•.Loen.•

Loin sees a similarity between himself and Diluc: both suffered at the hands of the same man, and now that this story is over, Loin wonders: will Diluc never return to the Ordo Favonius? He'll never be the youngest captain, but he could easily become the most senior knight.

Varka mostly leads the men into battle, leaving all the paperwork to Jinn, and Loin notes this with irony: enemies can be defeated, but the same cannot be said for paperwork. Loin also experiments with tinctures and adds something to Varka's drink, but Varka is becoming increasingly resistant—the latest tincture had almost no effect, so Loin regrets that they are not in the End, where they could have added more powerful plants. Varka, however, believes that Loin causes some kind of commotion every day. At first, he saw himself in him as a younger man, thirsty for battle and glory, but over time he realized that Loen values ​​the process of combat itself, not recognition. Therefore, Varka adds with a grin: while Loin is busy fighting, at least he doesn't get bored and doesn't set traps to catch the master off guard. In short, the relationship between mentor and protégé is a mutual irony; Varka understands Loen better than he seems.

Loin doesn't use painkillers: they hinder his ability to fight, and the pain serves as a reminder that he's alive, unlike his opponents. He's skeptical of the very concept of powers: for many, they become a convenient excuse for their own fears, failures, and doubts, or a kind of illusion of security. His approach to combat is extremely pragmatic: identify the main threat, engage, and determine the victor as quickly as possible. The rest of the squad just has to get used to this approach.

Loen doesn't drink alcohol, but uses it to treat wounds, preferring the old dandelion wine from the Rassvet distillery. It's both disinfectant and intensely burning, which amuses him, especially when Varka exhibits a reaction. Loen used to be allergic to dandelions, but on Sucrose's advice, he overcame it: he filled his room with dandelions and regularly inhaled their pollen. He stopped sneezing, though he sometimes admits to missing the old days.

Loin prefers spicy foods. While on patrol, he often chews dried celestial pepper, which is a great pick-me-up, and he treats it casually, without unnecessary pomp. However, he disapproves of alcohol among his colleagues: in the Overworld, he was constantly woken up by drunken knights, and sometimes he even swapped their drinks for something else.

Loen's favorite pastime, outside of battle, is arranging small surprises for his comrades, which he considers part of his training, as a knight must be constantly on guard. After a good time in Thornport, Loen returned to Mondstadt, where the current Master Jinn proved to be much stricter than Varka, so he's not averse to another mission.

Loin is the deputy captain of the fifth squad, which specializes in long-range fire support. His predecessor, Theodore, was punished for misconduct, but Loin believes Theodore's abilities will still be useful to the squad: after atonement, he will be able to return, although no longer as deputy.

The Eye of God gives Loen an advantage in combat, but it is only effective against enemies within reach, not those hiding within.

character

Loen is a charismatic and reckless warrior whose fighting style borders on the insane. He's not one to hide behind his comrades: the vice-captain of the 5th Squad always rushes into the thick of battle, personally eliminating the most dangerous enemies. His endurance and tenacity command the respect of even the most hardened veterans. Despite all this, Loen is a reliable comrade, capable of inspiring soldiers to bold, adventurous tactics. However, his discipline is weak: he can skip training and act willfully, and he also appreciates a dark sense of humor.

When asked directly about his dark and sinister secrets, Loin replies that he simply doesn't have any. Although his primary weapon is a spear, as a knight of the Fifth Division, he regularly trains with a crossbow and musket. His aim against slimes and other small vermin is excellent, but Inazuma's spirit wouldn't mind testing his mettle. Explaining his choice of spear, Loin notes, "The best decoy on the battlefield is someone who looks like a leader," so he draws enemies toward himself, allowing the rest of the squad to fire undisturbed.

Fifth Squad is a typical fire support unit, and against truly formidable opponents, its role is limited to flanking cover. This was the case during the Avenger interception, when Varka led the main battle, and Loen's squad was tasked with holding the perimeter against the Wild Hunt. The more intense the battle, the easier it is for Loen to concentrate. He even admits to genuinely enjoying it, and it's a shame that such intense encounters have become so few and far between.

Varka had long been accustomed to imitators, but he'd never seen one quite like him: he'd set up a full-blown ambush—arrows, smokescreens, traps, and sedatives—methods worthy of a veteran. Varka immobilized him without difficulty, but he saw a glimmer of hope in his cold, unwavering gaze. Deciding that such talent needed a little time in the world, he locked the daring newcomer in a cell for several days.

The day after his release, Loen appeared before Varka with a bottle of his favorite dandelion wine, supposedly as an apology. As soon as Varka drank it, he felt dizzy—enough to kill a dozen wild boars, but he remained standing thanks to years of training. Adorno had warned him: Loen admired Varka's strength, but was primarily concerned with surpassing him. From that moment on, Loen developed a new understanding of strength—something that could not be defeated by traps or poison: a fortitude forged through countless brushes with death. Two more items were added to his list of goals: defeating Varka and enduring the same himself.

When the question of Loen's appointment as deputy captain of the fifth squad arose, a wave of doubts arose among the knights: ambushes, poison, traps—they had nothing to do with the knightly code. Loen was indifferent, but Adorno warned him: without the support of his comrades, his application to participate in Varka's grand expedition would fail. One refusal followed another.

Then Loen took an unexpected approach: since an unconventional knight couldn't participate in the trials, he would become the examiner himself. He submitted an application with a list of unconventional assessment methods: from night raids and sabotage of supply lines to camouflaged ambushes. At the end, he included a phrase that nearly made Varka choke on his wine—a quote from the opening of the attack on the previous Master of the Order: "If the knights of the Ordo Favonius cannot defend themselves, how will they defend Mondstadt?" Varka signed off: "Unconventional knights require unconventional trials."

Loin had long pondered a contradiction: ranged weapons required either strength or endurance, but not both. Heavy arrows pierced through and through, but their supply was limited; in a protracted battle, retreating was inevitable, and he disliked retreating from the front lines. One day, he saw criminal spears, gleaming like giant arrows, and immediately thought: what if he used an arrow that didn't require firing?

A spear suddenly appeared in the training plan alongside the rifle squad's formation. Its wielder attacked too quickly and found himself surrounded. Cardinal Seamos saw no interaction, only a highly visible living target, upon which both the enemy and his own archers were focused. Varka, however, saw things differently: the squad's strikes had become far more effective, and Loin hadn't fallen, meaning the tactic was working. That day, everyone got their due: the Fifth Squad got a deputy captain, the Expeditionary Force got a frontal suppression officer, Seamos got a day off due to a headache, Varka got a new excuse to drink, and Loin acquired a new fighting style, as well as a small glass sphere, as he called his God's Eye.

But one question nagged at him: if he encountered those bandits again, was he still a helpless child in need of rescue? When Loin donned the adventurer's uniform, his parents were clearly furious. Then Adorno intervened. He informed Loin that the main organizer of the kidnapping had been identified and had already died. When asked who had cornered him, Adorno replied, "Our Order Master, Knight Borealis." This proved decisive: Loin appeared for the Ordo Favonius selection trials, took first place, and was admitted to the order. At least, there was an official position there, keeping an eye on his comrades, and his parents never learned what Adorno had discussed with him.

Loen is the deputy captain of the fifth Ordo Favonius rifle squad. He also received the special title of "frontline suppression officer" for his exceptional combat prowess. This title has sparked much debate: why is a rifle squad constantly operating on the front lines, commanded by a knight with a spear in hand? The bards put an end to the debate by describing it as the sharpest spear, capable of ripping through any line of defense, and the strongest shield, capable of stopping any onslaught. However, I believe the deputy captain believes the second half of the quote is more effective. They prefer to omit ambushes, poison, and sabotage from Loen's stories, not for the sake of knightly glory—he never considers whether a battle will bring him honor or shame; the main thing is to endure and win.

On an ordinary day, while escorting a load of bows to Mondstadt, they were ambushed by bandits. The father, having forgotten his fighting skills due to years of quiet living, didn't even consider resisting, and Loen was captured. In a darkened cage, while the other kidnapped children cried around him, he silently cut the rope with a hidden arrowhead. When the guards finally arrived, led by the knight Adorno, he noticed one of the crying children, his face impassive and his ropes barely cut. "What an extraordinary child," he concluded.

Loen's first toy was a small, flexible bow made by his parents. His parents were masters of this type of weapon. His father, however, never taught him how to shoot, merely inspecting the bow's limb, oiling the surface, and waxing the string day after day, over and over again. The family lived a measured and peaceful life for over twenty years, and Loen already saw his entire life's journey before him—a quiet decline into an unchanging routine. But his indomitable spirit was not cut out for this.