"Hello again, Miss Kidnapper."
In Komore Tea House, Kamisato Ayaka smiled sweetly at Yelan, who sat across from her looking very uncomfortable.
She never expected their next meeting would be like this.
"You two… know each other?"
Kokomi blinked, surprised.
The world was big so why did their world feel so ridiculously small?
Everyone seemed to know everyone.
Even if they didn't know each other directly, their friends always did.
"..."
Compared to Ayaka's pleasant mood, Yelan felt as though she were dying inside.
Facing someone she once kidnapped, and now having to sit politely across from her…
It was unbearable.
But she had no choice but to stay.
"I just didn't expect Her Highness the White Heron to be connected with the Resistance as well."
Yelan could only counterattack with sarcasm.
A servant of the divine secretly working with rebels who oppose said divine that was peak irony.
"I was in contact with Miss Kokomi long before I ever served Lord Su Ran."
Ayaka answered calmly.
Yelan didn't think much of it at first but then something felt wrong.
"Wait—
Su Ran?"
After thinking for a while, she finally realized the problem.
"That Fatui Harbinger?"
Ayaka nodded.
Yes.
That "Lord Su Ran" was indeed the Harbinger Yelan was thinking of.
"You already know then," Ayaka smiled,
"Lord Su Ran is indeed a Harbinger of the Fatui."
Su Ran had never tried hiding that identity.
He simply didn't bother mentioning it.
But compared to his true identity in the stars, "Harbinger" was honestly a downgrade.
"And you know what kind of people the Fatui Harbingers are, don't you?
Yet you… voluntarily serve him?"
Yelan still couldn't understand.
The Fatui had a notoriously bad reputation across Teyvat.
For merchants, they might be useful partners.
But for ordinary citizens, they were a nightmare.
"That's only because you don't know Lord Su Ran," Ayaka said gently.
"You're judging based on rumors."
If she had been asked earlier, Ayaka herself probably wouldn't have agreed.
But after spending time with him, she understood not all Fatui were villains.
Su Ran was… different.
At least, in Ayaka's mind, as long as he enjoyed himself, nothing truly bad would happen
"Knowing him only made me feel he's even less reasonable,"
Yelan bit back.
"He even dared imprison the Geo Archon!"
That was Liyue's divine protector.
Imprisoning him was basically playing with fire or playing with a volcano.
"That's madness. And once the Qixing find out, they'll retaliate against Inazuma!"
Ayaka shook her head with a helpless expression.
"I think you misunderstand.
Miss Ningguang already knows."
"Ah?"
Yelan froze.
She already knew?
Then why hadn't Liyue erupted?
Su Ran: Because I'm teasing you, that's why.
"She knows everything Su Ran did in Liyue," Ayaka continued, "and she didn't express any dissatisfaction at all."
If anything, Ningguang seemed unconcerned.
Almost indifferent.
Yelan's brain slowly started overheating.
Ningguang… cooperating with the Fatui?
No—cooperating with him specifically?
That made even less sense.
"As hard as it is to believe," Ayaka said, "if you had seen the world beyond the stars, you would understand Ningguang's choice.
She's been working tirelessly for Liyue's future."
Ayaka let out a soft sigh.
She herself was growing anxious about Inazuma.
Even though Su Ran favored Inazuma far more, Ei still didn't know how to make use of that advantage.
"So…
I misunderstood?"
Yelan muttered.
Just what kind of charm did that man have to make both Ningguang and Ayaka speak so highly of him?
Yet all Yelan felt when she thought of him was irritation.
Probably because he clearly had overwhelming strength yet still toyed with her…
and even took advantage of her during the confrontation earlier.
Ayaka smiled quietly.
"Some things cannot be explained in words.
Perhaps once Miss Kidnapper spends more time with him, you'll understand the goodness of Lord Su Ran."
Yelan sneered inwardly.
If possible, she would prefer never to see that Harbinger again.
Twice now first with Ayaka and then with Su Ran she had ended up humiliated.
She had had enough.
"Forget it," Yelan waved a hand.
"I'm not here to discuss him.
I'm here to ask how I can escape this dream."
She had no interest in analyzing Su Ran's personality.
She wanted out.
Preferably with the Geo Archon in tow.
Ayaka folded her hands politely.
"If we're speaking of this dream then we must speak of Lord Su Ran."
Yelan immediately rejected that idea.
"But didn't something happen to the dream a few days ago?"
she pressed.
"There was a tremor.
Isn't that a sign it's breaking down?"
Was this dream really so powerful?
Able to imprison the Geo Archon
while remaining stable?
"The disturbance was caused by the Resistance," Ayaka said.
"But Lady Ei has already sealed them."
She looked apologetically at Kokomi.
"I'm sorry, Miss Kokomi.
This is not good news."
"It's alright.
I expected as much."
Kokomi exhaled softly.
At least they weren't killed.
Being sealed was…
well, manageable.
"So what exactly did the Resistance do,"
Beidou asked in confusion, "to get sealed by a god?"
It wasn't that she underestimated them but shaking a divine construct?
That sounded like a stretch.
But apparently… they'd actually done it.
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