Teyvat Survival Guide

Chapter 73 Arrival at the Knights

Then Giuliana led Samuel out of the European-style courtyard where His Holiness the Pope lived.

A richly decorated carriage was parked at the gate of the courtyard.

Giuliana greeted the neatly dressed driver and opened the door.

"Your Majesty, please." She said respectfully.

Samuel nodded and stepped into the carriage.

Giuliana behind her also got into the car.

After she was seated firmly, she informed the driver.

The driver then waved his whip, raised the horse's front hooves, and pulled the cart at a rapid pace.

Giuliana turned around and said to the white-haired boy who was wearing a crown and looking out the window with his chin in his hand.

"Your Majesty, you got up too late and didn't have time to enjoy breakfast.

“However, there are also some fruits and desserts on the tables in this carriage, so if you are hungry, you can fill your stomach a little.

"Oh! There are juice and herbal tea here. Let me pour you a cup."

Having said that, she stood up to make tea for Samuel.

Samuel looked out the window and waved his hands. The teapot in Giuliana's hand suddenly broke free from her hand and floated up, and the teacups on the table also flew up.

The teapot poured tea into the cup in the air, and then was carried by a gust of wind into Samuel's hand.

The boy took a sip, staring out the window without moving away, and said politely in a clear voice:

"Thank you."

Giuliana stood there for a while, then bowed slightly and sat down again.

She looked at His Majesty for a long time, somewhat absent-minded.

The white-haired boy in front of me had long hair that went past his shoulders and was slowly fluttering in the wind outside the car window. The light from the slanting sun in the early morning just happened to fall on his fair face.

The azure gem inlaid in the center of the silver crown on his head sparkled brightly in the light.

The pair of eyes, which were as blue as gemstones after their vertical pupils dimmed, were staring out the window, blinking from time to time.

Peaceful, holy and beautiful.

This is Giuliana’s impression of the current Pope.

Seeing Samuel staring out the window, she couldn't help but ask curiously:

"Your Majesty, what are you looking at?"

"…looking at this city-state." Samuel said slowly, "Lord Barbatos gave me the position of Pope, which shows his trust in me."

"I will naturally live up to expectations and govern this free country for Him." There was no doubt in his eyes.

Giuliana nodded slightly:

"It is an honor for Mondstadt to have you, Your Majesty."

Samuel remained silent and did not respond.

Actually, visiting Mondstadt was just a side job, that’s what he really watched.

It is the wisp of wind blowing in the sky.

……

The carriage stopped and the door was slowly opened by the Knight of Favonius wearing silver armor.

"Welcome, Your Majesty Saint Samuel!" said the brown-haired knight who opened the car door.

But when he saw the white figure in the car, he was stunned.

Then, under the knight's gaze that was five parts astonishment, three parts surprise and two parts puzzlement, Giuliana walked out of the carriage first and welcomed the white-haired boy wearing the crown.

The young man raised his head and saw an array of knights in front of him.

They knelt on one knee on the stone-paved ground and looked reverently towards the car door.

Seeing him coming down, the knights were stunned for a moment, and then when they saw the crown on his head, they shouted loudly:

“…Welcome, Saint Samuel!!”

Samuel took a deep breath calmly and waved.

After the knights stood up, he looked around the so-called "headquarters of the Knights of Favonius".

Although this place is not as solemn and sacred as the cathedral city, the Western European-style fortress built of bricks and stones exudes a solemn and dignified atmosphere everywhere.

The silver armor on the knights and the accessories with cold light on their waists add to the majesty of the fortress.

In front of Samuel was an open "city gate" leading into the brick and stone wall.

“…Your Majesty, please come this way.” The brown-haired knight looked at Samuel and led the way.

Samuel nodded and followed him into the "city gate", with Jilliana following behind him.

The brown-haired Knight of Favonius led them into a corridor inside the Knights Templar.

Along the way, he enthusiastically introduced Samuel to various matters concerning the Knights.

Through the conversation, Samuel learned that his name was Swan Ednar, and he was previously one of the Knights of Favonius who guarded the southeast gate of Mondstadt.

No wonder Samuel always felt that he looked a little familiar. It turned out that he was watching from the side when he first entered the city.

But wasn't he the gatekeeper before? Why did he come to the Knights' headquarters to be the guide?

Before he could ask, he heard the wind in the distance blowing to his ears, bringing the sound of iron clashing and people shouting.

Samuel's ears twitched and he asked, "Is there anyone competing nearby?"

Swan was stunned: "…It should be the new recruits of the Knights' Order having a fighting match in the training ground, right?"

"But how did Your Majesty know this?" He was a little confused.

You know, the headquarters of the Knights Templar is like a small city-state, and the training ground is quite a distance away from them.

Samuel explained: "As Lord Barbatos's follower, I can hear the messages brought by the wind within a certain range."

Before Swan could react, he asked again: "You just said... a fighting match?"

Swan nodded, and then slowly explained to him.

Through his introduction, Samuel learned that the Knights hold similar competitions every week with the aim of "actual combat is more important than training."

The Knights' high-ranking officials believed that allowing the recruits to gain experience and improve their combat capabilities through fighting against each other would be more effective than simply training them in West Wind Swordsmanship against wooden stakes. This would also allow the recruits to adapt to various emergencies more quickly.

Actual combat is more important than training...Samuel thought.

Speaking of which, he has never had a serious fight with others. He only knows that there is a lot of wind elemental power in his body, but he has no idea how he will perform in actual combat.

My strength should be pretty good, right? It would be nice to try it out in the ring...right?

I just want to understand my current practical strength, not to bully others.

I don't want to suffer from the second-year syndrome at the same time.

Thinking about it, he asked, "Can I join?"

Swan was startled.

This really stumped him.

His Holiness the Pope of the Church of Favonius wants to take the initiative to participate in the actual combat training of the new recruits?

Not to mention His Majesty's own strength, just raising the sword against His Majesty is already a great disrespect to Lord Barbatos.

Moreover, even if the sword used in training is an unbladed sword, various injuries may still occur in actual combat.

Even if it is a sword without an edge, it will leave scars or bruises if it hits a person hard!

What's more, how could he have the authority to decide whether His Holiness the Pope would attend or not?

"Your Majesty...this..." Swann said in difficulty.

Giuliana behind him was also struggling: "Your Majesty..."

The white-haired boy wearing the crown asked in a slightly excited tone:

"Can I? Can I? Can I?"

When he thought about going on stage and hitting his opponent with wind while shouting "Praise Lord Barbatos", he felt both childish and cool.

Well, the main reason is that I’m excited about the chance to test my own abilities.

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty... This... is not something I can decide." Swan said awkwardly, "Perhaps I can discuss it with someone..."

A gentle but clear female voice came from not far away:

"What to discuss?"