Chapter 3 The Beginning of Fraud

"... Miss Kujo, are you serious? Can you really provide us with this information?"

Jean was silent for a moment, then tried to mask her shock and spoke calmly.

"Of course, as long as the amount of Mora you provide satisfies me."

Kujo Tsumugi shrugged, but she couldn't explain to others that the information was obtained from a game, so she added another condition.

"I can guarantee the authenticity of the information, but please do not ask about its source."

"Well... okay, I am willing to believe you, Miss Kujo. So how much Mora will you require for that information?"

Jean was inclined to believe Kujo Tsumugi because the Knights of Favonius were in a difficult situation.

Half a year ago, the leader of the Knights of Favonius, Falga, led the elite knights on an expedition and they had not returned. The remaining knights could not handle Dvalin's attacks alone.

The people of Mondstadt, however, were unaware of this. They saw the Wind Dragon wreaking havoc and the Knights doing nothing. As Dvalin's attacks continued, public pressure for the Knights to act would only increase.

Ignoring the calls could damage the Knights' reputation, but attacking Dvalin was beyond their capability. Moreover, Jean had only just learned that Dvalin was one of the Four Wind Guardians. Kujo Tsumugi confirming this made her trust the information.

"If we can get more details about Dvalin, it might help us resolve the situation."

"Well... for information about Dvalin, let's set the price at five million Mora," Kujo Tsumugi said after some consideration. She decided not to overcharge for her first transaction and kept the price reasonable for Mondstadt's financial situation.

"Five million... OK."

Jean hesitated briefly but agreed. Five million was a substantial amount for the Knights, but not beyond their means.

"Do you know about the dragon Durin? The one that caused chaos in Mondstadt five hundred years ago? The wind god Barbatos and Dvalin teamed up to defeat Durin, but it wasn't without cost."

"The blood of the demon dragon Durin was absorbed into Dvalin's body. The abyssal power within the blood began to erode Dvalin's mind. To preserve his strength, Dvalin was forced into a deep sleep..."

"When he awoke, he found that the people of Mondstadt had forgotten him. The years of Abyssal erosion had driven him mad. Believing he had been betrayed, he began attacking Mondstadt under the influence of the Abyss Cult."

"This is the story of Dvalin."

After presenting this information, Kujo Tsumugi smiled at jean.

"As for the five million Mora, you can deliver it to the hotel we're staying at. We haven't booked one yet, but I'm sure you can find us easily."

Kujo Tsumugi felt pleased. Earning five million Mora for just a few pieces of information was satisfying.

Deciding to offer a bit more, Kujo Tsumugi added, "If you want to defeat Dvalin, he is currently at the Wind Dragon Ruins. You need to get past the storm barrier there."

"And to purify the Abyssal power in Dvalin's body... don't do anything, just wait quietly."

Tsumugi Kujo and Kuki Shinobu stood up, preparing to leave. Just before they exited the office, Kujo Tsumugi added, "And... be ready for Dvalin's attacks on Mondstadt."

They left the Knights of Favonius base.

"How did you know that information?"

While searching for an inn with the hunters, Kuki Shinobu asked in a whisper.

"Shh... it's a secret. Don't tell anyone," Kujo Tsumugi replied, glancing around and then leaning in to whisper to Kuki Shinobu, "I dreamed about it."

"You..."

Initially stunned by Kujo Tsumugi's answer, Kuki Shinobu soon realized she was being teased and playfully pinched Kujo Tsumugi's cheeks, molding them into various funny shapes.

"Ahem, two bosses," Thomas interjected after waiting for a while, "If you two want to play, you can do it later. But we can't just loiter on the streets of Mondstadt with this many people. I saw some people going to call the Knights of Favonius."

Realizing they had become the center of attention, Kujo Tsumugi and Kuki Shinobu noticed the crowd gathering and whispering around them.

"There aren't many foreigners in Mondstadt, and with the uniformed hunter troops standing out, we're attracting quite a lot of attention. Let's find a hotel quickly."

Kujo Tsumugi quickly dropped her playful demeanor, then called out, "Noel..."

"Here I come! Here I come!!!"

Barely three seconds later, a girl's voice called out from the distance. Looking over, they saw a girl in a maid outfit running towards them.

The silver-haired, blue-eyed girl arrived, scanned the crowd, and then, fixing her gaze on Kujo Tsumugi, performed a knight's salute.

"Hello, is there anything I can assist you with?"