Chapter 78 Jean's Decision

The appearance of Yelan was a surprise to Kujo Tsumugi, but it was an opportunity to deal with someone who had been secretly monitoring her.

The next morning, while Rosaria was still asleep due to the late night, Kujo Tsumugi went alone to the room where Yelan was imprisoned.

"Ms. Yelan, how much Mora do you think you're worth?" Tsumugi's first question left Yelan momentarily stunned.

Yelan had anticipated that Kujo Tsumugi would ask why she was following her, and she was even prepared to endure torture to extract a confession. But she hadn't expected Tsumugi to completely disregard the usual script.

"You're asking me that? Aren't you curious about who sent me to monitor you?" Yelan countered, avoiding a direct answer.

"If I ask, will you tell me?" Kujo Tsumugi casually combed her long hair, then said, "I know who you are, Yelan—a spy under Ningguang, specializing in dangerous missions. As for why you're monitoring me, it must be Ningguang's orders. After all, she's the only one who could command you."

"I'm not interested in any of that. I just want to know how much you're worth to me."

Kujo Tsumugi took out a piece of letter paper and began writing and drawing at the table. A few minutes later, she showed Yelan a blackmail letter—no, a "Notice of Punishment for Ms. Yelan who infiltrated Mondstadt and attempted to assassinate the envoy of the Inazuma Group, causing a potential international dispute."

"I estimate that someone like you, Ms. Yelan, is worth at least 100 million Mora. So here's the deal."

"As long as Ningguang is willing to pay 1 billion Mora to ransom you, I'll let you go. How does that sound?"

"Really? But you've openly captured a Liyue public official. Aren't you afraid of causing a dispute between the two nations?" Yelan sneered.

"It doesn't matter. Your name isn't on the official roster in the Ministry of Civil Affairs. Unless Ningguang wants to reveal her secret intelligence unit, no one can save you."

Kujo Tsumugi's words made Yelan's expression darken.

This woman... she not only knows about Shadow, but she's aware of details like the official rosters at the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

"Well, that settles it. I'm going to go find Grandmaster Jean to send a letter. Bye."

Tsumugi left the room, instructing Thomas to guard Yelan and ensure there were always two hunters watching her. She then made her way to the Knights' headquarters.

When Tsumugi Kujo saw Jean again, she noticed that the acting Grandmaster looked even more haggard than the day before, likely from wrestling with the lingering issues at hand.

"Grandmaster Jean, may I borrow your carrier pigeon to send a message to Ningguang?" Tsumugi casually waved her hand in greeting.

"Of course... but why do you need to communicate with Ningguang?" Jean asked cautiously, clearly wary. She was truly apprehensive of Kujo Tsumugi. Tsumugi had been in Mondstadt for less than a month, yet she had already created such turmoil. Compared to the damage Kujo Tsumugi had caused, Jean felt that the havoc wreaked by the Wind Dragon, Dvalin, was trivial.

"I caught a Liyue spy last night. I plan to use her to blackmail Ningguang. It's not a big deal."

"Not a big deal?!"

Jean's voice rose louder than intended. If mishandled, this could strain relations not only between Inazuma and Liyue but also between Mondstadt and Liyue.

"Miss Kujo... can't you keep a lower profile?"

Jean sat behind her desk, rubbing her temples in frustration.

"Keep a lower profile? You mean like you—compromising with other nations just to maintain superficial peace?"

"Mondstadt's economy has been bled dry by the Fatui for years. I used some clever tactics to get rid of those vampires, yet you still accuse me of being too harsh. Do good people deserve to have guns pointed at them?"

"It's bad enough that Liyue spies can enter and leave Mondstadt freely, but did you know that last night, she fought Sister Rosaria of the Church of Favonius in the city? Being bullied in your own home—can you tolerate that?"

"If you were the one who captured a Liyue spy, what would you do? You'd probably write a letter to Tianquan Ningguang explaining the situation and try to downplay the incident."

"…"

Jean remained silent. If it had been her, she would indeed have tried to downplay the situation to maintain Mondstadt's relationship with Liyue.

"Of course, I'm not trying to refute you, Jean. Mondstadt is undeniably weak. Facing a prosperous and powerful nation like Liyue, we certainly wouldn't dare to provoke conflict."

"After all, weakness is the original sin."

To be fair, Kujo Tsumugi knew that if she were in Jean's position, she wouldn't necessarily do a better job. The Knights of Favonius were only moderately strong among the seven nations, slightly better than Sumeru, which had no army of its own. They also had to deal with an indifferent Barbatos, and with the elite knights away on an expedition with Grandmaster Varkus, it was no wonder Mondstadt couldn't stand tall in the face of other nations.

Inazuma's military strength wasn't as formidable as Liyue's, but its unique geographical location and the protection of the Raiden Shogun were enough to repel any invasion.

Once the storm barrier was raised, even the largest armies couldn't break through. Even if a small force found a weak point, Inazuma, as an island nation, had the strongest navy among the seven nations. With comparable numbers, Inazuma feared no fleet.

This was why Kujo Tsumugi could afford to be so tough. What if she accidentally offended Mondstadt, Liyue, or even the Fatui and triggered a war? She could simply retreat to Narukami Island. Who could reach her there?

After listening to Tsumugi, Jean closed her eyes and remained silent for a long time.

"Hey, Captain Jean? You still with us?"

Tsumugi waved her hand in front of Jean's face, growing a little concerned.

You can stay silent if you want, but at least tell me where the carrier pigeon is!

"Miss Kujo, you're right. The reason Mondstadt endures all these hardships is that Mondstadt is too weak."

"From the Ursa incident years ago to this latest attack by the Wind Dragon, the Fatui have been infiltrating our city… I always believed that if I worked hard enough, I could protect Mondstadt from such disasters."

"So, I trained relentlessly, hoping to protect Mondstadt with my own hands… But the truth is, the power of one person is limited. That's why I've decided…"

Don't want to be human anymore? Tsumugi thought to herself, resisting the urge to roll her eyes.

"I've decided. I want Mondstadt to become stronger! I want Mondstadt to have the power to protect itself!"

There was a fierce determination in Jean's blue eyes.

"That's right! Exactly! Since the Anemo Archon has no interest in governing Mondstadt, the people of Mondstadt must protect themselves! There has never been a savior, and we don't need to rely on gods or emperors. To create our own happiness, we must rely on ourselves!" Tsumugi egged her on, adding fuel to the fire.

"So, Miss Kujo, I'd like to appoint you as my special advisor. Of course, you'll be well compensated."

Where did this sudden enlightenment come from…?

Tsumugi was taken aback, but she wasn't about to pass up a chance to earn some Mora.

"Sure, but I must warn you. Back in Inazuma, my sister never let me handle governmental affairs because whenever it was my turn, the prisons in Inazuma would be overflowing. Eventually, two new prisons were built, but even that wasn't enough."

"This… Miss Kujo, please show some restraint…" Jean pleaded, a hint of desperation in her voice.