"Interesting."
"I didn't expect the mastermind behind the Secret Archive to come to Mondstadt in person."
"I wonder what business brings you here?"
Rowan had just left the palace and was on his way to find Jean to lay his cards on the table and bring her into his harem…
When he ran straight into an exotic beauty coming from the opposite direction.
She had short, neat green hair, emerald eyes, and was adorned with all kinds of desert-style accessories.
Wasn't this the very same woman who had secretly helped Diluc—the owner behind the Northland Intelligence Organization's Secret Archive?
Rowan hadn't actually played through the later Nod Krai storyline in the game.
But he had already obtained Clairvoyance.
With this Noble Phantasm, Rowan could directly gaze into Teyvat's future.
Which meant that even without playing, he still knew what would eventually happen in Nod Krai.
That was how he knew about Nefer.
Back when he first saw Diluc, Rowan had already wondered when that "always making promises but never appearing" Northland Intelligence Organization would finally show up.
He hadn't expected that it would only take a little while before Nefer appeared and clearly stated that she was the true mastermind behind the Northland Intelligence Organization.
In other words, the ones who had rescued Diluc back then were her subordinates…
You could even say it was basically her doing personally.
Otherwise, did people really think just anyone could snatch someone from under the hands of the Fatui?
Back then, what Diluc had been facing were multiple Fatui Harbingers, not some random small fry.
If the Secret Archive truly had someone that powerful working openly for them, then the mastermind behind the whole thing absolutely wouldn't be Nefer.
Unless they had some huge ulterior motive, very few true powerhouses would be willing to play second fiddle to someone else.
Rowan, for one, detested that kind of position.
"You…!!!"
Nefer's pupils shrank sharply. She took a step back in disbelief.
She hadn't expected that the moment she arrived in Mondstadt—before she had even done anything—she would run straight into the Knight King himself.
That much was still acceptable. It even made things easier for gathering intel on him.
But before she could even tail him, Rowan stepped right in front of her and blocked her path, saying all those things just now.
He'd almost scared her to death on the spot.
For a second, she really thought someone had sold her out—otherwise how would Rowan already know who she was?
"Surprised?"
"Didn't Diluc tell you I'm very knowledgeable about Teyvat?"
"And you still think I wouldn't know about your existence?"
Rowan was very satisfied with Nefer's reaction.
Glancing around, he noticed a bench nearby and jerked his chin toward it.
Then he walked over and sat down.
Nefer hesitated for a moment, then closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
Only after mentally preparing herself for a possible fight with Rowan did she slowly sit down beside him.
"No need to be so on guard. I'm not going to make a move on you."
"Even though you are very pretty."
Seeing Nefer acting like she was facing a mortal enemy, Rowan couldn't help but laugh.
He hadn't expected the proud, icy Nefer of Nod Krai to be so tense and cautious in front of him.
The contrast actually amused him quite a bit.
Nefer's face flushed red and she turned her head away in embarrassment.
This was the first time someone had openly called her pretty.
No one had ever said that to her before.
Of course, it wasn't that no one thought so—
They just didn't dare say it out loud.
Especially not right to her face. Rowan was the first.
That made Nefer secretly delighted, and more than a little happy.
Rowan wasn't surprised at all by her blush.
In truth, most "cold and aloof" women had very few real friends in their daily lives.
That aloofness was simply a set of armor they used to protect themselves. Deep down, they also longed to be pursued, to have someone who would protect them.
Compared to ordinary people, though, they were more sensitive and kept others at a greater distance.
But once you pierced that armor, you'd realize just how clingy they could be.
Outside, they might be a frosty goddess.
Back home, they'd be like a cuddly little kitten that refused to let go.
Girls like that were the best candidates for a girlfriend.
(This is just the author talking nonsense, alright? Don't go taking it seriously. If you actually get yourself an ice-cold girlfriend later, you're on your own!)
As for why Nefer had blushed so easily…
First of all, Rowan's looks spoke for themselves.
When a ridiculously handsome man tells you that you're beautiful, even if you're not actually interested in him, it's normal to blush a little.
It was just shyness.
More importantly, on top of gaining Gilgamesh's EX-rank Clairvoyance, Rowan had also obtained Young Gil's skill: "Pretty Boy."
It boosted his innate charm.
It wasn't at the level of Diarmuid's all-encompassing love-spot charm that bewitched everyone who laid eyes on him, but it subtly influenced how others perceived Rowan.
He was quite fond of this skill.
Much more than Diarmuid's brand of trouble.
"H–How did you find out about me?"
After being shy for a while, Nefer finally looked up again, curiosity gleaming in her eyes as she stared at Rowan.
As the mastermind behind an information network, she was naturally skilled at reading people and adapting to situations.
She could clearly feel that Rowan held no malice toward her.
If anything, what she sensed from him was friendliness.
Under those conditions, there was no need to keep acting like she was facing a lethal threat.
Doing so would only make others think she was a woman who distrusted the world far too much—calculating, wary, always scheming behind the scenes.
Nefer had no intention of leaving that kind of impression.
"I can see the future. Do you believe that?"
Rowan tilted his head back, looking up at the twilight-blue sky as he spoke.
"That's impossible. No one can foresee the future!"
"Uh…"
Nefer refuted him on reflex—
Then fell silent.
She quickly realized how absolute that had sounded.
Leaving aside anything else, the prophecy that had been passed down in Fontaine for generations was proof enough that there were people who could anticipate the future.
And then there were the witches of the Hexenzirkel.
For them, glimpsing the future was a light and easy matter.
The witch Barbatos, for instance, relied on astrology to guide others along their destined paths.
Her disciple, Astrologist Mona Megistus, had inherited this power.
Supposedly, Mona was currently traveling from Fontaine to Mondstadt, intent on facing off against her master's old rival's successor.
The only problem was that said "successor" had never considered one detail…
The person she was headed to fight was anything but ordinary.
When Nefer thought of Miss Alice's successor, she couldn't help but feel a bit amused.
So yes—being able to see the future was rare in Teyvat, but it absolutely wasn't impossible.
"You sure about that?"
"Have you heard of the prophet Vedrfolnir from Khaenri'ah?"
"If you had, you wouldn't say things like 'no one can foresee the future.'"
(End of Chapter)
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