Chapter 52: Kaeya Alberich

"Have you heard? The Twelfth Harbinger, the Instructor, is attending Lord Diluc's banquet."

"Diluc's banquet? Are you sure?"

In the bustling streets of Mondstadt, a male Fatui agent named Mikhail whispered to a female colleague named Lyudmila. They were discussing the latest news concerning the Fatui's Harbingers.

The Harbinger they were talking about, the Instructor, was currently at the banquet, enjoying fine wine and delicacies. However, unlike at the beginning of the evening when he was alone, he was now surrounded by Mondstadt's merchant elites and socialites.

While the Fatui are notorious across Teyvat, there's no denying that they have their hands in many industries. As the Geo Archon of Liyue once said:

Capital avoids turmoil and conflict because its nature is cowardly.

That's true, but it's not the whole truth.

Capital fears a lack of profit or insufficient profit, Capital is unafraid when there is no profit at stake, but introduces a ten percent profit, and it becomes bold. Offer it twenty percent, and it springs into action. If there's profit in breaking contracts, capital will cross that line without hesitation, even in the face of penalties.

Though the Fatui Harbingers are indeed fearsome, what these merchants fear most is a lack of profit.

Unfortunately, they were barking up the wrong tree.

Bai Luo's role within the Fatui wasn't to oversee commerce but rather to handle assassination and intelligence.

Once they realized that Bai Luo had no interest in talking business with them, the crowd gradually dispersed. But on the side of the Knights of Favonius, things were beginning to stir.

"Honorable Instructor, would you accept a toast from the Knights of Favonius?"

A man with dark skin and an eyepatch approached Bai Luo, raising his glass in a toast.

"If it's just wine and not swords, then I'm happy to accept," Bai Luo replied, raising his glass and clinking it against the other man's.

Earlier, When Klober had gone to discuss matters with Diluc, Bai Luo noticed that this man had accompanied them.

He didn't expect him to return so soon.

Did he think that idiot Klober wasn't enough to make him take action? Or perhaps he felt it was too dangerous to leave a Harbinger wandering around the banquet?

"Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Kaeya Alberich, the General Manager of the Knights of Favonius."

As the General Manager, Kaeya's role was akin to that of the office manager, head of logistics, or administrative assistant within the Knights.

His position required him to handle the internal affairs of the Knights while also building relationships with other organizations.

So, it made perfect sense for him to engage in conversation with Bai Luo.

"Kaeya? I hear you might be taking on the role of Cavalry Captain soon," Bai Luo remarked.

Since arriving in Mondstadt, Bai Luo had frequently heard Kaeya's name. Whether it was the Fatui guards stationed at the Goth Grand Hotel, Klober, or even the servants sweeping the floors, they all spoke of him.

Yet none of them seemed to realize that Kaeya had already obtained a great deal of information from them.

"You are well-informed. In fact, after my father passed away three years ago, I took over the responsibilities of the cavalry captain from my brother, but I only officially took over recently." 

Kaeya wasn't surprised that Bai Luo knew about his situation. If his intelligence was correct, this Harbinger had a significant hand in the Fatui's intelligence network. It was rumored that a large portion of the information the Fatui had on Liyue, Mondstadt, and Inazuma came from him. He even knew secrets that many within these nations themselves were unaware of.

To investigate further, Kaeya had sent trusted subordinates to look into the matter. Apart from some contact with the Lawrence family, there were few signs of Fatui's involvement in Mondstadt. However, the Lawrence family members were too arrogant to care about keeping such secrets.

This made Kaeya even more cautious around Bai Luo. Even as he approached to greet him, he didn't dare to ask any casual questions.

He suspected that the Fatui had already infiltrated the very core of Mondstadt.

"By the way, isn't your elder brother Lord Diluc?"

Bai Luo walked over to a statue of a night owl, idly playing with it as he spoke.

"Yes, though we aren't blood-related, my adoptive father treated me well. I've long considered Mondstadt my home," 

Kaeya's eyelid twitched slightly as he watched Bai Luo approach the owl statue.

Diluc, that fool, he thought. Why would he display such a thing in plain sight? Is he not worried that his other identity will be exposed?

"Evil cannot go unpunished. Never settle for mediocrity. Never forget that the dawn will one day come." Bai Luo read aloud the inscription on the night owl statue. It was likely someone's personal motto.

"You'll have to excuse him. My brother has a penchant for collecting odd things—he has quite an unusual taste. But perhaps that painting over there might suit your taste more. If you like it, I can have it sent to you as a gift," Kaeya said, trying to divert Bai Luo's attention.

"No, no, I find this quite fascinating," Bai Luo said, still intrigued by the inscription.

"Fascinating?"

Kaeya found it increasingly difficult to read Bai Luo's intentions.

"Yes, it reminds me of a friend of mine. He was born in a city called Gotham. As the heir of the Wayne family, one of Gotham's most powerful families, he witnessed the murder of his parents right before his eyes. He later inherited his family's vast fortune and became one of the world's richest men. But instead of living a peaceful life, he chose to wear a bat mask and become the Dark Knight to punish those so-called evil. Don't you find that ridiculous?"

With each word Bai Luo spoke, Kaeya's grip on his glass tightened.

It matched perfectly—every detail. A noble family background, witnessing his father's death, inheriting the family fortune, and becoming a vigilante who fights against evil.

Wasn't this exactly like his dear brother, Diluc?

These details were known to very few, even within the higher ranks of the Knights of Favonius. Only the core group, led by Grand Master Varka, was aware. And now, this Fatui Harbinger had just laid out Diluc's recent history in full.

What was his game?

Was this a warning to Mondstadt, a way of showing how deeply the Fatui had infiltrated the city? Or was there some other motive?

For the first time, Kaeya, usually so adept at gathering intelligence and reading people, found himself feeling unsettled.

No... Actually, the first time he had felt this way was three years ago, on that fateful night.

The night when he and Diluc lost their shared "father."