"Is this level of skill really something a human can achieve?"
"Could Grand Master Jean do this?"
Although Ailin deeply admired Grand Master Jean, she couldn't help but waver at this moment.
What bothered her most was that she had always been working to imitate Grand Master Jean's swordsmanship.
And that young man's swordsmanship had looked remarkably similar to the Grand Master's.
But Ailin's understanding was limited, and she couldn't determine anything beyond that.
"Favonius Bladework is something only a select few within the Knights can study. That stranger clearly isn't a member of the Knights, so how did he come to know it..."
Ailin turned this over and decided it was significant enough to report to Grand Master Jean.
---
After returning to his lodging, Ji An ordered a Fisherman's Toast from the Good Hunter for dinner.
He had heard it was a staple popular with fishermen.
After eating it, his conclusion was that he really did not like onions.
---
In the evening, he arrived at the Favonius Cathedral at the agreed time.
From a distance, he could already see Venti, Lumine, and Paimon waiting outside.
Wait. Weren't they here to steal something? Was standing right outside the entrance in plain sight really the right approach?
Ji An was speechless.
He had a feeling these two teammates were going to be a problem.
As he walked over, Venti was loudly conspiring with Lumine.
Venti: "With the Skyward Lyre, I can awaken Dvalin's true nature from its nightmare."
Paimon: "Will that really make Stormterror stop its destruction?"
Venti: "Of course! I'm the finest bard in all the land. Look into my eyes. Don't you think I look trustworthy?"
Paimon: "...Suspicious."
Ji An glanced at the Knights of Favonius standing guard at the entrance and broke into a cold sweat: "Hey. Keep your voices down."
Venti had been teasing Paimon, but when he noticed Ji An approaching, his smile faded slightly.
For some reason, although Venti could be easy and familiar with everyone else, he seemed unable to adopt that same casual manner with Ji An.
It wasn't simple dislike or simple fondness. It was something more complex and harder to name.
Paimon: "Oh, Ji An is here!"
Lumine: "You're late."
Ji An said helplessly: "I arrived at the agreed time. If you two decided to come early, that's not my fault."
Venti glanced at him and said: "I'll head inside first to get a sense of things. You can follow if you like."
Ji An blinked and called after him: "Hold on. Aren't we here for the Skyward Lyre? The sisters are still inside. Are you really just going to walk straight in?"
Venti looked genuinely puzzled: "Who said anything about stealing?"
Ji An gave him a look that said very clearly: stop playing dumb. "You did, in effect. The Skyward Lyre isn't something anyone can simply walk out with. You specifically asked us to come at night. If that isn't stealing, what exactly is it?"
He knew, of course, that stealing wasn't ideal.
But to resolve the Stormterror situation quickly, some minor imperfections could be overlooked for now.
Venti smiled slightly: "Watch me. I have my own way."
With that, he turned and walked inside.
Paimon: "I have a bad feeling about this. Traveler, Ji An, what if we just leave him here and go back?"
Ji An exchanged a look with Lumine.
"Maybe we should go in and see," Ji An said.
Lumine nodded.
The two of them followed Venti into the Favonius Cathedral.
They arrived just in time to see Venti talking with one of the sisters. Whatever he had requested, it had clearly been refused.
Venti sighed and said:
"Ah, I suppose there's no hiding it any longer."
A saintly smile spread across his face as he spread his hands wide.
"Rejoice, my devout believer! Before you stands the Anemo Archon Barbatos himself."
"You should be grateful, sister. How does it feel to finally meet the god you serve? Deeply moved, I imagine?"
The sister stared at him.
Ji An, Lumine, and Paimon stared at him.
From somewhere in the shadows, someone's breath caught sharply.
An indescribable silence settled over the room.
At the same moment, unnoticed by anyone present, a flash of purple light flickered briefly at the entrance and slipped away into the night.
---
To be honest, Ji An had a very strong urge to simply turn around and walk out.
For crying out loud.
This was the plan? Going in and announcing yourself? That was worse than stealing it.
It was no different from walking into a temple and telling the monk inside: I am the Buddha, hand over the money.
What exactly was the difference?
Sure enough, the sister immediately called for the guards, and Venti was thrown out. Ji An, Lumine, and Paimon, deemed accomplices by association, were thrown out alongside him.
---
Snezhnayan Embassy, Mondstadt.
The Fatui Cicin Mage, having hurried back from outside, entered the embassy and made her way toward the meeting hall.
At this hour, barring any unusual circumstances, Lady Signora would typically be inside attending to her affairs.
The room was empty.
The Cicin Mage spotted the Fatui Consul passing through the corridor and stopped her: "Miss Anastasia, has Lady Signora gone out?"
Anastasia paused and shook her head: "Her Ladyship hasn't left her bedroom since last night."
The Cicin Mage said without thinking: "Could something have happened to Lady Signora?"
She caught herself a moment too late.
"Something happen?"
Anastasia let out a short laugh: "Are you out of your mind? What could possibly happen to Lady Signora? In all of Mondstadt, who would be capable of doing anything to her?"
The Cicin Mage nodded quickly: "You're absolutely right, Miss Anastasia. I misspoke."
"You came back in quite a hurry. Is something urgent?"
Anastasia studied her. "Now that I think of it, weren't you assigned to watch the Skyward Lyre at the Favonius Cathedral and find a suitable moment to take it? Why have you abandoned your post?"
She frowned: "You had better have a very good reason."
Within the Fatui, discipline was not something to be taken lightly. Abandoning an assigned post without cause carried serious consequences.
The Cicin Mage's next words, however, nearly made Anastasia jump out of her skin.
"Anastasia. I found the Anemo Archon Barbatos."
"Are you certain? How?"
For someone capable of serving as a Fatui Consul, Anastasia could keep her composure even when surprised.
The Cicin Mage said: "I saw and heard it directly. That green-clad youth admitted his own identity out loud, in front of one of the sisters."
"Come with me. We'll report this to Lady Signora."
With the Cicin Mage this certain, Anastasia was already seventy or eighty percent convinced.
The two of them made their way toward Signora's bedroom.
They had just reached the door and were raising their hands to knock when Anastasia stopped.
"Do you smell something?"
The Cicin Mage inhaled: "It smells like... smoke. And ash."
They looked at each other. A cold unease settled in simultaneously.
Some deep instinct kicked in before their minds had fully caught up, and they both stepped back from the door.
In the next moment, scorching flames burst through it, tongues of fire lashing outward as if hungry to swallow the entire embassy whole.
-------
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