After venting his frustration for a while, Tartaglia gradually calmed down and began to think.
The House of the Hearth was highly skilled at gathering intelligence across nations, but judging from the ambush on Andre and his team, the attackers were clearly well-prepared.
For an intelligence organization like this, tracking down the culprits would be extremely difficult!
But aside from intelligence networks, who else had the most reliable sources of information?
There was only one answer—the wind.
Wherever the wind blew, secrets would be carried away, eventually reaching the ears of the Anemo Archon.
That might sound exaggerated, but it was merely a fraction of a god's power.
"Venti!"
Tartaglia suddenly slapped his thigh in realization.
The House of the Hearth wasn't much help.
If he wanted to find the culprit quickly, relying solely on intelligence networks wouldn't be efficient.
Immediately, Tartaglia strode out the door.
Since Mondstadt had its own god, Venti rarely returned there.
He often just mooched off Zhongli, eating and drinking for free.
A short while later, Tartaglia arrived at their place.
The night wasn't too late yet, and neither Zhongli nor Venti had gone to bed.
The former was tending to the flowers in the courtyard, while the latter was scrolling through short videos on his phone, grinning from ear to ear.
This was the residential area of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor—the backyard—so it wasn't as gloomy as the front hall.
Seeing Tartaglia arrive, both of them looked surprised.
Especially since Tartaglia's expression was unusually serious.
"It's so late. Did something happen?" Zhongli asked curiously.
Venti also put down his phone and turned to look at Tartaglia.
"The Gnosis has been tampered with," Tartaglia said grimly. "The Qixing haven't informed you yet?"
Zhongli pulled out his phone and checked before shaking his head. "I've already severed my connection with the Gnosis. It no longer belongs to me, so the Qixing likely didn't see the need to tell me."
Since the Gnosis was no longer Zhongli's—nor even Liyue's—why bother informing him? It would only add unnecessary trouble.
Tartaglia nodded in understanding, then turned to Venti. "I came to ask for your help."
"What's the situation?"
Since it was a request for assistance, Venti straightened up, his expression turning serious.
Tartaglia recounted everything he knew, then said solemnly, "So, I'd like to ask for your help."
Zhongli remained silent, deep in thought.
The description didn't match anyone from Liyue.
Venti also pondered.
Mondstadt had someone who fit the description, but that person lacked the strength and had absolutely no motive.
So, it couldn't be someone from Mondstadt either.
"Why don't you ask Boss Lu for help?" Venti asked, puzzled. "He can see into the future at any time. Finding the culprit would be effortless for him."
Tartaglia obviously knew that.
He shook his head. "I can't bother Boss Lu with such a trivial matter of mine."
This incident was serious for Tartaglia, but to Lu Heng, it was just a minor issue.
Lu Heng's status was too high.
"He's practically a god. Would you ask a god to help you investigate a theft?"
As soon as Tartaglia finished speaking, Venti's lips twitched, and he spread his hands. "Isn't there a possibility that I'm also a god?"
"By universal reasoning, the 'god' you're referring to and the one Tartaglia mentioned are worlds apart," Zhongli interjected.
Venti: "..."
Fine!
If they were to compare, all of them combined wouldn't even come close to Lu Heng.
And now Tartaglia was asking him, the Anemo Archon, for help...
Well, in terms of strength, Tartaglia was already qualified to interact with them as an equal.
Venti studied Tartaglia closely.
Tartaglia felt a bit uncomfortable under his gaze.
This young man was quite interesting.
Venti had also mooched quite a few meals off him.
Thinking of this, Venti spoke up. "I can help, but don't get your hopes up. In this world, anyone careful enough can avoid the wind. The information I gather might not be much more than what you already have."
Venti's willingness to help was a pleasant surprise for Tartaglia.
He quickly said, "Thank you! Even a little more information would help narrow down the search!"
Tartaglia pulled out a Northland Bank card from his pocket. "This is the commission fee."
"Huh?!"
Zhongli's gaze sharpened.
Venti was also taken aback.
He glanced at the card—it wasn't an ordinary bank card but more like a pre-loaded debit card with a set limit.
Ten million Mora!
If there was a commission fee, why didn't you say so earlier?!
But Venti didn't immediately take it. Instead, he said, "We're friends. Helping out is no big deal."
"Business is business."
Tartaglia pressed the card into Venti's hand and continued, "Then I'll leave this matter to you!"
"Don't worry!"
"I'll do my absolute best!" Venti's expression turned solemn.
What was this called?
Money makes the gods work?
Never mind whether Venti was losing his dignity as a god.
He was making real profit here!
Zhongli coughed lightly and looked at Tartaglia expectantly.
"?"
Tartaglia was puzzled and scratched his head. "Do you also have a similar ability, Zhongli?"
"Ah, well, it's like this..."
Venti, seeing Zhongli's expression, immediately understood his thoughts.
Why not earn some money too?
Wouldn't refusing be foolish?
As Zhongli nodded slightly with a faint smile, Venti said, "He can read the memories of stones!"
"Really?" Tartaglia was surprised.
Stones had memories?
"Naturally."
"An old friend of mine is more authoritative in this field. Out of curiosity, I once learned a thing or two from them. Though my mastery isn't profound, I can still decipher short-term memories of the earth."
Zhongli exuded confidence.
"I see!"
Tartaglia pulled out another card from his pocket and handed it over.
"Since you've entrusted me, I shall also do my utmost." Zhongli smiled.
"Let's rest tonight and head to the scene tomorrow," Tartaglia suggested.
"No, no, we should go as soon as possible," Venti urged.
The sooner they gathered clues, the more deserving they'd be of the ten million Mora!
"Alright, I'll go back and bring Andre. We'll drive there together."
"Good!"
After Tartaglia left, Venti muttered, "Who's crazy enough to steal a Gnosis at a time like this?"
"No idea."
Zhongli shook his head, glanced at the time on his phone, and said, "Hu Tao should be back in a day or two."
"We'll be out working. Should we leave her a note?" Venti asked.
"That'll do." Zhongli nodded.
There were plenty of people at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. As for the card shop, Hu Tao might run into it on her way back and learn a thing or two.
Once she returned, she could ask around for details and catch up.
So Zhongli wasn't worried about her falling behind the times.
But he still decided to leave her a letter. After all, as the former director's entrusted successor, he ought to inform her before leaving on a trip.
After writing the letter and handing it to Meng, the sound of a car horn came from the backyard gate.
"Let's go. Time to head out."
Fontaine – Hotel Bouffes d'été
Now that they no longer needed to plot against the Hydro Archon's Gnosis, the children of the House of the Hearth had become relatively "idle."
At least, that was the case for Lyney.
No longer needing to delve into the nation's secrets, he could focus entirely on preparing for his magic performances.
But the unexpected always arrives before tomorrow.
Lyney sat in front of his computer, which displayed a chat group.
The "Father" wouldn't handle everything personally—otherwise, what were they, the "children," for?
Lyney was currently compiling intelligence from the chat group.
Some of their less deeply embedded agents had been activated.
"Mondstadt... There's someone who fits the description, but their strength is lacking. Eliminated."
"Liyue... Could it be one of those shape-shifting adepti?"
The thought crossed his mind, but Lyney quickly dismissed it.
Impossible.
The Gnosis had been personally handed over by Rex Lapis. Why would the adepti steal it back?
Liyue was completely out of the question.
"Inazuma..." Lyney shook his head.
Inazuma was even cleaner.
In this era, it was practically a closed-off, primitive society.
So, no leads there.
"Sumeru...?"
Lyney skimmed through the gathered intelligence. Sumeru did have someone who somewhat matched the description—
The General Mahamatra, Cyno!
But Cyno had appeared at the Fontaine card shop just this afternoon!
He couldn't possibly have a clone, could he?
Moreover, this was his first time interacting with the cards!
Before getting the cards, comparing Cyno and Andre—
Andre was equipped with multiple powerful cards. Even if Cyno had more combat experience, he couldn't have defeated Andre so swiftly!
So it couldn't be Cyno.
"Sumeru is a dead end... Natlan?"
"That's way too far."
From Natlan to the northern border of Liyue, the distance was immense—separated by all of Sumeru and most of Liyue.
Lyney looked down at the map, muttering, "Looking at it now, the only possibility left is... Snezhnaya?"
"The Balladeer also fits the description," Lynette suddenly spoke up.
"Huh?"
Lyney and the others had never met the Balladeer in person, but the Fatui had internal documents like newspapers.
They had seen his official photo!
"The Balladeer's physique matches, and if he used an Electro Delusion..."
Lyney's expression darkened. "It really might be him!"
"But he doesn't have a motive," Lynette countered.
The Balladeer was a Fatui Harbinger. If he had stolen another archon's Gnosis, that would make sense.
But this Gnosis was being sent back to Snezhnaya by Tartaglia!
Why would he steal it?
If he did, it would just be taking credit—something a Harbinger wouldn't bother with, especially since it would earn Tartaglia's ire.
"The Balladeer has the strength and fits the description, but there's no motive!" Lyney shook his head. "Let's inform the Father first. This matter might be beyond our ability to speculate. A single misstep could lead to false accusations."
"Understood."
Soon, Lyney relayed the information to Arlecchino.
Arlecchino was also surprised.
She didn't know much about the Balladeer.
Like most Harbingers, they were colleagues but not particularly close.
The Balladeer wasn't human—he was a man-made puppet.
Essentially, a flesh-and-blood robot with self-awareness.
Additionally, Arlecchino knew he had been assigned important tasks by Pierro, including expeditions into the Abyss.
Beyond that, she only had superficial knowledge of him.
After all, who would like someone so sarcastic and sharp-tongued?
Arlecchino wasn't afraid of the Balladeer, but this matter needed careful handling.
"Understood," Lyney said.
"List him as the last possibility. After all, he's a colleague. We don't want unnecessary misunderstandings."
"Since the initial screening is done, compile the report and send it to Tartaglia. As for deeper investigations... those can't be rushed."
"Yes!"
On the Liyue Highway at Night
An off-road vehicle sped down the road.
Tartaglia's phone, placed beside the steering wheel, lit up.
Lyney's file had arrived.
He had the phone's AI read it aloud for everyone.
"The Balladeer also fits the description?" Tartaglia was stunned.
But the Balladeer was a Fatui Harbinger!
Why would he do this?
It made no sense!
"Hey, hey! Focus on driving!"
Venti, sitting in the back, patted Tartaglia's shoulder to snap him out of it.
"Oh!"
Tartaglia snapped back to reality.
He had nearly driven into a ditch.
Zhongli had already gathered Geo energy, ready to shield everyone.
"We've checked the general situation in each nation. Those who fit the description lack the strength, and those with strength lack motive..."
Tartaglia asked, "Andre, did you notice anything about the Electro energy at the time?"
Andre thought for a moment before shaking his head. "Lord Harbinger, the Harbinger-grade Delusions are far superior to ordinary ones. In terms of elemental energy, I couldn't distinguish anything."
Tartaglia frowned.
Delusions came in two types—mass-produced, low-quality ones, and custom-made Harbinger versions infused with the Tsaritsa's power, significantly reducing their side effects.
Zhongli and Venti didn't comment.
The likelihood of it being the Balladeer was minuscule—almost nonexistent.
Why would one of their own steal from another? Unless it was for credit, but Harbingers didn't need to compete for achievements.
"This is getting convoluted," Venti sighed.
"Hmph!"
Tartaglia slammed the steering wheel.
"Just wait till I find them!"
The other three didn't object.
"I swear, once I find them, I'll make sure they regret it!"
When someone interferes with a deal your boss made, hands you the goods, and then your delivery gets robbed for no reason—
For the Fatui, simply killing the culprit would be letting them off easy.
"First, let's confirm whether it was one of our own."
Tartaglia considered calling the Tsaritsa.
But she might already be asleep.
The Tsaritsa was so gentle—she hadn't even blamed him for his carelessness. No need to disturb her further.
After some thought, Tartaglia decided to call Pantalone instead.
"I don't have money."
The moment the call connected, Pantalone's cold voice came through.
Every time Tartaglia called him, it was always about money.
"No, I'm calling to ask you something."
As long as it wasn't about money, Pantalone was more amicable.
As the one managing most of the Fatui's funds, he knew all major financial movements.
"The Balladeer...?"
"Shouldn't he be in Inazuma?"
"He's not?"
Tartaglia was surprised.
"According to the original plan, the Balladeer was supposed to assist La Signora in Inazuma. He arrived earlier than her. Beyond that, I'm not sure."
"Got it. Thanks."
After hanging up, Tartaglia said, "So, it probably wasn't one of our own."
"Never mind. Let's not rush. We'll search for more clues at the scene!"
Tartaglia's eyes gleamed sharply as he pressed the accelerator harder, speeding up even further.
Fontaine – Court of Fontaine
After enjoying a candlelit dinner with Lu Heng, Furina lay in his arms, holding a fruit platter—feeding him one piece while eating another herself.
Meanwhile, Lu Heng was scrolling through his "Circle of Friends" (social media feed).
Today's updates were particularly interesting.
Whenever major events occurred in the world, "Cybernetic Divination" would reveal them to Lu Heng.
So, no matter what happened in this world, nothing escaped his notice.
At first, Lu Heng thought Tartaglia would come to him for answers, but Tartaglia had changed his mind at the last moment.
And now...
Lu Heng saw that Cybernetic Divination had calculated a new, highly intriguing "timeline."
He decided not to interfere.
He was certain this timeline would satisfy everyone!
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T/N:
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