11 hours left before reset. We only need 15 powerstones left
.....
After several days at sea, the ship finally returned to Snezhnaya.
At the harbor, the Fatui stood in neat formation, waiting for the vessel to dock.
The moment the anchor dropped into the water, a wave of loud cheers erupted from the crowd.
"Hehehe, our heroes have returned." The Regrator stepped forward with a smile.
Behind him followed several high-ranking Fatui officials, their faces alight with joy and anticipation.
"Congratulations to their Excellency the Fair Lady and the Gambler for successfully retrieving the Anemo Archon's Gnosis!"
The voices of the crowd rang out in unison, echoing across the entire harbor.
"Oh?" Shajin raised an eyebrow, a flicker of surprise flashing in his eyes.
"Pantalone? What a rare sight. Shouldn't you be running the Northern Bank?" he said with a smirk, a teasing lilt in his tone.
At that, [Regrator] Pantalone merely gave a calm smile, his eyes brimming with quiet confidence.
"Adventurine, no need for you to worry. Everything's been taken care of."
"Oh? So you've left the bank in the hands of someone you trust that much?" Shajin asked, lifting his brows with mild curiosity.
Pantalone nodded subtly, a glint of mischief in his eye.
"Of course. I hired them from [the Doctor]—cost me a fortune~"
"Heh…" Shajin chuckled, clapping Pantalone on the shoulder.
"Well then, let's go report to Her Majesty first~"
Stretching lazily, he turned and took the lead toward the Palace.
Rosalyne followed behind him, expression as calm and haughty as ever, but something about her seemed… off.
Pantalone narrowed his eyes, as if he had noticed something amusing, but said nothing and silently trailed after them.
The group gradually disappeared into the distance, leaving behind a crowd of excited Fatui murmuring amongst themselves.
"Adventurine, your next stop is Liyue, right?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"Oh, nothing. I just hope you can look into what Tartaglia's up to over there. His expense reports are always filled with bizarre antiques and meals."
"Some of them cost tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands. Tartaglia doesn't strike me as the type to enjoy that kind of stuff. Even if the Northern Bank has deep pockets, money still needs to be spent wisely."
Shajin scratched his head, also feeling something was off. Was that battle maniac really into rare collectibles?
Wouldn't be surprised if he got scammed and even helped count the money afterward.
"I'll look into it."
"Thanks. I'll leave it to you, then."
Up ahead was the palace of the Tsaritsa. Shajin gave Rosalyne a nudge with his chin, signaling her to go announce their arrival. Rosalyne rolled her eyes but still stepped forward and pushed open the door.
The palace Interior was entirely cast in cold tones. The walls, ceiling, and floors were all constructed of glacial ice, radiating an aura of chill and mystery.
The supporting pillars were intricately carved with ornate patterns and runes, showcasing exquisite craftsmanship.
After passing through several corridors, the pair arrived at the grand hall.
At the center of the hall stood a massive ice throne. Above it hung an enormous chandelier of crystalized frost, emitting a soft, ethereal glow.
The Tsaritsa sat atop her throne, her icy gaze fixed on the two approaching Harbingers.
A powerful aura emanated from her, commanding respect and awe.
She sat regally, a stack of documents at her side—likely in the middle of reviewing them moments before.
The two stepped forward and dropped to one knee. Rosalyne held the Anemo Gnosis in her hands and lowered her head.
"As commanded by Her Majesty, we have successfully retrieved the Anemo Archon's Gnosis."
Hearing this, the Tsaritsa gave a quiet hum of approval.
"Mm. Well done."
But as she spoke, Shajin froze for a brief moment.
Something didn't sit right with him.
"Hm?"
He couldn't quite put his finger on it. Though he couldn't see her face clearly, the Tsaritsa's figure was clearly that of a mature woman—and her voice at the last assembly had been deep and commanding.
So why… why did her voice today sound soft and childish, almost like a little girl pretending to be stern?
He carefully tilted his head, stealing a glance at Rosalyne out of the corner of his eye to see if she noticed anything strange.
To his surprise, Rosalyne remained respectfully still, showing no signs of alarm or confusion.
The Tsaritsa gave a gentle wave of her hand, and the Anemo Gnosis floated from Rosalyne's palm and drifted toward a special container near her desk.
The container shimmered with alternating hues of icy blue and emerald green—the green clearly resonating with the power of the Anemo Gnosis.
With their task complete, the two rose and prepared to take their leave.
Once outside the palace, Shajin immediately turned to Rosalyne, curiosity written all over his face.
"Rosalyne, didn't you think Her Majesty's voice sounded… off?"
Rosalyne looked at him, confused. "Hm? It did? I didn't notice anything."
"You didn't feel that? It was obvious," Shajin frowned slightly, thoughts churning.
Seeing his expression, Rosalyne crossed her arms and said, "What are you talking about? Her Majesty was no different than usual. And mind your tongue—speaking like that near the palace is disrespectful!"
Then what, it's fine as long as we're not inside? Shajin grumbled internally but didn't voice it aloud.
He simply shrugged and feigned nonchalance. "Oh, maybe I just misheard."
Rosalyne nodded, satisfied. "Exactly.
Though Shajin was clearly reluctant, he had no choice but to follow Rosalyne under her firm insistence.
Just then, the officer on patrol heard a commotion erupting near the entrance of the Tsaritsa's palace. He frowned, ready to investigate.
However, when he looked up, he froze in shock—standing at the gate were two Harbingers.
Captain Adolf spun on his heels without a word, retreating as if nothing had happened.
"Captain Adolf, didn't you say you were going to teach those noisy troublemakers a lesson?" one patrol guard asked, confused. He hadn't even gotten a good look at who was making the ruckus.
"Who was making noise? You must've misheard," Captain Adolf replied hastily, trying to cover up his obvious discomfort.
"But I could've sworn I—" another guard began, only to be silenced by Adolf slapping a hand over his mouth.
"You misheard too!" the captain hissed, clearly panicked and desperate to avoid further trouble.
The patrol squad exchanged bewildered glances, their expressions filled with doubt.
They all knew perfectly well—there was no way that noise could've been a mistake.
_
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