Genshin Impact: Watch me turn the tables and kill my servants at the start!

You can question the character of the doctor and Rheindorf, but you cannot question their ethical conduct in conducting experiments.

The doctor's experiment needs at least some demonic remnants, while the Rhinedot experiment needs at least a whole amount of abyssal power.

-

When Fanes returned to the Goethe Hotel, he was still thinking about whether he should go to the beach again the next day to collect some of the unfortunate shellfish that had been crushed to death by that big crab to have as an extra meal.

Before he could even step over the threshold after pushing open the hall door, Rosalyn had already stood up from the sofa. Her icy blue eyes scanned him up and down twice to make sure he wasn't injured, and then she asked in a calm tone that said, "Tell me what happened."

"I heard you got chased up a tree by a crab today?"

Before Fanes could even explain, Yakoda popped out from behind, her starry eyes brimming with exaggerated excitement: "Sister Rosalin! That crab was huge! Taller than that pillar by the door! And then the boss..."

Rosalind listened to the whole thing without interrupting, only raising an eyebrow slightly after hearing the line "Falgar cleaved the crab in two with one sword".

After holding her teacup in silence for a few seconds, Rosalyn put it down, stood up, walked to the coat rack, took the dark-colored cloak, and draped it over her shoulders. Her movements were unhurried but conveyed an undeniable determination.

"Let's go," Rosalind said, heading towards the door. "We'll go to the Knights of Favonius and demand an explanation."

As Fanes jogged behind, he silently lit an incense stick for the diplomatic department of Mondstadt in his mind.

A subtle tension hung in the air in the lobby of the Knights of Favonius headquarters. Falgar stood at one end of the long table, his greatsword slung over his shoulder, but before he could utter a single word, a gaze from the side had already locked onto him with pinpoint accuracy.

Simon sat on a chair on the other side of the long table, holding a cup of tea that had gone cold. His short, light-gold hair exuded a gentle yet undeniable aura. He wore a dark bishop's robe, the cross emblem on his collar reflecting a faint light under the lamp, making him look like a sculpted stone statue that would not easily compromise.

When Simon glanced over, Falgar's mouth was already a third open, then he silently closed it again, took a half step back with his greatsword, and gave the main seat to the bishop.

Falgar clearly understood his position. He hadn't spoken a word to Fanes when they were arguing on the beach. In such a formal diplomatic situation, if he opened his mouth, Mondstadt might lose half the battle immediately; it was better to keep quiet and stand aside as his symbol of force.

Simon set down his teacup, his gaze meeting Rosalind's across from him. Rosalind didn't sit down either; her cloak draped over her shoulders, her posture elegant yet sharp, like a rapier sheathed but ready to be drawn at any moment. They stared at each other for three seconds, and the air seemed to cool by two degrees.

Simon spoke first, his tone gentle but carrying an air of knowing, "I know why you're here." "Madam, the Knights of Favonius are investigating the giant crab-like creature on Eagle's Breeze Beach. But before the investigation is complete, I think it's necessary to clarify one point—Mondstadt officials have never conducted any experiments related to biological mutations."

Rosalind's lips curved slightly, but the smile didn't reach her eyes: "Bishop Simon, anyone can say nice things. But our Fools' Enforcers were attacked by an unknown giant creature within Mondstadt, which has become a security threat. Winter's side needs a reasonable explanation."

Simon put down his teacup, placed his hands folded on the table, his expression still gentle, but his tone carried a hint of confrontation.

"An explanation? Madam, your Second Seat—the Doctor—seems quite interested in these kinds of biological experiments. What if he has some connection to where that crab came from? Hasn't he done enough dirty work already?"

Rosalyn's expression froze for a moment, though she quickly regained her composure. However, Fanes, standing next to her, clearly caught the extremely subtle twitch at the corner of her mouth.

Doctor. Damn it. That man's reputation is so bad throughout the Seven Kingdoms that he can be blamed for anything, and he has indeed done similar things, leaving Rosalind with no solid reason to refute him.

Seeing Rosalind's momentary hesitation, Fanes felt as if a jolt of electricity had struck his brain. He took a step forward, looked up at Simon, and wore the innocent, harmless smile of a six-year-old: "Bishop Simon, how could the Doctor have done this?"

Simon's gaze fell on him, his tone still gentle but carrying a hint of composure as if he'd taken the bait: "Little one, why can't it be him? Who in the Seven Kingdoms doesn't know about his experiments?"

A sense of satisfaction rose within Simon—he had used this tactic of "making the other party defend others" many times. As long as the other party began to present evidence to refute him, they had fallen into the trap of self-justification. The more the other party said, the more faults they could find, and the initiative would be in his hands.

Rosalind frowned slightly. She sensed the trap in Simon's words, but before she could warn him, Fanes had already spoken.

"If it was the Doctor who did it, he would definitely have added half a pound of demonic remnants. I saw that crab with my own eyes; its shell was so clean it looked like it had just taken a bath, not even a wisp of black smoke was coming out, which is completely out of line with the Doctor's aesthetic. The Doctor's stuff always exudes an aura of 'I added something extra,' but that crab didn't, so it definitely wasn't the Doctor who did it."

The hall was silent for a few seconds.

Simon's hand, holding the teacup, froze in mid-air. He looked at the six-year-old boy in front of him, who was tilting his head back, counting on his fingers, and logically refuting his reasoning. His lips moved slightly, but in the end, he only uttered one word: "...six."

A rather unseemly thought churned within Simon: Is this what reputation is? The Doctor's reputation is being used as evidence in this kind of situation? He's done so many shady things that everyone has developed a conditioned reflex to his "style"—if something doesn't have that demonic, scum-like aura, it can't be the Doctor's doing. What's this called? This is a logical flaw stemming from his persona.

Rosalind stood beside him, a mixture of surprise and relief flashing in her icy blue eyes. She glanced down at Fanes, and a genuine smile finally appeared on her lips.

Just as the situation reached a brief stalemate, the side door of the hall was gently pushed open. A brown-haired woman wearing a travel hat and a dark long dress walked in, her steps as unhurried as if she were entering her own living room. Her hat brim was pulled low, but Fanes could still see the eyes hidden behind her glasses—eyes that held a calm smile that said, "I've come to clean up this mess."

Alice walked to the middle of the long table, cleared her throat, and spoke with a calm tone that said, "Let me explain."

"Everyone, there's no need to argue. That giant crab-like creature has nothing to do with the Mondstadt government. It was created by Rhinedot in its early days, and it somehow escaped from some seal. It has absolutely nothing to do with the Knights of Favonius."

Fanes' eyes narrowed. Rhinedoth. The alchemist of Kanria. The creator of Abedo. He spun through his memories of this person, then looked up at Alice, his voice soft but clear.

"How is that possible? Creatures created by Rhinedoth would always be imbued with the power of the abyss. That crab was completely clean, without even a trace of abyssal energy."

Alice's expression froze for a moment. Her eyes, hidden beneath her hat, flickered slightly, and the composed smile on her lips froze for half a second.

When Fanes saw her micro-expression, something clicked in his mind. He took another step forward, tilted his head to look at Alice, and asked tentatively, with a "I think I understand" tone: "That thing... you didn't create it, did you?"

Alice's lips curved slightly into a perfectly natural smile: "How could that be?"

The hall fell silent. Fanes stared into her eyes for three seconds; the pupils of that six-year-old child held a scrutiny that seemed incongruous with her age. He spoke slowly, each word deliberate: "Are you sure?"

Alice's smile didn't disappear, but Fanes noticed that her fingers, which were holding the brim of her hat, tightened slightly. The movement was very small, but it seemed less natural compared to her previous composed demeanor.

Simon put down his teacup, his gaze shifting between Fanes and Alice. Rosalind raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement in her icy blue eyes. Falgar, carrying his greatsword, tilted his head, his face displaying a curious "What's going on here?" expression.

The air in the hall seemed to freeze for about three seconds.

Alice pushed up her hat brim one last time, not directly answering Fanes' question, but only glancing at the twilight of Mondstadt outside the window: "It's getting late, let's talk another day. I'll be going now."

Alice turned and walked towards the door, her steps still unhurried, but a fraction faster than when she came in. Nico followed behind her, as quiet as a shadow pushed by the wind, and the two quickly disappeared into the shadows of the corridor outside the door.

Fanes stood there, watching the door close again, the idea in his mind growing clearer. He had no proof, but he felt his guess was probably right. He glanced at Rosalind, who was also looking down at him, her icy blue eyes seeming to say, "You did a good job."

Simon picked up his teacup again, took a sip, then put it down and looked at Rosalind across from him: "It seems this matter still needs investigation. Perhaps we should set it aside for now and discuss it again after all parties have clarified the situation?"

Rosalind withdrew her gaze and nodded slightly: "Alright. But the Knights of Favonius need to give us a written security guarantee to ensure that similar incidents do not happen again."

Simon nodded; this request was within his acceptable range. Falgar finally spoke up from the back: "A written commitment is no problem; I'll have someone draft it."

Fanes crouched down, patted Xiao Hei's head, and whispered, "Never mind, let's go back to eat."

The young dragon let out a soft cry, stood up, shook off its fine scales, and followed him out the door. Yakoda caught up from behind, her starry eyes gleaming with gossip: "Boss, boss, who is that woman in the hat? Her face changed when you asked her!"

Fanes pushed open the gates of the Knights Order, the evening breeze carrying the festive atmosphere of Mondstadt at dusk. He thought for a moment, then gave a vague answer: "An auntie who's very good at experiments. But I suggest you don't go looking for trouble with her! After all, she even bullies children."