"What a shame. Such a nice person, but there's something wrong with his head."
As Childe entered Northland Bank, he noticed that none of the Fatui agents inside were working. They were all huddled together, chattering about who knows what.
"Instead of working properly, what are you all gathered here for? Fancy a spar with me?"
"The slowest one among you—go inform Andrey. I have new orders for him."
Childe's voice wasn't loud, but his authority was absolute. Hearing his words, the gathered agents immediately scattered. Natalia, being a bit slow to react, was the one he caught. With tears in her eyes, she trudged toward Andrey's office.
Childe rubbed his chin, puzzled. What was wrong with his subordinate? Andrey wasn't short-tempered. Why did sending a message seem as painful as fighting the Millelith?
"Lord Childe, here is a letter from Lady Signora for you. Please read it."
"What? A letter from Signora? That hot-tempered woman wrote to me?"
The receptionist respectfully handed Childe a letter. He looked at it with curiosity. If he hadn't sensed any elemental energy on it, he might have thought it was Signora's way of getting back at him.
Hearing her boss talk about Signora like that, the receptionist pretended not to hear. Childe wasn't worried about her spreading gossip either—Northland Bank was his territory, and the agents here had worked under him for a while. There was no need to worry about leaks.
"This is my first time receiving a letter from Signora. Let me see what it says."
Opening the envelope and taking out the letter inside, a few short lines caught Childe's eye. The more he read, the more alarmed he became. Had Signora gone mad? Was she planning to challenge Rex Lapis herself?
"Lord Childe, you called for me?"
"Yes. Listen carefully—I have three things to say."
Childe tucked the letter into his coat. He didn't know what Signora was planning, but that didn't stop him from lending a hand.
"First, acquire as many Hundred-Eyed Talismans as possible from ordinary people. By any means necessary."
"Second, send someone to Mondstadt. Arrange to meet Signora at Wangshu Inn in three days."
"Third, prepare one million Mora for me. I'll need it tomorrow."
Andrey's mouth twitched. 'Lord Childe, the first two requests are manageable, but one million Mora just like that? Do you think Northland Bank is a mint?'
Despite his reluctance, Andrey nodded in agreement. That was the power of a Harbinger, and Childe knew how to wield it. Since becoming a Harbinger, he had spent no small amount of public funds on his family.
"Lord Childe, I'd like to monopolize Liyue's Cor Lapis trade with Maocai Gong. Would you..."
"Handle it as you see fit. I'll find you some helpers. But remember—if you're exposed, cut ties immediately. Now is not the time to challenge the Liyue Qixing."
With a few brief instructions, Childe retreated to his room. He needed a quiet environment to think, even if he probably wouldn't come up with anything.
In a corner of Liyue Harbor, after confirming no one was following him, Su Bai pulled Lumine into a rundown house. Paimon flew in from above.
Removing his disguise, Su Bai's three tails sprang out from under his clothes. He groomed them—having them tucked in for so long had made them nearly numb.
Lumine leaned against the wall, breathing heavily. Having succeeded at something so thrilling for the first time, she was too excited to catch her breath. This was way more exciting than searching for her brother.
"Wow, are you two okay? I can't believe you actually pulled it off."
"Haha, little Paimon, do you know who I am? Do you really think I could fail? Let me tell you how dangerous it was."
While grooming his tails, Su Bai recounted his heroic exploits inside Northland Bank to little Paimon. With his excellent storytelling skills, Paimon was completely drawn in. Once Lumine had caught her breath, she rolled her eyes at Paimon—this unreliable little one had almost gotten them in trouble.
"Paimon, how did you do as our lookout? Right after Su Bai and I left Northland Bank, we ran into one of the Fatui Harbingers—Tartaglia himself. I almost struck first."
"Huh? That guy was a Fatui Harbinger? I didn't recognize him. And he wasn't wearing Fatui clothes, so I thought he was just an ordinary person and didn't warn you."
Paimon's eyes widened. She hadn't expected that dejected-looking guy to be a Fatui Harbinger. Did that mean Lumine and Su Bai had just been in danger? But from what she saw from above, that man hadn't seemed to bother them.
"Wait, Lumine, if that guy was a Fatui Harbinger, why didn't you fight?"
"He probably thought Su Bai had a few screws loose. Plus, Su Bai brought up Signora, so Childe didn't press the matter."
"Alright, enough of that. Let's divide the Mora. We agreed on half each."
Afraid Lumine would continue to ruin his reputation, Su Bai waved his hand. Two chests full of Mora appeared neatly before Lumine and Paimon. Paimon opened one chest, and the sight of golden Mora piled inside left her stunned. She had never seen so much Mora before.
"Su Bai, do all these chests have Mora inside?"
Seeing the chests filled to the brim with Mora—and there were twenty of them—Paimon stammered in disbelief. Su Bai smiled and nodded. This haul was impressive. The Fatui's Mora was indeed easy money.
"This Mora came without any effort. If I get another chance, I'm definitely fleecing the Fatui again."
"Right, right! Su Bai, next time such an opportunity comes, definitely bring Lumine along. Paimon will be your lookout again!"
Paimon packed Mora into her little subspace while flattering Su Bai. Lumine nodded in agreement. Despite the danger, the profit was incredible. A few more trips like this, and she might still have a large sum left even after visiting all seven nations.
"Alright, since the Mora's divided, I'm heading back to Wangsheng. There's someone on duty there. Just knock when you get back tonight."
"Got it, got it! Lumine, let's go eat at Xinyue Kiosk! I heard their food is amazing."
"After that, let's visit the night market. I heard there's lots of good food there too."
Well, it seemed these two were excited. Whether they'd even make it back to Wangsheng tonight was anyone's guess. Watching Paimon swimming through a pile of Mora, Su Bai understood how Lumine and Paimon were feeling. They had struggled quite a bit in Mondstadt. Now that they were wealthy, it was only natural to be a little excited.