Snow fell softly on the streets of the winter capital, each flake painting the city in a dreamlike stillness. Under the eaves ahead stood a silver-haired woman with pitch-black eyes marked by an X-shaped iris. The heavy fur cloak draped over her shoulders marked her identity unmistakably—Arlecchino, the Tenth Harbinger of the Fatui, codename: The Servant.
Seeing Arlecchino clearly waiting for her, Saphir walked straight up and greeted her cheerfully.
"Sis Arle!"
At that, the Servant frowned. "Where did you even learn to talk like that?" Her tone was cold, tinged with annoyance. Clearly, she disliked subordinates who blurred boundaries.
But Saphir was no longer her subordinate. Calling her "sis" was, ironically, a sign of respect now.
Arlecchino sighed, resigned. "Call me what you want. I can't control you anymore."
She looked at the smiling girl before her, and for a brief moment, the image of a much younger Saphir flashed in her mind—guarded, wary, and utterly distrustful.
"Inazuma is being handled by Yeffim. His squad is fully equipped and specializes in intelligence gathering. He's well suited to stirring the waters over there."
Hearing the name Yeffim, Saphir raised an eyebrow. "Lyudashka went too?"
Lyudashka was someone Saphir had met back at the House of the Hearth. They had once been inseparable. Though Saphir had escaped the inhumane experiments thanks to her own strength, Lyudashka hadn't been so lucky. She underwent brutal modifications and was eventually transformed into an Electro Cicin Mage, later assigned under Yeffim's command.
"She's his subordinate. Of course she went. What's wrong, worried about your friend?"
Arlecchino's sharp gaze locked onto Saphir, as if trying to peer into her heart.
"Worried? Not really. Flowers raised in greenhouses never grow strong. This might be good for her. Let her be tempered by the real world a bit."
Saphir shifted the topic without missing a beat. "But Yeffim... if I recall, that guy's got ambition far beyond his actual ability. Isn't it risky putting him in charge of Inazuma?"
Arlecchino never liked how Saphir valued emotions. Because of that, she was especially hard on Lyudashka—wanting the girl to be strong enough to survive without Saphir's protection. Saphir understood her reasoning. In the House of the Hearth, talentless children had only two paths: become expendable soldiers and die on the battlefield—or be discarded as test subjects by the Doctor.
If the trials made Lyudashka strong enough to survive, good. If she failed, Saphir could step in and remove her from the battlefield, giving her a peaceful life in Snezhnaya. That would be ideal—an out, and a favor owed to a future Harbinger. But unfortunately, Lyudashka's grit saw her through. She passed every test and was now part of the Inazuma expedition team.
Arlecchino gave a rare, subtle smile.
"Isn't that perfect? No matter how much of a mess Yeffim makes, it's on him alone. After all… there are no Harbingers in Inazuma."
But that meant Lyudashka would be in real danger.
Saphir's smile faded.
She stared at Arlecchino, mouth opening as if to speak, but no words came. She turned away.
She had made up her mind—to head to Inazuma and bring Lyudashka back herself.
"Afurola, you're not a 'Snezhnaya'. You've seen the light—so you should better understand how cruel the darkness is. Your emotions are a burden to those born in the dark. Your very existence pressures her to keep moving forward. They're sensitive children. Weakness isn't tolerated.
Not everyone is like you—born under the sun and blessed with power. They are survivors in the shadows, discarded lives. Not even the gods glance their way.
Lyudashka cannot yet bear your friendship. Give her a chance, if she's smart enough to take it."
Arlecchino's words froze Saphir in her tracks.
Right. Lyudashka's surname was Snezhnaya—one of the abandoned ones. If not for her battle merits, she'd have died long ago. Even if Saphir used her Harbinger authority to keep Lyudashka by her side, even if she forced her to accept her friendship—could that even be called friendship?
"Is… that how she really feels?"
Saphir sniffled softly, then suddenly felt something fly toward her. She caught it reflexively. A letter—or rather, just a slip of paper with a few simple lines:
Please deliver this to Saphir.
Hey, Saphir—
Or should I say, Lady Afurola now?
Wow, you're a Harbinger! You don't need me looking out for you anymore. I'm so proud of you! But… while you've become someone amazing, I'm still just a newbie grunt. So I've gotta work harder too!
I haven't had time to write lately. Training's been tough. Raising Electro Cicins is noisy and a real pain. I'm dumb too. But luckily, the Servant's been taking good care of me—even gave me more resources (though it meant extra training). I graduated! Cool, huh?
I heard we're heading to Inazuma next. I signed up myself! Since you used to handle things there, I thought maybe this way, I could help you a little. Hope you're not mad—I know I can be reckless.
We probably won't see each other for a while. So I wrote this letter. Don't miss me too much. Just do your job like a good girl, and wait for me to bring back good news!
Love,
Lyudashka Snezhnaya
Hands trembling slightly, Saphir folded the letter carefully. That child… had chosen her own path.
Seeing her calm down, Arlecchino asked again,
"Still planning to pull her out? You could give her a peaceful life… but is that really what she wants?"
"…I thought I was her best friend. But maybe I never understood her at all."
Saphir laughed bitterly. "Lyudashka… that stubborn girl. I was so worried Yeffim would ruin everything. Now I realize it doesn't matter. If that idiot puts her in danger, I'll make sure he understands why Pantalone's Northern Bank opened branches in all seven nations without a single voice raised in protest."
She had made a mental note of Yeffim's name.
She would go to Inazuma.
And when she arrived, she only hoped the people she cared about were still alive and well.
If not—even that lofty Shogun wouldn't be spared the wrath of her blade.
"Thanks, Sis Arle. You really helped me out."
Waving the letter in her hand, Saphir folded it gently and tucked it inside the inner pocket of her cloak. She turned and headed toward the port.
Arlecchino remained where she stood, silently watching the girl who had once been her proudest protégé disappear into the distance.
"…Saphir. Safe travels."