"Uh…"
The knights exchanged uncertain glances.
Though none of them spoke aloud, their expressions made it painfully clear—every single one of them had already decided that Kaeya must be the one responsible for this scene.
"This is a massive misunderstanding," Kaeya sighed, rubbing his temples lazily. "Please, as much as I'd love to take credit for something this impressive, this one has nothing to do with me. I just happened to pass by and, you know, handled the cleanup."
"But…" one knight muttered under his breath, "aside from Captain Kaeya, who else could pull off something like this?"
The corner of Kaeya's mouth twitched.
He could practically read the thoughts in their eyes—
The living textbook of the Knights of Favonius, master of every impossible combat situation.
"If you don't want me reporting you all to Acting Grand Master Jean, I suggest you swallow those words right now," Kaeya said, eyes narrowing with a dangerous gleam.
The knights immediately straightened their backs, snapping to attention, and quickly withdrew their suspicious gazes.
No one in their right mind would want to get on Kaeya's bad side.
"In any case, no one outside this squad can find out about this."
The teasing tone vanished from Kaeya's voice, replaced by stern command.
He swept his gaze over the battlefield and said quietly, "The Fatui dying inside Mondstadt is not something the public can learn of. It would cause unnecessary panic—and once the Fatui discover that their elites are missing, they'll launch an investigation."
The knights nodded in unison and immediately moved to seal off the area.
Barricades went up swiftly, preventing any civilians from approaching.
Kaeya gave a small, approving nod before turning to leave.
"I'll head to Acting Grand Master Jean's office and report this to her."
The wind stirred his indigo hair as he walked away. Glancing back at the tense, vigilant knights, he smiled faintly—a sharp, teasing curve of his lips.
"When I get back, if any of you still think this was my doing… be ready for extra training."
"Understood, Captain!" the knights replied in perfect unison, backs ramrod straight.
Satisfied, Kaeya turned and made his way toward the headquarters of the Knights of Favonius.
The night wind fluttered his cape, the white fur lining of his collar shimmering under the lamplight.
Before long, he arrived at the knights' headquarters.
Even at this late hour, the lights inside still burned bright—a symbol that Mondstadt's order continued to hold firm through the night.
"Captain Kaeya."
The guard stationed at the gate blinked in mild surprise at his sudden arrival, then quickly saluted.
"Is Acting Grand Master Jean still in her office?" Kaeya asked as he walked by.
"She hasn't left yet, sir. The light in her office is still on."
The guard hesitated, then added earnestly, "Captain Kaeya, please, try to persuade Acting Grand Master Jean to rest a little. She hasn't slept much these past few nights."
Their own words never worked—but Kaeya's might.
After all, as Jean's most trusted right hand, his advice carried far more weight.
"I'll see what I can do," Kaeya said softly, though inwardly he sighed.
Even if he told her to rest, would she really listen?
With that thought lingering, he stepped into the headquarters.
His boots echoed rhythmically along the polished floor as he walked down the corridor, heading toward the office at the far end—the one still aglow with lamplight.
Of course, Jean was still working.
Recalling her tireless diligence during the day, Kaeya couldn't help but sigh again before raising a hand to knock on the door.
"Come in," came Jean's composed, gentle voice from within.
Kaeya pushed the door open and stepped inside, his gaze settling on her.
Jean sat behind her desk, which was piled high with documents, clearly just having finished one batch of paperwork.
When she looked up and saw Kaeya, a flicker of surprise crossed her eyes.
She set down her pen. "Kaeya? It's so late—what brings you here?"
"Acting Grand Master," Kaeya began, shaking his head slightly.
"I'm not here to nag you about taking a break—though, for the record, you really should. Overworking isn't a noble habit, you know."
Jean sighed helplessly. "You didn't come all the way here just to tell me that, did you?"
"Of course not."
Kaeya's usual easy smile faded. His gaze sharpened.
"The Fatui elites have been wiped out within the city."
Jean froze, her brows knitting sharply together, eyes widening with disbelief.
"...What?"
She rose abruptly, her voice low but firm. "You're saying—Fatui elites were killed within Mondstadt's walls?"
Kaeya nodded. "Yes. It happened in an isolated street in the eastern district. I was on patrol when I sensed a surge of intense elemental energy."
"When I arrived, all of the Fatui were already dead."
"And their deaths were… brutal."
Jean's face darkened.
The Fatui's presence within Mondstadt was always under strict watch, for their agents to engage in combat inside the city—even with Delusions—was practically unheard of. And for an entire elite squad to be wiped out?
That was unprecedented.
"Come. Take me there."
Jean rose decisively, throwing on her coat and heading for the door.
Kaeya followed close behind, and as they walked through the halls, their voices dropped into a tense exchange.
"What's the situation in detail?" Jean asked, urgency creeping into her tone.
"There were five bodies in total—all confirmed Fatui elites," Kaeya replied evenly. "Judging from their wounds, their opponent was overwhelmingly powerful. They never even had a chance to fight back."
He paused, his tone turning grave. "More than that—the black flames of Delusions were still lingering at the scene. They used their Delusions in battle."
Jean's steps faltered for an instant, eyes widening in shock. "They actually resorted to Delusions?"
"Yes."
Kaeya nodded. "And yet… even so, they were completely annihilated."
Jean fell silent, her brow furrowing tighter.
She knew well what it meant for Fatui to use Delusions.
Those elites, empowered by such weapons, could move freely across Teyvat—proof of strength far beyond that of ordinary soldiers.
But now, even with that forbidden power, they'd been effortlessly slaughtered—wiped out.
That could only mean one thing.
Their opponent's power had exceeded even the Fatui's elite combat capabilities.
"So this is…" Jean murmured, deep in thought. "Internal conflict? Or an outside attack?"
Kaeya shrugged slightly. "That's what puzzles me."
"From what I've seen, it doesn't look like infighting. Once Delusions were involved, their enemy was almost certainly an external force."
"But that raises another question—"
His tone grew heavy, eyes narrowing.
"Unless some unknown force or outsider has infiltrated the city, where could such overwhelming power come from?" Jean's eyes flickered with unease.
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