<h4>Chapter 16: Viin Simtor, Ch 16</h4>


    "It''s kind of embarrassing..." Rosalyne said softly, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. "Then, I''ll sing your favorite song... Oath in the Wind."


    That was Rostam''s favorite song. It told the story of a knight who, after enduring countless trials, finally fulfilled his promise and rescued the princess.


    "No, I want to hear a different song," Lucas shook his head. "Dancing in the Ashes."


    "That song?" Rosalyne seemed surprised.


    Dancing in the Ashes wasn''t a happy song. It told the tragic tale of a young girl whose ideals crumbled, leading her to burn herself and be a witch, eventually turning everything around her to ashes.


    And yet, it was Lucas''s favorite song.


    Perhaps it was because the girl in the song, like him, had experienced despair and pain, transforming into someone the world no longer understood.


    Though Rosalyne found it odd, she didn''t refuse his request. Soon, she began to sing Dance of the Ashes.


    The powerful and solemn melody transported Lucas back to that summer when he first met Rosalyne, and he felt his cold blood boil once more.


    "Sing! Keep singing, Rosalyne, sing forever!"


    "I... I will..."


    Even though there was a hint of pain in her voice, Rosalyne continued to sing the song.


    The request was indeed strange, but since it was Rostam''s, she had no intention of rejecting it.


    As long as her husband was happy, everything was worth it.


    The flower in bloom finally opened for its destined one. The once-painful song slowly transformed into one of joy.


    ...


    When the storm finally settled, the newlyweds enjoyed the calm after the tempest.


    "Sorry..." Lucas apologized, his face filled with guilt. "I think I made a very selfish request just now."


    "I don''t think it was selfish at all," Rosalyne shook her head gently and said with a warm smile. "As long as it makes you happy, I''m willing to do anything."


    Her words stirredplex emotions in Lucas''s heart.


    It felt strange—Rosalyne loved "him," but not really him.


    "By the way..." As if guided by a strange impulse, Lucas suddenly asked, "Do you remember a man named Lucas?"


    "Lucas?" Rosalyne''s face slightly changed at the name, but she nodded. "Yes, I know of him. He was once a renowned doctor in Mondstadt, and like me, he went to study at the Sumeru Academia. But sadly... he lost his way and ruined his own life."


    "Is that so?" A bitter smile crossed Lucas''s face. "You must hate that man, don''t you?"


    To his surprise, Rosalyne shook her head. "No... I don''t hate him. Though he went down a dark path, perhaps his intentions were good. Medicine is a cruel science; it often requires countless lives to make progress. Eh? Why are you crying?"


    Indeed, without even realizing it, tears had begun to fall from Lucas''s eyes.


    So, after all this time, had Rosalyne understood him? Had she seen the good in him?


    What a kind-hearted girl...


    What a pure-hearted girl.


    "It''s... nothing!" Lucas quickly wiped away his tears, smiling. "I''m just... too happy. I''m so happy to be married to you, I couldn''t help but cry... I''m so afraid I''ll lose you..."


    "Don''t worry..."


    Rosalyne embraced him warmly. "I will always be watching over you. Always."


    [Immersive mode ended, switching back to text mode.]


    "Phew..." Exiting immersive mode, Lucas let out a long sigh of relief.


    [You cried?]


    "I didn''t cry!" Lucas insisted, though he was surprised to find his cheeks wet with tears.


    [Age 32: Arundolyn, the Lion of Light, returns from his expedition with the Knights of Favonius. He is Rostam''s dear friend and, though he deeply regrets missing your wedding, he offers you his heartfelt congrattions.]


    [It seems everything is finally settling into ce. Though you lost your swordsmanship, your prestige in Mondstadt is unmatched. Arundolyn even suggests promoting you to Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius, but you politely refuse and continue serving as vice captain, dedicating yourself to protecting Mondstadt.]


    [Age 33: Your duties are not easy. If Arundolyn is the "light" of the Knights of Favonius, then you are its "shadow." To maintain the peace, you often have to do things in secret. Of course, since you no longer possess your martial skills, you cannot carry out these tasks yourself. Instead, you train a private squad of knights. No one knows of their existence, not even Arundolyn, who only knows their name—the Undead.]


    [Yes, they are knights made from corpses, revived by you andpletely under your control. While this may seem evil, you believe it is a necessary evil for the sake of protecting Mondstadt. At the same time, you''ve never given up on your research into medicine.]


    [After winning Rosalyne, you felt as though you''d lost your purpose. But as vice captain of the Knights, you now have greater authority to pursue your ambitions. The creation of the Undead is a crucial part of your dream.]


    [Age 34: Your skills in reviving corpses have grown more refined, but there is still a significant w. These Undead can use all thebat techniques they had in life, but they cannot improve further. Without minds, they can''t learn or grow from battle experience. This means that unless you find exceptionally strong corpses, your army of Undead will never be the ultimate force.]


    [Your endless research takes a toll on your body and mind. Fortunately, your wife, Rosalyne, remains as gentle and understanding as ever. Her perfect voice and presence help you find moments of peace. You''ve retained your habit of listening to her sing while engaging in intimacy, though she never utters a word ofint. To the people of Mondstadt, you are a hero without equal, but to Rosalyne, you''re simply a weary husband. She fulfills your every need, no matter how "strange" your requests may be.]


    Of course, Lucas was deeply familiar with Rosalyne''s "gentleness."


    Unlike his interactions with Shenhe, who had been forced into submission, Rosalyne''s love for him—or rather, for "Rostam"—was pure and wholehearted. Every "service" she performed was out of genuine affection.


    The biggest difference was that, after every encounter with Shenhe, she would wash herself obsessively and leave in silence, treating Lucas like nothing more than a customer.


    But Rosalyne was different. After everything was over, she would embrace Lucas without reservation, surrounding him in warmth and love throughout the night.


    If Lucas didn''t know the future events, he would never have believed that this tender, loving woman would one day transform into the ruthless Fatui Harbinger, "The Lady."


    [Age 35: A knight named Rnd visits you. He introduces himself as Rostam''s apprentice, having spent years guarding Mondstadt''s borders. This year marks his return to the city. After learning of all you''ve been through, he expresses deep sorrow over your lost strength.]


    [Nevertheless, Rnd insists on sparring with you, convinced that even though "Rostam" has lost his power, his knowledge of swordsmanship remains. Naturally, you know nothing of swordy, so you send him away with an excuse.]


    [But Rnd''s words inspire you. To create the strongest Undead warriors, you need the most perfect materials. Thus, under the guise of a mission, you lead your men to Dragonspine, where you secretly exhume Rostam''s corpse. Thanks to the cold and snow, his body has remained perfectly preserved—except for his face, which now belongs to you.]


    [You take Rostam''s body back to yourboratory. Staring at your former friend, you feel nothing. Using your expert skills, you transform his corpse into the perfect Undead warrior. His swordsmanship is as deadly as ever, but now, he obeys only yourmands.]


    [You craft a special set of armor for him, sealing his mutted face behind an iron mask. He is your greatest creation, and you order him to protect you from the shadows.]


    [Late at night, you station your most loyal knight outside your bedroom with Rosalyne. The thought that "Rostam" might be able to hear you fills you with overwhelming excitement.]


    "Activate... immersive mode."


    [What''s this? You can''t resist, can you?]


    "I want to see just how ''exciting'' it can be."


    [Immersive mode activated!]


    By the softmplight, Rosalyne''s beautiful smile seemed untouched by time.


    "Rostam..." Rosalyne gently wiped the sweat from Lucas''s brow, her voice tender. "You seem different tonight."


    Indeed, there was no song, no special request—just simple... desire.


    "Yes. Call my name."


    "R-Rostam!" Rosalyne raised her voice slightly.


    She found it strange. Her husband had never liked her calling his name before, but tonight he made the request—though it was a rather normal one.


    Outside, a shadow seemed to shiver slightly.


    "What was that?" Rosalyne asked fearfully. "It looked like someone was outside the window."


    For some reason, the figure seemed familiar to her.


    "You''re imagining things," Lucas smiled. "It''s probably just the shadow of a tree. After all, who would dare sneak into the vice captain of the Knights of Favonius'' estate?"


    In reality, there had been intruders before. As Mondstadt''s "shadow," Lucas had made plenty of enemies to protect the city''s stability.


    Many had sought his head, but those who infiltrated his mansion were now part of the Undead army... or new "materials."


    "My dear..."


    Rosalyne''s sweat glistened under the dim light, sparkling softly. "I want a gift."


    "What... what gift?"


    The end of Lucas''s "battle" was fast approaching.


    "A child," Rosalyne closed her eyes. "Our child."


    "I''ll give you one. I''ll give you everything..."


    As the night deepened, the lights dimmed, and silence fell.


    Only the armored knight, standing vigil outside their room, remained motionless. Beneath his iron mask, his eyes glowed faintly.


    [Age 35: After your tireless efforts, Rosalyne bes pregnant. The anticipation of a new life temporarily lifts the burden of your work. You decide that once the child is born, you will abandon your research on resurrecting corpses. How could you hold your newborn with hands tainted by death?]


    [But tragedy strikes. Rosalyne has a miscarriage. Despite your being one of the best doctors in Mondstadt, or even all of Teyvat, you are unable to determine the cause. Youfort Rosalyne, telling her it was just an ident. There will be other children... someday.]


    [Though Rosalyne was deeply saddened, under your gentlefort and care, her spirits slowly recovered.]


    [Meanwhile, after the fall of Khaenri''ah, monsters began to appear all over Teyvat, especially hilichurls, whose numbers grew exponentially. Outside Mondstadt, monsters roamed frequently, and to save Mondstadt from this crisis, you had to dedicate even more effort to the creation and development of your undead warriors.]


    [Yes, although you are not the real Rostam, after years of acting and pretending, you''ve started to believe that you are Rostam. Even Rostam''s desire to protect Mondstadt has be your own. Although your methods are far from clean and must never be discovered, your goal is indeed to save Mondstadt. As long as you achieve your goal, does it matter if you aren''t understood?]


    [At least Rosalyne, she surely understands you. As long as she does, that''s enough.]


    [Age 36: Your research has finally made progress. You discover that Rostam''s strength is continuously improving, suggesting that your undead warriors can indeed evolve further.]


    [You begin to experience more frequent stinging pain in your face. Although this sensation has been present for a long time, the frequency has increased significantly. However, you pay little attention to it, as performing cosmetic surgery is now a trivial task for someone like you.]


    [Age 37: Rosalyne is pregnant again. Determined to avoid the previous tragedy, you temporarily resign from your duties as vice captain to care for her with the utmost attention. You''ve created countless "lives" in your work, but the little being growing inside Rosalyne''s womb is your greatest creation.]


    [As one of the greatest doctors in history, you eliminated almost every possible danger to Rosalyne. But despite your efforts, fate yed another cruel joke on you—Rosalyne suffered another miscarriage. Without warning or reason, the baby was stillborn. Looking at the deformed, pitiful lump of flesh, it resembled the twisted corpses you had worked with in yourb.]


    [Suddenly, a thought clicked. You returned to the cold cer you hadn''t visited in nearly a decade. Inside, your old enemy, the "Mad Doctor," was still trapped in the jar of nutrient liquid, suffering an eternal torment, unable to live or die.]


    [His body had withered to the point of resembling a mummified corpse. You administered a prepared solution to restore his consciousness, but the long years of torment had reduced him to a shell of a human being, devoid of emotion.]


    [You asked him why your wife kept miscarrying. He said he would only tell you if you ended his suffering. You shattered the jar holding him, and the room was immediately filled with a putrid stench. Without the liquid to sustain him, the Mad Doctor would die soon enough.]


    [True to his word, the Mad Doctor revealed that reviving corpses is an act of sphemy, and thus, you were cursed by the gods. You would never be able to have children. You refused to believe this, but with hisst ounce of strength, the Mad Doctorughed mockingly before dissolving into a pool of foul-smelling pus.]


    [Age 38: The two miscarriages took a toll on Rosalyne, leaving her deeply depressed. You noticed the first wrinkle appear near her eyes—she, too, had begun to age.]


    [The pain in your face became more severe. You tried many methods to suppress it, but none were effective. One day, you noticed that ck blood had started to seep from the wounds on your face.]


    [When you analyzed the blood, you were shocked to find that it was Durin''s venomous blood. You realized that when Rostam fought Durin, he had been contaminated by the dragon''s poison. Since you had grafted Rostam''s skin onto your own face, you were now infected as well. Even though you had sterilized it thoroughly at the time, the trace amounts of Durin''s blood had spread over time, slowly eating away at your body.]


    [For some reason, though, the poison couldn''t kill you (the Die of Old Age skill activated), but the excruciating pain tortured you daily.]


    It seems the Die of Old Age trait was working at an unexpected time!


    That makes sense. Durin''s blood is technically a toxin, and it can''t kill me.


    [Age 39: Monsters outside Mondstadt became more rampant, while the number of avable Knights of Favonius dwindled. One day, monstersunched another attack on the city gates. To defend Mondstadt''sst line of defense, you had no choice but to deploy your undead army into battle for the first time.]


    [Thanks to your research, the undead army''s power had grown significantly. After an intense battle, the monsters were ughtered, and your masterpiece, Rostam, imed countless enemy lives, staining his armor with their blood. As themander of the undead army, you were once again hailed as a hero of Mondstadt.]


    [However, the fierce battle seemed to agitate Rostam''s corpse. He suddenly swung his sword and began attacking the Knights of Favonius. Rnd, Rostam''s former student, quickly raised his sword to block Rostam''s attacks. Finally, after your intervention, Rostam was calmed.]


    [But Rnd identally broke Rostam''s mask during the fight. He pointed to the disfigured, armored corpse beneath and shouted in disbelief, "This man... is the real Rostam!"]


    [Rnd''s revtion shocked everyone. You and your undead army were immediately ced under investigation. The truth could no longer be hidden. Soon, it was revealed that you had used the bodies of warriors and adventurers to create your undead soldiers. More importantly, after a series of interrogations, Arundolyn finally uncovered your true identity.]


    [You were forced to face Mondstadt''s highest trial. In the courtroom, you passionately defended yourself, telling everyone that while you had deceived them, everything you had done over the years was to protect Mondstadt and its people. Without your undead army, Mondstadt would have been overrun by monsters long ago. No one had the right to judge you!]


    [Your words momentarily silenced the people of Mondstadt. Indeed, what you did was sphemy against the gods, but your actions had undeniably protected the city. Without your undead army, Mondstadt might not have survived the recent siege.]


    [However, just as the crowd was hesitating, Rnd stood up once again, filled with righteous anger. He condemned you, iming that you had betrayed Rostam, causing his death in Dragonspine, and had stolen his identity. Not only that, but you had turned this hero''s corpse into a filthy killing machine. If Rostam had lived, he could have achieved everything you had done without resorting to such vile means.]


    [Rnd''s words reignited the crowd''s fury. They needed a reason to execute you, and he had given them one.]


    [A rotten egg was hurled from the crowd, hitting you square in the face. The foul stench filled your nose as you faintly heard someone shout, "Mondstadt is safe now. You can die!"]


    [Ironically, the people who now cursed, insulted, and condemned you were the very same ones who once revered, respected, and worshipped you.]


    [More stones and rotting vegetables were thrown at you from the crowd below the tribunal. In the past, such behavior would have been immediately stopped by the judges, but today, no one intervened. It seemed that all the violence directed at you was now considered an act of righteousness.]


    [ck blood clouded your vision. You suddenly found yourselfughing bitterly. How pathetic. If only you had retired from the Knights of Favonius and ceased your research into undead soldiers. If only you had lived a peaceful life with Rosalyne, none of this would have happened.]


    [And now, the people you had fought so hard to protect saw you as a mortal enemy, a hideous monster, and a sinner beyond redemption. You had lost all value. The skilled craftsman who shoots down thest bird is discarded. The loyal dog who catches the cunning hare is boiled alive. The people of Mondstadt, having just survived a catastrophe, needed a new celebration—a spectacle where your head would roll.]


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