"Fengyi, I'm fine now. Let's leave quickly, okay?"
Eula whispered urgently in Fengyi's ear.
"But the nun asked us to wait a moment..."
Fengyi suddenly felt a warm breath by his ear, and his body couldn't help but shiver.
Eula's slightly coquettish tone, who could resist that?!
"But if we don't leave, we'll miss our chance..."
Eula was anxious. She had never felt this anxious before.
Even when facing the siege of many monsters, her heart remained as still as water.
"Miss our chance for what?"
Fengyi hadn't clearly heard Eula's whisper, so he quickly asked.
"Uh... I mean, my body is fine now, and there's no need to trouble the priest. Let's save this precious healing opportunity for those who truly need it!"
Eula's body instantly tensed. She hadn't expected Fengyi to hear her whisper, but fortunately, she reacted quickly and managed to cover it up.
"Eula, is your body really okay? Are you sure you don't need the priest to check on you again?"
Fengyi asked with concern upon hearing this.
"Of course, I know my own body. I've completely recovered!"
Eula secretly breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Fengyi, that stubborn mule, was finally giving in.
"Alright then, out of courtesy, before we leave, we should thank the nun over there and ask her to relay our gratitude to the previous nun!"
Fengyi gently placed Eula down from his back and pointed to the nun beside them.
"Leave it to me!"
Eula quickly ran to the nun, exchanged a few words, and then immediately ran back, pulling Fengyi along to leave. The whole process took less than a minute, as if she were fleeing from a monster.
"Bishop Simone, Captain Eula and that gentleman are over there..."
At this moment, Sister Victoria, leading the elegant and amiable Bishop Simone, descended the stairs and happened to witness this scene.
"Captain Eula, please wait. The nun mentioned you seemed unwell?"
Bishop Simone squinted and smiled faintly.
Bishop Simone's figure flickered. One moment he was on the stairs, and the next, he had teleported beside Eula and Fengyi.
"Bishop Simone, greetings. Eula Lawrence, Captain of the Reconnaissance Team, known as the 'Spindrift Knight', extends her sincere regards. It was just a minor cold, and I have recovered. I am quite surprised that it has alarmed you, my lord Bishop..."
Eula sighed inwardly. As expected, she was a moment too late.
Since Bishop Simone had appeared, it would be a breach of aristocratic and knightly etiquette to leave without greeting him.
Eula released Fengyi's hand and offered Bishop Simone a knightly salute.
"I see. It's good that Captain Eula is alright. You are a pillar of our Knights of Favonius, and with your reconnaissance team, Mondstadt can enjoy peace and prosperity..."
As the pinnacle of the clergy, Bishop Simone's ability to flatter was unparalleled. With just a few empty pleasantries and praises, he managed to make Eula beam with happiness.
"You flatter me, Bishop Simone. As a member of the Knights of Favonius, protecting the safety of Mondstadt is our sacred duty..."
Eula stood at attention and saluted, vowing to protect Mondstadt with her life.
Fengyi, observing from the sidelines, felt that Eula was truly naive, so easily swayed and imbued with a sense of mission to protect Mondstadt.
This was likely due to Eula growing up in Mondstadt and being constantly influenced by this kind of cultural indoctrination.
Fengyi respected this passionate patriotism.
"Indeed, praise the Anemo Archon. Mondstadt enjoys peace thanks to your protection..."
Bishop Simone, after mentally confirming Eula's physical well-being, ended the conversation and turned his gaze to Fengyi.
"Sir, it is a pleasure to meet you. I am Simone Petch, Bishop of the Church of Favonius. You are likely not from Mondstadt, are you?"
Simone looked at the young man before him, a hint of sharpness flashing in his eyes. The latter was his true target for this visit.
While Eula was an elite pillar of the Knights, she did not possess enough status to warrant his personal attention.
(Perhaps only Grand Master Varka or Jean would be qualified for his personal healing.)
Eula was merely an excuse for his appearance. Simone was very interested in this young man who seemed to get along so well with his daughter shortly after arriving in Mondstadt.
Simone had finally found an opportunity to communicate with him face-to-face, and he wouldn't let it slip.
"Bishop Simone, I've heard much about you. My name is Fengyi. I am a traveler who aspires to traverse the continent of Teyvat. I have just arrived in Mondstadt from Liyue, and I hope to gain unforgettable memories in Mondstadt, a nation that represents freedom..."
Fengyi introduced himself with a smile.
Based on Fengyi's understanding, anyone with narrow eyes was not to be trifled with.
Bishop Simone, unlike the straightforward Grand Master Varka, was too cunning, making him one of the individuals Fengyi least wanted to provoke.
Before coming to Mondstadt, he had deliberately tried to avoid Jean's connections precisely to evade Bishop Simone's scrutiny.
Unfortunately, he had failed...
"Fengyi, Mondstadt's freedom will surely not disappoint you. However, out of courtesy, I would like to kindly remind you that since you are in Mondstadt, I hope you will abide by its rules and regulations, lest you cause unpleasantness and affect your travel mood..."
As a high-ranking official of Mondstadt, Simone naturally had his own intelligence network and was not unaware of Fengyi's actions during his time in Liyue.
Although Fengyi appeared to be sightseeing and experiencing Liyue's customs, he seemed to be subtly maneuvering.
Simone worried that the latter might drag Mondstadt into his schemes and thus issued a preemptive warning.
"Of course. I firmly believe that laws are the guarantor of freedom. The freedom Mondstadt now enjoys was hard-won. Although I am an outsider, I am willing to protect this city-state that represents free will!"
Conversations between intelligent individuals often occurred with just a glance.
After exchanging a look with Simone, Fengyi understood the latter's intentions.
He also conveyed his stance: he would not disrupt Mondstadt's "freedom," and would even protect it when crucial!
What surprised Fengyi was that Bishop Simone seemed to have sensed something about his plans.
During his time in Liyue, while he appeared to be loafing, he was secretly laying the groundwork, rallying all available forces, and accumulating strength for his trump cards to counter the Heavenly Principles, gathering power for the "Sword of Damocles."
Initial success had been achieved, and friendly relations had been successfully established with the Liyue Qixing and the Adepti.
However, this had been deeply hidden in his heart!
Simone, that old fox, could indeed smell a hint of it, truly formidable!