Chapter 141. Transaction
The Abyss moved in silence, yet in the halls of men, every whisper carried the weight of a blade.
"Regarding the intelligence on Scaramouche and Il Dottore, how much do you know?"
Futsu Mitama did not so much as acknowledge Tartaglia's earlier refusal. The matter of the Juvenile Jade was, to him, already settled—if it could be called that. Powerless to intervene, he had left it in Tartaglia's hands. Whether the Harbinger chose theft or trickery was of no concern to him. Such consequences belonged to the Liyue Qixing, not to the Guardian of Eternity.
"Well." Tartaglia stroked his chin, studying Futsu Mitama with a calculating gaze. "This concern two Harbingers. To be frank, I cannot simply reveal intelligence about my colleagues."
A faint smile tugged at his lips. "After all, they are my colleagues. How could I do such a thing?"
The implication was unmistakable.
Kuki Shinobu remained silent, though her thoughts sharpened. The Fatui Harbingers were calamities in human form—Tartaglia, Signora, Scaramouche, Il Dottore—each capable of unsettling an entire nation. Yet unity was foreign to them. Rarely did two move in tandem; disdain and rivalry defined their interactions more than camaraderie ever could. To call them colleagues was generous. A gathering of powerful egos forced beneath one banner was perhaps closer to truth.
"Speak," Futsu Mitama said evenly. "What intelligence do you want?"
He saw through the pretense. The price would rise; the information would not flow freely. Professional integrity, even among the Fatui, had its limits.
Tartaglia's smile widened. He had been waiting for that very invitation.
"Then, regarding the Juvenile—"
"No discussion."
Futsu Mitama rose at once. Beside him, Kuki Shinobu stood as well, her posture making their intent unmistakable.
"Wait, wait." Tartaglia's composure cracked by a fraction. He lifted a placating hand. "No need to be so hasty. I'll handle the Juvenile Jade myself. What truly interests me now—is the Raiden Shogun."
His gaze sharpened. "Why does she so frequently leave Inazuma?"
An Archon who wandered was an anomaly. And anomalies threatened carefully laid designs. After Signora's emergence from that mysterious island, word of the Shogun's appearance had already been transmitted through the Fatui intelligence network. Whatever rivalries the Harbingers indulged in, the mission to seize the Gnosis remained inviolate.
"Oh. That." Futsu Mitama's expression did not shift.
Within the Fatui, it was assumed that each Gnosis remained with its Archon. A Shogun who moved unpredictably introduced variables—dangerous ones.
"That is simple," Futsu Mitama replied. "But you will give me intelligence on Scaramouche and Il Dottore."
Tartaglia laughed, rich and unguarded. Then his tone sobered. "Let's sign a contract."
"Ordinarily, I wouldn't trouble myself over something so minor. But Signora nearly died to your schemes. I think caution is warranted."
He was not wrong. Had the Cryo Archon not intervened, Snezhnaya might now be facing the wrath of the Shades of Time. Even a warrior like Tartaglia understood the gravity of that edge.
A contract was drafted. Kuki Shinobu examined it line by line, her scrutiny meticulous. Only after she gave the slightest nod did Futsu Mitama inscribe his name.
The exchange began.
"Only intelligence limited to Inazuma," Tartaglia said, his tone firm. "They are not confined to one nation. I will not disclose more."
The implication was clear: some secrets lay beyond price. Especially those involving Il Dottore—whose mysteries even fellow Harbingers did not fully grasp. There were whispers of multiple "Dottores," of hidden plans intertwined with the seizure of a Gnosis. Knowledge of such things weighed as heavily as the secret of why the Shogun wandered.
"Very well," Futsu Mitama said.
Tartaglia spoke first.
He detailed Il Dottore's experiments in Inazuma—research into Tatarigami, remnants of fallen gods. Large machines left behind. Orders for soldiers to collect crystal marrow. Scaramouche's attempt to dismantle the Raiden Gokaden. Il Dottore's covert actions four centuries past—top secret, known only to Il Dottore himself, Pierro, and Her Majesty the Tsaritsa.
Futsu Mitama listened without interruption, though a faint crease formed between his brows.
"And now?" he asked at last. "What are they doing in Inazuma?"
"Il Dottore is not there," Tartaglia replied. "Only Scaramouche. Arrogant as ever."
A faint smirk curved his lips. "His targets? You. And Yae Miko of the Grand Narukami Shrine."
"You cost him dearly. An arm. A leg. Il Dottore repaired them—but Scaramouche is not one to forget humiliation."
Then Tartaglia's curiosity surfaced. "Why are you two involved with the Resistance?"
He knew of Inazuma's civil strife. The Resistance had even defeated the Shogunate Army led by Kujou Sara in battle. Yet in his mind, both armies were little more than fractured forces shaped by a decaying political climate. That such a movement could draw the attention of two of the Shogun's retainers was… curious.
"You need not concern yourself with that," Futsu Mitama replied.
How could he explain? That the true legitimacy of Inazuma did not rest solely with Raiden Ei? That it was Raiden Makoto's will that shielded the Resistance? That Yae Miko, Guizhong, and he himself acted not from rebellion—but from a deeper restoration?
Such truths were not for a Harbinger's ears.
Tartaglia did not press further. He finished recounting all known movements in Inazuma. Perhaps Scaramouche and Il Dottore shared deeper schemes—but even the Harbingers were not privy to all secrets. Scaramouche had been elevated by Il Dottore himself. Their alignment was—delicate.
At length, Tartaglia drank his tea, having spoken for over half an hour.
Futsu Mitama reviewed the intelligence silently. Il Dottore might reappear. Scaramouche harbored open hostility. A major Fatui move loomed—timed, perhaps, with the fall of the Resistance. Among the Three Commissions, only Kamisato Ayato warranted caution.
That was sufficient.
"So," Tartaglia said, leaning forward slightly. "Why does the Raiden Shogun leave Inazuma so often?"
Raiden Shogun
"Because of me," Futsu Mitama answered without hesitation.
"I am called the Guardian of Eternity. Within a few years, I am meant to possess the power to safeguard Inazuma's eternity."
His voice remained even.
"But time is short. She will not squander it. Once each week, she guides me personally. I will not disclose when. Only why."
Tartaglia's expression flickered. Then, unmistakably—envy.
A battle with an Archon once a week?
For a warrior like him, it was intoxicating merely to imagine.
Understanding dawned. Talent alone did not explain Futsu Mitama's ascent. To be honed directly by a god—what sharper whetstone could exist?
"I see," Tartaglia said softly.
Then his grin returned, bright and eager. "It's still early. Care to spar?"
The Harbinger's instincts told him the truth. Once, victory might have been within reach. Now? Even with the Tsaritsa's authority, it felt evenly matched.
"No," Futsu Mitama replied.
He and Kuki Shinobu rose.
"There are still matters to attend to in Liyue."
"Alright."
Tartaglia did not add anything further. He rose as well, personally escorting Futsu Mitama out—along with the promised one billion mora.
Outside the VIP chamber of the Northland Bank, he summoned a Fatui clerk to handle the exchange. Before long, several burly agents arrived, bearing twenty large chests. Each was packed to the brim with mora—the metallic weight of one billion ringing faintly with every step.
The financial officers of the bank watched with undisguised anguish. While Tartaglia and the Lady treated mora as an expendable resource, those who balanced the ledgers felt every coin like a blade to the heart. Even if Pentalone was frighteningly efficient at generating revenue, the expenditures of two Harbingers could hollow out vaults faster than they could be refilled.
Futsu Mitama and Kuki Shinobu performed only a cursory verification. The total was correct.
Without hesitation, Futsu Mitama invoked Chakra Desiderata. A radiant gate unfolded in the air—intricate, solemn, unmistakably divine. One by one, the twenty chests vanished into an encrypted group file beyond mortal reach.
Who would carry such a fortune on their person? Even the wealthiest merchant families dedicated entire chambers to their mora reserves.
With the transaction concluded, Futsu Mitama prepared to depart. Yet a thought surfaced.
"By the way," he asked lightly, "has Il Dottore gone to jail yet?"
One of Il Dottore's segments had been meant to surrender himself. Keqing had mentioned nothing recently—though that was hardly surprising. Since Rex Lapis relinquished authority, the burden upon the Liyue Qixing had multiplied tenfold.
"He has been busy," Tartaglia replied, lips curving faintly. "He went obediently."
"But he struck a deal. The Qixing allow him to craft small devices in prison. In exchange, every creation belongs to them. And he signed—an impressive number of contracts forbidding dangerous experimentation."
Tartaglia's amusement surfaced openly. "You could say they barely saved him from his own death wish."
Futsu Mitama allowed himself a faint smile. To see Il Dottore constrained—even partially—was satisfying.
They exchanged a look of shared understanding. No further words were necessary.
Soon after, Futsu Mitama and Kuki Shinobu departed for the Guiyan Assembly.
From Tartaglia's account, Scaramouche's alliance with the Tenryou Commission had always been aimed at Futsu Mitama and Yae Miko. Now that both had left Inazuma, his fury redirected itself toward the Resistance—a warning, perhaps. Return within a month, or the Resistance would be eradicated.
Yet Futsu Mitama sensed deeper currents. If Scaramouche knew that the Electro Gnosis rested with Yae Miko, then the situation was far more delicate. Il Dottore's ambiguous relationship with Scaramouche further complicated matters.
Still, one conclusion crystallized: upon their return to Inazuma, Scaramouche's focus would shift. Not to the Resistance.
To them.
And when that moment came, reckoning would follow.
—
The Guiyan Assembly remained as lively as ever. Customers flowed in steady streams; voices rose and fell in animated negotiation. What had once been a quiet establishment now thrived beyond expectation.
The Shopkeeper's Daughter hurried between patrons with practiced ease.
Upon noticing Futsu Mitama and Kuki Shinobu at the entrance, her eyes widened.
"You're back already?! Didn't you go to Mondstadt? It hasn't even been half a month!"
Her astonishment was genuine. She had been managing the shop while diligently collecting forging materials on his behalf. To her, Futsu Mitama was a benefactor. Without him—and without the Primo Geovishap scale—the Lord of Geo would never have named Guiyan Assembly again.
The endorsement alone had transformed the shop's fortunes. In mere days, profits soared into the hundreds of millions. Praise from the Lord of Geo carried weight beyond measure.
"Something came up," Futsu Mitama said simply.
She did not press further. Instead, she dashed into the backroom.
Moments later she returned, cheeks flushed, arms laden with two heavy bundles.
"These are two full sets of materials," she explained between breaths. "Better to have a spare. If forging fails once, you won't need to start over from scratch."
Inside were carefully sorted ores and components—materials difficult to obtain, some originating from The Chasm itself.
Since its sealing, procurement had grown exponentially harder. Mora alone could not conjure such goods. Connections, persuasion, and no small amount of personal credibility had been required.
"Unfortunately, I couldn't secure a bloodjade branch," she added with regret. "Ningguang needs them herself."
"You'll have to rely on your own ability for that."
Futsu Mitama felt genuine gratitude. Two full forging attempts—an invaluable margin of error.
"Thank you," he said sincerely.
She waved it off. The shop's current prosperity owed much to him. Fame and fortune had arrived together; preparing additional materials was only proper reciprocity.
Before he left, she added quickly, "If you find anything like that Primo Geovishap scale again, bring it to me. Don't sell it elsewhere!"
He smiled and promised.
"There is something I wish to sell," he said at last. "But it cannot be bought with mora."
Her eyes brightened with curiosity—but he did not reveal it.
With dusk approaching, he and Kuki Shinobu took their leave, intending to dine at Wanmin Restaurant before returning home to rest.
The Shopkeeper's Daughter waved them off, adding that they should bring Aila next time.
For reasons Futsu Mitama could not quite decipher, she seemed particularly fond of Aila.
He narrowed his eyes slightly.
That—would require vigilance.
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