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The situation that left Venti so depressed was certainly not the first time it had happened, and it definitely wouldn't be the last. His current form was cursed with a youthful appearance that made anyone who looked at him assume he was well under the legal age. It was a bizarre irony that the Great Anemo Archon, standing in the heart of his own beloved kingdom, couldn't even convince his own people to sell him a single bottle of wine. It was a tragedy that would make men watch in silent pity and women shed tears of sympathy. After that encounter, Venti was more determined than ever to find a way to secure his drinks, perhaps by developing some kind of elaborate performance or a new stunt to prove his maturity.
After Ye Ruo took his leave from the tavern, he didn't have a specific plan for the rest of the morning. These were just the quiet, everyday moments of life in the city. As he strolled down one of the main sidewalks, he passed by two members of the Fatui, a man and a woman. Their attire was a sharp contrast to the local fashion of Mondstadt; the man wore a heavy uniform of black and red, while the woman was dressed in dark purples and blacks. Both wore the distinctive masks of their organization. The male diplomat, Mikhail, was in the middle of a hushed conversation with his companion, Lyudmila.
Did you hear about last year's Rite of Descension in Liyue? Apparently, the Yuheng of the Liyue Qixing, Keqing, said some pretty shocking things directly to the Geo Archon.
Lyudmila shook her head, looking a bit disinterested. I haven't been keeping up with the news from the south. What did she say?
Ye Ruo walked past them without slowing down or acknowledging their presence. He mentally labeled them as Martians, always gossiping about events that had happened months or even years ago as if they were breaking news. However, the moment they realized who was walking past, they both froze. Mikhail snapped his mouth shut instantly, his face pale behind his mask. Lyudmila started to ask another question, but Mikhail frantically signaled her to be quiet with a wide-eyed stare.
They didn't dare to move until Ye Ruo was a significant distance away. When he finally turned the corner, they both let out a heavy breath, as if a massive boulder had finally been lifted from their chests. Mikhail pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, leaning against a nearby wall for support.
Seriously, why did the Harbingers send us to Mondstadt as permanent envoys? If that God of Killing happens to be in a bad mood while he's walking by, the two of us would be dead before we even realized what hit us.
Lyudmila was clearly just as shaken, but she looked confused by his dramatic reaction. I don't think it's quite that bad. On the surface, Snezhnaya and Mondstadt still maintain formal diplomatic relations. It's perfectly normal for members of the Fatui to be stationed in the city. I know the Wind Knight has a terrifying reputation, but he wouldn't just attack us in broad daylight without a reason.
She knew that making a move in public carried a weight far different from a shadow skirmish. An open attack would lead to a massive international dispute between the two nations. She was well aware that Il Dottore, the Doctor, had spent years trying to capture or eliminate the Wind Knight, and the two had clashed many times in the past. However, those fights always took place in the dark, far from the eyes of the public. At the official diplomatic table, even if both parties wanted to tear each other's throats out, they maintained polite smiles and engaged in civil conversation. They hadn't actually come to blows in a public setting yet, even if the atmosphere during those meetings was suffocatingly tense.
Mikhail didn't seem comforted by her logic. You only say that because you haven't seen what he can do. The people of Mondstadt think he's some kind of kind, gentle hero, but to us, he's a professional killer. Don't you remember when the Doctor gathered a squad of our absolute best elites to ambush him? Every single one of them died. Ye Ruo killed them all and then went on a rampage, destroying several of our hidden bases in the region. If he decides he doesn't like the way we're looking at him today, diplomacy isn't going to save us. We only have one life, after all.
Lyudmila felt a chill run down her spine at his words. No one wanted to die for a cause they barely understood. She let out a long sigh of disbelief. It's hard to wrap my head around. Every Harbinger has been granted god-like authority and power by the Tsaritsa herself. Their strength is supposed to be far beyond anything a normal human can achieve. I can't believe even the Doctor hasn't been able to deal with one knight.
Mikhail quickly corrected her, his tone hushed. Don't let anyone hear you questioning the Doctor's strength. He's definitely stronger in a direct fight. Even though the prosthetic he sent to Mondstadt wasn't his most powerful version, it was still a monster. The problem is that the Wind Knight has absolute mastery over the Anemo element. He moves so fast that the Doctor can't even pin him down. He's the ultimate skirmisher; he can fight when he wants and vanish when things get too hot. His mobility is just too high. Even if he can't kill a Harbinger, he can easily harvest the lives of every other Fatui soldier in the area before the Doctor can stop him.
Lyudmila managed a weak, bitter smile. I just hope that when the Doctor eventually returns, he brings another Harbinger with him. Being under the Doctor's command while he obsesses over a single target is a nightmare. We're liable to be sent in as bait or cannon fodder at any moment.
She glanced around nervously, making sure no one was eavesdropping before she went quiet. She didn't dare speak the Doctor's name with too much disrespect, but the fear was evident in her eyes. If the Doctor came back and resumed his shadow war with the Wind Knight, she and Mikhail would be the first ones on the front lines of a conflict they couldn't possibly survive. They were just soldiers in a diplomatic mission, and they had no desire to meet an early grave. Mikhail sighed in resignation, his interest in the politics of Liyue completely drained by the simple sight of the Wind Knight walking down the street.
Ye Ruo continued his walk, unaware of the existential crisis he had just caused. He didn't have any personal vendetta against the diplomats stationed in the city. Most of them were just low-level officials and civilians handling paperwork. As long as they didn't cause trouble for the people of Mondstadt, he saw no reason to target them. The Fatui were present in every nation on the continent, acting as the iron will of the Cryo Archon as they moved across Teyvat. While their reputation was terrible and most people hated them for their meddling ways, they were a necessary evil for the time being.
In the current state of Mondstadt, the Fatui didn't have much real power. Unless a new Harbinger arrived or the Doctor returned from Snezhnaya, they were forced to behave themselves. Without an executive leader to coordinate their movements, the local Fatui branch was a disorganized mess. Ye Ruo decided to head back home after finishing some light shopping. He had a training session with Noelle to prepare for, and he needed to finish the outlines for his next set of novels.
His first two works, To Save Mondstadt, Debut and Become an Idol! and Detective Fengdu, had served their purpose well. They had laid a solid foundation for his influence and allowed him to accumulate a significant amount of fame among the citizens. But now, he wanted to aim higher. He wanted to write a legend that truly belonged to the history of Mondstadt itselfāa story that captured the essence of the Wind God and the ancient struggle against the Gale King. He could already see the next wave of fame points waiting for him as he began to plan the narrative of the old world.