"Ausbilder..."
Diluc lightly grasped his right hand, where a gem-like object rested.
Although it resembled a Vision, in reality, it was rely an imitation—known by another na: the Delusion.
"Young master, sotis knowing too much isn't a good thing," said Bai Luo.
Under the dim lighting, his mask appeared eerie, as if he had transford into a different person altogether, losing the faint kindness of his previous smile.
His black attire now made him resemble the very embodint of death.
"You recognized ?!"
Diluc was taken aback.
Even though Kaeya had hinted at it, hearing Bai Luo reveal his identity so effortlessly left him uneasy.
He had taken such great pains to disguise himself, yet it wasn’t enough.
Bai Luo leaped down from the stacked barrels, retrieving the dagger embedded in Krobber's corpse with the aid of a wire.
As he approached Diluc, he spoke casually:
"Mondstadt has many wealthy people with plenty of idle ti, but few are both rich and free, with red hair, no less. As far as I know, there’s only one person like that—Young Master Diluc."
Diluc froze for a mont, instinctively glancing at his red bangs hanging before his eyes.
He had thought changing his hairstyle would be enough to avoid suspicion, but clearly, he had underestimated his opponent.
"What is the Doctor’s goal? Why are you here in Mondstadt?"
Realizing he’d been exposed, Diluc removed his owl mask and directly asked the questions he had been harboring.
He didn’t think Bai Luo was bluffing—after all, he had been open with Kaeya as well.
If sacrificing his own life could yield valuable information, it would be worth it.
"The Doctor's goal is the sa as the Fatui's goal, and the Fatui's goal is the Tsaritsa's will. The Tsaritsa’s will isn’t sothing you or anyone else can comprehend," Bai Luo said as he casually walked closer to Diluc.
His eyes lingered on the Delusion in Diluc's hand.
"As for my goal... I truly ca to attend the Windblu Festival. And if possible, lend the Doctor a hand. By the way, that Vision of yours is quite fascinating. I'm sure the Doctor would be thrilled to know about it."
"Hmph!"
As Bai Luo drew closer, the Delusion on Diluc's hand began to glow.
Whoosh—
With a ripple in the air, blood-red chains shot out, piercing Bai Luo’s chest and embedding themselves into the oak barrels behind him.
Expensive wine flowed from the cracks, quickly staining the ground a deep crimson.
"Did I succeed?"
Bai Luo hadn’t dodged, sothing Diluc hadn’t anticipated.
But surely, after being struck through the chest by this power, he couldn't possibly survive, right?
After all, this was a force even Ursa the Drake feared.
"You’re quite mischievous, Young Master Diluc. This power isn't ant to be used like that."
To Diluc's horror, Bai Luo, despite having been impaled through the chest, seed entirely unfazed.
There was no blood from the wound, only faint blue particles emanating from it.
Casually grasping the chains that had pierced his body, Bai Luo yanked them.
Caught off guard, Diluc was pulled toward him without resistance.
The pain Diluc had anticipated didn’t co.
Instead, Bai Luo, like an old friend, gently wrapped a single hand around his throat.
In that instant, Diluc didn’t dare to breathe.
He knew that if Bai Luo wished, he could snap his neck at any mont.
"This little ga ends here. I suggest you refrain from using that kind of power again. I’m sure neither Kaeya nor Jean would want to see your gravestone in the cetery behind the church. Hopefully, next ti we et... it will still be , and not the Doctor."
After that "friendly" warning, Bai Luo vanished before Diluc’s eyes, disappearing so suddenly it was as if he’d been an illusion.
If not for the warm breath Bai Luo had whispered into his ear monts ago, Diluc might have believed he was rely a phantom.
Diluc had faced the Fatui Pyro Agent several tis before and had seen their cloaking techniques. But Bai Luo’s disappearance was far more complete, without any trace, more terrifying than the stories he had heard.
This left Diluc with a heavy heart.
After instructing his trusted n to clean up the underground cellar, Diluc changed back into his formal attire and returned to the banquet.
"How did it go?"
Kaeya, who had been waiting at the stairs for so ti, asked as he saw Diluc co down.
Despite any friction between them, such petty concerns were trivial in situations like this.
"Did you manage to deal with the vermin and rats that sullied our uncle’s precious collection?"
Kaeya had assud that Krobber wouldn’t be able to resist such temptation, but seeing Diluc’s troubled expression made him uncertain.
"The vermin and rats have been dealt with, but the real problem..." Diluc lowered his voice, glancing at the Fatui mbers who had already left the banquet.
"I suspect that the bait we thought we’d caught was actually part of their trap. And... that dragon, the most dangerous one, isn’t interested in wine."
"Heh, in stories, dragons usually prefer maidens and treasures," Kaeya replied, unfazed by his brother’s revelation.
He wasn’t surprised; the more he learned about Bai Luo, the more fearful he beca.
After all, Bai Luo was one of the Fatui’s top Twelve Harbingers.
"I’ll report this to the Acting Grand Master. While the Ausbilder is in Mondstadt, you’d best keep an eye on him."
Though Kaeya had had a falling out with the Knights over past matters, this situation was far too serious to ignore. He needed to report it personally.
"You sure know how to delegate," Kaeya sighed, wiping a bead of cold sweat from his forehead.
Normally, he wouldn’t mind; after all, this was part of his job.
But dealing with Bai Luo...
The mory of their previous conversation sent a chill down Kaeya’s spine.
Bai Luo had a way of making you feel like he could see right through you.
Kaeya couldn’t shake the feeling that Bai Luo knew everything about his past, not as a re suspicion, but a gut instinct.
"If you don't want to do it, I can send soone else," Diluc said, not pressing Kaeya.
He understood even better than his brother just how dangerous Bai Luo truly was.
"Co on, who else could handle this better than ?"
Kaeya knew that if even he found this difficult, there weren’t many others in Mondstadt capable of handling the Ausbilder.
Those "skilled hands" Diluc often referred to? They would just be lambs to the slaughter.
Sending them would only play into Bai Luo’s hands, potentially giving away valuable information.
No, this was sothing Kaeya had to handle personally.
"Kaeya."
"Hmm?"
"What do you think... if I dyed my hair blue?" Diluc hesitated before asking his question.
"…Should I ask the Spindrift Knight to lend you her Song of Broken Pines while we're at it?"
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