Chương 257: This Trainee Fatui Harbinger is Too Unreliable [257]
Although Azar had taken precautions to deny the Doctor access to the Void, preferring to oversee the God-Creation Project personally, it was child's play for the Doctor to bypass those restrictions.
Within moments, he had gained control of every Void terminal in Sumeru. After a brief search, his screen froze on a scene of Lumine and Katheryne deep in conversation.
"So, she's here as well… along with that one," he mused with a smirk.
"Hmph. Perhaps it's time for a meeting."
---
Stepping out of the workshop, Luo Qing focused his mind, scanning the Void for Lumine and Paimon's whereabouts.
Since they had just exited the Endless Dream, neither of them were currently connected to their Void terminals. Instead, he could only observe them from another person's perspective—seeing the pair conversing with Katheryne, the Adventurers' Guild receptionist.
Of course, Luo Qing was fully aware that the "Katheryne" in front of them was being controlled by Nahida.
For now, he couldn't let Nahida know about his plan to borrow the Gnosis. He would have to wait until Lumine and Nahida parted ways before approaching her for a discussion.
With the main questline on hold, it was time to tackle a side quest.
The four rooms in his current house were definitely not enough.
If Buer joined the household, it would inevitably lead to exciting moments between all the girls. A larger and more spacious home was a must.
After his last conversation with Kaveh, the architect had eagerly run off to design a blueprint based on Luo Qing's requirements. Judging by the timeline, it should be ready by now.
Activating the Void once more, Luo Qing locked onto Kaveh's location and headed straight for him.
---
At Alhaitham's Home
Kaveh was slumped over his drafting table, drooling onto the surface. Hanging on the nearby bulletin board was the blueprint for Luo Qing's new home.
Originally, the only hard requirement had been "twelve bedrooms," but as they discussed the details further, Kaveh quickly realized that earning money from this Fatui-backed client would be no simple task.
What kind of normal person needed an oversized hot spring bathhouse capable of accommodating a dozen people?
And why would a grown man insist on a three-to-four-meter-wide soft pink bed for his master bedroom?
Kaveh had lived many years, but he learned an entirely new set of eccentric preferences from Luo Qing.
"I'm heading out. Clean up before I get back," Alhaitham remarked dryly, glancing at the drooling architect before leaving the house.
"Yeah, yeah…"
Still half-asleep, Kaveh grumbled as he adjusted his position, trying to find a more comfortable spot to continue his nap.
Moments later, a knock sounded at the door.
"What now…"
Assuming Alhaitham had forgotten his key, Kaveh dragged himself to the door, ready to unleash his frustration.
"You can't even remember your—"
"Mr. Luo Qing?!"
"Good morning, Kaveh." Luo Qing greeted him with a faint smile. "Have you finished my blueprints?"
"…"
If it had been Alhaitham waking him up, Kaveh would have had no qualms about arguing right then and there.
But Luo Qing?
This client is king. Kaveh couldn't afford to offend him.
After serving Luo Qing a cup of tea, Kaveh laid out the blueprints he had been painstakingly working on for the past few days.
To be honest, Kaveh couldn't quite understand Luo Qing's priorities. The exterior design of the house barely seemed to interest him, but his focus on practicality and durability bordered on obsession.
Take, for instance, Luo Qing's insistence that the bed frames be sturdy enough to withstand extreme shaking or that the rooms have top-notch soundproofing—enough to block out even the loudest screams.
At one point, Kaveh had genuinely wondered if Luo Qing was building a private prison for torture experiments.
"Mr. Luo Qing, here's the initial design draft. Let me know if anything needs to be revised."
"Hmm…"
Luo Qing nodded as his gaze fell on the blueprint.
The design was straightforward. Each floor was displayed on its own sheet, making it easy to understand. The four-story mansion, complete with a front courtyard and a back garden, resembled a small estate.
Kaveh had included everything Luo Qing had requested—a hot spring bathhouse, a spacious master bedroom, a private fitness area.
Now all that was left was for Luo Qing to approve the design so Kaveh could head to the Northland Bank and cash in the check to begin construction.
"This…"
Luo Qing took a sip of tea and said casually, "Kaveh, how much force can the walls of this mansion withstand?"
"Force?"
Kaveh blinked, confused.
"What kind of force are we talking about, Mr. Luo Qing?"
"Well…"
After a brief pause, Luo Qing explained, "For example… the aftermath of a battle between gods?"
"?"
Kaveh stared at him, a large question mark practically floating over his head.
Is this a private residence or a military fortress?
"Um…"
Kaveh hesitated, looking slightly awkward.
Though Luo Qing was undoubtedly a generous client, his requests could be… eccentric.
"That… would be impossible," Kaveh admitted with some difficulty. "Surely, Mr. Luo Qing, you understand the vast difference between gods and mortals. I doubt there's any structure in all of Sumeru that could withstand the force of a god's attack."
Not to mention, where would you even find gods fighting inside a house these days?
"Never mind, it's not a big deal," Luo Qing replied with a smile, brushing off the concern.
But in his heart, he was already mulling over the potential chaos.
Last time, the General had kicked down the front door with ease.
If any of the girls in the house got into a fight in the future, wouldn't that tear the whole place apart?
"So, where do you plan to build this mansion, Mr. Luo Qing?" Kaveh asked.
"That's…"
Kaveh's question left Luo Qing momentarily speechless.
Initially, he had sought out Kaveh only to fulfill a task assigned by "Makoto."
But now that he was genuinely considering creating a long-term residence, the choice of location became far more important.
At the moment, he was staying in Sumeru because of his mission. Whether he would remain here after completing it was another matter entirely.
If this was to be a permanent home, Luo Qing had a specific preference in mind.
Taking another sip of tea, he smiled and looked at Kaveh.
"Kaveh, would you be able to design and build something outside of Sumeru?"
"Huh?"
Kaveh's face went blank.
"You want me to go to Snezhnaya?"
"Of course not." Luo Qing waved dismissively. "As much as I'm a Snezhnayan, that place is far too cold for my taste."
"Then where…?"
"Mondstadt."
---
T/N: oh no Eula...
Reader, your presence signifies commitment.
To walk this path is to contribute to the pursuit of eternity.
Should you wish to further fortify our resolve, step forward: [patreon.com/WiseTL].
Each action contributes to the unyielding foundation of our creation. Together, we etch a mark that transcends the fleeting nature of time.
For those who aspire to push the limits further, offering one 'Burger' will unlock an additional 5 chapters: [ko-fi.com/wisetl]. Specify which story your donation pertains to; this offer applies exclusively to stories available on Scribble Hub.
— Raiden Shogun
Chương 258: This Trainee Fatui Harbinger is Too Unreliable [258]
Working on construction projects in foreign lands? Even harder.
Traveling abroad might mean leaving your sweet spouse behind, only to return and find an unexpected new addition to the family… along with a field of green sprouting atop your head.
But there was nothing Mora couldn't solve.
Faced with the luxurious salary and nearly unlimited funding offered by Luo Qing, Kaveh made his decision:
I'm going.
For the sake of his living expenses, his future, and finally moving out of Alhaitham's house to pursue his own creative and academic endeavors…
A trip to Mondstadt it would be! He was determined to earn that Mora, no matter what.
---
Mondstadt
As Kaveh stood on the cobblestone streets, surrounded by the wooden and stone structures of this foreign city, he couldn't help but feel a bit shaken.
He glanced at the Adventurers' Guild building beside him, still trying to process what had just happened.
He had only sat down on what he thought was an ordinary toilet…
And the next thing he knew, he was in Mondstadt?!
What kind of strange teleportation method is this?!
Kaveh turned to look at Luo Qing and the tall, golden-haired beauty with striking blue eyes standing beside him, who appeared utterly nonchalant.
It seemed that for Luo Qing, toilet teleportation was an entirely normal occurrence.
"Um… Mr. Luo Qing," Kaveh hesitantly asked, his voice tinged with uncertainty.
"Are we really in Mondstadt?"
"Do you think I'd lie to you?" Luo Qing replied with a faint smile, taking a list of Fatui diplomatic envoys stationed in Mondstadt from Natalia's hand.
"What would I even gain from that?"
"Well…"
Kaveh paused, realizing Luo Qing had a point.
"Come with me," Luo Qing said, glancing at the names on the list before patting Kaveh's shoulder and motioning for him to follow.
If he was going to build a "secret base" in Mondstadt (at least, that's what he'd put in the budget request), someone needed to keep an eye on the project.
And since his subordinates had been slacking off for far too long, it was time to pull them back into action.
Naturally, Natalia, his capable (and begrudgingly willing) secretary, would be taking charge as the on-site supervisor.
The Fatui forces in Mondstadt had originally been under La Signora's command.
However, after the retrieval of Mondstadt's Anemo Gnosis, the city's strategic importance had significantly diminished. As a result, the number of Fatui operatives stationed there had dwindled, leaving behind only a few diplomats and a handful of largely forgotten outposts (such as the one where Theresa had been stationed).
Luo Qing planned to make use of these leftovers.
Using the information on the list, he quickly located two Fatui envoys stationed in Mondstadt: Ludmila and Mikhail.
Relations between Snezhnaya and the other six nations were never particularly warm, and as a result, Fatui envoys rarely received a warm welcome.
Mondstadt was relatively lenient in this regard.
The Knights of Favonius weren't particularly vigilant when it came to watching the Fatui, but if this had been Liyue, even stepping out of the Northland Bank to relieve oneself in the wild would have drawn the eyes of a covert observer.
Since Mondstadt's strategic value had diminished, the Fatui stationed here had received fewer and fewer assignments. Ludmila and Mikhail had found themselves with almost nothing to do—spending their days chatting idly and drinking heavily at the taverns.
At this moment, the two envoys were lounging near a hot spring, debating what to eat for dinner.
Suddenly, they noticed a group of three—two men and one woman—approaching them. The woman's features were distinctly Snezhnayan.
"You must be Ludmila and Mikhail," Luo Qing said in a calm tone.
"That's right. What do you need?"
Ludmila gave Luo Qing a once-over, feeling as though she had seen him before but unable to recall where.
"From now on, you'll follow the instructions of the person beside me," Luo Qing continued, gesturing to Natalia. "She'll brief you on your upcoming assignments."
"And you are…?"
Mikhail's eyes narrowed as his mind raced to identify Luo Qing. Finally, the pieces fell into place.
"Lord Brighella?!"
"That's me," Luo Qing said with a slight smile, raising a finger to his lips in a gesture of silence.
"Brigh… ella…" Ludmila repeated the name in her head before the realization hit her.
This was none other than the Twelfth Fatui Harbinger—The Jester—personally appointed by the Tsaritsa six months ago.
Their direct superior!
"L-Lord Harbinger, do you have an important mission for us?"
Both envoys' voices trembled with excitement.
Having idled in Mondstadt for so long, they had begun to suspect that headquarters had forgotten about them.
But now, with an actual Harbinger standing before them, it could only mean one thing:
A major mission awaited! Today was their chance to bring glory to the Tsaritsa!
"Indeed," Luo Qing said, his lips curling into a faint smile as he patted their shoulders. "A very important mission…"
---
After a grueling month-long reconnaissance mission, a certain guerilla squad had finally earned a long-awaited break.
Parting ways with her team at the city gate, Eula hoisted her silver-embellished claymore over her shoulder and headed toward the city.
The standard-issue longswords of the Knights of Favonius had never suited her style.
As someone who preferred the heft and power of a two-handed greatsword, Eula had commissioned her own weapon, complementing her unique swordsmanship that made her combat look like a graceful dance.
Ever since her beloved greatsword had been stolen by a certain Fatui operative, she had saved up months of wages to commission a replacement.
Though functional, her new sword lacked the elegance and sharpness of the original, which had been her most treasured possession.
As for the Fatui operative who had taken it, they had vanished without a trace.
Despite extensive investigations by the Knights of Favonius—even probing the Fatui envoys in Mondstadt—there had been no leads.
It was as though the thief had entered Mondstadt and disappeared entirely.
Eula had sworn that if she ever encountered that Fatui operative again, she would fight with everything she had to protect her sword.
But as time passed, she had resigned herself to the loss.
Her treasured sword was gone, and she could only hope that the thief was treating it well.
With a quiet sigh, Eula bought dinner from Good Hunter and planned to return home to wash up before having tea with Jean at the Knights' Headquarters.
As she passed the hot spring plaza, a familiar voice caught her attention.
"From now on, follow Kaveh and Natalia's instructions and assist them in any way you can. Understood?"
That voice…
Eula's brows furrowed as she instinctively grew alert.
Looking toward the source of the sound, she saw the two Fatui envoys speaking with a group of foreigners.
The voice's owner stood with his back to her, but something about his figure felt… familiar.
Eula's grip tightened on her sword as she cautiously approached.
The closer she got, the clearer the voice became.
Standing directly behind the man, she took a deep breath, her left hand resting on the hilt of her sword while her right hand tapped him on the shoulder.
"Excuse me, could you turn around?"
---
T/N: ggs
Reader, your presence signifies commitment.
To walk this path is to contribute to the pursuit of eternity.
Should you wish to further fortify our resolve, step forward: [patreon.com/WiseTL].
Each action contributes to the unyielding foundation of our creation. Together, we etch a mark that transcends the fleeting nature of time.
For those who aspire to push the limits further, offering one 'Burger' will unlock an additional 5 chapters: [ko-fi.com/wisetl]. Specify which story your donation pertains to; this offer applies exclusively to stories available on Scribble Hub.
— Raiden Shogun
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