Acting Grand Master Jean is someone who likes to be thoroughly prepared in all aspects. After learning that the Lawrence Family was planning a rebellion, she played along, deliberately leaking false Mondstadt city defense maps to members of the Lawrence Family.
On the other hand, she secretly rallied all trustworthy and powerful allies in Mondstadt through various means. As the Acting Grand Master, Jean held extremely high prestige in Mondstadt. When they heard Jean needed their help, they all agreed without a second thought, and for free at that.
In contrast, regarding the Inazuma Delegation, Jean had privately asked the Inazuma Regent, who immediately made an exorbitant demand, saying that if Mondstadt could lower its tariffs by five points, he would help once. This agreement would be long-term, which caused Acting Grand Master Jean's face to turn ashen.
Five points off the tariffs! What an enormous sum of Mora! Most importantly, this wasn't a one-time deal; it was long-term.
Upon hearing this condition, Acting Grand Master Jean immediately said goodbye, thinking, 'I'd rather ask Lord Barbatos for help. If all that Mora were converted into Dandelion Wine, it would be enough to keep Lord Barbatos drunk for hundreds of years.'
This wasn't a Regent; this was clearly a bandit taking advantage of a crisis!
However, when Acting Grand Master Jean secretly found a certain Barbatos who was already dead drunk and explained the situation to him, he calmly stated, "Although your offer is very tempting, I have never participated in Mondstadt's politics. From beginning to end, I have only guided the people of Mondstadt towards true freedom; everything is decided by humanity itself.
Now, when your freedom is once again threatened, you must fight back through your own efforts. Since the conflict stems from human causes, I have no right to interfere.
A thousand years ago, under the dark rule of the aristocracy, the great hero Vennessa emerged, leading the people of Mondstadt to regain their freedom.
Five hundred years ago, Dragon Durin descended upon Mondstadt. Rostam, to protect the people of Mondstadt, led the Knights of Favonius in a desperate fight, refusing to retreat. Although Mondstadt City suffered heavy damage, the Knights of Favonius suffered heavy losses, and Rostam died honorably, he indeed protected the people of Mondstadt.
Five hundred years later, I believe that Jean, as the Dandelion Knight and Acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius, can continue to protect Mondstadt, just like your predecessors.
Of course, if any supernatural beings not belonging to humanity interfere, I will have Dvalin intervene to help."
Jean left with a complex feeling. As a family that most revered Lord Barbatos, the Gunnhildr family, Jean had always followed the principle of 'listening to the wind' in her actions.
But ultimately, she had only recently taken on the role of Acting Grand Master. To receive recognition from the idol she most believed in, and to be compared to the great hero Vennessa and Deputy Grand Master Rostam, left Jean feeling both excited and apprehensive. Yet, after the apprehension, Jean's gaze became incredibly resolute.
When Jean returned to the Knights of Favonius headquarters, she suddenly noticed some crackling sounds coming from the room next to her office.
The room next to her office... was Klee's exclusive confinement room.
Ever since the Inazuma Delegation arrived in Mondstadt, to prevent Klee's bombs from affecting Mondstadt, Jean had been extra vigilant with Klee, confining him to the room whenever the opportunity arose.
Although Klee's frequency of entering the confinement room wasn't low even before the Inazuma Delegation arrived, about once or twice a week, during this period, due to Acting Grand Master Jean's care, the frequency had increased to three or four times a week.
Acting Grand Master Jean deliberately walked a little further from the confinement room and called for Wood, a Knight of Favonius on duty in the first-floor hall of the Knights of Favonius headquarters. After Knight Wood saluted Acting Grand Master Jean, Jean lowered her voice and asked Wood a few questions.
Jean: "Wood, has Klee been well-behaved these past few days?"
Wood: "Reporting, Acting Grand Master, everything is normal so far, but..."
Jean: "But what?"
Wood: "Uh, in the confinement room, I always faintly hear crackling sounds coming from inside. It seems Klee is researching new explosives?
Although I know Klee definitely wouldn't deliberately detonate explosives here, I'm just afraid he might accidentally slip up... The consequences would be unimaginable. Sigh, I always feel a bit uneasy. Acting Grand Master Jean, why don't you transfer me to another post?"
Jean: "...Thank you for your hard work, but don't worry, my office is right next to Klee's. If an emergency occurs, I can resolve it immediately. However, right now, Klee's help might indeed be needed."
Under Wood's puzzled gaze, Jean silently walked to the door of the confinement room, leaned in to listen carefully, and indeed heard strange noises coming from inside.
Jean swiftly opened the door to the confinement room, startling Klee, who was adjusting a bomb, almost causing an accidental explosion.
Klee clearly looked very flustered. After all, when he was in the confinement room, Acting Grand Master Jean had never disturbed him. The confinement room had become Klee's best place to research new bombs, but now, this best place had been caught red-handed by Acting Grand Master Jean.
Klee looked at the bombs and bomb materials scattered all over the floor, knowing he couldn't hide it anymore, and said timidly, "Jean... Acting Grand Master Jean, why... why are you here?"
Jean: "Kle—e—! How can you tinker with your bombs in the confinement room? How dangerous is that! So many people come and go through the Knights of Favonius every day. If your bomb accidentally went off, many people would get hurt."
Klee: "Ah! [Bombs hurting people, Jean comes knocking] But Klee didn't hurt anyone, so why did Acting Grand Master Jean still come knocking?"
Jean stood with her hands on her hips, looking furious: "Is that the key issue here?"
Seeing Acting Grand Master Jean's 'man-eating' expression, Klee was immediately scared, hung his head, and said in a wronged voice, "Ah! So it's not allowed, okay... Klee will go report to the confinement room right now!"
After saying that, Klee slung his small backpack over his shoulder and walked out of the confinement room door... Jean looked at Klee's retreating figure and couldn't help but rub her head. Sure enough, the next moment, Klee's figure reappeared, standing at the doorway, looking around, with great confusion in his small head.
Klee: "That's not right, Klee was just in the confinement room, so where else can Klee go?"
Jean shouted outside the door: "Wood, confiscate all the bombs Klee has already made in the confinement room!"
Klee: "!!! Acting Grand Master Jean is a big meanie! Waaah!"
After confiscating all of Klee's bombs, Acting Grand Master Jean took these bombs to a secluded storage warehouse. She opened the warehouse door, and inside, it was filled with countless bombs, an astonishing number.
Jean muttered to herself, "The stash I've confiscated from Klee over the years, it's finally time to use them!"
-------------------------------
I've already uploaded 40 chapters of this story on Patreon!
If you enjoy it, come check out the latest chapters in advance.
[patreon.com/TripleCrown07]
Thank you so much for your support!!!