Alfonso, whose real name is Trophim Snezhevich, comes from the House of the Hearth orphanage run by The Knave.
As one of the few young people in Vimara Village, he arrived alone several years ago and settled there. With his warm, kind, and gentle personality, he became the beloved older brother in the hearts of many children in Vimara Village.
Unfortunately, even though the simple folk customs of Vimara Village soothed his wounded heart, he was still a child who would never truly belong to the forest.
His mission, under the command of Dottore, was to capture the Aranara.
One of Dottore's research topics was to study the connection between the Aranara, dreams, and the Withering, and to weaponize dreams and the Withering.
However, since adults cannot see the Aranara, to achieve this goal, Alfonso used his position in the hearts of the children to repeatedly entice the village children to go out and play. Covertly, he directed the Fatui to deliberately abduct children from Vimara Village, attempting to lure out the Aranara this way.
It was precisely because of this that Rana, desperate to save the children, rushed into the Withering without a Vision, rescuing the children but becoming afflicted by the Withering herself.
To save Rana, all the subsequent stories of the Aranyaka came to be.
It can be said that Alfonso was the culprit behind the Aranyaka quest!
The contradiction between his identity and his actions often made Alfonso appear preoccupied.
On one hand, there was the House of the Hearth he was loyal to; on the other, there were the villagers of Vimara Village who treated him as true family and the children who saw him as their own older brother. Such actions caused him immense torment.
Especially on a night of village-wide celebration like this, as Alfonso watched the villagers who had already had their fill of drink, he felt incredibly lonely. He felt that only his smile was not genuine, that it was false.
As Alfonso continued to drink in silence, a very familiar yet extremely serious voice appeared behind him: "Alfonso, can we talk alone?"
Alfonso turned his head and saw the golden-haired Traveler who had been frequently appearing near Vimara Village recently. Seeing the undisguised scrutiny in her eyes, Alfonso forced himself to calm down and deliberately asked, "Oh, it's the Traveler. Is there something you need?"
Lumine said without hesitation, "I want to discuss the bad person lurking in Vimara Village with you."
Upon hearing this reply, a complex expression appeared on Alfonso's face.
First, there was shock at the Traveler, then fear of his mission's failure. Finally, he looked at the wine glass in his hand and hesitated for a moment. Then, as if he had made a decision, he decisively drained the wine, stood up, and calmly looked at Lumine, saying, "Let's go."
Alfonso led Lumine to a quiet, elevated spot in Vimara Village. He gazed at this small village where he had been undercover for many years, filled with memories and reluctance to leave.
Alfonso: "When did you start suspecting me?"
Lumine: "Does it matter?"
Lumine's rhetorical question made Alfonso pause, then he chuckled, "Indeed, it doesn't matter. As a spy, the biggest fear is arousing suspicion. In such a situation, there are only two choices: one is to retreat quickly, and the other is to make the person who suspects me disappear forever.
Unfortunately, I don't believe I have the strength to eliminate the renowned Traveler, and the failure of my mission would bring shame to my brothers and sisters. So, at this moment, I have no other choice."
Lumine: "Who exactly are you?"
Alfonso: "Me? The name my blood relatives gave me has been lost in the ice and snow. The name the House of the Hearth bestowed upon me is Trophim Snezhevich."
Upon hearing this familiar surname, a look of surprise appeared on Lumine's face.
Seeing the change in Lumine's expression, Alfonso said self-deprecatingly, "Judging by your reaction, it seems you have some idea. You must have met my brothers and sisters.
Ah, don't tell me who you met, and don't tell me about their situation. If they revealed their identities to you, and if they are well, then they must have betrayed Her Majesty. If they have perished... I don't want to hear such news either."
Lumine: "It seems you are truly loyal to the House of the Hearth and to the Fatui. To complete your mission, you didn't hesitate to have your accomplices abduct children from the village to lure out the Aranara. And they treated you like their own older brother. Do you think you are worthy of the trust of the Vimara Village residents by doing this?"
A hint of pain appeared on Alfonso's face: "No, I am different from ordinary Fatui. I still have feelings for Vimara Village.
I only wanted to complete my mission without Rana and the children getting hurt. I repeatedly warned them not to harm them, but unfortunately, they did not follow my orders.
Not only did they fail to capture the Aranara, but they also put Rana in danger. It was the biggest blunder!
If I hadn't grown up in the House of the Hearth and become a spy stationed in Vimara Village, if I had been born in Vimara Village, that would have been wonderful."
Lumine snorted: "Since you've already done these things, saying this is meaningless."
Alfonso: "I understand, I'm just regretting it. Well, it's come to this, what are you going to do with me?"
Lumine: "Arana and I have a promise to bring the bad guy to justice!"
Alfonso chuckled, "The fate suitable for a villain, I've already seen it. But I won't sit idly by. Even if you are the renowned Traveler, even if there's no chance of winning, I will fight with all my might, because I am evil within good, poison within medicine, a wolf among lambs, mercury in a golden cup... My name is Snezhevich, come!"
"Oh? Quite courageous, but unfortunately, it's a trapped beast's struggle."
Just as the two of them were about to fight, a teasing voice came from behind them; it was Miyashiro.
Lumine was very surprised by Miyashiro's arrival: "Miyashiro, why are you here?"
Alfonso: "Hmph, the Regent of Inazuma?"
Miyashiro: "You, who are usually inseparable from Paimon, deliberately left her alone. I found it suspicious, so I followed you. I didn't expect to actually witness such a good show.
I never thought I'd find a Fatui spy who had been undercover for several years in this small, insignificant village. I thought you rats would be lurking in Sumeru City or Port Ormos. No, perhaps there are rats lurking in those two cities as well.
Sorry, Lumine, this person is still useful to me. I can't kill him for now. Besides, the Inazuma Delegation has just arrived in Vimara Village, and if a local villager goes missing, it could cause unnecessary trouble for us."
Seeing that Miyashiro was completely ignoring his presence, Alfonso grabbed the short blade in his hand and charged towards Miyashiro.
Miyashiro merely glanced back, his crimson Sharingan strikingly clear in the dark night.
The next moment, Alfonso's eyes lost their light, and he stood still, dazed.
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