Genshin Impact: I'm The Envoy of Snezhnaya
Chapter 54: Krupp's End
Young Master Diluc— no, the one who inherited Dawn Winery and all of the Ragnvindr family's businesses is now Master Diluc.
His official succession to Dawn Winery should have shaken all of Mondstadt, yet in reality it caused hardly any waves.
It wasn't because Master Diluc was keeping a low profile.
The recent banquet alone was enough to prove how extravagant he was.
Previously, at his banquets, he would at most bring out a few rare wines. But this time, he took out the fine wines his late father had kept in his private collection—each bottle priceless.
The real reason was that the people of Mondstadt had focused their attention on a mysterious "Guardian."
Almost immediately after Master Diluc returned, this powerful figure appeared in everyone's sight, as if unwilling to remain in obscurity any longer.
No one knew who he was, nor why he was doing this.
The only known clues were the occasional smell of burning and a fleeting crimson figure flashing through the night.
Monsters that had plagued Mondstadt for years were found dead in the wilderness.
A long-wanted thief was discovered hanging upside down before the statue of the Anemo Archon.
When the Knights of Favonius assembled to fight an Abyss Mage that had committed many crimes, they discovered the enemy had already been defeated...
Through drunken gossip, the deeds of this Guardian spread rapidly throughout Mondstadt, repeatedly overshadowing Master Diluc's reputation.
This left Master Diluc with no fond feelings toward the so-called hero. Whenever he heard the name, he couldn't help but frown.
Understandably so. Having just taken over the family business, he had wanted to make a grand display of his abilities—yet some guy who came out of nowhere had stolen all the spotlight.
It was practically blocking Dawn Winery's profits.
And so people gave this mysterious protector a name—
"The Darknight Hero."
At this very moment, the Darknight Hero whom the citizens of Mondstadt constantly spoke of was standing inside the underground wine cellar of Master Diluc's estate.
"Guards! There's an assassin!"
At this moment, Krupp felt extremely fortunate that he had brought enough men with him when he came down here. Otherwise...
Whoosh!
Several throwing knives shot out, striking the foreheads of the Fatui guards who had rushed down after hearing Krupp's cries.
These seemingly imposing guards didn't last even a moment before being knocked to the ground by the Darknight Hero.
In truth, Krupp had brought this upon himself.
He feared that news of the bribes he had been accepting might reach Snezhnaya, so he didn't dare use the Fatui's own guards. Instead, he deliberately hired several local "adventurers."
Unfortunately, adventurers charged high prices. Krupp, being the miser he was, refused to pay much, so he spent a small amount to hire some loafers just to fill the ranks.
Normally, wearing Fatui uniforms was enough to keep anyone from provoking them. This had given Krupp the illusion that "these guys are actually pretty reliable."
But when it truly mattered, they were completely useless.
As Krupp tried to pull the dagger out of his hand, the Darknight Hero stepped forward and stomped down on the weapon, driving it back through his palm.
"AAAGH—! You— you Mondstadt peasant! Do you know who I am? Let me go!"
Feeling the pain of his pierced hand, Krupp's face filled with terror.
He tried to use his status to intimidate the other man into releasing him.
"The child from Mondstadt's bakery, and the daughter of that gentleman from the Knights… do you remember them?"
The Darknight Hero's voice was low—so low that Krupp felt as if he had fallen into an icy abyss.
Of course he remembered those two children. One of them had died right in front of him not long ago.
But he couldn't admit it. If he said it out loud...
"A year ago, those children were conscripted by the Fatui. After that, they disappeared. Don't tell me you know nothing about it."
The Darknight Hero lifted his foot and placed it on Krupp's shoulder. As he applied pressure, the dagger pinned through Krupp's hand slowly tore through his flesh.
"Number 139! And K423! I know them all! I know everything!"
Seeing the cold glint of the dagger as it threatened to split his palm in half, Krupp finally broke down.
"Th–they… because of their excellent aptitude, were noticed by the Master. The Master… the Master…"
"..."
The Darknight Hero had dealt with the Fatui before. He knew very well what kind of fate awaited those who were given such code numbers.
And this only made him more certain that his father's death was absolutely related to this man and that so-called Master of his.
"Hmph!"
Seeing Krupp hesitate, the Darknight Hero pressed down with his foot. A sickening sound of flesh tearing echoed as Krupp's hand was ripped straight in half by the dagger.
"AAAAH—! I'll talk! I'll tell you everything!"
Only the lower half of the dagger was sharpened; the upper half was completely blunt.
So Krupp's palm had actually been torn open by the force of the Darknight Hero's foot. From the wound, irregular bits of torn flesh could even be seen.
The Darknight Hero expressionlessly grabbed Krupp's other intact hand and slammed it back onto the oak wine barrel.
"Tell me, what exactly is your Master doing? Otherwise…"
The dagger was already pressed against Krupp's palm. The meaning was obvious.
"Th–the Master's goal is—Ausbilder?!"
Krupp's face, which had been filled with terror, suddenly lit up with surprise, as though he had found a lifeline.
Ausbilder?
The Darknight Hero froze for a moment, then quickly turned around to look behind him.
On top of the wine barrel where he had been hiding earlier, a man dressed in black and wearing a white mask was now crouching there.
Gripping the dagger in reverse, the Darknight Hero grabbed Krupp from the ground and pressed the blade against his throat.
He had once traveled across the Seven Nations, destroying many Fatui strongholds along the way. That success had filled him with confidence, leading him to investigate a large Fatui base.
But he had ended up being beaten down by a Fatui Harbinger who had merely passed by that stronghold.
If not for a benefactor who saved him, he wouldn't even have had the chance to return to Mondstadt.
That was why he was so tense when facing a Harbinger—because he knew better than anyone just how terrifying they were.
"Lord Ausbilder! Kill him quickly! Kill this Mondstadt peasant! He's trying to stop the Master's plan!"
Even with a blade capable of taking his life pressed against his throat, Krupp showed not the slightest fear.
Because he knew the methods of the Harbingers. As long as Lord Ausbilder wanted to save him, then—
Whoosh—
The man crouching atop the wine barrel—Bai Luo—did indeed make a move.
Seeing the uniquely shaped dagger flying toward him, Diluc instinctively raised the dagger in his hand to block it.
But then—
"Hhk—Ausbilder… my… lord… wh–why…"
Clutching his throat, the excitement on Krupp's face vanished, replaced by deep confusion.
The Darknight Hero didn't understand why the Ausbilder had killed Krupp either.
"Although you're not a member of the Fatui's regular forces, when the Doctor signed that contract with you, he must have told you this, right?"
"Leaking secrets is punishable by death."