Undercover in Snezhnaya, My Teyvat Spy Life [29]

While waiting for the new Fatui units to arrive, Artem Vetrovski devised a plan to counter the draft.

His answer: use Crepus’s money.

First, during negotiations with the Knights of Favonius, he’d push for Snezhnaya’s recruitment to be peaceful and voluntary.

Then he’d pit Crepus’s funds against Pantalone’s, letting Crepus atone and earn his pardon for betraying Mondstadt.

Satisfied, Artem wrote the plan out in English, and—using a drinking trip as cover—slipped the note under a tavern table.

With everything set, he strolled back to the Goth Grand Hotel.

No sooner had he stepped inside than a sarcastic voice drifted down from the upper floor.

“Well, well, if it isn’t our esteemed envoy! Out so late—where have you been? And with that reek of alcohol, don’t tell me you were off romancing some Mondstadt girl?”

Artem’s brows knit in annoyance.

He looked up to see a man in a white suit, sporting a thin mustache.

His voice went cold. “Leonid! Where the hell were you?”

“Sir, I’m here!” Leonid hurried over at Artem’s call.

Artem glared at the figure upstairs, voice sharp as ice.

“And what kind of guard lets stray dogs wander in, hmm?”

That man above—he and Artem went way back.

His name was Krupp.

Servant of the Fatui’s Second Harbinger, The Doctor, and his most loyal hound.
His job: procuring “experimental materials.”

This mutt never cared about time or place—he’d wave The Doctor’s authority and do as he pleased.

Back in Snezhnaya, Krupp had repeatedly tried to snatch people from Artem’s command, and the two had clashed more than once.

If not for Krupp’s powerful patron, Artem would have disposed of him long ago.

And hadn’t Krupp said he’d arrive in a few days? What was he doing here now?

“Sir, he’s got an order from The Doctor,” Leonid said, looking uncomfortable.

To prove the point, Krupp proudly produced a writ of appointment, leering as he showed it off.

“Hey, Artem, you see this?”

“This time, the master’s given me orders: you’re to cooperate with me, no questions asked.”

“If you get in the way of his plan…”

“Heh heh.” Krupp’s grin twisted nastily. “The master’s been waiting a long time for you to mess up.”

Artem’s eyes narrowed, and he said coldly, “I get it,” before turning to his room.

But as soon as the door clicked shut, his mood did a complete turnaround—
his sullen face melting into a sly smile.

Krupp, you fool. Do you really think this is Snezhnaya? This is my turf— even the Knights of Favonius are my people. I’d like to see how you’ll manage without Dottore here to protect you.

Let’s see how you die this time.

In high spirits, Artem undressed and collapsed into bed, falling into a deep sleep.

...

Artem was jolted awake by the sound of arguing outside.

He listened closely: Krupp and Leonid’s voices, sure enough.

This mutt just can’t let anyone get a decent night’s sleep…

Annoyed, Artem threw on some clothes, stormed out, and snapped, “What’s all the noise? Do you idiots know what time it is?”

“What time?”

Hmph, you really think you’re something now, don’t you—acting like a Snezhnayan envoy!”

At the sight of Artem, Krupp shook a small jar at him, shouting furiously:

“Artem, you’ve got some nerve! Who gave you the right to stop distributing [Mist Grass] to the troops?! I’m reporting this straight to the master—you’re finished!”

At the threat, Leonid looked torn.

He’d once seemed a bit slow, but now his eyes were clear—gone was the big oaf act.

It was all thanks to Artem’s strict orders that the men stop using [Mist Grass]—that very thing Krupp held in his hand.

And since their recent days hadn’t involved much fighting, and they’d barely touched their [Delusions], the sixty-man unit’s minds were finally clearing.

They weren’t just battle-crazed brutes anymore.

As for the [Mist Grass] in Krupp’s grip, that stuff was used in [Delusion] manufacturing.

The rest—stems, pollen, wicks—were favored by the Fatui’s mages for their weapons.

The Doctor would even take leftover bits, grind them into [Mist Grass Powder], and feed it to Fatui soldiers.

[Mist Grass] rotted the brain, making soldiers loyal and bloodthirsty, heightening their zeal for battle.

Combine that with [Delusion] backlash, after a while most Fatui soldiers would turn savage, able only to follow orders.

Only the strongest could keep their sanity.

Once they arrived in Mondstadt, Artem had ordered Leonid’s squad to cut [Mist Grass] use immediately.

They’d worried about punishment, but Artem made it clear—if there were consequences, he’d take them all himself.

He also forbade any use of [Delusions] in Mondstadt city.
Even if the Knights beat them up, they couldn’t use them.

It was the only way to clear their minds and regain some normalcy.

So the moment Krupp arrived, he started making trouble over it.

Leonid, for his part, knew exactly who cared about them.

Artem’s orders might be strange, but he treated them as people, not tools, like The Rooster.

And after quitting [Mist Grass], Leonid could feel his mind sharpening.

The commander was risking punishment just to give them a chance at a normal life.

The sixty-man unit was quietly grateful.

So after a brief struggle, Leonid gritted his teeth, ready to shoulder the blame for stopping the [Mist Grass].

But before he could speak, Artem cut in, clearly annoyed.

“Go ahead. Report me.”

“Just do it.”

“If you don’t report me, you’re not even worth the food you eat.”

“Krupp, is it that long since I’ve given you a beating? Getting a little cocky, aren’t we?”

The tirade left Krupp completely stunned.

He jabbed his finger, stammering “You—you—” but had nothing else to say.

Artem watched him coolly, unfazed by the threats.

A deep-rooted, instinctive disgust for this stuff ran in his veins.

Back in Snezhnaya, none of Artem’s troops had ever used [Mist Grass].

No one had dared question him then.

Now, in Krupp’s mouth, it was suddenly a crime worthy of death.

Not beating him on the spot was more mercy than Dottore deserved.

Having put Krupp in his place, Artem couldn’t be bothered to waste any more time. He turned to Leonid and ordered:

“Leonid, get the men in formation.”

“We’re heading to the Knights of Favonius.”

Krupp had shown up early.

Which meant Artem’s plans had to move up as well.

---

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!