"Uh…"
The knights exchanged uneasy looks.
They did not say it aloud, but their stunned reactions just now made their assumptions obvious. It was clear they already suspected Kaeya.
"This is a terrible injustice."
Kaeya rubbed his temple and spoke in a lazy tone. "Come on. I would love to take credit, but this has nothing to do with me. I only passed by and secured the scene."
"But…"
One knight muttered under his breath, "Besides Captain Kaeya, who else could pull off something like this?"
Kaeya's mouth twitched. He could read their thoughts in their eyes, the unspoken assumption that Kaeya was the Knights' exemplar for handling high-stakes fights with ease.
"If you do not want me to march to Jean and file a complaint, you will swallow that suspicion right now."
He narrowed his eyes and the threat was plain. The knights straightened and quickly withdrew their doubtful glances. No one wanted Kaeya as an enemy.
"All right. In any case, nobody must find out about this."
Kaeya's smile faded and his tone went serious. He scanned the ruined street, then gave orders in a low voice. "Fatui elites have died inside Mondstadt. Do not let ordinary citizens see this, or it will cause panic. The Fatui will notice their missing elites and start investigating. Seal this area now."
The knights nodded and began cordoning off the street, deploying positions to keep civilians away.
Kaeya watched them for a moment, satisfied, then prepared to leave. "I will go speak with Jean and tell her what I found."
His indigo hair caught the night breeze and his collar fur fluttered. He glanced back at the on-duty knights and a half-smile tugged at his lips. "If I come back and you are still accusing me, be ready for extra drills."
The knights snapped to attention and replied, "Understood."
Kaeya turned and hurried toward the Knights' headquarters. The night wind played at his cloak and the white fur at his collar shimmered in the lamplight.
Soon he arrived at the Favonius Headquarters. Even at this hour the building was lit, a small comfort that Mondstadt's order still functioned.
"Captain Kaeya."
A guard at the door straightened and offered a salute. "Is Jean still in her office?"
"She has not left. Her light is on."
The guard hurried on, adding, "Captain Kaeya, please persuade Jean to rest a little. She has been working herself terribly hard."
The guard's plea would have little effect from them, but Kaeya's word carried weight as her trusted deputy.
"I will," Kaeya answered, and sighed inwardly. He did not expect Jean to listen very closely, but he would try.
He walked the corridor, boots clicking in a steady rhythm until he reached the office where the light remained on. Jean was still at her desk, buried in papers just as she usually was.
Kaeya knocked once.
"Please come in."
Jean's voice was steady. Kaeya opened the door and entered. She looked up, surprised to see him, and set down her pen.
"Kaeya? At this hour, why are you here?"
"Acting commander."
Kaeya shook his head. "I did not come only to tell you to rest, though I should say it. Acting commander, you must not overwork yourself. It is not healthy."
Jean gave a helpless shake of her head. "You did not come only for that, did you?"
Kaeya stopped smiling and his expression sharpened. "Fatui elites were annihilated inside the city."
Jean's face went pale and then hard. Her brow tightened. "What did you say?"
Kaeya stepped closer and relayed what he had seen. "Yes. Several Fatui elites were wiped out on a quiet street in the east district. I happened to be patrolling and sensed a powerful elemental disturbance. By the time I arrived, the Fatui were already dead. Their deaths were brutal."
Jean was silent for a moment, the color draining from her face.
The Fatui operated in Mondstadt but rarely caused open conflict within the city. For their elite members to be slaughtered was not a minor incident.
"Show me."
She rose without hesitation, pulling on her coat as she moved. Kaeya followed and the two walked in low voices.
"What exactly happened?"
Jean asked while they walked, urgency woven through her words.
"Five corpses," Kaeya answered. "All Fatui elites. From the wounds, their opponent was more than strong enough to give them no chance to fight back."
"And there were traces of Delusion black flame at the scene," he added.
Jean's step halted for a moment, eyes widening. "They used Delusions?"
"Yes."
Kaeya nodded. "Yet even after using Delusions, they were still wiped out."
Jean said nothing, but the lines on her face deepened.
She knew the fighting ability of the Fatui elite. Their brazenness in Mondstadt showed they were far stronger than ordinary soldiers. For them to be annihilated despite Delusion support implied that their enemy's strength was beyond the usual Fatui remit.
"Is this internal Fatui conflict, or an outside strike?" Jean wondered, her voice low and tense.
Kaeya shrugged. "That is the mystery. From what I felt, it does not look like ordinary infighting. The use of Delusions suggests their opponent might be an external force. The problem is simple and troubling. Where in the city could there be an enemy this powerful?"
Jean's expression grew even more serious. She looked toward the direction Kaeya had indicated, thinking rapidly through possibilities.
The two stood in quiet focus for a moment, the weight of their next decisions settling between them.