Undercover in Snezhnaya, My Teyvat Spy Life [32]

Once the recruitment contract was signed, the very next day Krupp led his men in a whirlwind effort to set up Fatui recruitment stations all over Mondstadt.

At the same time, his agents plastered Snezhnayan recruitment flyers everywhere they could.

Krupp had picked up quite a few tricks from “The Rooster” when it came to persuasion, and that skill was on full display in those little handbills.

The gist of it was all grand promises—join the Fatui, defend the continent together—lofty talk with no substance behind it.

The flyers painted “guarding the continent” as an honorable, righteous calling.

They even advertised generous benefits in bold print: salaries three times higher than those of the Knights of Favonius, plus a month’s pay in advance.

The only real downside was the posting—all the way in distant Snezhnaya.

But Krupp thoughtfully included a note: recruits could bring their families, and the Fatui would provide both housing and jobs for them.

With incentives like that, even the Mondstadters who’d always looked at the Fatui with suspicion couldn’t help feeling tempted.

So it wasn’t long before residents all over the city were seen crowding around Fatui soldiers, asking question after question.

“Hmph. So much for the freedom-loving people of Mondstadt,”

Krupp sneered from the rooftop of the Goth Grand Hotel, stroking his little mustache as he watched the bustling scene below.

“In the end, they’re still willing to kneel for Mora.”

When he looked over at the Knights of Favonius, who hadn’t made a move, Krupp’s grin only grew.

“A bunch of brainless fools—all they know how to do is wave swords and scare people.”

“Just wait until the Master arrives. He’ll wipe out every last one of you.”

Knock, knock, knock—

Krupp was still daydreaming about returning to Snezhnaya and basking in The Doctor’s praise when a sudden, frantic knock broke his thoughts.

He immediately schooled his features, straightened his clothes, and coughed lightly. “Come in.”

A Fatui soldier—one of his own personal guards—burst in, panic written all over his face.

“Sir, bad news!”

“The Knights of Favonius just started their own recruitment drive, right here in the city—just like us!”

Krupp couldn’t care less. “Let them. Up against the power of Mora, what does the Knights’ reputation even count for?”

“But, sir—they’re offering four times the salary! All the other benefits stay the same!”

The guard’s voice was tight with anxiety. “And all those hesitant, on-the-fence people—the moment they start showing any interest, a Knight shows up to steal them away!”

“—!”

Krupp’s face went white. He snapped, “Are you all idiots? Why aren’t you chasing those Knights off?”

“Ever heard of first come, first served? We’ve got every right to argue our case—just drive them out!”

“But…” The guard was nearly in tears now.

“Sir, every Knight has a copy of the recruitment contract, with both your name and Inspector Artem Vetrovski’s on it.”

“It says right there: no conflict allowed between the two sides.”

“We can’t even argue our case!”

Krupp was utterly dumbfounded.

He’d thought that, with the contract in place, he’d have no trouble getting the recruits the Doctor wanted.

Who could have guessed the contract would end up tying his hands?

“Artem! Where’s Artem?!”

Krupp’s voice was hoarse with fury.

The contract was Artem’s doing—he’d better have a solution for this mess!

True, Snezhnayans were notorious for ripping up contracts when they had the power to back it up. But right now, they only had Artem and a single full company in Mondstadt.

With the Knights of Favonius at full strength, going head-to-head was out of the question. If things turned violent, the Fatui would be crushed instantly.

“The Inspector went out early this morning.”

“Where’d he go?!”

“No idea, sir.”

The guard could only shake his head helplessly.

Being Krupp’s bodyguard meant he could order around the rank-and-file, sure.

But when it came to someone of Artem Vetrovski’s rank, he didn’t have the status—or the guts—to question where he went.

“Damn it!”

“Damn it all!”

“When the Master gets here, he’ll make you all pay—he’ll grind you into dust!”

Krupp, face twisted with rage, swept everything off his desk and sent it crashing to the floor.

Once he’d vented, he stood there, eyes bloodshot, bellowing, “Raise the offer! Raise it!”

“If three times isn’t enough, make it five! If five isn’t enough, ten!”

“I refuse to believe the Knights of Favonius have deeper pockets than The Regrator himself!”

“Yes, sir!” The guard scrambled out of the room to carry out his orders.

---

At that moment, Artem Vetrovski was strolling idly beyond Mondstadt’s walls, quietly tailing a reconnaissance squad.

He’d left the whole recruitment mess to Krupp and was enjoying his free time.

The contract’s two most important clauses: no use of force, and no conscripting by coercion.

With those restrictions—and the meager number of Fatui soldiers Krupp had brought—there was no way they could compete with Varka.

So there was no point hanging around the city. Much better to come out here, see what Eula was up to, and maybe even find a chance to get closer to her.

With his skills, the recon squad had no hope of spotting Artem’s shadow.

They went about their usual routine: clearing out monsters, taking breaks, eating, then heading off for more monster hunting.

Only when they’d finished sweeping the entire area, or supplies ran low, would they finally return to the city.

But there was something different this time.

Perhaps because of the last ambush, where Eula had stayed behind to cover their retreat, the other squad members were noticeably warmer toward her.

They still weren’t treating her like Amber did—a true friend—but at least the snide remarks and open hostility had stopped.

Eula herself even smiled, for once.

She’d even started bringing her homemade sweets to share with everyone.

The tomato and aspic egg rolls, in particular, were a huge hit.

Watching Eula, no longer always shrouded in gloom, Artem couldn’t help but feel a little emotional.

If you ever learned that the root of Mondstadt’s hatred for the Lawrences was always the Knights of Favonius fanning the flames in secret…

What would you think then?

Artem had pondered that very question in his previous life.

What kind of hatred could last a thousand years, passed down to innocent descendants who had nothing to do with the original crime?

It was only after joining Mondstadt’s covert branch in this life that he finally learned the answer.

There was no such thing as a grudge lasting a thousand years—it was all just manipulation behind the scenes.

And the one pulling those strings...

Was none other than Vennessa, the original Lionfang Knight, founder of the Knights of Favonius.

She’d suffered under the old aristocracy’s cruelty herself, and when she created the Knights, she declared an eternal punishment for the Lawrence Clan:
“Those who once sought to rule Mondstadt and trample its freedom shall be reviled by its people for generations to come.”

To enforce that decree, the Knights first wove the Lawrences’ dark history into every child’s lessons.

They commissioned songs and poems celebrating Vennessa while condemning the Lawrences.

With this two-pronged approach, hatred for the Lawrences became so ingrained in Mondstadters that even after a thousand years, it felt as fresh as ever.

The Knights’ second strategy was subtler.

Every Grand Master, without exception, assigned agents to corrupt the Lawrence Clan from within.

Their aim: ensure every new generation was raised with the manners and pride of decaying nobility—arrogant, convinced of their superiority, forever clinging to the fantasy that the Lawrences would someday rule Mondstadt again.

This mindset kept the Lawrences idle, unwilling to work, doing nothing to heal the rift—instead, they spent their days boasting and sneering at Mondstadters.

And so the old animosity only grew sharper.

By now, the cycle had repeated itself so many times that the Lawrence Clan had become the perfect villains—so much so that even without the Knights’ subtle hand, there would be no peace between them and the people of Mondstadt.

Until Eula Lawrence.

It wasn’t that Eula was the first in a thousand years to break the mold—there had been other Lawrences who tried to reconcile with Mondstadt.

But every single one had either been corrupted or removed by the Knights’ agents.

Only Eula was different.

She’d passed the family trials while still young, claiming the [Glacial Seal]—the clan’s symbol of martial strength.

That talent and power caught Varka’s attention.

Which was why, after that, the Reconnaissance Knights were told to mentor her, to nudge her away from her family, to test her loyalties at every turn.

One of these days, I should round up all those hidden agents in the Lawrence Clan…

Let you see for yourself what darkness really looks like.

Watching Eula’s smile, as bright as sunlight, Artem couldn’t help but let a strange little smile curl his lips.

---

T/N: oooh Artem slowlyu becoming... a yandere perhaps

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!