'Reliable', 'Strong', 'Kind', those were the words that the people of Mondstadt would describe Jean. To her, those same words could be used to describe the Traveller. However, the difference between her and the Traveller was 'Freedom'. Where the Traveller was free to travel the world and express himself freely, Jean was bound by her duty to Mondstadt. The irony of it was not lost on her and despite that, she did not mind it at all. Jean loved Mondstadt and its people and she had sworn an oath to serve them. But sometimes she wondered, what would it be like to leave the walls of Mondstadt to pursue interests that do not benefit her country or her people.
For as long as Jean had lived, she always knew what her future would be. To serve Mondstadt and its people, it was the duty that she was born to do. Her family, the Gunnhildr clan, lived by a single motto: 'For Mondstadt, as always'. Everything that Jean does, she does it for Mondstadt.
Then what does it mean for the Traveller who gave much to Mondstadt? It was neither his duty nor was he obligated to do so.
The first time Jean heard of the Traveller, she had received information from Kaeya about a suspicious blonde foreigner who entered Mondstadt. No sooner had she received the message however, Stormterror flew in and chaos descended upon the city. The mysterious stranger was no longer a priority, instead, Jean focused all her efforts to evacuate her people and defend Mondstadt from the attack.
Thankfully, Stormterror was driven off with the Traveller's assistance before irreparable damage could be inflicted upon the city. However, Jean was wary of the Traveller. Despite it happening years ago, the memories of the incident involving Ursa the Drake were still fresh on her mind. But Mondstadt is powerless against the might of one of the Four Winds. Would he agree to help? What if the Traveller was the same as the Fatui? What would he ask in return for his help? All these questions ran through her anxious mind as she sent a messenger to request Kaeya to bring the Traveller to the headquarters.
Meeting the Traveller in person, Jean's first impression was that the Traveller has strange taste in travelling companions. A fairy was not a creature commonly seen in Teyvat. In fact, this had been the first time she had seen such a being. Her second impression was that the Traveller was a brat. She sighed heavily, rubbing the bridge of her nose to ward away the incoming headache as the Traveller sat on the floor and denied his involvement with the Stormterror attack before demanding to leave so he could find his sister (and eat lunch). Despite the negative impression, Jean could relate to the Traveller. If anything were to happen to her younger sister, Barbara, Jean was not sure what she would do.
(She wonders if she would be willing to give up her family for Mondstadt. She prays that she will never have to find out.)
Jean proposed to the Traveller that in exchange for stopping Stormterror, the Knights of Favonius would assist in finding his lost sibling. The Traveller readily agreed and left the office, leaving the others to talk amongst themselves.
"Are we so weak to have to rely on others once more?"
"Jean, you're overthinking this."
"And what if she isn't? We don't know where this 'Traveller' came from or what he's capable of. What if he's lying about looking for his sibling?"
"Kaeya! Don't be mean!"
"I'm not being mean but I think that you should ascertain more facts before jumping to conclusions."
After everyone had left the office, Jean was left alone with her thoughts. Despite the urgency of the situation, she had yet to make a move. There was something strange about the Traveller. The whole time they were talking, the Traveller never made eye contact with anyone. Perhaps Lisa was right, she was overthinking this.
The next time Jean met the Traveller, she had not noticed the Traveller returning to Mondstadt. Far too busy arguing with a member of the Fatui, she had not registered the Traveller's presence until his companion called out to her. Jean was thankful when the Fatui representative left instead of confronting her further. In her opinion, the Fatui had long outstayed their welcome in Mondstadt but Jean could not remove them from the city. The Knights of Favonius were understaffed and their strength was lacking. Mondstadt was under the protection of the Anemo Archon and the Knights of Favonius but what can an Archon who was missing for hundreds of years and a heavily underpowered Knights of Favonius do?
"Lord Barbatos, if anything were to happen to Mondstadt, what would you do? Do you still love your people?"
"Jean, my friend, please call me Venti. I promise you that no disaster shall befall Mondstadt, will you trust me?"
When the Traveller showed her the corrupted crystal, one that hurts Vision-wielders when they touch them, Jean became suspicious. She had already received reports from the others and she knew that the Traveller had the ability to wield Anemo. And yet, the Traveller was unaffected by the crystal. Either the Traveller lacks a Vision or the Traveller was the source of the corruption.
(She would realise later, how close she was to the truth.)
But she remembers how the Traveller had defended Mondstadt from Stormterror, how the Traveller had assisted her people, how the Traveller chose to help the Knights of Favonius.
The Traveller would have made a fine knight for the Knights of Favonius but even Jean knew that nothing could bind the Traveller to a cause not of his own.
"Please accept the title of Honorary Knight... and the gratitude of the Acting Grand Master."
When Jean heard that the Holy Lyre that the Anemo Archon had gifted to the people of Mondstadt was stolen, she had a bad feeling. Experience had told her to listen to her instinct but when Diluc approached her with a plan to stop Stormterror without killing it, she wondered if she should reject the invitation. In the end, her curiosity won out and she accepted the invitation.
She was glad that she chose to trust Diluc.
When Jean was greeted by a bard in green who told her a tale of Dvalin who became Stormterror, of corruption devouring Dvalin's mind and the Abyss Order who instigated everything, she was relieved to know that it was not Dvalin's choice to break the vow he swore to Mondstadt.
Then she found out that the Fatui stole the Holy Lyre and Jean found the sudden urge to violently remove the Fatui out of Mondstadt.
She ignored the fact that the Traveller stole the Holy Lyre first. Years of experience handling Klee has taught her that the Traveller has felt enough guilt about stealing already and rubbing the fact in would do her no good. The Fatui on the other hand, would never feel guilty from stealing someone beneath them.
Jean wondered who Venti really was as she listened to Paimon explain how the Fatui base had been completely wiped out from the face of Teyvat with the power of a massive hurricane. Just who is this bard and how had he escaped the notice of the Knights of Favonius?
Finding out that the Fatui had broken the Holy Lyre had almost sent Jean marching back to her office so she could send a strongly worded letter to the Fatui representative in Mondstadt to demand reparations for breaking a sacred artifact. Fortunately for the Fatui (and unfortunately for her), the Traveller had stopped Jean by telling her that it was not worth the effort to do so and the Fatui would have been able to weasel their way out of it since the evidence (the unfortunate Fatui base that Venti had destroyed) had been erased from the face of Teyvat. And so the Mondstadt branch of the Fatui organisation was spared, for now.
Putting aside this current makeshift party's means of retrieving stolen goods, the Holy Lyre that they had managed to retrieve was still broken and could not be used to call Dvalin. Perhaps it was impossible after all to stop one of the Four Winds without bloodshed.
But when Venti revealed that the Traveller had been able to purify the corrupted Teardrop Crystal from Dvalin, allowing him to replenish the power of the Holy Lyre, Jean let herself feel hope.
(When had she chosen to give up? When did she decide that it was best to pick the path of the least resistance? She is a Gunnhildr!)
"'For Mondstadt, as always'. Those are the words that the Gunnhildr clan lives by. But..."
"But?"
"But the words that I live by is 'You have to give your all to do the right thing. Always.'. But, sometimes I wonder if I am really doing the right thing."
However, a single purified Teardrop Crystal was not enough to replenish the Holy Lyre. More were needed and fortunately, Jean had a solution for that. Though the Knights of Favonius lacked the manpower to muster a solid defense, there were still enough people to search for Dvalin's Tears.
"This is not something that an Honorary Knight can accomplish alone. I will mobilise the rest of the knights to assist."
With all the corrupted Teardrop Crystals gathered, the Traveller was able to replenish the Anemo energy in the Holy Lyre. The lyre of the Anemo Archon was truly a sight to behold when it was finally restored to its full glory that even the Traveller cried when he saw it. Jean wished that she could show the restored Holy Lyre to Barbara. Her younger sister would have loved it.
The party gathered at Starsnatch Cliff where Venti would use the Holy Lyre to summon Dvalin.
It occurred to Jean, as Venti started playing the harp that, to even be able to summon one of the Four Winds, one had to have a strong Anemo resonance with the Holy Lyre and their Anemo power had to be strong enough to rival that of an Anemo Archon.
When Dvalin appeared with the howling wind, Jean finally understood who Venti actually was.
"Venti, why do you choose to walk amongst your people? Why choose to leave the city of Mondstadt to us?"
"I am the God of Freedom who wishes not to rule over his kingdom. To not bind my people to my rule, does that make me a fool?"
Unfortunately, due to the Abyss Mage attack, Dvalin managed to escape and his mind further corroded by the corruption. Furthermore, the Holy Lyre was broken beyond repair which meant that Venti could no longer summon Dvalin.
Watching Venti decimate the Abyss Mage who attacked them did cheer her up at least.
(First it was the Fatui, next it was the Abyss Order. Jean hoped that Treasure Hoarders were not trying to stop them too.)
However, with the Holy Lyre broken, there was no way they could summon Dvalin. Thankfully, the Anemo Archon had another plan to get to Dvalin.
(If Jean's face matched the Traveller's disgruntled expression when Venti explained his plan, no one mentioned anything about it.)
When the party arrived in front of the howling barrier of storm that surrounded Stormterror's Lair, Jean could not help but shudder at the intensity of it. The Anemo power that fuels the barrier was so strong that it was visible. Such a thing could only be created by one of the Four Winds or the Anemo Archon. Old Mondstadt was barely visible through the storm barrier and Jean wondered how long ago a mortal had visited the ruins.
The party entered the ruins once Venti opened the way. The ruins were left untouched, notwithstanding the few hilichurl camps scattered about. There was a certain air of mystery and beauty within the crumbling walls of the ruins and Jean felt blessed that she had been given the opportunity to step foot into the place, even if the context of this adventure was not a positive one.
"Can you tell me what Old Mondstadt looked like? I asked Venti but I think the view he described was the Mondstadt of the past, not Old Mondstadt."
"Of course, Aether. Why don't we invite Klee to listen? I'm sure she wants to know what Old Mondstadt looks like."
Would she see more of this if she stepped beyond the boundaries of Mondstadt? Then what will become of her duty? Her vow to her people? Was freedom worth abandoning all of that?
"I think your idea of freedom involves the physical form of freedom but you forget that the freedom of choice is also a form of freedom. Still, if one day you've decided on your 'freedom', whether bound by duty or not, I will be there for you."
"Thank you, Aether."
Throughout the whole journey, from Mondstadt to where they are now, Jean could not help but notice how close Venti and the Traveller were. She wished that one day, she too could experience romance as well. To fall in love and be cherished by her beloved. To go on dates and have a family. But as long as she is a Gunnhildr, she knew that she could never experience such a thing.
The path up the tower was a grueling ordeal. There were ambushes and traps to watch out for in their ascent and gravity was working against them. The party's energy was sapped with each step they took but they could not rest until they had reached the top.
(It would explain why the Traveller stumbled often, especially on uneven ground.)
When they finally reached the top, the idea of descending the tower to activate the actuators blocking the entrance to the domain (and climbing back up to access the domain) was almost enough to send Jean back to Mondstadt. Instead, she sighed and wondered if it would be appropriate for an Acting Grandmaster to file an official complaint on the design of Stormterror's Lair to the Anemo Archon.
With the way open, the party started their preparations to enter the domain. Jean knew that rest was important before a battle but she was anxious. What if they fail? What would happen to Mondstadt?
"Don't think of what-ifs, think of what you can do," Diluc said as Jean glanced up at him. Venti, the Traveller and Paimon were far too engrossed in their own conversation to hear him.
"But what if-"
"Don't think of what-ifs. Only think of what you can do."
"You have a strange way of cheering people up."
The answering 'hmph' only made Jean laugh in response.
The battle against Dvalin only made Jean aware of how helpless mortals are when compared to gods. The storms whipped up by Dvalin had sent them flying off the platforms. At times, he would break the platform, causing the party members to fall. It was only because of the Anemo Archon that they had not fallen into the void below.
The Traveller had been the one to deal the finishing blow with Venti's help but at the same time, all the platforms collapsed together with the domain. Venti tried to save everyone but the party was scattered and there was only so much time before the collapsing domain closed off. Fortunately, Dvalin flew over and caught everyone on his back. There was a heartstopping moment however, when the Traveller failed to grab onto Dvalin and tumbled off the back instead. He managed to grab hold of the tail in the end and Jean let out a breath that she did not know she was holding. As Venti helped the Traveller get back onto Dvalin's back, Jean could not help but be reminded once again of her helplessness. To save Dvalin from corruption, to stop him from terrorising Mondstadt. Was she even needed?
Dvalin set the party down at Windrise where the Symbol of Mondstadt's Hero stood. He thanked them before departing, making his way back to his lair. They returned to Mondstadt to cheers on the street and people celebrating their triumph against Stormterror. Diluc had parted ways then and there, reasoning that there was no longer a need to team up as the threat of Mondstadt had been eliminated. The party disbanded in front of the Headquarters of the Knights of Favonius and Jean returned to her office. The paperwork had tripled in the time she was away and there was the aftermath of the whole incident to handle. But for now, in the quiet office, Jean could just be herself. Not as the Acting Grandmaster or Gunnhildr, but as Jean.
A few days later, Venti had come to Jean with the intention to return the Holy Lyre to the church. Truth to be told, if Barbatos wished not to return the lyre to the church, there was nothing Jean could do to stop him. However, she was glad that he chose to return the lyre because it was getting harder to convince the church to stop looking for it. Venti met with the Traveller while Jean went to the church.
After persuading Barbara not to commit murder on the thief (who is also the Anemo Archon but Jean deliberately left that part out) who stole the Holy Lyre, the two of them met with Venti and the Traveller in the church.
Venti, of course, neglected to mention the state of the Holy Lyre to Jean.
After Venti and the Traveller left the church, Jean was left to help Barbara return the Holy Lyre to its pedestal. Then came a scream and Jean ran, leaving Barbara behind. She tried to open the door but it was sealed shut from the outside. Barbara caught up as Jean tried to use her Vision to open the doors to no avail. She showed Jean the exit at the back of the church and Jean ran out, hoping that she was not too late.
(She felt so helpless.)
She found Venti cradling an unconscious Traveller while singing an old Mondstadt lullaby, both of them had frost clinging to their clothes. When she approached Venti, he smiled and handled the Traveller over to her when she crouched down.
"He is not hurt physically but I cannot say the same mentally."
"What about you Venti? Are you hurt? Who did this?"
The smile he gave in return before leaving did not assure her at all.
The Traveller woke later in the evening and began to panic. Thankfully, Paimon had thawed out of the block of ice she was frozen inside and was able to calm him down.
"Who did this?"
"I don't know."
"Do you know what they look like?"
"No."
"Not even a description? There's not many Cryo Vision holders in the vicinity of Mondstadt."
"I'm sorry…"
It was strange. The attack came from the front but the Traveller was unable to describe them. It was only from Paimon that they identified the attacker as one of the Fatui Harbinger. It was as if the Traveller was blind. But that would be impossible right?
"It's normal to think that people who act normal could not possibly be any different. I've gotten used to my disability but sometimes, I hated it. I hated being blind."
The next time Jean returned to the room the Traveller was resting at, he and his companion were gone.
When Jean met with the Traveller again, he was preparing to leave for Liyue.
"The Rite of Descension is coming soon in Liyue and I need to meet the Geo Archon. He might know something about my sister."
Jean understood of course, the Traveller's main objective had always been to find his missing sister.
"I wish that I could help you but I can only wish you luck in your endeavours. We will continue to look out for more information on your sister in Mondstadt and I pray to Lord Barbatos that you will reunite with her soon."
"Thank you, Jean."
When Aether left Mondstadt, Jean felt something was missing and she wondered why. Perhaps her place in the world was not just to be the Acting Grandmaster or the second-in-command to the Knights of Favonius. Perhaps her place in the world could have included being by the Traveller's side.
In the far future, Jean sat by a campfire with Lisa at her side reading a fantasy book aloud. Amber was braiding Aether's hair while Klee sat on Aether's lap and listened to Lisa read the story. Kaeya sat on a log and gave commentary on the story, annoying Lisa. Noelle giggled at the commentary but she would continue to organize the supplies. Albedo continued to sketch Aether despite already having hundreds of sketches of him and Eula stood guard at the edge of the encampment.
Jean would one day look back at the scene in fond memory but at that time, she could not help but ask, "Did you recruit everyone in the Knights of Favonius!?"
AN: So we have reached chapter 10 for this fanfic and I think it's a good milestone as any to give my view on this whole story. When I first started writing 'Blind Traveller', I had not intended to write 'Your World In Our Eyes'. 'Blind Traveller' was a fic that I wanted to write for myself because I'm a sucker for that kind of thing. But the support I got from that fanfic, it made me wanted to write more. But the idea I got did not fit well with the original writing for 'Blind Traveller' because the point of view was different. I felt that it would be so much better when it's written from a different point of view and I am so glad I went ahead with that.
I have also noticed that the content of the chapters have shifted from only talking about the Traveller to talking about how one's views have changed based on the Traveller. I feel that it's better instead of focusing on just the Traveller but on the Traveller and how it affects them. This would mean that the character's backstory would be touched upon to give a feel of what they think before vs what they think now. As the reader should be aware of the story (well I hope so because this fic has a lot of spoilers for the story), there is no need to describe completely the events of the story. As such, I would rather write about the thoughts and feelings of the character (and how the Traveller affects them).
Still, I am glad for everyone's support and I hope that you will continue to read this fic. I apologise for taking longer to write as compared to other authors and I hope it would not sway you away from continuing to read this.
I hope you enjoy reading this chapter. Once again, thank you for your continued support.