Chapter 56: Collei

The Fatui have withdrawn. 

Although they were merely diplomats, it was enough for the members of the Knights to breathe a sigh of relief. 

Compared to the emissaries, these diplomats were much more difficult to deal with. 

Not only were their attitudes terrible, but they were also aggressive in many ways. 

They were extremely picky about food, clothing, accommodation, and other matters, even angering some of the knights to the point where they wanted to roll up their sleeves and start a fight. 

If it hadn't been for Acting Grand Master Jean stepping in to calm the knights down, a diplomatic incident might have occurred. 

In short, very few people in the Knights had a favorable opinion of these so-called diplomats. 

The one assigned to escort them was Kaeya. 

He initially didn't want to take on this task, as he thought it was more important to stay in Mondstadt and keep an eye on the Ausbilder. 

However, these diplomats held significant status, and not only was Kaeya required, but even Acting Grand Master Jean had to personally intervene. 

In the end, Kaeya had no choice but to abandon his surveillance of the Ausbilder and focus on the escort mission. 

"Form up!" 

After giving some instructions to Amber, Jean directed the members of the Knights to prepare for departure. 

As for Kaeya, who appeared to be daydreaming but was actually eavesdropping on the diplomats' conversations, Jean nudged him to the front of the formation. 

As the captain of the cavalry, Kaeya had to lead from the front. 

Jean, meanwhile, positioned herself beside the carriage, ready to protect the diplomats from any potential harm. 

Their task was to escort the diplomats out of Mondstadt's borders, where the Fatui would receive them. 

As long as nothing happened to these diplomats within Mondstadt, all would be well. 

The gathered squad of cavalry drew the attention of the Mondstadt citizens, who watched from a distance, whispering amongst themselves. 

Though they didn't know the specifics of the Knights' mission, they could tell from the Fatui insignia on the carriage that it was likely related to these pests. 

Such a scene of excitement was rare in Inazuma. 

The only comparable time was when that rascal Arataki Itto was arrested. 

"Seriously... such a beautiful scene would be a shame to ruin," 

On top of Mondstadt's windmills, Bai Luo watched the crowd below and couldn't help but sigh. 

Mondstadt had many of these windmills, and thanks to the blessings of the Anemo Archon, they generated a steady stream of power, providing various conveniences to the city. 

Now, this had become Bai Luo's vantage point for admiring the scenery. 

He had come to Mondstadt with a mission. 

But it wasn't the task of recruiting experimental subjects for Krobber. 

Three years ago, the Doctor had invented a mechanical bird using a substance extracted from Withering Grass. 

This mechanical bird could incite monsters into violent outbreaks. 

The Doctor had Krobber place the bird on the carriage of Crepus Ragnvindr and his party, which led to the attack by Durin. 

To protect his son, Diluc, Crepus activated the power of a Delusion at the cost of his life, driving away the dragon. 

However, the backlash from the Delusion claimed his life in front of Diluc. 

It was at this moment that Diluc and the Knights began to diverge, with Diluc leaving the Knights and starting his travels across the Seven Nations. 

Afterward, due to the mechanical bird, the dragon Durin frequently harassed Mondstadt, causing great suffering to its citizens. 

At that critical moment, the Doctor and the Fatui appeared. 

The Doctor easily subdued Durin, indebting Mondstadt to him. 

What followed was forced conscription. 

Many promising young men and women were taken to Snezhnaya under the pretext of conscription, where they were subjected to human modification experiments, creating a stronger military force. 

However, over time, the Fatui's influence in Mondstadt began to wane, which in turn slowed the conscription efforts. 

Bai Luo's mission was to recreate an incident similar to Durin's attack during the Windblume Festival, in order to once again strengthen the Fatui's grip on Mondstadt. 

This so-called withdrawal was merely an attempt to take the research on the mechanical bird back to Snezhnaya, to avoid leaving any incriminating evidence behind. 

"Hmm?" 

As the Knights gathered, a figure in the distance caught Bai Luo's attention. 

It was a foreign girl, her body wrapped in bandages, her face sullen. From her weary eyes, it was clear she had been on the road for a long time. 

She staggered onto the bridge leading to the city gate, scaring away the pigeons that had gathered there. 

A young boy feeding the pigeons wanted to complain, but upon seeing her condition, he chose to remain silent. 

Noticing his evasive gaze, the girl smirked mockingly. 

"Collei..." 

Bai Luo recognized the girl, though she had no idea who he was. 

After all, it was he who had assisted the Doctor during his experiments.

The girl had been infected with a plague and was on the brink of death. 

Perhaps out of some twisted sense of humor, one of the Doctor's subordinates, a missionary, injected her with the remains of a god before abandoning her. 

At that time, Bai Luo, then just a regular member of the Fatui, saw how pitiful she was. 

Without telling the missionary, he secretly took care of her while she was unconscious for some time. 

During that period, due to his outstanding performance, he was transferred to the Debt Collectors' unit and summoned away, leaving her behind. 

Unfortunately, by the time he left, the girl had not woken up. 

Bai Luo had thought she must have succumbed to the torment of the god's remnants. 

However, her life force turned out to be much more resilient than he had imagined. 

In hindsight, his good intentions had only made things worse. 

Living like this, tortured by the remnants, she might be suffering more than if she had just died. 

Collei, stumbling, was stopped by members of the Knights as she approached Mondstadt's gate. 

First of all, the city was preparing to escort the Fatui diplomats. 

Secondly, she was wrapped in bandages and exuded a strange smell, clearly indicating she was seriously ill. 

Letting someone like that into the city could cause panic. 

Especially with the Windblume Festival approaching, if she infected tourists with some strange disease, it would be disastrous for Mondstadt. 

At that moment, the convoy escorting the Fatui diplomats left Mondstadt. 

Seeing the carriage slowly rolling out, Collei instinctively moved aside. 

But when she noticed the Fatui insignia on the carriage, her expression changed. 

Her once pale purple eyes turned a deep red. 

Black flames gathered and took the form of a giant snake, instantly engulfing the entire carriage. 

"F-fire?!" 

The two pampered Fatui diplomats had never experienced anything like this. 

When they tried to escape the burning carriage with their research materials, they found the door had been sealed shut, and they couldn't open it. 

In the end, both diplomats and all the documents were consumed by the strange black flames, leaving little of value behind. 

Taking advantage of the chaos, Collei slipped into Mondstadt. 

"Finally... I'm in..." 

Seeing that familiar insignia, she had lost control and used that power in front of everyone. 

But now, its side effects were hitting her. 

Stumbling into an empty alley, Collei clutched her head, forcing herself not to listen to the whispering voices in her mind. 

She knew that if she succumbed to those whispers, not only would she fail in her quest for revenge against the missionary, but she might also completely lose herself, becoming nothing more than a mad killer. 

Suddenly, the voices tormenting her vanished, and the surroundings fell into eerie silence. 

At first, Collei had no idea what was happening—until she saw the dark figure at the entrance of the alley. 

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