Liyue Harbor was thrown into complete chaos.
"It was really the Fatui?!"
Panic spread like wildfire through the streets as civilians fled in all directions.
"The Fatui are making a move in Liyue?!"
"Run!"
"Even the Millelith couldn't stop him?!"
Shouts of fear echoed endlessly as order within the city collapsed.
The Millelith captain stared in the direction where Childe had fled and roared an order without hesitation.
"Lock down the city! Full lockdown of Liyue Harbor! Capture the criminal—Childe!"
"Tch."
Kairo watched the scene quietly from a distance, his expression calm and unreadable.
Inside, however, his thoughts stirred.
So this was the power of a spoken command.
This was the first time he had used it.
Even someone with willpower as strong as Childe's couldn't resist if their guard dropped—even briefly.
Still, Childe recovered frighteningly fast.
Just one sentence.
And his first reaction was immediate retreat.
Decisive. Efficient.
So much so that even Kairo had been caught slightly off guard.
"W–Wait—!"
Paimon jolted violently, eyes wide, floating straight to Lumine's side like she'd seen a ghost.
She stared at Kairo, then at the now-empty street where Childe had vanished.
"H–Hold on—what just happened?!"
She pointed wildly in the direction Childe had escaped.
"Did I hear that right?! He—he admitted it himself?!"
Her mind spun furiously.
Childe couldn't possibly be the real culprit.
And yet—he had admitted it. Out loud. In front of everyone.
"That's not right! That's not right at all!" she muttered in disbelief.
Lumine was just as shaken.
She watched Kairo intently.
Everything had happened too fast—but she had sensed something deeply wrong.
Childe would never admit to something like this.
Yet the moment Kairo spoke, Childe gave in.
Coincidence?
Or had Kairo done something?
She frowned slightly and asked carefully,
"Kairo… just now… did you do something?"
Kairo looked perfectly relaxed.
There wasn't even the slightest change in his expression.
He shrugged lightly and replied calmly,
"Maybe… he just spoke without thinking."
"???"
Paimon stared at him like her worldview had just collapsed.
"Without thinking?! He's a Fatui Harbinger!"
"Those people are cunning, ruthless, and terrifyingly smart!"
"No way someone like that just slips up!"
Kairo simply replied,
"But the fact is, he admitted it himself. Right?"
Paimon clutched her head.
"This is way too weird…"
She stared at Kairo suspiciously, but there was no crack in his composure.
No evidence. No proof.
Eventually, she gave up.
"…Whatever. Maybe Childe really is just dumb."
Kairo glanced at the floating system text only he could see and smiled faintly.
Another Inner Alchemist of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus acquired.
Two now.
If he could farm more from Childe, that would be ideal.
Meanwhile, the city exploded with rumors.
"Childe confessed to assassinating Rex Lapis!"
"The Millelith are hunting him down!"
Anger erupted everywhere.
"The Fatui finally showed their fangs!"
"Expel the Northland Bank!"
"Drive them out of Liyue!"
Merchants announced boycotts.
Bank accounts were frozen.
The Northland Bank was surrounded.
The Fatui's influence in Liyue collapsed almost overnight.
Jade Chamber – High-Level Emergency Council
Inside the Jade Chamber, Ningguang, Keqing, and Ganyu stood before Rex Lapis's dragon body.
"We must relocate the body immediately," Keqing said coldly.
"It needs to be somewhere secure—completely under our control."
"The Golden House," Ningguang said after a pause.
Keqing nodded.
"A fortified location, fully guarded, and able to withstand residual Geo energy."
Before orders could be finalized—
A Millelith messenger rushed in.
"Emergency report!"
"Childe—Fatui Harbinger—publicly confessed to Rex Lapis's assassination!"
Silence fell instantly.
"…He confessed?" Keqing's eyes narrowed.
"That makes no sense."
Ningguang tapped the table slowly.
"Childe… confessed after speaking with Kairo?"
Her gaze sharpened.
"That adventurer… is the key variable."
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