Chapter 77 Night Battle

Inside the house, Tsumugi Kujou was attempting to "comfort" the Lady's emotions, while outside, Rosaria hid in the shadows as Yelan, disguised as a female adventurer, gazed at the second floor of the Goth Grand Hotel, sneering together.

Haha, an envoy from Inazuma has come to the Goth Grand Hotel, where the Fatui reside, in the dead of night. There must be some shameful deal going on.

"Next, all we have to do is kidnap Tsumugi Kujou when she leaves the Goth Grand Hotel and interrogate her to uncover what kind of deal she has with the Fatui," Rosaria hummed a little tune as she made her way to the Good Hunter restaurant opposite the Goth Grand Hotel. She planned to order a midnight snack, savor it slowly, and wait for the perfect opportunity.

As Rosaria was waiting at her seat, having ordered her supper, she suddenly noticed something unusual—the female adventurer sitting at the table next to hers. The focus wasn't on the adventurer herself but on her left wrist, where she wore a dark green bracelet engraved with strange patterns, clearly of significant value... and in Rosaria's memory, she had given the same bracelet to her lover when she was a child.

Long-buried memories resurfaced, making Rosaria uneasy. Why would the bracelet I gave her appear on the hand of a female adventurer? Overwhelmed by doubt, Rosaria approached the female adventurer.

"Excuse me... where did you get this bracelet?"

Startled by the sudden question, Yelan frowned slightly in displeasure, but she responded promptly. "This? This bracelet has been passed down through my family. It's an heirloom."

Haha... I don't believe you!

Rosaria's aura turned sinister.

"Really? But why do I feel like you're lying? Can you let me take a closer look?" As she spoke, Rosaria reached out and grabbed Yelan's wrist. Yelan instinctively resisted, but Rosaria's grip was almost too strong for her to break free from.

Such strength!

Rosaria and Yelan shared the same thought, realizing that the other's strength was not to be underestimated. The atmosphere between them grew tense.

"Haha, you're quite strong. You must be well-known among adventurers. But why have I never heard of you?"

A faint chill emanated from Rosaria as she readied herself for battle.

"I just arrived in Mondstadt recently. Before that, I was wandering the nations across the continent," Yelan answered slowly. At an angle that Rosaria couldn't see, the blue silk threads woven from the water element were forming.

"It's so boring. I came out for a midnight snack, and a nun comes to cause trouble. Don't Mondstadt's people even know the basics of hospitality?" Yelan complained, setting down her half-eaten snack before standing up, preparing to leave.

Yelan had come to monitor Tsumugi Kujou, not to start a fight, so she preferred to avoid unnecessary trouble. But just because Yelan didn't want to cause trouble didn't mean Rosaria intended to let her go.

It had been seven years since Rosaria's lover disappeared. Now that she had finally found a clue, how could she let this opportunity slip away?

Yelan hadn't walked more than a few meters before an ice arrow suddenly flew past her, striking the wall beside her.

"Ha... Well, I wasn't looking for trouble..." Yelan scratched her head in exasperation.

Even though she didn't want to fight, Yelan wasn't one to swallow her pride.

In the next moment, over a dozen water-element threads flew toward Rosaria, and the battle was on.

"What's going on? Why is it so noisy outside?" Inside the room, the Lady and Tsumugi Kujou were enjoying the aftermath of their encounter but were interrupted by the sudden sound of fighting.

"It seems like someone's fighting?" The fluctuations of elemental energy could be felt clearly within the room, indicating that the combatants were very close to the Goth Grand Hotel. Tsumugi Kujou felt the urge to check it out.

"Lady, why don't we go out and take a look together?"

It's always fun to watch others cause a scene!

"...Okay." The Lady hesitated for a moment but agreed. In truth, the Lady wasn't particularly interested in getting involved, but it was a rare opportunity to walk through the streets with Tsumugi Kujou in broad daylight.

Though five hundred years had passed, the Lady had once been a simple, kind-hearted girl, and she yearned for a day when she could openly stroll the streets with her lover. However, their current identities were far too sensitive for such a public display.

"Well, I'll go down first and see what's happening. You can follow afterward."

As she spoke, Tsumugi Kujou quickly donned her purple kimono, flapped her wings, and turned into a bolt of purple lightning, flying into the sky.

When flying, Tsumugi Kujou often used her elemental power to shield her body, both to reduce the wind on her face and to block others from seeing her. Although she obediently wore safety shorts every day, it wasn't exactly elegant to have her thighs exposed.

No need to give others a free show. I'm not a female Bodhisattva, Tsumugi thought.

"What's this... So the fight is happening at the Good Hunter restaurant across the street."

From the sky, Tsumugi Kujou quickly spotted the two people battling in front of the Good Hunter. One was an ordinary-looking female adventurer, and the other was... Damn, Rosaria?!

Upon seeing the familiar figure, something in Tsumugi Kujou's heart fluttered.

Unlike with Rosalyne, in the third simulation, Tsumugi Kujou and Rosaria had been together for seven years, with their relationship as both lovers and family. In contrast, in the second simulation, Knight Tsumugi and Rosalyne were just ordinary friends most of the time, with much weaker feelings.

La la la, little Rosaria, here I come, Tsumugi Kujou thought with a sly smile before turning into a bolt of lightning and descending toward the battlefield.

On the ground, Rosaria and Yelan were locked in fierce combat.

Though Rosaria, a spear wielder, should have had the upper hand in close combat against Yelan, an archer, Yelan was no easy opponent. Unlike other members of the Shadow Force, Yelan excelled not at gathering intelligence but at fighting.

Since childhood, Yelan had pursued extreme thrills, finding her sense of being alive only in such pursuits. It was this drive that set her apart from other Shadow Force members, making her a skilled fighter rather than an information gatherer. She had accumulated vast combat experience by constantly undertaking life-threatening tasks. In contrast, while Rosaria had also seen her share of battles, most of her enemies were lesser foes, like treasure hoarders, leaving her a step behind Yelan in combat experience.

However, thanks to her exceptional talent and the fact that Cryo counters Hydro, the two fought fiercely.

But...

"Yohoo! There's a loud noise, and here I come, making a stunning entrance!"

Tsumugi Kujou's appearance caused the two combatants to stop simultaneously.

"Tsumugi!" Seeing her lover, whom she hadn't seen in years, Rosaria's face lit up with excitement.

Rosaria, do you still remember me? That's good.

A relieved smile appeared on Tsumugi Kujou's face.

"Rosaria, let's catch up later. For now, let's take care of this Liyue spy!"

At first glance, Tsumugi Kujou had recognized the female adventurer as Yelan, a subordinate of Tianquan Ningguang.

There's no mistaking it. Those water-element threads—who else but Yelan would use them?

"Got it!"

Rosaria, now filled with energy, was determined to impress Tsumugi Kujou.

One against two? Better retreat for now.

Seeing Rosaria coming to reinforce, Yelan began considering a retreat. However, Tsumugi Kujou had no intention of letting Yelan escape. After landing, she unsheathed her katana, launching continuous attacks.

Every time Yelan attempted to use her water-element threads to restrain Tsumugi Kujou, the threads were sliced apart by her lightning-infused sword strikes. With Rosaria's support, Yelan quickly found herself at a disadvantage, with no chance of escape. She was soon captured by the two.

"Tsk!"

After dealing with Yelan, Rosaria could no longer suppress her excitement and hugged Tsumugi Kujou tightly.

"I'm sorry, Rosaria, for making you worry all these years." Tsumugi Kujou nestled into Rosaria's arms, speaking coquettishly.

"I'm just glad you're back." Rosaria's eyes were filled with tenderness.

Their eyes met, brimming with affection. No words were needed at this moment—they both knew what would come next.

Their faces drew closer, feeling each other's warm breath on their cheeks, their faces flushing simultaneously.

"I say, you froze me just so I could watch you two flaunt your love?"

Just as the moment was about to peak, Yelan, encased in an ice sculpture with only her head exposed, spoke up, breaking the romantic atmosphere.

"Would it kill you to shut up? If I don't make you a masochist today, I won't be called Kujou!"

In a fit of anger, Tsumugi Kujou shot a ball of lightning at Yelan. She controlled the force, ensuring it wouldn't cause much harm, merely paralyzing Yelan's entire body.

However, the mood was already ruined, and Tsumugi Kujou and Rosaria couldn't continue.

Before long, the Lady emerged gracefully, her steps slow and deliberate.

Sure! Here's the translated text following your preferences:

"It seems I'm late." The Lady glanced at the frozen Yelan calmly, then walked up and took Tsumugi Kujou's hand. "But since we're here, let's go shopping together."

Rosaria silently positioned herself protectively in front of Tsumugi Kujou.

The atmosphere grew tense again.

Is this... a Harem?

"Well, Rosalyne, let me introduce you. This is Rosaria, my love... Rosaria, this is the Lady one of the Harbringers, my... love."

So disgusting.

Not only did Rosaria and the Lady feel disgusted, but even Tsumugi Kujou, who uttered the words, felt despicable.

As expected, after saying this, Tsumugi Kujou became the target of both women's scorn.

"My love? Besides me and Baoer, do you have someone else on the side?" Rosaria said with her hands on her hips. Since she and Baoer had "shared" Tsumugi Kujou before, although she was very angry about Tsumugi Kujou's cheating, she could accept it.

"Haha, I don't mind you finding a few wildcats on the side, but the prerequisite is that these wildcats must listen to me." The Lady narrowed her eyes and looked at Rosaria.

Unlike the people of Mondstadt today, although polygamy had been banned in Mondstadt five hundred years ago, it was still common for nobles to secretly keep several lovers. Therefore, as a noble, the Lady could accept Tsumugi Kujou's behavior. However, her meaning was clear: she didn't mind Tsumugi Kujou having other women—provided she remained the "main wife."

"Wait, wait, can we deal with this intruder first before we get into personal matters?" Tsumugi Kujou noticed the tension between the two women rising again and interrupted.

"Tsk, boring, I can't be bothered to get into any more trouble."

The Lady glanced at Rosaria once more and then turned to leave.

The Fatui were now hated by everyone in Mondstadt. If they got involved in any more trouble, the people of Mondstadt might riot and demand that the Fatui be driven out. The Lady didn't want to take such a risk.

"Rosaria, let's take her to the hotel where I'm staying."

"Mm."

The two took advantage of the night to bring Yelan to the hotel Tsumugi Kujou had rented. However, since it was late, Tsumugi Kujou decided not to interrogate Yelan right away. Instead, she woke up Thoma, who had already fallen asleep, and asked him to watch over Yelan. Tsumugi Kujou then began a late-night conversation with Rosaria.

During their talk, Tsumugi Kujou learned what had happened after she was captured by the Fatui in the simulation.

After being taken by the Doctor's men, Rosaria and Baoer searched frantically in Mondstadt but found nothing. Frustrated, the two had a major quarrel. Baoer left Mondstadt and disappeared, while Rosaria stayed in Mondstadt, waiting for Tsumugi Kujou to return one day.

Tsumugi Kujou also explained her situation to Rosaria, though she mixed truth with lies.

She told Rosaria that she had been abducted to Inazuma again, where she discovered she was not human but a Tengu. She also said she found her biological sister, Kujou Sara, and then formed a hunter corps before finally returning to Mondstadt.

Rosaria was shocked after hearing about Tsumugi Kujou's experiences.

Afterward, the two discussed the Northland Bank robbery, and Tsumugi Kujou also learned why Rosaria had fought with Yelan.

This is such a coincidence... Tsumugi Kujou shook her head.

If Tsumugi Kujou hadn't used her lightning element to shield herself when she flew to the Goth Grand Hotel, Rosaria would have definitely recognized her, and she wouldn't have followed her to the Goth Grand Hotel, where she met Yelan, who was also wearing a dark green bracelet...

When the two finished exchanging information, it was already past four in the morning. The sun would soon rise over the mountains. Tsumugi Kujou was still holding on after sleeping all day, but Rosaria had already started yawning. Tsumugi Kujou noticed that Rosaria was sleepy and advised her to rest.

Unexpectedly, Rosaria shook her head.

"What if I wake up and open my eyes and find you're gone?"

Hearing Rosaria's words, Tsumugi Kujou was slightly stunned, then smiled.

"Idiot, no, this time, I won't leave again."