Chapter 75 Hope of Solving the Problem

"Then, Madam, if your country of Snezhnaya can compensate us for all our losses, then we can pretend that this incident never happened," Jean continued.

"...Although I am an executive officer of the Fatui, the amount of 200,000 Moras is too large. I do not have the authority to mobilize such a sum," the lady said slowly. "Therefore, I will report this matter to Her Majesty the Queen and ask her to make the decision."

Though this delaying tactic was old-fashioned, it was practical.

Upon hearing this, everyone present except Kujo Tsumugi frowned deeply. While it was possible to use carrier pigeons for rapid communication between the two countries, it would still take half a month for back-and-forth exchanges. Additionally, even if Moras were transported from the nearest Liyue Northern Kingdom Bank headquarters to Mondstadt, it would take nearly a month by carriage. The angry people of Mondstadt would not be willing to wait that long.

"Or, let's have a fight here to see who has the bigger fist."

The lady, clearly annoyed by the reactions of those present, made this suggestion.

With the Heart of the Wind God now in hand, it did not matter if the Fatui completely withdrew from Mondstadt. Even if Mondstadt and Solstice were to sever ties entirely, with Mondstadt's current strength, could Jean send the Knights to attack Solstice?

With the current strength of the Knights of Favonius, it would be a miracle if they could survive the journey to winter, let alone engage in combat. They were in no position to fight.

As the lady finished her words, the temperature in the room suddenly rose several degrees. The source of the heat was the lady herself, indicating she was preparing to use her true strength.

"Well, well..." As the situation grew increasingly tense, Kujo Tsumugi raised her hand and stood up. "I think Captain Jean should now consider how to cover the 200,000 Mora deficit instead of fighting."

"In my opinion, Madam, you should return to the Goethe Hotel to contact the Ice Queen first. The rest of us will figure out how to appease the people of Mondstadt, okay?"

"Snort!"

The lady, recognizing that Kujo Tsumugi was giving her a way out, snorted coldly and left the Knights' residence with graceful steps.

After the lady left, the tension in the room eased slightly, but the atmosphere remained somber.

Two billion Mora was still a massive amount. Even if the Gunhildr and Leggenfind families sold all their assets, they could only raise half of the required funds.

"Ahem, actually..." At this moment, Kujo Tsumugi cleared her throat twice to capture everyone's attention.

"When the Fatui fled last night, in addition to the Northern Kingdom Bank's account books, they also left behind something..." Kujo Tsumugi produced a large bag containing 1.2 billion Moras.

"After counting, there are approximately 1.2 billion Mora in this bag."

At this revelation, the eyes of everyone present finally brightened.

"So..."

"As long as we gather 800 million Mora, we can open a new bank in the name of the Knights, allowing the people of Mondstadt to continue using the new bank for their savings."

"And with the Northland Bank's account books, we won't have to worry about bad debts."

Everyone's tense nerves finally relaxed. Although 800 million Mora was still a huge sum for Mondstadt, they could now see hope for filling the gap.

As for Kujo Tsumugi's claim that these Moras were left behind by the Fatui in their panic, no one present was naive enough to believe such a story. However, no one was foolish enough to call out Kujo Tsumugi's deception either.

"There's a lot of old equipment in the warehouse. We should be able to sell some of it to raise Mora," Heta, captain of the Knights' sixth squad and head of logistics, said.

"I can also contribute some Mora from my home, but probably only in the tens of millions," Captain Jean added.

"I can hold a concert to raise money or organize nuns and priests to find ways to raise funds," Barbara, representative of the West Wind Cathedral, also volunteered.

"I still have 200 million Mora in my manor. I originally planned to use this money for trade with Miss Kujo, but you can use it first. Of course, you'll need to pay interest," Diluc said, leaning against the wall.

Kujo Tsumugi:?

"Well... thank you for your assistance, but we're still a bit short..."

"I can personally donate 300 million Mora to Captain Jean, but I want shares in the new bank," Kujo Tsumugi offered.

"Ah, even though the little cutie is small, her appetite is quite large," Lisa teased.

"Forget it then. If you think about it carefully, our Inazuma is in civil strife, and military expenses are substantial. I'll transport these Moras back to Inazuma. By the way, Captain Jean, regarding what happened last night, the matter of giving me 10 million Moras for mental damages is resolved."

Kujo Tsumugi extended her hand toward Captain Jean as if saying, "Hurry up and give me the money so I can leave."

Although 10 million Mora wasn't an enormous amount, it was critical in a situation where the Knights desperately needed funds.

Kujo Tsumugi's intentions were clear. Either accept her timely help or gather the remaining Mora on your own.

What happened last night?

Except for Jean, who blushed, everyone else, including Lisa, looked at Jean with puzzled expressions.

"Ahem, Lisa, stop making trouble," Jean glared at Lisa, her face red, then addressed Kujo Tsumugi. "It would be wonderful if Miss Kujo could assist us, but the shares in the new bank might be..."

"Forget it then." Kujo Tsumugi waved her hand dismissively. She wasn't particularly interested in the shares of Mondstadt's new bank. Mondstadt was poor, and it would likely take years to earn back 300 million Mora. Inazuma, however, was in urgent need of money.

Still, Kujo Tsumugi felt a bit disgruntled. She had helped Mondstadt regain its financial sovereignty, freeing them from the potential drain by the Kingdom of Winter. Yet, Jean wouldn't even agree to such a small request.

"Since you're short on money right now, the 20 million Mora must be delivered to the hotel I'm staying at within a month. Otherwise, don't blame me for coming to collect it myself."

Kujo Tsumugi's tone turned cold, showing her displeasure with Jean's attitude. After finishing her statement, she left Grandmaster Jean's office. Seeing Kujo Tsumugi leave, Eula, who had been present in the room, hesitated for a moment before asking Jean for instructions and following Kujo Tsumugi out of the Knights' base.

"Tsumugi, are you in a bad mood?"

"Sister Eula... it's nothing, just a bit annoyed," Kujo Tsumugi's mood brightened considerably upon seeing Eula.

During this period, their relationship had become quite close. Eula even took Kujo Tsumugi to see the tombstone of "Tsumugi Lawrence." Kujo Tsumugi felt a mix of emotions, seeing her own tombstone.

"Although I can understand Captain Jean's reluctance to have the financial sovereignty she just regained tampered with by foreigners, I am still somewhat irritated that Captain Jean, treating me as a Fatui, is wary of me."

"I'm sorry, Jean..."

"She was all over me last night, but now she just brushes me off. What a cold-hearted woman."

"W-what?!"

Eula, intending to calm Kujo Tsumugi's emotions, was taken aback by the statement.

"You mean what happened with Jean last night... but you're both women."

"Who says women can't have sex with each other?" Kujo Tsumugi rolled her eyes at Eula. "Women's bodies are soft and fragrant, isn't that better than men's?"

This revelation had a profound impact on Eula. Even in the free city of Mondstadt, very few were as open about their sexuality as Kujo Tsumugi. Eula's aristocratic upbringing had never exposed her to such views.

"So... Tsumugi, do you have a girlfriend?" Eula asked hesitantly.

"Well... no," Kujo Tsumugi replied after some thought.

The relationship between Kujo Tsumugi and Kujo Sara could not be made public, nor could the matter with the lady. As for Rosaria, the impact of the simulation system on her was uncertain.

However, Barbara seemed unaffected by the previous simulation.

Tsumugi Kujo recalled Barbara's reaction when they had met earlier in Captain Jean's office. Barbara had shown no particular reaction.

"I see..."

For some reason, learning that Kujo Tsumugi didn't have a girlfriend seemed to relieve Eula.

Suddenly, Kujo Tsumugi stopped.

"Sister Eula, would you like to come up and sit for a while?" Tsumugi Kujo offered, indicating the hotel entrance behind her. Eula realized they had arrived at the hotel where Kujo Tsumugi was staying.

"No, I still have patrol missions to complete," Eula declined.

"Well, let's part ways here. I'm quite tired today. Sister Eula, the people of Mondstadt have been in a bad mood lately. Don't wander around the streets after patrolling to avoid further issues."

"Whose fault do you think this is? Humph, you forced me to stay in the dormitory. I'll remember this grudge