Chapter 171. That's it?
And so, the contract was struck.
Mona would provide every minute detail of her divination. In exchange, the Fatui would supply one billion Mora, custom-built astronomical instruments, classified research materials, ancient texts spanning the seven nations, and an array of obscure relics.
Without a second word, Arlecchino signed her name with elegant, sweeping strokes and gestured for an Electro Cicin Mage to fetch the funds from the Northland Bank.
Watching this casual display of astronomical wealth, Futsu Mitama couldn't help himself.
"Honestly, are the Fatui really that rich? You drop a billion Mora like it's pocket change."
Mona shook her head, her expression entirely serious.
"It's not just a billion. If you factor in the market value of the instruments and texts on this list, the total is closer to five billion. The upfront cash is actually the cheapest part of the deal."
Lumine and Paimon stared blankly, their jaws practically hitting the table.
They exchanged a look of profound, soul-crushing realization. All those exhaustive days spent hunting down hidden treasure chests, slaying terrifying monsters, and grinding out Adventurers' Guild commissions—their entire life savings combined wouldn't even cover the tax on Mona's single divination session.
Making money was suddenly looking disgustingly easy for everyone else.
Arlecchino chuckled, entirely indifferent to their shock.
"This information directly concerns our ultimate plans. When it comes to the Gnosis, Regrator is more than happy to provide the funds as a friendly gesture."
Behind her, the two Cicin Mages remained perfectly silent.
While they knew The Knave harbored a deep, personal desire to save Fontaine from its prophecy, her mandate to secure the Hydro Gnosis was absolute. Within the Fatui, it was common knowledge: seizing the Gnosis from the Archons was the Tsaritsa's highest directive.
As long as a Harbinger was actively pursuing that goal, Pantalone's insurmountable wealth and resources were at their full disposal.
The transaction was perfectly justified, provided Mona's information was actually worth the price.
With the contract settled, Mona took a deep breath, preparing to unveil the truth.
Paimon hovered closer, practically vibrating with curiosity over what terrifying sight had caused the genius astrologist to lose consciousness.
"I saw a creature that does not belong to the continent of Teyvat."
Mona began, her gaze locking intensely onto Arlecchino.
"Its appearance resembles a whale. Its power is unfathomable—easily on par with an Archon—and its sheer size defies comprehension."
Just recalling it made Mona's skin crawl.
The entity was so colossally massive that if she were to encounter it in reality, the primal terror alone would likely force her to her knees. Even if she mustered the courage to wield her Hydro vision, her brain would freeze, entirely incapable of processing a tactical response against something so conceptually overwhelming.
The aura radiating from the beast rivaled the legends of the ancient gods. Even ignoring its raw power, its physical presence outside a city wall would be enough to crush civilization into dust, unless an Archon descended to slay it personally.
"I am certain." Mona concluded grimly, "that this Whale is the catalyst for Fontaine's prophecy of destruction."
"Power comparable to an Archon?"
Arlecchino murmured. Her gaze shifted smoothly to Futsu Mitama. Assuming he had witnessed the same vision, she asked,
"How does it compare to you?"
"Should I start charging a consultation fee?"
Futsu Mitama teased.
After all, he had reached the Demon God Realm. Even during the blood-soaked era of the Archon War, he would have been a formidable force. Handing out tactical assessments to a Fatui Harbinger for free felt like bad business.
Arlecchino offered a faint, acknowledging smile.
"Don't worry. I will have someone deliver your payment afterward."
She intentionally left the amount blank, waiting to see just how much intel he was willing to part with.
"I have a fifty percent chance of defeating it."
Mitama stated calmly.
It wasn't a boast.
Judging purely by the oppressive aura Mona described, the Whale felt roughly equal to Dottore—a being of Demon God-tier strength, bolstered by massive physical scale. Mitama actually preferred fighting colossal targets; the martial inheritances he held from both Raiden Ei and Zhongli possessed devastating, specialized techniques designed specifically to dismantle massive beasts.
Defeating the Whale was entirely possible. Actually killing a Demon God-tier entity, however, was an entirely different nightmare.
He had never fully extinguished a being of that magnitude, and his instincts warned him that this abyssal creature would be a grueling, grueling fight.
"A fifty percent chance?" A sharp glimmer of light crossed Arlecchino's eyes. "I understand. And regarding the Whale... I know someone who likely has more insight. I will question him personally."
She smoothed her expression.
"Was there anything else?"
Mona pondered for a moment. Reaching down, she unclipped the Vision from her outfit and placed it flat on the table.
"For a fleeting moment during the divination, I clearly felt my Vision slip completely out of my control."
Mona said, her tone grave.
"This is unprecedented. The Old Hag never warned me about anything like this. Furthermore, I could feel that there is an entity currently in Fontaine capable of manipulating Visions. I didn't see him, but I felt his gaze pinning me down."
The revelation caught both Mitama and Lumine off guard.
"Wait, you didn't see him, Mona?"
Lumine asked, her brow furrowing.
Because of her unique resonance, Lumine had been able to peer through Mona's perspective during the divination. She had clearly seen the abyssal Whale swimming through a boundless, starry ocean. But she had also seen the humanoid phantom watching them from the void. The sheer weight of that phantom's silver-eyed gaze had sent a visceral chill down Lumine's spine, triggering every survival instinct she had.
"You really didn't see it?"
Mitama echoed, equally surprised.
Had the trauma wiped her memory? Or had the entity deliberately reached into her mind to erase its own presence?
"Ah? I..."
Mona looked completely bewildered. She scratched her head, her brow knitting in frustration as she tried to grasp at a void in her mind. Finally, she shook her head.
"I have no memory of it. But if you both say he was there, I trust you."
Lumine nodded solemnly and described the humanoid phantom in detail, heavily emphasizing the piercing, unforgettable silver eyes.
"Silver eyes."
Arlecchino repeated, catching the keyword instantly. The faint, diplomatic smile returned to her lips.
"Then I believe I know exactly who this is. If it's him, he is not an enemy. That simplifies things immensely. I may even be able to extract some information from him."
With the pieces falling into place, Arlecchino stood up. The intelligence Mona had provided was monumental, completely shifting the board for the Fatui's operations in Fontaine.
She offered a polite, formal bow to Mitama and the others.
"I will take my leave for now. I apologize for the abruptness, but I must act on this immediately. Please, enjoy the meal—it is fully paid for."
A Cicin Mage stepped forward, placing a heavy, clinking bag of Mora squarely on the table before turning to follow her Harbinger out the door. They left without having touched a single bite of Wangshu Inn's finest cuisine.
"Well, she left in a hurry."
Paimon noted, hovering over the bag of Mora.
Suddenly, her impression of The Knave skyrocketed. She hadn't stolen Paimon's favorite dishes, and she had left behind enough Mora to buy out the Inn's kitchen twice over. What a fantastic guest!
"Decisive." Mitama observed, watching the door close. "Honestly, I expected her to linger and try to secure a deeper alliance with us. But this proves she's operating on pure pragmatism. It's refreshing."
He glanced at the Mora. Despite his general disdain for Snezhnayan politics and Fatui methods, dealing with Arlecchino was surprisingly comfortable. Like Tartaglia, she was straightforward in her own ruthless way. Even on opposing sides, she didn't exude the kind of malice that made collaboration impossible.
"She's definitely hiding something, though."
Mona noted. She finally picked up her chopsticks, casually snagging a piece of meat.
"She instantly recognized the Whale and the silver-eyed man."
"She's going to find Tartaglia."
Mitama said, casually plucking one of Keqing's favorite Golden Shrimp Balls from a platter. Yan Xiao's cooking had somehow improved again; he'd definitely have to pack a portion for Keqing later.
"Find Childe? Why?"
Paimon tilted her head, completely lost.
"Because of the Whale."
Lumine realized, the connection snapping into place. She had seen the fought of Eleventh Harbinger in the Chasm; the massive, abyssal narwhal he summoned using his Foul Legacy bore an uncanny, sixty-percent resemblance to the cosmic beast she had just witnessed through Mona's consciousness.
Tartaglia had seen the creature before. No wonder Arlecchino had rushed out—sitting around eating dim sum was a waste of time when the next puzzle piece was currently wandering around Liyue.
"Exactly." Mitama nodded. "We can deduce the outline, but the specifics are locked away. If we truly want to understand what's happening, we have to go to Fontaine. Until then, everything is just theories on paper."
"Fontaine sounds amazing."
Lumine's golden eyes sparkled with the familiar, irrepressible itch of a new adventure.
"Right?!" Paimon cheered, her mouth full of food. "I feel like something massive is brewing there. It might even be crazier than Inazuma!"
"Absolutely not." Mitama shot the idea down instantly. "Didn't you already agree to go to Inazuma first? And didn't you promise Nahida a visit to Sumeru? You can't just skip ahead."
Mitama was fiercely against them sequence-breaking their journey. Even without knowing the full extent of Fontaine's crisis, he knew the escalating dangers there would dwarf the threats in Sumeru.
While outside observers might underestimate Lumine's current combat prowess, Mitama understood that her strength grew exponentially with every major regional conflict.
Facing the Scaramouche in Sumeru was her necessary crucible. Assuming the other Harbingers abandoned Scaramouche to his fate—which, given Dottore's clinical sadism, was practically a guarantee—Lumine teaming up with Lesser Lord Kusanali would be enough to dismantle the false Archon's mech.
But if Lumine bypassed that vital growth and walked straight into Fontaine—where entities wielding power far beyond the Archons were actively interfering—she would be severely outmatched. She needed to follow the intended path.
"Ahaha... right, we did promise."
Paimon nervously scratched her head, instantly abandoning her Fontaine fantasies.
Lumine offered a polite, sheepish smile, quietly agreeing that charging headfirst into Fontaine's apocalyptic prophecy while severely underpowered was probably a terrible tactical decision.
Besides, Yae Miko and Nahida had both officially extended invitations through their dimensional Chat Group.
As a newly appointed administrator—a highly coveted position that actually accelerated the restoration of her original strength—Lumine had sworn to assist the group members. She had already stabilized her admin status by helping Keqing resolve the crisis in The Chasm.
Completing her requested tasks in Inazuma and Sumeru would secure her position permanently.
Fontaine could wait.
"Wait, Nahida? Who is that?"
Mona asked, blinking in confusion. She had spent a lot of time with Lumine recently, but she had never heard of a friend in Sumeru by that name.
"Oh, the current Dendro Archon, Lesser Lord Kusanali." Mitama replied casually, taking a sip of tea. "We just call her Nahida."
"Ah?! The Dendro Archon?!"
Mona nearly dropped her chopsticks, staring at Lumine in absolute shock.
It was one thing for Mitama to casually name-drop an Archon—he had literally served as the interim Dendro Archon himself—but Lumine was on first-name terms with her too?!
Mona's mind spun wildly. If she tagged along with Lumine to Mondstadt next... was she going to end up having drinks with the legendary Anemo Archon, Barbatos?!