Genshin Impact, all those behind-the-scenes big shots are me

After taking a few sips, Alan Delin put down his glass, his expression suddenly becoming somewhat dejected.

"I know that I got this captain position largely because of my family background. If I had been born like you, I definitely wouldn't have been able to become captain so quickly!"

“If anyone could become a captain just by virtue of their family’s connections, then there wouldn’t be enough positions in the Knights Order.” Su Chen said calmly. “Your hard work is evident to everyone.”

Eren Delin doesn't have the Eye of God, but he is very powerful.

She is talented and hardworking.

Even within aristocratic circles, this is a rare occurrence.

Although the nobles of Mondstadt have transformed from the corrupt old aristocratic era, the mindset ingrained in their very being will not easily change.

Rather, having learned from the experiences of the upheavals of the old aristocratic era, the current aristocracy is more restrained and knows how to perfectly use the power in their hands to exploit ordinary people as much as possible.

Many of the old noble forces still exist in the world, and these people, united together, still hold a powerful influence in Mondstadt.

Su Chen had personally witnessed how those who wielded noble honor and power wantonly oppressed ordinary people.

Whether or not they were from the old nobility, this kind of situation was common in Mondstadt.

Even Eren Delin, he didn't think there was anything wrong with it.

Nobles are nobles because they consider themselves superior to others; this is a belief instilled in them from childhood and deeply ingrained in their souls.

The so-called political means are nothing more than a game for the powerful and wealthy.

The reason he was able to become captain at such a young age was partly because the nobles wanted to set an example for all commoners, showing them that "as long as you are obedient and work hard, you can get opportunities regardless of your status."

Furthermore, his outstanding performance certainly deserves recognition.

After he became the captain of the investigation team, no fewer than ten noble factions tried to win him over in order to maintain their family's influence within the Knights Order.

It was common for commoners to attach themselves to nobles and serve them.

However, Su Chen rejected all of them.

The nobles didn't bother him because Erendel was there. They assumed Su Chen's refusal was because he had promised Erendel, a knight born a commoner, to protect a noble knight, which made perfect sense.

At sixteen, a grand dueling feast was held in Mondstadt, attended by the Knights of Favonius. Almost all of them were backed by noble factions, and the nobles placed bets on each other, supporting their chosen ones. It was a game for the powerful and wealthy.

Without a doubt, you and Erendrin have become the focus of the entire city of Mondstadt.

The Erendelin family has approached you, hoping you will deliberately lose to Erendelin in a duel, in exchange for a generous reward.

You refused.

[Achieve the achievement 'Refusing to Bow Down for Five Pecks of Rice'.]

You are acutely aware that Mondstadt's decay began long ago, whether five hundred years ago or five hundred years from now, and you have a strong desire to change it all.

You reached the end with overwhelming strength, but did not participate in the finals. Amidst the cheers and applause, you arrived in the slums of Mondstadt.

Here you have witnessed true reality, recalled the battles with monsters, and realized that one person's strength is ultimately limited.

You secretly cultivated a group of followers and established an organization, naming it 'Earthfire'.

...

Chapter 4 The Earthfire Organization, Light and Darkness [Fourth Update!]

Inside Mondstadt.

A dimly lit underground arena.

The old, dim lights illuminated the arena, and the air crackled with the clashing sounds of swords clashing.

It was a fighting arena, where two young figures clashed rapidly.

A group of children around their age surrounded the ring, watching the contest between the two with excited expressions.

The two swordsmen were evenly matched, but in the end the brown-haired boy emerged victorious.

"Teacher, I won!"

The brown-haired boy ran excitedly to Su Chen.

"Well done."

Su Chen smiled and said, "From today onwards, you are the official leader of the Earthfire Organization."

The boy panicked: "Teacher, you...you don't want us anymore?"

"Of course not, it's just that my identity is rather sensitive, and it's not appropriate for me to appear here often." Su Chen patted his head. "Roland, some things are not that simple, and neither is the Earth Fire. If you want to survive in this city, the path is extremely cruel."

"I'm not afraid!"

Roland said, "As long as what we are doing is just, I am not afraid of death!"

[Such pure eyes. You knew the moment you saw him that this child was different from others living under the oppression of corrupt and powerful families, so you decided to focus on nurturing him.]

[You spent two years recruiting and training new members for Earthfire. Although Earthfire's overall numbers are not large, each member is an elite; they were born into poverty and possess extraordinary willpower.]

At twenty, the earthfire began to appear in the sight of the people of Mondstadt. It was an assassination attempt. In full view of everyone, a descendant of a nobleman who had committed murder walked out of the Knights' prison and into a luxurious carriage, but he was not greeted by a butler, but by assassins.

Over the next six months, the Earthfire continued its operations, killing many who had escaped legal punishment due to their power and influence. Because a large number of these individuals were nobles, this finally alarmed all the noble factions, who collectively demanded that the Knights immediately identify the mastermind behind it all.

The person in charge of this matter is none other than Eren Delin. Four years have passed, and this noble knight has become more composed. Since winning the competition, he has been entrusted with high hopes. If he can capture these elusive assassins, he might be promoted to vice-captain immediately.

Inside the tavern.

Alan Delin downed the wine in his wooden cup in one gulp and cursed under his breath.

"Russtan, where did those damned guys come from? What do they want? Are they trying to take over the Knights' job and punish evil?"

Ellen Delin's investigation is not going well. So far, all he knows is that the mysterious force is called 'Earthfire', and he has no other clues.

The only consolation is that Di Huo's targets in every operation are those who carry the burden of sin.

Otherwise, Mondstadt would have been in complete chaos long ago.

However, this method of punishment, which is hailed as 'justice,' has gained a large following among Mondstadt citizens, making the management of their Knights Order more difficult.

"Isn't this bad?"

Su Chen calmly sipped his wine, his deep gaze reflecting the distant lanterns. "Many knight orders wouldn't dare to do these things, but those people can do them for us. This will make our work much easier."

"Are you serious?" Erendrin looked at Su Chen incredulously. "Russtan, are you serious about what you said? As a member of the Knights of the Order, an enforcer of Mondstadt, someone is now usurping our duties. They are killing people at will and showing contempt for the laws of Mondstadt. Shouldn't such people be arrested immediately?"

Su Chen turned his head and looked at him.

"Erendrin, I ask you, have we truly protected Mondstadt? When those great nobles oppressed others, when the people of Mondstadt were oppressed and killed, where were we?"

“We will arrest these people, naturally,” Alan Delin said.

"Arrest him, and then?" Su Chen shook his head slightly. "Last month, that guy named Simon was the deputy commander's nephew. He killed someone, and then what? We had to release him in less than a month, and now he's still living a carefree life at home."

"He's hiding at home."

Erendlin added a sentence.

He then scratched his hair in frustration.

Indeed, Simon killed someone, but the Knights' final judgment was that it was an accident, and the responsibility lay with another drunkard. That drunkard sobered up the day after committing the crime, left a letter of repentance, and then committed suicide.

Therefore, as was the case, after repeated and meticulous investigations by the Knights, it was discovered that Simon had been wronged and he was released three days ago.

“Maybe he really was wronged…” Eren Delin said softly.

Do you believe that?

Faced with his friend's questioning, Eren Delin was speechless.

He knew the general outline of the matter; Simon might actually have killed someone.

But his family, like other noble families, unanimously believed that the problem lay with that drunkard.

“Russtan, there’s nothing we can do about it,” Erendrin said in a deep voice. “Simon’s matter involves the vice-commander. He dedicated his life to the Knights, far more than you or I can compare to him. The guy who died was just an ill-mannered Mondstadt scoundrel. Perhaps his death is good news for Mondstadt.”

"Dedicate your life, huh?" Su Chen scoffed. "You're dedicating your life to the interests of your industry, aren't you?"

"Russtan, you...you're always like this, always like this."

Alan Delin did not continue the argument.

Because he understands Su Chen.

Lacking basic respect for the nobility, they always insist on doing things inexplicably, just like in that competition back then, where they ultimately chose not to participate.

“At least I think that the Earthfire gang isn’t upholding justice; they’ve just found a reason to kill,” Alan Delin said.

[Your conversation wasn't pleasant, but you know Erendellin isn't wrong. He's fulfilling his duty, and unlike other nobles in Mondstadt, he truly protects Mondstadt. It's just that the circumstances are such that neither you nor he can change anything.]

[Upholding justice? You know that's not what you're trying to do. Evil must be punished, but you lack the power to change things at their root, so all you can do now is kill.]

[Erendlin was clever. He felt that the series of successful assassinations wasn't necessarily due to the power of the Earth Fire, but rather that someone had likely leaked information from within the Knights. Thus, a self-investigation of the Knights began.]

To divert the Knights' attention, Roland immediately launched an assassination attempt on Simon. To avoid suspicion, you did not intervene. The assassin was carried out by Arya, one of the twelve who initially followed you. She possessed formidable martial arts skills and was determined to succeed in this assassination.

But no one expected that Simon's family would actually hire someone with the Eye of God. Almost everyone on the mission was wiped out, but Arya ultimately killed Simon and escaped from the noble family.

The entire city of Mondstadt was in chaos. Seventy percent of the knights had been mobilized to search for Arya's whereabouts. When you arrived at the scene, she was surrounded by a group of knights in front of the massive statue of the Anemo Archon in Mondstadt Square.

[A large horde of knights surrounded them, covering all directions without any blind spots, making it impossible for you to do anything for Arya.]

"The flames of judgment have begun to burn, and I am willing to offer my broken body as fuel to the dawn."

"Freedom is like a dandelion in the wind, flying towards an unreachable sky."

"Distant gods, can you hear the call of the devout?"

"She calls to you, blowing the budding seed."

"She calls to you, blowing away the silence and numbness."

"She calls to you, to blow away the gloom in your heart."

Arya stood before the statue, her hands clasped to her chest, praying. As the setting sun began to slant, her figure was gradually pulled into shadow.

Qiang~~

Two daggers appeared in Arya's hands.

She looked in Su Chen's direction, her eyes filled with tenderness and reluctance.

"Surrender, you thugs of the subterranean fire!"