Mondstadt almost never sees rain. According to the nuns in the city, this is the blessing of the Anemo Archon, Barbatos. Disasters will never plague this city.
The wind here never stops, the clear sky is devoid of clouds, and even the stars seem to have a special quality to them.
Collei, holding the clothes she had changed out of, walked out of the bathroom in her slippers, making a soft pat-pat sound. Although her injuries prevented her from taking a proper bath, she still liked to give herself a quick wipe-down.
"You never seem to take a bath, do you?"
After carefully putting away her clothes, Collei looked at Bai Luo, who was at the window.
In her impression, Bai Luo always wore that black trench coat. Even when camping in the wild, he slept in his clothes, as if... he was always on guard.
"I don't need to bathe."
Without taking his eyes off the stars, Bai Luo replied indifferently.
Collei pouted. Although her nose was covered by bandages, she quietly approached Bai Luo, sniffing subtly, trying to catch a whiff of something.
But Bai Luo didn't give her the chance. With a swift motion, he grabbed her and placed her on his lap.
At first, Collei struggled, but her resistance gradually weakened until it disappeared altogether.
Because she was captivated by the stars above.
When she had woken up in that abandoned hut years ago, she had been wandering across the seven nations, constantly struggling to survive. She had never had the time to gaze at the stars.
This was the first time she realized how beautiful the night sky of Teyvat could be.
"In astrology, everyone's fate is etched into the stars. The countless stars represent the destinies of people."
"Is yours there too?"
Collei asked, her voice soft.
"BK201 is the code name for my star."
"Is that one?"
Collei raised her bandaged arm, pointing at the brightest star. For some reason, she hoped that the brightest one belonged to Bai Luo.
"That's the moon."
"..."
After letting go of Collei, Bai Luo closed the window. There was no point in staring at this false night sky any longer.
Under Collei's resentful gaze, Bai Luo yawned and walked over to the soft bed, lying down and quickly falling asleep.
Meanwhile, the window was now crisscrossed with thin, sharp wires.
"Tch, such a cautious guy."
Looking at the sharp wires and then at her own frail body, Collei hugged her small blanket, spread it out on the soft carpet, and crawled inside.
Even though she knew Bai Luo wouldn't be affected by her plague, she still didn't want to share a bed with him.
After being humble for so long, even a small act of willfulness felt like a luxury.
"Goodnight."
"Goodnight."
...
While the Fatui remained calm, the Knights of Favonius were in chaos.
In the meeting room, Jean paced back and forth in front of the table, staring at the Mechanical Bird 2.0. If the intelligence was accurate, these things were scattered across all the monster-infested areas in Mondstadt.
This was not good news for Mondstadt.
"What did the Grand Master say?"
Lisa, now dressed in formal attire, asked Jean.
"The Grand Master said to leave it entirely to me."
With the expedition imminent, the Grand Master had to entrust the Knights of Favonius to someone he could trust, and Jean was that person.
This was also a test for her.
If she could resolve this matter smoothly, Grand Master Varka would feel more at ease handing over the Knights of Favonius to her.
"The Windblume Festival is approaching. We can't let something like this happen in Mondstadt. So... what do you think of the Instructor's terms?"
The information Bai Luo had given her only briefly mentioned the plan, without any specifics, so she was deeply concerned.
"When dealing with the Fatui, we must be cautious. We need to be absolutely certain before making any decisions."
Mondstadt had already been tricked by Il Dottore once. They couldn't afford to fall into the Instructor's trap this time, or else... Mondstadt would suffer greatly.
So in this matter, she didn't want to gamble, nor did she dare to.
She was waiting for someone. As long as he brought back evidence, it would prove Bai Luo wasn't lying, and then she could consider his offer.
And that person didn't keep her waiting long.
"My people have confirmed that most of the monster-infested areas near Mondstadt have these strange devices. And according to my analysis... the special spices inside these things not only attract monsters but also drive them into a frenzy. They're extremely dangerous."
Diluc and Kaeya walked into the meeting room together, placing the Mechanical Bird 2.0 on the table.
"The Spindrift Knight's subordinates have also confirmed that even the more distant Hilichurl camps have these things. And according to them, these devices are well-hidden. It took five searches to find one inside a Hilichurl's milk jug."
Kaeya hadn't come with Diluc. He had just run into his sworn brother outside the Knights' headquarters and entered with him.
But the intelligence he brought was no less significant than Diluc's.
This meant that even if they spent a great deal of manpower investigating, there will still be some fish that slipped through the net. Perhaps this was one of the reasons the Instructor dared to use this as leverage.
"Can the Knights hold off these Hilichurls?"
Diluc asked. If it came to it... he would have to intervene in secret. He wondered how his subordinates were doing with the blue wig he had requested.
"We can hold them off, but it's meaningless."
Looking at the intelligence brought by the two, Jean's frown deepened. For Mondstadt, this wasn't just a disaster—it was potentially worse than the dragon Ursa incident.
What a troublesome time.
"Exactly. Even if we can hold them off, what's the point? If something like this happens during the Windblume Festival, it will tarnish Mondstadt's reputation among the visiting tourists. And those Fatui will surely seize the opportunity to promote their conscription plans again."
This was one of the reasons Lisa had sought out Acting Grand Master Jean in the middle of the night. Although Bai Luo's documents didn't outline the Fatui's plans, someone as astute as Lisa couldn't possibly miss such a thing.
"Lisa, what about your teacher..."
Jean looked at Lisa somewhat apologetically, asking for her opinion. If they were to follow the Instructor's terms, it would inevitably involve Lisa's connections in Sumeru.
And connections like that weren't something to be used lightly.
"I sent a letter to my teacher before coming here. I'm sure reinforcements will arrive in a few days."
Lisa chuckled softly as she replied.
She was well aware of how terrifying the Instructor could be. Jean had no choice but to accept his terms. Besides... she was sure her teacher would be very interested in the situation of that child.
"Alright, help arrange it. I'll meet with the Instructor tomorrow."
"Leave it to me."