Undercover in Snezhnaya, My Teyvat Spy Life [78]

Ursa the dragon came in a fury, and left just as quickly.

Dawn Winery had barely managed to organize a counterattack when Ursa was already beating a hasty retreat, a far cry from its earlier viciousness against the patrol and cavalry squads.

But even in those short ten minutes...

The vineyards that had survived even Stormterror’s rampage were utterly destroyed.

Two of the winery’s brewing plants were also left in ruins.

The only good news: this time, Ursa’s attack hadn’t caused any casualties.

Crepus stood among the devastation, staring at the wreckage of the brewery, nearly in tears.

Dawn Winery’s situation, it was just as the old Liyue saying went:

When it rains, it pours.

Business was already slow, and now, with two breweries gone, even a surplus of raw materials couldn’t solve the looming production crisis.

What worried Crepus most, though, was this:

If the off-site distilleries were hit by Ursa as well, Dawn Winery might have to survive the next few years selling only its remaining stock.

---

Artem watched the dragon’s panicked escape and wiped cold sweat from his brow.

That was close.

Ursa had nearly been caught by Albedo.

This was the same dragon that Frederica had nearly died to drive off—
Yet in Albedo’s hands, it looked like a giant toy.

If Ursa hadn’t been quick enough, it would already be stuck full of Albedo’s stone pillars like a giant porcupine.

Artem had planned to put on a show and “help” drive Ursa away—

But he’d never expected Albedo to step in so decisively.
He hadn’t even been given a chance—Ursa had almost been captured outright.

Only now did Artem truly grasp the terror of Creation Alchemy.
Those stone constructs, as if alive, had battered Ursa so badly that the dragon barely escaped.

Thinking back—when Albedo fought me before, he was definitely holding back. If he’d gone all out, I wouldn’t have lasted more than a few seconds.

Although Albedo’s interference meant the plan hadn’t gone perfectly, there were still plenty of gains.

The next step: guide Ursa’s rampage along a route that would hit every Dawn Winery facility, forcing Crepus into a dead end.

At the same time, he had to keep up appearances, showing Mondstadt that the Fatui were genuinely fighting to expel the dragon.

Over the next few days, news of the Snezhnayan envoy’s relentless pursuit of Ursa kept flooding back to Mondstadt.

The Fatui even began showing off trophies outside the Knights of Favonius headquarters—proudly displaying scales, claws, and even a huge horn, all taken from the dragon.

With such spectacular results on display, and with the Fatui’s hired mouthpieces working overtime. The people of Mondstadt were stunned that the Fatui seemed to be actually getting things done, while their criticism of the Knights never let up for a moment.

In this barrage of public opinion, no matter how hard the Knights tried, they simply couldn’t shake off the reputation of incompetence.

---

Pantalone, The “Regrator,” was still in negotiations with the Knights over opening a branch of the Northland Bank.

Jean stubbornly refused to give her consent.

But Pantalone wasn’t nearly as forceful as she’d expected.
Whenever Jean rejected him, he would just smile and walk away.

This only left Jean more uneasy—wondering what the Fatui might be scheming behind the scenes.

And when word arrived that yet another Dawn Winery plant—now the fifth—had been destroyed, Jean finally understood the Fatui’s real goal:

They meant to push Mondstadt’s economy until it collapsed.

To be more precise, they wanted to break Crepus first.

And, after all these days of careful planning, the Fatui had succeeded.

Crepus really was at the end of his rope.

Now the wealthiest man in Mondstadt was absolutely certain of one thing: this dragon was acting on someone’s orders.

And it could only be the Fatui.

Ursa’s rampage might have looked random, but somehow, every path of destruction happened to intersect with Dawn Winery’s properties.
No way that was just coincidence.

Under such relentless attacks, Dawn Winery, already in the red, had plunged into full-blown financial collapse.

It was no longer a question of whether the winery could help Mondstadt, if it didn’t find a way to save itself soon, it wouldn’t survive at all.

Just as Crepus was agonizing over what to do, he received a visit from the Fatui’s Ninth Harbinger, the Regrator himself.

Such a high-ranking guest at Dawn Winery—Crepus dared not show the slightest neglect.

After a round of polite but empty pleasantries, Pantalone lamented Mondstadt’s dire predicament.

Publicly, as a Harbinger, he said he couldn’t just stand by while an ally suffered.
Privately, as Snezhnaya’s richest man, he said it pained him to see the people of Mondstadt endure such hardship.

So, he proposed buying up all of Dawn Winery’s stock to help the estate weather the current storm, and even offered long-term, interest-free loans.

Of course—

There was a “small” price to pay.

Such as the winery’s real estate holdings in Mondstadt, and the ancestral lands left behind by the first Dawn Knight.

As long as Crepus was willing to use these assets as collateral, the Northland Bank would keep funding Dawn Winery until its recovery was complete.

But there was a catch:
The Northland Bank had to be allowed to open a branch in Mondstadt.

Crepus, himself one of Teyvat’s most cunning businessmen, understood Pantalone’s intent all too well.

This wasn’t a scheme, it was outright daylight robbery of the Ragnvindr family’s legacy.

Not only did Pantalone want Dawn Winery’s money, he was forcing Crepus to support the Northland Bank’s opening as well.

If he agreed to this, Mondstadt’s entire economic lifeline would fall under Fatui control.

“Absolutely not.”

Crepus shook his head firmly. “Regrator, I’m sorry, but I cannot accept your terms.”

“I have already disgraced my ancestors’ honor once. I will not do it again.”

“No, you don’t have a choice,” Pantalone replied, smiling as always, his eyes half-closed.

“I once heard a little fellow say something:

‘Weakness is no excuse for being beaten. The only reason I’m not beating you is because I don’t feel like it today.’ Crepus Ragnvindr— You’re quite lucky. Because I happen to be in a good mood.”

“As the weak, when I make a demand, all you can do is accept.”

With that, Pantalone rose, brushing imaginary dust from his clothes, and turned to leave without another word.

But at the door, he seemed to recall something, and glanced back.

“I’ll give you one day to think it over. If I don’t have your answer by this time tomorrow—
The Ragnvindr family won’t need to worry about ‘disgracing your ancestors’ honor’ ever again.”

---

T/N: tufff hmm do you think the author hates mondstat :)

This is a fan translation of 提瓦特之我在至冬做臥底 by 曉風殘月聽荷 All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!