Genshin Impact: I'm The Envoy of Snezhnaya
Chapter 445: Paimon Knows Better
"By the way... are you certain the Ausbilder is in Stormterror's Lair?"
Watching his sworn brother prepare to leave, Kaeya voiced his question.
"Don't question the capabilities of my people. They personally watched the Ausbilder enter Stormterror's Lair. They couldn't have been mistaken."
The moment Kaeya cast doubt on the source of his intelligence, Diluc's expression darkened again.
Kaeya could question his strength.
He could even question his information.
But he was not allowed to question his subordinates.
"Don't misunderstand me. I'm just wondering... why would the Ausbilder choose to go to Stormterror's Lair at such a sensitive time?"
Kaeya's words gave Diluc pause.
Indeed.
Why would he go to Stormterror's Lair?
No matter how one looked at it, the affairs within the city should have been the priority.
The attempted theft of the Holy Lyre.
The rumors spreading throughout Mondstadt.
The bizarre incident at Angel's Share where everyone turned into cats.
At first glance, the incidents seemed unrelated.
But after closer examination, it became clear that the Fatui appeared to be preparing for something significant.
At the very least, Diluc believed there had to be a connection between his tavern patrons turning into cats and the attempted theft of the Holy Lyre.
If that were the case, then as a Fatui Harbinger, Bai Luo should have remained in the city, ready to deal with whatever unexpected developments arose.
Unless...
There was another Harbinger in Mondstadt.
According to both his intelligence network and what the Fatui themselves had hinted before, there was indeed another Harbinger operating in Mondstadt.
Yet, to this day, that Harbinger had never once shown themselves.
Either that Harbinger was extraordinarily well hidden…
Or the Fatui had deliberately spread false information to pressure Mondstadt.
Or perhaps...
Diluc's gaze gradually shifted toward the direction Lumine had left.
The possibility was incredibly slim, but...
Could this Traveler—who appeared to have some connection with the Ausbilder—actually be that mysterious Harbinger?
. . .
After returning to the tavern, Diluc emerged a short while later, no longer wearing his bartender's attire.
"You're...?"
Seeing Diluc lock the tavern doors behind him, Kaeya looked puzzled.
"I'm going to Stormterror's Lair. I leave the city's affairs to you."
"If necessary..."
"I authorize you to borrow manpower from Dawn Winery."
As he pulled on his gloves, Diluc's expression grew increasingly solemn.
He had a feeling that a fierce battle awaited him.
. . .
"Hm?"
Standing in the middle of a group of Abyss Mages, Bai Luo instinctively looked toward Mondstadt.
Through his senses, he detected Lumine and Diluc heading toward Stormterror's Lair one after the other.
Judging by Lumine's reactions, she hadn't realized she was being followed at all.
The Wolf's Gravestone in his hand once again reverted into a dagger before returning to its sheath at his waist.
After surveying the surroundings one final time and confirming everything was in order, Bai Luo quietly disappeared into the tower.
When he appeared again, he was already directly behind Diluc.
Diluc's senses were exceptionally sharp.
The instant Bai Luo landed, he detected the disturbance behind him.
"Ausb—"
Bonk!
Bai Luo's "ultimate move" activated the instant he landed.
Normally, he replaced it with something harmless like patting someone on the shoulder or ruffling their hair.
But this move was almost impossible to avoid.
Unless someone possessed an ability similar to Bai Luo's quantum intangibility, or had concealed themselves completely, it would always hit.
After glancing around to make sure nobody was nearby, Bai Luo grabbed Diluc by both legs and quietly dragged him into a nearby patch of bushes.
The foliage rustled for a while.
Then Bai Luo stepped back out.
Only now, he was carrying a fluffy crimson cat in his arms.
Looking down at the sleeping red cat, Bai Luo sensed Lumine's location once more and calmly walked toward her.
. . .
Bai Luo wasn't moving particularly fast.
The problem was that Lumine's journey to Stormterror's Lair was anything but direct.
She'd stop to chase Seelies.
Open treasure chests.
If she spotted an ore vein, she'd mine that too.
Had Bai Luo not secretly placed a tracking mark on her beforehand, he would almost certainly have missed her after she wandered off the route for what felt like the hundredth time.
Finally, when he decided the timing was just right, Bai Luo made his entrance.
But before that...
Whoosh—
Lumine had just finished clearing out a Hilichurl camp and was rummaging through a wooden crate in search of cabbages when something suddenly dropped from the sky and landed beside her.
"Huh? Something just fell from the sky."
Paimon, who had been hovering at Lumine's side the whole time, poked her little head over, floated down first, and picked up the fruit lying on the ground.
"A Sunsettia?"
Neither Paimon nor Lumine was unfamiliar with the fruit.
During the time they had wandered through the wilderness together, Sunsettias had often been one of their staple food sources.
But...
Weren't these supposed to grow on trees?
How had one fallen out of the sky?
"Did a Hilichurl throw it?"
The possibility immediately put Lumine on guard.
No matter how she looked at it, there was something suspicious about where this Sunsettia had come from.
"I don't know... but wow, this Sunsettia smells amazing."
Cradling the fruit in both hands, Paimon took a few eager sniffs.
The intoxicating fragrance almost made her drift blissfully downward out of the air.
When she looked at it again, her eyes were practically sparkling.
"Don't eat random things that fall from the sky."
Compared to Paimon, Lumine was much more rational.
She had smelled the same sweet fragrance.
Even from several steps away, its refreshing aroma was impossible to ignore.
To Paimon, it smelled like an irresistibly delicious fruit.
But to Lumine...
That sweetness carried the scent of danger.
Like a brightly colored mushroom—
Beautiful.
Yet deadly.
That was the difference between a local and an outsider.
For the people of Teyvat, Sunsettias were among the most common fruits imaginable.
Hardly anyone would think to be wary of one.
But Lumine was different.
Even though she'd eaten plenty of them before, they were still mysterious fruits from another world in her eyes—things that deserved caution.
If she'd encountered such a delicious-looking fruit for the very first time, she would never have thought,
"Wow! This must be a divine blessing from the gods!"
Her first instinct would simply be:
This is dangerous.
"Don't worry."
Paimon puffed out her chest confidently as she hugged the large, perfectly ripe Sunsettia.
"Paimon knows what she's doing."
She opened her mouth and took a big bite.
Then—
"Paimon!"
At Lumine's horrified cry, Paimon still wore that confident expression on her face… as she dropped from the sky like a bird with broken wings.
Lumine caught her just in time, letting the Sunsettia slip from Paimon's grasp.
The fruit rolled across the ground before coming to a stop some distance away.
At first, Lumine panicked.
But after confirming that Paimon had merely lost consciousness and that her vital signs were otherwise normal, she finally let out a sigh of relief.
Watching the scene from the shadows...
Bai Luo slowly stepped into view.
<+>
<+>
<+>
<+>
<+>
<+>
Tn: I updated the story once every 2 days, but if you want to see more chapter of this story ahead of time, please go to my Patreon.
Latest Chapter: Chapter 457: Sharaf's Precious Treasure[1]
Link: https://www.patreon.com/Thatsnakegirl/posts/im-envoy-of-164096661?collection=174425[2]
[1] https://www.patreon.com/Thatsnakegirl/posts/im-envoy-of-164096661?collection=174425
[2] https://www.patreon.com/Thatsnakegirl/posts/im-envoy-of-164096661?collection=174425