Genshin Impact: A Fool

An: Man I love Mondstadt. The history is simple and could be remembered. Unlike Fontaine. Had a stroke remembering Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale (I did not copy paste that) and the old Narzissenkreuz Institute (I got that right, right? Would be dangerous without the r). And the Renoissance Group Fontaine version Marechaussee Phantom.

Sumeru... Sumeru is alright. Liyue is basically Xianxia and Snezhnaya would probably be Russia. Inazuma is Old Japan and Natlan... I haven't read into it yet (It's late but all hail the great Capitano. Was a villain but died as a hero. I refuse to see the fandom knowing damn well they would make it f*cking weird).

Sorry for the rambles.

After a few hours, Jean, who already removed her armor, leaving her in a white sweater, panted on the snowy ground. She was so sweaty and exhausted that the cold didn't bother her anymore.

Heins smiled as he stood beside her laying figure, her limbs leaving an X-shaped form on the snowy ground. He whispered, "You're not bad, Jean."

Meanwhile, a mysterious light blue-haired girl behind the peak blinked as she saw the handsome boy, who she assumed was the mentor of the famous Jean, which was still somehow shocking to her, chuckled as Jean Gunnhildr panted on the ground. His eyes were filled with mirth.

The girl was somewhat curious. Who is he and why is he so skilled that Jean Gunnhildr did not protest when he trained her?

She is Eula, a girl that was hailed from the Lawrence Clan, infamously known as an ancient noble clan of Old Mondstadt. Because they were stigmatized by their deep involvement with the cruel reign of Old Mondstadt years ago, it became a controversy amongst the folks. They still exist in Mondstadt, but their standing was somewhat awkward.

And Eula was an outliner of this clan. She did not condone its radical thinking and wished to follow the new traditions of Mondstadt, which emphasized freedom.

She was surprised when two people her age appeared in this usually deserted location. She murmured, "I wonder who they are...?"

Heins glanced down at Jean, who lay panting on the snow-covered ground, her small chest heaving with each labored breath. A sense of pride swelled within him as he took in her exhausted but determined expression. She had pushed herself hard, driven by a desire to prove herself worthy of his tutelage.

"Rest now, Jean," he said softly, his voice tinged with warmth and approval. "You've earned it."

As Jean closed her eyes, drifting off into a light doze, Heins divided his attention a bit to the pair of curious eyes watching them from the shadows of a nearby peak.

He turned his gaze towards the hidden observer, his crimson eyes glinting with amusement as he caught sight of the light blue hair peeking out from behind the icy rock.

Her light blue hair bobbed up as she watched curiously. Heins just smiled, letting her observe them as she pleased. He did not sense any malicious intent from the girl. After all, how could a girl his age could possibly have such a dark heart?

Well, Heins is an outliner, so he cannot be judged with this standard.

Heins knew he should reprimand the girl for her blatant curiosity, but something about her youthful innocence gave him pause.

In a world filled with darkness and deceit, it was a rare thing to encounter a soul so untainted by malice. He decided to let her observe to her heart's content, secure in the knowledge that she meant no true harm.

Meanwhile, Eula peered out from her hiding spot, her sectoral heterochromatic eyes wide with curiosity as she studied the strange pair.

She had never seen anyone else in these parts before, let alone a girl her age sparring with what she assumed was her mentor. The sight was both shocking and intriguing to the young heiress.

Eula's mind raced with questions as she watched Heins tend to his apprentice. Who were they? What brought them to this solitary place of cold and solitude? And why did the boy have such striking red eyes?

Unable to contain her curiosity any longer, Eula stepped out from behind the peak, her small form clad in a simple white sweater and a thick, fur-lined cloak.

She approached the pair cautiously, her boots crunching softly on the icy ground.

As she drew closer, Eula took in the sight of Jean's exhausted but contented expression, and Heins' proud demeanor. He was of her age, yet she felt like she was looking at someone beyond that.

She felt a pang of longing in her chest, a yearning for the kind of guidance and support that the girl seemed to have found in her mentor.

"Hello," Eula said softly, her voice barely above a whisper as she came to stand before them.

"I'm Eula, from the Lawrence Clan. I was just curious to know who you were and what brought you to train in a place like this."

She looked up at Heins, her sectoral heterochromatic eyes wide and innocent as she awaited his response, unaware of the dark history and true nature of the boy before her.

In her youthful naivety, she saw only a mentor helping his apprentice and felt a strange kinship with the pair.

Most people would feel repulsed by her clan, so she wonder if this encounter would be the same.

Heins smiled subtly. She seems to be just his age, albeit a little bit younger, just like Jean.

Don't be fooled by his attitude; Heins is still an eleven-year-old boy!

"I am Fool. And this is Jean Gunnhildr. I was requested by her to be her mentor, thus I complied. As to why we are in Dragonspine, well, little Jean here asked for a little outing, so I decided to come here."

Eula huffed out a misty breeze as she asked quietly, "You looked like someone my age, despite your height. How come you are much taller than me? And how could you be so strong?"

Heins smiled gently as his crimson eyes took a melancholic look, "Height depends on heredity, so I cannot answer that, same with my look. As for why am I so strong... I have someone I have to love, and I will push myself every single day of my life if it means getting an inch closer to that person."

Heins then looked at Eula and asked, "Well then, how about you, Eula? Why are you training in this harsh weather despite the warm climate of Mondstadt?"

Eula answered quietly, "I don't want to train there because I don't like my clan."

Heins's eyes glimmered in understanding as he nodded, "Indeed. A prestigious clan could be... Somewhat stringent. I also heard about the Lawrence Clan. So I was very surprised when you said you were hailed from the clan. I admire your bravery to choose your own path."

Eula's eyebrows furrowed as she inquired, "What's so surprising about it?"

Heins smiles, "Well, this conversation was surprising. I heard they were very arrogant. If you are a standard Lawrence clansman, would you talk to a nobody like me with courtesy?"

The girl shook her head, "You are not a nobody."

The boy chuckled, "See? Arrogant people would not care about that."

After a moment, Eula hesitated, but in the end, she quietly requested, "Can I... Can I watch you? I felt somewhat uncomfortable to watch you without your consent."

Heins was somehow amused. This girl, Eula, is very courteous and understanding. She is a good one.

"Then, be prepared. What I will show you... Would change the way you look at me."

At the moment, Jean, who had already recovered, hearing Heins's cue, abruptly stood up, her form tense and ready. Heins shook his head at her antics.

As Heins slowly unsheathed his sword, Jean couldn't help but tremble a bit, remembering the sheer intensity of her master's murderous intent. Still, she steeled her resolve as her hands grasped the hilt of her sword with determination.

Eula doesn't know what will happen, but seeing Jean preparing so thoroughly, she couldn't help but feel that something scary was about to happen. Instinctively, she grabbed her lance, her chosen weapon, and prepared herself to withstand anything that came her way, her stance elegant yet strong.

Then, when Heins fully unsheathed his sword, his murderous intent soared to the sky. His Electro Vision trembled as currents of purple thundered, shaking the ground. Heins's inviting and warm crimson eyes turned cold and ruthless as he coldly commanded, "Resist, or defy. Your choice."

Jean, who had experienced it, was ready to take his intent. She trembled, but she held on. As for Eula...

She immediately kneeled as tears built up in her eyes. Her grip on her lance wavered as her little form shook. But Heins was ruthless in training, and he merely glanced at Eula before he glared at Jean, "Move."

Jean, despite her fear, managed to spring into action. She lunged forward, her sword flashing through the air as she aimed a desperate strike at Heins.

The blade sang as it cut through the icy wind, the steel glinting in the pale light filtering through the clouds.

Heins watched her approach, his expression never changing. At the last moment, he moved, faster than Jean's eyes could follow.

He leaned to the side, allowing the sword to pass by him with a hairsbreadth of space between the metal and his cloak.

"Too slow," Heins said, his voice cold and hard as the ice beneath their feet. "Faster, Jean. You must be faster."

Jean gritted her teeth, the fear that had gripped her heart transforming into determination. She spun around, her blade flashing out in a wide arc as she tried to catch Heins off guard.

But Heins was always one step ahead. He sidestepped her attack with ease, his own sword flashing out to tap lightly against Jean's blade.

The impact sent a jolt of vibration through Jean's hands, making her fingers ache.

"Again," Heins commanded, his voice brooking no argument. "Push yourself harder, Jean. You can do better than this."

Jean nodded, her breath coming in short, sharp gasps. She launched herself at Heins once more, her sword a blur of motion as she rained down a flurry of blows.

Each one was met with a parry from Heins, his blade moving with a speed and precision that seemed almost inhuman.

Throughout their sparring match, Eula watched in awe and terror, her eyes wide as she gripped her lance with white knuckles.

She had never seen anyone move with such speed and ferocity, let alone a boy who looked to be around her age. The sheer intensity of Heins' presence was enough to make her knees weak and her heart race.

As the battle raged on, Eula couldn't help but feel a strange mix of emotions. Fear, yes, but also a grudging awe and admiration for the skill and power that Heins displayed.

She doesn't know when she'll be able to match his abilities, but the sight of him fighting with such single-minded focus and determination sparked something within her own heart.

Eula watched as Jean stumbled back, her chest heaving and her face flushed with exertion. Heins stood over her, his sword pointed at her throat, his expression grim and unforgiving.

"Yield," Heins said, his voice cold and hard as the steel of his blade. "Admit defeat, and I shall spare you."

Jean glared up at him, her breath coming in ragged gasps. But even as she trembled beneath the weight of his gaze, she refused to yield. "No," she said, her voice hoarse but defiant. "I won't give up. I can't give up."

Heins' eyes narrowed, a flicker of pride and coldness passing through their crimson depths. "Very well," he said, his voice low and threatening. "If you will not yield, then you leave me no choice."

With that, he raised his sword, the blade glinting wickedly in the pale light. And as he did, Eula saw a flicker of movement out of the corner of her eye.

She turned to look, her heart pounding in her chest, and saw a massive, twisted creature emerging from the shadows of the icy peaks.

It was a monster, unlike any she had ever seen before. Its body was a mass of writhing tentacles and jagged, icy spikes, its eyes glowing with a malevolent red light. As it lumbered towards them, the ground shook and cracked beneath its weight, sending shards of ice flying in all directions.

As soon as the creature appeared in his peripheral vision, Heins immediately exploded.

His killing intent, subdued and controlled previously, rose like a flame that was set ablaze. His crimson eyes glared as his handsome face turned cold. If the coldness he used on Jean was an ice cube, then the one he sent to the monster was an iceberg.

"You dare reveal your disgusting presence?"

From the side, Eula hurriedly pulled Jean over as both girls watched a pillar of the resplendent crackle of Electro rage violently. They watched in wondrous awe as Heins's murderous intent soared to the heavens.

When it targeted them, they felt scared and even despaired, but when it targeted their enemies, they felt like they were the safest girls in the world.

Heins disappeared in a heap of purple currents and appeared above the ice-malevolent monster. He sneered as he brought down his sword and hissed, "Fuck off!"

The monster let out a deafening roar, its icy hide shattering under the force of Heins' Electro-infused blow. Shards of frozen flesh and glittering shrapnel exploded outwards, peppering the snow-covered landscape with a hail of frozen debris.

Jean and Eula watched in stunned awe, their eyes wide with disbelief as Heins moved with a speed and ferocity that defied belief.

The boy who had seemed so gentle and kind moments before was now a thunderous beam of Electro energy, his sword a blur of purple light as he rained down a barrage of devastating strikes upon the beast.

With each blow, the creature shuddered and recoiled, its form beginning to crumble and dissolve under the onslaught.

Heins showed no mercy, his attacks growing faster and more brutal with each passing second. The monster thrashed and howled, trying desperately to escape the relentless assault, but Heins was unstoppable.

While Jean clapped her hands giddily, Eula could only watch in amazement, her heart racing with a mixture of fear and exhilaration. She had never seen anything like this before and had never imagined that someone so young could possess such incredible power and skill.

As the creature's cries grew weaker and its form began to disintegrate, Heins leaped back, his sword held high. With a final, mighty blow, he brought the blade down, cleaving the monster in two.

The two halves of the creature collapsed to the ground, the remaining pieces dissolving into a puddle of steaming, viscous fluid.

Heins stood tall and proud amidst the destruction, his chest heaving and his hair whipping in the icy wind.

He turned to face the two girls, his crimson eyes still blazing with the heat of battle, and for a moment, Jean and Eula saw a glimpse of the man he would one day become - a warrior without equal, a force of nature, a being of pure, unadulterated power.

But then, as quickly as it had come, the moment passed. Heins' expression softened, and he lowered his sword, the electro-energy fading away like a dying spark. He looked at Jean and Eula, his brows furrowing slightly as he took in their awestruck expressions.

"Are you two alright?" he asked, his voice still rough from the exertion of battle. "That creature could have hurt you if it had caught you off guard."

Jean nodded, her eyes wide and shining with a newfound respect for her mentor. "Yes, Master," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Thank you for saving us."

Eula, meanwhile, could only stare at Heins in disbelief, her heart pounding in her chest.

The sight of Heins fighting with such ferocity and grace had set her heart aflutter in a way that made her feel strange and fluttery inside.

"Who... who are you?" Eula asked, her voice trembling slightly as she spoke. "How can you be so strong and fast? And why... why were you training out here in the middle of nowhere?"

Heins looked at Eula, his expression softening slightly as he saw the genuine curiosity and wonder in her eyes. Inwardly, he thought about his identity.

He obviously couldn't tell her about his life in the Fatui and the trust the Tsaritsa had given him. Though it would he funny if he tell her so. Chuckling to himself inwardly, his crimson eyes looked at her.

"I am Fool," he said, sheathing his sword and turning to face Eula fully. "I am a warrior, and why I am here... Well, my dear student Jean really, really wanted to have an outing. So here we are. I told you before, didn't I?"

With that, Heins turned to Jean, his expression hardening once more. "As for you, Jean," he said, his voice stern and commanding.

"You fought well, but you are still too slow. Too hesitant. I know I am your mentor, but if you keep this up, not to mention hurting me, you won't be able to touch me with your blade. We will train harder, push you further until you are strong enough to face any threat that comes your way."

Jean nodded, her jaw set with determination. She knew that the path ahead would be difficult and that she would have to work harder than she ever had before.

But with Heins as her mentor, she felt like she could face anything and overcome any obstacle in her way.

And so, as the sun began to set over the icy peaks of Dragonspine, casting a pale, ethereal glow over the snow-covered landscape, the three figures stood in a moment of silence, each lost in their own thoughts and dreams.

It wasn't until Jean excitedly invited him over for dinner that they snapped out of their trance. But this time, Eula also wants to come along. She was still brimming with curiosity as her eyes looked at Heins.

Jean did not think anything of it. Although the light in Eula's eyes somewhat disgruntled her, she is different. She is a girl who was brave enough to train alone in the coldness of Dragonspine, and Jean could respect that.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in a breathtaking array of oranges and pinks, Heins found himself in an unfamiliar yet enchanting situation.

The hilly meadow of Windrise was a sight to behold, the lush green grass swaying gently in the warm evening breeze, while the colossal tree at the center cast a welcoming shadow that seemed to beckon them closer.

Jean had taken the lead, her earlier exhaustion from their training session replaced by a renewed energy and enthusiasm.

She bustled about, gathering firewood and setting up a small cooking area with a surprising level of familiarity.

Heins watched her with a mix of amusement and trepidation, wondering how a noble-born girl like Jean could possibly have the skills to cook a proper meal.

Eula, meanwhile, had taken it upon herself to stick close to Heins' side, her curiosity about him growing with each passing moment.

Her light blue hair danced in the breeze, occasionally brushing against his arm as she walked beside him, her eyes never leaving his face.

Heins could feel the weight of her gaze, the unspoken questions that lingered in her sectoral heterochromatic eyes - the upper half dark, inquisitive purple, the lower half pale, wondering yellow.

As Jean began to prepare the meal, Heins couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. He had seen her wield a sword with skill and determination, but cooking? That was a different story altogether.

He watched as she chopped vegetables with a surprising level of finesse, her nimble fingers dancing over the blade as she transformed the raw ingredients into a savory-smelling dish.

Eula, however, seemed to have no such doubts. She watched Jean work with a sense of awe and admiration, her eyes wide as she took in every detail of the cooking process.

Occasionally, she would glance over at Heins, a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth as if she could sense his apprehension.

So even someone as strong as him could feel apprehension. It was very obvious, but somehow it made her heart swelled in amusement and an odd sense of giddiness.

As the fire crackled and the food began to cook, Heins found himself drawn into the peaceful atmosphere of the meadow.

The fireflies danced around them, their glowing forms casting a soft, ethereal light over the scene. The night sky above was a canvas of stars, the moon casting a silver glow that seemed to bless the gathering.

Heins took a deep breath, the scent of the cooking meal filling his nostrils and easing his doubts. Perhaps, he thought, there was more to Jean than met the eye. Perhaps she was capable of surprises, of defying expectations in ways he had never imagined.

As the meal was served, Heins found himself seated between the two girls, the warmth of the fire and the company of his companions chasing away the last of his trepidation.

He looked at Jean, then at Eula, and felt a strange sense of belonging, of being a part of something greater than himself.

And so, under the starlit sky of Teyvat and the watchful gaze of the great tree, the three of them shared a meal, their laughter, and conversation mingling with the gentle rustling of the leaves and the distant whispers of the wind.

At that moment, Heins felt a sense of peace and contentment that he had rarely known before, a feeling of being exactly where he was meant to be. Perhaps it's a temporary thing, for he has a journey he must embark on.

But for now, he will enjoy his stay in Mondstadt to the fullest.