"What is the mailing address?" Acting Grand Master Jean asked.
"Hmph!" Eula had no intention of exposing her friend's address. With things having developed to this point, she suddenly felt that nothing mattered anymore.
She was tired, and she no longer wanted to return to the Knights of Favonius.
"Go, bring me the person who mailed those letters for Eula. I need the address," Acting Grand Master Jean immediately ordered the person beside her.
Hearing this, someone nearby immediately ran off to find the mail carrier.
Before long, the mail carrier was brought in.
Lin Feng had previously instructed the mail carrier on what to say and what not to say.
The trembling mail carrier blurted out the address from the letters while inwardly complaining nonstop.
*I only make tens of thousands of Mora a month, so why are both the Abyss and the Knights of Favonius looking for me? Am I really that popular?*
Acting Grand Master Jean immediately led a group to the address, only to discover it was completely fake.
The address pointed to an abandoned house that, according to nearby villagers, had not been lived in for seven or eight years.
At that moment, Eula, who had accompanied Acting Grand Master Jean, was stunned as well.
The person she had been corresponding with all this time didn't even exist?
With things reaching this point, the trail had gone cold.
Currently, the only breakthrough possible was the mail carrier.
If someone had actually been living in that house, it might have proven Eula's innocence.
Even Acting Grand Master Jean was beginning to harbor doubts. Could Eula really be connected to other factions, or even the Abyss Order?
Otherwise, how could one explain why the address of Eula's pen pal was fake?
"Mail carrier, tell me, when you delivered the mail, didn't you notice that nobody lived in that house at all?" Acting Grand Master Jean demanded sharply, startling the already timid mail carrier into a shiver.
"N—no, I didn't."
"Kaeya, I'll leave the rest of this investigation to you."
Acting Grand Master Jean concluded that the mail carrier was lying, because the man's expression and demeanor bore no resemblance to someone telling the truth.
Aside from her formidable combat strength, Acting Grand Master Jean had reached her position because her intellect was among the finest in Mondstadt.
Ultimately, lacking sufficient evidence, the Knights of Favonius could only announce publicly that the whole affair had been a misunderstanding and a farce.
Yet the seeds of distrust had already been planted in the hearts of the Knights and the people of Mondstadt.
***
That night.
The prison in Mondstadt was brightly lit.
Because someone had broken in to free the prisoners.
The mail carrier had vanished without a trace, right under everyone's noses.
Later, Kaeya discovered a faint lingering aura of the Abyss Order's power at the scene.
Aside from the mail carrier, several other prisoners had also disappeared—most of them former members of the Knights of Favonius who had been locked away following various incidents in the past.
Furthermore, the mail carrier's entire family had been brought to the Abyss by Big Wise.
***
Inside Acting Grand Master Jean's office, Lisa, Kaeya, and even the nun Rosaria were gathered.
"The Abyss Order broke into the prison and took people. To prevent public panic, I believe we should keep this news quiet," Acting Grand Master Jean stated her view.
"You don't need to consult me about such things," Rosaria replied.
Lisa pondered for a moment before speaking. "The Abyss Order has never done anything like this before. Why change now? And why are the people they chose to take so specific?"
Aside from the mail carrier—whose involvement tied directly into whether Eula had betrayed them—the abducted individuals included several former knights of the Order.
These were individuals who had been convicted prior to the tenure of Grand Master Varka.
Many of them may simply have offended the higher-ups of the Knights before being thrown into prison. Later, when the Grand Master took leadership, he attempted to clear their names, but dropped the cases due to insufficient evidence!
Consequently, they had remained locked away ever since.
Acting Grand Master Jean was deep in thought. Previously, although the Abyss Order had seemed menacing, they actually lacked any real deterrence.
All they had ever managed to do was organize Hilichurls to attack travelers or assault the City of Mondstadt.
Lately, however, incidents of the Abyss Order harming people had become exceptionally rare.
There were even reports that in a remote mountainous area, an Abyss Mage had been seen directing Hilichurls to deliver grain and do farm work for the elderly villagers.
Thinking of this, Acting Grand Master Jean felt an inexplicable panic. She sensed that a massive change must have occurred within the Abyss Order.
Yet right now, the combat strength of the Knights of Favonius was severely depleted, leaving them no time to investigate.
"What should we do about Eula's situation?" Kaeya asked.
Now that the mail carrier had vanished, one could stretch the logic to suggest it proved Eula's ties to the Abyss Order.
Of course, one could also assume the Abyss Order had simply "happened" to kidnap the mail carrier.
In short, whether trying to prove Eula innocent or guilty, crucial evidence was lacking.
After a long period of reflection, Acting Grand Master Jean decided that suspicion hung too heavily over Eula; she could no longer be allowed to participate in the affairs of the Knights.
"Inform Eula that until this matter is thoroughly investigated, she may not return to the Knights."
With those words, Acting Grand Master Jean seemed suddenly exhausted. She waved a hand and said, "You are all dismissed. I wish to be alone for a while."
In all fairness, she wanted to believe in Eula, but the reality before her made it impossible to trust and employ Eula as she had before.
Especially with the sudden shift in the Abyss Order's behavior, they had to minimize any potential risks to the Knights.
Before leaving, Kaeya placed a file on Acting Grand Master Jean's desk.
***
After everyone had departed, Acting Grand Master Jean opened the file Kaeya had left behind.
The contents unexpectedly concerned the Dragon of the East.
Someone had spotted the Dragon of the East in the wilderness, and shortly afterward, witnesses saw the Abyss Order in the exact same location.
It was as if the Abyss Order was searching for the Dragon of the East, closely trailing the path it had left behind.
Acting Grand Master Jean leaned back wearily against her chair and murmured, "Lord Dragon of the East, who has not been seen for so long, you must stay safe."
***
That night.
Eula felt exhausted both in body and mind. Just as she was about to lie down to rest, she caught sight of her cherished collection of letters.
"That detestable Abyss Prince actually gave me a fake address. I'll remember this grudge." Eula's lips puckered into a slight pout.
She lay awake for a long time, only to find she couldn't sleep. She felt an inexplicable sense of emptiness.
Upon closer reflection, she realized that every night for the past few days, she had written a letter and mailed it to the Abyss Prince.
Yet now, it turned out to be nothing more than a fake address, and the recipient was simply a liar.
In the end, Eula sat down and wrote a letter detailing everything that had happened to her today.
She demanded to know why the Abyss Prince had tricked her with a false address.
When she finished writing, she placed the letter into her mailbox, awaiting a new mail carrier to pick it up.
Though, she wasn't even sure if this letter could be delivered anymore.
***
The next day, as soon as Eula woke up, she opened her mailbox almost out of reflex.
Inside, resting quietly, was a letter from the Abyss Prince.