"Amber, do you know if there are any hot springs in Mondstadt? I might need to soak in one to get these Wolfhooks off my tail."
"Hot springs? What are those?"
"I know our Mondstadt bathhouses have introduced scrubbing services. Su Bai, you could try that."
"No, no. I'd like my tail fur to stay with me a while longer."
Su Bai knew all too well how violent the techniques he'd taught those bathhouse workers were. If he went for a scrub, he doubted much fur would remain on his tails.
After several attempts, he finally had to accept reality: to remove all the Wolfhooks, he'd have to sacrifice some fur. There was no other way.
"Razor, can you tell me now what really happened?"
Seeing that the wolf's wounds had been treated, Amber urgently asked Razor for the truth. If Razor's wolf friends hadn't attacked Springvale, she needed to find those hunters and explain before they got themselves into danger in Wolvendom.
"It was, the foreign, black wolves, who attacked."
"We, would never, do such a thing."
Razor spoke haltingly, leaving Amber completely confused. Su Bai couldn't take it anymore and explained about the Riftwolves he'd encountered, piecing together the sequence of events with what Razor had said. Razor nodded along, only correcting him when something was off.
After hearing Su Bai's explanation, Paimon nodded sagely—though who knows what she actually understood. Amber, however, got it: foreign wolves had attacked Springvale, not the wolves of Wolvendom.
"Hey, you're the ones who saved this wolf?"
"I suggest you hand it over immediately, unless you want me to deal with you."
A rather arrogant voice came from the thicket as Hopkins emerged from the woods with over a dozen hunters.
"Wow, it's that incredibly arrogant guy. How did he find this place?"
"Haha, nothing can stump the amazing Hopkins!"
His smug, overconfident demeanor was indeed quite irritating. Hearing his arrogant tone, Lumine finally couldn't hold back.
"Mr. Hopkins, do you happen to have three older brothers named Thief by Association, Traitor by Blood, and Bandit by Trade?"
"Three older brothers? What do you mean? I've never heard those names before. And I'm from Mondstadt—those are clearly Liyue names. What, trying to buddy up for a cut?"
"If you can convince your companions to hand over that wolf, I might consider cutting you in."
Hopkins didn't quite understand Lumine's meaning, but if she would side with him, she'd be a valuable asset. The Honorary Knight was certainly better than these brainless hunters. Hearing Hopkins deny having such brothers, Lumine smiled apologetically.
"Oh no, I was just asking. I must have mistaken you for someone else. I thought you might be Shifty Eyes."
"Pfft—hahaha! Ow, ow, ow!"
Su Bai, caught off guard by Lumine's joke, yanked too hard while removing Wolfhooks and pulled out a clump of fox fur. Paimon immediately flew behind him and blew on the sore spot.
"Paimon, I didn't expect you to be so thoughtful."
"Hehe, Su Bai, can I have that fur you don't want?"
Touched by Paimon's gesture, Su Bai didn't bother asking what she wanted it for. Since it was already pulled out and useless anyway, he handed it over.
"Perfect! If wolf-hair brushes are worth so much, brushes made from Su Bai's fur must be even more valuable! Hehe, I'm rich, I'm rich!"
Paimon giggled dreamily, already seeing countless Mora flying toward her. Once she had money, she'd taste every delicacy in existence.
Lumine's mouth twitched. This idiot Paimon had blurted out her true intentions. Su Bai's smile gradually froze on his face. What? Make brushes from his fur?
"Paimon! Give me back my gratitude!"
"Huh?? Lumine, help!"
Watching Su Bai and Paimon fooling around without sparing him a glance, Hopkins felt his anger ignite. These people dared ignore him? Time to teach them a lesson.
"Everyone, loose arrows! Kill that wolf and the wolf-raised brat!"
"I will not, let you, hurt Lupical."
"Lupical?"
Paimon tilted her head. Had Razor named this wolf? But Lupical was such a strange name—not as nice as the names she came up with.
"Lupical means 'family of fate.' Wolves who accept humans, or humans accepted by wolves, can call each other Lupical."
"Wow, Su Bai, you even know that! Amazing!"
"Paimon, when you're complimenting me, could you take your little hands off the Wolfhooks on my tail? Just because I don't have eyes in the back of my head doesn't mean I don't know what you're up to."
"Ehe~"
Su Bai flicked Paimon's forehead. He'd learned the meaning of Lupical from an astrologer's column in the Steambird. They'd become pen pals of sorts.
They'd once debated at length whether pigeons or pigeon eggs came first. The discussion drifted further and further, eventually spanning from Liyue Harbor to Watatsumi Island before they finally agreed on one thing: Sweet Madame was the most cost-effective dish.
But back to Wolvendom. Hopkins's hunters hesitated at his command. At such close range, they might accidentally hit Su Bai and the others. If someone got hurt, that would be bad.
"What are you waiting for? Shoot! Don't you know a single wolf pelt sells for three hundred thousand Mora? Get a few pelts, and you'll never need to hunt again!"
"Think about it—buy a house in Mondstadt and live comfortably for the rest of your lives!"
Hopkins's words were undeniably tempting. These hunters risked their lives daily just to provide for their families. Such an opportunity was hard to resist.
"Mr. Hopkins, stop spreading lies! I've already confirmed it wasn't Wolvendom's wolves that attacked Springvale. Don't incite others!"
"Tch, says who? Even if Acting Grand Master Jean herself showed up, I'd still claim that wolf pelt."
"Shoot! With this pelt, we'll all get a nice cut and rest easy for a while!"
One hunter, finally consumed by greed, raised his bow and nocked an arrow. Seeing someone take the lead, the others followed suit, aiming at the wounded wolf.
"What are you doing? Don't you believe me—a Knight of Favonius?"
"Enough, Amber. Save your breath. You know the saying: You can't wake someone who's pretending to sleep."
Su Bai didn't elaborate further. He'd seen plenty of people like this. Amber's expression darkened. She never imagined the people she'd sworn to protect could be like this. She suddenly questioned whether joining the Knights had been the right choice.
"Sorry, Amber. We must have our revenge."
"Yes, revenge. We'll formally apologize later, Amber."
"If you get hurt, we'll take you to Barbara. Don't blame us."
"Loose!"
At Hopkins's command, a volley of arrows flew toward the wounded wolf. A greedy smile spread across Hopkins's face.
"Let me teach you a lesson, Amber. When Mora stands up to speak, truth falls silent!"
(A/N: That fraud Hopkins—when I first started playing Genshin, I actually bought holy water from him. Did absolutely nothing. Fraud!)