[System Notification]: Host has added new trainees: Klee, Kaeya, Razor.
Trainee: Klee
Level: lv20
Element: Pyro
Skills: Jumpy Dumpty lv1, Bouncy Blasty lv1
Trainee: Kaeya
Level: lv15
Element: Cryo
Skills: Frostgnaw lv1, Glacial Waltz lv1
Trainee: Razor
Level: lv14
Element: Electro
Skills: Claw and Thunder lv1, Lightning Fang lv1
After Grand Master Varka led the elite expedition force away from Mondstadt, the strongest combat power left behind was, without question, the Spark Knight—Klee.
Kaito honestly had no idea how she'd climbed to such a high level.
A long time ago, Klee had already been absurdly strong.
It was probably related to her mother, Alice.
Kaeya, like Jean, had his training slowed by constant Knights of Favonius duties.
His strength lagged behind a bit—but he was still more than usable.
And recently, he'd even quietly gained a level.
As for Razor—
after taking Lisa as his teacher, he'd learned a technique called Thunderstorm from her, and his overall strength had improved a lot.
Wolvendom saw frequent monster incursions, and he'd cleaned up plenty of them.
Compared to the last time Kaito saw him, Razor was up three levels.
Right now—
Noelle stood frozen, staring down at the Sleepy Tribe valley.
Firelight had swallowed the entire basin.
The pond at the tribe's center had been completely evaporated.
Both sides of the battle—hilichurls and Fatui alike—were sprawled on the ground with their arms over their heads.
They weren't even thinking about winning anymore.
They were just trying not to get hit by the shockwaves, flying rubble, and raining debris.
As for whether a bomb might land on them directly—
they no longer had the mental capacity to process it. The endless explosions had turned their minds into mush.
Noelle finally understood why Klee—someone even younger than her—could be a full Knight of Favonius.
And not just a knight.
A knight with a title: Spark Knight.
"La-la-la~!"
"So fun!"
"Boom-boom-boom~ It's Jumpy Dumpty time again! Heave-ho!"
Klee was still throwing bombs like she'd discovered pure joy.
The valley below seemed to make her deliriously happy.
She wasn't allowed to blow people away—
but the houses, watchtowers, fences…
All of it was being blasted into scattered pieces.
"Klee… very strong," Razor said, then immediately looked troubled. "But… very troublesome."
"Klee, that's enough," Kaito called with a smile.
"Huh? We're not playing anymore?" Klee asked, still unwilling to stop—her hands hadn't slowed at all.
"If you keep going, it'll get out of hand," Kaito said.
"…Okay," Klee pouted, finally stuffing the bombs back into her backpack.
Her Vision hung right on the bag.
No one knew how many bombs she had crammed inside.
Kaito flicked his gaze toward Kaeya.
"Well then," he said lazily, "Captain Kaeya—go put on a show."
"Got it, got it," Kaeya said at once, understanding.
It was his cue to wrap things up.
He spread his wind glider and jumped down from the hill.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
A rhythmic applause echoed through the valley, cutting through the crackle and sizzle of burning wood.
"Envoy," Kaeya called out, voice smooth as silk, "your battle with the hilichurls was truly magnificent. The Knights of Favonius have been treated to quite the performance."
His figure stepped through the firelight, poised and elegant like a refined nobleman.
He carried himself as if every outcome had been in his hands from the start.
"You are… Kaeya, Cavalry Captain of the Knights of Favonius?" Anastasia demanded.
The Fatui had thoroughly gathered intelligence on the Knights.
"It's an honor, Envoy," Kaeya replied with a polite smile.
"Meeting you in a place like this is, unfortunately, a failure of our hospitality. Please forgive the lack of proper ceremony."
"…"
The Fatui soldiers lifted their heads, expressions darkening.
Why were the Knights here?
Even if only Kaeya had appeared, he was a Cavalry Captain—meaning a unit could be nearby at any moment.
"The bombs just now—those were yours?!" Anastasia rose shakily, fury burning in her eyes.
"Yes," Kaeya admitted smoothly.
"We received reports that Treasure Hoarders have been extremely active in this area, so we intended to come clear them out."
"We planned to take advantage of the moment—when the Treasure Hoarders were fighting hilichurls—and blow them up together."
He spread his hands, looking almost apologetic.
"Who would've thought we'd mistaken your people for criminals?"
"We very nearly turned the Fatui delegation's envoy—Lady Anastasia—into ash. For that, I am truly sorry."
"You—!"
Anastasia nearly exploded.
Kaeya was blatantly lying.
He had deliberately labeled them as Treasure Hoarders, bombed them first, and decided to talk later.
He was betting on the fact they'd be forced to swallow this humiliation.
And he was right.
"It can't be helped," Kaeya said, his tone cooling. "We didn't expect Fatui personnel to be operating out here."
"And we'd prefer not to have another… 'mistaken identity' incident like this again."
He looked at her directly.
"So, Envoy—since the Fatui are guests in Mondstadt… wouldn't it be better to behave a little more appropriately on the host's soil?"
Anastasia couldn't admit anything.
She forced a composed explanation.
"We heard a Snezhnayan merchant was requesting aid, so we came to clear monsters. We were simply eager to help—perhaps we overstepped."
"Since the Knights of Favonius are here now, our assistance is no longer necessary."
She clenched her jaw and gave the only order she could.
"We're leaving."
She gathered the remaining Fatui—more than a dozen of them—and withdrew toward the valley exit.
Kaeya watched silently.
He didn't stop them.
"Damn it!"
Once they were outside the valley, Anastasia kicked a hilichurl totem so hard it rattled.
"We underestimated the Knights of Favonius," she hissed.
"They still have control over Mondstadt—and they have hidden strength we didn't account for."
She remembered the endless bombs falling from the sky, and fear still crawled cold along her spine.
Then she found the excuse she needed to steady herself.
"It's not a total loss."
"At least we gained a valuable piece of information."
"When we return, we will investigate it."
With one last furious glance at the Sword Cemetery—where one layer of the seal had already been broken—Anastasia led her people back the way they came.
Only then did Kaito glide down from the hill.
"Looks like that Snezhnayan merchant really was their cover," Kaeya said, walking up beside him.
"They even had the retreat excuse prepared."
"Wasn't that exactly what we expected?" Kaito replied.
He scanned the area again.
They'd already confirmed from the hill: the red Tear Crystal wasn't here.
"Let's go. We'll camp outside tonight. Tomorrow, we hit the Meat Tribe."
"We're not clearing out the Sleepy Tribe?" Kaeya asked, confused.
The hilichurls were still terrified from the bombardment—huddled together, faces buried, not daring to move.
"Hilichurl tribes in Dadaupa Gorge tend to be smarter," Kaito said. "And the Sleepy Tribe is one of the more cunning ones."
"So no—there's no need to wipe them out."
"Other than the Eclipse Tribe, we don't have to exterminate the rest."
Smarter hilichurls were harder for Abyss Mages to control.
And some could even be communicated with.
Kaito remembered there was a girl who could speak with hilichurls and earn their goodwill.
It might be useful later.
As for the Eclipse Tribe—
they were closely tied to Abyss Mages. They couldn't be left alone.
"All right," Kaeya said with a shrug. "Your call."
Leaving the Sleepy Tribe's valley behind, Klee spotted what was left of the pond and sprinted over on her tiny legs, delighted.
She splashed into the shallow water—cold up to her thighs—and giggled at the chill.
Her only regret was that she didn't spot any fish.
The group started looking for a place to camp—
when Klee suddenly shrieked:
"Brother Kaito! There's a big sister here!"
"Hm?"
Kaito walked over and saw Dr. Livingston tied to a tree.
He hurried to untie her and pulled the cloth from her mouth.
"Ah—!"
Livingston sucked in air, voice shaking as relief flooded in.
"Thank you… thank you for helping me."
"I was tied up by the Fatui," she said quickly. "But I saw they just left. Do you know what happened?"
"We're with the Knights of Favonius," Kaito replied evenly. "We chased them off. That's all."
"I see…"
Livingston exhaled, her fear easing—then regret immediately took its place.
"But if they ran… then the seal around the Sword Cemetery can't be opened anymore."
"We already unlocked one layer…"
She wanted to continue researching the Sword Cemetery's history, and she couldn't do that without breaking the seal.
"The seal?" Kaito looked toward the two remaining rings of wind surrounding the pond's center.
Even under moonlight, the barriers were striking.
"We'll open it as we go," he said. "Consider it part of the job."
"You're going to the Meat Tribe and the Eclipse Tribe?" Livingston asked, suddenly excited.
"Yes."
"The mechanism for the Meat Tribe is on their big arena platform in the northern valley," she said rapidly.
"But the moment you step onto it, you're accepting their challenge. A whole swarm of hilichurls will rush you at once—be careful."
Then she lowered her voice and added what she hadn't told the Fatui.
"If you beat them so thoroughly that they accept you… they might even invite you to eat meat with them."
"As for the Eclipse Tribe," she continued, "their mechanism is in the middle of their valley. There are Abyss Mages there."
"Please—be extremely careful."
Kaeya's eyes widened.
"Boss Kaito… you knew all along?"
Kaito insisting they target the Eclipse Tribe—and spare the others—now made perfect sense.
"Read more," Kaito said flatly.
"…Right." Kaeya immediately decided he would not invite more pain by arguing.
Noelle watched the two of them.
Boss Kaito really is amazing, she thought.
He orders Captain Kaeya around the way Captain Kaeya orders everyone else around in the Knights…
And he can even shut him up completely.
Her fingers brushed the hilt of the Whiteblind in her hand.
Somehow, a quiet motivation rose in her chest—steady, stubborn, and familiar.
Kaito glanced at Livingston's small campsite and asked, "Can we camp here tonight?"
"Of course," Livingston said quickly. "With Knights of Favonius here… I'll sleep much easier."
Up in the tree branches, Razor took watch the way he always did, eyes fixed toward the northern valley.
"The Meat Tribe… is there."
"I must… learn how to raise boars."
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