Chapter 25: Thousand-Layer Pie
Midnight, in the dead of night, at the Godefroy Hotel.
Earlier that afternoon, Anastasia, an advisor of the Fatui, had received a reply from Ningguang, the Tianquan of Liyue.
In the letter, Ningguang flatly denied that such a figure existed among the Liyue Qixing. Not only that, she attached 10,000 Mora and politely suggested that "if the advisor feels unwell, she may visit Mondstadt Cathedral to receive treatment from the blessing priests."
Was this not a thinly veiled insult, implying that her brain was broken? Anastasia was so furious she tore the letter to shreds on the spot.
That night, she tossed and turned, growing angrier the more she thought about it, and more restless the angrier she got. Sleep was a distant dream.
"If you truly have no ties to the Liyue Qixing, then pray we don't encounter the Fatui outside Mondstadt City."
Her eyes glinted darkly as she stepped out of the Godefroy Hotel, hoping a walk might clear her mind.
Unbeknownst to her, a pair of malicious eyes were quietly watching from the shadows.
The instant she stepped out of the Fatui guard's sight, darkness suddenly clouded her vision.
"Waaah—"
It felt as if something had been slipped over her head, and a foul cloth stuffed into her mouth prevented speech. She could only struggle, desperate to draw the attention of the guards outside the hotel.
"Behave." A deep voice ordered, followed by a sharp kick to her backside.
"Waaah—"
The person seemed impatient. Without further ceremony, he grabbed her by the neck and swung her hooded face from side to side.
Slap, slap, slap—dozens of blows rained down until she stopped struggling, at which point he finally ceased.
"Listen, I have a question. You answer it…"
"If you scream again, I'll kill you. I, Kaeya, never shy away from trouble," the man growled.
Kaeya? Captain of the Knights of Favonius? The dark-skinned, one-eyed investigator secretly handling intelligence?
Could it be that he had kidnapped her because the Fatui's secret contact with the Lawrence family had been discovered?
"Waaah—"
Anastasia frantically nodded in submission, only to be slapped again immediately.
"Still screaming?!"
"Ugh…" Soon after, he removed the cloth from her mouth.
Gasping for fresh air, Anastasia's eyes brimmed with tears.
"I'm asking you—what did Pangolin say?"
"The Fatui is indeed coveting Mondstadt's defense schematics, preparing to work with the Lawrence family—eh?"
Question and answer came almost simultaneously, though the latter was faster.
Su Han: "?"
Anastasia: "??"
Su Han kicked her over, a clear expression of frustration.
"Who the hell asked you that?"
"You don't even know what Pangolin said? Pathetic."
"You're useless when given a chance!"
Crazy! Anastasia wanted to cry but had no tears left.
He then made no pretense, rifling through her clothes and finding a small pouch of gemstones and a solid gold pocket watch.
Su Han: "Pathetic. Ugh, I, Kaeya, despise poor people like you the most!"
Anastasia: "…"
Then she felt a sharp pain in her neck, her vision went black, and she nearly passed out.
But her sharp mind refused to give him the satisfaction of hearing her cry out. She held her breath, hoping he wouldn't notice she hadn't actually fainted, and avoid a follow-up strike.
Su Han removed the black stocking from her head, glanced at the pocket watch, and spoke in his usual tone:
"Hmph… it's already one in the morning."
Anastasia's heart skipped a beat. That voice—wasn't it the white-clad man, Su Han, who had been beside the Concertmaster that day?
Why would he pretend to be a Mondstadt knight captain after kidnapping her? Did they have some personal grudge?
"Half an hour until the agreed time… once it hits, we move immediately. I need to hurry…"
"Heh heh. The Skyward Harp is valuable. Once I get it, the Traveler and I can fly far away, leaving Mondstadt behind."
…Wait, he's planning to steal the Skyward Harp?
From his broken words, Anastasia slowly pieced it together.
He intended to pin the kidnapping on Kaeya. When she regained consciousness, she would naturally demand an explanation from the Knights of Favonius, insisting they hand over the captain responsible.
Given the Concertmaster's personality, she could not agree, yet rejecting the Fatui outright would be politically dangerous. The situation would inevitably reach a deadlock and chaos.
Meanwhile, with the Skyward Harp in their possession, they could escape Mondstadt unnoticed.
What cunning! Anastasia shivered, then smirked coldly. If he wants to plot against me, I'll play a counter-plot.
The Fatui had long coveted the Skyward Harp but had not acted due to the heavy security. While they could send a Thundercritter Adeptus to breach it, doing so would openly antagonize Mondstadt—a last resort.
Perfect. She could use this moment to have the Thundercritter Adeptus seize the harp right as they attempted theft. With proper deception, the blame for stealing the Skyward Harp could be shifted to them, clearing her name and securing the harp herself—two birds, one stone.
By then, she could even take credit before her Lady. Perfect strategy—just as she had expected.
Hmph. In this move, you're at the first layer, I'm at the second. You lose.
Listening to Su Han's receding footsteps, Anastasia laughed madly in her mind.
——
While Lisa, the librarian of the Mondstadt Grand Library, slept, Su Han quietly slipped inside. The library was empty.
A side door led to the first floor of the Knights' headquarters. At night, it was usually manned by two to four Knights of Favonius.
Tonight, only two knights were on duty: Wilrag at the library side door, and Wood guarding a nondescript room.
"Will this thing even work? Will it scare them off?"
Su Han eyed the cherry bomb in his hand with doubt.
Time was short. Following the guide, he quietly pushed open a gap in the side door and tossed a small cherry bomb toward the center of the hall.
Whoosh—
The cherry bomb exploded into dazzling sparks. Beautiful, harmless, and designed only to draw attention.
Yet the two night-duty knights' faces instantly turned pale.
"B-Bomb? Is it a bouncing bomb? It's gotta be a bouncing bomb, right?!"
"Is Klee out of confinement?! Run!"
The two Knights of Favonius panicked, fleeing in all directions, forgetting even to alert the Concertmaster. They bolted through the main gate.
The two knights guarding the main gate joined in the panic, causing chaos outside.
Su Han: "…"
The training of these Knights is terrible… A small spark and they scatter like leaves, yet they didn't even notify the Concertmaster?
And… who is Klee? Amber had mentioned that Klee had helped improve her bomb-making dolls.
Logically, Klee must be skilled at making explosives. Maybe these bombs are unstable, explaining why the Knights were terrified.
Knock knock knock—
Su Han rapped on the Concertmaster's office door, then pushed it open.
"Ahahaha, coffee's here—"
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