We're finally at the start of the game.
.....
"We will stop at nothing to obtain the Gnosis of the other six nations," the voice of Pierro echoed through the assembly.
"Scaramouche will handle Inazuma."
"Childe will be responsible for Liyue."
"The Knave will take care of Fontaine."
"The Captain will handle Natlan."
"The Doctor will take care of Sumeru."
"The Fair Lady and The Gambler will head to Mondstadt, swiftly acquiring the Anemo Archon's Gnosis and assisting other nations afterward."
"The Regrator, The Rooster, The Damselette, and I will remain in Snezhnaya."
"As for the tenth seat, I have other plans."
"If there are no objections, we shall begin tomorrow."
"Remember, no matter the cost."
"Even if it means sacrificing ourselves."
The group responded in unison, "Yes!"
…
The morning sun shone through the clouds, casting a shimmering glow on the sea. The icebreaker had already cleared the dock, and a ship was slowly making its way toward Mondstadt.
Rosalyne and Shajin sat aboard the ship, focused on a game of chess.
"I'm not saying this, but Rosalyne, do you really need to play chess right now?" Shajin teased with a grin.
"Shut up! Today I'm definitely going to win," Rosalyne shot him a glare, her tone resolute as she intently focused on the game board.
"You say that every day~" Shajin effortlessly moved a piece, knocking Rosalyne's one by one.
Rosalyne frowned, deep in thought as she considered her next move, but she was eventually defeated completely.
Just then, the ship docked. Rosalyne stepped off with a sour expression, feeling frustrated.
"Come on, Rosalyne, don't be upset. It's rare for us to be out here, we can't go back empty-handed," Shajin said, offering a comforting smile.
With a flourish, he produced a Cecelia flower from his hand and handed it to Rosalyne.
Rosalyne huffed, showing her displeasure, but didn't refuse the gift.
"Pantalone has already rented out the Goth Hotel as our temporary base. Let's head over there," Shajin reminded her, leisurely following behind Rosalyne.
As they walked, Shajin suddenly stopped. Flicking his finger, a "Mora" made of Geo energy shot like a bullet toward the distance.
A loud crash rang out as a tree in the distance fell.
"Who's there?" Rosalyne asked, looking around.
"Just a rat~" Shajin replied nonchalantly, dismissing the matter.
"By the way, Rosalyne, you're from Mondstadt, right?" Shajin asked curiously.
"No, the Mondstadt I knew has already been burned to ash. Now, I'm just a harbinger under the Lady's command, here to burn the old world for Her," Rosalyne answered coldly.
Shajin had heard some rumors about Rosalyne's past. He knew this was a sensitive subject, so he wisely chose not to probe further.
…
Meanwhile, at Mondstadt's Knights of Favonius headquarters.
"Kaeya, are you saying two Fatui Harbingers came to Mondstadt?" Jean, the Acting Grand Master of the Knights, rubbed her temples, a headache coming on. The ongoing Dragon Crisis had already left her exhausted, and now, two more troublesome Fatui Harbingers had arrived.
"Yes, I saw them myself," Kaeya replied, his face still showing signs of fear.
He took out a "Mora" and placed it on Jean's desk.
"That's right. One's a woman, probably The Fair Lady from the eighth seat, and the man is likely the new twelfth seat executive, The Gambler, who took office three years ago."
Kaeya's expression grew grim as he recalled the incident.
He gestured to the "Mora" on the desk.
"At that time, he just stood there, and then…"
Kaeya made a snapping gesture with his fingers.
"The 'Mora' he fired split the tree I was hiding behind in two. If that had been aimed at me, I might have died or at least gotten severely hurt."
Kaeya shivered at the thought and rubbed his neck.
Just then, the "Mora" on the desk suddenly started to glow.
Jean's eyes widened as she quickly reached for it, throwing it out of the window.
"Boom!!!"
A deafening explosion echoed, and the street outside was torn apart, leaving a massive crater.
Jean's face paled, realizing that Mondstadt would have to swallow this loss quietly. After all, they had been tracking these individuals, and if the truth came out, it would only cause trouble for the Knights.
Kaeya hadn't expected the small "Mora" to cause such a devastating explosion, its power rivaling that of Klee's bombs.
Jean stood up and walked to the window, gazing out at the new crater with a worried frown.
"What exactly is the purpose of these two executives coming to Mondstadt?" she muttered to herself.
Kaeya walked over to comfort her, "Don't worry too much, Grand Master. If we keep a close watch on their movements, we should be able to handle it."
Jean nodded, then turned to Kaeya, "Go and inform Amber and the other knights. Increase patrols, and report any suspicious activity immediately."
Kaeya left, but Jean remained uneasy. She knew that the Fatui's power was not to be underestimated, and they needed to be prepared for anything that might come their way.
After Kaeya left, Jean paced the room, thinking about the best course of action.
She decided to investigate the Fatui Harbingers herself. She quickly changed into plain clothes and sneaked out of the Knights' headquarters.
Meanwhile, Shajin knocked on Rosalyne's hotel room door.
"Come in."
Rosalyne didn't need to guess; the only person who knocked without speaking was The Gambler.
"Hey, Rosalyne, want to go for a walk around Mondstadt?" Shajin asked eagerly.
Rosalyne sighed, exasperated. "Instead of asking that, you should be thinking about how to help me acquire the Anemo Archon's Gnosis."
"There's an old saying in Liyue: 'The ship will straighten out when it reaches the bridge,'" Shajin shrugged, smiling. "You can't rush these things."
"Let's just call it gathering intel~" Shajin continued, trying to persuade her.
"Fine, let's go," Rosalyne sighed, knowing that Shajin could always find a way to convince her.
Rosalyne and Shajin changed into plain clothes and left the hotel, heading toward Mondstadt.
On the streets, Jean moved cautiously, observing her surroundings.
Suddenly, she spotted Shajin and Rosalyne walking toward the cathedral. They briefly spoke with the priest before leaving.
Jean's heart skipped a beat, and she decided to follow them discreetly to see what they were up to.
Once they left the cathedral, Jean entered and asked the priest, "What were they here for?"
The priest shook his head, indicating it was nothing out of the ordinary.
Jean's worry deepened. She felt an invisible pressure bearing down on Mondstadt.
Meanwhile, Amber, tasked with reinforcing patrols, discovered two suspicious figures outside Mondstadt.
_
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