Chapter 160. Ningguang and Arlecchino
Facing Tartaglia's suspicion, Arlecchino didn't say much, because she… indeed had other motives.
After all, three months ago, during a meeting in Snezhnaya, Her Majesty the Tsaritsa had said that this was a confidential mission, and the contract with the Geo Archon could not be known by Tartaglia.
If he knew, the contract would become invalid.
The solution was either to replace the executor, or not to say anything more to the Geo Archon and directly announce that they would not fulfill the contract.
Signora, who originally took over this project, had already returned to Mondstadt in spirit, and her funeral had already been held in Snezhnaya.
Signora's subordinates were also disbanded and integrated under other Harbingers.
Arlecchino also spent some effort gathering Signora's elite and capable subordinates, such as the pair of Electro Cicin Mage sisters.
These Electro Cicin Mage sisters were not weak in strength. As those who frequently followed Signora, they were very strong in both combat ability and intelligence gathering.
It could be said that Signora highly valued this pair of sisters, basically taking them wherever she went.
Unfortunately, Signora did not take them with her when she went to Sumeru.
If she had taken them, then her fate might still be undecided.
Because in Signora's view at the time, she was just going to deliver a message; why would there be so many complications?
She still had to scheme for The Anemo Gnosis in Mondstadt.
So she sent all her elite and capable subordinates to Mondstadt, but she never expected Dottore to act selfishly and keep her there.
Originally, Signora didn't care, just helping Dottore with a few things. Once this matter was dealt with, she would leave.
Later, the crucial intelligence revealed by Dottore, which was Futsu Mitama carrying The Anemo Gnosis, completely tied Signora down in Sumeru.
At this point, it was too late for Signora to summon her subordinates.
This is also why it's not unfair to say that Dottore was responsible for Signora's death. If it weren't for him, Signora might still be alive now.
It was because of Dottore's selfishness that Signora died. Her elite subordinates, far away in Mondstadt, were utterly bewildered and couldn't believe that Lady Signora had passed away just like that.
As Arlecchino took over Signora's affairs, she also worked for three months to get everything in order.
That is to say, she not only had to deal with matters in Snezhnaya but also in Fontaine and Mondstadt.
Now that everything was handled, she finally arrived in Liyue just before the Rite of Descension began, ready to meet Rex Lapis.
"No matter what you think, I am indeed not interested in what you are doing."
Arlecchino looked at Tartaglia and said lightly.
"Because you also know that I have put a lot of effort into solving Fontaine's Prophecy. My children have also done many things for my [selfishness]. According to intelligence, there is an Oceanid in Qingce Village, Liyue, and that is my target."
Hearing Arlecchino's words, some of the suspicion in Tartaglia's eyes diminished.
Because although she was indeed crazy, Arlecchino was relatively rational when it came to Fontaine, the nation where she was born.
Tartaglia also knew a little about the Oceanid in Qingce Village. It was said that the Oceanid had an excellent relationship with the local people of Liyue.
So, to prevent Arlecchino's [craziness] from affecting his plan, Tartaglia still spoke up.
"Be careful, don't confront the people of Qingce Village. That place is a taboo for the people of Liyue. If you act there, it will cause very bad things to happen."
Having stayed in Liyue for so long, Tartaglia also understood that this place was different from Snezhnaya.
The people of Liyue had an unimaginable tolerance for women, the elderly, and children.
Qingce Village was a gathering place for women, the elderly, and children.
Simply put, if you attacked Liyue Harbor, it would at most be an adversarial relationship. But if you attacked Qingce Village, it would be an endless feud.
"Don't worry, I understand your concerns."
Arlecchino smiled, said nothing more, and strode out of the Northland Bank.
She came simply to tell Tartaglia that she would be acting in Liyue. As for other matters, she had no intention of elaborating.
Her schedule remained busy, as after meeting her colleague, she would have to face the troublesome Liyue Qixing.
Arlecchino looked up at the Jade Chamber high in the sky, and a thought flashed through her mind.
What would happen if, when the prophecy arrived, their Fontaine had a facility like the Jade Chamber?
"Fatui Harbinger—The Knave, Lady Ningguang requests your presence."
Just as Arlecchino was thinking, a gentle voice came from the side.
Ganyu, the Secretary of the Qixing, appeared on a nearby eaves, looking down at Arlecchino, her expression very calm.
"…"
At this moment, two Electro Cicin Mages appeared beside Arlecchino. Their gazes were somewhat hostile as they stared at Ganyu.
Looking down at their Harbinger from above, even if the other party was the Secretary of the Liyue Qixing, wasn't this too presumptuous?!
"Alright, this is just a normal invitation."
Arlecchino told the two Electro Cicin Mages not to make any drastic moves.
As Signora's right-hand women, after Arlecchino took in the sisters, they had always wanted to prove their worth.
After all, they knew that while they were Lady Signora's right-hand women, they were not Lady The Knave's right-hand women.
To gain Lady The Knave's attention, they had to show sufficient value.
Therefore, upon hearing Arlecchino's words, the two Electro Cicin Mages retracted their hostile gazes and stood obediently behind her.
Ganyu didn't pay attention to any of this. She looked at Arlecchino and slowly said.
"Please follow me."
Saying this, Ganyu jumped down from the eaves, landed in front of Arlecchino, and then led her towards the Jade Chamber.
Along the way, Arlecchino also remained silent, calmly following beside Ganyu.
Soon, under Ganyu's guidance, Arlecchino and the two Electro Cicin Mages arrived at the Jade Chamber.
"You must be the Fatui Harbinger, Lady The Knave, correct?"
Upon arriving at the Jade Chamber, Ningguang's maid walked over, looked at Arlecchino, and said.
"Lady Ningguang has been waiting for you for a long time. Please follow me."
Saying this, the maid took over Ganyu's task, leading Arlecchino and her two subordinates deeper into the Jade Chamber.
As for Ganyu, she quietly remained in place, her gaze fixed on the distance.
'?'
Arlecchino felt a bit strange, because this was different from the intelligence. This Secretary of the Qixing should be very talkative.
Why, after meeting her, did the other party not say a single word, as if she had something on her mind?
Although it was a bit strange, Arlecchino didn't dwell on it, as it had nothing to do with her. Her next goal was naturally to deal with Tianquan Ningguang.
From the intelligence, this person was not as easy to deal with as Tartaglia.
—
Arriving in the Jade Chamber's reception room, Ningguang had already been sitting there waiting for a long time. Besides her… there was also a purple-haired girl sitting there.
'KeQing, the Yuheng Star.'
Arlecchino immediately recognized the identity of this purple-haired girl upon seeing her.
She was precisely Ke Qing, the Yuheng Star, who, during the last Rite of Descension, advocated for the start of a new era for Liyue.
She was a bold and thoughtful individual who advocated for an era of co-existence between humans and Adeptus, and single-handedly abolished the era of Adeptus in Liyue.
Arlecchino greatly admired Keqing, because her vision was brilliant. On one hand, it greatly increased the rights of [humans], and on the other, shared the responsibilities of the [Adeptus].
This made the relationship between humans and Adeptus closer. This situation reminded Arlecchino of the Melusines in current Fontaine.
And… the Chief Justice, Lord Neuvillette.
So Arlecchino admired Keqing, thinking her decision was excellent, and at the same time, she marveled at Liyue having such a wise Archon.
Whereas the Archon of their Fontaine seemed so—
"This should be our first meeting, correct?"
Ningguang smiled warmly at Arlecchino. She stood up and said to her.
"Fatui Harbinger, Fourth of the Eleven, The Knave. I hope you will be more disciplined than Signora and Dottore. What those two did in Liyue has completely put them on the blacklist."
Keqing didn't speak, just calmly looked at Arlecchino, without any expression.
Arlecchino also knew that the people of Liyue did not welcome the Fatui Harbingers.
It was simple; everyone knew what Dottore and Signora had done in Liyue.
Tartaglia had also put in a great deal of effort and spent much Mora to barely reconcile with Liyue.
With the "good examples" of the previous two Harbingers, and being the Fourth of the Eleven Fatui Harbingers herself.
Arlecchino naturally knew that she wouldn't receive a warm welcome in Liyue, but pleasantries still had to be exchanged. Otherwise, being too silent would likely prevent her plan from unfolding.
"Naturally."
Arlecchino smiled slightly, looking directly at Ningguang, and slowly said.
"My purpose in coming to Liyue is very simple: to meet the Oceanid of Qingce Village. I believe you must have heard of the prophecy and legends concerning Fontaine, correct?"
Ningguang nodded slightly, indicating that she knew about Fontaine's Prophecy and legends.
In fact, upon learning of Arlecchino's visit to Liyue, the Liyue Qixing held another meeting.
They gathered as much intelligence as possible on her, speculating about her true purpose in coming to Liyue.
During that meeting, the Liyue Qixing deduced one of Arlecchino's purposes.
That was to resolve Fontaine's Prophecy, which was why she came to Liyue.
As for her other objectives, there was too little information to deduce anything.
Gathering intelligence on a Fatui Harbinger, beyond what was publicly available, was exceedingly difficult.
But the Liyue Qixing also had their own methods to restrict Arlecchino, preventing her from causing trouble in Liyue.
"If you know, then it's easy."
Arlecchino, seeing that Ningguang was aware of the matter, repeated the same explanation she gave to Tartaglia, to Ningguang and Keqing.
Simply put, she came to Liyue to do nothing out of line, only wishing to meet the Oceanid of Qingce Village and resolve Fontaine's Prophecy.
As for other purposes, Arlecchino jokingly stated that she had no other business in Liyue besides her main objective, except perhaps to admire Liyue's beautiful scenery.
And to meet some legendary figures in Liyue Harbor: Mr. Zhongli, who knows everything, Xiangling, the little chef of Wanmin Restaurant, Hu Tao of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, and Mr. Yun Jin of the Yun-Han Opera Troupe.
Ningguang also smiled and said that as long as Arlecchino didn't cause trouble in Liyue, everything would be negotiable.
Whether it was meeting people or going to Qingce Village to see the Oceanid, Ningguang, in her capacity as a Liyue Qixing, assured Arlecchino that the Millelith would protect her.
Arlecchino naturally agreed. She knew that having the Millelith protect her was a form of surveillance.
But she had no reason to object. If she objected at this moment, the seemingly gentle Tianquan Ningguang would likely immediately turn hostile.
Because Arlecchino [backed down], their conversation was very amicable, with no disturbances occurring.
In fact, Ningguang and Arlecchino had a pleasant conversation, sharing different perspectives on the current situation of the continent of Teyvat and how to handle certain matters.
After more than an hour of discussion, Arlecchino stated that she had to leave first, as she still had things to do.
Ningguang asked if she wouldn't stay for a meal before leaving.
Arlecchino shook her head slightly, refusing Ningguang without giving any reason.
—
After Arlecchino left, the smile on Ningguang's face also disappeared, completely devoid of the gentle expression she had just moments ago.
"Did you find anything?"
Keqing looked at Ningguang and asked. She had remained silent throughout because she was originally meant to be the "bad cop."
If Arlecchino had dared to refuse any of Ningguang's proposals, Keqing would have suddenly flared up, questioning if the other party had ulterior motives for coming to Liyue.
However, Arlecchino was too cooperative, agreeing to everything.
This made it impossible for Keqing to play the "bad guy" anymore.
"We didn't find out anything."
Ningguang said with a serious expression, her tone earnest.
"She's even harder to deal with than the Lady. With the Lady, at least I could figure out what she wanted. But she... seemed to say everything, yet also nothing at all."
Keqing nodded slightly upon hearing this. She had been listening to their conversation the whole time.
But even she could only gather a general idea: Arlecchino indeed had a purpose for coming to Liyue.
Visiting the Oceanid in Qingce Village was true, meeting other legendary figures in Liyue Harbor was true, and sightseeing was also true.
Based on Keqing's years of experience, everything Arlecchino said seemed genuine and truly what she wanted to do.
But here's the problem: if she wanted to do all these things, then what was the thing she "most wanted to do"?
This was why Ningguang's expression was so grave. The Fatui Harbinger truly lived up to her reputation.
The higher the rank, the more troublesome they were. The last one that was so troublesome was Dottore.
Dottore was only so obedient and willing to be imprisoned in Liyue because Rex Lapis spoke up.
"The Chasm incident is resolved, and the Rite of Descension is approaching. We're severely short-staffed—"
Ningguang's expression began to show distress.
The resolution of The Chasm incident meant a large number of personnel needed to be assigned there.
This year's Rite of Descension also required a batch of personnel.
Now, Arlecchino's arrival forced Ningguang to assign a squad of Millelith to keep an eye on her.
At this point, they were completely short-staffed. Ningguang was even considering whether she should personally oversee Arlecchino to see what she was truly up to.
However, while that might overtly restrict Arlecchino's actions, openly monitoring a foreign envoy in such a blatant manner was not something to be proud of.
"It's fine, Futsu Mitama is coming back."
Seeing Ningguang's grave expression, Keqing revealed some news.
"Coming back? When?"
Ningguang was somewhat surprised, as her intelligence indicated Futsu Mitama was serving as the Acting Dendro Archon in Sumeru.
How did Keqing get this information? But more than that, she wanted to know when Futsu Mitama would return.
Keqing calmly said. "Today."