Liyue, Northland Bank
A ginger-haired young man was packing his belongings.
"Lord Harbinger, please refrain from bringing Mondstadt's flying hoverboard. Please use the one developed by our Fatui," the receptionist Ekaterina pleaded with him, looking troubled.
"Ah, it's fine! I'll hide their hoverboard outside the city before entering Mondstadt and bring ours instead," he waved his hand dismissively, completely unconcerned.
What a joke—Mondstadt's flying hoverboards could reach speeds of up to 50 kilometers per hour, while the one developed by The Marionette Sandrone could only manage 30. Any faster, and it would spiral out of control.
He had no intention of wasting so much time on the road.
"But—"
"No buts, Miss Ekaterina. I should get going now. There are customers at the counter too—don't keep them waiting. That'll only lower their opinion of our bank."
The young man pushed open the bank's doors and only stepped onto his skateboard after reaching Liyue's city gates, soaring toward Mondstadt.
Though Liyue had no written flight regulations, flying at high speeds within the city would easily attract the attention of the Millelith. Coupled with his identity as the 11th Harbinger of the Fatui, it was better to keep a low profile.
At the moment, Childe, known as Tartaglia, was in a foul mood. Originally, his business trip to Mondstadt wasn't scheduled until later, but that fool Signora had messed things up, forcing him to rush over immediately to clean up her mess.
"Ugh, so annoying. I told her not to interfere, not to interfere—and then she turns around and goes to provoke them. And what happens? The Knights of Favonius sends a strongly worded letter of condemnation to Snezhnaya's headquarters and even refuses my request for a meeting."
"That temper of hers is going to land her in big trouble sooner or later. It wouldn't be surprising if she ended up losing her life over it," he shook his head helplessly.
He had set out from Liyue in the morning and didn't arrive at Mondstadt until dusk the next day. But just as he was about to stride straight into the city, a knight wearing a strange bracelet stopped him—one that could project a virtual screen into the air.
"Hello, first-time visitor to Mondstadt. Please fill out this form with your true information and the purpose of your visit."
"Mondstadt's security is this strict now?" Tartaglia scratched his head but obediently filled out the form. He was here to apologize and discuss cooperation, not to pick a fight, so he openly wrote down his identity as a Harbinger.
The knight's expression changed drastically upon seeing his information. He immediately sent an emergency signal through his bracelet, then warily eyed Tartaglia as he scanned the form and uploaded it to the system.
Tartaglia didn't understand his actions but could only put on a friendly smile and say in a gentle tone, "Two days ago, I sent a letter to your Acting Grand Master Jean requesting a visit. You can confirm with her—don't worry, I'll stay right here and won't go anywhere."
He retreated to the bridge, glancing a few times at a little boy playing with a strange mechanical pigeon before observing the people coming and going at the city gates.
These knights seemed to be able to verify identities using those bracelets. Most people were let straight into the city without a second glance, while a small number—like him—were stopped. But after filling out the forms, they received strange little cards and were allowed entry.
Just then, a golden-haired girl passed by him, accompanied by a suspicious floating white creature. He only gave her a curious glance before shifting his attention elsewhere.
Lumine, too, seemed to sense someone's gaze. Puzzled, she turned around but only saw a strange stranger standing by the bridge.
"Lumine, what are you looking at?"
Paimon suddenly popped up in front of her, startling her.
She glared fiercely at the grinning Paimon. "Nothing. But I'm in a bad mood today, so no meat for dinner!"
"Eh?! Why?! Not eating meat makes it so easy to get hungry…"
"Hey! Traveler, you're back so late!" Kaeya approached with a small squad.
When faced with strangers of unknown origin, Kaeya would always make contact first. But once he confirmed they were harmless and trustworthy, he quickly became friends with them.
"Yeah, Lumine just took a commission in Springvale today to catch piglets that had run into the wild. But while she was sneaking up on one, the mother boar butted her from behind, and she fell into the mud. Took some time to clean up in Springvale," Paimon happily shared Lumine's embarrassing mishap.
Lumine smacked her in annoyance and asked Kaeya, "Captain Kaeya, you're still on duty this late?"
"Yep, we've got a troublesome guest," he waved at them. "I'll get going now. Let's grab a drink next time!"
"Bye! Bye!" Paimon bid him farewell before eagerly pushing Lumine toward home. "Hurry up! I'm so hungry I can barely fly!"
Kaeya arrived at the city gates and immediately spotted the uniquely imposing Tartaglia. He stepped forward and extended his right hand.
"Kaeya, Cavalry Captain of the Knights of Favonius."
"Childe of the Fatui Harbingers. You can call me Childe or Tartaglia," Tartaglia replied courteously.
"Here's your ID card. It expires in three days."
Tartaglia took the strange card and asked, "ID card? What's this? And why does it expire in three days?"
"Given your status as a Fatui Harbinger, the Knights have listed you as an unwelcome guest in Mondstadt. Only with this ID card can you move freely within the city. Its validity lasts three days—after that, you either leave Mondstadt or renew it early at the Knights' headquarters."
"And if I don't leave or renew it after three days… what happens?" he asked curiously.
He was genuinely curious, not trying to provoke.
Kaeya reached out, snatched the card back, and jerked his chin toward the city gates. "You're welcome to try."
Tartaglia walked toward the gates, half-doubting, and promptly slammed into an invisible barrier. If he hadn't activated his Vision's power in time, his face would've been cut up.
He stared solemnly at the empty space before him. The moment he touched the barrier, he had sensed an immovable solidity and an overwhelming concentration of Anemo energy.
"You'll just get rejected like that," Kaeya tossed the card back to him and led him into the city.
"You're lucky. Acting Grand Master Jean had already denied entry to all Fatui members, but Shen Qin happened to be present. He said that if it's you, then a meeting tomorrow during the day would be acceptable."
"Oh? This Master Shen Qin actually knew me?" Tartaglia was surprised.
Kaeya shrugged. "No idea. But he's also from Liyue—maybe you've crossed paths before, so it's not strange for him to recognize you. By the way, are you staying at the Fatui's base tonight, or would you prefer arrangements from the Knights?"
Tartaglia didn't dwell on Shen Qin's matter and replied casually, "I'll leave it to you. I'd rather not deal with Signora's attitude."
"Oh? Even as fellow Harbingers, your relationship isn't great?" A glint flashed in Kaeya's eyes.