Chapter 183.
While Futsu Mitama was hosting Raiden Makoto and Raiden Ei, a very different kind of gathering was unfolding inside the Northland Bank. Tartaglia stood before a small assembly of his operatives, reviewing the board.
"Lord Childe, the Millelith are breathing down our necks." a Debt Collector reported, his tone rigid with tension. "Should we still proceed with the operation? The Liyue authorities have made their distrust painfully obvious. One wrong move, and we're looking at a full-scale raid."
"It's not just the bank." an Electro Cicin Mage chimed in, her voice deceptively sweet. "Even on routine errands, we're being shadowed. Buying the Sigils of Permission in the open has become completely impossible."
The Sigils were the linchpin of Tartaglia's scheme. Using Snezhnayan technology, the Fatui were mass-producing replicas of Morax's divine power. The Mora cost was astronomical, but Regrator could weep over the ledgers later. Tartaglia only cared about results, and he needed those talismans.
"Our field teams are taking the brunt of it." an Electro-Hammer Vanguard grunted, crossing his massive arms. "We're out there clearing monster camps for the locals, and how do they thank us? We're tailed everywhere. Every time we cross the city gates, we're subjected to invasive body searches, and they confiscate our weapons for half an hour just to make a point."
The Vanguard's resentment was palpable. They all knew they were acting as a deliberate smokescreen for the Harbinger's true objective, but the indignity grated on them.
Let them treat us like criminals, the Vanguard thought bitterly. Soon enough, we'll give them a real reason to panic.
Tartaglia waved off the complaints.
"What about you two? What's the word from The Knave?" he asked, turning his attention to the pair of Cicin Mages.
"Lord Knave is facing similar scrutiny." one of the sisters replied carefully. "She is currently being monitored by Liyue's elite. According to her own intelligence, the adeptus themselves are keeping tabs on her."
A murmur rippled through the room.
The adeptus? Liyue's reaction was far more severe than they had anticipated.
Tartaglia merely stroked his chin, unfazed.
"It's almost time anyway. The Sigil replication is in its final stages. Keep your heads down and maintain the facade. Collect debts, restock supplies, and hunt monsters. Do not engage in direct conflict with the Millelith. I will issue the final orders when the moment arrives. Everyone is dismissed—except you two."
The room cleared quickly, leaving only the Cicin Mages. Tartaglia hadn't seen Arlecchino in over two weeks. She had claimed she was heading to Qingce Village to hunt an Oceanid, yet she hadn't set foot outside the harbor. Instead, she was operating entirely in the shadows, running an agenda he couldn't quite read.
"How is she actually doing?"
Tartaglia asked flatly.
"Lord Knave is managing well." the Mage answered diplomatically. "Beyond navigating the Qixing, she is attempting to open back-channel negotiations with the adeptus."
Tartaglia scoffed internally.
These Mages had originally belonged to Signora before fully pledging themselves to Arlecchino. He knew they were feeding him sanitized reports. The Harbingers were only a united front in name; if they actually shared intelligence freely, Signora might not have died.
"Does she have a message for me?"
"She stated that she will not interfere with anything in Liyue Harbor beyond her agreed-upon purview." the second Mage spoke up. "You do not need to monitor her. She has no intention of provoking the Traveler, Lumine. She simply advises that you focus on completing your own objective."
"Heh. Well said. I just wonder if she'll actually stick to it." Tartaglia chuckled, though his blue eyes remained dead and cold. "Tell The Knave not to forget the Rite of Descension. If there are any sudden variables, I will contact her immediately. I do not want any accidents."
His gaze sharpened, a heavy, suffocating pressure bleeding into the room.
"If this operation fails, I will report it directly to Her Majesty the Tsaritsa. Even Arlecchino won't be able to talk her way out of that."
He meant every word. Ningguang was already terrified of an incident during the Rite, hence the suffocating security. But ironically, the Fatui needed the ceremony to go flawlessly just as much as the Qixing did. Tartaglia's entire master plan hinged on Rex Lapis making his annual descent. Without the Geo Archon present, the board was useless.
The mention of the Tsaritsa instantly stiffened the Mages' posture.
"Understood." they said in unison, bowing deeply. In Snezhnaya, the Tsaritsa's will was absolute.
"Go. Deliver the message."
Alone in the opulent bank office, Tartaglia frowned.
The plan was theoretically flawless, but his warrior's intuition was humming with a dull, persistent anxiety. A storm was coming, and no matter how meticulous the strategy, the battlefield always bred chaos.
"Guards."
He called out.
A pair of Debt Collectors immediately entered, kneeling. "Lord Childe?"
"Where is Mr. Zhongli?"
He needed a backup plan. The consultant had provided him with an arsenal of invaluable local intelligence, and while Tartaglia knew he was leaning heavily on the man, Liyue's current hostility left him with few options. He wanted Zhongli's guidance to navigate the shifting board.
"According to our latest intel, Mr. Zhongli has left the harbor." a Debt Collector reported, sounding apologetic. "He is handling a commission with Director Hu of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. Their exact destination is unknown."
Tartaglia blinked in surprise.
Leaving at this critical juncture? It was common knowledge in Liyue that during the period surrounding the Rite of Descension, the funeral parlor rarely saw business. It was a cultural taboo to pass away during the Rite; people practically held onto their last breath until the ceremony concluded.
For Zhongli and Hu Tao to personally leave the city meant something significant had happened outside the harbor walls—a restless spirit, or an untimely, complicated death. Either way, he wouldn't be back for days.
"Never mind. Let it be." Tartaglia sighed, rubbing his temples. "Report to me the second he returns. Is there anything else?"
"There is one more thing, sir." the other Debt Collector hesitated. "The Ministry of Civil Affairs is causing trouble again. The local merchant guilds have mysteriously united to file a barrage of petty complaints against us. It threatens to throttle our logistics right before your operation."
"Leave that to Regrator's bean counters."
Tartaglia started to say, before pausing. A wicked smile slowly spread across his face. He was bored, and his blood was itching for a fight. If he couldn't spar with monsters, he could at least go bully some bureaucrats.
"Actually, never mind. I'll pay the Ministry a visit myself."
"Shall we accompany you, sir?"
The Debt Collectors looked up eagerly, hoping this was the signal that the grand operation against the Geo Archon was finally kicking off.
"No need. Maintain your posts. I'm going alone."
Without another word, Tartaglia strode out of the Northland Bank. He wasn't just going to the Ministry to argue over permits. He was going to use them to force a direct meeting with Ningguang. He needed unrestricted clearance to move freely through Liyue Harbor.
And if the Tianquan refused?
Well, he'd just have to dramatically increase her workload right before the Rite of Descension.