As he watched his companions laughing and joking around the campfire,
something suddenly stirred in Diluc's heart.
He remembered his days in the Knights of Favonius, when he and his comrades had relied on one another and roamed freely across Mondstadt.
This moment was so much like those days...
Back then, after leaving the Knights of Favonius, he had traveled far from home, wandering through many nations in constant pursuit of information on the Fatui and Delusions.
Along the way, he had fought countless battles, navigated oceans of intelligence, and faced many ugly sides of human nature.
He had been hunted by several Fatui Harbingers working together and faced death many times.
For all these years, he had been alone, and he had grown used to it.
It had been a very, very long time since he had felt this kind of peace and security.
Unable to trust anyone around him, he naturally had to keep his guard up at all times, wary of everything around him.
After so many years of exhausting, solitary journeys, how could his heart not be weary?
Watching his companions laugh around the campfire, he gradually let go of the tension in his heart.
Without his even noticing, the joy and warmth of this moment soothed his weary soul.
Even though he resisted getting close to others, companions he could trust and lean on had still found their way to him...
The warmth and laughter of this moment allowed him to lower his guard and truly rest.
He could finally get some proper rest. He no longer needed to worry about threats, because he had trustworthy companions at his side.
"Phew..."
He let out a long breath, leaned back against the large tree, and closed his eyes to sleep.
The laughter around him did not