To resolve the current ley line disorder in Mondstadt, the issues with three temples need to be addressed.
These are the temples of the North Wind Wolf, the West Wind Falcon, and the South Wind Lion.
Amber, Kaeya, and Lisa have each gone to one of these locations to scout the situation, with Lumine ultimately tasked with resolving the issues.
Everyone had left. Now, only Shao Yun and Acting Grand Master Jean remained in the commander's office.
'I suppose I'm currently idle, with nothing to do.'
"Um, Mr. Shao Yun, I've heard about how you and Miss Noelle have been helping the citizens of Mondstadt. Thank you very much for your support."
Jean brought up a topic to express her gratitude for Shao Yun's efforts.
"It's only what I should do. But it's Miss Noelle—she's too enthusiastic. That enthusiasm could easily land her in danger."
Shao Yun then recounted how Noelle had nearly been struck by a large piece of timber the size of a bowl's rim. After hearing this, Jean's expression turned grave.
"Noelle just doesn't know how to protect herself… sigh..." Jean murmured to herself. She could understand Noelle's eagerness, but putting herself in harm's way was definitely concerning...
"But I saw Mr. Kaeya gave her an assignment—uh, 'an urgent mission', so it probably won't be anything too dangerous."
As Shao Yun finished speaking, Jean breathed a sigh of relief. Kaeya had likely given Noelle another harmless task, so there was nothing to worry about for now.
"If Kaeya's handling it, then I can rest easy."
At that moment, Shao Yun's stomach growled unexpectedly. Jean heard it clearly.
"Sorry about that, I was too focused on the dragon crisis. You've been busy all this time—let me get you something to eat."
Shao Yun found Jean's thoughtful gesture a little odd.
Jean, Acting Grand Master of Mondstadt, personally preparing food for a stranger like him—this was essentially a personal reception. He hadn't even shown any great abilities yet. It seemed a bit much, even if she was known for being approachable. Those kind eyes... were a little too kind. Wouldn't it have made more sense to just have a knight take him to eat? That would've been enough. Why hadn't she done that?
But then again, Jean wasn't a bad person. If she was being warm and welcoming, it wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
"Thanks. I am a bit hungry, actually." Shao Yun smiled and accepted Jean's offer.
Jean had Shao Yun sit on the chair beside hers, then left the office.
After a while, she returned with a bowl of Radish Veggie Soup and a Fisherman's Toast.
"Sorry, it's not mealtime yet. The Knights' canteen didn't have anything ready, so I made something myself. I hope it's okay."
Jean apologized sincerely, her words filled with concern. To Shao Yun, it felt very peculiar.
The Acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius… cooked herself? Even if she was down-to-earth, wasn't this a bit over the top?
"Thank you, Acting Grand Master Jean."
He accepted the Radish Veggie Soup and Fisherman's Toast, then examined their status effects.
[Delicious Radish Veggie Soup: Greatly restores Core HP, Core Stamina, and Deadeye.]
[Delicious Fisherman's Toast: Moderately restores Core HP.]
Both were delicious. She'd really put her heart into this. Most people couldn't tell the difference between delicious and normal versions of food, but Jean had made sure both were top quality. Was she hoping to ask something of me?
First things first—fill the stomach. Even if she did want something, it wasn't like he couldn't help.
With that thought, Shao Yun picked up the bowl and began to eat in large bites.
In just a few mouthfuls, he finished the Radish Veggie Soup, then devoured the Fisherman's Toast in one bite.
Finally got my stats back to full.
"Thank you for the meal, Acting Grand Master Jean." He gave his thanks for the special food she'd prepared.
"You're very welcome—it's the least I could do."
Jean's tone was casual, as if it were no big deal. But Shao Yun noticed from her subtle expressions—she clearly had something on her mind.
"Acting Grand Master Jean, if there's something on your mind, just say it."
Shao Yun's straightforward words caught Jean off guard. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but ultimately said nothing. Clearly, she was trying to hide whatever it was she wanted to ask.
"I already told you, don't think so poorly of us. If you need something, just say it."
Shao Yun gave a faint smile, his lips slightly upturned, as if assuring her—don't worry, just speak your mind.
Jean looked uneasy, her eyes drifting slightly.
Maybe it was because she had long been the one others relied on—so rarely had she asked for help herself, she didn't even know how to begin. Just like earlier—clearly in need of support, yet she still told Lumine the Knights of Favonius would handle everything. She was just barely holding it together.
If it wasn't just pride making her suffer in silence, then it had to be some other reason that prevented her from showing Mondstadt's current vulnerability.
"...Alright then." Jean seemed to have made up her mind. "May I ask, Mr. Shao Yun, have you heard of the Fatui?"
The Fatui? The organization from Snezhnaya—on paper, they were a diplomatic envoy, but in reality, they acted as Snezhnaya's intelligence agency across other nations. Not to be underestimated.
There were eleven Harbingers—the top three wielded power beyond human limits, all serving the Tsaritsa, the Cryo Archon.
Shao Yun was just about to say he did know them when a system prompt popped up:
["You do not know the Fatui, so please respond accordingly."]
Emmm. Alright. Respect the plot.
Shao Yun shook his head to indicate he didn't know.
Jean then began to explain the Fatui, which matched what Shao Yun already knew. The Fatui had currently taken over the entire Goth Grand Hotel, making it their Mondstadt base of operations.
Mondstadt's current Harbinger was the Eighth—the "Lady." Jean had met her before. She was an extremely difficult opponent.
"Recently, the Fatui have been pressuring Mondstadt more and more. They claim the Stormterror has harmed Snezhnaya's business interests."
Jean seemed exasperated. Truth be told, that part was accurate—even Mondstadt's native industries had been affected by the crisis, let alone Snezhnaya's.
"Stormterror—no, the Dragon of the East—is one of Mondstadt's Four Winds guardians. Though we don't know why he's become like this, we cannot use aggressive means. If the Dragon of the East is harmed at the hands of our Knights… or worse… it would wound the heart of Lord Barbatos."
Jean's voice trembled slightly, but she didn't cry—she held on with admirable strength.
"That's why we can only take the most conservative measures, trying to minimize the Stormterror's impact as much as possible."
And that made sense. They couldn't hurt the once-protective Dvalin. They had to protect the people and navigate Jean's burdens. No easy task.
"But the Fatui are unsatisfied with our cautious approach and keep pressuring us," Jean continued, rubbing her temple in frustration.
"They've demanded effective action from the Knights again and again. Now that Stormterror has directly attacked Mondstadt, they'll probably strike back with more force. So…"
And there, she paused. Jean looked at Shao Yun, her eyes filled with silent apology.
"So what?" Shao Yun asked, a bit puzzled by her half-finished sentence.
Jean's brows furrowed. Her expression revealed clear difficulty. She stared quietly at Shao Yun, lips trembling as she finally gathered the courage to speak: "I mean no offense, Mr. Shao Yun, but I hope that during my negotiations with the Fatui, you can help… intimidate them."
Ah, so she wanted him to hold the line. Understood. Jean did have a competent and approachable aura—but she lacked a certain... dominance.
In diplomacy, lacking a forceful presence could be a real disadvantage.
Still, something didn't quite add up. Jean believed Shao Yun could intimidate the Fatui? Was it because he'd inherited some Red Dead Redemption character traits? Had his aura changed?
The system quickly confirmed Shao Yun's suspicions.
Due to adopting a character template, Shao Yun's presence had shifted. He was no longer just a decent man—he had the very air of an outlaw, a harbinger of death, a true grim reaper.
At that moment, the system mission also updated:
[Current mission updated…]
[Mission objective: Accept Jean's request. Intimidate the Fatui.]