Be Careful When Agreeing to Terms and Conditions

3. Back to Mond (3)

I couldn’t say anything. Lumine’s question lingered in my mind, refusing to pass.

“What am I if Pisel is a brat?”

What was Lumine like? Well, Lumine was Lumine. I had never thought beyond that. How I thought of Lumine, what kind of existence Lumine was to me.

Moonlight penetrated through the curtains, casting a faint spotlight. Lumine’s light blonde hair shimmered silver, and her moist pumpkin-colored eyes stared at me. And even her snow-white skin, like a work of art crafted by a god, seemed to receive blessings from the moonlight.

Beautiful. That was always the impression I held whenever I looked at her beauty. But today was a little different. My heart, which had always remained still, began to beat. This wasn’t good. Lumine was my benefactor, and she wasn’t someone I should overlook.

Yet, I couldn’t take my eyes off Lumine’s face. Her beauty, like that of a moon goddess, possessed a magical power that drew people’s attention.

Perhaps, it was intentional. Until now, I had refrained from defining my feelings towards Lumine. It was partly because I didn’t think there was a need to. Regardless of how I felt about Lumine, I believed that Lumine was someone precious to me and the center of the Tibat Continent. That had been enough for me so far.

But now that Lumine asked, I was at a loss for words.

Lumine, what am I to you?

The most appropriate answer would be “a precious friend.” However, that was just an answer that was appropriate to a certain extent. Lumine wasn’t asking for that kind of answer. I couldn’t bring myself to give that answer. My instinctual intuition was sending me a warning.

In the midst of such hesitation, I opened my lips, closed them, and then opened them again. I did so for a while.

It was Lumine who broke the silence between us.

Pfft. Just as I was about to say something, Lumine couldn’t hold back and burst into a clear laughter.

“Ahahahahaha! Shiwoo, aren’t you too nervous?”

In the tickling voice of Lumine echoing in my ears, I abruptly came to my senses.

That’s right. I had been staring blankly at Lumine for quite a while without saying a word. Until Lumine burst into laughter. Realizing that fact, I blushed and coughed awkwardly.

No, why pull someone into chaos, especially onto the bed?

I corrected my awkward sitting posture, avoiding Lumine’s gaze and hiding my slightly flushed face. I felt embarrassed as if I had been the only one taking things seriously.

But Lumine didn’t let me escape. Lumine, who had just let out a clear laughter, soon wore a mischievous smile and stuck close to me.

A sweet fragrance that hooked, permeating the air as she got closer. It was a mystery, but Lumine’s soft skin always had a subtle sweetness.

“…You don’t have to answer.”

It was a whisper-like voice. Lumine’s breath tickled my ears.

“Just by looking at Xiu’s reaction, I can tell. So, let’s just be satisfied with this for today.”

With that, Lumine gave a playful smile and finally moved away from me. I didn’t quite understand, but she seemed quite satisfied.

Although the premise of ‘today’ bothered me a bit. Anyway, if Lumine’s anger was relieved, it was worth it even if my heart took a bit of a toll.

“Well, then. If that’s the case.”

With a sigh of relief mixed with satisfaction, I could finally open my mouth. Lumine’s beauty was truly detrimental to my health. It felt suffocating.

Keeping some distance from me, Lumine, who now seemed quiet, was holding the necklace I had given her in her hand. Watching her quietly enjoy the necklace, it seemed she liked it.

Night stones glow mysteriously every night. Each gem had the charm to captivate a person’s heart. And if that gem could radiate a subtle glow in the darkness, who wouldn’t admire it? Indeed, Jongryeo Seed’s advice had insight beyond her age.

However, Lumine, who seemed to be enjoying my gift, suddenly made a fresh expression. Then, she stared at me and asked.

“Xiu, do you think I’m a woman who can be appeased with just gifts?”

There’s no way. I respected Lumine. I had never thought of her as a woman who could be appeased with just gifts. It just happened that the timing coincided.

Surprised, I waved my hands in denial. It was a strong denial.

“N-no way! It just happened that I gave you gifts when you were upset. It’s absolutely not like that. If it made you uncomfortable, I won’t do it again next time.”

Despite my intense reaction, Lumine did not remove her ambiguous gaze, responding with a casual, “Hmm,” and holding out the necklace to me.

It was the cunningly crafted agate necklace I had given her. I looked at Lumine, questioning, with doubt in my eyes. Lumine spoke as if demanding something obvious.

“Well, then, Siu, fill it in.”

“…Me?”

I could only respond with a bewildered voice. Regardless of it being a gift, did I really need to be the one to fill the necklace? However, Lumine’s tone was firm, as if she wouldn’t allow any further questioning.

“Yes, Siu.”

So, reluctantly, behind Lumine, who was seated on the bed, I found myself putting the necklace around her neck.

It was a simple task of connecting the clasp at the back of the necklace, but the thought that my hand might touch Lumine’s skin made it unnecessarily nerve-wracking.

Sure enough, Lumine subtly smiled. It was the charming smile that appeared every time she teased me, an irresistibly attractive smile that made my heart flutter.

“Siu, where are you looking?”

I cleared my throat with a fake cough, turning my head. Honestly, my gaze had subtly drifted towards Lumine’s fair skin. It was almost instinctual.

“Just, I thought it might be uncomfortable if my hand touched your neck…”

At my awkward excuse, Lumine’s smile deepened. She spoke as if tempting.

“Even if it touches, it’s okay.”

“…Huh?”

My hand paused. It seemed like a trivial statement, but there was an underlying nuance. Lumine’s words sounded as if she was suggesting that more than just touching was allowed.

“If it’s Siu, you can touch my body.”

That’s how Lumine dropped the bomb. I momentarily inhaled sharply. The way she spoke made it feel like she was hoping for it. However, I quickly shook my head, regaining my composure. Finally, I got rid of the nonsense in my head. Lumine was just teasing me; mistaking friendship for something else always led to trouble.

Most instances of harassment or advances arise from such misinterpretations. Well, whatever. I decided to take Lumine’s words at face value.

Still, it seems that even if I touch her neck, she doesn’t seem to feel uncomfortable. With that conclusion, I playfully flick my hand even more boldly. It was to shake off the stray thoughts that came to my mind.

But it had the opposite effect. When I playfully flicked my hand, it touched Luminé’s neck. And then, Luminé made a strange moan.

“Ha, hah!”

In that moment, silence filled the air. Luminé’s sweet moan seemed to be something unexpected even to her. As if feeling embarrassed, her face began to blush gradually.

Luminé’s pupils couldn’t find their place and rolled around. It was a habit that came out when Luminé was not only embarrassed but also flustered.

“Th… Th-That surprised me because your hand is cold, Siu.”

“Y-Yeah, it seems so. hahahaha…”

In the awkward atmosphere that had unnecessarily become awkward, I decided to finish the work quickly instead. It was a simple task of connecting the links, and it wasn’t that difficult if I just focused, even though the holes were small.

And when I moved my hand again.

“Yeah, ugh!”

Some people become even more sensitive when they’re nervous. They get itchy even if the wind blows, those kinds of people.

Luminé seemed to be one of those people. Just by lightly touching her, she reacted like this. Luminé lowered her head deeply in embarrassment.

Finally, when Luminé’s face turned as red as if it was about to burst, I was able to put the necklace I had given her around her neck.

It took only a few minutes, but it felt like a really long time. For me and for Luminé.

**

After comforting Luminé the next day, I started moving busily in Mondstadt.

It was worth 300 million mora worth of daily necessities. Moreover, it was based on the price of goods in Liyue Harbor, which had the highest water flow rate, so there was a possibility that even if it was released at a low price, it would form an even more expensive price range in Mondstadt. In order to dispose of such a huge amount, I had no choice but to use my wits.

However, what I felt while going around Mondstadt for a few days was that the situation was more serious than I expected.

No matter how serious the Stormterror incident was, small-scale transactions were still taking place, little by little. And with Mondstadt’s self-sufficiency, I thought that even if the price of daily necessities skyrocketed, there would be some limits.

But during the month I was in Liyue, the prices in Mondstadt were completely destroyed. More accurately, they skyrocketed. Especially, the scarcity of daily necessities was severe.

This was not something achievable through Mondstadt’s demand alone. My doubts began there.

If it’s impossible with Mondstadt’s demand, where on earth is the demand coming from?

As mentioned before, Mondstadt was in a state where external interactions were almost severed. This not only meant that they couldn’t receive supplies from outside, but also implied that there was no influx of demand from the outside.

So, the cause of Mondstadt’s scarcity of necessities was not only real demand but also the presence of fictitious demand.

Someone is hoarding supplies. I didn’t know how they did it, but such inference seemed the most rational.

But who could do such a thing? Mondstadt had the Favonius Knights holding fort. Even though their control weakened due to a large-scale expedition, if market disruptions were severe, the Favonius Knights would have intervened long ago.

Moreover, the upper echelons in Mondstadt were preoccupied with the ongoing Stormterror situation. There was hardly anywhere with enough liquidity to hoard essential goods in Mondstadt, and even if there was, they were currently in a state of holding their breath and closely monitoring the situation.

As I continued pondering, I suddenly recalled a conversation I heard when I was kidnapped by Hailey. They mentioned something about the “Fatui,” and now that I think about it, they claimed to cut off all shipments coming to Mondstadt.

I had informed Lumine about being kidnapped, but I hadn’t revealed the mastermind behind it. Lumine’s eyes lost their brightness as soon as she heard I was kidnapped. Lumine listened to my story in silence and then asked with a sly smile.

“Did you kill them all?”

If not, she was ready to go and kill them all. Frankly, only Hailey died, and the other three were tied up, later reported to the Chevalier that patrolled the borders of Mondstadt and Liyue. However, I didn’t explicitly say that.

It was terrifying. Lumine, who was so ruthless, was a first for me. If Lumine during the fight with Venti was cold, Lumine hearing that I was in danger was downright ruthless.

Furthermore, Lumine was a crucial figure contributing to the daily lives of Mondstadt residents. With Lumine driving Stormterror out of Mondstadt, even if Stormterror attacked Mondstadt again, the belief that Lumine would block it was supporting the daily life in Mondstadt.

So, Lumine wanted to accompany my journey to Liyue, but I managed to stop her. But if she went to Liyue now to chase after the kidnappers who had taken me, it would be a real mess.

In such a situation, I couldn’t bring up the story of the “Fatui” to Lumine. What if Lumine became hostile to the Fatui? The Fatui represented a powerful military organization for an entire nation. It was too massive for an individual to provoke conflicts.

So, not bringing up the story about the “Fatui” to Lumine was also a choice for Lumine’s safety. It was something I didn’t want to imagine her getting into trouble because of me. If it were the other way around, it might be different.

However, even if I personally suffered, it was an issue that couldn’t be left covered if there was some conspiracy lurking in Mondstadt.

So, I quickly disposed of the necessities. It took quite some time just for that, but thanks to the rush of Mondstadt residents who were thirsty for goods due to the scarcity, I could process the inventory relatively quickly. Despite setting supply limits for each trading partner to prevent hoarding, there were numerous places asking for more supplies, offering extra payment.

But it was a whopping three billion Mora. Even if it was three billion Mora, it couldn’t handle the entire Mondstadt, but it was enough to temporarily stabilize the prices in the central area of Mondstadt, the Mondstadt Castle. In times when the supply of goods was unstable, sellers tended not to release their stocks, so it would take some time for the effect to show. However, the quantity was substantial.

The prices in Mondstadt Castle started dropping rapidly not long after. Still, it was merely a temporary phenomenon. At this rate, no matter what was done, the prices wouldn’t recover to the usual levels.

In the end, there were only two problems that needed to be solved for Mondstadt to stabilize. First, dealing with the unidentified market disruptor who was meddling with the essentials. And second, resolving the fundamental issue of the Stormterror incident.

The latter wasn’t my concern, as Lumine would handle that. I decided to focus solely on the former.

So, today, I found myself in the office of the Knights of Favonius headquarters.

With a rustling sound, a fresh fragrance spread around. The tea being poured into the cup was the same as the one I had been served in the Knights of Favonius headquarters before.

Across from me, Jean, the weary-looking leader of the Knights, was seated. With her golden hair and the unmistakable curves of her knightly uniform, she could easily be considered one of the most beautiful women in the Knights of Favonius if someone were to choose. In my opinion, she was second only to Lumine. Perhaps on par with Lady Ganyu. She was that beautiful.

Of course, recently, she seemed exhausted, likely due to stress. However, even with that fatigue, her charm didn’t fade. In many ways, she was an impressive person.

“Well, Childe, first, let me express gratitude on behalf of the citizens of Mondstadt. I heard you supplied a large quantity of essentials at a reduced price.”

As she said that, she closed her eyes and raised her left hand to her right chest, expressing thanks. But I waved my hand, refusing.

“No, there’s no need for such formalities. I kept some for myself, too. It’s just a simple act of kindness.”

Indeed, that was true. While I did supply essentials at a reduced price, the price difference between Liyue and Mondstadt caused my 300 million Mora worth of essentials to mysteriously become 400 million Mora.

Of course, in the vast Teyvat continent where numerous risks accompanied trade, this distribution margin was almost like a gift. But considering the standard in the ordinary upper class of the Teyvat continent, where distribution costs were almost nonexistent for me, it was still a significant amount.

One could potentially earn more money by exploiting Mondstadt’s situation, but that would only hinder my plan to establish my influence there. My concern for Mondstadt’s situation was merely a judgment that stabilizing Mondstadt would eventually be the foundation of my power.

However, whether Jean accepted my words humbly or not, she closed her eyes, gave a soft smile, and said, “If that’s the case, it must be true. Still, thanks to you, the price situation in Mondstadt has stabilized. I cannot help but express gratitude for that.”

…Jean, it seems like she has been strangely overrating me since last time.

Well, whatever. It’s not a bad impression, so it doesn’t matter. After organizing my thoughts like that, I spoke.

“By the way, I heard that recently, both you and Diluc have been helping Lumine in various ways. I came today to convey my thanks for that.”

“When it comes to Mondstadt’s affairs, it’s only natural for the Knights of Favonius to take the lead. In fact, we are the ones benefiting from Lumine’s assistance.”

As she said that, Jean and I exchanged a few more casual words. Questions about whether I was tired these days, and if the opportunity arises, I should treat them to another meal.

The conversation with Captain Jin was enjoyable, but noticing how busy she seemed, I decided to get to the point gradually. No matter how pleasant it was to talk with a beauty, the issues involving Mondstadt and the Fatui were more critical.

“By the way, have you heard? I was kidnapped.”

At my words, Captain Jin’s eyes widened. Apparently, Lumine or Diluc hadn’t shared this story with her. Well, it wasn’t the kind of tale I’d casually tell someone, given the closeness between Captain Jin and me.

Captain Jin soon offered words of comfort with a serious tone.

“I had no idea, Xiu. To go through such an ordeal from the very beginning…”

“In reality, I pretended to be unconscious and overheard the conversation of the kidnappers who took me. But what I heard was too significant to ignore. It was about the ‘Fatui.'”

As Captain Jin conveyed her comfort, her face stiffened as my words continued. After a moment of silence, she sighed as if understanding the unfolding situation.

Captain Jin splashed her face with water. Even though she already looked tired, her head seemed to throb.

“…Xiu, it seems like you’re intimately involved in this matter. In fact, the Knights of Favonius have been pressured by the Fatui to relinquish Mondstadt’s law enforcement authority.”

I remained silent. The information that flowed from Captain Jin’s lips was beyond imagination.

“…Does that even make sense?”

No matter how weakened the Three are due to the Anemo Archon’s absence, the Knights of Favonius can withstand it. Demanding law enforcement authority is no small matter.

The term ‘law enforcement authority’ implied the right to legitimate armed intervention within that region. To put it more strongly, it was no different from declaring an intention to colonize Mondstadt.

Even if the Fatui is a gang of thugs, bringing up such matters through official diplomatic channels was utterly insane.

“Of course, it sounds absurd… But recently, the Knights of Favonius have been struggling to deal with various issues due to the Anemo Archon’s rebellion. In addition, the Fatui has been buying up treasure hunters and blocking the movement of goods within Mondstadt. Furthermore, by monopolizing suppliers and signing exclusive contracts, they are causing inflation.”

Finally, the puzzle pieces fell into place in my mind. So, the Fatui’s plan was like this.

With the chaos caused by the Anemo Archon incident, Mondstadt’s distribution network was already in shambles. Taking advantage of this vulnerability, they purchased treasure hunters to control the movement of goods within Mondstadt. Since treasure hunters were already outlaws, there would be no tangible evidence even if they were bought.

This would immediately put suppliers in a difficult position. How could they endure without income? That’s when the Fatui would step in, carrying the capital of the Northland Bank, offering a mix of money and intimidation to sign an exclusive contract.

As a result, essential goods would become scarce in Mondstadt. This fabricated entity called the ‘Fatui’ would emerge and consume all the resources, unrelated to the actual demand.

And the price of essential goods directly connected to survival would skyrocket. Even though the cause was the Fatui, the people wouldn’t realize it until it was too late. In a situation where they had to worry about immediate sustenance, the public opinion towards the Knights of Favonius, unable to resolve this crisis, would inevitably worsen.

Reaching the limit of my thoughts, I couldn’t help but blurt out in disbelief.

“……These guys are completely insane, aren’t they?”

This was beyond the level of diplomatic impropriety. It was a blatant act of market disruption being carried out in a foreign country. It was a problem that could never arise between equal nations.

In reality, it was impossible. But on the Teyvat continent, it was possible. There was a coercive power that made it possible.

“If there was someone like the Grand Marshal Barca, it might be different, but… the Executioner is with the Fatui. As a majority of the forces have been leaked to the Favonius Knights on their expedition, it’s a difficult situation to stop them recklessly.”

The reason the Fatui could get away with their gangster-like behavior on the Teyvat continent was because of this. It was because there were monsters that the national armed forces would never dare to confront.

They were the ‘Executioners’. Of course, if the Favonius Knights of Mondstadt were in their normal state, the Fatui wouldn’t dare to do such things.

But the Favonius Knights were in a state of large-scale expedition and had even faced the Stormterror incident.

The Favonius Knights had no resources left.

“If they had dealt with the Stormterror incident sooner, this wouldn’t have happened….”

Director Jean added with regret. I felt a pang of guilt at her words.

I heard it from Beidou. Lumine had been worried about me and had put everything else aside.

That includes the incident with Stormterror, right? The feeling of cold sweat running down my back overwhelmed me as the thought crossed my mind.

All of the actions of the Fatui now were based on the assumption of the Stormterror incident. If the Stormterror incident had ended sooner, the Fatui would have had no choice but to retreat from Mondstadt before they could take any action.

But now the situation had changed. The Fatui was shaking Mondstadt with control over its essential goods. Even if the Stormterror incident was resolved, there would still be problems for a while.

…And was it because of me?

“…If force doesn’t work, why not use capital?”

Internally, I broke out in a cold sweat, but I deliberately spoke casually. Director Jean only responded with a bitter smile.

“Well, that’s true… But right now, the Favonius Knights are not in a good financial situation. The resources being consumed due to the Stormterror incident are not insignificant. The economy of Mondstadt is a mess at the moment, so we can’t rely on fundraising.”

In truth, I had been waiting for those words. I didn’t know it was because of me, but still, I decided to pretend not to know until the end.

Sure, I didn’t make a mistake. All the mistakes were made by the Wuindan. I repeated that to myself, suppressing the voice of conscience.

“So, what I’m saying is that I might be able to offer some help to the Favonius Knights.”

In response to my hesitant story accompanied by a cough, Jin raised his eyebrows in surprise.

Then Jin, drawing a gentle curve in his eyes, smiled. It seemed he was quite moved by my kindness.

“Hmm, thanks. Xiu. I’d like to say it’s okay from the bottom of my heart, but… considering the situation, I’ll gratefully accept. How much are you thinking of donating exactly?”

“100 million mora.”

At that moment, Jin, the leader of the Knights, stopped abruptly.

And silence. During that brief moment of stillness, neither Jin nor I, not even the teacup, moved.

Jin, who had quickly regained his composure, shook his head and once again adorned his gentle smile.

“…Sorry, Xiu. I must have misheard due to my fatigue. How much did you say?”

“100 million mora.”

There was a sound, something hitting the ground. It was the teacup Jin was holding, making a clattering noise.

Among the ways to connect with powerful organizations, the simplest method.

It was ‘money talk.’