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As the story of the ancient blizzard unfolded within the pages of the novel, many kind hearted people in Mondstadt found themselves gripped by a deep and genuine worry. Even though everyone in the modern era knew that the Gunnhildr family was still alive and well today, which proved their ancestors must have survived that prehistoric ordeal, the vivid descriptions made the struggle feel immediate and terrifying.
Readers found themselves holding their breath for those people of the past, silently hoping they could overcome the impossible difficulties of the ice fields to usher in an era of freedom and safety. People in Mondstadt were often characterized as being a bit lazy or sometimes acting like giant babies who depended too much on the Knights, but at their core, the majority of the population possessed good hearts that beat in rhythm with the tales of their heritage.
The narrative did not just focus on the humans, however. Readers noticed that the deeds of the King of the North Wind were woven into the tapestry of the novel as well. Due to his helplessness in the face of the Gale King's absolute defense, the great demon god of the frost seemed to be in a rather embarrassed position.
In the vast amount of content they had browsed through so far, the majority of the stories focused on the Lonely King of the Tower, which explained the central conflict of the era. Yet, out in the endless ice and snow, the King of the North Wind led the wolves to wander, chasing their prey through the white void. The wolves were described as his blessed retinue, bound to his divine will. A specific point was highlighted in the text that caught the attention of many scholars in the city.
The gods of the past were said to shoulder the responsibility of being lovers of humanity, but the demon god Andrius was a different kind of being entirely. He had his own unique way of existence. In the middle of the eternal snowstorm, the Wolf King was actually not particularly friendly to humans.
He found them fragile and perhaps beneath his regal, wild nature. However, during that era of disaster, he still allowed his pack to take in homeless refugees who were on the verge of freezing to death or starving in the wastes. This small detail significantly increased the public favor toward this ancient demon god. It seemed that even the cold King of the North Wind carried a spark of good intentions deep within his heart.
In the present day, not many people naturally connected this ancient demon god with the entity known as the Lord of Wolves in Wolvendom. After all, much of the faith guarded by the Four Winds had been lost to the common folk over the centuries. Only a very small number of people, like Lisa in the library, Jean in the Acting Grand Master's office, or Kaeya during his secret rounds, knew the truth of the matter.
In the quiet territory of Wolvendom, the King of the North Wind, who had long ago lost his physical life and body, still retained a massive power that far exceeded ordinary comprehension. Today's Boreas was the remnant soul of the demon god Andrius after his death, having chosen to become a member of the Four Winds under the Anemo Archon. Everyone was quite surprised by the story of this predecessor and the role he played before the city even existed.
The novel also touched upon the origin of a term that was occasionally heard in the modern city: Lupika. It was written that during the Demon God War, the habit of the wolf god adopting human abandoned babies and homeless wanderers created a unique bond. The companion of humans and wolves was known as Lupika, meaning family.
This bit of lore felt incredibly novel to the people of Mondstadt. It was the first time many had heard a concrete explanation for the saying, and it sparked a flurry of rumors. Some residents started whispering about strange, wild guys who had been spotted haunting the woods of Wolvendom, wondering if the legend was still alive in the shadows of the trees.
The concept of a demon god being a lover of humanity was a recurring theme that many noticed. Some readers found themselves indifferent to the term because they had already read about the Gale King, Decarabian. He was described as a lover of humanity as well, but the result of his love had been complete despair for the ancestors.
Under his rule, strong winds were everywhere, pressing people to the ground and leaving no space for anyone to walk freely or speak their mind. The Lonely King of the Tower simply would not listen to the pleas of those he claimed to protect. Anyone in that situation would eventually become numb to the pain. This realization made the readers even more certain of one thing: their current Lord Barbatos was the only one who had ever loved the people in the right and wise way.
The curiosity regarding the fate of the Gunnhildr family reached a fever pitch. People were desperate to see how the tribe would escape the encroaching frost and the eye of the storm. However, when the readers eagerly turned to the next page, they were shocked to find that they had reached the end of the volume.
A few concluding sentences stared back at them from the final sheet. Originally, the Gunnhildr tribe was about to usher in complete extinction. But at that moment, they reached the most critical twist of fate. It was a miracle. It was hope. At this point, the gears of the legend began to turn, and everything opened a new curtain. This was the beginning of all future generations and the origin of freedom and resistance. It created the very backbone of the struggle for the Land of Wind. End of this volume.
The residents of Mondstadt stared at the page in collective disbelief. Many people almost spit out their drinks in surprise. Eyes widened across the city, and a huge question mark seemed to appear over the heads of every reader. They scrambled to turn the book left and right, checking for hidden pages or a misprint, only to confirm that the story had indeed cut off at the most vital moment.
Everyone was dumbfounded. Why did it have to disappear at a critical time? They were just getting to the most exciting part of the entire history. Why was there nothing more below those final lines? What exactly was the miracle? What happened to the Gunnhildr tribe in that blizzard?
People began to grumble and vent their frustrations in the streets. Wind Knight, are you really okay? How could you do this to us? many shouted toward the bookstore. Ending the book right there felt like an injury to their weak hearts. They realized the Wind Knight's tactical routine was far deeper than they had ever imagined.
Some of the older readers, who had followed Ye Ruo's previous two series, could only offer helpless expressions and sympathetic shrugs. They were used to this treatment. Both To Save Mondstadt, Debut and Become an Idol! and Detective Fengdu had done the same thing. Just when the plot reached a boiling point, the volume would end.
The wait for the next installment was a unique brand of torment and pain. It was described by one frustrated citizen as feeling like there were ten thousand hilichurls crawling all over their skin. The anxiety of not knowing was almost too much to bear. However, those veteran readers who saw the newcomers experiencing this pain for the first time suddenly felt a strange sense of refreshment.
They smirked at their neighbors, telling them that they would just have to be like the rest and honestly wait until next week for the next batch of books. It was a shared suffering that brought the city closer together in a weird, literary way.
Of course, there were those who were quick to start theorizing based on the ending. They tried to guess who the next character would be. By the way, the next chapter should definitely feature the appearance of Lord Barbatos, shouldn't it? one man asked his friends at the tavern. We've already seen two major demon gods, so the only one left who could possibly save the Gunnhildr tribe in that situation is the Anemo Archon himself.
It seemed like a logical conclusion. If no assistance arrived, the tribe would have been wiped out, and the Acting Grand Master wouldn't exist today. The hint was as clear as the summer sky.
Others nodded in agreement, debating how the god would make his grand entrance. I wonder how the Wind God will appear. Will he step down from the sky on colorful clouds, or will he ride a massive storm and descend like a hero? It's bound to be a shocking and majestic moment. One person in the back of the group looked puzzled and offered a different thought. Isn't it possible that the Anemo Archon was actually quite weak back then? Maybe that's why he appeared so late in the story. This suggestion was met with immediate glares from the rest of the group. Don't you dare look down on Lord Barbatos! Bold talk! someone shouted. Let me tell you, the Wind God is definitely strong. If he isn't powerful in the next book, I'll go straight to the city gate and apologize to the statues.
Amidst the excitement and the frustration, a few people remembered the initial advertisement for the book. They were puzzled. Didn't the author promise the story of the Wind God and an unknown boy? So far, they hadn't seen a single hair of this nameless boy. Was he not actually the main character?
Could it be that they had misinterpreted the summary and he was just a minor figure mentioned at random? The mystery only added to the anticipation. While the residents of Mondstadt were left depressed and anxious because of the broken chapters, Ye Ruo was in a fantastic mood. He sat in his office, looking at his reputation panel and watching the fame points roll in.
The city was buzzing, and every tavern conversation was another contribution to his legendary status. He knew that by keeping them hungry for the next part of the story, he was ensuring that the next volume would be an even bigger success. He leaned back in his chair, a small smile on his face as he listened to the distant sounds of people arguing about the King of the Gale and the King of the North Wind.
Everything was going exactly according to plan. He looked at the manuscript for the next volume, where the tiny wind spirit and the bard were finally ready to take center stage. The origin of freedom was about to be revealed, and he was the only one who held the key. The Spring Festival was in full swing, and as the popularity of his bookstore reached new heights, Ye Ruo felt the wind at his back.
He was ready to give the people their miracle, but they would have to wait just a little bit longer. The legendary degree on his system continued to tick upward, reflecting the collective obsession of a city that had rediscovered its past through the words of a knight. He felt a sense of peace, knowing that the story of Old Mondstadt was finally being told the way it deserved to be. He picked up his pen, ready to draft the moment the miracle finally happened.