Bai Luo's final threat ultimately had its intended effect.
A weak nation has no diplomacy. While Mondstadt may not be particularly weak, it still falls slightly short compared to Snezhnaya.
The Anemo Archon, who doesn't bother with official duties, hasn't abdicated, but after handing over all authority to the people of Mondstadt, he rarely interferes with their governance. He only steps in with a casual "Ehe" when things spiral out of control.
Regardless of whether Bai Luo had any ulterior motives, Jean couldn't refuse the plan he proposed. As Bai Luo had said, they simply couldn't reject it.
"Finally, could you do me a small favor?"
Just as Jean breathed a sigh of relief after both parties signed the contract, Bai Luo's voice drifted in, eerily calm.
They had fallen into his trap!
Not only Jean, but Diluc and Kaeya also looked ready to draw their swords. Only Lisa, sitting beside Bai Luo, remained composed.
"Mr. Instructor, the contract we signed doesn't seem to include this clause, does it? Are you planning to break the agreement?" Diluc instinctively stepped in front of Jean and questioned.
Although they were in Mondstadt, Bai Luo was a native of Liyue. Even though he now served Snezhnaya, the Geo Archon held an unshakable position in the hearts of the people of Liyue. This was one of the reasons they had chosen to sign the contract with Bai Luo.
"Master Diluc, don't worry. The small favor I'm referring to is about the diplomat incident," Bai Luo sighed.
Such was the treatment of a villain. No matter what he did, people would always be wary. He wondered if there would ever come a day when someone would trust him unconditionally. Perhaps Arataki "Friends with Everyone" Itto could manage it, but who knows if spending too much time with a fool would lead to catching their foolishness.
"The diplomat incident?" Hearing Bai Luo's words, Diluc instinctively glanced at Collei, who was standing beside Bai Luo, ready for a fight.
Last night, during Bai Luo's conversation with Lisa, he had already sold out the naive girl. Those investigating the Black Fire incident were almost certain she was the mastermind behind it. So, what was Bai Luo trying to achieve by bringing this up now?
"For the sake of your Mondstadt, I've even messed up the task Her Majesty assigned me. If the diplomat incident isn't resolved soon, I'll be in a tough spot."
"..."
Even though they had already witnessed how shameless he could be, seeing him like this still left Diluc and the others momentarily speechless.
What did he mean by "for the sake of your Mondstadt"? If he hadn't planted so many traps, would there have been so many issues? So, after causing all this trouble and then resolving it himself, he now comes to them complaining?
Diluc, having traveled across the continent, was no ordinary man. He had managed his father's winery single-handedly, and it wasn't just the steward who helped him. Compared to the others, he already understood what Bai Luo was getting at.
"Alright, I understand. I'll cooperate with you." Clenching the Delusion hidden in his sleeve, Diluc agreed.
Only his Delusion could mimic the strange black fire Collei had unleashed back then.
"Senior! Please discuss this with us before making a decision!" Jean didn't know what silent exchange had passed between Bai Luo and Diluc, but she could sense that this was likely a very dangerous matter.
"Acting Grand Master, don't forget that I left the Knights of Favonius three years ago." Diluc's tone was filled with resistance, but it felt more like he was trying to protect Jean.
He had never wanted Jean to be involved in the diplomat incident, and now that the Instructor was meddling, he was even more determined to keep her away from such matters.
Nodding at Bai Luo, Diluc stepped over to the window Bai Luo had left open and jumped out.
Time was of the essence. He had to plan everything before dawn, so there was no time to waste taking the stairs.
"Don't worry, Acting Grand Master Jean. Leave the monster handling to you. I'll take care of Diluc. With the two of us working together, there won't be any problems." Seeing the concern in Jean's eyes, Kaeya quickly followed suit and leaped out the window.
Jean understood that although the two brothers had been at odds since the incident with Master Crepus three years ago, they still knew right from wrong. With the two of them working together, there was indeed no need to worry.
"Here's what you need. You might have already found some of them, but there are still plenty left. Enough to keep you busy." Handing over the map he had drawn, Bai Luo spoke with a gleeful tone, his annoying demeanor even making Collei a bit uncomfortable.
Did he not realize who had planted all these things in the first place?
After taking the map, Jean felt a chill run down her spine. Despite the efforts of Diluc's subordinates and Eula's reconnaissance team, they had only found a little over a dozen. It turned out that wasn't even a fifth of the total. Even in areas they had thoroughly searched, thinking there couldn't possibly be any more, there were still remnants.
The main issue was that this guy had hidden things in the most absurd places. For example, inside the shields of Wooden Shieldwall Mitachurls, in the watchtowers of Hilichurls, within the totems of Abyss Mages... and even stuffed inside Slimes. He even specified which Slime, its shape, and how active it was.
This was going to be tough to handle...
If all else failed, they could discuss with Katheryne tomorrow and release a few commissions. Let's call them... "Crisis of the Shieldbearers," "Danger at High Altitudes," "Spread of Evil," and "The Great Icy Threat." Hopefully, the adventurers would be up to the task.
"We won't disturb you any further. Please inform me as soon as the scholars from the Sumeru Akademiya arrive. This child's condition can't be left untreated for too long." Knowing that the two of them would be even busier than Diluc and the others, Bai Luo didn't linger.
He wrapped an arm around Collei and, ignoring her resigned expression, hoisted her over his shoulder and jumped out the window.
Did this guy not know what a princess carry was?
Lisa: "..."
Tomorrow, I'll ask Master Wagner to forge some solid iron bars for the windows.
After leaving Lisa's place, the two didn't linger in Mondstadt and headed straight back to the hotel.
Holding Bai Luo's hand, Collei stole a glance at him.
People from Liyue always seemed to wear smiles on their faces. No matter the situation, they could greet others with a smile. But Bai Luo's smile was different from the Liyue people she had met before.
His smile lacked the usual politeness and carried a hint of resistance. It was like the smile of a big brother from the neighborhood whom you hadn't seen in a long time. At first, it felt a bit unfamiliar, but after a while, you could still get along.
Perhaps some things troubled him, but he always managed to resolve them perfectly with that confident smile.
He had once said that BK201 was the star in the false sky that represented him.
The reason the night sky was called the starry sky was because of the countless stars within it.
These stars had dazzled Collei, making it hard for her to discern which one belonged to Bai Luo.
But after what Bai Luo had told her that morning, she felt like she had finally understood the night sky.
Bai Luo had said that the brightest one was the moon, but she believed that was BK201.
The moonlight was cold and dim, yet it generously cast all its light upon her, stretching her shadow long.
And the moon was the brightest star in the night sky, illuminating the path ahead for her.