"Tsk, it seems the situation is far worse than I anticipated."
Gu Sanqiu propped the two up, pulling out two bottles of green-glowing liquid and splashing them over the Ice and Fire brothers.
"This is emergency treatment. It might hurt a bit, so bear with it."
Ignoring their grimacing faces, Gu Sanqiu used the power of elemental energy to conjure wings, pushing their speed to the limit.
For Diluc, who detested relying on the Knights of Favonius, to actively request help—it was clear the situation on Dragonspine was far more dire than expected.
"We're here."
Through gritted teeth, Kaeya managed to force out a sentence. "That stuff works… really well. How about you try this treatment yourself sometime? I'll personally apply the medicine."
"Count me in," added Diluc, his voice icy. Even with his endurance, his expression had betrayed him mid-flight, hinting at how excruciating the treatment had been.
Fortunately, the worst had passed. If it hadn't, both of them might have been tempted to wear masks before entering the Knights' headquarters.
Pain. Too much pain!
"Emergency situation. Find Acting Grand Master Jean and Albedo for me."
Kaeya stepped forward, his pained, stern expression startling the guard at the front gate. Or, perhaps, terrifying him.
Diluc, arms crossed, maintained his composure. "Summon all Knights with titles immediately. This is no time for them to slack off with trivial matters."
"Master Diluc!"
The guard's eyes lit up, filled with awe as he looked at the red-haired man. "I've heard stories about you from the senior knights. You're my idol!"
"Thank you, but please focus on your duties."
"Yes, sir!"
The enthusiastic guard sprinted off to notify his comrades. Gu Sanqiu glanced around before turning his gaze to Kaeya.
"So, where's the confinement room?"
"That little girl isn't locked up every day, you know."
Kaeya pulled a chair over and collapsed into it, letting out a long sigh. "I'm exhausted. Before everyone's notified, this might be the only chance we get to rest."
"I'm curious—what exactly did you encounter?"
Diluc looked at Gu Sanqiu. "Actually, I'm more curious why you were so certain something was wrong on Dragonspine."
"Family secret."
Diluc's expression hardened. "If you're going to give a half-baked excuse, at least try to make it sound convincing."
Gu Sanqiu nodded. "It really is a family secret. But it also involves this."
He held up a compass for them to see.
Kaeya frowned. "That's one of Liyue's Treasure Compasses, isn't it? Don't tell me it has some hidden functions?"
Gu Sanqiu retrieved the compass. "What else would you expect? To my knowledge, every nation has its own version of these compasses, each designed to focus on different aspects based on local needs."
"Liyue's compass prioritizes mountain formations, leyline flows, and geo-elemental energies. Mondstadt's compass emphasizes wind, and Inazuma's focuses on electro. It's simple enough to understand, isn't it?"
"So you're saying," Diluc surmised, "you sensed disturbances in the leylines beneath Dragonspine and sent us to investigate?"
"That's right. Though haven't you started using multi-element compasses yet?"
Gu Sanqiu's curiosity was evident. "Liyue has been actively acquiring various elemental compasses at high prices to minimize investigative oversights."
"If not for the cost, I'm sure we'd promote them widely. Paired with elemental sight, they're practically perfect tools for crime-solving."
Kaeya's eyes widened. "Wait—you've managed to integrate multiple elements into a single compass?"
"Of course not. You'd have to carry them individually. It's not like investigators are heading into battle. A bit of inconvenience won't kill them."
Gu Sanqiu rolled his eyes. If he'd mastered the art of elemental fusion, he wouldn't be standing here. He'd already be a transcendent being.
Kaeya glanced at Diluc. If anyone in Mondstadt had the connections to acquire such tools, it was the head of the Ragnvindr business empire.
"Don't worry," Diluc said thoughtfully. "I'll look into this. I hadn't considered its utility before, but it's clear now."
He paused, his gaze sharp. "Also, do you know what's inside Dragonspine?"
"Know?" Gu Sanqiu raised an eyebrow. "That depends on what you're asking about. There's a lot in Dragonspine."
"I mean—"
"Gentlemen."
Jean's voice interrupted as she strode toward them. "What happened? Why was the emergency protocol activated?"
Kaeya sighed. "Acting Grand Master, let's wait until everyone returns from their missions. I've already had a signal flare sent up. It shouldn't take long."
Jean nodded, then turned to Diluc.
"Senior."
"Hmm."
Gu Sanqiu squinted at the exchange. What's with this cryptic conversation? Do they have a private comm channel or something?
---
In the Knights of Favonius headquarters, the main meeting room was abuzz.
Jean sat at the head of the table. Gu Sanqiu had slipped into a seat at the far end, his inconspicuous position courtesy of Diluc's testimony.
Kaeya rose. "I'll get straight to the point. Dragonspine has a problem."
"Dragonspine?" Eula raised an eyebrow. "Where exactly? Can you be more specific?"
"Wyrmrest Valley. The area with the massive skeleton. A group of monsters is conducting some sort of ritual there, and strange creatures now occupy about a third of the valley."
Albedo, sketchpad in hand, spoke up. "Captain Kaeya, could you describe these creatures? It'll help me trace their origins."
Kaeya shook his head. "Unfortunately, they're difficult to describe. Imagine serpent heads with pig bodies and scorpion tails. Or wolf heads with snake bodies and chicken tails. Their features are grotesquely twisted."
Albedo's pen froze. "You're certain all the creatures look this bizarre?"
"Positive. Not only that, but they're highly aggressive and willing to trade injuries just to land an attack."
Eula raised her hand. "Are these creatures linked to the ritual you mentioned?"
"They are," Kaeya confirmed. "The monsters continuously emerge from the central altar, though I can't tell if they're being created there or summoned directly."
Albedo fell silent, lost in thought. Wyrmrest Valley… This likely involves me.
Kaeya turned to Diluc. "There were seven altars in total. Master Diluc destroyed one while fending off waves of monsters. Both of us were seriously injured in the process."
"That's why we've gathered you all. We need an elite task force to infiltrate Wyrmrest Valley and dismantle the remaining altars."
Kaeya's gaze sharpened. "If we let those monsters continue unchecked, there's no telling how many more they'll summon. Even if they're on guard now, we must act swiftly and decisively."
"Right now, we're dealing with creatures we can handle. But who knows what's next."
"Everyone, this is both a precision strike for the task force and a defensive counteroffensive for all Knights of Favonius!"