It took another year. That's how fast time flew by, because Childe concentrated only on work.
"Mylady!" he said a thousand times more gallantly than Pulcinella, as he held the door open for Signora and and then handed her her papers. She thanked him with a smile. He was often only a messenger for the harbingers, but he tried to make his job extremely good.
"Here, I brought a tea with the documents," he said as he placed the stack on Scaramouche's table.
"No one asked for it, but thank you," Scaramouche grumbled, pulling the cup towards him.
"You're welcome, I was just trying to be nice," he said, waving brightly. He continued walking. Sometimes he still thought about the conversation with Vitaliy. It wasn't necessary to sleep one's way right up, but friendliness and adaptability were certainly not useless in making a lasting impression on people. Of course, that wasn't enough. So he had to go one step further. And so one day he went to the house of Pedrelino, the first of the Fatui harbingers. He knocked on the door with the knocker and waited. Judging by his house, he was a rich man apparently...
Pedrelino, surprisingly, opened the door himself.
"Oh... Who are you and to what do I owe the honor?" he asked in surprise. Childe smiled slightly.
"No, wait. I've seen you before... You're the boy Pulcinella trained, aren't you?"
"Yes, that's who I am. They call me Childe. I'm here because I have some papers for you and I think you might want to take a look," he said, smiling.
"Hmm... if that's the case... go ahead," Pedrelino said, somewhat taken off guard. Childe nodded and smiled. Then he went into the study with the first of the Fatui harbingers and put the documents on the table. He explained them to him as he envisioned the strategies and Pedrelino agreed.
"Yes, it all sounds good. Tell Pulcinella it's fine that way," he said when Childe was finished speaking and patted him on the shoulder.
"Wait. It wasn't Pulcinella who wrote that... it was all me... because I thought the Fatui could use some fresh thoughts and I just wanted to suggest something," Childe said, gathering up his papers again. As he did so, he noticed Pedrelino's astonished look of course.
"How unusual... but Pulcinella seems to have a rather talented apprentice...I thought you were just a soldier?" asked Pedrelino in surprise.
"At the moment... but I enjoyed writing something like that, I could also do it more often when the Fatui harbingers need assistance," Childe replied, grinning wryly.
"Hmm... we do that all the time actually... I'll think about it, and get back to you," Pedrelino replied, handing Childe the rest of the documents.
"Thank you. From the bottom of my heart," Childe said, smiling. Then he grabbed the documents and euphorically walked out of the house. When he stepped out onto the street, he cheered with joy for the first time. Things could only get better...
#
One night Childe was on his way back from the training ground through the barracks. He looked at the barracks and remembered how he had arrived there at the first night. This had been quite a strange day. Of course, it hadn't taken too long for Pulcinella to give him a better place to sleep as he had gotten better and better in military training. But Childe never wanted to forget where he had come from, so he resolved to go even further.
Suddenly, he was jolted out of his thoughts when he noticed two men talking. When he noticed that they were Pedrelino and Pulcinella, he quickly hid behind a tree.
"We've adopted the concept, by the way. I can't understand why you didn't tell me that this boy has such unexpected talents..." he heard Pedrelino say.
"Yes, he does, that's right. He's my apprentice, after all," Pulcinella said coolly.
"And you didn't want to train him to be a fatui harbinger?" asked Pedrelino, "don't you think he's underchallenged with your children's tasks? He's bored and that's what he made of it," said Pedrelino, pointing to the concept, "This can be useful to us..."
"That was the plan in the beginning. But it was said at some point anyway that there would be no more of us harbingers. And before that, he just wasn't ready," Pulcinella muttered, "he still isn't now."
Childe clenched his hands into fists. Had anyone snatched the position away from him before, even though he had worked so hard? After all, it hadn't always been ten... Should he have just been faster? Was it too late now for good? And would he never have a chance if Pulcinella didn't agree?
"The tide has turned. We can declare an eleventh. Recently we have received an extremely interesting object. It is of demonic power. Who else should carry it except a man with special powers and military strength? If anyone can carry it, it is him. And this concept has shown me that he's got some intelligence, too. You know as well as I do that we need support on the uncertain border in Liyue," Pedrelino said with conviction.
Childe's eyes widened. Now he would have loved to see Pulcinella's face, but he couldn't, the angle he was standing at wouldn't allow it.
"But... I... are you serious? I'm really not sure if Childe will be able to do the job and if...the other harbingers will agree," Pulcinella objected.
"They will, I'm sure of it. And I know there have been problems, but give your apprentice a chance to prove himself. He's earned it," Pedrelino said and walked away. Pulcinella was left alone and sank to his knees.
"My boy..." he said softly, looking up at the cold northern sky. Childe stopped uncertainly behind the tree. He would have given all to know what Pulcinella was thinking. Why did he think he wasn't ready for this all the time? He wasn't sixteen anymore... but he was all the happier that he had apparently made it, no matter what Pulcinella thought - he would become the eleventh of Fatui! He would have liked to cheer, but he could do that when it was finally official. So he just walked quietly back to his quarters. With a proud smile on his face. What would Vitaliy and his friends say if they knew about...?
#
A little later it was official. Pedrelino had sent Childe the appropriate papers inviting him to the military honors at the Zapolyarny palace. He could not believe how his lucky he was. At last he would be rewarded for his great efforts. Of course, he had already written a letter home trying to explain that he was now being promoted to a very high position right at the Tsaritsa's palace. He hoped that his old man would be proud of him. For once in his life, at last.
He didn't really know how to prepare for the occasion. Childe grinned as he thought back to Vitaliy's stupid face the day he had told him.
"What! There are eleven of the slave drivers now and you're going to be one of them?" he had asked.
"Yes. With the difference that I'll treat my subordinates fairly," Childes' reply had been.
"Oh. Just fuck off. I'm not jealous or anything," his colleague had retorted. Childe had just laughed.
That had been funny. Soon he would finally leave these barracks and head for new shores. Pedrelino had said that they would need support in Liyue... He wondered what the country was like? So far away, all he knew was that it would be very warm there. It was about time he went ahead and bought some summer clothing. But actually he was on his way to the city because he wanted to get a particularly festive uniform for the evening at Zapolyarny palace. Quite a bit of mora went to that, fortunately he had set some aside. As one of the harbingers, he would also become a rich man. Never having money troubles again... he wasn't prepared for that either. How exciting...