Chapter 205: An Unavoidable Breach of Promise

Not to mention Nadixa.

Even Luo De, upon hearing that all these conditions from Snezhnaya were free handouts, found himself unable to refuse.

The lady said this resolution was personally issued by the Ice Empress.

It's purely a matter of form!

Luo De looked over the cooperation agreement sent by the lady.

The wording was clear and straightforward; no matter how he scrutinized it, he found no sign of any wordplay.

It could be said that it truly cut off every possible risk.

Especially the last clause.

The Ice Empress guarantees that after the agreement is reached, no Executive Officer will act on their own to come to Xu Mi for action; any Executive Officer with a mission preparing to enter Xu Mi must first notify Nadixa and obtain permission before entering Xu Mi's territory.

In other words.

The lady's visit this time is not at all to interfere in Xu Mi's internal affairs; rather, she comes as an envoy of the Ice Empress to convey the divine goodwill.

Then why did she previously act and speak that way?

Just thinking about it makes Luo De grit his teeth.

At the same time, he doesn't understand the Ice Empress's approach.

Why is that?

This is completely contrary to Snezhnaya's usual conduct in other countries.

Thinking this, Luo De asked.

"Do you have connections with the Ice Empress?"

"I've never met her."

"Is it that the Great Merciful Tree King has connections with her?"

"I don't know, but they were active in different eras, so theoretically this possibility doesn't exist."

"Why is that?"

"I don't know either."

Luo De and Nadixa stared at each other, both seeing a baffled expression on the other's face.

They remained silent for a moment.

Luo De suddenly thought of another problem, slapped his forehead, and said, "This is troublesome—I've already promised the people of Mondstadt."

The problem now before him is.

It's not why Snezhnaya is acting out of character, freely giving so much to Xu Mi.

But rather how Luo De should explain to Diluc and Kaeya that he cannot oppose the lady, who comes as an envoy bearing the divine goodwill.

Just thinking about how he had previously insisted in Xu Mi Cheng that the lady must personally admit to attacking the Anemo Archon, Luo De wishes he could burrow into the World Tree and erase the matter.

Too bad.

No ifs.

Even if Luo De could re-enter the World Tree, he couldn't use the Dendro Archon's authority there, and Nadixa would certainly not allow him to arbitrarily alter the established records on the World Tree.

Then, when the lady, representing Snezhnaya, releases such goodwill, no matter how Luo De previously guarded against her or plotted against her, it is now absolutely impossible to push her into opposition with Mondstadt.

Otherwise,

That would mean he's acting like a jerk, with no way to answer to anyone.

"Unreasonable!"

Luo De thought more and his head ached: "Isn't Snezhnaya always invading other countries by any means? How did it suddenly become a big benefactor? There must be a catch."

That's what he said.

But if he can't find that catch, it means his image of Snezhnaya has deviated considerably.

At the very least,

That the Snezhnayan Fatui are some unspeakable organization made up of war maniacs and lunatics is an inaccurate portrayal.

Carrying various doubts and questions, Luo De left the Pure Sanctum Palace with a solemn expression.

He hadn't taken a few steps.

He bumped straight into the lady.

Looking at the lady's appearance, she seemed to have been waiting here for a long time.

Just as before.

She still had that arrogant look, her tone as overbearing as ever: "Envoy of the Dendro Archon, is there anything you want to say to me?"

"."

Luo De twitched the corner of his mouth and then said, "What do you want to say?"

"You know the Empress's decision, so you have nothing to say?"

As she spoke, the lady toyed with two Gnoses in her hand, the corners of her mouth involuntarily turning up.

"Compensation using the Gnosis?"

Luo De, already foggy-headed, couldn't fathom what the lady meant by blocking his path, so he just gave a perfunctory reply.

That answer naturally provoked some ridicule.

"Hehehe."

"Compensation?"

"With that weak god of yours, does she deserve compensation?"

After the mockery, seeing Luo De not angry, the lady lost interest in laughing, raised her chin, and said, "Thank your former god, the Empress said this is a belated gift five hundred years in the making."

Sent to the Great Merciful Tree King?

Luo De quickly realized something: "Does your family's Empress know she has been resurrected?"

"Hmph."

"All gods are short-sighted and ignorant; only those gods who once fought to the death against the Abyss can earn Snezhnaya's respect."

After uttering that strange, mystic-sounding remark, the Lady flicked her cloak and turned to leave.

But this remark also gave Luo De plenty of hints.

Although it's unknown what means were used, the Ice Empress indeed knows that the Great Merciful Tree King is about to be reborn.

Moreover, this unconditional aid is truly a genuine, no‑strings‑attached gift.

As for the reason.

What the Lady said is already quite clear.

"Those gods who once fought to the death against the Abyss."

Luo De repeated what the Lady had just said.

Upon further reflection on the Ice Empress's ideal.

【Purifying the source of the world's distortion: the short‑sighted, ignorant gods, and the filthy, pitch‑black Abyss.】

What is short‑sighted and ignorant?

Luo De still does not know this.

The only thing that can be certain now is:

That is, purifying the Abyss and being its enemy is truly part of the Ice Empress's lofty ideal.

Looking at this statement in conjunction,

It is no surprise that those few gods who died in the Khaenri'ah War and the Black Disaster could win the Ice Empress's favor.

And the Great Merciful Tree King,

is precisely one of the gods who died in battle.

With this statement as a premise, Snezhnaya's unsolicited goodwill can now be understood in full context.

It's just unknown how that distant god, without any contact with the Great Merciful Tree King, came to know the news of her imminent return to Sumeru.

Moreover.

These words also contain some hidden meanings.

Only gods who have fought to the death against the Abyss can earn Snezhnaya's respect.

So what is the reason for the Lady's especially hostile attitude toward Venti?

Perhaps it's not what was previously guessed—that Lusitan died in battle or some other miscellaneous matter—but simply because, during the Khaenri'ah War five hundred years ago, Venti was the first god to flee.

Although when Venti fled the Black Disaster had already erupted across the continent, and all of Mondstadt was about to be wrecked by the evil dragon Dulin, if Venti did not return to help, it would be too late.

But at that time, the Lady, still called Luoshalin, perhaps came to resent such desertion in the face of battle.

"What the heck is all this?"

Clear-headed Luo De no longer dwelled on why the Ice Empress had suddenly shown goodwill; he forwarded this news to Nadixa, then headed toward the Mondstadt Envoy Hall with a bitter expression.

Then such an unexpected incident occurred.

His previous promise was bound to be broken; he needed to choose his words carefully so as not to damage the currently good relations between Sumeru and Mondstadt.

(Writer's block is so painful—it's that feeling of knowing what you should write but being unable to write it.)

(End of chapter)