As the largest hotel in Mondstadt and now the Fatui's primary base in the city, the Goth Grand Hotel housed numerous Fatui members.
In a luxurious room, a Mirror Maiden summoned forth a watery mirror, the surface rippling before an image became clear.
At the center of the reflection was the Holy Lyre der Himmel, the very item they'd once stolen. Shifting the view outward, the figures of Venti and his companions appeared vividly in the mirror.
Clearly, they'd tampered with the Lyre, turning it into a surveillance tool.
"My lady, they've departed," reported the Mirror Maiden. "Judging by their direction, they seem to be heading toward Stormterror's Lair."
La Signora reclined elegantly on a large chaise lounge, idly twirling a chess piece between her pale, icy fingers.
Before her lay a scattered chessboard, depicting a complex situation: a king seated on his throne, protected by loyal guardians—but its most powerful protector, the queen, was nowhere to be seen.
She chuckled lightly, a sound both cold and amused, before casually tossing the queen onto the board.
Instantly, the pieces toppled, the carefully orchestrated chessboard now a chaotic ruin.
Beside her, an Electro Cicin Mage softly asked, "Lady Signora, when shall we make our move?"
"No rush," Signora replied leisurely. "A good hunter must always have patience. After all, our dear Anemo Archon is currently under the careful protection of his knights."
Another Electro Cicin Mage lowered her head respectfully. "My lady, a large number of monsters are gathering outside Mondstadt. It appears they intend to attack the city. Should we intervene?"
"Of course not," Signora crossed her legs elegantly, an icy smirk playing at her lips. "Since the Acting Grand Master refused our generous offer to assist in defending the city, naturally, we have no reason to help with their little monster siege."
Signora rose gracefully and strode to the window, gazing down upon the city symbolizing freedom.
"Let's see what capable heroes the Knights can muster now that their leader isn't around…"
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At the main bridge leading to Mondstadt's gates, rows of sharp barricades were set up in perfect formation.
Fully armed knights stood poised, ready at a moment's notice for the impending monster assault.
Jiang Bai stood atop the tall city walls, shading his eyes against the midday sun. "It's nearly noon. Why haven't those monsters made a move yet?"
They'd been stationed on the walls since before dawn, prepared for the hilichurl attack.
While Jiang Bai was quite excited at the idea of witnessing a real monster siege, spending the entire morning waiting on the battlements without a single sign of the enemy had considerably dampened his enthusiasm.
By noon, he could even see wisps of smoke rising from the nearby forest, signaling that the hilichurls were cooking their lunch.
Diluc remained completely unruffled. "Be patient."
Kaeya strolled up, casually flipping a mora coin. "Exactly. Those Abyss Mages are counting on our impatience. The Knights have already rotated shifts, so you should take a break and get some lunch yourselves. The hilichurls are still busy cooking; they'll attack after they've had their fill."
Amber had provided that information, and she was generally trustworthy in her scouting.
Seeing Kaeya, Jiang Bai raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Weren't you supposed to be sweeping the city for suspicious people? Why are you here?"
Kaeya clapped him familiarly on the shoulder. "With the city on high alert and the monsters yet to attack, who would be foolish enough to sneak into the city now?"
Already accustomed to Kaeya's overly familiar behavior, Jiang Bai simply hooked an arm around Kaeya's shoulder in return, matching his casual manner.
"You never know. Maybe they've already sneaked in and are just waiting for chaos to strike."
"Relax. Trust the Knights!" Kaeya said cheerfully.
Diluc snorted disdainfully upon hearing Kaeya's words.
Without a further word, he turned and descended from the walls.
Watching Diluc leave, Jiang Bai turned curiously toward Kaeya.
"Why does Diluc hate the Knights so much? And your relationship seems... complicated?"
They clearly didn't get along well, yet cooperated efficiently when needed. It seemed like Diluc was perpetually irritated by Kaeya, though.
Kaeya shrugged nonchalantly. "Ah, that's a long story."
He clearly had no intention of elaborating, making Jiang Bai twitch his mouth in frustration.
Kaeya chuckled, pulling Jiang Bai away from the wall. "Never mind that. While the hilichurls eat, I'll treat you to some Honey-Carrot Grilled Meat!"
Yet, the hilichurls chose precisely this moment to attack—right when Jiang Bai and Kaeya were halfway through their meal at Good Hunter, a sharp, piercing whistle echoed through the city.
The monster siege had begun!
Nearby knights abandoned their barely-touched plates, immediately grabbing their weapons and sprinting toward the city gates.
Kaeya calmly placed down his cutlery, leisurely wiping his mouth. "Looks like my work begins."
Jiang Bai stuffed the rest of his meat hastily into his mouth and dashed off, eager to witness the grand spectacle firsthand.
Apparently, the smoke rising from the forest was a clever trick by the Abyss Mages. Even Amber had fallen for this smoke screen during her reconnaissance, mistakenly thinking the hilichurls were genuinely preparing their meal, thereby relaxing their guard slightly.
This assault was truly catching them off guard!
Jiang Bai quickly scaled the city walls, swallowing the last bite of his food as he surveyed the field below.
The attacking hilichurls numbered in the thousands—not overwhelming, but still considerable.
These creatures, varied in size and armed with diverse weapons, swarmed from all directions. Their sheer numbers caused the ground to tremble slightly beneath their pounding feet, their strange cries creating an unexpectedly thrilling atmosphere.
Driven by Abyss Mages, the hungry hilichurls charged at Mondstadt, lured by the enticing aroma of food wafting through the city.
But hilichurls were utterly lacking in discipline, and even under Abyss Mages' direction, these dim-witted creatures couldn't maintain a proper formation.
Originally, the large Mitachurls—armed with heavy shields—should have led the assault, both protecting those behind and pushing through the defenses.
Yet, in their reckless charge, the smaller, torch-bearing hilichurls quickly outpaced their larger comrades, becoming easy targets under Amber's volley of arrows.
Hilichurl shamans hid behind, chanting incantations while wielding their large staffs. Archers positioned themselves on stone pillars, shooting relentlessly at the knights. Slime-filled projectiles soared through the air, and heavily armored Mitachurls charged forward recklessly.
Suddenly, attacks infused with elemental energy rained down relentlessly, striking barricades, the bridge, and shaking the defenders' already tense nerves.
Within moments, the defenses at the bridgehead were nearly overwhelmed!