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The three of them came to a clearing and sat down on a large boulder to rest.
"Hey… Shajin, why did you leave it up to a Mora toss in the end?"
Paimon blinked her large eyes curiously, her gaze sparkling like a pair of radiant gemstones.
Beside her, Lumine also looked over with curiosity, her eyes tinged with a hint of confusion, as if asking, "Why would you do that?"
Shajin sprawled lazily across the stone without a care for appearances, stretching like a languid cat before replying.
"Everyone's got their little secrets. You're no exception, right, Paimon?"
Paimon pouted and shook her head quickly. "Paimon doesn't have any secrets, okay~"
A sly smile crept onto Shajin's lips, a glint of mischief in his eyes as he chuckled. "Oh? Is that so?"
"The wind brings the seeds of stories, and time lets them sprout…" His teasing tone seemed to be toying with Paimon on purpose.
"Eh? That sounds just like something Venti would say." Lumine's eyes lit up with recognition.
Cold sweat formed on Paimon's forehead as she silently groaned.
She couldn't figure out why Shajin kept teasing her like this—nor whether he actually knew her "secret."
"Seriously, Shajin, what does that have to do with Paimon's secrets anyway?"
Her voice carried a hint of urgency, as if trying to defend herself.
But Shajin only smiled and didn't answer.
"Haha, let's just say it doesn't~"
He got up and stretched again, like a cat waking from a nap. His demeanor was relaxed and confident, as if he had everything under control.
Just then, Rosalyne walked in. Her eyes shimmered with pride, lips curled into a cocky smirk, radiating that unrestrained arrogance of hers.
"So this is where you were? Took me long enough to find you."
There was a note of annoyance in her voice, but it was outweighed by smug satisfaction.
"Congratulations on being reborn, Rosalyne. Still not ready to take off that robe?"
Shajin's tone was laced with mockery as his gaze fell on her white robe, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
Rosalyne rolled her eyes with a trace of disdain.
Clearly, she didn't care about his teasing.
"I just wanted… someone to witness it, that's all…"
The latter part was so quiet that even with Shajin's sharp hearing, he couldn't catch it.
"What was that?" he asked, confused.
"Hehe, nothing at all~" Rosalyne replied with a soft laugh.
Suddenly, flames burst from her body, and the white robe turned to ash. Beneath it, her familiar uniform returned—her Fatui officer's coat draped regally over her shoulders.
Rosalyne fastened her half-mask, the eye beneath it gleaming with defiant brilliance.
The girl who once loved to sing had vanished along with the robe in those flames.
What emerged was the Eighth Harbinger of the Fatui—The Fair Lady—Rosalyne-Kruzchka-Lohefalter.
...
"By the way, Lumine, where are we headed next?"
Having descended the snowy mountain, Paimon eagerly asked, chirping like a restless bird.
"Let me think~" Lumine rubbed her chin thoughtfully.
"It should be…"
Just as she was about to answer, she paused and withdrew the words, as if tucking her thoughts away deep inside.
Shajin noticed and waved it off. "No need to worry about me. You're heading to Liyue next, right?"
"The Harbinger stationed there is… quite an interesting person."
"Your 'interesting' is probably not a good thing!" Lumine puffed her cheeks and shot back.
"Haha, who knows~"
"Oh, right—be sure to send my regards to them."
Lumine blinked. "Them?"
Shajin just smiled. "You'll find out soon enough~"
"What are you two up to now?" Paimon fluttered around in the air.
Shajin pointed at the Anemo Archon's Gnosis that Rosalyne was idly toying with.
"We're heading back to Snezhnaya to report to Her Majesty."
Then, he handed each of them a Mora.
"Consider this a parting gift. But I'm sure we'll be seeing each other again very soon."
With that, Shajin and Rosalyne turned and left, his figure towering as it faded into the cold wind.
...
On the ship, Shajin stared blankly as Rosalyne toyed with the Anemo Archon's heart like it was some kind of crown.
"Hey Rosalyne, you hungry?" Shajin asked with a grin.
"No." Her expression darkened.
"I am." He rubbed his stomach.
"Oh."
"I win~" Shajin chuckled.
Ignoring the vein popping on Rosalyne's forehead, he strolled to the bow of the ship.
"Lord Gambler!" a fatui agent on duty saluted respectfully.
"Mm." Shajin gave a nonchalant reply.
He raised his index finger and pointed toward the sea.
Everyone looked on in confusion—until a thread shot out like an arrow from a bow.
Moments later, a massive fish—about a quarter the size of the ship—surfaced. Under everyone's stunned gaze, Shajin reeled it in with his thread, dragging it aboard until it took up most of the deck.
He stroked his chin. This should be enough food for the journey home, right?
With a flick of his hands, he conjured a pair of sharp ice blades and expertly began to descale and debone the fish.
"Hey Rosalyne, lend me some fire!" Shajin called toward the chessboard where she was seated.
"Adventurine! You jerk, is my fire something you can use for cooking?!" she snapped.
Despite her tone, she obediently lit a flame.
"Rosalyne, not too hot—don't burn it!" Shajin called out loudly.
He watched her flames carefully, a little worried.
After all, he'd worked so hard to catch this fish. If it got charred, that'd be a real shame.
"Tch, I know how to control fire, okay?" Rosalyne grumbled.
Despite her words, she adjusted her flames with great care to avoid overcooking it.
A few years ago, Shajin had secretly picked up some grilled fish techniques from Ningguang's household. Who would've thought they'd come in handy now?
He'd quietly observed Ningguang's precise control of heat and timing. Now it was finally his turn to put that knowledge to use.
As time passed, the fish began to emit a mouthwatering aroma.
Shajin took a deep breath, savoring the rich, tantalizing scent.
"Almost ready." He clapped his hands.
"Someone bring the seasoning and the tableware."
"Yes, sir!"
In seconds, plates, forks, and spices were brought over.
Shajin sliced off some portions, sprinkled them with seasoning, and kept the rest sealed in ice for preservation.
"Alright, give it a try."
Rosalyne didn't stand on ceremony—she grabbed some and started eating.
The Fatui agents glanced at each other.
For them, simply working under a Harbinger was already an honor. Eating grilled fish made by one? That was beyond imagination.
"If I tell you to eat, then eat. Anyone who doesn't—goes overboard and feeds the fish." Shajin swept his gaze across them.
"YES, SIR!!!"
_
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