"Where would he go when everything becomes particularly chaotic?"
Lumine thought for a moment. There was only one place he would go: the Golden House.
[Furina: Arlecchino, answer my question. Is the Gnosis the only goal of the Fatui?]
[Arlecchino: Lady Furina, you know the answer to this question. As diplomats, we have many other tasks, such as the essential duties of diplomacy itself.]
[Lumine: Indeed, Furina already knows the answer.]
[Paimon: There should also be a money-making function! The Northland Bank is so rich!]
[Arlecchino: Liyue is the commercial center of Teyvat, with frequent lending business. Naturally, we cannot let the Qixing earn all that money, which is why we established a bank in Liyue. In Fontaine, I am primarily in charge of the intelligence apparatus, not revenue generation.]
[Childe: Wait a minute... why did you just say all that?]
[Arlecchino: These are inconsequential matters, are they not? Anyone who wants to investigate can easily find the answers.]
[Childe: Thinking about it... that seems true.]
[Paimon: In terms of intelligence, Arlecchino is far ahead of Childe.]
[Lumine: After all, she obtained the Gnosis without shedding a drop of blood.]
Lumine and Paimon hurried all the way to the Golden House. The interior was lavishly and opulently decorated, and the floor was literally covered in Mora.
Paimon's eyes went wide at the sight of all the Mora: "Since all the Mora in Teyvat is made here... wouldn't it be hard to notice if a little more or a little less went missing?"
Lumine flatly refused Paimon's implied request: "Don't reach out. If you reach out, you will get caught."
Paimon: "Alright then... But even if I can't take any, there's no harm in taking a closer look, right? If possible, I'd even like to sleep in it, using Mora as a blanket. My dreams would be sweeter, hehe, hehehe."
Lumine silently watched Paimon's silly grin: "We should go check on the status of the Exuvia first."
Paimon looked around and sensed something was off: "Isn't it... too quiet here? Something as important as the Exuvia... surely it wouldn't be left unguarded?"
"Look! What's that?" Paimon pointed to a nearby corner.
Lumine turned to look. It was several Millelith soldiers, knocked unconscious.
Paimon: "This feels very bad already. Let's go see if the Exuvia is alright first."
"As the guide, your mission is already complete. Why come looking for trouble? If you were Fatui, you might receive a generous reward from Her Majesty. But unfortunately, you are now merely worthless obstacles." Childe appeared from behind, walking step by step towards them.
[Childe: How do I look? Pretty cool, right?]
[Paimon: You look a bit arrogant... and also a bit silly.]
[Childe: Silly? Where are you getting that from?]
[Paimon: You could have just gone straight in and taken the Gnosis, but you deliberately let us know first. Paimon and Lumine would definitely try to stop you.]
[Furina: How impressive. It's the first time I've seen Paimon be this clever.]
[Paimon: I'm smart to begin with, okay?]
[Furina: Uh-huh, sure, sure. You're smart to begin with.]
[Arataki Itto: Paimon is obviously dumb. Why are you praising her for being smart?]
[Kuki Shinobu: Boss, please stop embarrassing yourself...]
Lumine: "It's not too late for me to pursue the matter now."
Childe: "Although I should thank you for making it easy for me to find this hiding place without much effort... trying to stop me now would be a waste of energy."
"Heh. Going so far as to halt the minting of Mora just to hide the Exuvia... the Qixing really went all out."
Paimon: "So... you really are trying to find the Gnosis inside the Exuvia!"
Childe said calmly: "As the Eleventh of the Fatui Harbingers, I must carry out the will of the Cryo Archon. What our Tsaritsa desires, we shall obtain."
[Arlecchino: That line was cool. Her Majesty will surely be pleased to see it.]
[Childe: Speaking of which, Her Majesty must be able to see this too. Why isn't she saying anything?]
[Paimon: Is she worried about breaking character? Come to think of it, Lesser Lord Kusanali also hasn't spoken for a while. The only Archons who talk frequently are Venti and Zhongli. Zhongli I understand—he likes listening to opera, so naturally he likes watching videos too. Venti...]
[Venti: I like poetry! So naturally, I like stories too. I have more opinions to share.]
[Paimon: So... is the Cryo Archon an icy-cold person?]
[Childe: Of course not. Her Majesty is actually very gentle. But precisely because she is too gentle, she had to become cold. Precisely because she dreams of peace, she must declare war on the whole world. And precisely because she stands against the world, I had the chance to meet you.]
[Paimon: Suddenly it's all becoming hard to understand.]
[Childe: Ha ha ha ha, it's fine if Paimon doesn't understand. Although I'm not clear why Her Majesty isn't speaking in the livestream, I know that when Her Majesty sees Arlecchino obtaining the Gnosis, she will definitely smile. I also cannot let Her Majesty down.]
[Paimon: Childe is really loyal.]
[Childe: Her Majesty is my idol. Cold yet pure, arrogant yet sharp. She is not only the lofty Cryo Archon, but also a true warrior.]
[System: I wonder if anyone is curious about the Fatui. If anyone is, after the story of the Electro Archon concludes, a simple interlude chapter, 'A Winter Night's Lazzo,' can be played.]
[Paimon: I want to see it! I want to see it!]
[Venti: I'm also very interested.]
[Zhongli: Hmm. The seats among the Harbingers have been changing. I haven't paid attention for some time.]
[Ningguang: I am aware of all the Fatui Harbingers, but there are always secrets I don't yet know. I would also like to see it.]
[Paimon: So Ningguang actually knows that much?]
[Ningguang: Yes. My informants are similarly spread across all seven nations.]
[Arlecchino: The minority yields to the majority. It seems our refusal is now meaningless.]
[Ningguang: Indeed it is.]
Lumine positioned herself in front of the Exuvia: "I won't allow you to approach the Exuvia."
Childe's gaze turned sharp: "The question isn't who will allow me, but who can stop me? The time for deals and schemes is finally over. To be honest, I also despise these petty tricks. But for Her Majesty, I can endure them."
"Next, we can enjoy something simple and pleasurable: combat."
Paimon: "Combat? Are you the type who likes picking fights?"
Childe laughed heartily: "Ha ha ha ha! You could say that. In Mondstadt, Signora desecrated the divine right outside the church and hurriedly left after succeeding. She'd rather use cryo to temporarily immobilize everyone than face you in direct combat. That was to avoid the commotion of battle attracting the Knights."
"When facing a strong opponent, she only calculates benefits, considers victory or defeat, weighs the consequences of taking action. But the greatest joy I've had since becoming a Harbinger is being able to throw punches at more and more strong opponents."
[Lumine: Signora... Mondstadt... desecrating the divine... What happened in Mondstadt?]
[Venti: I suppose it was when my Gnosis was taken.]
[Paimon: Huh? Why are you saying it so calmly?]
[Venti: What can I do? A god's power comes from the faith of the people. Having not appeared before the people for 500 years, I am undoubtedly the weakest among The Seven.]
[Paimon: Shouldn't the weakest Archon be Furina? She can't even beat a Slime.]
[Furina: Paimon! Leave me some face, will you?!]
[Paimon: Uh... umm... sorry about that.]
[Barbara: Mondstadt Cathedral... so many people come every day.]
[Klee: Lord Barbatos, we have always loved you.]
[Jean: My faith in you has never wavered.]
[Paimon: I remember... Nahida seemed to say that Archons inherently possess authority and power. As one of the original Seven, even without people's faith, Venti must still be very powerful.]
[Venti: Well... anyway, I'm definitely the second weakest of The Seven.]
In the Video
Paimon put on a serious face and said firmly: "What happened in Mondstadt won't happen a second time."
Childe replied with a smile: "Good. Then let's give it a try. I won't kill you, Traveler. I just want to enjoy the thrill of battle. So please, play along with me. You can't defeat me, so you don't need to win. Just enjoy the thrill of the fight as much as I do. I think you should understand what I mean."
Lumine answered coldly: "I can't defeat you? I don't understand what you're saying."
"Ha ha ha ha ha!" Childe laughed heartily once more: "Alright. Since you also seem eager to play... please don't let me down."
[Paimon: So Childe is a battle maniac.]
[Childe: I do enjoy fighting.]
[Paimon: Then you should have a chance to fight Zhongli sometime. Zhongli must be very powerful in a fight.]
[Childe: That... I still understand the difference between a contest and suicide. According to records, Morax is a renowned God of War. Even without using divine power, I wouldn't stand a chance.]
[Zhongli: Compared to martial skill, I actually prefer simply dropping giant stone spears.]
[Paimon: I remember Ningguang said Guyun Stone Forest isn't a naturally formed landscape, but a giant stone spear cast down by Lord Rex Lapis! Yeah... Childe definitely couldn't withstand that.]
[Childe: Obviously not.]
The initial exchange between Lumine and Childe was evenly matched. But Lumine had held back a trick, turning the tables at a critical moment. However, Childe used his disadvantaged position to get even closer to the Exuvia.
Paimon stomped her foot in frustration: "He actually used being at a disadvantage to get closer to the Exuvia!"
Childe clenched a fist, dark purple energy gathering in his palm: "Don't make such a fuss, like a rookie. For a Harbinger, this sort of thing is child's play."
With that, Childe drove his fist into the Exuvia.
"The Gnosis of Morax, I'll take it—" Childe's words cut off as he realized something was wrong. Inside the Exuvia... there was no Gnosis of Morax.
Childe looked at Lumine, cracking his knuckles: "So that's how it is. How unexpected. So you were the one who got here first." As he spoke, Childe's body rapidly transformed. Powerful Abyssal energy surged from within, forming a suit of armor covering his entire body—majestic and imposing. With one punch, he shattered the floor of the Golden House.
Then, he launched a fierce assault on Lumine.
"You were the one who got the Gnosis first, weren't you? Were your movements faster than mine? Or was the intelligence about the Golden House also deliberately leaked to me? Whichever it is, hand over the Gnosis now. Don't make me take it myself."
However, Lumine's power was truly formidable. Even Childe with his Delusion-powered Foul Legacy transformation was ultimately defeated.
[Ningguang: The Traveler's strength exceeds my expectations.]
[Paimon: So the Traveler is this powerful. Even Childe using his ultimate move couldn't win.]
[Lumine: After I awoke, I lost my original power. In the past, I fought against the Heavenly Principles.]
[Childe: ???]
[Lumine: I didn't win.]
[Childe: The day will come when the Cryo Archon raises the banner of rebellion against the Heavenly Principles. I hope we can have your aid.]
[Lumine: You can.]
Defeated, Childe dispelled the Foul Legacy transformation and crouched on the ground, panting heavily: "Time to calm down. That Foul Legacy transformation really takes a toll on the body. It didn't give me a chance to stop and think. But upon careful consideration, you truly didn't have the possibility of getting the Gnosis before me."
"So, wherever the Gnosis has gone, it probably has nothing to do with you, right?"
Paimon: "Yeah! We told you it wasn't us!"
Childe slowly stood up: "Traveler, the strength you displayed today is greater than what Signora reported about you in Mondstadt. Why is that?"
Lumine had a guess but didn't voice it.
Childe didn't press further: "Sigh... If it's a secret you can't tell me, then I can only suppress my curiosity with great effort. Having had this battle is satisfying enough for me. We are both people who seek to become stronger. We are both... friends. Even if this kind of friendship can only exist through mutual conflict."
Paimon: "What a strange view of friendship."
Childe continued: "But now, I must temporarily set aside this camaraderie-like exchange and return to my mission. Since the Gnosis wasn't taken by someone... could it be that it was never inside the Exuvia to begin with?"
"Taking it a step further... could the Exuvia itself also be nothing more than a decoy?"
Paimon's eyes went wide: "You mean... Rex Lapis isn't dead?"
Childe nodded: "I'm afraid that's exactly the case. That's truly interesting."
"As expected of the patron deity of the commercial hub, very adept at petty tricks outside of contracts too. In that case, I need to prepare to initiate the contingency plan."
Paimon: "Contingency plan?"
Childe Tartaglia nodded: "Correct. I didn't want to use this plan originally, because it would involve the weak. But ultimately, the world belongs to those of us who seek to become stronger. As for boring, uninteresting weaklings, I usually can't be bothered with them."
"However, as a Fatui Harbinger, one cannot be picky about methods. It's like how children sometimes have to learn to eat carrots they don't like."
[Furina: I originally had some favorable impressions of Childe after seeing him fight the All-Devouring Narwhal. But now... all that goodwill has vanished.]
[Keqing: Even among the Harbingers, the gap is huge. Arlecchino is single-mindedly trying to solve the prophecy, protecting Fontaine, protecting Fontaine's ordinary people. But Childe doesn't put ordinary people in his eyes at all.]
[Ningguang: I wonder what kind of attack Childe will launch that can harm mortals.]
[Lumine: Sigils of Permission! That's the only clue.]
[Cloud Retainer: Sigils of Permission are primarily used to commune with divine power. But that divine power is ultimately limited. What can they be used for?]
Paimon felt a vague sense of unease: "So... what exactly are you planning to do?"
"I will awaken the slumbering god beneath Guyun Stone Forest," Childe replied.