Chapter 53: A Small Gift
"Oh my, this would make quite a good light novel premise, wouldn't it?"
Just as the atmosphere was becoming increasingly tense, Bai Luo's single remark suddenly made the mood turn strange.
"A… light novel?"
Light novels from Inazuma had not yet spread widely across the rest of the continent, so hearing this unfamiliar term made Kaeya visibly pause for a moment.
However, judging from the words themselves, he had already more or less guessed what it meant.
"That's right. I've even thought of the title. How about calling it Batman?"
"…As you wish."
In just a short while, the "information" Kaeya had extracted from Bai Luo was already enough for him to digest for quite some time.
Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at Diluc and the others who had just come out of the meeting room. Then he excused himself:
"Lord Ausbilder, please forgive me for taking my leave. With my brother absent, the banquet still needs someone to maintain order."
"Mm, you've worked hard. If there are similar events in the future, be sure to notify me. I quite like the atmosphere here."
"As long as you don't mind."
Kaeya raised his glass and left, looking deep in thought.
Meanwhile, Krupp, who had left the meeting room together with Diluc and Seneschal Seamus, squeezed his way through the crowd while grumbling under his breath.
But after seeing the intrigued expression on Bai Luo's face, he quietly shut his mouth.
"Did the negotiations succeed?"
In fact, judging from Krupp's expression, things probably hadn't gone very smoothly.
"Well… for now, it can be considered settled. They clearly agreed to our recruitment request. However… it may take some time."
Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Krupp was already cursing someone in his heart.
And it was obvious who he was cursing.
He firmly believed that if Bai Luo had gone with him to the meeting room, things would have gone far more smoothly than they had now.
"Need some time? You should know how precious time is to the Doctor, shouldn't you? Are you sure you want to waste his time?"
Looking at Krupp with a half-smile, Bai Luo gently swirled the red wine in his glass as he questioned him.
Those words instantly drained the color from Krupp's face.
For someone like the Doctor, who was obsessed with research, time was absolutely the most precious thing.
Wasting his time was practically asking for trouble.
"Lord Ausbilder! Please, you must put in a good word for me in front of my master. They can't refuse this matter. Just give me a little more time… just a little! At tomorrow's meeting, I'll pressure them and make them deliver the new materials to us as soon as possible."
"I don't care when you get it done. I have my own mission as well. Finish it before my task is complete. Otherwise… you can go explain it to your master yourself."
Placing the wine glass on the table, Bai Luo withdrew his gaze and walked straight out of the banquet hall.
The bait had already been set.
There was no need for him to stay any longer.
Now it depended on whether that big fish would bite the tempting bait.
Though it was truly a pity—bait as perfect as him was hard to find a second time.
"Yes! I understand!"
Krupp bowed in the direction Bai Luo had left before finally letting out a sigh of relief.
At the same time, he noticed the wine Bai Luo had left behind.
In fact, after Krupp had introduced Bai Luo's identity earlier, Diluc had instructed the servants to take special care of him.
For example, the wine and food arranged for him were among the finest available.
After Kaeya arrived, he even brought out a bottle of rare vintage wine that wasn't available elsewhere at the banquet.
So the rich aroma of the wine instantly filled Krupp's nose.
Glancing around and noticing that no one nearby was paying attention to him, he greedily picked up the glass Bai Luo had left behind.
But before he could even take a sip, someone had already walked up behind him and gently patted his shoulder.
"Hey there, brother."
Kaeya, who had already spoken with Diluc, looked at this greedy man and had already formed an idea in his mind.
"Hm? Oh, it's Quartermaster Kaeya. You gave me quite a scare."
It wasn't strange that Krupp recognized Kaeya.
During the days when Bai Luo and his group were waiting at the Goth Grand Hotel for the banquet to begin, Kaeya had already made contact with every member of the Fatui except Bai Luo.
"Let me apologize on behalf of my brother. Taking on the responsibility of the entire family at such a young age has made him somewhat impatient. His words and actions may have been impulsive, and he might have offended you."
Compared with the Ausbilder, Krupp was naturally much easier to deal with.
A few simple compliments were enough to make him feel elated, and he quickly revealed his weaknesses.
"Hmph. If the people of the Ragnvindr family were all as sensible as Mr. Kaeya, perhaps Master Crepus wouldn't have died so early."
Krupp tried to imitate Bai Luo by swirling the wine in his glass.
Unfortunately, his clumsy imitation lacked any of Bai Luo's elegance. The wine spilling over the rim of the glass only made him look like a ridiculous clown.
"Let's get straight to the point. The Seneschal is still considering your conditions. Personally, I think if you loosen your requirements a little, everything can be negotiated."
Kaeya did not show any anger at Krupp's almost insulting remark.
Compared with Diluc, he was better at restraint. However, the eye not covered by his eyepatch narrowed slightly—the killing intent he carefully concealed went completely unnoticed by Krupp.
"L-loosen the requirements?!"
Hearing Kaeya's words, Krupp immediately became anxious. He hadn't forgotten what Bai Luo had just said.
"I can't just casually agree to something like that!"
As if he had already expected this answer, Kaeya calmly reassured him.
"Of course, this isn't an empty proposal. The person who wishes to facilitate this matter has prepared a small gift for you to express their sincerity."
"Oh?"
Though Kaeya called it a small gift, Krupp's eyes immediately lit up with greed.
As someone who often accepted bribes, he understood exactly how these things worked.
If they wanted him to loosen the recruitment conditions, then the gift certainly wouldn't be as "small" as Kaeya described.
He had already begun to look forward to it.
"Please follow me. I believe you won't be disappointed by this gift."
"W-wait a moment. I'll call a few of my subordinates."
Krupp was greedy and mean, but he also valued his own life greatly. Otherwise, he wouldn't have survived this long under the Doctor.
After all, many people had once worked for the Doctor.
Now, aside from Bai Luo—who had been promoted to a Fatui Harbinger—most of the others were already dead. The reason Krupp had survived was not only because the Doctor needed him as bait, but also because of his cautious personality.
"Come with me. You definitely won't be disappointed."
With a mysterious smile on his face, Kaeya had already lost interest in this man.
Then again, who would be interested in a dead man who had already been squeezed dry of all his value?
A few minutes later, in the underground wine cellar of the Dawn Winery.
"Ohhh! As expected of the premier wine cellar of Mondstadt's wine industry. This aroma—ah! Even the scent of the oak barrels is intoxicating."
Krupp had already tossed the lantern he was carrying onto the ground.
He greedily threw himself onto a wine barrel, caressing it as if it were a lover's body, intoxicated as he inhaled the fragrance of the wine.
"But… letting me into a place like this was your mistake. Do you really think I'll only take one barrel? How naive! In a moment I'll have the guards carry a few more back."
"Those bumpkins from Mondstadt are so stupid. No matter how they try to fool me, I'm definitely taking the people away."
"Not just the people—I'm taking the wine! I'm taking the Mora too! I want it all! It's all mine!"
"Let them lose both their wealth and their people. Hahaha—ugh, aaagh!"
Just as Krupp was reveling in his triumph, a dart shaped like a night owl suddenly shot through the air.
With a brutal strike, it pinned the hand he had been using to stroke the wine barrel directly onto the barrel itself.