paradoxical | genshin impact

21 : further.

Times when all thirteen captains of the Knights of Favonius gathered in one place were the rarest of the sort. Even rarer than not seeing Nimrod drink himself unconscious behind his wife's back. Every time it happened, though, Kaeya never actually looked forward to the reunions.

For one, the only person he himself could openly tolerate without using some underhanded language was Acting Grand Master Jean. That was a no-brainer. Everyone in Mondstadt respected her to the utmost, the Cavalry Captain included. And if it weren't for her, he was certain the Knights of Favonius would have long gone under courtesy of the Grand Master's occasionally unreliable leadership, but you didn't hear any of that from him.

The Chief Alchemist, Albedo—so diligent when holed up in the solitude of his laboratory, but could not be bothered with matters that didn't involve his carefully practiced craft. However, most of their colleagues weren't particularly bothered by Albedo's aloofness towards the political dabblings of the Knights. So long as he produced results and upheld Mondstadt's recently acquired mantle of being an alchemically advanced nation, no one would scold him for his involvement—or lack thereof. The reason why such an apathetic person made it good in Kaeya's book, however...

That's a story for another time.

Grand Master Varka was...okay, but he tends to be a bit shortsighted about the repercussions his choices could inflict upon the entirety of Mondstadt. (Again, thank the Archons, Jean was always there to perform some due damage control.) But then again, these sentiments probably stemmed from the fact that Kaeya might have a longing grudge towards the man. All because he kept rallying both Kaeya's horses and Kaeya's men whenever an expedition was on the horizon. His position as Cavalry Captain was practically null at this point.

The rest of the captains were in the same impressional hierarchy as the Grand Master in Kaeya's radar, if he's being honest. Though they had their fair share of flaws and misgivings, he acknowledged that they didn't make it to the top brass for nothing. Meaning: all of them made for pretty fine colleagues.

Well...all of them but one.

"Are you suggesting we simply lay down and let ourselves be vulnerable? Waiting for them to strike, sir?" Eula's voice was colder than the icy blizzards of Dragonspine as she glared daggers in Varka's direction. "With all due respect, but it sounds as if you're severely underestimating the abilities of my men. The Reconnaissance Company exists for a reason, and that reason is to always be one step ahead of the enemy."

"Eula." Jean's tone came out equal parts concerned and authoritative when she addressed her. She's seated right across from Eula, and Kaeya could almost feel the tension in the room thicken. "Didn't your men confirm that the enemies we're tracking down are near untraceable? I don't see the point in contesting the Grand Master's decision when we're up against those we can't even locate."

The Spindrift Knight's golden-lavender eyes flashed with ire—that of which she rightfully restrained with nothing more than a grimace. A shame. She could have been one of Mondstadt's most sought-out bachelorettes if not for...the entire makeup of her personality.

For a fraction of a second, though, her gaze flickered in Kaeya's direction. She was on the far side of the table, so it was a bit difficult to tell. But either way, the Cavalry Captain was dead sure that poisonous glare was aimed right his way. It lasted for no longer than a second until Eula affixed her gaze towards Jean again, issuing a quick rebuttal, much to Kaeya's dismay.

Eula of the Lawrence clan was too perceptive for her own good. The fact that she wasn't afraid to voice her claims—though they were nothing but hunches at first—was enough to make even the suave Kaeya Alberich shift in his seat.