The moon hung low over Mondstadt, and somewhere above its rooftops, a different kind of gathering simmered.
The Fatui's Shadowed Plans
Inside a dim loft lit by a single lantern, several Fatui agents circled their superior—a Debt Collector whose presence filled the room like a sharpened blade.
"Sir, the goods you wanted have been destroyed," an agent reported. "No witnesses. Those merchants won't recover. Their shops will soon fall into our hands."
The Debt Collector gave a slow, pleased nod.
"Good. Every time a dragon attacks, Mondstadt bleeds—and we collect what spills."
He lifted a gloved hand.
"But no more provocations when Stormterror returns. Once is clever. Twice acceptable. Thrice becomes a pattern."
A cold gleam flashed through his visor.
"Our objective is influence. Pressure the city. Insert someone into their defenses. Even one agent with access is worth ten warehouses of stolen goods."
The room murmured approval.
"Right," another Fatui spoke up. "We also identified a promising individual today. Using controlled hilichurls, we observed a youth single-handedly dispatch wolves and a full patrol. Sword talent… exceptional. Sixteen years old. Adventurers' Guild. Not tied to the Knights. Not nobility. No Vision."
The Debt Collector's interest sharpened.
"Perfect. Recruit him."
"Recruitment may fail. He avoids affiliations. We've tried with others before. No one bites."
"Then bring him in. Whether he accepts or not is irrelevant."
A careless flick of the hand.
"Genius is only useful in our hands. If Mondstadt cannot have him, neither shall anyone else."
"Yes, sir."
Orders given, the agents scattered—walking straight toward an approaching patrol of Knights as if nothing unusual had occurred.
Kael's Dinner, Rudely Interrupted
Across the city, in the bright, cozy Hunter's Lodge restaurant, Kael Arclight was halfway through a roasted boar plate when the familiar blue panel flickered into being in front of him.
He froze mid-bite.
"…Already?" he muttered.
The text scrolled out in crisp strokes.
[Because you dealt with the rogue 'Strayer,' someone tattled to their organization. Instead of anger, they admire your decisive strength and now intend to invite you. You stayed low-key, choosing not to provoke them. Reward: Bio-Wave Prospecting Device. Lights up if treasure is valuable. If it lights too much, it's probably broken.]
Kael blinked.
He hadn't even had one full day since the last quest.
"…That counted as completing it?"
Before he could ponder, new text rippled across the panel—like ink poured onto water.
[The Strayer Organization, impressed by your combat skill and your willingness to help a certain outcast girl, has decided to extend an invitation. Your response…]
Three options unfolded.
Option One — Join Them
Free meals, free resources, and missions that may require a clean conscience to look the other way.
Reward: Ice Core
A frost-touched relic humming with starless chill.
Option Two: Refuse Them
You know their type—smiles during the day, traps at night. Better to stay free.
Reward: Cryo Enhancement Paste
Apply to a weapon for temporary ice-aligned reinforcement.
Option Three: Accept ≠ Join
Cooperate, not belong. A fox's grin, a swordsman's freedom. Earn while staying unbound. They'll resent it… but they'll need you.
Reward: Solidified Pure Water
Portable, stable, versatile.
Kael stared at the three choices.
Then at his plate.
Then back at the choices.
"…Strayer Organization?" he whispered. "Who even—"
And then it hit him.
The option had first triggered during the wolf-and-hilichurl brawl.
He pictured a hilichurl shaman waving its club eagerly.
The organization…
Inviting him…
Kael's expression slowly flattened.
"…Don't tell me it's the hilichurls inviting me in like some tribe elder."
He rubbed the bridge of his nose ^_^;;
"Can hilichurls even form sentences? No, that's not—don't think about it."
But the Fatui's earlier conversation echoed with new clarity.
Someone had been watching that fight.
And someone was making decisions about him.
"Rewards are garbage this time," Kael muttered. "System's getting stingy."
Still, the promise of the prospecting device intrigued him. He flicked a thought-
A palm-sized metal tool materialized in his hand, its small crystal flickering faintly.
"Huh. So it does exist."
He slipped it into his coat, unaware that forces both human and monstrous were already moving toward him.
Hungry.
Curious.
Or worse—interested.