In the blink of an eye, half a year passed.
This meant that the recruits' training had concluded—they were about to become full-fledged Knights of Favonius.
Inside the Grand Master's office, Gu Chen was speaking with Varka.
As expected, Jean had not disappointed their expectations. While training and studying simultaneously, she could now handle a mountain of affairs in an orderly and efficient manner.
Many veteran knights spoke highly of Jean.
"Having only Jean isn't enough," Gu Chen said thoughtfully. "This will exhaust her sooner or later. We should select someone else to take charge of part of the workload."
Varka nodded slightly upon hearing this.
"There's the position of Quartermaster in the Knights. The current one is already old and can't handle much anymore. Let him transfer to another post or retire and enjoy his later years."
Gu Chen wasn't surprised at all.
This year was indeed the time for the current Quartermaster to retire.
The headache was—who would become the new Quartermaster?
"Diluc?" Varka suggested.
Gu Chen shook his head.
"The Cavalry Captain role suits him better. Besides, do you really think he's good at handling this kind of work?"
Varka realized the flaw in his thinking and chuckled.
"Then how about Diluc's younger brother? Someone from the Ragnvindr family is trustworthy—but I heard he's only Master Crepus's adopted son?"
Gu Chen rubbed his chin.
"Why not call him over and ask?"
"Fair point."
Varka nodded and immediately ordered a guard to summon Kaeya.
Before long, there was a knock at the office door.
"Come in."
At Varka's signal, the door opened. A dark-skinned youth wearing an eyepatch entered.
"Grand Master, Vice Grand Master!"
Kaeya bowed the moment he stepped inside.
This wasn't Gu Chen's first time seeing Kaeya. They'd seen each other from afar during the recruit induction and had a few brief interactions during training, but nothing substantial.
After exchanging greetings, Varka smiled and asked,
"I hear you're Crepus's adopted son. Care to tell us about your experience?"
Kaeya froze briefly, then said,
"I don't remember it very clearly. It was a late summer afternoon. My father brought me past Dawn Winery. I remember him saying he was thirsty and went to buy a few bottles of grape wine—or something like that. But after he left, he never came back. If Lord Crepus hadn't shown me kindness, I probably wouldn't have survived that night's storm."
Varka tapped his fingers rhythmically on the desk.
He looked up at Gu Chen, who wore an amused smile, and asked,
"What do you think?"
"That kind of clumsy trick can't fool a martial artist's keen instincts," Gu Chen shook his head.
Considering Kaeya had been very young at the time and couldn't remember clearly, his answer sounded reasonable enough.
But Gu Chen had sharply sensed that Kaeya was lying.
Not from his words—but from changes in his heartbeat and blood flow.
"So you're deceiving me," Varka said, looking at Kaeya.
He wasn't angry. Instead, he seemed even more curious.
"I'm very interested to know why you'd lie to me."
Kaeya lowered his head, his eyes darting with tension and hesitation as he frantically searched for a response.
"Don't cling to false hopes," Gu Chen shook his head and said calmly.
"This is the land of wind and freedom. Whether you reveal your secrets or not is your right. I'm not interested in them—but I do need to know your stance. Are you beneficial or harmful to the Knights?"
Kaeya visibly relaxed at that. His expression was complicated, his eyes filled with inner conflict.
After a long pause, he finally said,
"Vice Grand Master… I can't give an accurate answer."
"Then it seems you're wavering—hesitating between two choices," Varka nodded slightly.
"In that case, it means you still have feelings for Mondstadt or the Knights."
He then turned to Gu Chen. "That's exactly why I think he's more viable. What do you think?"
Gu Chen nodded.
"If he could accurately say he poses no harm to the Knights, I'd actually be more worried."
They exchanged a look and both laughed.
Then Varka said,
"If the Vice Grand Master weren't here, I might have had to deal with you cautiously. But with him present, I'm not worried. From today onward, you'll assume the position of Quartermaster. This is your promotion order."
Kaeya took the order in a daze. After snapping back to reality, he said in disbelief,
"Grand Master, Vice Grand Master—I clearly could pose a threat to the Knights. Why would you—"
He truly didn't understand.
"It's fine," Varka said with a hearty laugh.
"By the time you actually threaten the Knights, I'll probably no longer be the Grand Master. So it won't be my problem."
Gu Chen twitched his lips, then said calmly,
"First, you won't be able to stir up any real trouble. Second, if you do choose the opposing side, that would only prove that Master Crepus raised a thankless wretch."
Kaeya's expression was complicated. He nodded.
"I understand."
"Alright. Take office immediately," Gu Chen waved his hand.
"Yes!"
Kaeya left the Grand Master's office with mixed emotions.
After he was gone, Varka's smile faded, and he asked seriously,
"Are you sure this is fine?"
"What's there to be afraid of?"
Gu Chen shrugged and raised his hand.
The hand that had gripped a sword for years showed no calluses at all—smooth like jade. At that moment, faint strands of blood-red energy rose from his palm, only to disperse instantly as he clenched his fist.
"Qi and blood projection…"
Varka raised an eyebrow, fully reassured.
"No wonder you're not worried. With that level of strength, you really can suppress unstable factors."
Now nearly thirteen, Gu Chen was no longer the boy who could only fight Varka to a draw. Even Varka had to admit that he was no longer Gu Chen's match.
Once reassured, Varka asked,
"When are you going to inherit my position?"
He muttered eagerly,
"Dreams should be pursued while you're young! Youth is when you've got the most drive!"
"I know you're in a hurry—but calm down first."
Gu Chen shook his head.
"Get stronger before we talk about that. Otherwise, you might die on some adventure one day."
"Heh, you brat!"
Varka threw a punch at Gu Chen in annoyance, which Gu Chen easily dodged.
"Alright, I'm off to train too!"
Varka knew Gu Chen was speaking the truth.
Only by becoming stronger could one better protect themselves.
Though his mastery of body-tempering techniques wasn't on Gu Chen's level, it still far surpassed everyone else—even Diluc couldn't catch up to him in this regard.
The current Varka was already two or three times stronger than before!
The more he marveled at his own progress, the more monstrous Gu Chen seemed for having achieved all this in just a few years.
Not even thirteen yet!
"The gap between people really is huge…"
Clicking his tongue, Varka ignored Gu Chen and went off to train in the vast wilderness outside the city.
Gu Chen left Varka's office and returned to his own.
Young Jean looked troubled. Gu Chen asked,
"What's wrong?"
After hesitating for a moment, Jean replied,
"Inspector General… he seems dissatisfied with my work."
"Inspector General… Eroch?"
Gu Chen thought for a moment before recalling the name.
Inspector General Eroch—someone he'd met a few times but never interacted deeply with.
Gu Chen didn't think much of him and said bluntly,
"Ignore him. If he's unhappy, tell him to come argue with me."
"Is that really okay?" Jean asked nervously.
"Just relay my exact words," Gu Chen said indifferently.
"Alright."
Jean nodded. The Vice Grand Master's words gave her an immense sense of security.
[Kaeya]: Inspector General Eroch—hopefully the boss cleans him up early.
[Azhdaha]: What did he do?
[Kaeya]: Dottore was one of the masterminds behind Master Crepus's death, and Eroch was one of his accomplices! The Knights' delayed support and Crepus's achievement of driving off the dragon being credited to the Knights—it was all this guy. The facts have proven that Inspector General Eroch betrayed the Knights. (Picking nose)
[Diluc]: The facts are settled—no need to argue. Let's talk about your mysterious identity instead. Gu Chen has already noticed.
[Paimon]: No way! The Knights are full of hidden talents—Kaeya, do you have some super amazing background?! (Curious)
[Yae Miko]: What a classic "hiding one's strength" plot. The sense of déjà vu is strong. (Mischievous smile)
[Albedo]: Open up! Knights of Favonius Investigation Team here to investigate your true identity! (Bad smile)
[Klee]: Huh? Kaeya哥哥 is so mysterious? (Curious)
[Kaeya]: I know you're all curious, but don't be curious yet—let's just watch the video, okay? (Paimon · Shocked)
[Diluc]: You'll be exposed sooner or later. Why bother?
[Lisa]: Judging from Gu Chen and Grand Master Varka's conversation with Kaeya, he could endanger the Knights. Jean trusts you so much—are you really a spy? (Bad smile)
[Kaeya]: Fine, fine. My real identity is a Khaenri'ah orphan—of noble lineage, at that. (Shrug)
[Dainsleif]: Your full name is Kaeya Alberich, correct?
[Kaeya]: Yes.
[Dainsleif]: The surname of the Abyss Order's founder. You're his descendant!
[Prince]: Excellent, excellent—quickly cooperate with me inside and out to destroy the Knights and let the glory of the Abyss descend upon Mondstadt! (Joking)
[Gu Chen]: Big brother-in-law, well played! (Venti · Throwing flowers)
[Venti]: Absolutely unhinged… but very entertaining! (Grin)
[Jean]: Huh?
[Lisa]: I thought it'd be the Fatui or something—never expected Kaeya to be a descendant of the Abyss Order's founder. (Paimon · Shocked)
[Noelle]: Senior Kaeya… (Astonished)
[Klee]: Kaeya哥哥 is actually so awesome! (Yay!)
[Kaeya]: I swear I've never done anything to harm Mondstadt—don't slander me, okay?! Besides, Aether has already gone full laid-back mode, so I've got even less reason to do anything bad! You know I can cultivate the Tai Xuan Scripture, right?! (Paimon · Hmph)
[Venti]: Oh no—being able to cultivate the Tai Xuan Scripture proves he's not a bad guy. Damn, can't even smear him now. (Annoyed)
[Azhdaha]: A miscalculation! (Annoyed)
[Osial]: Is there a possibility that his ability to cultivate it is fake—just to fool us? (Grin)
[Kaeya]: That's just forced slander! (Nahida · Pointing)
[Gu Chen]: At times like this, I just need to tweak the Tai Xuan Scripture a bit! (Grin)
[Kaeya]: Boss!! I'm your loyal die-hard fan!! (Kneeling)
[Diluc]: (Furina · Amused)
[Jean]: Being able to cultivate the Tai Xuan Scripture proves Kaeya's character. Let's talk about the former Inspector General Eroch instead… His betrayal caused significant losses to Mondstadt. (Angry)
[Lisa]: What a pity~ At this time, I'm still at the Akademiya~
[Albedo]: There are still several years before Eroch's betrayal. I wonder whether Gu Chen's presence will rewrite that future. (Thinking)
[Shikanoin Heizou]: The Knights are thriving now—anyone with eyes can see that staying with the Knights offers better prospects. If Eroch is smart, he won't betray them. And if he's stupid, he wouldn't have become Inspector General in the first place, right?
[Kaeya]: Hard to say. I lean toward him still betraying. The head of the Kujou Clan, Kujou Takayuki, was high-ranking too, yet still colluded with the Fatui.
[Kujou Sara]: Please stop—our clan head is already imprisoned. (Sweat)
[Kaeya]: Let's see how things develop. With the boss around, it shouldn't be a big problem.
Time passed swiftly. In the blink of an eye, two and a half years went by.
That year, Gu Chen was sixteen. Diluc as well. Jean was fourteen.
After becoming Vice Grand Master, Gu Chen rarely led monster-clearing expeditions himself, leaving such matters to the knights under his command.
Diluc was the most enthusiastic about going out to purge monsters—if not a thousand, then at least eight hundred had fallen by his hand. He had become the strongest among the younger generation of knights, second only to Gu Chen.
Jean had yet to go on any expeditions. All this time, she had remained in the Knights' headquarters handling affairs.
The matters she processed left Varka extremely satisfied.
Varka believed that even if both he and Gu Chen were absent, Jean alone could keep the entire Knights of Favonius running smoothly.
Over these two and a half years, Gu Chen's strength had become even more terrifying.
Varka continued to improve as well.
Yet Varka stated plainly that throughout all of Mondstadt, no one was Gu Chen's match—including himself. Even two of him together couldn't defeat Gu Chen.
"You brat—aside from being lazy, you don't have any other flaws!"
Fortunately, Varka himself was also a laid-back person, so the more he looked at Gu Chen, the more satisfied he became.
"Why did you call me here?" Gu Chen asked casually after sitting down.
Varka told him that the old man had left, and the Reconnaissance Squad was now leaderless.
"Where'd he go?" Gu Chen asked, puzzled.
"How would I know?" Varka shook his head. "All I know is that he headed toward Mondstadt's direction."
"What do the others say?" Gu Chen asked.
Varka sighed.
"Some people think he defected."
"Absurd."
Gu Chen snorted coldly.
"How many contributions has he made to the Knights—are those people blind? Who said it?"
After a moment of silence, Varka said,
"Inspectors under Eroch."
"Eroch?"
Gu Chen frowned, then said,
"Write a notice. Warn them not to maliciously speculate about a knight who's rendered outstanding service. If there's a next time, charge them with slandering the reputation of the Knights of Favonius!"
"Well now, you're banning their freedom of speech," Varka laughed.
"Let them come argue with me," Gu Chen said calmly.
"Bold. I feel completely at ease handing the Knights over to you," Varka said approvingly as he handed Gu Chen the paper and pen.
"Why give them to me?" Gu Chen said.
"Of course you issue it in the Grand Master's name."
Varka froze.
"So you come up with the idea and I take the blame?"
"Yes."
Gu Chen nodded as if it were only natural.
"Fine, fine!"
Varka laughed helplessly, but still wrote the statement and signed it.
——
[Still Double-Skin Milk] [fu865..] Thanks to the two big shots for the monthly tickets! (Mona · Heart)
—— October Summary:
Excluding this (GI)Chapter, I updated about 310,000 words this month—fairly average. Based on my writing state and subscription data, a considerable portion of the plot wasn't written very well. Part of that may be due to my mental state at the time, but more likely it's because my writing skills still aren't strong enough.
In the latter half of the month, I admittedly slacked off in terms of update frequency. I'm truly sorry—apologies to all my righteous benefactors for your support!
A new month is about to begin. I can't really promise miracles—improvement in writing isn't something that happens overnight, and I don't seem to have the conditions for sudden enlightenment. So I won't make empty promises. All I can say is that I'll do my absolute best to live up to everyone's expectations!
(Hu Tao · Cute Pose)
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