"Did you see it with your own eyes? That red-clad devil flying without a glider?"
At the Good Hunter, Shen Qin was quietly enjoying his lunch, but the conversation at the next table piqued his curiosity, and he couldn't help but eavesdrop.
"Of course! This morning, I was on my way to Springvale to buy some wild game meat when I heard a loud explosion. Out of curiosity, I followed the sound toward Cider Lake and saw a red-clad devil flying chaotically over the lake! The water even exploded from time to time!" A man in his forties animatedly recounted his story, gesturing wildly with an exaggerated expression.
"What happened next? Did you get a closer look to see what it was?" The man across from him eagerly leaned forward, and even others at nearby tables turned their attention to him.
"I did get closer! But I was scared it might notice me, so I hid in some bushes as I approached. The closer I got, the more uneasy I felt because, amidst the explosions, I could faintly hear a child's sharp laughter. Think about it—why would there be a child's laughter in the middle of nowhere?" The man lowered his voice dramatically.
"Yikes! Now that you mention it, that does sound eerie. My mother used to tell me a story when I was little—she said if you hear a child or woman's voice in deserted places, you mustn't go looking out of curiosity. Instead, you should run far away. Some ghosts or bandits use these sounds to lure unsuspecting travelers or adventurers to remote spots, and then—bam!" Another diner mimicked a slicing motion with his hand.
"Exactly! That's why I didn't dare go any closer. I didn't even look back and ran straight to the main road!" The man patted his chest, still shaken.
"That's terrifying. Nothing like this has ever happened near Mondstadt before."
"I was planning to go hunting in the wild the next few days. But, guess I'll stay in the city for now."
"The Knights should handle this, right? I saw some of them heading that way this morning."
"Ha! Let me tell you, this red-clad devil isn't new." A younger man chimed in. As everyone turned their attention to him, he cleared his throat dramatically and began, "Remember the incident in the Windrise area a few years ago? That was also the red-clad devil's doing!"
"What? That was the red-clad devil too?"
"I remember that night vividly! Around 11 p.m, I'd just finished drinking and was... uh, taking a break by the roadside when the whole sky lit up! There was a blinding flash from the direction of Windrise, followed by loud explosions about half a minute later!"
"Yeah, yeah! I thought it was a thunderstorm at first. But the next day, people said the entire Windrise area looked like it had been bombed. The landscape was completely altered!"
The young man cleared his throat again and continued, "That's not all. A hunter friend of mine said that in recent years, forest fires have mysteriously broken out, and many of his buddies reported seeing a figure in red amidst the flames."
"Whoa! Could all these be the red-clad devil's doing?"
Listening to their wild speculation, Shen Qin couldn't help but laugh inwardly.
To protect Klee, her reputation as the Spark Knight wasn't widely known. The Knights of Favonius always cleaned up the mess she caused, and through the grapevine, these incidents had morphed into urban legends of Mondstadt.
As for Klee, the center of these tales, she was blissfully unaware of her notoriety.
"Hmph, nonsense. The so-called red-clad devil is just the Knights secretly testing a new flying device." A young man seated opposite Shen Qin muttered disdainfully. His voice was low, just loud enough for Shen Qin to hear.
Curious, Shen Qin glanced over and noticed the man's striking blond hair and clothing that distinctly differed from Mondstadt's style.
'A Snezhnayan? Fatui?'
The accuracy of his information made it hard for Shen Qin not to suspect his identity.
The Snezhnayan seemed to notice Shen Qin's gaze. He looked back and asked curiously, "From Liyue?"
Shen Qin nodded. "Yes."
"Hmm..." The man stroked his chin thoughtfully for a moment before speaking, "Young man, could you help me with something?"
"What do you need?"
"This isn't the place to talk. Can you come with me somewhere more private?"
"But your soup isn't even finished," Shen Qin pointed at the half-eaten plate of Calla Lily Seafood Soup in front of him.
"Uh, I'm already full."
"Fine. Where are we going? You're not planning to trick me into some remote spot and rob me of my Mora, are you?" Shen Qin squinted suspiciously.
The man rolled his eyes. "What kind of Mora could a kid like you possibly have? If anything, I'll pay you a lot of Mora if you help me out!"
With his new body, Shen Qin looked about fourteen or fifteen, his youthful face brimming with innocence. To outsiders, he was just a kid.
Moreover, Shen Qin had been careful to keep his hoverboard hidden in his backpack while out, so he wasn't worried about exposing his identity.
He followed the Snezhnayan to an alley near the Good Hunter, where he received a slip of paper with several addresses written on it.
"These are all alchemy workshops. I need you to ask if they're preparing to launch any new alchemical products. Someone wants to collaborate with them. Just note down the ones with new products and let me know."
"Why don't you ask them yourself?"
"Ah, young man, you seem to not understand." The man sighed. "I'm from Snezhnaya. Mondstadt people aren't exactly friendly toward us. But you're from Liyue, and they like doing business with you people. If they ask, you can just say you represent a merchant guild from Liyue."
"But if they don't want to work with Snezhnayans, wouldn't my asking be pointless too?" Shen Qin blinked innocently.
"Don't worry about that. I have my own ways."
"Fine. Where should I find you after I'm done?"
"I'll be waiting on the second floor of Angel's Share."
"Then give me Mora first. What if you refuse to pay later?" Shen Qin boldly stretched out his hand.
"Ugh, you little rascal." The man frowned but, seeing Shen Qin's determined expression, handed over a small pouch of Mora. "Fine, fine. Now go. I'll give you another thousand once you're done."
After leaving the alley, Shen Qin made a show of visiting several alchemy workshops. Then, using a discreet route, he went straight to the Knights of Favonius to report the Snezhnayan.