Inside the Knights of Favonius headquarters, Jean's office—
After hearing Cao Zhong's explanation, Barbara and the others were still suspicious.
"You're sure Acting Grand Master Jean just almost fainted… and not that you two were… doing something else?"
Barbara's face turned red midway through her sentence.
Eula leaned against the wall, arms crossed.
"You'd better not be hiding anything. Otherwise… I'll remember this grudge forever."
Amber, still teary-eyed, added, "Acting Grand Master Jean, don't forget our agreement."
"Y-Yes… I know."
Jean secretly glanced at Cao Zhong and only relaxed when he showed no reaction.
But Cao Zhong noticed everything.
So they're forming an alliance against me?
Does it matter? Not really. I can break them one by one.
On the surface, he acted clueless.
Confuse the enemy first.
Meanwhile—
Kaeya realized something was wrong.
The expected chaos hadn't happened.
Plan failed.
Time to retreat.
He quietly tried to slip away—
But suddenly, five pairs of eyes locked onto him.
Kaeya froze.
"…If I say I didn't mean to stir trouble… will you believe me?"
"Do you think we will?"
Cao Zhong cracked his fingers, smiling dangerously.
"Can you at least not hit my face?"
Those were his last words.
"AHHH—!"
His screams echoed across Mondstadt.
A moment later—
Jean adjusted her slightly messy collar and returned to business.
"Report. What exactly happened this time?"
In the corner, Kaeya had already become a "mummy."
Amber stepped forward.
"Acting Grand Master Jean, everything was going smoothly at first. But on the way, we were suddenly attacked by Abyss Mages."
Jean's expression turned serious.
"Abyss Mages…"
Behind them stood the Abyss Order—an organization opposing the surface world, seeking to overturn the rule of the gods.
If they were involved in Stormterror's situation—
Then things had become far more complicated.
Cao Zhong, however, wasn't surprised.
After all, Dvalin's corruption was closely tied to the Abyss.
He glanced at the group.
"But still… you couldn't handle a few Abyss Mages?"
Silence.
Barbara, Amber, and Eula all turned toward the "mummy" in the corner.
Barbara complained, "We already made a plan, but someone refused to use his abilities."
Amber followed up, "Why didn't you use your skills? No Elemental Skill, no Burst—what were you doing?"
"They all escaped! And then you used your Burst on nothing!"
Eula added coldly, "Clearly a problem with his thinking."
Kaeya finally snapped.
"I was confused! Everything was chaotic! No one responded to me! I didn't know what to do—my hands were shaking the whole time!"
He looked like a wronged housewife.
Jean sighed and handed him a cup of water.
"Drink some water. You were too nervous."
Cao Zhong stared at the scene, completely lost.
What is this…?
Why does this feel like some completely different world…?
Elsewhere—
Venti walked out of the cathedral, scratching his head.
"Strange… Barbara isn't here."
He had come to borrow the Holy Lyre der Himmel to deal with Dvalin.
But now—
Barbara was gone.
He hesitated.
"…I can't just sneak in and steal it, right?"
"…Right?"