Inside the Knights of Favonius headquarters, the mood was cheerful and harmonious.
Venti and Alice were discussing when they would leave for Liyue tomorrow, and what work needed to be handled before their departure.
Meanwhile, at the temporary Fatui stronghold in Mondstadt—Goth Grand Hotel—
The entire third floor was steeped in a bone-piercing chill, every inch frozen solid by frost and ice.
From the outside, however, there was no visible change.
It was as if the frost itself was afraid of something beyond the walls.
Rosalyne, Fatui Harbinger, sat with an icy expression on the sofa, her gaze fixed on the advisor kneeling before her.
"You are certain," she asked coldly, "that the person you saw looked like an elf, wore a scarlet witch's robe, and a wide-brimmed witch's hat?"
The advisor shivered, her voice trembling.
"Yes, my lady."
Rosalyne had already asked this question seven or eight times, and the advisor had answered the same each time.
By now, the advisor understood that Rosalyne's composure had been completely shaken.
She even… seemed afraid.
Though she hid it well, the occasional flash of fear in her eyes was enough for the advisor to notice.
That alone made her bow her head even lower.
Rosalyne might be afraid of the woman who had blown up part of Mondstadt today—but she was not afraid of her subordinate.
If Rosalyne lost her temper, the advisor could end up as a block of ice in an instant.
After a long silence, Rosalyne suddenly snatched up the table lamp beside her and smashed it hard against the wall.
"Out! Get out!"
The advisor, as though granted amnesty, scrambled out on hands and knees.
"Wait!"
Rosalyne's voice stopped her in her tracks.
"Tell the Fatui… to keep their heads down for the time being. And especially—do not provoke any witch who looks like an elf.
Otherwise… death."
The advisor nodded repeatedly, and only when Rosalyne said nothing more did she flee the room.
Once alone, Rosalyne's control snapped.
Everything in the bedroom was smashed to pieces in short order.
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it all!"
"Why?! It was all about to succeed! Everything was going smoothly!"
"Why did that one have to come back?!"
"Damn you, Barbatos! Damn you!"
"Why return now, when the border is still in turmoil?!"
"I was this close! Just a little more, and—!!"
Her anger spent, Rosalyne slumped to the floor, curling up in a lonely ball.
Alice… had returned.
That name was thunder in her ears.
Even more—Rosalyne feared Alice to the core.
After all…
Alice was a veteran elder of the Hexenzirkel, the Hexenzirkel—one of the leaders stationed at Teyvat's borders, each as powerful as an Archon.
Back when Alice had traveled to Snezhnaya, she'd blown off a corner of the palace.
The Cryo Archon had ordered all to let the matter drop.
But Rosalyne had refused to accept it. Elder or not, she was still the most gifted witch Mondstadt had seen in five centuries.
With that mindset, Rosalyne had gone to seek revenge on Alice—proud and full of herself.
And then…
Before she even laid eyes on Alice, she was grievously wounded—by a stray bomb Alice had accidentally dropped.
When Alice found her, she had been sincerely apologetic, even hauling Rosalyne back to camp and forcing down a huge pot of some bizarre concoction to heal her injuries.
It had worked—but the taste…
Rosalyne had not let her guard down, activating her full power, even summoning her hellfire.
Alice had merely laughed and, saying "This will be fun," tossed another bomb at her—nearly killing her on the spot.
Blessings of the Cryo Archon? Most gifted witch? None of it mattered—she couldn't withstand even a single one of Alice's bombs.
From that day on, Rosalyne knew despair.
Time after time: bomb injuries, experimental "medicine," strange side effects, recovery—only to be bombed half to death again.
At one point, Alice had strapped her to a contraption, using bombs as fuel in an attempt to invent Teyvat's first airplane.
Rosalyne had been seriously injured—again.
She once tried to escape while Alice slept, only to step into a trap.
One explosion later, she was flung skyward, then left dangling from vines for an entire day and night.
That woman…
She was a demon. She treated Rosalyne like an unbreakable toy to play with.
When Rosalyne finally resurfaced a month later, the Cryo Archon sent three Harbingers to retrieve her.
Rosalyne thought she had hope.
But the three of them didn't last ten moves before Alice blew them away.
That battle had actually angered Alice—she leveled an entire mountain in Snezhnaya.
Only when the Cryo Archon herself came with the Jester to negotiate did they manage to bring Rosalyne back.
Otherwise, Alice's collection of "interesting toys" would have grown by several more.
That was long ago, yet Rosalyne didn't like to recall it.
She had grown far stronger over the years—but when it came to Alice, she still felt only hopelessness.
Especially today, when she'd seen one of those small bombs again—terror had risen from her bones.
She might have improved, but she had not reached the level Alice had back then.
And Alice, in the meantime, had fought at the borders, traveled to other worlds—her strength was unfathomable.
Rosalyne doubted she could survive even one bomb now.
With Alice's return, her plans were ruined.
She felt bitterly that her fate was a cruel one, staring blankly from the corner.
Suddenly, a knock sounded at the window.
Rosalyne turned—and saw a brilliant smile, as bright as that witch's hat, blooming just outside.
But to her, it felt like ice crawling down her spine.
The demon had arrived.
"Hi, Rosalyne! Long time no see—miss me?"
Alice pushed the window open, riding a strange-looking broom as she floated inside.
Rosalyne shrank back in terror.
"Stay away from me!!"
The shadow of old nightmares flooded her mind. She wanted only to run.
"Don't be so distant. We're old friends—no need to hide, right? I'm not a devil, you know."
Alice sat on the bed with a cheerful smile. She flicked her finger—flames flashed—and the frost throughout the floor vanished instantly.
"I just came to catch up. Come, sit beside me."
Rosalyne curled even tighter.
"Didn't you hear me, little witch?"
Alice's eyes flashed coldly.
That old, nightmare-inducing nickname rang in Rosalyne's ears once more. She trembled all over and scrambled to sit at Alice's side.
The once-proud Harbinger now bowed her head like a scolded child.
"That's better. Let me see how you've changed over the years."
Alice pinched her cheeks playfully, looked her over, and nodded in satisfaction.
"Mhm. More mature… but still a bit arrogant."
She grinned.
"Don't worry, I'm not here to use you for bomb experiments.
I just came to say this: I don't care about the collection of Gnosis, but don't stir up trouble in Mondstadt.
You understand me, right?
Also—the border is peaceful right now, so I'm on a long vacation.
Dvalin's injured from one of my bombs and will be quiet for a while. I expect you to be quiet too.
I'll be taking Klee and the others on a trip. If I come back and find Mondstadt unsettled…"
She leaned in slightly.
"…I'll be rather upset, little witch. Understand?"
Rosalyne swallowed her fear and nodded.
"Good girl."
Alice ruffled her hair, her eyes softening slightly.
Poor thing.
In the end, it was Barbatos who had wronged Mondstadt.
"Don't be so afraid of me. I admit I played a little rough back then, but see? I'm not tormenting you now.
I know you've had it hard—but that's no excuse to take it out on Mondstadt.
You were once the Crimson Witch of Flames who protected this land—how shameful would it be to harm it?
Live well. Perhaps… the Cryo Archon's wish, and your own, could be fulfilled by other means.
The world is vast—endless possibilities, wouldn't you say?"
Rosalyne eased a fraction, though she remained tense, eyes averted.
"Alright, that's all. Be good for a while—we'll talk about the rest later."
Alice mounted her broom and flew off, cheerful as ever.
Only after confirming she was gone did Rosalyne collapse to the floor, staring blankly at nothing.
Back at the Knights of Favonius—
Klee was overjoyed to be reunited with Alice, nestled in her arms and refusing to go anywhere else.
Jean felt a twinge of envy at the sight.
Still, hearing that Alice had gone to "warn" Rosalyne, she knew the Fatui would behave for a while.
Dvalin would also stay quiet for some time.
It was the perfect window for Mondstadt to clean up its mess and build strength.
If only…
Jean quickly banished the thought. Alice was a Hexenzirkel elder—her true duty was to guard the border. Barbatos had granted Mondstadt its most cherished freedom.
It wasn't right to expect them to keep managing affairs here.
With the Grand Master absent, it was her responsibility as Acting Grand Master to solve Mondstadt's problems.
To lean on others… was immature.
Thinking of her pen pal Ningguang, Jean sighed inwardly.
The gap between them was still too wide.
She struggled with a simple Dvalin crisis, while Ningguang dealt with true cultivators—beings who could crush all of Teyvat.
By comparison, Jean's troubles were nothing.
The thought lit a new fire in her. She bent back over her paperwork.
Nearby, Venti listened to Alice and Lumine's tales of cultivation. Even if many came from novels, they rang true enough.
He began to look forward to his own future with renewed hope.
Lisa, silent through it all, finally spoke softly:
"Lady Alice, could you take me with you to Liyue this time?"
"Lisa?"
Jean looked at her in surprise, a touch of reluctance in her eyes.
Lisa smiled and shook her head.
"Sorry, Jean—I have my reasons. And I believe in you. You'll have Mondstadt's troubles sorted before long."
Jean hesitated, but said nothing more. She knew of Lisa's health, and couldn't keep her here just because she'd feel uneasy without her.
Alice eyed Lisa for a moment, then smiled brightly.
"Of course, little Lisa. If you want to come, you're welcome.
That makes two witches off to cultivate immortality."
At that, Klee's eyes sparkled and her hand shot up.
"Mama! Mama! And Klee too!"
"Oh, right."
Alice feigned sudden realization, tapping Klee's nose.
"And our little witch, Klee."
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