Genshin Impact: The Sharpshooter of Teyvat

Chapter 1404 The Tragedy of the New Moon (Part 2)

Hearing this, Diluc couldn't help but interject, "And then, you took advantage of this opportunity to evacuate to Nata?"

Upon hearing this, Nefer shook her head vigorously, a bitter and desperate look on her face, and said in a heavy tone:

"No, things are far more complicated than that. If it were only that, it wouldn't be the end of Nordkalley."

She paused, gathered her jumbled thoughts, and continued recounting that desperate past.

"After the Moon Goddess hid in the Moon Gate, we were completely lost and didn't know what to do."

"Just then, a member of the Witches' Guild named Nicole Lane found us and said that the moon in the sky is actually fake, and the real moon is hidden outside that false sky."

"If we can bring the real moon back to Teyvat, the moon goddess can be resurrected and return to lead us to defeat the Doughtore."

"Anyway, that's what she promised me back then, and we had no other choice."

"But time waits for no one. Dotore discovered our plan and, in a fit of rage, prepared to completely devour the entire Nordkare and reduce everything to nothing."

"At this critical moment, the seventh seat of the Fools, 'Puppet,' suddenly found us. She said that as long as we cooperated with her and held off Dotole for a while, we would have a chance to pull the real moon back from the sky, the moon goddess could be resurrected, and Nodcale could be saved."

At this point, Nefer covered her forehead and slammed her fist on the table.

"In the end, in order to hold off Dotole and buy time to pull back the moon, we sacrificed the life of the seventh seat of the Fools, the 'Puppet'."

"Fortunately, we succeeded. We did manage to hold off Doughtore, the real moon returned safely, and the moon goddess came back..."

After listening to Nefertari's account, Diluc showed no optimism. Combining this with his own observations, he calmly deduced:

"However, all of this was part of Dottore's plan. From the very beginning, he never intended to stop you from resurrecting the moon goddess."

Nefer nodded slowly, her eyes filled with a mixture of grief and regret, as she recounted the despair that followed.

“That’s right, you’re right, everything is under Dotore’s control.”

"The reason he allowed us to revive the Moon Goddess was so that he could wait for her to fully awaken and seize the complete power of the three months!"

Her voice trembled slightly as that unforgettable catastrophe resurfaced in her mind.

"In the end, Daughtore killed Columbia with his own hands, stole the entire power of March without hindrance, and then devoured the entire Nordcale without hesitation..."

"Those who survived, with nowhere else to go, were either forced to flee to the winter homeland, or, like us, wandered to Nata seeking refuge."

"This is everything that has happened in Nordkal during this time." Nefer closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and when she opened them again, she felt a deep weariness.

"You can't even imagine what we went through, that kind of hopeful yet ultimately powerless despair."

After hearing the whole story, Diluc's usually composed expression broke down.

“This is shocking. But if it’s that madman Dotole, then everything makes sense.”

Seeing Diluc's unusually flustered state, Nefert forced a bitter smile and said, trying to make the best of a bad situation:

"Honestly, it's rare to hear the word 'shock' from your mouth."

"But like you, it was a catastrophe for us... Even the word 'horrific' cannot describe the hellish scene at that time."

Diluc remained silent, rapidly processing all the information in his mind. After a moment, his eyes flickered slightly, and he asked the question that concerned him most.

"In that case, what is Zhi Dong's reaction? The second executive officer, 'Doctor,' openly killed the third executive officer, 'Girl,' which is tantamount to rebellion. Shouldn't Empress Zhi Dong make a statement?"

Upon hearing this, Nefert realized that this was precisely the intelligence that her Secret Archives had been focusing on recently.

She gathered her thoughts and shared the information she had on hand:

"According to my newly obtained intelligence, the fourth executive officer of the Fools, 'Servant,' and the last seat 'Prince,' have joined forces and led more than half of the Fools' forces to launch a formal attack on 'The Doctor.'"

"A civil war that will last until winter is probably about to break out."

Upon hearing that a civil war was brewing in Winter Solstice, Diluc asked with great interest, "A civil war in Winter Solstice? Do you have any more detailed information?"

Seeing his anxious expression, Nefer shook her head helplessly, a hint of apology and exhaustion on her face, and said frankly:

"To be honest, I don't know the specific details either. At the time, I was only concerned with escaping with Yakoda. I didn't dare to waste a single second. If I had been a step later, we would probably have both died at the hands of Dotole. I didn't have time to find out any detailed information about Zhidong."

She frowned, her voice filled with worry and confusion, and sighed softly.

"I don't even know what that madman Dotore will do next after he stole the power of the Three Months! What is his purpose? Will he target the other six countries? We have no idea. We can only take it one step at a time."

After listening, Diluc slowly leaned back in his chair, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

Dotole's ruthlessness and madness far exceeded his expectations, but he couldn't figure out what this madman was up to.

Diluc remained silent, only uttering a meaningful "Hmm...".

Nefer was also confused about the civil war between Dottore and Winter, and the more she thought about it, the more agitated she became. So she decided to put aside those distant worries for the time being and focus her attention on the urgent matter at hand.

"Let's not talk about these troublesome things for now. I want to ask you something... That famous craftsman in Nata, 'Shinoning,' you've been in Nata for so long, you must have heard of him, right?"

Upon hearing this, Diluc regained his composure and replied truthfully, "You must be referring to Shinonin, the Son of Echoes, right? She is indeed one of the most skilled craftsmen in Nata."

"She designed the automatic irrigation system for Dawn Winery, and she also frequently orders wine from Dawn Winery. We're old acquaintances."

Upon hearing this, Nefertari's face lit up with joy, and she quickly said, "Mr. Diluc, could you help me contact her? I urgently need her help, the sooner the better."

Seeing her anxious expression, Diluc instinctively asked:

"What do you want to see her about? If it's a trivial matter, I can pass it on for you; if it's something complicated, I'm afraid you'll need to explain it to her in person."

Nefert didn't hide anything, pointing towards the second floor of the winery, and said:

“My employee, Yakoda, has broken her prosthetic arm. I need someone to repair it for her. Logically, I should be looking for this young girl, Aino…”

"But, after everything that's happened, I don't want to trouble her for the time being, so I can only ask you to help me contact Xinoning."

When Diluc heard Nefertari mention her employee Akoda, the image of that person instantly flashed into his mind.

With bright, lively eyes, a carefree and impulsive nature, she acts with great energy and sometimes makes a few silly mistakes, yet she possesses a remarkable tenacity.

"Oh, I remember now, it's that clumsy but cute little girl who always follows you around."

"Speaking of which, she reminds me of Noelle from Mondstadt. She's just as warm-hearted and down-to-earth, except that Noelle seems to be a bit more reserved and composed."

Upon hearing this, Nefer immediately took Diluc's words as a compliment to Akoda, a smug look appearing on her face. She proudly raised her chin and said:

"That's right! I can't bear to abandon such a capable and considerate employee. Even if I have to flee, I'll take her with me."

As soon as she finished speaking, she seemed to realize that her tone had been too blunt, so she quickly straightened her expression, deliberately putting on a show of being tsundere, and tried to make amends:

"Of course, besides, she hasn't paid back the money she owes me yet. I can't just let her go like this. I have to make her pay off her debts first."

Diluc ignored Nefertari's fleeting change of expression. He slowly stood up, straightened his clothes, and said calmly, with a hint of certainty in his voice:

"Okay, no problem. I'll take care of contacting Xinoning as soon as possible. In the meantime, your Northern Continent intelligence network can temporarily operate from the Dawn Winery. There are enough spare rooms here for your use."

Fearing that Nefertari might have reservations and worry about information leaks, Diluc deliberately "bragged" and added:

"Don't worry, this winery is built on a plateau in a very remote location. Usually, no one comes here except for the winery staff, so we can absolutely guarantee your safety and the secrecy of our intelligence."

He said this with a calm expression, looking confident and assured.

However, before Diluc could finish speaking and before Nefer could respond, Shao Yun's familiar and loud voice came from outside the manor, penetratingly clear and reaching the dining room.

"Diluc! Are you home? Chaska and I have come to see you, open the door!"

Upon hearing that familiar voice, Diluc froze instantly, his composure crumbling.

He had just said that his home was in a remote area and that no one usually came to visit when Shao Yun brought Chaska to his door. This was a slap in the face that came too quickly, catching him completely off guard.

He pursed his lips, remaining silent, only letting out a meaningful yet somewhat embarrassed "Hmm..." His gaze unconsciously drifted to the side, avoiding eye contact with Nefer.

Seeing this, Nefer immediately crossed her arms, leaned back in her chair, and smirked, watching his discomfiture with glee. She deliberately teased him, saying:

“Mr. Diluc, I would like to ask you, is this what you mean by ‘remote location’ and ‘usually no one comes here’? It seems your ‘usual situation’ has arrived just in time.”

Diluc quickly coughed twice to cover his embarrassment, racking his brains to come up with what he thought was a flawless excuse, and said in a serious tone:

“He’s different. He’s my neighbor, he lives very close to here, and he can’t be considered an ‘ordinary person’.”

……