The Knights' Grand Gesture

Jean didn't fully grasp Shen Qin's technical explanation, but she understood the gist of it, he needed a large tract of land outside Mondstadt to consolidate laboratories, factories, and other facilities, which would bring significant benefits.

"Do you have any specific requirements for the research base's location? Water sources, climate, terrain, transportation, and so on?" Jean's considerations were thorough.

Shen Qin pondered. "Flat terrain is ideal, preferably with access to water. Anywhere easily accessible without mountain crossings would work. It's best to keep it distant from populated areas, some production processes might generate noise."

Flat land would simplify construction and internal road planning, while water was essential for industrial use. As for transportation, that would cease to be an issue once his transport vehicles were developed.

"Understood. I'll present this application at tomorrow morning's Knights' internal meeting and notify you of the results afterward."

No sooner had Shen Qin left the Knights' headquarters than he nearly collided with Amber, swiftly steadying the stack of papers she almost dropped.

Relieved, she flashed him a grateful smile. "Thanks for that!"

"Watch where you're going! You could've bowled someone over," Shen Qin chided.

Amber was always like this—brimming with energy, often barreling into mishaps. Yet when it came to official duties, she never faltered, executing every mission flawlessly.

She stuck out her tongue playfully. "Hehe! Oh no—"

A gust of wind sent several sheets flying. Shen Qin chased them down and picked one up—a missing person notice:

Seeking a lost young man. Kindly provide any information or assistance.

Description: Golden hair, foreign attire, highly distinctive.

"This is…?" He handed the flyer back to Amber.

"It's for Lumine! I promised to help her find her brother, but the dragon crisis kept delaying things. Finally got a day off, so I'm posting these around the city. Wanna help?"

Shen Qin grinned. "Sure!"

Though he knew it was futile, when the time was right, Aether would reunite with Lumine on his own.

The two spent the afternoon plastering flyers across high-traffic areas. As thanks, Amber treated him to dinner at the Goth Grand Hotel.

Honestly, ever since gliding boards became a thing, Amber no longer wasted Mora replacing worn-out Wind Gliders. Her pockets were noticeably fuller now.

Sigh… Hope these flyers help somehow…

Amber clearly held no real hope of finding Aether this way, but for Lumine, she'd try anything—no matter how slim the odds.

"You've already done more than enough."

"Mm!" Amber waved energetically. "Thanks again! Without you, I'd still be at it!"

"See you."

The next day, Shen Qin arrived at Jean's office with Klee and Sucrose in tow. The two were still worn out from yesterday's adventures and reluctant to leave the city.

"Shen Qin, glad you're here." Jean wasted no time, unfurling a map of Mondstadt. "Your application's approved. We've even picked a suitable location—though it's a bit far from the city."

Her finger tapped a spot: Stormterror's Lair.

"Stormterror's Lair?" Shen Qin blinked.

"Exactly. While the basin's entrance has a steep elevation drop, the interior is remarkably flat. It has two large lakes fed by groundwater, no nearby settlements, and most importantly, its abundant mineral deposits. Perfect for local resource utilization!"

"However, if you choose this site, we'd appreciate efforts to preserve the Old Mondstadt ruins. They hold historical significance as the birthplace of our nation."

"Thoughts?"

Mondstadt's flat, water-rich areas were scarce—limited to Starfell Lake, Windrise, Dadupa Gorge, south of Springvale, and Stormterror's Lair.

Springvale is a human settlement, so it is ruled out first.

There are three huge hill tribes in Dadupa Gorge. If you want to build a research and development base there, you must wipe out all three tribes. However, the Knights have an ancient precept that they are not allowed to enter the territories of the three tribes unless there are special circumstances. For thousands of years, they have tacitly maintained a peaceful state with Mondstadt.

Windrise Land is where Mond's spiritual beliefs are, and it should not be moved lightly.

Starfall Lake is an iconic tourist attraction that is very popular among Monstadt native and outsiders alike, and the ecology there must not be destroyed.

That left Stormterror's Lair—less convenient than other options, but unmatched in resources.

Shen Qin made his decision swiftly. "Which section would be allocated?"

Jean smiled. "The entire territory is yours to utilize."

Shen Qin's eyes widened. The entire Old Mondstadt? An area three times larger than the current city!

"No mistake. We're leasing Stormterror's Lair to you—annual rent: 1 Mora, renewable for up to fifty years."

"Th-this…"

It was too absurd. Words failed him.

"After your contributions during the dragon crisis—asking nothing in return—we unanimously agreed this would be a fitting reward."

As Shen Qin opened his mouth to protest, Jean cut in: "Don't refuse yet. This isn't purely altruistic. We hope your research will continue benefiting Mondstadt."

The Knights' sincerity left no room for refusal. Besides—what man could resist the allure of building his own city?

In a daze, Shen Qin paid 50 years' rent upfront and left cradling the contracts. Stormterror's Lair—all of it—was now his.

Back at the workshop, the reality finally sank in. He sat at his workbench, grinning like a fool.

That much land… Just farming it could feed all of Mondstadt for a year.

"Miss Sucrose… Is Big Brother Shen Qin okay? He's been smiling weirdly for so long… Is he sick?" Klee whispered.

Sucrose: "…"

She didn't get it either. Though, admittedly, she'd also been stunned when Jean announced the lease.

Finally snapping out of his euphoria, Shen Qin declared: "Let's head to the cathedral. Time to brainstorm with Albedo on how to develop our new territory!"