"There's been a slight accident over at the Mikage Furnace. Lord Scaramouche sent me to check on the situation."
Tatyana was as cold as ever, or rather, the Mirror Maidens were always like this.
If the Cicin Mages were naturally unrestrained and lively little suns, then the Mirror Maidens were the daughters of winter, bound by endless rules.
As a special ceremonial guard, they represented the public face of the Fatui and even Snezhnaya, so they had to maintain their elegance at all times.
Even the length of their strides, the motion of releasing their water mirrors, and the tone of their speech had to be controlled within a specific range.
But they did not feel dissatisfied because of this; on the contrary, they were immensely proud.
Because this was the glory bestowed upon them by Her Majesty, the Tsaritsa.
"Is it because of that shield?"
Bai Luo raised his head, looked at the translucent protective barrier that almost completely enveloped the entire island, and asked.
"Yes, this shield is much more troublesome than we anticipated, so the plan has changed. According to our investigation... it seems that the data of the Mikage Furnace has been altered by someone, and that person's methods are clearly very sophisticated. Even the engineers from Fontaine can't do anything about it."
Logically, this kind of confidential matter shouldn't be disclosed to others, but Bai Luo was a Fatui Harbinger, which made him her superior.
Therefore, it was fine to inform him.
The Mirror Maiden recognized people differently than others. She could not see, but she could identify others through different means.
All the power on Bai Luo's body was concealed by a special ability, but Tatyana, who had once spent many days with him on the same ship, still recognized his identity through her own methods.
"So, how is the mission progressing?"
"Lord Scaramouche's intention is to observe the situation here for the time being, and make other plans after the protective shield has been cracked by the engineers from Fontaine."
"So you're saying... you're temporarily free?"
"Yes."
To say she was here to "observe" was really just Scaramouche being too lazy to give her an assignment, so he just dumped her here. It was quite typical of the Harbingers; many of them liked to operate this way.
Especially him and Tartaglia, who would go off on their own and disappear at the slightest disagreement.
This led to a situation where all Fatui subordinates would now subconsciously call out "Instructor" or "Childe" upon seeing an unknown, wandering Harbinger.
However, Tatyana's ability to manipulate water was indeed quite suitable for being on standby near Tatarasuna.
"I have a mission to carry out here as well. Follow me for now. I'll inform that Scaramouche fellow later."
Since that was the case, Bai Luo certainly wouldn't be polite.
He hadn't forgotten that the Mirror Maiden was originally a subordinate assigned to him by the Tsaritsa.
"Your subordinate obeys."
The Mirror Maiden did not refuse Bai Luo's arrangement.
In a way, her true superior was Bai Luo.
It was only during that period in Inazuma City, when Bai Luo slacked off every day and did no actual work, that she was assigned to Scaramouche's command.
"Change your clothes first. Our mission requires that we don't reveal our identities. Speaking of which, do you have a spare change of clothes here?"
Tatyana seemed somewhat resistant to Bai Luo's order to change her attire.
Their uniforms were custom-made, symbolizing their status and honor.
But for a special mission, she could only obey his command.
However, the way Tatyana changed her clothes was somewhat unexpected for Bai Luo.
She actually controlled a flow of water to envelop her maiden uniform. When the water dissipated, the uniform had transformed into a very ordinary Inazuman outfit.
Even her height had changed to that of a normal person.
Bai Luo subconsciously reached out his hand, wanting to pinch Tatyana's cheek to confirm if this was real.
And then...
Before he could touch her face, he squeezed something soft and squishy.
That feeling... tsk tsk.
"My lord, this is an illusion. That is not my face, it is my chest."
"..."
Bai Luo was just thinking that even if Tatyana had some baby fat, her face couldn't possibly be this soft, and it seemed to have an unusually large pimple...
Never thought...
Thinking about it carefully, given Tatyana's original height, her chest would indeed be at the position of her face after casting the illusion.
"A rather fine illusion."
Calmly retracting his right hand, Bai Luo acted as if he hadn't realized what he had just squeezed.
"You praise me too highly."
Tatyana, for her part, showed no excessive nervousness, her tone remaining as icy as before.
Should one expect anything less from a Mirror Maiden? To remain composed even in such a situation.
If it had been Kseniya or Katerina, after Bai Luo had made such a move, they probably would have already...
Hiss—
The tent moved, he dared not think about it.
"Is there anything else to pack?"
Since Tatyana had been observing here for some time, it meant she must have temporary lodgings. Now that she was leaving, she would naturally need to pack up.
After all, Bai Luo had "reclaimed" his subordinate; how could he possibly let her go back so easily?
"It is merely some food. There is nothing worth packing."
Perhaps it was his imagination, but when Bai Luo suggested going to pack her things, Tatyana—who hadn't even reacted when he had accidentally touched her "pimple"—showed a certain fluctuation in her tone.
This made Bai Luo all the more curious.
Could she be hiding something else at her temporary residence?
"Food? I happen to be hungry as well. Let's go together."
The more she reacted this way, the more curious Bai Luo became.
What on earth could make her react like this?
"It is just some rotten fish and foul shrimp. After we reach Inazuma City, I will personally host you at the finest restaurant."
"..."
What do the Mirror Maidens value most?
First and foremost is the goal of the Fatui.
To achieve the grand objective of the entire Fatui, they would do anything.
Secondly... is discipline. As a special ceremonial guard, their adherence to discipline was second only to the aforementioned goal.
And there was one rule of discipline that every Snezhnayan Fatui subordinate would break, even though everyone understood it was a violation.
That is...
"You wouldn't be hiding Fire-Water, would you?"
Bai Luo was only asking tentatively, but he never expected the frosty Tatyana to nearly lose control of her illusion because of it.
"..."
It really is Fire-Water!
Just how obsessed are you Snezhnayans with this stuff?
Even though Bai Luo had lived in Snezhnaya for a long time, he still couldn't stomach the taste of that "Fire-Water."
Yet, this thing's popularity in Snezhnaya was no less than that of Dandelion Wine in Mondstadt.
Sometimes Bai Luo even wondered if the high and mighty Tsaritsa herself secretly kept a stash of Fire-Water.
"Sigh, go pack up on your own. I'll wait for you at the pass up ahead."
Waving his hand casually, Bai Luo didn't bother to reprimand her.
Fire-Water, well, it wasn't like Bai Luo hadn't brought some for his own subordinates before.
He wondered if that bottle of Fire-Water he had once buried in the Chinju Forest had been dug up by someone.
It might still be of great use later on.
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