Chapter 2: Kujo Tsumugi: What is Versailles? (Tactical retreat)

"Ahem, Miss Lisa, I just realized I forgot to introduce my subordinates to you."

Kujo Tsumugi deliberately coughed a few times to draw everyone's attention to herself. "They are the 'Hunter' unit I established. Since they were only formed recently, their combat effectiveness isn't very strong. They're mainly responsible for hunting down the Fatui hiding in Inazuma."

Hunting... the Fatui?!

After hearing Kujo Tsumugi's introduction, Lisa and the Knight of Favonius beside her were stunned for a moment, their first reaction being... disbelief, absolute disbelief.

The military strength of the Kingdom of Snezhnaya is the strongest among the seven nations, and every soldier of the Fatui has specialized magical equipment. Not to mention the ordinary soldiers, even the weaker Vision wielders can't guarantee they can defeat the Fatui. And now she's saying Inazuma has a unit dedicated to hunting them?

Kujo Tsumugi could probably guess what Lisa and the others were thinking, so she waved her hand, signaling the hunters to take out their Visions.

Originally, Kujo Tsumugi didn't want to make such a big show of it, so she had asked the hunters to keep their Visions hidden. However, given their earlier performance, which had embarrassed her, she had no choice but to let them reveal their Visions to gain an upper hand in the subsequent business negotiations.

"Hiss...!"

Seeing the hunters take out their Visions one by one, the surrounding Favonius Knights and onlookers were shocked. To ordinary people, Vision wielders are rare. So, when they realized the soldiers behind Kujo Tsumugi were all Vision wielders, they collectively gasped.

Ten Vision wielders are here as envoys. Are they here to discuss business or to fight?!

"Our Inazuma is a small and weak country. I heard that Mondstadt recently suffered from a dragon disaster. My sister is really worried about my safety, so she slightly enhanced the defenses of our diplomatic corps. I hope you'll forgive us, Miss Lisa."

Kujo Tsumugi spoke in a humble tone, but the slight upturn of her lips was glaringly obvious to Lisa... It was like a millionaire crying poor to a beggar.

If Lisa knew the internet slang from another world, she would have realized that Kujo Tsumugi was being the epitome of "Versailles," subtly flaunting her elite force.

"Ahem, ahem... Let's go see Grandmaster Jean as soon as possible," Lisa said, changing the subject somewhat stiffly. She had initially thought they were just ordinary troops, but now that she looked closely, she saw that the equipment they were wearing emitted faint magical fluctuations.

Magic equipment! And not just any magic equipment!

With her keen eyesight, Lisa instantly recognized that these magical items were definitely not ordinary. This realization brought a bitter smile to her face.

You've come to Mondstaht fully armed, don't you really want to attack Mondstaht?

Afterward, Lisa led the group to Jean's office. As there were too many people, Kujo Tsumugi asked the hunter soldiers to wait outside the door, taking only Kuki Shinobu with her.

"Da da da…"

"Come in."

Lisa reached out and knocked on the door, and soon a clear, firm voice came from behind the door.

Upon entering the room, the first thing that caught Tsumugi's eye was a tall, beautiful woman sitting behind a large desk. Kujo Tsumugi quickly glanced at the documents on the desk. The stack was three or four times larger than what Kujo Sara typically dealt with. However, most of the extra documents seemed to be time-consuming and meaningless tasks, such as helping residents find cats and dogs or collecting dandelion seeds. Is this really the office of the acting Grand Master or a branch of the Adventurers' Guild?

After silently mocking herself for a moment, Kujo Tsumugi finally began to seriously appraise Jean.

Jean Gunnhildr, the eldest daughter of the Gunnhildr family in Mondstadt, the acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius, and the heir to the title of "Dandelion Knight." It is said that before she even learned to say "Mom and Dad," she had already learned to say the words "Protect Mondstadt forever." She's just, compassionate, respectful to the elderly and young, and willing to give everything she has for Mondstadt. In every way, she is the perfect knight—the type of person Kujo Tsumugi hates the most.

Jean had long, golden hair like the sun, wore a white knight's outfit, and had a blue cape draped over her shoulders, looking exactly like she did in the game.

Seeing her guests, Jean put down the quill she was holding and displayed a polite smile.

"Hello, I'm the acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius. You can call me Jean."

"Hello, Captain Jean. My name is Kujo Tsumugi, the second daughter of the Kujo family. This here is my bodyguard, Kuki Shinobu."

"Ms. Kujo, Ms. Kuki, please have a seat." Jean had clearly done her homework and knew that in Inazuma, it was considered very rude to address someone by their first name without permission, so she chose to refer to them by their last names.

After bringing Kujo Tsumugi and Kuki Shinobu into the office, Lisa left. After all, she wasn't officially a member of the Knights of Favonius and couldn't participate in official conversations.

"May I ask the purpose of the Inazuma delegation's visit to Mondstadt this time?"

"It's simple, business." Kujo Tsumugi looked at Jean, who was sitting opposite her. "To be honest, a rebellion broke out in our Inazuma not long ago. To suppress the rebellion, we, of course, had to send out troops, but the military expenses... Ahem, so I came to Mondstadt specifically to discuss expanding trade between our two nations."

By the way, I'd like to meet that blond fool who's about to show up, Kujo Tsumugi added silently.

Originally, there was no trade relationship between Inazuma and Mondstadt. It was only when Kujo Sara implemented the New Deal a few years ago that trade relations were established. However, the trade between the two sides wasn't frequent. Mondstadt wasn't as prosperous as Liyue, so they only maintained the most basic level of trade.

"Regarding this matter... I'm sorry, but I can't give you an answer at the moment."

Jean looked slightly guilty.

"Currently, the dragon Dvalin is wreaking havoc in Mondstadt. Even if I sign a new trade agreement with you now, the goods might be destroyed due to Dvalin's attacks."

"I'm afraid trade with Inazuma will have to be postponed until Mondstadt's dragon crisis is resolved."

"What a shame! If that's the case, I'll stay in Mondstadt for a while. I'm sure Grandmaster Jean has already come up with a plan to defeat the Wind Dragon."

Kujo Tsumugi expressed regret, but her expression showed she had expected this.

"Then, let's discuss a second deal." Kujo Tsumugi raised two fingers. "I can provide you with information—any information. Whether it's about why the East Wind Guardian Dvalin attacked Mondstadt, about Barbatos, the Anemo Archon, or even what tricks the Abyss Order and the Fatui are up to in Mondstadt, I can tell you."

"I can guarantee the authenticity of this information... Of course, you'll need to pay me in Mora that meets my expectations."

A sly smile appeared on Kujo Tsumugi's face.