At the entrance of the Knights of Favonius headquarters.
Screech!
A motorcycle came to a sudden stop, leaving a faint burnt smell lingering in the air.
The stationed knight had already drawn his sword, his throat bobbing in fear as he stared at the two figures before him.
The rider wore Kaeya's attire, but atop his shoulders was a flaming skull. Its hollow eyes seemed to bore into the knight, sending chills down his spine.
If the motorcycle hadn't stopped in time, the knight would have attacked.
What in the world was this?
Even more shocking—Klee sat on the backseat, waving excitedly at him with a bright smile.
What kind of combination was this?
Had he woken up on the wrong side of the bed?
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
A sharp scream erupted from inside the Knights of Favonius headquarters.
Jean came running out, her face filled with shock and worry.
"Jean-nee~!"
Klee hopped off the motorcycle and dashed toward Jean, her backpack bouncing behind her.
As the flames around her gradually dissipated, Jean quickly knelt and spun Klee around, checking her thoroughly. "Are you hurt?!"
"Nope~ Not at all~!" Klee shook her head vigorously. "Big Brother Kaeya is a really good driver~!"
That's not what I'm worried about!
"Haha."
Kaeya stepped off the motorcycle, retracting it as the flames around him faded away. His skull head reverted to normal.
"No need to worry, Acting Grand Master," he said with a grin. "As long as I don't will these flames to harm anyone, they're just for show. No actual danger."
Jean finally let out a sigh of relief.
Staring at Kaeya, now back to normal, she didn't even know what to say.
Seeing two people suddenly burst into flames without warning—anyone would panic.
"Jean-nee, I did a great job today!"
Klee tugged at Jean's sleeve, her little face beaming with pride.
"You… did a great job?"
The girl didn't cause trouble—she actually helped?
Good Archons above!
Jean was genuinely stunned.
For Klee to go a day without causing chaos was already a miracle. But now she was claiming to have contributed?
Was this real?
Was she dreaming?
"It's true," Kaeya vouched. "She even helped Lord Barbatos with something important."
"It's… really true?!"
Jean felt like the world was changing too fast.
She couldn't keep up anymore.
"Let's talk inside," Kaeya suggested.
"Right."
Nodding, Jean held Klee's hand and led the way into the headquarters.
As they walked, Kaeya asked, "Has Diluc arrived yet?"
"Master Diluc?"
Jean paused, then shook her head with a hint of guilt. "I doubt he'd ever want to step foot here again."
"That was before," Kaeya chuckled.
"Before?"
If there was a before, then there was a now.
Jean looked at him in surprise. "What do you mean?"
"Lord Barbatos personally invited Diluc to serve as the Inspector-General," Kaeya explained, recounting the events in detail.
"Master Diluc… as Inspector-General? And leading the Knights' reform?" Jean's eyes widened.
She hesitated. "Given Master Diluc's methods, the reforms will be drastic. There'll be strong opposition within the Knights. Not everyone is as incompetent as he thinks—"
"A new era has arrived. Those who can't keep up should be removed."
A cold voice cut in.
The three turned to see Diluc standing in the hall.
"You're late," Kaeya teased.
"I was just waiting for you to arrive first."
Diluc's tone was indifferent as he continued, "This was my condition to Barbatos. He supports it."
"I see…"
Jean sighed. If this was the Anemo Archon's will, then she had no choice.
Perhaps she had been too hesitant, too soft in this time of change. That was why Diluc was needed.
Whoosh~
A gentle breeze swept through.
Venti appeared nearby, waving cheerfully. "Hey there~"
"You are…"
The aura was unmistakable.
His hair was styled like the Statue of the Seven.
But what made Jean doubt her eyes was the bottle of wine in his hand—which he was actively drinking from.
"Jean, you've done well. But times have changed. The Knights need a leader who can push forward into the new era."
After taking a swig, Venti's expression turned serious. "From a national standpoint, Diluc is right. The Knights can't remain as loose and free as the citizens. They must unite tightly to protect this nation."
Jean understood.
She had been working toward that goal all along.
But one person could only influence so many.
Only a fraction of the Knights had truly changed under her leadership—the rest remained as they always had.
Yet, many of them weren't bad people. Wouldn't outright firing them be too harsh?
She hesitated…
But she knew one thing for certain.
The world was evolving at an unprecedented speed.
This wasn't change measured in years—but in days.
The longer they delayed, the further behind they'd fall.
Perhaps that was why Barbatos had chosen Diluc for this task.
"I understand!"
Jean nodded firmly. "I'll assist Master Diluc to the best of my ability."
"Unnecessary."
Diluc crossed his arms. "Once the reforms are done, you'll resume your duties as usual. Just follow the new direction."
His mission was simple: purge the Knights from top to bottom.
The rest, Jean could handle.
Venti clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention. "May the wind be with you. Now, go forth!"
"Good."
Diluc wasted no time. "Gather every Knight currently in Mondstadt. We begin evaluations immediately. Those who fail will be dismissed."
Jean quickly began drafting orders.
The scale of Diluc's reforms shocked even her.
This wasn't just restructuring—it was a complete overhaul.
Such drastic changes would inevitably cause unrest…
But then again, with Barbatos here, perhaps there was nothing to fear.
As the order appointing Diluc as Inspector-General spread, new directives rapidly circulated through the Knights.
Knights from all over the city began gathering at the training grounds.
Jean remained in her office, stamping and signing documents.
Lisa leaned against the doorway.
Though Jean hadn't informed her, she had already heard the news.
This upheaval might rival the commotion from six months ago, when Varka led the expedition.
The languid librarian yawned. As Jean's closest friend, she was happy to help. "Should I head over too?"
"You're exempt."
Jean shook her head.
Knights like Lisa and Kaeya didn't need such rigorous evaluations. The organization wasn't that far gone.
"Well then~"
Lisa smiled and picked up one of the orders. Her eyes widened slightly.
"The goal is to cut half the Knights?"
The Knights were already understaffed!
If they dismissed half their forces now…
"With Lord Barbatos here, it'll be fine," Jean reassured her.
--------
T/N:
You'll also get 5 extra chapters just for being a free member!
Access 50 chapters in advance on my Patreon : p@treon.com/furinaimpact