Genshin Impact's Incense Burner Of Liyue.

At dawn, Gu Sanqiu bypassed Good Hunter and made his way to Feng Yan instead.

"Morning, old man. I'm here to help maintain your weapons."

"Not ours, exactly. It's the Knights of Favonius who need maintenance on their gear."

Despite his words, Feng Yan handed over his weapon.

"Rough couple of days, huh?" Gu Sanqiu asked, inspecting it.

"Not especially rough," Feng Yan replied thoughtfully. "But the Knights' weapons are standard issue. Our own gear, as you know, tends to outlast theirs, so by the time we've gone a few rounds and then pulled back to regroup, they're already in need of fresh equipment."

He paused, smirking faintly. "Eventually, they wised up and started using training gear for sparring with us."

Gu Sanqiu blinked in surprise. "Wouldn't that just make training even less effective if their swords keep snapping?"

"Not necessarily. Their cavalry captain came to give a briefing, instructed them to practice survival combat—basically how to keep fighting even if their training weapons break."

Feng Yan maintained his deadpan expression. "So, half the time now, we're helping them practice survival combat. The other half, we're using training weapons ourselves to keep things even."

"Huh. Not a bad approach," Gu Sanqiu mused, conjuring a flame to start heating the weapon. It's smart training for a large army, he thought. They can't rely on just equipment strength; they need real experience.

"Oh, by the way," Feng Yan continued, "the blacksmith Wagner's been looking for you. Might be hoping to learn some of your forging techniques. But I kept your whereabouts to myself."

With that same deadpan delivery, Feng Yan added, "Mostly because I have no clue what you've been up to. Speaking of which, you didn't forget the main objective for this mission, did you?"

"No worries. I've got it covered. I've established contact with the Knights' reconnaissance captain—the alchemist. No solid intel from him yet, though."

"Good," Feng Yan replied, taking his weapon back. "As for us, the Knights still haven't announced the contest events. It's supposedly a security measure, but it's hard to believe this whole thing was thought out by the higher-ups."

He shrugged. "Anyway, judging by the Knights' morale, we shouldn't be facing much danger. You just keep your guard up."

"Will do. Leave the Millelith to me, old man," Gu Sanqiu said with a grin.

"Keep yourself safe out there," Feng Yan advised. "You may be a joker, but you're valuable to Liyue."

"Of course, safety's my top priority." Gu Sanqiu laughed, tucking his hands in his pockets. "And don't hesitate to use the supplies we took from the vault. If you run into trouble, just throw them in their faces."

"Relax. I can handle the small stuff." Feng Yan waved him off.

Gu Sanqiu strolled away, hands still in his pockets. If Feng Yan didn't think weapon maintenance was necessary, he figured the rest of the squad was fine, too. No need to waste time on that.

Still… Wagner was looking for him? He chuckled. He wasn't keen on the idea of people gawking over his techniques like he was some mystical craftsman. Besides, half of what he knew probably wouldn't even be usable by Mondstadt's standards.

---

That evening, the venue was not the usual Goth Grand Hotel.

After all, with "academic symposium" in the name, it would be odd to hold it in a hotel ballroom.

Instead, it was set up in the Knights' headquarters, and after the obligatory but somewhat dry opening remarks, Gu Sanqiu could only find interest in the person speaking.

Grand Master Jean.

Turns out, even in formal settings, a good speaker can be worth listening to if they're particularly easy on the eyes.

The dinner afterward was refreshingly light, unlike the grand feasts served at Goth Grand Hotel. But one person in particular caught his eye: a twin-tailed little nun nibbling at a massive plate of greens, like some kind of herbivore.

"Oh, Gu Sanqiu! It's been a few days. How are you enjoying Mondstadt?" Kaeya approached him, a pleasant smile on his face.

Gu Sanqiu glanced at him, sizing up his intent. Seems like he's already caught wind of what happened outside the city and is here to probe me for answers.

"It's alright. Good Hunter's food is decent, Mondstadt's scenery is nice—suits me fine."

He kept his tone neutral, though he wasn't sure if Albedo had reported their… recent escapades. But best to keep things casual.

"Haha, as long as you're having a good time. Wouldn't want to leave a guest feeling unwelcome," Kaeya replied with that unreadable smile of his. Gu Sanqiu, unbothered, reached for a grilled fish skewer.

"Ah! My fish!"

A small hand reached out just a second too late, watching helplessly as Gu Sanqiu picked up the skewer.

QAQ

…

Wait a second. That voice… could it be…

Gu Sanqiu looked down and saw a little girl with a red hat staring longingly at his fish.

…

"You want it?" he asked.

She beamed. "Really? Thanks, big brother!"

Klee accepted the skewer gratefully, then glanced over at Kaeya, hesitated, and then darted over to get a plate. She tore the fish in half, offering one piece to Gu Sanqiu.

"Here, big brother! Good food is for sharing. That's what everyone says."

"Thank you."

Gu Sanqiu accepted the plate, unable to turn down such an earnest gesture, even though he suspected this little girl was older than she looked.

"Here, I'll give you something too."

He took out a lollipop.

Item: Thousand-Mile Lollipop

Source: Wan Shan Confectionery Company

Note: Supposedly takes so long to finish, it's like traveling across a thousand miles. Seriously, who came up with that slogan?

Apparently, it was packed with nutrients that were slowly absorbed, making it last far longer than regular candy. But with Klee's energy, she'd probably get through it in no time.

╰(°▽°)╯

"Wow! Candy! Thank you, big brother!"

Her eyes sparkled as she reached for it, but Kaeya cleared his throat beside them.

"Ahem. Klee, it's dinner time. No candy just yet."

"Oh…" Klee pouted, reluctantly tucking the lollipop into her backpack.

"Alright… Klee understands…"

Gu Sanqiu couldn't help but glance at the small red backpack. Putting a sweet-smelling lollipop in there—hopefully, it doesn't end up tasting like gunpowder.

"Even though I can't eat it now, I'm still really grateful. Big brother, you're a good person."

Gu Sanqiu chuckled, reaching out to pat her hat.

Getting a "good person" card from Mondstadt's cutest little pyro certainly had a way of lifting one's spirits.

Mondstadt's Adorable Little Klee.

"She's a charming kid. But are you sure you want her involved in what's coming up?"

"So, you're aware of what's going down tonight?"

"Of course. A few Vision bearers are conspicuously absent, which could be brushed off as the voluntary nature of the exchange." Gu Sanqiu glanced at Kaeya. "But to hold the meeting here at headquarters? Officially, it's because a hotel ballroom isn't suitable for such a formal gathering. But it's also clearly a matter of privacy."

They locked eyes, and after a beat, clinked their glasses of juice, smiling.

"Great minds think alike."

---

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