Undercover in Snezhnaya, My Teyvat Spy Life [8]

The battle beneath the oak had grown more and more intense.

Artem Vetrovski’s speed and power were nothing short of astonishing.

But Eula was no pushover.

The third time Artem managed to get up close, she unleashed a torrent of Cryo energy she’d been holding back, catching a rare opening.

Her greatsword and his ceremonial dagger clashed head-on.

Though she was still forced back a few steps, the Cryo energy clung to Artem, abruptly slowing his ghostlike movements.

For the first time, Eula could truly track him with her elemental sight.

Seizing the momentum, she swung her claymore—[Song of Broken Pines]—with a storm of attacks.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

Steel rang against steel, over and over.

Unlike the classical sword techniques passed down by the Knights of Favonius, Eula’s style was a noble variant, reworked by the Lawrence clan—much fiercer and more aggressive.

Once she gained the upper hand, her blows came crashing down like waves, relentless and unending.

That oversized greatsword, nearly as tall as an adult, was a true advantage now. Every strike thundered with power, each one forcing Artem’s short dagger to its limits, metal groaning in protest.

Seeing this, the previously gloomy Lawrence clan members were instantly energized, cheering as if their house was about to reclaim all of Mondstadt.

Even some ordinary citizens began to join in the applause.

They might have hated the Lawrences, but between them and a foreigner like Artem, they’d rather see Mondstadt’s Eula win.

Among the Knights, Jean looked quietly relieved, and even Diluc and Kaeya shared a smile. Only Varka and Ilok watched with tense faces.

Eroch’s worry was simple—if Artem got hurt, the Fatui’s plans would fall apart.

Varka, though, saw things differently. As Mondstadt’s greatest swordsman, he spotted the hidden danger in Eula’s all-out assault—and the lack of effort in Artem’s defense.

Suddenly, both men spoke at once: “Not good!”

Eula let out a triumphant cry:

“[Glacial Illumination]!”

A sheen of ice covered her sword.

With a mighty swing, she unleashed a deluge of Cryo power. An icy shortsword materialized in the air, hovering over her shoulder.

Her attacks now flowed like quicksilver—every slash drained a bit of the ice coating from her greatsword, channeling the elemental power into the floating blade.

A few seconds later, the ice on her sword was gone, and the shortsword above her burst into a giant sword longer than a man, plunging down toward Artem from above.

Faced with such overwhelming force, it was unclear whether Artem was shocked or just pretending to be, but he stood motionless.

Seeing this, Eula’s face changed at once.

She was proud of her move, but she knew exactly how deadly it was.

Not even the top Knights would dare take a blow like that head-on, much less a “Debt Collector.”

Beating a foreign envoy was one thing.

Killing one was something else entirely!

In a panic, Eula dropped her sword and shouted, “Get out of the way!”

“Appreciate the concern.”

A mocking voice sounded right next to her ear.

Eula startled.

The giant sword smashed down, sending tremors through the earth.

But there was no spray of blood and bone—only a fading afterimage.

“[Blade Ablaze].”

At the sound of those words, Eula’s heart dropped.

Without realizing, she’d been surrounded by six afterimages.

The perfect setup for a Debt Collector’s ultimate move.

From there, the outcome was already decided.

[Blade Ablaze] was complete. Eula lost, utterly and completely.

The razor-edged dagger struck her six times, leaving her unable to fight any longer.

In the end, Artem pressed the blade to her throat, announcing his victory to the crowd.

A moment ago, Mondstadt’s citizens and the Lawrence clan had been roaring with excitement. Now, not a sound could be heard.

The Lawrences, in particular—just seconds ago cheering—now slumped in defeat, faces ashen.

“Not bad,” Artem said, sheathing his dagger with a small smile.

“But unfortunately, you still can’t have your vengeance.”

Eula sat in the dirt, lips trembling, so thoroughly beaten that her eyes glistened with unshed tears.

“When did you…?”

“When did I slip your attack?”

“That’s right.”

“Let’s see…” Artem pretended to think it over, “Probably right when you used [Glacial Illumination]. I stood there watching you swing at the air for quite a while.”

“…”

Eula was speechless.

Only now did she realize the gulf between their strength was like heaven and earth.

Utter defeat. I have nothing to say.

Artem stretched, dusting off invisible dirt, then shot a cheeky wink at Varka.

“Hey, Grand Master—is it official? I won?”

Varka felt his skin crawl at the sight, but had to keep a stern face. “Yes. You won.”

“What’s my prize, then?”

“P-prize? What prize?” Varka was bewildered.

“Hey, come on—this is how you do things in Mondstadt? In Snezhnaya, the winner of a duel always gets a reward.”

“That might be how it is in Snezhnaya, but not here!”

“Cheh. Tight-fisted Mondstadters.”

With a casual dig, Artem swaggered away.

---

The result of the fight spread through Mondstadt in no time.

This time, the public’s anger fell squarely on Eula.

Everyone blamed the Lawrence clan’s “useless” descendant for shaming all of Mondstadt.

But since Artem didn’t stir up any trouble this time, even the Knights avoided arguing for once.

Varka finally had a moment to check on Eula, making sure she wasn’t too shaken, and then made his way to the Church of Favonius.

He gave his reason as visiting Bishop Seamus, but in truth, he headed straight for the bishop’s office.

Waiting for him there wasn’t Bishop Seamus—

—but Sister Rosaria.

“New assignment already, Grand Master?” Rosaria lounged against a desk, playing with a throwing knife.

“In two days, that brat is going to make his move.”

“Oh, so soon?”

Rosaria put the knife away, the lazy look in her eyes sharpening.

“He’s found a chance to catch Crepus and Diluc alone?”

Varka nodded. “Exactly. In two days, Crepus will host a banquet at Dawn Winery for Diluc as heir. Kaeya won’t be there.”

“I’d planned for Jean and Eula to help, but after today, just the three of them—Jean, Eula, and Diluc—won’t be enough.”

“He’s really that strong?” Rosaria raised an eyebrow.

“You didn’t go to Windrise this morning, did you?”

“I was catching up on sleep.”

“Well, there you have it. He beat Eula without breaking a sweat.”

Rosaria instantly remembered that night when Artem had deliberately surrendered.

Little brat…

She knew Eula’s skill—she didn’t even think she could beat her herself.

Yet Artem had crushed her with ease.

Just how had the kid, who three years ago didn’t even have a [Vision], gotten this strong?
Even overdosing on power-ups wouldn’t work that fast…

Varka’s voice interrupted her thoughts.

“You and Albedo should go too. You two operate in the shadows, Jean and Eula in the open. With Diluc as well, the five of you should be enough.”

“All right. Understood.”

---

T/N: poor Eula :(((

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!