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Attention, all active Knights of Favonius!
This declaration is to inform you that under the provisions outlined in The Knights of Favonius Code of Conduct, Article 16, we the captains are contesting Sir Varka Müller's claim to the title and role of Grandmaster. Captain Jean Gunnhildr remains our nomination for Grandmaster, given her experience and expertise in the role. As outlined in Article 16, any Knight who wishes to contest this decision on their own behalf may request a duel to be arranged. Only Sir Varka will be permitted to contest on his own behalf.
Thank you for your understanding.
Grandmaster Jean Gunnhildr and the Cabinet of Captains.
Jean sends out the letter the day after her first Pulse meeting. By Friday of that week, she's gotten no less than 6 duel requests and a lot of people asking if Varka died. She has to keep explaining that while the expedition is a valid reason to be away from his station, he is also the Grandmaster, and they can't afford a chain of custody incident if the worst happens.
Funnily enough, Kaeya ends up being right about how much she's been doing. Her workload barely changes, and what does is small enough that she hardly notices. Kaeya, in all his wit and whimsy, teases her incessantly. She teases back, happily engaging in familiar banter.
Diluc starts feeding her information. He drops by with coffee for Kaeya and news for her– little things that slipped into the Knights’ blind spots. Venti also starts to teach her how to use her powers to listen to the wind. It's a bit overwhelming at first, but Ningguang and Neuvillette step in to teach her how to be selective with it. She ends up teaching the same things to Venti, helping to quiet his mind.
It's good. She expected more things to go wrong, but it's actually pretty quiet. Oh, the Knights are busy as ever, and she's also juggling her identity as a dragon on top of that, but it's good. She wins her duels, keeps her reputation intact, and takes strides towards commanding the Knights for the sake of Teyvat. She stays calm even as things continue to change, and even starts planning with Albedo to figure out that project he's working on. Apparently the dragon of Dragonspine is a lot less dead than anyone realizes.
Then, 2 weeks after she declares herself Grandmaster, she gets a letter from Alice.
In traditional Alice fashion, the letter appears on her desk with no warning and even less fanfare. One second, there's empty space, and the next, a thick, bright pink envelope with “To our dear Grandmaster” written on the front in gold ink. Jean holds it in her hands, feeling the envelope to ensure it isn't stuffed with glitter, then pops the seal with the tip of her nail. Out tumbles a letter in Alice's handwriting, and another envelope, this one stark white.
She decides to focus on the letter first. Whatever Alice wants, it's clearly important enough to forgo her usual pranks.
Dear Jeanie,
How time flies! It felt like just yesterday that you were knighted, and now look at you! All grown up and Grandmaster of Mondstadt! It brings a tear to my eye.
Congratulations, my dear. It's well earned. Goodness knows after all the work you've put in corralling those knights of yours, you deserve it.
Now, onto more pressing issues. Seeing as you are now Grandmaster of Mondstadt, you have the capability to recall Varka's expedition whenever you so please. However, before you give the order, I must confess that there is more here than meets the eye. Enclosed is a letter from the man himself explaining everything.
For the good of Teyvat, Lady Gunnhildr, do the right thing.
Cheerfully yours,
Alice
Jean feels her eyebrows shoot up. “For the good of Teyvat”? The Hexenzirkel knows more than they're letting on, or at least Alice does. Which does make sense, Alice has her hands in everything, it seems. She flips over the other envelope, taking in Varka's blocky script.
Burn this after you read it.
“Well, that's ominous.” Jean mutters to herself.
Varka is rarely the type to start a letter with a command, much less address one in such a way. Jean wonders for a moment what she's getting herself into, but those words keep burning in her mind. “For the good of Teyvat”. Not Mondstadt, not the Knights, not the Hexenzirkel. Teyvat itself.
She pops open the letter. If nothing else, she can share her findings with the Pulse.
My dear Jean,
If you're reading this, then I've officially been displaced as Grandmaster. Congratulations on your promotion!
As Grandmaster, you should be aware that this expedition was personally requested and organized by Alice of the Hexenzirkel and Lord Barbatos himself. Now, I know that sounds pretty serious, and that's because it is.
Here's a truth you need to know, Jeanie. The sky isn't real. The sun and moon you see up there every day? Total cover up. Now, I'm not clued in as to what that cover up is about, but I know about it. And I also know that the real moon is in trouble.
That's what this expedition is about. We need to rescue and shelter the moon goddess from people that seek to harm her or use her power for ill-gotten gains, either by smuggling her to Mondstadt or running interference until she's steady enough to do it herself. Alice has finally come through on getting her out of the place she was in, but we still have to figure out what the next step is (and actually meet her). We're probably gonna be here a while longer.
Sorry that I couldn't tell you this in person, but it was imperative that only the inner circle be aware of the true purpose of this expedition. You can go ahead and tell Kaeya all about this– by the time I finally send this letter, you'll probably have already restructured his position– but it is imperative that this stays quiet. One wrong move risks our position, and possibly even the entire expedition.
I'm trusting you, Jeanie bean. Don't prove me wrong.
–Varka
P.S. tell my kids I miss them
Jean stares at the papers like she can get Varka to explain himself if she glares hard enough. The sky is fake. The sky is fake and the moon is in danger. And that's why a quarter of the Knights are halfway around the world. And somehow Venti didn't think to mention this to anyone?
“Kings of not giving me details, those two.” Jean grumbles. “KAEYA!”
She uses Anemo to push her voice down into the archive, not even needing to get up and track him down. A few minutes later, he pokes his head in, looking startled.
“You called?” He gasps, clearly breathless.
“Oh, sorry, you didn't need to run. Look at this.” She hands him the letter, watching his frown grow.
“The sky… is fake.” Kaeya groans. “Ok, he just knows that. Because of course he does. This man is the champion of sticking his nose where it doesn't belong.”
“You're telling me?” Jean chuckles wryly. “Does the Pulse–”
“Yep. But the moon info is new. That'll be useful.” Kaeya grumbles. “God, now I feel bad for doubting him.”
“I don't. It's Varka, Kaeya. I barely know what's going on in his head half the time.”
“You and everyone else in Mondstadt.”
“You think he can manage it? I mean, a goddess is no easy thing to take on, and he's only human. …Pretty sure he's human.”
“If he's not, I haven't been able to pick up on it.” Kaeya admits. “We trust him. Let him handle the expedition. We need to focus on our stuff.”
“Yeah.” Jean nods. “Have you noticed the thunderstorms lately?”
“That struck me as weird, too. Lumine is going to Inazuma tomorrow to talk to this strategist friend of hers. Maybe we'll get lucky and she'll find the Electro Sovereign while she's out there.”
“Maybe…”
Jean leans back in her chair, watching the sky darken outside her window. Her stomach churns with the weight of worry, and she throws herself back into her work, trying to convince herself that she believes in tomorrow. This is a whole new world she's found herself in, and now, she's part of the team keeping it from falling apart.