaster feels guilt. Those treasure hoarders not only managed to escape from the knights but also succeeded in their foray. I'm not sure, but if I were the grandmaster, I would feel ashamed and guilty too. If so, then,
Don't worry, Grandmaster Varka. You're not the only one who feels that way. I would even say my feelings are more complex and worse.
"It's not like you're one to blame, grandmaster." I hesitated.
"Perhaps, but I must tell about how I feel about this. My negligence was one of the factors why it happened. If I were stricter about our patrols, something like that wouldn't happen in the first place." He explained.
"..." I didn't say anything.
"To think they used our patrol shift to their advantage is humiliating. I know the Knight of Favonius isn't a perfect protector. There's a limit to what we can do." He continues.
"That's enough, sir." I interrupted.
I don't want to hear any more about this. I need to remember why I'm going out is to take a breather from my grievance, so talking about this is against it. I know it's inevitable. That's why I need to avoid this topic as much as possible.
"Right now, I don't want to talk about it. Please understand that I want to take my mind off that." I paused. "So, if you would, I want us to change our topic." I looked him in the eyes.
Grandmaster Varka didn't answer right away, "Right. It was inconsiderate of me. You must not want to talk about it right now."
There was an awkward silence between us. Maybe it was rude of me to cut the grandmaster in the middle of his regret, but I want him to understand that I don't want to talk about it right now. I appreciate his concern and openness to me, allowing me to know what he feels about it. To think he's still feeling and thinking about it tells me about his personality, even though it has been a week since then.
Now I feel bad.
"Well, then. Let's keep going, shall we?" He said as he patted my shoulder. His carefree expression is back when I look at him.
I nodded and then followed him.
We are about to reach the Knights' training ground. I see two figures already there, a lady and a girl. The lady has blonde hair and wearing a white, blue, and green long-sleeve shirt, her white tights, and a pair of white high-heeled knee-high boots. The girl has gold-blonde hair tied back into a ponytail with a black bow, wearing a dark blue drop-waist dress and a pair of white shoes.
Those two are alike.
They are in the middle of sword practice as the two wield a wooden sword. I observe from where I'm coming with the grandmaster doing the same. As someone who doesn't know a thing about weapon practice, their movements seem alien to me, yet I can't help but feel impressed. The girl seems to do her best to keep up with the lady's sword swings, but there is a wide gap between them from what I see. However, I'm sure the lady also held back against her.
"Yo, Frederica. I see you are diligent as always, practicing with your daughter at this hour." Grandmaster Varka greets them casually.
Those two stop their practice and look in my direction, who is standing next to the grandmaster.
"Jean, take a break for 10 minutes." The lady said before walking toward the grandmaster.
"Yes, mother!" She replied as I could see her panting.
My gaze turns to the lady.
"Grandmaster Varka, do you need something from me?"
"Yeah. I'm not interrupting you practicing with Jean, am I?"
"Haha, of course not. By the way," She paused as she looked at me. "Isn't it surprising to see you here, Morgan?"
"Hmm? You know me?" I ask her back. I guess I'm too surprised that you know me, ma'am.
She chuckled before speaking, "I do. I'm sure everyone in Knight of Favonius knows you by now. You made quite an uproar a while ago, after all."
I raise my eyebrows upon that statement. That's the first time I heard it. I didn't know what happened back then while I was unconscious, and I didn't bother asking anyone about it. It was because of my reluctance asking and everyone I met kept their mouth shut about it.
"Then it wasn't a good impression, I believe." I sighed.
I can tell both grandmaster and the lady widening their eyes to hear what I said. The grandmaster quickly prompts her asking her to apologize, and the lady panic for a moment. Their action reminds me of warm memories.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it that way. I was just-" I cut her with a giggle.
"Please don't mind it."
Grandmaster Varka and Ms. Frederica looked at each other, confused by my reaction. Then they whisper as they think I don't hear them, but they don't know that my hearing is quite sharp.
"We did not break him, did we?" She whispers.
"What do you mean by 'we'? I didn't say anything but greet you."
I can't believe these two would gossip about me in front of me, and it's the grandmaster himself out of all people in Mondstadt. I can let this one slides, I suppose. Technically, I need to introduce myself since this is my first time meeting her. How do you introduce yourself in a knight manner again?
"This is our first encounter, then allow me to introduce myself. My name is Morgan. I have crippling depression. A pleasure to meet you." I give her a light bow after finishing my introduction.
"A rather polite introduction." She mumbles. "Nice to meet you too, Morgan. I'm Frederica Gunnhildr, a member of the Knight of Favonius."
"Gunnhildr…"
That means she's from a prominent clan, huh? That explains her attire and vibe give me the impression of the aristocracy.
"Morgan, I need a moment with Frederica. Why don't you look around the training ground?"
"If that's what you're going to do," She paused as she looked at the girl from this distance. The girl is sitting as she wipes her sweat with a towel. "Jean!"
Ms. Frederica's call startles her and makes her suddenly stand up, "Show him around while you take a break, will you?"
"Okay." She nodded before looking at me.
And so, the grandmaster and Ms. Frederica walk away from the training ground, but not too far away. I can still see and hear them faintly from here, but I'm not inquisitive. The words I catch from their conversation are something about the investigation. I could be wrong, but I think they're talking about my accident. The grandmaster knows I don't want to hear about it, so that's why they converse in the distance. Very thoughtful.
"Hi there." A voice suddenly spoke behind me.
When I was gazing at them, I noticed she was hesitant to approach me. I don't know why, and I genuinely don't know how to interact with someone my age, so I let her come to me. She seems younger than me. The gap between our ages is maybe a year or two.
She seems to be in better shape than before. She looked worn out a few minutes ago. When I look at her closely, she resembles Ms. Frederica a lot. She's her daughter, isn't she?
"Hello."
"Mother asked me to show you around. Is that okay with you?" She asked.
"Fine by me."
"Before that, can we do a small introduction? It would be appropriate for us to know each other names." I nodded to her request.
Huh, she's a surprisingly polite girl. I should expect that from a prominent clan descendant.
"I'll start first." She said before putting her right hand on her chest to introduce herself. "Nice to meet you. My name is Jean Gunnhildr. What about you?"
"Name's Morgan. Nice to meet you too, Jean." She responded to my intro with a nod and smile.
"Then let's go, shall we?" She turned her back to me.
To be honest, there's not a lot to see here. I don't even have to walk around to know what facilities are here. This place is quite spacious, which makes sense because people need a lot of space for training or sparring and a few racks to place wooden weapons. I also see something like a tower almost twice my height, but I've never seen it before. They look like three horn-shaped woods stuck together with sticks supporting them in the middle.
Curious about it, I take a closer look at it. These are sturdy. I don't think this is something you can break easily, even with a weapon.
"That's a dummy used for training. People use them to test out their strength and skill." She explains as she comes closer.
"A dummy?" I look at it once again. "For a dummy, it sure has a strange structure."
"Is this your first time seeing a training dummy?" She asked.
I nodded.
"There are some other kinds of training dummies that the knights use. But this is the simplest one to make, and they are pretty sturdy too. You can say it's the most efficient one for training." Her explanation is straightforward.
"I see." I take my hand off the dummy.
"Shall we keep going?"
Before taking any steps, I call her out. "Jean."
"Yes? Is something the matter?" She innocently asks.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Go ahead." She answered without hesitation.
I'm not interested to know more about the knights right now, and I think she's still exhausted from her training. That's why instead of walking around, I want to use my time to learn more about people. Maybe by observing those around me, I can decide what I want to do next. And Jean, she's from a Gunnhildr clan. I'm pretty sure she has a grand objective as their descendant.
But I can't ask her just like that. She would think it weird of me if I asked her out of nowhere, not to mention we barely know each other. I should take this slowly, just in case.
"You were training with Ms. Frederica, right?"
I have no idea why I started with that, but it's better than asking a random question to her.
"Yes. What about it?" She inquired.
Honestly, I don't know how I should keep the conversation going. My social interaction is poor. At this point, I can only say anything that comes to my head.
"I assume that because you are trying to be a knight?"
"Yes, but I'm not old enough yet to enter the exam."
"I heard the Knight of Favonius' entry age requirement is 12 years old, isn't it?"
"That's correct. I have a few years before I can take the exam. That's why I want my preparation to be flawless."
She's already preparing at this age. I won't be surprised if she manages to pass the exam in a single try. I can see her potential, furthermore with her background. I don't know what kind of people in the Knights of Favonius are, but I'm sure someone like her is uncommon among them.
"Can I ask why you want to be a knight?"
Let's hope this question didn't come out too early.
Jean didn't answer my question. She seems to be in deep thought as I wait for her response. Not sure how long time has passed since I asked her, but I feel like it moves very slowly. I swallow my spit. I can tell I accidentally put myself in suspense. Until she finally speaks,
"Do you know the Gunnhildr clan's motto?"
Mondstadt aristocracy is common knowledge for people in Mondstadt, though for me is because I was curious about Mondstadt's history. Families like Gunnhildr and Ragnvindr are well-known for their contributions to Mondstadt in the past. There are plenty of books in the library narrating about them and their good deeds, including the Gunnhildrs' motto.
"For Mondstadt, as always." I answered.
"Yes, that's true. The Gunnhildr clan always gives all for this city and protects this city. By joining the Knight of Favonius, I can contribute my way as a Gunnhildr. My mother helps me by training and teaching me the knowledge and skills a knight must have." She seems to be very passionate about the idea. That makes me slightly envious of her.
Hmm, something's bugging me, but I can't push further than this.
"I see. Thank you for your answer." I show her my gratitude.
"Don't mention it. I also want to ask you something, if you don't mind."
I knew it.
"Sure. What is it?"
"Do you plan to join the Knights of Favonius as well?" She wondered.
"Unfortunately, no. I'm not interested." I frankly answered.
"I- is that so.." She stammered.
Hey, hey. What's with the disappointing reaction? Certainly, she isn't expecting me to be interested in joining the Knight of Favonius just because I'm asking her about it, is she?
When I was about to ask her, Ms. Frederica returned.
"Hey, kids." She turned to Jean, "Sorry, Jean. Something came up, so let's end our training session today."
"Are you headed out on a mission?" Jean asked.
"No, I just need to check on something. Jean, since we ended our training session earlier than usual, I want you to study while I'm away." Ms. Frederica sounds like she gave Jean an order.
"Yes, mother!" Of course, Jean obeys her without delay.
"Good girl." She smiled. Now she turned her attention to me, "What about you, Morgan? What are you going to do?"
"I don't want to bother Jean anymore, so I'll take a walk around the city. I'm here because Grandmaster Varka invited me." I answered honestly. "Speaking of Grandmaster Varka, where is he?" I continue.
"He's currently in a meeting. Why not join Jean studying, Morgan?"
"He-" I interrupt Jean.
"I'm sorry, but I'm not interested in a Knighthood."
Ms. Frederica gave me a puzzled expression. It appeared that another person also expected me to be interested in joining the Knights. I'm starting to wonder how many people want to join the knight anyway?
"You don't?" She asked for confirmation.
I shake my head.
"That's shocking. It's the first time I've known someone in the city who isn't interested in joining the Knights of Favonius. Why's that?"
"I… simply not interested." I sound indecisive because I don't know how to answer her question without raising another question. And thankfully, she has no intention of prying any further.
"I must leave now. See you later, kids." She turned as she bid her farewell. Only Jean and I are here left.
"I don't want to take more of your time than this, so I'll take my leave."
"Okay, see you next time, Morgan. Have a nice day." She waves her hand to me.
"You too."
But before leaving the training ground, I stop my step. I forgot I have something to say before I go.
"Is something the matter? Did you forget something?" Jean inquires.
"Thank you for today. I'm glad I talked to you."
"Huh?" It seems I got her confused that she asked me a question, "Did I do something for you?"
"Yeah. I'm thankful for what you did for me today." I nod my head as a gesture of gratitude.
"Y- you are welcome." Despite her best efforts, she fails miserably to maintain her composure. That's kind of cute.
"Good luck with your study, Jean." I wave my hand as I walk away from her.
She appreciates my wish for her before she waves back.
A/N: Took more time than expected to finish this chapter. It should be longer, but I thought it would be nicer to cut it into a couple or a few parts instead of making it into a long chapter. It's still part 1 (T.T) and I revised it like 3-4 times from dialogues, activities, and a lot more. And god, I hope it's better compared to previous chapters.
Enough excuse. I've been racking my brain and finally managed to solve the timeline problem for this fic. If you noticed, I changed Morgan's age to 12 in chp 2 because that way, his age is the same as Diluc and Kaeya? (I want him to be a peer with them). And Mika's sudden appearance troubles me. I want to add him to my fic but at the same time, it means more thinking for me. What's your thought?
Anyway, GI anime is coming! I was surprised and happy knowing GI got adapted into anime and out of all studios, ufotable who will make it (You know they made some god-tier animation with their unlimited budget). I heard it will take place when the archon war happened, which is great (More lore for lore lovers.) Sadly, still no info about when the anime will be released. Imagine finishing GI first before the anime came out.
There's more thing I want to say but I think this A/N is already long enough :(
Last but not least, I hope you enjoy chapter 3 part 1, you better! I worked hard for this part, (JK) If you have any questions regarding this fic, don't be shy to ask. I'll answer as long as you don't ask anything about spoilers. As always, leaving a review, criticism, or anything is appreciated!
You don't have to read what I wrote below if you knew about Mondstadt's lore or maybe even don't care.
Short lore:
*12 Years ago, Diluc receives his vision at age 10. (Meaning if this fic takes place 10 years ago, he's 12 now.)
*Around 10 years ago, Crepus finds Kaeya and takes him in, raising him alongside Diluc.
*10 Years ago, Frederica prepares strict training regimens for Jean. (This fic lined up with this timeline.)