Genshin Impact's Incense Burner Of Liyue [154]
"Oh, go ahead! Tomorrow's headlines could read: Cavalry Captain of the Knights Ditches Duty for Public Brawl with Innocent Visitor. Want to give it a shot?"
Kaeya raised an eyebrow. "You think that headline would even make it past the Knights' press?"
Gu Sanqiu gave him a look. "That sounds like you're compromising freedom itself, Kaeya. Guess I'll have to report this to your acting Grand Master."
"Heh. Grand Master is out leading an expedition."
"Ah, so someone thinks Jean isn't a Grand Master, hmm? Kaeya, you might have some ambitions I didn't expect from you!"
"Ambitions? Is that what you're calling it?" Kaeya shot back, clearly baffled.
"Hey, it's not my problem."
"No," Gu Sanqiu said calmly, "your mind's just in disarray. That's why you're losing this."
Kaeya's mask slipped as he gave a defeated chuckle. "Are all Liyue folk naturally gifted in reading faces and minds?"
"Oh, hardly. There was a time when I was forced on shopping trips by a friend who thought I needed to 'clear my mind.'" Gu Sanqiu tossed his empty snack wrapper into a nearby trash bin. "While she shopped for clothes, I got stuck as the designated judge, deciding whether each outfit suited her or not. I guess I got decent at it over time."
"You're something else." Kaeya's mouth twitched.
Gu Sanqiu gave a small shrug. "You flatter me. But what's bothering you?"
"Oh, well, this morning, my dear older brother, Master Diluc of Dawn Winery, had the kindness to send a nice, long tab straight to my office."
Kaeya's voice was flat.
Gu Sanqiu blinked, then patted him on the shoulder. "Look on the bright side—it's just a bill. I'm sure Master Diluc wouldn't mind if you worked part-time at Angel's Share to pay it off."
"Your sympathy sounds an awful lot like schadenfreude. If you're feeling so generous, how about covering part of the tab?"
"Sorry, but I can't exactly afford that."
As they neared the Knights' headquarters, Gu Sanqiu and Kaeya fell silent, spotting Tartaglia lounging sideways on the steps, munching a Fisherman's Toast and bantering with the guards.
...
The two exchanged glances before Kaeya nudged Gu Sanqiu with a smirk, barely holding back laughter.
"You know that old Liyue saying, 'Close to vermilion, one is stained red; close to ink, one is stained black.' Is this," he gestured at Tartaglia, "what that means?"
"No. That saying only applies when the person's own resolve isn't up to par. That's all there is to it."
Expressionless, Gu Sanqiu walked over and tapped Tartaglia on the shoulder.
"Hey. What exactly are you doing here?"
"Oh? I think it's obvious," Tartaglia said, glancing up at him. "Chatting with a couple of Knights."
"I mean, why are you sitting like that?"
"Isn't 'comfort' reason enough?"
Tartaglia gave him a look as if Gu Sanqiu had asked the most obvious question in the world.
"Are you sure you're feeling okay?"
"Better than ever. But sure, let's head inside. I think we're just about the only ones left, right?"
Kaeya stretched. "Oh, if you'd like, I'd be happy for you two to keep chatting out here. We're still waiting on one more Knight, so if you go in, you'll just have to sit inside and wait with some tea."
Gu Sanqiu raised a brow. "Who exactly are we waiting for?"
Kaeya chuckled. "That would be Klee, our little Spark Knight. She's earned permission to go on a fishing trip as a reward for her efforts in the domain, though she probably spent the night in her 'secret base.' She should be on her way back to the city by now."
He shrugged. "As one of our Knights, she's got to be here for this important meeting, especially with you two esteemed foreign allies."
Gu Sanqiu crossed his arms. "So, you're really going to make us, your honored guests, wait out here for one more person? Who made that rule?"
"Oh, for anyone else, we'd be in session by now," Kaeya replied, raising his hands in a casual gesture. "But with Klee, we have to nurture her sense of responsibility. It's all part of building respect. The more she feels included and valued, the more likely she is to take things seriously—and, hopefully, avoid being late next time."
"Alright, fair enough. Can't argue with that," Gu Sanqiu sighed. As unorthodox as it sounded, it was very Mondstadt.
He could also guess that, with just him and Tartaglia handling the negotiations, Jean and Kaeya likely felt this was an appropriate time to give Klee a lesson in responsibility.
Tartaglia looked puzzled. "Isn't fishing just a typical kids' game? You need special permission to do that? Isn't that a bit strict for a kid?"
In other words: Even Snezhnaya doesn't do that!
Gu Sanqiu bit back a laugh. Did Tartaglia seriously think Jean should loosen the restrictions?
Mondstadt's fish population collectively shuddered.
"Well, there's more to it than that," Kaeya replied, looking slightly embarrassed at Tartaglia's surprise.
If it were any other matter, he wouldn't mind explaining, but Klee… Well, saying too much might just turn it into gossip.
Strict childhood discipline in Mondstadt? Kaeya inwardly scoffed. Absolutely not.
It wasn't Mondstadt's rules that were the problem; it was Klee's sheer knack for creative destruction. For her, a simple fishing trip could end in a wildfire. Otherwise, the Knights wouldn't bat an eye at a kid playing around.
"Ta-da! Klee has arrived!"
(o°ω°o)
A red-capped ball of energy came tumbling out of nowhere, doing a couple of twirls mid-air before throwing her arms wide open, beaming up at them all.
"Hehe, sorry to keep everyone waiting!"
"Klee, huh? You know, Jean's going to be cross with you if you keep us waiting like that!" Kaeya playfully tapped her head.
"Hey, don't knock on my head like that! I just spun around…!"
Klee gave another few spins, though her wobbly steps and tilting posture hinted that she hadn't planned on spinning quite so much this time.
And with a final spin, Klee started tipping over straight toward Gu Sanqiu.
Swiftly, Gu Sanqiu caught her, lifting her before she could land on the steps. No way was he letting her fall flat on the stairs.
Still… her spinning abilities might be useful for certain "strategies" someday.
---
T/N: TORNADO BOMB
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