bookbashuk Chapter 1300 Diluc's Surveillance
Chapter 1300 Diluc's Surveillance
Meanwhile, at Nata, the Dawn Winery in Diluc.
On the mountaintop in the darkness of night, stood a tall and imposing figure—Diluc.
Since rebuilding Château de la Dawn in Nata, Diluc's life has been filled with two things.
First, he was busy with the preliminary preparations for the winery, from grape planting to cellar construction, handling all the big and small matters; second, he spent some time each day standing on the mountaintop, using binoculars to monitor the movements of Shao Yun's family.
At this moment, he was wearing his signature black overcoat, holding a specially made monocular telescope, looking down at the Shao Yun family's ranch at the foot of the distant mountain.
The lights in the ranch were now out, indicating that the people inside were preparing to rest.
During the day, Diluc witnessed Shao Yun's battle with the Evil Knights and had Head Maid Adeline record it all.
Diluc watched as the last light in the ranch went out before slowly putting down his monocular telescope.
Then, he raised his head and looked at the huge hole that pierced the sky. Even at night, the hole still emitted a faint light, dyeing the surrounding clouds a light purple, making it particularly eye-catching.
It is worth noting that compared to its appearance at the end of the daytime battle, the large hole in the sky has shrunk significantly, and the energy fluctuations at its edges have become much smoother.
Judging from the Sky's self-healing ability... it should be able to repair itself completely in a few days and won't have too much of an impact on Teyvat.
"Looks like Shao Yun still manages to become the center of attention so easily." Diluc turned his gaze away from the sky and muttered to himself with a complicated expression.
"He can stir up trouble wherever he goes, and this time he's really ripped the sky apart. He's a force to be reckoned with."
At this moment, Head Maid Adeline climbed up with great difficulty.
After climbing up, she subconsciously straightened her maid dress to make sure the hem was wrinkle-free, then took out an intelligence report from her pocket.
“Lord Diluc,” Adeline approached Diluc, bowed slightly, and presented the letter with both hands, speaking respectfully.
"The intelligence gathered today regarding Mr. Shao Yun has been compiled. Please take a look."
Diluc took the intelligence report, quickly scanned it to confirm that the information was clearly categorized and the key points were well-defined. Then, he nodded in satisfaction and said calmly:
"Hmm, not bad, the details are very well recorded. As usual, send it to the Northern Continent intelligence network to ensure that the intelligence is delivered safely and in a timely manner."
With that, he handed the intelligence back to Adeline.
Adeline took the intelligence with both hands and carefully put it into her handbag.
But she didn't turn away immediately. Instead, a worried look appeared on her face. After hesitating for a moment, she finally mustered up the courage to greet him:
"Lord Diluc, I have two things to say, but I'm not sure if I should..."
Seeing her serious expression, which didn't seem like a trivial matter, Diluc said calmly, "Speak freely, there's no need to worry."
Adeline's gaze unconsciously drifted towards the direction of Shao Yun's ranch in the distance, where it was now completely shrouded in darkness, with only the faint light from the hole in the sky vaguely illuminating its outline.
She lowered her voice slightly and said nervously, "The first thing is about our surveillance of Mr. Shao Yun."
“These days, we’ve been recording his whereabouts every day, even down to the details of his family’s interactions with outsiders…”
"What if one day he realizes something is wrong and finds out we're secretly monitoring him? With his power, wouldn't he pose a threat to the winery and to you?"
As she spoke, her fingers unconsciously clenched. Facing an unfathomable opponent like Shao Yun, she simply couldn't relax.
Hearing Adeline's concerns, Diluc said with great certainty, "I have thought about this problem before. I have considered many possibilities these days, but the final conclusion is..."
"As long as we don't do anything stupid or leak information, Shao Yun will never guess that we are monitoring him."
He paused, then explained further: "First, we are meticulous in our work; our surveillance uses specially designed telescopes that are not easily detected."
"Secondly, we occupy this advantageous terrain. We know everything about Shao Yun's ranch, including the cattle grazing area."
“We usually go about our daily activities in Nata and occasionally run into people from the ranch. This natural way of getting along is more effective in dispelling suspicion than deliberately avoiding them; deliberately avoiding them would make us seem like we have something to hide.”
At this point, Diluc brought up another decisive factor.
"More importantly, our objective is very clear: to monitor Shao Yun's movements and provide accurate information to the Northern Continent intelligence network, not to kidnap the Honor Knight 'Luminous,' Paimon, and his daughter!"
“We have no direct conflict with him, and he has no reason to suspect us without cause.”
Finally, to completely dispel Adeline's doubts, Diluc said with great certainty:
"If you don't tell me and I don't tell me, no one in the winery will know about our mission. How could Shao Yun possibly discover our little scheme?"
"As long as we maintain our current state, without overstepping boundaries or making mistakes, there will be no problem."
Diluc's clear and logical analysis was like a reassuring pill, gradually putting Adeline's mind at ease.
She nodded gently, the worry on her face lessening considerably, and her tone becoming more relaxed.
"Sir, your analysis makes sense. I was just worrying too much."
Seeing that Adeline was somewhat reassured, Diluc stopped dwelling on the topic and changed the subject, asking, "Alright, the first problem is solved. What's the second thing you mentioned?"
Upon hearing this, Adeline immediately took out another letter from her handbag.
The letter looked a bit crumpled, clearly indicating that it had traveled some distance to be delivered.
She handed the letter to Diluc and explained, "It was Young Master Kaia who delivered the letter. Mr. Kinich brought it this evening."
She paused, then added, "The letter said that Commander Qin has officially entrusted the Dawn Winery in Mondstadt to Kaiya for safekeeping."
“Young Master Kaya, I hope you enjoy your trip. If you get tired, you are welcome to return to Mondstadt at any time.”
Upon hearing that the letter was from Kaeya and that he had been given a way out, Diluc shook his head and said with great arrogance:
"Relax? Does he think I'd go back? Mondstadt is no longer a place I need to linger in."
In Diluc's view, leaving Mondstadt was a well-thought-out decision, and now rebuilding the winery and establishing an intelligence network in Natta is the life he wants.
Seeing Diluc's resolute attitude, Adeline hesitated for a moment before cautiously asking, "So, Lord Diluc, does this letter... require a reply? If so, how should we reply to Young Master Kaeya?"
Diluc nodded without hesitation. A reply was inevitable, but the content had to clearly state his thoughts.
He looked up at Adeline and said in a cold tone, "Write him a letter and tell him that I have settled down in Nata and will focus on the Dawn Winery here from now on."
"As for the winery in Mondstadt, whether he wants to manage it or sell it is none of my business, and he doesn't need to report to me anymore."
These words completely severed ties with Mondstadt, leaving no room for negotiation.
Upon hearing this, Adeline's heart sank. Such a reply had undoubtedly sealed her fate. Returning to Mondstadt wouldn't be difficult, but it would certainly be incredibly humiliating...
She opened her mouth, wanting to persuade Diluc to soften his tone a bit, since Kaeya was practically his only family, and there was no need to make their relationship so tense.
But when her gaze met Diluc's icy eyes, she swallowed back the words that were on the tip of her tongue.
She dared not utter another word, and could only nod helplessly, replying in a low voice, "Yes, I understand, sir. I will write a reply as soon as possible and send it to Mondstadt, as you wish."
After dealing with the intelligence and replying to the letter, Diluc remembered the tax issue he had discussed with Chasca a few days ago.
The standard for determining the tax amount is actually combat power? This really opened Diluc's eyes, but it also made sense, since according to Nefertari's information, Nata is indeed a place where strength is respected.
"Next, I'm going to have a debate with that girl named Chaska about determining tax rates."
……
The morning after the death of the Evil Knight, the sky over Nata was exceptionally clear.
Looking up at the sky, the terrifying hole in the sky that was so menacing yesterday has now disappeared.
Golden sunlight shone through the clouds onto the earth, making the earth-shattering battle of the previous day seem like an unreal dream.
It was as if the gaping hole that tore through the sky, the violent collision of energy, and the deafening sound had never existed.
Inside Shao Yun's ranch, there was a scene of tranquility and peace.
The family's life was not disrupted by yesterday's battle; they continued to live their lives as usual.
After breakfast, everyone prepared to get on with their own business as planned.
Shao Yun led the light pink Andalusian horse "Radish" to the entrance of the ranch, where Yuan Shang was helping to drive the cattle and sheep out of the pen.
Shao Yun mounted his horse, sat on its back, and looked back at Ying, Silky, and Paimon standing at the door. He couldn't help but remind them again:
"Ying, you'll be learning swordsmanship with Teacher Silky today. Remember not to rush, just take it one step at a time. Don't overexert yourself, and if you feel uncomfortable, stop and rest immediately."
He paused, then turned to Skykirk and entrusted her, "Skykirk, you're a professional, so please keep an eye on Ying during training."
“She’s sometimes too serious and tends to be hard on herself. And Paimon, keep an eye on them too. If Ying is feeling unwell, remember to remind them.”
Listening to Shao Yun's repeated admonitions, Ying couldn't help but wave her hand, saying with a mix of helplessness and amusement:
"Okay, okay! You've said it at least ten times since breakfast, we've all remembered it, nothing will happen, so you can go herd the sheep without worry!"