Throughout Teyvat and Celestia, I alone am the Negotiating One

"Hello There" -- Characters speaking

'General Kenobi' -- Character thoughts

"You are" 'a bold one' -- Invocations, Thoughts/Conversations in flashbacks

The Negotiator -- Titles

"Ah yes, the Negotiator" -- Xeroc speaking

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"Now you're talking my language, Acting Grand-Master." 

"Does that mean you agree to help us? In that case, we just have to—"

"Woah, woah, hold on a second, Acting Grand-Master. We haven't agreed to anything yet," Erden interrupted her, taking control of the conversation while completely killing Jean's momentum. "First and foremost, please relax and take a seat."

For a few seconds, Jean simply stared at him. Understanding that he won't budge unless she does as he says, she released a heavy sigh, walking towards the wooden desk at the end of the room as she took a seat on the ornate chair.

Once she was seated, the rest of the members of the Knights of Favonius present in the room took their places right beside her, as Lisa and Kaeya wore relaxed smiles, a glint of caution barely discernible in their eyes, while Amber fidgeted in place, not expecting such a development would take place when they brought the travelers over.

The sound of metal-plated boots resounded as he walked over to the desk. Snapping his finger, a futuristic chair of metal and leather appeared from thin air right in front of the table, startling the rest of the occupants, excluding Calamitas, with some being quite vocal in their reactions.

"What the—?"

"Did that chair just— Paimon isn't hallucinating, is she?"

Just for confirmation, Lumine pinched her cheeks, eliciting a surprised yelp from the flying fairy, who started pounding on her chest with her small fists in retaliation, a small pouting expression on her face.

Ignoring the bantering travelers, he sat down on his gaming chair while Calamitas stood behind, leaning on the chair. With both of the negotiating parties settled in, Erden was the first to speak, choosing to break the ice.

"Now then, Jean— is it alright if I call you Jean? Saying your title over and over again gets a bit mouthful. You can call me Erden if you want," he asked cordially. "By all means, Erden. Go ahead," responded Jean with a small smile on her face, finding no reason to deny his request.

"Alright then, Jean. To keep things simple, I will" —snapping his finger once again, a thick sheet of paper appeared on the table, and an embellished pen fell from thin air, right into his outstretched hand— "write up a contract, ensuring that both sides keep their ends of the deal."

"A... contract? I didn't take you as someone who adhered to the customs of Liyue," she mentioned, her tone more curious than anything as she observed his features, clothing, and behavior, finding them to be starkly contrasting with the Liyue'ans she had met throughout her life.

Her comment earned her a raised eyebrow. He spoke, clearing up any misunderstandings she might have about his allegiances to any other nations. "I've... never been to Liyue. Not even once. Although, I've heard quite a few things about that nation."

Hearing his response, the present members of the Knights of Favonius were left surprised. After all, they assumed that travelers like him and his companion would have at least visited Liyue Harbor, considering it was the largest harbor in the land of Teyvat.

"Anyways, we're getting off-topic. Me and my companion promise to help you solve this problem, in return for a reward befitting our efforts," he stated his end of the deal, quieting down towards the end, letting Jean have her turn to speak.

"I believe that a hefty sum... around a million Mora would be an ample reward. Would that suffice?"

Giving it a thought, he shook his head, finding the reward to be too... lacking, considering that he was able to make up to 150,000 Mora within a week of just doing commissions by only himself and Calamitas, he could reach that amount in about two months, give or take.

"Although having extra Mora is nice, it's not really what I am looking for," he claimed, apparently not satisfied with the offer. Maintaining a poker face, he held up one hand, thumb and pinky finger folded, leaving the rest open.

"Three? Uhm... three artifacts?" Uncertainty laced her tone, trying to figure out what Erden wanted. Seeing him shake his head in refusal, she let out a sigh full of frustration and distress; which soon went away as he finally stated his choice of reward.

"Favors. Three favors you will owe me. As long as those favors do not put your nation and your loved ones in danger, you will fulfill any request I ask of you, no questions asked." Straight to the point with blunt honesty, he revealed his reason for holding the negotiations.

"That..."

"Don't worry, take your time... oh! Before I forget," he exclaimed suddenly, his voice shifting into a neutral tone lacking any triviality. "It's best that you become aware of what kind of contract you will be signing." 

Feeling the change in atmosphere, Jean subconsciously straightened her back, a slight feeling of trepidation nagging her in the back of her mind. The feeling soon came true as Erden spoke further, and her back felt like it was drenched in cold sweat.

"What you see on the table is called a 'Soul Binding Geas'. In simple terms, it is a contract of magical nature that binds the souls of the involved parties, making sure that the terms and conditions stated are perfectly fulfilled," he explained, closely observing the reactions of the individuals present, as he felt the drastic change in the atmosphere.

Kaeya stood ramrod straight, no hint of idleness present in his posture, nor any expressions on his face. Small traces of Cryo energy leaked from his vision, dropping the temperature of the room considerably.

Lisa on the other hand, had a scowl marring her beautiful face. Just like Kaeya, traces of Electro energy emanated from her vision, generating small sparks of purple electricity in the air.

Suddenly, Amber's shaky voice rang through the office as she posed a question, an audible quiver present in her tone. "T— th— then, w— what happens if the contract... is violated?"

Finding her question to be a reasonable one, he was about to answer, but Calamitas' dry voice cut through, beating him to the punch. "Well, it is a soul-binding contract, so it only makes sense that the violator's soul... be punished."

Her answer caused the surrounding fluctuations to worsen, as small traces of frost began to settle throughout the room, while the sparks of electricity became more frequent, now spread throughout the entire room.

In response, Calamitas let out small amounts of her own Elemental Mana, not enough to harm anyone but just enough to heat up the air around her, melting the frost that had formed.

Feeling the heat build up around them, Lisa spoke up, her voice lacking the warmth and playfulness it carried before. "I do not believe there is any more need to keep up this farce. Mr. Yeager, you and your companion are free to go, as your services are no longer required."

The Outrider, the blond traveler and her companion were clearly nervous, afraid that a fight might break out inside the office. Their bodies tense, ready to summon their weapons in case they needed to protect themselves. 

"So what'll it be, Jean? Will you continue on as you have done so before, waiting for Stormterror to strike once more and putting innocent lives at risk? Or will you enter into a contract with me, ensuring Mondstadt's safety at the risk of your own?" Erden spoke, his voice akin to the devil's whisper.

"No need to listen to him, Jean. We still have some time before Stormterror attacks the city again, and I was able to figure out a potential solution to this problem, without having to rely on their help." As Lisa spoke, she uttered the last part with a hint of vitriol.

"Lisa is right, Jean. We are not so weak that we have to force ourselves to rely on outside help. Mondstadt has weathered through many storms before, and this too is one such storm. And just like all storms, this one will also come to pass." This time, Kaeya chimed in, offering his own words of wisdom.

"Jean." Stepping up, Amber was the last to speak, an earnest expression on her face, lacking her usual joviality.

"Let us help you. You're always pushing yourself, working so hard... harder than any of us. Ever since you took the mantle of Acting Grand-Master, you always just seem... so tired, always marching on, barely even giving yourself any rest. Seeing you like that, makes us worried sick! So please, just this once... let us help you."

Feeling their unwavering support and hearing her heartfelt plea, Jean was left speechless. 'I... since when... did I stop paying attention? I tried so hard, doing my best to fulfill the gap that the Grand-Master left behind in his expedition. But have I become so blinded by my duties, that I ignored the worries of my own comrades?'

Her eyes misty with tears, she expressed her wholehearted gratitude towards her allies. "I... thank you, and I'm sorry for worrying you for so long. Just know, that your support means a lot to me."

'But even so, I can't... put my own people at risk against the dragon. So I must...'

The storm raging a conflict within her mind finally calmed, as she was able to see a clear path forward. Coming to a decision, she asked, "Everyone, do you trust me?"

"Of course, Jean."

"Do you have to ask?"

"You know it!"

A brief smile settled on her face, before she stared at Erden, determination shining within her gray-blue irises.

'For Mondstadt... as always...'

"Erden Yeager... I, Jean Gunnhildr, agree to fulfill any three requests of yours, so long as they do not put the nation of Mondstadt in jeopardy," she declared, her decision shocking everyone present, minus Erden.

"Jean... are you sure about this?" Just like a good neigh— friend, Lisa questioned her decision with concern, hoping to change her mind. She received a strong smile, and an unwavering response. "Yes, I am absolutely sure."

Recognizing her commitment, Erden mused, offering his own two cents regarding her decision. "To sell your own soul to protect your nation and those you care about, I'm honestly not sure if I find that behavior foolish or admirable."

'Admirable, huh? The complete opposite of me,' he thought, his mind flashing with memories of graves, souring his mood as a very brief scowl appeared on his face, before he smoothed it over, returning to a neutral expression.

However, this didn't go unnoticed as Calamitas gave him a quick side-eye, before turning her gaze back to Jean, having been impressed by her resolve.

"I am simply fulfilling my duty as I should be. Have you written up the contract yet?" she asked, wondering about the status of the contract he said he would draft up.

"Not yet, but I am just about to." Saying his piece, he began writing down on the geas, lines of black ink given elaborate form thanks to his sophisticated handwriting. For a few minutes, the only sound that permeated the room was the sound of a pen scribbling across paper.

Once he was done, he put the pen on the desk, sliding it over along with the paper to Jean' side of the desk. She picked up the paper first, carefully reading through it, not even skipping over a single word or letter. She found the contents of the paper to be as follows.

『 Soul Binding Geas between Party A (Erden Yeager) and Party B (Jean Gunnhildr) 』

『 1. Upon signing this contract, Party A must help in dealing with the current issue involving Stormterror, using the necessary means to permanently put a stop to Stormterror's reign, without directly or indirectly killing the dragon. 』

『 2. Upon signing this contract, Party B will owe Party A one favor. Once Party A has carried out their duties, as stated on this contract, they will be owed two more favors, along with a sum of 500,000 Mora. 』

『 If in agreement, sign below:

Party A: _______________________

Party B: _______________________ 』

Reading through the contract, she noticed something peculiar. With a raised eyebrow, she asked, "I thought you said that you didn't want Mora?"

He shrugged, responding in a whimsical tone. "At first I did, but then I changed my mind. You can never have enough Mora."

"...I see." Grabbing Erden's pen, she put down her signature on the given space. Handing the paper and pen back over to Erden, he too put down his signature. After doing so, he instructed Jean on the final step of the process. "Now, there is only one more thing left to do."

Replacing the pen with a regular knife, he made a small cut on his finger, forcefully slowing down his bodily regeneration as he pressed his finger onto his signature, dragging it across until the entire signature was covered in his blood.

Suddenly, the paper glowed, returning back to normal after a second. His blood melded into the paper, turning the color of his signature a blood-red. Satisfied with the results, he let the cut on his finger heal naturally as it soon went away, replaced by pinkish skin. 

"Your turn," he said, extending his arm towards Jean, his hand holding the knife by the blade end. She grabbed it, this time feeling scantly uncertain, but proceeding nevertheless. Following Erden's example, she cut her finger, drenching her signature in her blood.

Just like before, the paper glowed. Only this time, it began to float upwards once the glow went away. After floating for a moment, it stopped right in between the concerned parties, glowing much brighter as ethereal chains came into existence, wrapping around both Erden and Jean.

Panic ensued, as almost all of the people present brought out their weapons—swords, bow, and a tome—while Jean herself tried to remain calm as best as she could. 

All of a sudden, the chains tightened, as she felt a tingling shock strike her, a discomforting, alien sensation coming inside her. Her body felt heavy, as if she was drowning in the deep, dark body of a thick, viscous liquid. She blinked once, the ground having disappeared, floating weightlessly amongst the clouds.

She gasped in wonder, drinking in the resplendent sight as she felt the cold wind billowing against her bare skin. The sound of flapping resounded from behind her, as she saw a majestic falcon fly by, disappearing into the clouds.

Slowly, she felt her body descend without her consent, gravity taking ahold as she began to freefall. Soon, the ground came into view, the speed of her fall slowing the closer she got, until finally, her feet made contact with the green grass as she felt zero strain from the landing. 

Kak-kak-kak!

Looking around, she spotted the same falcon from before flying towards her. As it reached her, it circled over her head a few times before flying in a specific direction. Following the path of the bird, she spotted a giant oak tree nestled on top of a lone hill, its sheer girth spanning a few meters.

'That looks like... Windrise?'

Intrigued, she set about walking towards the tree at a steady pace. As she got closer, she soon noticed a field of puffy, bright-blue flowers—dandelions she noted, surrounding the oak tree, along with an ornate blue-edged sword, embedded into its base. A sword, she recognized immediately, having seen it before in multiple illustrations of the first Grand-Master of the Knights of Favonius.

Humm.

"The Aquila Favonia... just what is this place?" she mused to herself, half curious, half cautious. After a few more moments of silently walking, she reached the base of the tree, the thick, leaf-covered branches shielding her from the sunlight above.

At the same time, the falcon flew in, landing on one of the branches. It gazed at Jean, eyes boring into her as it scrutinized her, perhaps judging if she was worthy or not—worthy enough to wield the blade.

Giving the falcon a brief glance, she closed in on the sword, her body driven by an unnatural force, as if beckoning her towards the blade.

Humm.

Now within touching distance, she felt a queer connection being formed between her and the blade she began to reach out, her hand only a few centimeters away, about to make contact with the sword...

Woosh!

Only for ethereal chains to erupt from around the tree, the same chains she saw before coming to this strange place. The chains knocked her away, forming a circle around the tree and the sword, encircling both into a cocoon-like shape.

"No! Wait! I still haven't—"

Blinking her eyes, Jean snapped back to reality, feeling herself become grounded as she found herself back in the Grand-Master's office. Looking around, she found everyone except Calamitas had their weapons drawn, a guarded look on their faces.

"What in Barbatos' name is this?! These chains...!" Lisa raised her voice, an unsettling feeling falling upon her as she saw her friend bound in chains, completely dazed and out of it.

"What is the meaning of this?!" she turned towards Erden, questioning the purpose of said chains, only to find him looking at Jean, seeing a shocked expression on his face for the first time since he entered the room.

'Her soul just fluctuated. Did she just... well, I'll be damned!' he thought, eyeing her intensely. Giving a brief side-eye to Calamitas, he found her looking equally as shocked as him. 'Looks like she knows too.'

"This... is the final step in completing the Soul Binding Geas—the actual binding of our souls. Don't worry, despite the ominous name, it is actually a harmless process... provided that she doesn't violate the terms of the contract," he explained, relaxing into the chair, letting the process take its natural course.

Cutting in, Jean finally spoke, still attempting to gain her bearings after undergoing such an intense and bizarre adventure. "What... happened?" She tried to move, discovering the chains from before still bounding her body.

Attempting to break free from the chains, she wriggled, thrashing in place. Her efforts however, were soon halted by the undisturbed voice of Erden. "Relax, don't fight it. The more you resist, the harder it'll be for you. So just... relax," he advised, his figure completely relaxed without a care in the world, not a hint of panic on his face.

She still tried regardless of his advice, only halting her efforts after a few moments of futile resistance. Gradually, the chains moved, wrapping themselves around the contract itself, forming a knot encircling it.

"Aannndd, it's just about" —abruptly, the chains disappeared, freeing both Erden and Jean as the contract fell back onto the desk— "done." Taking a deep breath, she mustered an intense glare, her tone resentful as she reprimanded Erden.

"What in Barbatos' name was that? It felt like I was in a completely different place, not confined by anything... if felt like I was free," she murmured the last part absentmindedly, her mind still reeling from the shock of the otherworldly experience.

"Who knows, but that's something we can discuss later. The contract has been signed, and the deal has been made. So from now on, Calamitas and I will be helping you deal with Stormterror, while you owe us one favor for now."

Standing up, his gaming chair disappeared as he extended his hand for a handshake. Jean took his hand, but suddenly hissed, pulling her hand back slightly. Rotating her wrist, her palm facing upwards, she saw the cut from before bleeding, the blood dripping onto the desk.

'Oh, right... I almost forgot about that.' Taking out a bottle of high-grade Healing Potion, and a spare cloth from his Inventory, he uncorked the bottle, covering the opening with the cloth. He turned it over quickly, dabbing the cloth in the red liquid.

"Here, give your hand," he asked politely, putting the bottle down on the desk, and extending his hand towards her as he asked for hers. Unsure, she dithered, only extending her hand halfway. Rolling his eyes, he grabbed her palm, making sure to not put too much force, while avoiding the cut on her finger.

Due to the sudden action, she almost let out a yelp, clamping down on her mouth to avoid any embarrassments. Feeling his fingers holding her palm, she felt the rough texture of his skin, the calluses on his palms being a testament to the years of training and fighting he went through.

'His hand... it's warm.'

She was snapped out of her thoughts as Erden began lightly rubbing the cut with the damp cloth, sending a sudden jolt down her spine. She hissed again, feeling a stinging sensation stemming from the cut.

"Bear with it, it'll be over in second," he advised, not letting go of her hand as the Healing Potion took effect, repairing the nerves as pinkish skin replaced the cut. Seeing the wound healing itself in real-time, she marveled, intensely staring at the now healed finger of hers.

She had never seen such a potion before. Sure, there existed potions for elemental resistance and boosting potions, and tonics for healing. Heck, she'd seen some Vision users use their elemental powers in ingenious ways, a great example being her own sister—Barbara, using her Hydro Vision as a means to heal people.

But a potion that instantly heals wounds, at least superficial ones? Never.

"Jean? Jean? Hello? You in there?" Brought out of her musings by Erden's voice, she looked up, unexpectedly finding his face quite close to hers, only a few centimeters gap between their noses. Swiftly, she pulled back, a minute hint of pink dusting her cheeks.

"You alright there?"

"...Umu, were you saying something?" she nodded, looking away for a few moments, trying to compose herself. He noticed her weird behavior, taking note of the small blush on her cheeks, rousing the horny within him.

'I won't lie, she looks kinda fucka— I mean adorable. Yeah, adorable and cute.' he corrected his thoughts, bonking his inner self.

'Actually, now that I think about it, if this were a hentai, then I'd probably use the favor to blackmail Jean into sleeping with me, where I'd end up mind-breaking her through raw, brutal seggs as she would then become addicted to my schlong... hmm, food for thought.'

"Well, now that we're working together, I'm gonna need to know what the next course of action is. Helps me to be better prepared," he solicited, wanting to know the extent of their current knowledge regarding their current opponent.

"Of course. But before that... miss Lumine," she answered, no longer having a blush on her face. Turning towards the blonde-haired traveler, she asked, "Will you help us?"

Lumine stared, slowly moving her gaze from person to person, finally settling on the expectant face of Amber. Releasing a heavy sigh, she reluctantly agreed, "The sooner this situation is resolved, the sooner you can help me in finding my brother... so yes. I suppose I will help you. Though, It would help if I could get a place to stay for a few days."

Amber beamed, while the other members released sighs of relief. With a smile on her face, Jean spoke, briefing on the path they'd take to deal with the situation at hand. "With Stormterror now directly attacking Mondstadt, we may have an opportunity to cut this problem off at the source. Lisa has revealed the sources of Stormterror's power with her detection magic."

"Is that so?" mused Kaeya, organizing the new information in his head. 

"They're located in the abandoned Four Winds' Temples. Stormterror's ability to whip up these kinds of storms can be attributed to it drawing power from the temples," Lisa stated, continuing where Jean left off.

"So I take it that we're dealing with all four temples?" Erden "asked", even while knowing that they would only be dealing with three of them.

Jean shook her head, correcting his misconception. "No, we will only be dealing with three of them. I trust everyone understands why?"

The blonde traveler, her companion, and Calamitas all shook their heads, exhibiting their lack of knowledge regarding Mondstadt's history. Erden on the other hand, adopted a thinking pose, as he answered a few moments later.

"Hmm... is it because the fourth belonged to the dragon himself?" he asked, confirming the answer from the surprised looks on the face of the Knights and the Outrider.

"How did you...?" Jean questioned, not expecting the answer, as most of Mondstadt's own citizens had forgotten about the dragon, mistaking him to be a monster hellbent on destroying their city, which he kind of is trying to do now.

"I've done my research, you know? There is only one dragon in Mondstadt's history that matches the description of Stormterror, and that is Dvalin, the Dragon of the East," he informed, passing off his game knowledge as research.

She folded her arms, letting a small smile show. She felt pride, and slight happiness that he had delved into their history. 'Wait, why am I feeling happy that he... ugh, never-mind," she thought to herself, feeling confused about her own thoughts but shelving them to the back of her mind, focusing on the matter at hand.

"Well, you are not wrong. Stormterror was once part of the four winds, but because of his hostility towards Mondstadt, he no longer holds that title. Perhaps this is why he cannot draw any power from his own temple," she explained her and Lisa's hypothesis on the lack of Stormterror's presence in the Temple of the Dragon.

Behind Erden, Paimon raised her voice, "Ah! So that's why! Paimon understands now."

"Knights of Favonius, and travelers, time is against us. The storm is rampant. There is no point in maintaining a defensive position. That is why we need to take initiative and act before the situation escalates." With bold words and a firm voice, she gave a small, motivating speech.

 "In one hour, we will reconvene at the main entrance of the city. Please use that time to prepare any supplies or weapons you may need." Finishing it off with an estimated time of meeting, she was about to walk off to discuss something with Lisa, only to be stopped by Calamitas' voice, her statement causing everyone present to sweatdrop.

"Sooo, are we gonna decide the groups of what?"

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Ok, I know I know, I'm almost a week late in uploading, but I'm not Mahito, that inspiration shit is hard to come by. Anyways, I've been reading some other fics on webnovel, and I've noticed that alot of authors do Patreon as a means to support their hobby, and some who downright abuse the hell out it... *cough* GhostyZ *cough*

Anyways, I was thinking of setting one up in the future, what do you think?

See you guys next time, now if you don't mind, ima go jack off to r34 pics of Xianyun