["You have no idea how many people are hoping you'll close your eyes forever. As a slave, you shouldn't have defied your master… yet you killed that man." Jade let out a light sigh. "No lawyer dares defend you. Perhaps you should try fighting for a declaration of innocence yourself?"]
["That's not difficult, but it's meaningless."]
[Jade smiled faintly: "Quite confident in your eloquence, aren't you? When you deceived the Intelligentsia Guild, was that what you thought as well?"]
["I merely sought what I sought. You wanted perfect building materials; I simply offered a possibility—a small gamble. If luck had been on your side, the Company could have sifted anything out of the yellow sands of Agihazo, even the remains of the Sand King (Tayzzyronth). Unfortunately, your luck was poor."]
["I won't deny that. But what I'm curious about is why a scheme of such massive scale, in the end, benefited no one—including the criminal himself?"]
[The corner of Kakavasha's mouth curved into a slight smile: "Madam, I have already obtained what I wanted—being brought before you, to begin the next grand gamble."]
——
Teyvat.
Inside a tavern in Fleuve Cendre.
"He… he actually dared to deceive even the Company?"
Furina's eyes widened as she stared in disbelief at the ragged young man on the Celestial Screen. "A slave… deceiving the largest company in the galaxy and the Intelligentsia Guild! One person offending the forces of two Paths and causing incalculable losses? How did he manage it? Wasn't he afraid the Company would grind his bones to dust and scatter the ashes?"
"Those who can become one of the Ten Stonehearts all possess some degree of miraculous ability, after all."
Navia gently stirred her black tea with a silver spoon while smiling at Furina's exaggerated reaction. "My, my, Furina, don't get so worked up. Put yourself in their shoes—if you were a high-ranking member of the Company, say, this elegant lady, and ran into such a bold fellow, what would you do?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Furina slapped the table righteously. "Daring to deceive me! I'd have him hauled straight to the Opera Epiclese and let Neuvillette give him a severe judgment! Then lock him up in the Fortress of Meropide to repent for the rest of his life!"
"Uh..." Navia pressed a hand to her forehead, momentarily at a loss for words.
While the two were chatting, Escoffier came over carrying two plates of exquisite desserts. Both cakes looked enticing in color, but the one belonging to Furina was covered in sparkling sugar frosting and rare berries, its rich aroma so intense it could practically be smelled halfway across Fleuve Cendre.
"Escoffier, I want a cake just like Furina's too!" Navia blinked at the blond girl not far away and raised her hand to signal.
"I'm sorry, Miss Navia." Escoffier shook her head regretfully. "This is a special version I prepared for Lady Furina. Some of the special ingredients were prepared in advance yesterday, so there's only one."
"Ehh—" Navia drew out the sound, staring longingly at the cake in front of Furina. Compared to Escoffier's craftsmanship, the macarons she had just baked herself looked rather inferior.
Seeing Navia's pitiful expression, Furina couldn't help but smile. She picked up her knife and fork and neatly divided the cake in two: "Here, half for you."
"Furina, I knew you were the best!" Navia happily took the plate, forked a piece into her mouth, and squinted in bliss.
"But getting back to the point…" She swallowed the cake and looked back at the Celestial Screen. "I don't think the Company will judge him lightly—at least not execute him or send him to prison."
"Ah? Why?"
"Someone like Aventurine—bold yet meticulous, dancing on the edge of a blade—is exactly the kind of talent the Company lacks most. Rather than destroy him, it's better to turn him into a sharp blade in the Company's hand, always pointing the sharp edge toward the Company's enemies."
——
["Then let's talk about this second grand gamble. Tell me, what do you plan to stake this time?" Jade asked unhurriedly.]
["I'll stake my life. I bet you won't send me to the execution ground."]
["Mm… and what do you want in return?"]
["I want your Rana (the chieftain) to come see me. I have something to say."]
[The smile at the corner of Jade's mouth deepened: "And then?"]
["I want money."]
["It can't be that simple, can it?" Jade thought she had misheard.]
["Exactly that simple. Thirty Taanba—the price of half my life, no more, no less." Aventurine said with certainty. "As long as I have that money, I can climb to a position higher than yours and hold more wealth than you… I bet you don't dare give it to me, so call him over."]
["Interesting." Jade said meaningfully. "Unfortunately, [Diamond] will not see you. No one can see him. So at this moment, I am [Diamond]'s proxy, making the decision in his place."]
[Jade's gaze locked straight onto the boy's beautiful violet-like eyes: "You're wrong. Thirty Taanba—I will give you, and far more than that. Wealth, status, power… the Company will give you everything you want and everything you don't want."]
["Kakavasha… is a good name, but it is destined to be buried in the earth. Yet 'you' are worth keeping alive, to create more wealth for us. Go on, pick some clothes you like, choose an identity that suits you… then make full use of them, child."]
["May your schemes never be exposed."]
——
Zenless Zone Zero.
"Wuwuwu aaaah he really did it! He really did it aaaah!!"
"He really climbed to a position higher than this lady… wuwuwu... wait, it should be higher than hers, right? Anyway, he's just so amazing aaaah wuwuwu!!"
Inside Suibian Temple, Ju Fufu was crying so hard her nose kept twitching, tears falling like broken beads with a pitter-patter, even her usual upright ears drooping down.
"Senior Sister, you don't have to cry so heartbrokenly, do you?"
Pan Yinhu, who had been practicing nearby, was so startled he couldn't even hold his horse stance steady. His round body shuffled over. "Want Junior Brother to braise a plate of fat intestines for you? Or steam a basket of buns?"
"Junior Brother Pan, I… I..." Ju Fufu was crying so hard she couldn't even speak clearly. Even Master Yi Xuan not far away couldn't help but soften.
"I… I want the beef-filled ones... wuwuwu..."
"Got it!" Pan Yinhu trotted off and quickly disappeared into the courtyard. Soon the sound of him huffing and puffing as he lit the stove could be heard from the kitchen.
Yi Xuan leaned against the doorway, a smile on her lips: "Fufu, this is the first time Master has seen someone cry so heartbrokenly yet still not forget to specify the filling for the buns."
"It's not like that! Master…" Ju Fufu wiped her face haphazardly with her hands. "I… I'm turning grief and indignation into appetite! As for where the grief and indignation came from, Master, please don't ask… it's all Aventurine's fault! Every time I see him my tear ducts just collapse..."