Inspectorate Office.
"Inspector General, this is a document sent over by the Knights of Favonius. They request that you read it immediately and make the appropriate adjustments," an inspector reported as he entered the office, handing the file to Eroch.
"What is it now?"
Eroch raised his head, took the document, and opened it.
The contents were concise. It stated that certain inspectors under the Inspectorate had been spreading unfounded remarks, slandering the former Reconnaissance Squad Captain. The document made it clear that the Vice Grand Master was extremely displeased, and that the Grand Master shared the same stance. They hoped Inspector General Eroch would properly rein in his subordinates.
Eroch's expression flickered between light and dark.
The position of Inspector General was a delicate one. In theory, it could oversee the entire Knights of Favonius, yet it was still subject to the Knights' command.
Only under very specific circumstances could the Inspector General overrule the Grand Master.
And now, between the lines of this document was a clear warning directed at him. At the very bottom, Varka's signature stood out glaringly.
Without a word, Eroch crumpled the document. Only then did he speak coldly:
"Tell the inspectors below to keep their mouths shut. If something hasn't been verified, they're not to blurt it out!"
"Ah… understood!"
The inspector clearly sensed Eroch's anger and hurriedly nodded in acknowledgment.
After the inspector left, Eroch's irritation finally surfaced.
But he didn't dare go to the Knights to cause trouble. As long as Varka hadn't committed any major fault, Eroch, as Inspector General, had no standing to criticize the Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius.
As for Gu Chen…
Eroch knew all too well how much influence Gu Chen wielded within the Knights.
It could be said that the vast majority of the Knights were under Gu Chen's control.
Though only sixteen years old, he was extremely troublesome—far more troublesome than Varka.
Eroch lit the shredded pieces of the document and burned them to ashes, pretending he'd never seen it at all.
[Kaeya]: Hahaha, Eroch chickened out. It's obvious he doesn't want to clash with the boss. (Hu Tao · Bad Smile)
[Azhdaha]: Why isn't this guy standing up for himself? How disappointing. (Sigh) (Grin)
[Osial]: His will: "Go find trouble with Gu Chen and teach him a lesson!"
Eroch himself: "Huh? Me?" (Grin)
[Shikanoin Heizou]: With Mr. Gu Chen's level of control over the Knights of Favonius, let alone Inspector General Eroch—even if you added the head priest of the Church of Favonius, it still wouldn't be enough. (Grin)
[Dvalin]: The boss: "You want to target me? Come say it to my face." (Zhongli · Dragon King Smirk)
[Amber]: Thank you, Mr. Gu Chen! In this Mondstadt, my grandfather's reputation finally doesn't have to suffer anymore! (Excited)
[Collei]: Pat pat, Amber. No need to worry—little brother Gu Chen's got this! (Klee · Yay)
[Tighnari]: Friendly reminder: Mr. Gu Chen in the video is already sixteen. We've only watched for about an hour and a half. Another hour and a half later, he'll probably be in his early twenties.
[Nilou]: Hehe~ I still like the youthful-looking little Gu Chen best. (Holding face, shy)
[Paimon]: I think you all just like that mini-Gu Chen can be messed with however you want, right?! (Nahida · Pointing)
[Nahida]: ! Is that really how the Sage's female fans think?! (Dazed)
[Kirara]: Hehehe…
[Nilou]: Hehehe…
[Kamisato Ayaka]: I can no longer look directly at you ladies. (Facepalm)
Knights of Favonius, Grand Master's Office.
"Haha, I heard Eroch's face kept changing colors. Looks like he really wanted to get angry but couldn't," Varka laughed heartily after hearing the report.
Gu Chen pondered for a moment before saying,
"That's a symptom of constipation. Should we send him a letter of concern, asking after his health?"
Varka was momentarily stunned, then pointed at Gu Chen with a raised hand.
"You brat—that's a heart-piercing remark! You're trying to piss Eroch to death!"
"Wouldn't that be perfect?"
Gu Chen shrugged indifferently.
"Then the Inspector General position could be filled by someone else."
"If I had the authority to appoint the Inspector General, Eroch wouldn't still be sitting there. I'd have sent him straight to the front lines to fight monsters long ago. What's the point of keeping someone in a high position when they can't even manage their own subordinates?"
Gu Chen didn't bother to hide his blunt words, which only deepened Varka's admiration.
For Gu Chen to speak so openly, he was clearly relying on both his personal strength and his immense charisma within the Knights.
Varka had the latter, but lacked the former—at least not to Gu Chen's level. Moreover, his mindset hadn't fully shifted yet; he wasn't as impulsive as the younger generation.
"That aside," Varka said, growing more serious, "the Reconnaissance Squad is leaderless right now. What should we do?"
Gu Chen began to think as well.
The Reconnaissance Squad members were highly dependent on the old man.
Though they were all elites who practiced body-tempering techniques and possessed formidable skills, when it came to reconnaissance, even after following the old man for so long, they hadn't learned much of his expertise—his attainments in that field were simply too high.
Gu Chen himself had gone on reconnaissance missions with the old man before and understood that feeling of effortless completion.
Simply put, missions with the old man and missions without him were on completely different difficulty levels. With that in mind, the knights' current predicament was easy to understand.
After thinking for a long while, Gu Chen said firmly,
"The Reconnaissance Squad must be preserved. We need a pair of eyes roaming the wilderness. Otherwise, if monsters march up to the city gates before we even notice, it'll be too late."
Varka nodded deeply, waiting for what came next.
Gu Chen continued while thinking aloud,
"As for the captain of the Reconnaissance Squad… little Amber is still too young. She needs a few more years of experience. Right now, our options are either to select an experienced knight from within the Order, or force someone into the role and have them learn while on missions."
Varka suddenly said,
"How about Kaeya?"
"Isn't he the Quartermaster?" Gu Chen raised an eyebrow.
"I already split part of Jean's workload with him."
"Diluc is pretty idle when there aren't missions," Varka said with a subtle smile.
Gu Chen suddenly understood.
"That makes sense. It's about time Diluc got exposed to high-level affairs anyway—there'll be plenty of things we'll need him for later. Let him temporarily replace the Quartermaster, and have Kaeya act as the Reconnaissance Squad Captain!"
"So that's it? Decision made just like that?" Varka asked.
"I'll write the report. You sign it."
[Diluc]: …
[Kaeya]: Reassigned just like that, in a few sentences. (Shrug)
[Amber]: Is it really okay to let Kaeya act as Reconnaissance Squad Captain? Won't the knights get led astray by him?! (Worried)
[Kaeya]: You should be happy the Reconnaissance Squad is being preserved at all! As for leading them astray… haha, what are you thinking? How could I be that kind of person? (Grin)
[Venti]: Just from that expression alone, I can tell you're not a good person.
[Azhdaha]: Agreed!
[Nilou]: Come to think of it, we still haven't seen Miss Barbara in the video at all! (Nahida · Curious)
[Collei]: Forget Barbara—little brother Gu Chen and Miss Jean don't even interact that much! (Complaining)
[Jean]: Being busy for work is perfectly normal. (Nod)
[Barbara]: Um… at this time, I should be learning how to become a proper deaconess, right? (Barbara · Flustered)
[Rosaria]: Forgot.
After the report was written and signed, Varka stood up.
"I'm heading out for a bit."
"You've been going out pretty often lately. Did an old tree finally bloom—found someone you like?" Gu Chen teased.
"Nonsense!"
Varka snorted, then said,
"Recently, I spotted a human child living among wolves in Wolvendom from afar. I went back twice but didn't see them again. This time, I'm going to look properly and see how that child's doing."
Gu Chen shook his head.
"I thought you were dating. Got it—go on."
Varka paused mid-step.
"Dating?"
"Speaking of that," he suddenly said, eyes gleaming as he looked at Gu Chen,
"there's something you might not know."
"What is it?"
Gu Chen felt a little uneasy under Varka's gaze.
"Lady Frederica seems quite intent on letting you and Jean get closer. You understand what that means, right?" Varka asked with a smile.
Gu Chen froze, then said,
"Isn't it a bit too early?"
"Oh?"
Varka raised an eyebrow, smiling even wider.
"So you mean it'll be the right time in a couple of years?"
"I get it. Jean's only fourteen now—no interest is normal. Wait a couple more years, let the girl grow up, and then you'll be interested."
"What kind of talk is that? Doesn't sound like something a Grand Master should say," Gu Chen clicked his tongue.
"But it's definitely something Varka would say," Varka replied, grinning.
"Since it's still early, I suggest you set off soon," Gu Chen said flatly.
Varka laughed.
"Alright then, I'll head out first and come back later."
After Varka left, Gu Chen took the freshly signed orders and returned to his own office.
Jean looked up from a pile of documents.
Gu Chen placed the file on her desk.
"New orders. Send them out later."
Jean glanced at it, asked no questions, and nodded.
"Understood."
Then she picked up another document and said seriously,
"This was suddenly delivered today—a diplomatic document from Snezhnaya. It seems they've learned of the Knights' changes and want to send envoys over for exchange and study."
Gu Chen took the document and glanced at it. Sure enough, it bore the official Fatui seal and the signature of the Fatui Harbinger in charge.
"Fatui Harbinger, Second Seat—Il Dottore?"
Gu Chen let out a cold laugh.
"It feels like they're coming with ill intent," Jean said quietly.
"And how do you know it's ill intent?" Gu Chen asked with interest.
Jean's still-youthful face was filled with seriousness as she analyzed,
"I looked through some records. Dottore was once a scholar expelled by the Akademiya in Sumeru. From the limited information available, he doesn't seem like a good person. And the Fatui are notorious across the continent—so their purpose definitely isn't as simple as 'exchange and study' like the document claims."
"Your analysis is correct," Gu Chen nodded slightly.
"As expected of the most outstanding member of the current Gunnhildr family."
Hearing Gu Chen's praise, Jean's eyes curved into a smile as she replied modestly,
"It's not that impressive. Just combining known information is enough to reach the conclusion."
"Knowing how to use available information to analyze your opponent—that's something worthy of recognition," Gu Chen said with a smile.
Jean's expression lit up, joy sparkling in her eyes.
[Lisa]: Oh~ a girl getting praised by her idol is really excited~ (Bad smile)
[Nilou]: That excitement is practically overflowing! At this rate, if Mr. Gu Chen makes a move, Miss Jean will spill everything and willingly take the bait! (Barbara · Shy face-cover)
[Collei]: If little brother Gu Chen goes fishing, I feel like he wouldn't even need a hook—just put some compliments on the line and Miss Jean would reel herself right into his arms! (Klee · Yay)
[Jean]: Ah… (Dizzy)
[Kaeya]: You can tell Captain Jean still hasn't accepted this fact—but it's understandable. After all, the Jean we know is the mature version. (Grin)
[Yae Miko]: Now imagine this: you're a ten-year-old girl whose dream is to become a knight protecting Mondstadt. Standing before you is a boy only two years older, already Vice Grand Master, concurrently the Knights' Chief Instructor, and he asks you to be his assistant. The more you learn of his strength, the more you admire him—until you're hopelessly in love!
[Albedo]: Miss Yae Miko, please—right now, immediately, publish this book. I can provide the illustrations. (Bad smile)
[Yae Miko]: What should the title be? (Bad smile)
[Lumine]: "The Domineering Idol Dotes on Me"!
[Paimon]: Lady Frederica really seems eager to matchmake Boss Gu Chen and Captain Jean. If it actually succeeds… what about Barbara? (Grin)
[Barbara]: Huh—why am I suddenly being mentioned?! (Flustered)
[Collei]: The second heroine still hasn't appeared! (Noticing)
[Barbara]: Um… I already said it before—I'm learning how to be a proper deaconess!
[Tartaglia]: Uh, let me cut in for a second—does no one actually care what Dottore is coming to Mondstadt for? (Qiqi · Observing quietly)
[Kaeya]: If the boss weren't here, I might really be worried. But with him around, what's there to worry about? (Confused)
[Dvalin]: Same stance. Mondstadt without the boss is fragile. Mondstadt with the boss… Dottore won't be leaving in one piece. (Pointing)
[Tartaglia]: I really want to see Mr. Gu Chen clash with the Doctor. I want to see just how strong the path of body-tempering—no, the martial path—really is! (Excited)
[Paimon]: The battle maniac is acting up again. (Shrug)
[Arataki Itto]: Honestly, practicing body-tempering makes you eat way more… doesn't feel very suitable for me. (Frown)
[Osial]: What's wrong with you, kid—can't even afford food? (Confused)
[Arataki Itto]: Hahahaha, I'm a delinquent, after all! (Scratching head)
[Kujou Sara]: …Suggestion: go work at the docks carrying cargo. Please stop wandering the streets scaring children.
[Tartaglia]: @[Dottore]You still alive? Hurry up and say something! (Urging)
[Baizhu]: Apologies—he just fainted again. But I've discovered that Dottore's cellular activity is roughly a hundred times that of a normal person. Which means… this guy is probably very durable. (Grin)
[Diluc]: Hard to say, but judging from the basic body-tempering techniques, that does count as increased cellular activity, right?
[Baizhu]: Yes—but not entirely. In short, basic body-tempering is an all-around enhancement.
[Kaeya]: I observed a knight in the video who's practiced basic body-tempering for eight years. He isn't particularly bulky, but he gives me this feeling… that if he got close, he could punch me to death in one hit.
[Paimon]: So that's why no one's afraid of Dottore. (Paimon · Hmph)
[Venti]: Same as always—if Dottore comes to Mondstadt, the boss will just punch him into oblivion! (Grin)
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