Chapter 172. The Rite of Descension Appointment, The Harbingers' Mutual Schemes
After finishing their meal at Wangshu Inn, Futsu Mitama handed the heavy pouch of Mora to Verr Goldet and Huai'an, casually explaining that it had been left behind by the Fatui.
Don't refuse what's freely given. Since they said they were treating, just accept it with peace of mind.
The owner and manager exchanged a brief, meaningful look. If Mitama had tried to pay them with his own money, they would have politely but firmly refused. But taking Fatui Mora? They accepted it with absolute, unbothered peace of mind.
With lunch settled, Mitama, Lumine, and Paimon resumed their exploration of Liyue.
According to Paimon, the treasure chests of Liyue were practically weeping in despair at their imminent arrival. Lumine was on a mission to plunder the countryside.
Mona, however, walked alongside them with a slight shrug.
"I can only rely on my Hydro abilities for combat right now. Since I can't use astrology, don't count on me for treasure hunting."
Futsu Mitama shot Lumine and Paimon an amused, subtle glance.
Mona's statement was rather telling. Lumine had clearly been abusing Mona's divination to hunt for loot.
Catching his gaze, Lumine quickly waved her hands in defense.
"I didn't specifically ask her to divine the contents of the chests! I just asked her to divine how my luck was holding up."
Paimon nodded vigorously.
"Yeah, it was super accurate! If Lumine was about to open a chest with good stuff inside, Mona's astrolabe would show her luck was rising. If the chest was just full of cabbages and cheap weapons, Mona would say her luck was terrible that day."
Futsu Mitama scratched his head, genuinely perplexed.
"But... doesn't luck remain a stable baseline throughout a single day? It shouldn't fluctuate wildly just because of the specific wooden box you're looking at, right?"
Unlike the daily check-in rewards in the Chat Group—where the yield and experience varied wildly depending on the moment—the contents of Teyvat's treasure chests were physically fixed in place. Yae Miko, despite not being a dedicated astrologist, understood this basic principle. She always timed her group check-ins for the precise moment her daily luck peaked, consistently netting slightly higher experience yields than the rest of the group.
"Exactly. That's what I told her." Mona muttered, shooting Lumine a helpless look. "But Lumine refuses to accept that logic. She firmly believes that if her luck is artificially good at that exact moment, reality itself will rewrite the contents of the chest to give her better loot."
Mona stretched her arms over her head with a lazy, satisfied groan.
"Honestly, this is the first time I've actually been grateful for a divination backlash. The break is nice."
Futsu Mitama chuckled, choosing not to press the issue.
Lumine and Paimon both looked somewhat embarrassed. They had grown incredibly reliant on having a world-class astrologist in their party. Aside from questions involving exact monetary figures, Mona never refused a request. Whether it was predicting enemy ambushes, tracing ley line flow, or just checking their daily fortune, she was as convenient as a living wiki.
But with Mona's hydromancy temporarily offline, Lumine would just have to rely on her own instincts today.
"Let's go!" Lumine cheered, pointing eagerly toward the horizon. "Time to start today's adventure!"
While the group scoured the vibrant landscapes of Liyue for treasure, the Chat Group was buzzing with activity.
Mitama had uploaded a comprehensive summary of everything he had witnessed through Mona's consciousness, alongside the intel Arlecchino had shared. He emphasized one critical detail above all else: Mona's Vision had completely lost its light and become unresponsive.
If a Vision wielder lost their connection to their element, their combat effectiveness plummeted.
For anomalies like Futsu Mitama and Lumine, who didn't rely on Visions to manipulate elemental energy, it was a non-issue.
But for the standard Vision holders in the group—Ayaka, Keqing, Eula, and Kuki Shinobu—this was a catastrophic vulnerability.
Even Aila wasn't exempt. Although she technically possessed the raw authority of an unknown Electro Archon, she primarily fought using a Hydro Vision. If her Vision was suddenly suppressed in Fontaine, her combat strength would take a massive hit.
Without their elements, Ayaka, Keqing, and Eula were little more than exceptionally skilled swordswomen. They would still be stronger than the average civilian, but their supernatural edge would be entirely neutralized.
Realizing the gravity of the threat, Mitama directly pinged the heavy hitters in the group: Zhongli, Venti, Raiden Makoto, and Maha Rukkhadevata.
He knew they likely wouldn't reveal everything—certain ancient truths were bound by unspoken taboos—but he needed whatever context they could provide.
[Azhdaha]: "Oh, this phenomenon. I am intimately familiar with it. That phantom is, without a shadow of a doubt, the current Hydro Dragon Sovereign."
[Kuki Shinobu]: "Hydro Dragon Sovereign?"
[Lumine]: "Is that an entity like you?"
[Paimon]: "Wait, Azhdaha, you're a Dragon Sovereign?! Does that mean you can just shut off Geo Visions whenever you want?!"
[Azhdaha]: "It is certainly possible for me to influence them, yes. But there is absolutely no reason for me to ever do so. Influencing the weak is beneath me, and attempting to influence the truly strong is pointless. Furthermore, during the Archon War, the gods wielded power drawn from their own innate authorities. Even I could not suppress their elemental flow."
[Guizhong]: "That's because the current seats of the Seven Archons were originally usurped from the seven Elemental Dragon Sovereigns."
[Eula]: "Ah?!"
[Cyno]: "This..."
[Bosacius]: "Wait... does that mean... the Archon seat that Rex Lapis holds..."
[Azhdaha]: "Yes and no. The usurpation occurred in a much older generation, long before the Archon War. I harbor no resentment over the current state of affairs. Morax fought for and rightfully claimed the Geo Archon's seat on his own merit. Of course, Futsu Mitama is also entirely capable of claiming the Geo Archon's seat whenever he wishes!"
[Raiden Ei]: "Where is my naginata."
[Yae Miko]: "Ei, calm down! Put the Engulfing away!!!"
[Eula]: "Suddenly, I feel like I'm drowning in classified information. Are mortals even allowed to hear this?"
[Cyno]: "Agree."
[Keqing]: "Indeed. I feel as though the foundational pillars of my worldview have just been casually shattered in a group chat."
[Raiden Makoto]: "Do not overthink it. Those events transpired an incredibly long time ago and have absolutely no bearing on your current lives."
[Maha Rukkhadevata]: "Exactly. The only relevant takeaway is this: long before the era of the Seven Archons, Teyvat was ruled by the seven Elemental Dragon Sovereigns."
[Maha Rukkhadevata]: "Eventually, the Sovereigns were defeated. Eras passed, the Archon War occurred, and the victors of that war ascended to the newly established seats of the Seven. However, even in this era, the reincarnated Dragon Sovereigns retain their absolute mastery over their respective elements. The Hydro Dragon Sovereign inherently possesses the supreme authority to govern all Hydro energy—including the power channeled through Hydro Visions."
[Azhdaha]: "Just as I possess supreme authority over Geo. But as I said, it's a parlor trick. It works on lesser beings, but it's useless against a true equal."
[Aila]: "In that case, if I travel to Fontaine, my Hydro Vision will be effectively useless."
[Sangonomiya Kokomi]: "Then wouldn't I also be..."
[Raiden Ei]: " Kokomi, your situation is unique. Although you are human, your bloodline carries the ancient essence of a [Dragon/Serpent]. I originally suspected that you were the reborn Hydro Dragon. However, if this entity in Fontaine possesses the full weight of the ancient authority, then the true Sovereign has already reincarnated and established a domain there."
[Raiden Makoto]: "Neuvillette? If we cross-reference this with Arlecchino's intelligence, the Chief Justice of Fontaine is almost certainly the Hydro Dragon Sovereign. A Sovereign seamlessly integrating into human society to act as a judge... how fascinating. However, the current Hydro Archon has chosen a remarkably perilous path by keeping him so close."
[Maha Rukkhadevata]: "We lack sufficient context. It is impossible to deduce Focalors' true intentions from this fragmented intelligence."
[Nahida]: "But the Whale entity Mona described must represent an apocalyptic threat. I suspect Arlecchino shared this information specifically to draw you to Fontaine, Mitama."
[Venti]: "Ehe~ Not 'suspect,' she definitely did. Judging by her unusually cooperative attitude, she is actively setting the board and trying to lure powerful pieces into the game."
[Venti]: "However, our understanding of Fontaine's political and metaphysical climate is severely outdated. To truly grasp the gravity of the prophecy Fontaine faces, we need to consult an old friend."
[Albedo]: "Egeria. The original Hydro Archon. Her insights would be invaluable. I admit, this mystery has piqued my intellectual curiosity. If the opportunity arises, I may arrange an expedition to Fontaine."
[Klee]: "If Albedo is going, Klee wants to go too!!! Take Klee on an adventure!!!"
[Nahida]: "Speaking of expeditions... Venti, when are you arriving in Sumeru, Anemo Archon?"
[Venti]: "Ahaha~ Didn't I mention? I still need just a little more time to prepare! Patience! The winds will carry me to you eventually, but they are rather sluggish right now."
[Maha Rukkhadevata]: "Allow me to translate: he is currently using his divine authority to observe the situation from afar, but has discovered absolutely nothing useful. To borrow a phrase popular in Inazuman light novels: he is slacking off."
[Yae Miko]: "Pfft! 'Slacking off.' A truly flawless assessment."
[Futsu Mitama]: "Accurate as always. But regardless of Arlecchino's bait, I have no intention of rushing to Fontaine just yet. I will head there after the Rite of Descension concludes."
[Aila]: "The Rite of Descension is approximately one month away. Are you truly that invested in Fontaine's affairs, Young Master?"
[Futsu Mitama]: "I am. Even if Arlecchino hadn't spoken a word to me, Fontaine was always going to be my next destination."
[Keqing]: "I am also deeply intrigued by Fontaine's prophecy. However, the era of human rule in Liyue has only just begun, and the Qixing are overwhelmed with administrative transitions. It is regrettable, but until I have fulfilled my foundational duties here, international travel is out of the question."
[Kamisato Ayaka]: "I understand completely. Duty must come first."
[Eula]: "Speaking of the Rite of Descension, Acting Grand Master Jean informed us this morning that she intends to lead a delegation to Liyue to observe the ceremony."
[Eula]: "Given the unprecedented scale of Liyue's structural reforms this year, Grand Master Varka actually sent a letter from the expedition front lines, specifically instructing the Knights to study the transition. Currently, the official delegation consists of Acting Grand Master Jean, Albedo, Klee, Kaeya, and myself."
[Eula]: "Honestly, I am very much looking forward to meeting those of you in Liyue."
[Klee]: "Klee is super, super, super excited!!!!!"
[Albedo]: "This is merely the preliminary roster. Knowing our personnel, I expect a few unofficial additions before we depart."
[Yae Miko]: "Oh? How serendipitous~ Once I conclude a few tedious shrine matters here, I plan to bring Ayaka and travel to Liyue as well. It has been entirely too long since I shared a drink with Sister Ganyu. I miss her terribly."
[Paimon]: "Uh... didn't you literally just visit Liyue a few weeks ago?"
[Lumine]: "Paimon. Shush."
[Paimon]: "Right! Hahahaha! Liyue welcomes you all with open arms!"
[Cyno]: "The situation is similar here in Sumeru. Once the Akademiya officially inaugurates the new Grand Sage, a delegation will be dispatched to Liyue to formally observe the Rite of Descension."
[Bosacius]: "I am profoundly confused. Why is every nation suddenly sending high-level delegations to observe the Rite? The transition from divine rule to human governance is a monumental internal shift, yes, but why the sudden international fanfare?"
[Guizhong]: "Oh, Bosacius, you sweet, naive general~ The Rite of Descension is just a convenient, politically unassailable excuse. They are all just coming for a vacation."
[Zhongli]: "Not entirely. The Sumeru Akademiya is utilizing this diplomatic opening to finalize a series of lucrative knowledge-sharing contracts with the Liyue Qixing to secure immediate capital. The Inazuman delegation is indeed arriving primarily for leisure, while the Knights of Favonius from Mondstadt are arriving with a genuine intent to study administrative restructuring."
[Keqing]: "Mr. Zhongli's political acumen is as sharp as ever."
[Albedo]: "Correct. Grand Master Varka is fully aware of the recent, tumultuous events in Mondstadt. He is using this opportunity to refine Acting Grand Master Jean's diplomatic and leadership skills by forcing her to analyze a successful systemic overhaul."
[Cyno]: "As Mr. Zhongli noted, the Akademiya's financial reserves have been severely depleted. To inject a massive sum of Mora into our infrastructure quickly..."
[Cyno]: "...the Sages intend to leverage the celebratory atmosphere of the Rite of Descension during negotiations, operating under the theory that Liyue will be more inclined to offer a diplomatic discount."
[Keqing]: "The Qixing's side of this negotiation is being managed personally by Ningguang. Given Sumeru's unprecedented 'sincerity' in offering classified Akademiya research, she will undoubtedly accept the trade."
[Keqing]: "Fundamentally, Ningguang possesses a certain fondness for prestige. The technological and agricultural research hoarded by the Akademiya is incredibly valuable to Liyue's future development. She will not miss this opportunity to dramatically expand Liyue's international influence."
[Azhdaha]: "So, three major nations will be sending delegations to this year's Rite of Descension? Should I make an appearance?"
[Zhongli]: "..."
[Azhdaha]: "On second thought, the logistics sound exhausting. I shall remain comfortably beneath Mt. Hulao. Besides, simply conversing with all these old friends through this medium is deeply satisfying. I can observe the entire spectacle of the Rite through Futsu Mitama's live broadcast anyway. Futsu Mitama, you are absolutely certain you are dragging Morax into the Chat Group during the ceremony, correct?"
[Futsu Mitama]: "Don't worry. The moment he reveals himself, I'm pulling him in."
[Azhdaha]: "Hahahaha! Excellent. Truly excellent."
[Venti]: "Ehe~ I cannot wait to witness the chaos."
[Maha Rukkhadevata]: "It will be quite the spectacle."
[Nahida]: "Looking forward to it."
[Raiden Makoto]: "I am deeply curious to see exactly how this era-defining Rite of Descension unfolds."
[Raiden Ei]: "Me too."
[Azhdaha]: "Why do I get the distinct impression that all of you are anticipating this ceremony for entirely different reasons than I am?"
[Zhongli]: "..."
Deep within the earth, Azhdaha scratched his massive, Geovishap head in confusion. He was purely looking forward to the Rite because Morax's addition to the Chat Group meant they could finally argue face-to-face again.
What the hell were the rest of them so excited about?
Meanwhile, sitting in a private dining room at Xinyue Kiosk, Zhongli read the scrolling messages in the Chat Group and released a quiet, imperceptible sigh.
These gods are entirely too fond of drama.
It didn't matter. The grand orchestration of his "death" was proceeding perfectly. He simply needed to bide his time until the appointed hour.
Across the table, Tartaglia's eyes were practically glowing with predatory excitement.
"So... this ancient sea beast, Orochi. You're saying Rex Lapis sealed him in a location not far from where Osial rests?"
Tartaglia leaned forward, abandoning his chopsticks.
"Mr. Zhongli, is this 'Orochi' truly powerful? What are his actual combat achievements?"
The Harbinger's pulse was hammering. He already possessed the classified coordinates for the Guyun Stone Forest seal holding Osial, Overlord of the Vortex. If Zhongli was specifically highlighting a second, adjacent threat, this 'Orochi' had to be a genuine monster.
Internally, Tartaglia was wrestling with a sharp pang of guilt.
Zhongli trusted him entirely, assuming the Harbinger was simply a wealthy Snezhnayan diplomat with a passionate, academic interest in Liyue's ancient history.
It was a common enough hobby. Dozens of scholars in Liyue dedicated their lives to studying the Archon War. But, in Tartaglia's cynical opinion, those scholars were useless propagandists—they only studied the war to blindly glorify Rex Lapis.
Mr. Zhongli was entirely different. He didn't focus his research on Morax's victories; he meticulously studied the losers.
The fallen gods. The sealed horrors.
Occasionally, over dinner, Zhongli would even offer objective, blistering critiques of the tactical mistakes Rex Lapis had made during the war.
The first time it happened, Tartaglia had nearly choked on his tea.
He couldn't believe an ordinary Liyue citizen possessed the sheer audacity to openly criticize the Geo Archon. But he quickly realized that Zhongli possessed an incredibly rare, perfectly detached, third-party perspective on history. It was this absolute neutrality that allowed him to unearth the darkest, most deeply buried secrets of the Archon War.
"Orochi is not a god."
Zhongli said calmly, taking a slow, appreciative sip of his tea. He picked up his chopsticks, delicately selecting a piece of glaze-fried fish.
"He is an abyssal leviathan. A primordial sea beast."
"He possessed peerless, apocalyptic physical strength, ruling the darkest depths of the ocean for millennia. During the war, he clashed directly with the Geo Whale conjured by Rex Lapis, and he did not cede a single inch of ground."
Zhongli's golden eyes narrowed slightly in recollection.
"In the abyss, he had no equal. Periodically, he would rise from the suffocating depths into the shallow coastal waters. His sheer mass displaced the ocean, raising tsunamis that struck the coastline like collapsing mountains, erasing entire fleets and leveling settlements."
"To end the devastation, Rex Lapis personally sculpted a massive avian predator from pure jade and bedrock. The moment the stone bird was carved, it broke the shackles of the earth and soared into the heavens."
"Like a spear hurled by the sun itself, it plummeted from the stratosphere, striking the precise center of the ocean where the Geo Whale and the Leviathan were locked in a death spiral."
"Orochi was impaled through the spine and pinned into the absolute deepest trench of the dark sea, never to surface again."
Zhongli placed the piece of fish in his mouth, chewing thoughtfully, leaving the rest of the story to the silence of the room.
The achievements were undeniable.
Orochi had emerged from the abyss as a supreme apex predator, wielding strength so unfathomable it bordered on the divine. Although he lacked the conceptual Authority of a Demon God, his raw, destructive output rivaled them. Every movement of his massive body induced existential terror in the ancient people of Liyue. The ocean was his absolute domain—until he dared to threaten Liyue Harbor.
And then there was no 'then'.
Tartaglia's eyes burned with undisguised thrill.
He forced Morax to forge a unique, divine construct specifically to suppress him.
Morax was famous for solving problems by hurling mountain-sized Geo spears from orbit—the Guyun Stone Forest was a literal graveyard of his standard-issue ordnance. But Orochi required a specialized, precision-guided execution. If released, a beast with Demon Gods-level destructive capability would cause absolute, apocalyptic chaos for Liyue's current defenders.
The guilt twisted sharper in Tartaglia's gut. Mr. Zhongli was truly a magnanimous, brilliant scholar. He hadn't just revealed Orochi's existence; he had detailed the exact nature of the beast's power.
And Tartaglia was going to betray that trust to unleash both Osial and Orochi upon the city.
I am a terrible person, Tartaglia thought wryly.
"Mr. Zhongli. Thank you for satisfying my academic curiosity."
Tartaglia said, taking a deep breath and offering a solemn, deeply respectful bow of his head.
"From this day forward, I insist that any and all expenses you incur in Liyue Harbor—dining, antiques, theater—be billed directly to the Northland Bank. The Bank will consider it an honor to fulfill any request you might have, Mr. Zhongli."
Two pieces of actionable, Demon Gods-level intelligence. The sheer tactical value of this dinner was incalculable. In the wrong hands, this information would drown Liyue in a sea of blood.
Unfortunately for Liyue, those hands belong to me.
Tartaglia pushed down the guilt. For Snezhnaya, and for the Tsaritsa's ultimate dream, he would gladly play the villain. But he had no intention of letting the city be entirely wiped out. His sole objective was the Geo Gnosis. The moment he secured it, he would utilize Fatui assets to help suppress the beasts he unleashed.
"You are too generous, Harbinger." Zhongli replied smoothly, his polite facade impenetrable.
"I am simply pleased that my fragmented knowledge could satisfy your curiosity. Sharing these ancient tales brings me great personal joy."
It was a masterful double entendre. Zhongli did genuinely enjoy recounting history. But more importantly, he was meticulously manipulating the Fatui into stress-testing Liyue's future defense capabilities.
The Harbinger was doing all the heavy lifting for free. Tartaglia was funding his lifestyle, researching the unsealing rituals, deploying Fatui operatives, and orchestrating a controlled apocalyptic event. All Zhongli had to do was casually hand over the Gnosis when the dust settled.
It looked like Snezhnaya was gaining the ultimate prize, but from Zhongli's perspective, Liyue was receiving a flawless, externally funded trial by fire to prove the era of humans was ready to begin.
Both men sat across from each other, entirely convinced they had just executed a masterful manipulation. The atmosphere in the room was exceptionally warm and harmonious. Tartaglia offered a wide, genuinely sincere smile.
Shortly after, dinner concluded. Zhongli offered a polite farewell and departed, claiming he had urgent business at the Funeral Parlor.
Tartaglia remained in the private room, intending to review his notes. However, the moment Zhongli's footsteps faded down the hall, a Fatui agent slipped into the room and dropped to one knee.
"Lord Childe. The Knave requests an audience. She has been waiting in the antechamber for some time."
Tartaglia's brow furrowed in annoyance, but he quickly smoothed his expression.
"Send her in."
A moment later, Arlecchino swept into the room, trailed silently by two Electro Cicin Mages. She glanced at the table, noting the array of half-eaten delicacies.
"Impeccable timing." she said coolly, stepping up to the table. "I haven't had a chance to eat lunch."
Without waiting for an invitation, she picked up a clean pair of chopsticks and began to eat.
"You don't want me to order a fresh spread?"
Tartaglia asked, raising an eyebrow in genuine surprise.
As a fellow Harbinger, common courtesy dictated he summon the kitchen for a new meal. T
hese were Mr. Zhongli's leftovers. While Zhongli possessed exquisite taste, he was a grazer—he took a single bite of a dish to analyze the flavor profile and ignored the rest. He also habitually ordered enough food to feed a small army. Tartaglia usually had the pristine leftovers boxed up for his subordinates.
Offering a fellow Harbinger leftover bordered on a diplomatic insult.
"It hardly matters. I have already authorized the expenditure of five billion Mora today."
Arlecchino replied nonchalantly, chewing a piece of lotus root.
"I fully expect Pantalone to scream until his throat bleeds at the next Harbinger summit. I am not particularly concerned with the etiquette of a free meal."
"Oh? How serendipitous." Tartaglia smirked, leaning back in his chair. "While my daily expenditure was slightly lower, the operational budget I am about to authorize for my upcoming... project... will likely crest three billion."
Arlecchino paused, her chopsticks hovering mid-air. She lowered them gracefully and looked at him with genuine interest.
"I assume this means you have secured a viable path to the Gnosis?"
"If you deliver the Geo Gnosis, Pantalone's complaints will be silenced instantly. An eight-billion Mora deficit is an entirely acceptable overhead for the acquisition of two divine authorities."
Tartaglia offered a sharp, wolfish grin.
Armed with Zhongli's intelligence, he estimated his chances of securing the Geo Gnosis had skyrocketed to nearly sixty percent. Even if Morax was the supreme martial god of Teyvat, fighting two catastrophic sea beasts simultaneously would inevitably expose a tactical vulnerability.
Tartaglia had no delusions of grandeur—he knew he couldn't defeat Morax in a straight fight. But he didn't need to win. He just needed to exploit a single moment of distraction, snatch the Gnosis, and vanish.
As for why Arlecchino had burned five billion Mora in a single afternoon, he didn't ask. The Knave was a ruthless, terrifyingly calculating operator. She didn't bleed cash without securing a massive return on investment.
Watching the sheer confidence radiating from Tartaglia, Arlecchino easily deduced the truth.
He is walking blindly into a trap set by Rex Lapis,
she thought with mild amusement. But she had no intention of interfering with Liyue's internal theater. She had secured the intelligence she needed; now, she only had to wait for Tartaglia to inevitably hand over the Gnosis so she could conclude her diplomatic mission and return to Fontaine.
"So, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Tartaglia asked, crossing his arms. "You didn't track me down just to scavenge my lunch. Harbingers are too busy for social calls."
"Straight to the point. Excellent." Arlecchino said, setting her chopsticks down. "I have identified the catalyst behind Fontaine's prophecy of destruction. I need your expertise."
Tartaglia blinked, entirely bewildered.
"You found the source of the prophecy... and you came to me? Why? Do I have some secret, deep-seated connection to Fontaine's apocalyptic doom?"
"Precisely."
Arlecchino quickly summarized the events at Wangshu Inn.
She relayed Mona's divination in clinical detail—the unresponsiveness of the Hydro Vision, the oppressive, silver-eyed phantom, and finally, the colossal, abyssal Whale. She concluded by mentioning Futsu Mitama's tactical assessment of possessing a fifty-percent chance of destroying the beast.
As she described the Whale, the confusion on Tartaglia's face melted into a profoundly complicated expression.
His eyes ignited with a terrifying, borderline-manic thrill. His hand twitched, instincts screaming at him to summon his Hydro blades and charge out the door.
But the fire was violently suppressed a second later.
His jaw clenched.
The Liyue operation was in its final, most critical phase. He couldn't abandon his post. If he left now, the entire timeline would collapse.
The first year of Liyue's transition to human rule was the city's most vulnerable window. The Adeptus were bound by their new contracts, unable to intervene unless the situation reached an absolute, catastrophic threshold. The Millelith were undergoing massive structural reforms and lacked the seasoned leadership necessary to handle a crisis of this magnitude.
It was the perfect storm. When he unleashed Osial and Orochi, the resulting devastation would be so overwhelming that Morax would be forced to intervene personally to save his people.
If he delayed the operation for even a year, the Millelith would be reorganized and heavily fortified. Fatui logistics would be scrutinized, and the unsealing rituals would likely be intercepted by elite Qixing operatives.
"I see your expression." Arlecchino noted smoothly. "You recognize the entity."
Tartaglia dragged a hand down his face, letting out a heavy, frustrated sigh.
"Yeah. I know it. I met it when I fell into the Abyss as a child."
He looked up, his eyes burning with a dark, obsessive hunger.
"For me, that beast is the ultimate threshold. I have dragged myself through hell, growing stronger step by agonizing step, for the sole purpose of finding it again and ripping it apart."
He had authorized countless, unsanctioned dives into the Abyss since becoming a Harbinger, desperately hunting for the Whale. He had found nothing. Forced to prioritize the Tsaritsa's mandate to secure the Geo Gnosis, he had temporarily shelved his hunt.
To suddenly learn that his white whale was currently swimming through the conceptual waters of Fontaine... It took every ounce of his willpower not to hijack a ship and sail for the Court of Fontaine immediately.
"Childhood?" Arlecchino's eyes narrowed slightly. "Explain. Tell me everything you remember."
"Not a chance." Tartaglia refused instantly, a brazen smirk returning to his face. "This intelligence is critical to your entire operation in Fontaine. You want it? You have to offer me a bargaining chip of equal value. Or... you agree to grant me one unconditional favor. Then, I'll tell you everything."
The temperature in the room plummeted.
Arlecchino's eyes narrowed into dangerous, glacial slits. A cold, lethally sharp smile curved her lips.
When negotiating with Futsu Mitama or Lumine, Arlecchino had maintained perfect, accommodating diplomacy. But Tartaglia was different. She was the Fourth Harbinger. He was the Eleventh. In the ruthless hierarchy of the Fatui, she vastly outranked him in both political influence and sheer combat power.
A subordinate was attempting to extort her.
"You want something for nothing?"
Tartaglia challenged, entirely unbothered by the sudden surge of bloodlust rolling off her. He leaned forward, eyes gleaming with reckless excitement.
"If you want to beat the information out of me, I'm more than willing to oblige! Honestly, I've been dying for an excuse to fight you. A life-or-death spar with the Fourth might be exactly what I need to break through my current limits!"
He knew Arlecchino wouldn't easily submit to his demands, and he was perfectly prepared to tear the restaurant apart in a brawl to prove his point.
The atmosphere snapped taut, vibrating with the imminent threat of extreme violence.
The Fatui agents stationed at the door, alongside Arlecchino's Cicin Mages, went completely rigid. Panic flared in their eyes. A second ago, they were discussing expense reports. Now, two Harbingers were seconds away from leveling the commercial district.
If it were anyone else, the guards would have drawn their weapons and prepared to die for their respective lords. But intervening in a civil war between Harbingers was a guaranteed death sentence.
Arlecchino stared at the battle-crazed idiot across the table for a long, silent moment.
"Speak."
She finally commanded, her voice like cracking ice. She chose to relent, prioritizing the mission over her pride, but she attached a razor-sharp caveat.
"State your demand. However, understand this: when you inevitably arrive in Fontaine, you will operate under my absolute jurisdiction. And yes, I will permit you to engage the Whale—provided you sign a formal, binding waiver absolving me of your death."
"If you throw your life away in my territory, the Tsaritsa will view it as a failure of my leadership. I refuse to let your suicidal tendencies tarnish my standing."
Tartaglia blinked, genuinely surprised. He hadn't expected her to actually invite him into the Fontaine design.
It was common knowledge that Arlecchino was obsessively protective of her homeland. The Tsaritsa had granted her absolute, unilateral authority over the Fontaine operation; as long as she secured the Hydro Gnosis, the other Harbingers were strictly barred from interfering. Tartaglia had fully intended to use the Abyss intel to blackmail her into letting him bypass that quarantine.
Since she had just offered him exactly what he wanted on a silver platter, he needed a new demand.
His eyes lit up as a brilliant, incredibly convenient idea struck him.
"It's a simple request." Tartaglia smiled, leaning back. "I need you to deploy your personal operatives to Guyun Stone Forest. Unseal the abyssal leviathan known as Orochi, and direct it to attack Liyue Harbor."
"With your specialized infiltration units, it should be a walk in the park."
It was a masterstroke of delegation.
In his original blueprint, Tartaglia only possessed the resources to safely unseal Osial. Managing the logistics of two apocalyptic awakenings simultaneously stretched his forces too thin. Azhdaha was missing, but Orochi's coordinates were confirmed. If the Fourth Harbinger handled Orochi, Tartaglia could focus entirely on Osial and the Gnosis extraction.
"Orochi?" Arlecchino's brow furrowed in genuine confusion. "Who is that? Another sealed Demon God?"
"Not quite."
Tartaglia grinned, launching into a detailed summary of the leviathan's devastating history. He made sure to heavily emphasize the absolute reliability of the intelligence, repeatedly praising the magnanimous Mr. Zhongli of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor for his academic contributions.
Hearing the name Zhongli, Arlecchino fell dead silent. A profound, almost pitying look crossed her face for a fraction of a second before she smoothed it away.
She offered a single, crisp nod. She would orchestrate the release of the sea beast.
Tartaglia's smile widened into a beaming, triumphant grin. Everything was falling perfectly into place!
"Excellent." Tartaglia said, pouring them both a fresh cup of tea. "Now... let me tell you a story about a boy who fell into the Abyss."