R onava and Ye Xuan hid in the darkness and watched the whole thing unfold.
"Are these the humans beloved by the Heavenly Principles? They can murder a companion of many years out of jealousy alone."
"Ronava, there are more bad people than good people in this world. The evil one bad person does can have a greater impact than the good done by a hundred good people."
"Aren't you a bad person?"
Ye Xuan replied, "I'm just an ordinary person. If someone bullies me, I'll get even. If someone treats me well, I'll help them within my means."
"Then why did you do that to me as soon as we met?"
Ye Xuan was thick-skinned. He gave his explanation without a change in expression.
"On one hand, I needed a bodyguard, and you were too tempting, Ronava. You were like a dark chocolate cake, and I couldn't restrain myself. On the other hand, at first, I didn't regard any of you as living beings in the true sense."
Do you even find that excuse convincing yourself?
But what had happened could no longer be changed, and Ronava was enjoying their relationship too. In the end, she asked the question she cared about most. "How much did your Wish Power increase?"
"It didn't increase at all. When he killed Lawrence, he wasn't thinking about anything. He didn't have any particularly strong emotions; he was perfectly calm instead."
Ronava said nothing for a long time.
"Humans really are strange creatures," she said. "So, did your scheme fail?"
"I never expected him alone to supply me with Wish Power in the first place."
Ye Xuan smiled.
"Mondstadt's city defenses have completely fallen apart. Tomorrow, the Lawrence Clan and the Fatui will pressure the Knights of Favonius and try to seize control of the city defenses from them."
"When that happens, Mondstadt will be divided into opposing camps. No matter which side wins in the end, it'll bring me a great deal of Wish Power."
Swan dragged Lawrence's corpse toward Cider Lake.
Blood seeped from the hole in Lawrence's chest, leaving a dark streak across the stone bridge. Every so often, Swan scuffed it with the sole of his shoe, kicking dirt over the marks he couldn't wipe away.
When he reached the spot where Lawrence had obtained his Vision that day, he set the corpse down and crouched beside it, panting for a while.
The lake was so black he couldn't see the bottom. In the distance, torches still flickered atop the city walls.
Swan stood, grabbed Lawrence by the shoulder armor, and rolled him down the embankment.
The corpse struck the stone edge, tumbled twice, and fell into the water with a splash. The spray rose and fell back, sending ripples across the lake that soon subsided.
Swan crouched on the embankment and stared at the water for a long time. Only after making sure nothing floated to the surface did he get up and head back.
His hands were stained with blood. He grabbed a handful of wet mud and rubbed them with it, then wiped them on his trousers.
He suddenly felt moisture on his face. It was raining. Was heaven helping him too?
When he reached the Knights of Favonius headquarters, the light in Kaeya's office was still on.
Swan stood in the hallway for a while and looked down at his armor. He deliberately left the scrapes and bloodstains unwiped before raising his hand to knock.
Kaeya was still holding a scroll when he opened the door. His brow furrowed when he saw Swan's condition.
"Swan, what are you doing here?"
Swan lowered his head, his voice a little hoarse:
"We were ambushed by the Abyss Order on patrol. Bruce was assassinated first. By the time Lawrence and I found him, he was already dead. Then a Hydro Abyss Herald came charging out, and Lawrence and I fought it together..."
He paused, as if he couldn't go on.
"We had already won. My cryo alchemical potion froze it, but then a Pyro Abyss Mage appeared and rescued the Herald."
"Things weren't looking good, so Lawrence told me to run first. I hadn't gotten far when I looked back and saw the Herald knock Lawrence off the bridge and into Cider Lake."
Kaeya leaned against the doorframe with his arms folded as he listened. He didn't speak immediately.
Swan stood there with his shoulders tense. The scratches on his armor were clear in the light. They were fresh.
"Those injuries on you-did you fight the Herald?"
"Yes. He chased me for a while. I only got away after holding him off with an alchemical potion."
Kaeya grunted, set the scroll on the desk, and picked up his coat and put it on. "Come with me."
"Where to?"
"Lisa's. She needs to hear about this tonight. It can't wait until tomorrow's regular meeting."
Swan followed him, his steps a little stiff. "Captain Kaeya, shouldn't we notify Lawrence's family first?"
Kaeya didn't look back. "Don't worry about his family for now. Once you've finished reporting to me tonight, go back and tend to your wounds. Patrol as usual tomorrow, and don't go talking to people."
Swan murmured his assent and said nothing more.
Lisa lived not far from headquarters.
Kaeya knocked hard. After the light came on inside, Lisa opened the door with a coat over her shoulders, her hair still loose.
"Jean isn't here, so this had better be important. It's very rude to disturb a lady's sleep."
She glanced at Swan standing behind Kaeya, her gaze lingering for a moment on his bloodstained armor.
Kaeya briefly repeated Swan's report.
After listening, Lisa remained leaning against the doorframe, her gaze fixed on Swan's face.
"How long was it between Lawrence's body falling into the lake and you finding Kaeya?"
Swan said, "About fifteen minutes."
Lisa said, "So you didn't see Lawrence die with your own eyes."
Swan paused. "I saw him get knocked off. The Herald's hand went through his chest. There's no way he survived."
Lisa and Kaeya exchanged a glance.
"All right," Lisa said. "Thank you for your efforts tonight. Go back and tend to your wounds. First thing tomorrow morning, have the lake search team go around Cider Lake and see if they can find the body or any fragments of armor. Keep the news quiet for now. Tell the Lawrence family we're conducting a search and rescue; don't make any definite statements."
Swan nodded, turned, and left.
His footsteps receded down the hallway.
Kaeya pulled the door shut and lowered his voice. "What do you think?"
Lisa walked over to the table and poured a glass of water. She held it without drinking. "Bruce was assassinated, but he was fine. Lawrence had a Vision, and he fell into the lake. He's an ordinary knight without a Vision, yet he fought a Hydro Abyss Herald and came back with only a few scratches."
"He even came to make his report without wiping the blood off properly."
"Right. He wanted us to see that he'd 'fought.' The first thing someone who had really escaped from a Herald would do is bandage their wounds, not knock on their superior's door wearing bloodstained armor."
Lisa set the water down. "But everything he said is positioned where it can't be disproved. The body's in the lake, Bruce is dead, and the Abyss Herald escaped. It's also raining outside, so even if there were any traces, I expect they've disappeared."
Kaeya said, "So we keep an eye on him for now."
"Keep an eye on him. Don't let him go anywhere else tonight. If he dared kill Lawrence, someone must be backing him. Don't let them get their stories straight."
"I'll go now."
Lisa glanced at him. "You're going yourself?"
"We're short on people we can use in the city. It's safest if I'm the one who secretly watches where he goes."
When Kaeya went downstairs, Swan hadn't gone far. Before turning the corner, he glanced back toward headquarters.
Kaeya followed close to the base of the wall, half a street behind him, and saw that Swan wasn't heading home.
But after only a few steps, Swan suddenly stopped and crouched by the roadside for a while. Then he changed direction and headed toward his residence, apparently going home.
Kaeya watched from the shadows for a long time, until he was sure Swan had left.
He then checked the spot where Swan had crouched, but found nothing.