"Mr. Faxun, please allow me to take a few minutes of your time."
"My name is Mikhail, and I am a Fatui diplomat…"
The man nodded slightly, then smiled and introduced himself.
At this point, Mikhail did not continue speaking.
He first looked at Makoto, then at Venti and Qiqi, and even Taroumaru.
"Mr. Faxun, is it convenient to speak alone?"
Hearing Mikhail's words, Venti immediately understood.
It simply meant that the upcoming conversation was not suitable for him to be present.
If he couldn't listen, then he wouldn't. He would find a place to drink dandelion wine!
Venti knew very well what the Fatui wanted from Makoto.
However, Venti would not interfere with Makoto's choice; he believed Makoto would make the best judgment.
Just as Venti was about to leave, Makoto grabbed his arm, signaling him to stay.
"Everyone here is a friend I trust, especially Venti. He is my best friend."
"So Mikhail, you can speak directly about whatever you need."
Venti first felt deeply moved, thinking that Makoto trusted him completely.
"Best friend," that word "best" was the key!
But then he thought again and felt something was off.
Was Makoto putting him on the same level as Taroumaru?
This matter required two bottles of dandelion wine!
Otherwise, this matter wouldn't be over. He would write Makoto's misdeeds into a song...
Mikhail glanced at Venti and then at Qiqi.
One was a drunken poet who often got wasted.
The other was a cute, innocent-looking child.
It seemed neither of them had the ability to interfere with the Fatui's plans.
"Alright then…"
"I am here on behalf of the Fatui to extend a sincere invitation to Mr. Faxun."
"To be frank, the Fatui have been observing Mr. Faxun for quite some time. You are precisely the elite talent the Fatui need."
Mikhail directly stated his purpose.
Uncle An was spot on; the Fatui had indeed set their sights on Makoto and extended an olive branch.
At this moment, Mikhail continued, "I know this is very sudden, so Mr. Faxun does not need to give an immediate answer."
"You can enjoy this Windblume Festival and consider the Fatui's proposal at your leisure."
"Oh, I almost forgot to mention the most important point,"
"To show our sincerity, the Fatui are willing to help Mr. Faxun fulfill one achievable request."
Mikhail laid out the most important bargaining chip, hoping to sway Makoto.
The phrase 'achievable' is very broad in its application.
And what is achievable for the Fatui can allow a person to obtain countless Mora in an instant, or it can allow a person to wield power and dominate a region.
Mikhail firmly believed that anyone hearing this offer would be tempted.
As his words fell, the atmosphere fell into silence.
Qiqi blinked her peach-colored big eyes, a small head filled with great confusion.
She couldn't understand Mikhail's strange words.
What are the Fatui? Are they something to eat?
Speaking of eating, she started to worry that Taroumaru was hungry again.
Taroumaru noticed Qiqi's gaze and inexplicably shivered.
The scariest thing is a friend's sudden concern...
I'm not, I didn't, don't come over!
Venti, on the other hand, looked nonchalant, uninterested in Mikhail's words.
The Fatui are using this to test their cadres?
Which cadre couldn't pass such a test?
If they have the guts, let them test him, Venti!
Makoto, who was actually facing the test, thought for a moment and then shook his head.
"I don't have any requests, but I do have a few questions."
Mikhail smiled and said, "Alright, please go ahead."
Having questions was a good thing; it showed that Makoto was interested in the Fatui.
He guessed that Makoto's next questions would likely be about the benefits of joining the Fatui, power distribution, and similar matters.
Mikhail could answer these questions to Makoto's satisfaction.
However, Makoto asked, "Are the Mirror Maidens currently in Inazuma or Snezhnaya?"
"Also, how old is the Damselette, Columbina, this year? Is she easy to get along with?"
"Finally, what are the Tsaritsa's hobbies?"
Mikhail:???
The questions Makoto asked completely exceeded Mikhail's expectations.
Makoto didn't care about the Fatui's affairs at all; instead, he asked three bizarre questions in a row, and the last one even involved the Tsaritsa!
Mikhail suddenly couldn't quite figure out Makoto in front of him. He didn't know how to answer.
What exactly does this person want to do? What is he plotting?
"I apologize, but I cannot answer those questions,"
After a brief moment of absentmindedness, Mikhail's face returned to its standard smile.
"If you are truly curious, you can join the Fatui and explore the truth yourself."
"The doors of the Fatui are always open for you."
After saying this, Mikhail left in a hurry.
He seemed to have a strict sense of time; if he said he would take a few minutes of Makoto's time, he would absolutely not delay.
Of course, there was also the most important point: the Knights of Favonius had arrived.
Mikhail's identity represented the Fatui, and it was not appropriate for him to meet people from the Knights of Favonius in this setting, as poaching would be too obvious.
"Good morning, young man!"
"I heard Ann mention you. Thank you for your contributions to Mondstadt City!"
The speaker was a man, his voice sounding rough and bold, a bit like Arataki Itto's type.
Makoto turned around and saw a middle-aged man standing behind him.
Grand Master Varka.
...The third update has been released before twelve o'clock. My body feels drained, and the subsequent plot needs to be slowly sorted out.
Zhongli's rerun is coming soon. How are everyone's Intertwined Fates looking?
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I've posted 70+ chapters in advance on Patreon.
Webnovel updates will still be daily, as usual.
It might not seem tempting right nobut who knows what the future holds?
[email protected]/TripleCrown
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"