Paimon wriggled under the blanket too, yawned, and the two of them drifted off again.
"So Venti's going to steal the Holy Lyre, huh…" Kaito muttered to himself.
"Pathetic. Imagine having to steal your own stuff."
He went downstairs, ate something quick from Sara just to fill his stomach, then headed west through the city.
There stood a building second only to the Knights' headquarters in prominence—
Mondstadt's Adventurers' Guild branch.
Branch Master Cyrus loved standing at the entrance during the day. The man was pure enthusiasm, practically made of hot blood.
He was currently greeting a few newcomers who had just joined.
"To the stars and the abyss!"
Then he spotted Kaito and grinned. "Boss Kaito! What wind blew you in?"
"Probably Barbatos's," Kaito replied casually, already looking past him. "Upstairs. Let's talk."
Cyrus blinked, surprised, then turned back to the rookies.
"That's all for now, kids. May the Anemo Archon watch over you."
They entered the branch office and sat down.
"Give me the map to the Ley Line Seal Ruins," Kaito stated directly.
Bang!
Cyrus shot to his feet so hard his knees nearly smashed the low table.
"Boss Kaito—so you finally agreed?!"
"I did." Kaito nodded.
"Wait here!"
Cyrus rushed to a hidden safe, pulled out a rolled map, then dropped onto the sofa and began explaining in an excited rush.
Kaito barely listened.
He only needed one glance to match it to what he remembered.
The location wasn't far from where his old World Level Ascension trial had been.
Beneath Starsnatch Cliff.
Deep under the Midsummer Courtyard—at the lowest level.
"Boss Kaito, what do you think?" Cyrus asked, eyes shining. "We'll escort you the whole way!"
Kaito's gaze stayed on the map, mind already calculating.
He only hoped the final guardian of the seal hadn't changed.
If it was still the Electro Hypostasis, that would save a lot of trouble.
But without knowing the enemy's exact level, he needed a plan that allowed a full retreat—no matter what.
So he said, "First, I need two sets of artifacts with decent Electro resistance."
"Electro resistance?" Cyrus frowned. "So there's an Electro-type monster down there?"
"You've explored part of Midsummer Courtyard already, right?" Kaito asked.
"We have. But we couldn't go deeper—capability issues." Cyrus nodded quickly. "We only found the crack entrance to the Ley Line Seal Ruins by accident."
"Then you've got your answer." Kaito tapped the map. "Artifacts from that place—most of them carry Electro affinity, or Electro resistance. If the seal ruins are under it, the ley line environment will be loaded with Electro too."
"And any guardian down there will match the attribute."
"…That makes sense." Cyrus swallowed, impressed despite himself.
Then his excitement surged again.
If the Ley Line Seal Ruins opened up, the Adventurers' Guild would unlock an entirely new ceiling of power—
and Cyrus himself might finally break through his limits.
The Guild's waters ran deep.
Even someone like Fischl—an actual Vision holder—had once been nothing more than a "small investigator."
Cyrus rubbed his hands together hard enough to squeak.
"Boss Kaito, consider it done! Even if we don't have two full sets in stock, we'll form a team and run Midsummer Courtyard until we piece them together."
"Just wait for our message."
With that, he rushed off to inventory resources—forgetting Kaito was still sitting right there.
…
Goth Grand Hotel.
In a luxurious guest room, the Fatui "Attaché" Anastasia listened to her subordinate's report.
As Mondstadt's "foreign allies," the Fatui could move freely. The Knights of Favonius couldn't openly restrict them, so they shamelessly planted eyes and ears throughout the city.
Even if the citizens were wary…
People still leaked information, bit by bit.
"You're saying… the Holy Lyre is enshrined deep within the Cathedral?" Anastasia asked, crossing her legs on the sofa and swirling red wine in her glass.
"Yes, Lady Attaché." The Debt Collector knelt on one knee. "And we've confirmed the patrol pattern—Cathedral guards leave their posts at night."
"It's a perfect opportunity."
Anastasia nodded slightly.
"Stormterror has temporarily retreated. The Knights are watching us, so we can't make a grand spectacle of slaying a dragon."
"So if we want Barbatos's power…"
"We can only take it through the weapon he once used."
She lifted her chin. "Tonight. We move."
"Yes, Lady Attaché."
The Debt Collector withdrew.
When the door closed softly behind him, Anastasia's commanding air faded. She set the wine down and approached a door deeper in the suite.
Then she lowered herself—one knee to the carpet.
"Speak," came a cool, indifferent voice from inside.
Anastasia lowered her head further. "Lady, tonight we will obtain the Holy Lyre for you, as a welcome gift upon your arrival in Mondstadt."
"A welcome gift?" The voice carried faint mockery. "How late."
The sound drew closer—until it was right behind the door.
Anastasia's heart jumped. She pressed her forehead lower.
"I beg your pardon…"
Creak.
The door opened.
A pair of black stiletto heels stepped onto the carpet.
Skin like snow.
An elegant, dangerous presence.
Anastasia didn't dare raise her eyes.
"Lady…"
"I didn't tell you to speak," the woman said coldly.
A toe lifted Anastasia's chin—forcing her gaze up just enough to feel the weight of the moment.
Then the woman leaned in, voice soft and sharp as a blade.
"The thing I told you to investigate…"
"Do you have an answer yet?"
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