Sigh~
The autumn geese, once separated, are hard to reunite,
The infatuated man, consumed by resentment and madness,
All because...
At Heyu Tea House, a young man with a calm and reserved demeanor sat in the front row VIP seat, savoring a cup of premium Jueyun Chazhou tea. From time to time, he would comment on the singing, vocal techniques, and performance style of Ms. Yun on stage.
"You're here." Just as the young man was pondering the phrase "all because" in the lyrics, a silver-haired figure appeared beside him without warning, pulling out a chair unceremoniously and sitting down with his legs crossed.
"Yes." The newcomer was none other than Yun Fan. Hearing Zhongli's words, he didn't react much, simply giving a light hum in response.
"You left the Dendro Archon of Sumeru in Liyue?" Zhongli asked, seemingly casually, his eyes still fixed on Yun Jin performing on stage.
"Yes. In a couple of days, I'll be accompanying Lumine to Inazuma. Griseo might get a bit bored alone, so I left her here. During this time, she'll be Griseo's playmate," Yun Fan poured himself a cup of tea, but unlike Zhongli's elegant sipping, he downed it in one gulp.
"You're not planning to take her with you?" Zhongli frowned slightly. To be honest, although Griseo's mindset was that of a child and unlikely to cause any trouble, her strength was undeniably at the level of an Archon.
With Yun Fan in Liyue, he could keep an eye on Griseo, ensuring nothing unexpected happened. But if he left, wouldn't that responsibility fall on Zhongli? Moreover, he had also left the Dendro Archon in Liyue. If Sumeru made any moves, Zhongli would have to step in to handle it.
Sigh, and he had just retired.
"As for Griseo, I did consider taking her to Inazuma. But given the Raiden Shogun's stubborn personality, who knows what might happen? So, I'll wait until I've settled things there before bringing her over."
"Hmm... Your reasoning makes sense," Zhongli nodded, agreeing with Yun Fan's explanation.
Since the Cataclysm 500 years ago, the Seven Archons had never gathered again. Although there had been no news of a change in the Electro Archon, it was likely that after the death of Baal, the one ruling Inazuma now was the Shogun.
The Shogun was a pure warrior, formidable in combat and among the top of the Archons. But when it came to governing... well, it's better not to mention it.
"When do you plan to go to Inazuma?"
"Let me think... I'll probably leave soon. Last time, Lumine arrived in Liyue before me. This time, I'll head to Inazuma ahead of her," Yun Fan stroked his chin, giving a somewhat vague timeline.
"Can you still call yourself her travel companion?" Zhongli shook his head helplessly. If you claim to be a travel companion, shouldn't you face the journey's challenges together? Why are you splitting up? I, Zhongli, cannot understand this.
"Haha, I have my reasons. No need to worry about that. By the way, I just noticed—where's your 'Tartaglia Wallet'?" Yun Fan suddenly remembered Tartaglia. No wonder he felt something was missing—Tartaglia, Zhongli's good buddy, wasn't here.
"Tartaglia has returned to Snezhnaya to report. By now, he's probably already met the Tsaritsa. The Cryo Archon has promised to withdraw all Fatui soldiers from Liyue, leaving only a few diplomats as envoys. She's also agreed to pay 10 billion Mora in compensation and provide a large amount of Snezhnaya's unique resources."
"Is that so? Tartaglia's quite valuable, huh."
———
"Your Majesty, I implore you to strip Tartaglia of his position as a Harbinger and appoint someone more suitable!" In the grand hall of the Zapolyarny Palace, Pantalone knelt on one knee, speaking in a grave tone as he advised the Tsaritsa.
His heart was bleeding. Tartaglia had not only cost him over 10 billion Mora but also caused the Northland Bank's reputation in Liyue to plummet, severely damaging its credibility.
The 10 billion Mora wasn't the biggest issue—he could earn it back in about half a month with some overtime. The real problem was the Northland Bank's loss of credibility in Liyue. The Tianquan, Ningguang, had seized the opportunity to establish the Liyue Bank, directly competing with them.
Tartaglia's attempt to seize the body of Rex Lapis had led to him being beaten up by the adepti at the Northland Bank.
This incident had spread throughout Liyue, and the devout followers of Rex Lapis vowed never to deposit their money in the Northland Bank again.
It wouldn't be long before the Northland Bank withdrew from Liyue's financial market. And Liyue was the wealthiest region in all of Teyvat. Once the Northland Bank left, the losses would amount to trillions of Mora!
"This... it shouldn't come to that," Tartaglia scratched his head awkwardly, then turned to his fellow Harbingers.
"What do you all think?"
Tartaglia's question was met with silence. Just as the atmosphere grew increasingly awkward, Pierro opened his cloudy yet sharp eyes. Behind his half-mask, he wore an expression that seemed to say, 'Do you really need to ask, Tartaglia?'
"Ahem, sigh, it's my fault. Your Majesty, Tartaglia, the 11th Harbinger, is willing to resign from his position and accept punishment. But I beg Your Majesty to spare my siblings and not involve my family. I will bear all the consequences alone," Tartaglia sighed, kneeling on one knee like Pantalone. Realizing he couldn't talk his way out of this, he chose to resign voluntarily.
"Tartaglia, rise. I pardon you," just as Tartaglia awaited judgment, the Tsaritsa spoke, her words shocking all the Harbingers present.
"Your Majesty! Why...?" Pantalone was stunned, looking at the Tsaritsa in disbelief. He couldn't understand why she would pardon Tartaglia after he had caused such losses to the Fatui.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Tartaglia stood up joyfully, expressing his gratitude to the Tsaritsa. He then shot a provocative look at Pantalone, making the latter grit his teeth in frustration.
"Pantalone, Tartaglia's failure to retrieve the Gnosis was within my expectations. Not long ago, I made a contract with Morax, and Tartaglia helped me fulfill it perfectly. Therefore, he is innocent."
Wait! Her Majesty knew I wouldn't retrieve the Gnosis? And I helped her fulfill a contract? Could it be... I was played by three gods?! Tartaglia felt like he had stumbled upon something monumental.
Hearing the Tsaritsa's words, Pantalone, though still resentful, could only swallow his frustration and bear the losses alone.
"Giggle..." Seeing the usually confident banker looking so defeated, Columbina covered her delicate cherry-like lips with her hand, letting out a melodious laugh without restraint.
Beside her, Sandrone also shook her head with a smile. "Ridiculous."
"Tch!" Hearing their mockery, Pantalone clenched his teeth, his face darkening as he retreated to his position.