Well… forget it.
Let's just have someone look into it first.
After much deliberation, Ningguang decided to send someone to assess the situation in Guili Plains.
She knew this wouldn't be so easily resolved with a single investigation — but everything had to start somewhere.
Besides, the disappearance of the Hilichurls from that area wasn't necessarily a bad thing in itself. What concerned her was the possibility that the Fatui, or some other party, might be operating there and plotting something against Liyue.
So for now, she would send someone to take a look. Based on what they reported back, she would decide her next move.
With that settled in her mind, Ningguang turned and walked out.
And at the very moment Ningguang was preparing to dispatch someone to Guili Plains, Childe was already wandering through those very plains.
Or to put it more precisely — he had been pacing around this area for the past several days.
Sigh…
Why hasn't Mobius shown up yet…
Didn't she say we'd meet again soon?
Trudging through the wilds of Guili Plains, Childe couldn't help but feel a growing sense of helplessness.
For the past few days, he'd been wandering out here whenever he had nothing better to do — and still, no sign of Mobius.
Though when he thought back to everything Kaito had told him about her, he supposed it made sense.
She was hardly an ordinary person. Her abilities were on par with — if not beyond — those of a god. It wasn't as though he could just summon her at will.
If Mobius hadn't told him herself that they would meet again soon, he certainly wouldn't have been dragging himself out here day after day.
Hmm…
Maybe I should just head back…
Perhaps it's not time yet.
He stopped mid-step, the thought drifting through his mind unbidden.
Whatever the case, she had already said they would meet again soon. No need to be so impatient.
But then again…
Hmm… you know what, forget it.
I'll walk around a little more.
It's not like I have anything else to do!
After going back and forth, Childe decided to wander just a bit longer before heading back.
He was already here, after all — might as well make the most of it. Who knows, he might just run into Mobius.
And so he kept roaming Guili Plains, wandering for nearly another full hour.
Alright…
Time to head back.
Glancing at the sun hanging low on the distant horizon, Childe knew it was time to go.
But just then, the sound of footsteps reached him from not far ahead — a lot of them, all at once. He immediately ducked behind a nearby slope.
Multiple people moving together. Something felt off. Childe pressed himself against the hillside and stayed still, watching to see what was going on.
"Has anyone noticed anything unusual?"
"Nothing. Not a single anomaly."
"The Hilichurls really do seem to have thinned out. That wasn't the case before."
"Exactly, Captain. Where did all the Hilichurls go all of a sudden? Before, you couldn't chase them off no matter what you did."
Hidden behind the slope, Childe listened to their exchange and fell into thought.
Hilichurls?
The Hilichurls are gone?
What's going on?
And just who were these people?
He peeked out — and spotted figures clad in the unmistakable uniforms of the Millelith.
So it's the Millelith.
Are they here investigating something? Just the Hilichurls?
Childe ducked back behind the slope, thoroughly puzzled.
He'd been wandering Guili Plains on and off for days, but he genuinely hadn't noticed any decrease in the Hilichurl population.
Wait. Hold on.
Hilichurls???
Something clicked. The look of confusion on Childe's face vanished.
Mobius…
This is Mobius's doing.
He cast his mind back to the first time he had encountered Mobius. She had been squaring off against a Hilichurl — and he, happening to pass by and assuming she needed help, had stepped in and killed it.
After that, the Hilichurl had simply… disappeared.
But…
What does Mobius want with Hilichurls?
Childe frowned, puzzled again. But the answer came to him quickly — he recalled something Kaito had mentioned about Mobius: that she was fond of conducting experiments, on herself and on others.
So those Hilichurls must have been taken as test subjects.
Which means Mobius is still somewhere in this area.
But then why can't I find her?
Hidden behind the slope as the sound of the Millelith's footsteps faded into the distance, Childe couldn't stop himself from asking that question.
He had covered nearly every corner of this place called Guili Plains over the past several days — and found nothing.
If those Millelith soldiers hadn't passed by just now, he still wouldn't have noticed anything off about the Hilichurl situation.
Going by what they'd said…
A large number of Hilichurls had probably been taken by Mobius for experimentation.
Was she planning an attack on Liyue?
The image of Mobius turning those Hilichurls into monsters under her command flickered through his mind. It wasn't an unreasonable guess.
If that was the case, then all the more reason he wanted to find her sooner rather than later.
Because then he could bring up the matter of working together — and that was precisely why he had kept it from Kaito that he had already encountered Mobius.
Even back then, telling Kaito wouldn't have stopped him from secretly pursuing a partnership on the side. But having already sensed that Mobius could be a valuable ally, he had chosen to say nothing.
If a collaboration could actually be arranged, it would be ideal — her capabilities were anything but ordinary.
That said, Childe also recognized that she might not see any value in an alliance with him.
Should I go back and report this to Her Majesty the Tsaritsa?
From Kaito's description, Mobius was clearly on the same level as the Tsaritsa — or perhaps even beyond. So it might make more sense to have the Tsaritsa involved.
But at that thought, Childe's competitive streak flared up. He wasn't ready to concede that he couldn't handle this on his own. He hadn't even tried talking to Mobius yet — who was to say it was impossible?
And more importantly: he hadn't even made an attempt.
So no — he'd hold off on informing the Tsaritsa for now.
For one, the distance alone meant news wouldn't reach her for a very long time. For another, he was confident he could manage the negotiation himself.
Yeah…
That's the plan.
Childe gave a small nod to himself. He had made up his mind.
There was just one old problem still staring him in the face: how to actually find Mobius. That remained the crux of everything.
Thud. Thud. Thud—
At that very moment, Childe heard a set of footsteps — heavy and deliberate, shaking the ground with each step — and they seemed to be heading straight toward him.
____
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