"You really are honest, Honorary Knight," Lisa said with a smile. "But it's true, no gentleman would ever willingly break a young lady's heart."
Jean took a step forward, moving to stand beside Gongqu.
"Daughter of the Gunnhildr family, do you think his behavior now is that of a gentleman?" Eula retorted, stepping forward as well. "He's even more despicable than the Lawrence clan's men of the past! That's why I have to keep a close eye on him—so that no more girls from Mondstadt will get hurt!"
Eula snorted coldly, crossing her arms as she glared at Gongqu.
"There are so few who can truly capture the heart of a witch. And you're so brazenly shameless about it, honestly, it's a little exciting," Lisa teased, moving even closer. "Count me in, too."
After all, she wasn't the first companion in his life.
And with so many others around, she wouldn't be the first to suffer the headaches, either.
Unlike Jean and Eula's roundabout approach, Lisa made her intentions perfectly clear, she loved stirring the pot.
Amber, meanwhile, hesitated for a long time at the back of the group.
Finally, just as they were about to enter the Knights of Favonius headquarters, she pushed past the others and grabbed Gongqu's hand.
"Please… don't leave me behind again!" she pleaded, her voice trembling. "I… I want to be with you too!"
The scene was a dizzying blur of fluttering skirts and bright eyes.
Gongqu had been bracing himself for a four-way elemental burst, but he hadn't expected this outcome.
Stunned, he could only reach up to touch the four colorful lipstick marks on his face, lost in a surreal daze.
"I'm a bit curious," Lisa said, gently pushing Eula aside to stand at Gongqu's side. "For someone who seems so reserved, how did you manage to charm four women at once?"
Her question made Gongqu think of a certain Cavalry Captain who loved to stir up gossip.
Just that morning, he'd been telling Gongqu to start a harem, though everyone knew he was only half-joking. After all, better Gongqu than him!
Gongqu sighed softly. There was just one last piece he needed for his happy ending, and it would have to come at Kaeya's expense.
With a wry smile, Gongqu repeated something Kaeya had told him that morning: "Mondstadt women love as fiercely as they hate" and "Dvalin has three pairs of wings—six altogether."
As soon as he spoke, it felt like the temperature around him dropped by at least ten degrees.
—
"Sss!" Kaeya hissed as he walked, a shiver running down his spine.
A subordinate nearby shot him a concerned look. "Captain Kaeya, are you hurt? Do you want to stop and rest?"
"It's nothing. Don't worry about me, keep searching," Kaeya replied, waving them off.
He had always trusted his sixth sense.
And tonight, he decided he'd better sleep outdoors, there was no way he was going back to the Knights' headquarters.
In the Knights of Favonius office, Gongqu sat between Eula and Amber, with Jean and Lisa seated across from him.
"Earlier, you mentioned you wanted to discuss something with the Knights," Jean began carefully. "What exactly was it?"
"Still calling me 'Honorary Knight,' Jean?" Lisa teased, shaking her head as she sipped her tea. "How should I even address you?"
Jean cleared her throat and tried again. "Mr. Gongqu, could you tell us more about what you wanted to propose this morning?"
"There's no need to be so formal, Jean," Gongqu said, taking a sip of Lisa's tea and offering a word of praise before continuing. "A lot has happened today, but what I'd like to discuss with the Knights… I need you to approach it from a neutral perspective."
He set down the cup and began.
"A little over a month ago, I unexpectedly found myself in another world."
"In that world, the original Creator fell in battle. When the world began to collapse, I inherited that Creator's position. But as a result, part of his power was stolen by a demon dragon. Right now, I'm working to reclaim what's mine, to become the second generation Creator of that world…"
"It's a world with rules very different from Teyvat. Vast lands, abundant resources… while there are also monster attacks like here, there's great opportunity for growth. Adventure there leads to true personal strength."
"Currently, as the king, or you could say the god, of that world's only kingdom, Entara, I'd like to establish formal diplomatic relations with Mondstadt's Knights of Favonius. I hope we can trade rare resources and build a mutual defense partnership."
Yes.
Trading goods for the high-level combat power of Mondstadt's top warriors, he needed help to expand his world's frontiers.
That had been his true purpose in coming to the Knights that morning.
Of course, he hadn't expected that simply lending a hand to the Knights would earn him four new companions, and a splitting headache… and possibly a kidney ache, too.
"This… this is a lot to take in!" Jean said, massaging her temples as she tried to digest Gongqu's words, weighing the feasibility of his proposal as the de facto head of the Knights.
Amber and Eula both stared at him, eyes wide in disbelief.
It was hard to imagine that their boyfriend was an actual god from another world.
Maybe… they were the ones reaching above their station?
"No wonder," Lisa said with a playful glint in her eye. "No wonder you carry such a strong Anemo aura. You've already spoken to Barbatos himself, haven't you?"
"Mhm," Gongqu confirmed. "We shared a few drinks this morning and talked a bit."
Then, he pulled out his Vision and demonstrated his ability to trigger a combustion reaction within himself, blending Dendro and Pyro.
"To be able to use both Dendro and Pyro… truly the mark of a Traveler," Lisa said, impressed. "In this world, only you and Lumine can manage something like that."
"This is the power you said you could acquire in that world?" Eula asked, eyes bright with curiosity.
"Don't get your hopes up," Gongqu warned. "I've tested it with others. This special Vision won't work for you."
"But that world has many other resources. Combined with the abilities of a Teyvat native, they can create something even more powerful, 1+1 can be more than 2."
"Amber, show them the enchanted bow I gave you."
"Huh? You mean that wooden bow was from another world?" Amber's heart skipped a beat, sweet warmth welling up inside her.
She might be the first of them to receive a gift from Gongqu's other world… ehehe.
As she took out the bow, its shimmering violet light immediately drew everyone's attention.
Lisa ran her fingers lightly over its surface.
"No elaborate magic patterns, but it carries a faint 'stone' aura. Darling, was it enchanted using some special mineral?"
The affectionate word darling made the other three women stiffen.
"Sharp as always, Lisa," Gongqu replied, smiling. "Indeed, enchanting weapons in that world requires a mineral called 'lapis lazuli'."
"Oh? Do you have any of it on you, dear? I'd love to study it," Lisa asked sweetly.
"That's part of the trade I'm proposing," Gongqu said, reaching into his bag and pulling out three chunks of deep-blue lapis lazuli, setting them on the table.
Amber gazed at the gems in awe, hugging the enchanted bow to her chest. A bow crafted from such precious stones, she had to treasure it.
"Gongqu! Let me see these trade goods myself," Jean said, determined. "While I might agree in principle, the Knights aren't mine alone to command. I'll need to convince the others, and I can't do that without seeing the actual items first."
Even if their personal feelings were involved, Jean knew she had to remain careful and responsible, she needed to see the goods before she could make any real decision.
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