Disclaimer, I don't own Genshin Impact while Mihoyo does, I only own my OCs and my ideas. Reviews, suggestions, and critiques are welcome but flames are to be extinguished.
Chapter 10: Of Words and Contracts
Aether and Paimon entered the room with no small amount of trepidation at the idea of messing things up for Jean and Ningguang. Looking around to see the spacious room arranged in a way to ensure that the Liyue Qixing has a perfect view of each other from where they are. Aether noticed words etched in Liyuen onto a statue of a serpentine dragon watching over the whole proceedings, "Grandeur be the Seven Stars."
True to the words, the seating arrangements are of a seven-pointed star with each Qixing seated on its edges on the floor above a golden representation of it. On its uppermost point sits the Tianquan Ningguang, the Yuheng Keqing sits at her right while Yueying the Yaoguang filled her left. With the Lady of the Jade Chamber's gaze, she could easily observe all of her colleagues with ease. Keqing was giving Sima Wei a cold look as the Fatui made themselves comfortable right in front of her.
'I could feel her contempt for us from the other side of the room, no matter. As long as he follows the plan, the result of the day is already set in stone." Bogdan thought as he smiled confidently in order to discretely taunt her, she took the bait as a visible twitch of the eyes soon came after. The Kaiyang patiently waited for the rest of his colleagues to finish exchanging their greetings and expected words, he pretended not to look at the Traveller making his way past the Tianji to reach his soon-to-be boss and the Dandelion Knight who's seated beside her.
'Would Tian immediately support Ningguang's side or would he make a show of it as usual I wonder?' The white-haired man thought as he glanced to his left, the fellow merchant he was thinking off quietly contemplated about his future actions. Immediately antagonizing the Kaiyang and his Fatui allies would be unwise, choosing to support them could also have its own repercussions. Such thoughts filled his old mind as he was sure that some of his colleagues thought the same.
'That oaf, Peng Tong will likely side with the Fatui immediately. Mora and pleasures of the flesh are such exploitable vices.' Tian thought with a hint of derision, while he would prefer not to heavily dislike any of the other six. If there was one that he could say that he holds in contempt it would be that man. The Tianxuan idly toyed with his own jewelry for a time, he doubted that he'd have to do much of anything at all in this meeting.
'The ladies here are as alluring as usual even Yueying is…NO! That woman's old enough to be my grandmother!'
The Tianji noticed the sudden panic that appeared on the colleague at the front of him and attempted to read his expression to figure out the reason before leaving it be. Pleasantries were soon exchanged after the string of greetings which had long had been normal during meetings such as this, when it was all given out. Ningguang stood up to address all of her colleagues.
"Today, we have all assembled here to discuss an important matter, the formation of an Anti-Abyss Order task force." Ningguang's eyes moved left and right to see the expressions on her cohort's faces, most did not look surprised but a few made an attempt to look the part. She motioned to Jean who stood up to announce that she came to Liyue on behalf of the Knights of Favonius to do exactly that and establish a closer relationship with the Land of Contracts.
"While I do not disagree that such a force should be created, I suggest Snezhnaya to be our mutual partner instead of Mondstadt. They have superior forces, political might, and an economy that can be leveraged abroad." The Kaiyang stated with a smile to Jean's dismay, the influence the Fatui has in Liyue truly is quite vast as he vouched for them so openly even among his fellow Qixing.
"That is quite true, yes," Tian said, acting as if he was successfully being swayed to his side. The sight of which Keqing did not like one bit.
"Is that why you brought those Northlanders here?! To bully their way into replacing the country that helped organize the whole thing?" Keqing spoke up with anger in her voice, the gall of that man. Does he have no shame? Murmurs can be heard as the more neutral of the seven merchants confided with their entourage, the Tianxuan eagerly listened to one of his secretaries before saying his piece.
"No one is bullying anyone here, the organization hasn't even been created yet. I'm sure that Sima Wei here has Liyue's best interest at heart, what could Mondstadt provide that Snezhnaya couldn't?"
'More like the Fatui's best interest.' The Yuheng merely scoffed at the greedy merchant's word and pressed her offense. "Common decency for one and more honor that even the Dandelion Knight has than the three of you combined," Keqing stated in a sharp tone which had the bank owner and high administrator narrow their eyes, it was clear who she was talking about.
"Honour you say, I heard that the family you hail from is well known for their piety. I'm sure they can say how much honor their only daughter has brought them." Bogdan uttered with a smile, the purple-haired girl looked livid and defended herself with a raised voice.
"Leave my family out of it, I make my own decisions. I don't need someone like you telling me to bow down for an Archon just to appease others!"
"Ahem. While you say that Snezhnaya is the superior option, with so many Fatui stationed over in the west to assist you in your dealings domestically. I wonder why banditry and the blight of monsters haven't been eliminated fully thanks to their vaunted skills." Ningguang cleared her throat to keep Keqing from digging herself deeper and make herself look the fool. Shouting at the Northlanders won't secure victory in this situation, she showed off documents showing just that and how the number of Hilichurls, as well as brigands, remained sizable.
"That…you know how Liyue is. The lands are vast and hiding places are plentiful below and above the earth. They are like rats, even if you stomp five of them into paste at least ten will scatter. It will take time to sniff them out." Keqing regained her composure and got a hold of the documents that Ningguang has dispersed among her fellow Qixing, it was a close one. The elemental energy keeping it afloat vanished and she immediately understood the angle the Tianquan wanted to use against them.
"You said that their troops are better than Mond's, if that's really the case. Then why did they not solve that problem with their might yet, they've been here for nearly two years." Jean and Aether quietly looked at the papers as Paimon found herself struggling to keep up with the debate. Indeed, they were reports of them located all over the vast nation with numbers that far outmatched the ones in Mondstadt.
'There was a steep drop early on at the start of the first year but while the numbers had indeed decreased over time, it slowed to a crawl on the second and had only incrementally decreased each month with small bursts of more activity throughout both years.' Jean was impressed, the reports were detailed and had no small amount of civilian complaints alongside military reports. There were even parts of them that involved the Abyss Order rather than simply Hilichurl tribes.
"Since your foreign help had proved themselves inadequate in dealing with the most mundane of threats. Where's the harm in letting someone new make an attempt to deal with the Abyss Order." The Kaiyang and his aides remained silent as Tian immediately changed sides, Svetlana looked deep in thought as the Qixing was still surprised that she managed to get the information in the first place. The Ministry of Military and Civil Affairs' jurisdiction in Shengdi had been split apart, the Kaiyang even made sure that the latter is as small in size and power as possible there as he knew that their loyalties do not lie with him.
"Well, I believe that it could be rectified immediate-"
"Very well, have it your way. Let's see how your beloved knights of freedom fare where northern soldiers failed." Bogdan looked surprised to see Sima Wei concede so quickly and was about to complain only to keep his mouth shut when it seemed that the gears in the high administrator's head were spinning. She was planning something and he knew better to interfere with her being more favored by Lord Pantalone than him.
"Then at least allow the bank to help finance the task force. It's the least we could do for our allies."
"I'm afraid it won't be necessary, Liyue can fund themselves. You had already agreed to let us do whatever we wished." Ningguang replied slyly which had Bogdan grumble before leaving the front to speak with the Fatui diplomats. Jean looked relieved that the Tianquan had singlehandedly beaten the Northlanders when they tried to have Keqing sink their efforts by taunting her. It was quite impressive that she has exactly everything she needed to have things go her way.
'Enjoy your victory, thanks to you. We know that there are some pests in our garden to deal with.' Svetlana has already started to make plans to shuffle bureaucrats around and implement the Kaiyang's plans to dig out certain individuals that he has already created drafts for thanks to a certain saboteur. While there is no proof that the Tianquan's eyes and ears are among them, collateral damage is what they could label them as in the case they managed to figure out their identities.
The meeting progressed more smoothly with the political hurdle removed, the most that happened were the discussion of additional details about the task force and some other talk neither Aether nor Jean fully understood as neither came from Liyue. It was evening when Aether and Paimon left the building after the doors were finally opened after the meeting among the Liyue Qixing concluded, there were fewer people around compared to those that were in Yujing Terrace in the afternoon. Aether made his down the steps away from the main path as both Qixing and their aides left or stayed to talk among themselves so he can limber up.
"Who knew listening to rich people talk for several hours can be so exhausting?" Paimon yawned as she hovered above the ground, making sure to stay away from the Fatui diplomats that also made their exit. Aether looked at his companion and shrugged, they spent most of their time sitting down and listening as they both were way out of their depth there.
"At least we get to see what Liyue really is all about," Aether stated as Paimon nodded, mentioning that while the Fatui are acting shifty with a lot of friends. There are many locals that oppose their methods even at the very top. He looked around to see if Jean has departed the chamber, a ruckus in the terrace got their attention as there were Fatui near the source. "Paimon thinks we should take a closer look."
"You have some nerve showing up around here with the Fatui, as the leader of their Mystics no less. I shouldn't have helped you get your bearings here when you've just joined the Ministry of Civil Affair's all those years ago!" A well-dressed merchant stated aggressively with an accusatory finger towards the Pyro Mystic who merely smiled and proudly showed off his religious garb. Aether just realized he did not say much of anything in the meeting but still stayed there to show the Fatui's influence among the nation's more religious communities.
"Why should I not? The Kaiyang himself has requested me to accompany him and I'm far more grateful to him than I am to you even with all you did for me during the days of me serving the people of the harbor city as a lowly Civil bureaucrat." Aether noticed the merchant that had the courage to impede the Fatui directly has guards with him, it must be one of the gentry or an important business magnate if he guessed correctly.
"Does your children know of your work with the Northlanders, Fu?"
"They do, I became a Mystic for their sake as much as my own." Aether kept silent as they both exchanged words, Paimon does not know what's going on and felt slightly nervous at how the Fatui stepped closer to walk past the merchant.
"I'm afraid that you'll have to wait. My friends are allergic to people like you and your rotten laowai. We have a banquet waiting for us, their stench would be quite undesirable for them to breathe in." The Traveller glanced towards the back of the merchant and saw a number of other wealthy merchants that looked like they had just finished an important meeting of their own heading down to leave the terrace.
"A servant of Rex Lapis following the whims of those that worship Mora, not likely. It is you that will have to wait." Fu Jin took another step closer only for the guards to unsheathe their weapons, the Fatui diplomats grumbled among themselves and were about to get involved only for Svetlana to motion for them to let their local ally deal with the situation instead.
"Uh, Paimon thinks we should look for Ningguang and Keqing before things get ugly." The fairy said with worry which Aether agreed to, he felt sympathy for the Mystic as he wondered if the faith in the Geo Archon is truly less important than making Mora in this part of Liyue. An ornate staff appeared in the Pyro Mystic's grasp that had traces of Adeptal energies within it, both edges were covered in gold markings with red in the middle.
"No need for any of that, we'll simply use our own path." The Mystic was about to use his adeptal relic to sweep the merchants aside so the Fatui can go through them before stopping when he heard a voice command him to leave the merchant's guards alone. Fu Jin understood what he meant immediately and joined Svetlana as well as Bogdan's entourage, the latter of which looked disappointed that he did not come to blows with the guards.
"Wait, I'm not done talking with you yet." Keqing and Paimon appeared from the building just in time for the Fatui to turn left from where she is towards the stone bridge, the Yuheng has tried to ask him to let her develop the western lands of Liyue in an attempt to make up for what happened within the chamber with Jean's suggestion. If he just gives her a chance, she could show him that he doesn't need the Fatui around to improve the more rural parts of Liyue.
"I don't need your help to manage my lands, you already have your own. Knowing you, all the blessings from the Rite would wear off the moment you lay your hands on it." The last part was uttered in a whisper that the Yuheng did not manage to hear as she resisted the urge to insult him for trusting the Northlanders rather his own fellow Liyuean to do what's right for the people.
Paimon and Aether looked at each other before following the Qixing that looked annoyed that her fellow merchant remained stubborn, Aether was curious what path he was talking about and went ahead to look at the departing Kaiyang with the Mystic nowhere to be seen. Paimon looked shocked to see a shadowy portal at the edge of the stone platform, the Traveller was less so as he had already seen such portals used in Shengdi by the Elites. One by one the Fatui disappeared into it except the Kaiyang who waited until all of the Snezhnayans left first.
"A word of advice for your time in Liyue, Hero of Mondstadt. The biggest secret in Liyue, is not a secret in of itself, but Ningguang, who herself knows all the secrets of Liyue. Do keep your wits about you, lest you find yourself becoming her pawn." Keqing glared at the retreating form of Sima Wei who vanished into the portal which soon followed suit, leaving nothing behind. She turned towards the befuddled Traveller who can only try to understand what he meant about his soon-to-be boss.
"Don't listen to him. I may disagree fundamentally with Ningguang in many things but she's a better ally compared to that Sima Wei and his Fatui friends." Keqing said with sureness in her voice, that Dandelion Knight had put a lot of faith in the Hero of Mondstadt. Maybe it's because she found someone so similar to her barring the deep faith in her Archon and commendable views or the fact that they're now diplomatic allies.
It would look quite terrible on her and Liyue by extension for the Honorary Knight to get tricked by the Fatui's collaborators right in front of her.
"It seems that the Kaiyang isn't willing to budge despite conceding to us," Ningguang muttered when she noticed the unsuccessful attempt of the Yuheng. Not an unexpected result, Jean apologized for potentially damaging the relationship between the Qixing with her suggestion as Aether watched the upper crust merchants leave in satisfaction of having their way.
"It was always a longshot, anyways enough about him. We have some work to do." Jean nodded, joining Keqing as she excused herself to Aether. She's quite grateful that he accompanied her for all those hours even if long meetings aren't his favorite things to do. Paimon rubbed her stomach which grumbled. "Now that's all over, let's look for something to eat."
"Liuli Pavilion or Xinyue Kiosk. Which would you prefer to go to for dinner?" Confusion was plain on Aether's face which the Tianquan easily noticed, Paimon spoke up and explained that Liuli Pavilion is the leading establishment for Li-style mountain cuisine in all of Liyue while Xinyue Kiosk is a famous restaurant in Liyue Harbor that is renowned as the most authentic restaurant for Yue seafood cuisine.
Aether was about to ask about the price only to figure that it's some sort of test, instead, he gave the question some actual thought and looked around Yuehai Pavillion to help him decide.
'Li style food should be more popular inland while Yue style should be the same for a city near the sea…' Ningguang looked amused by the sight of her soon-to-be bodyguard trying to find the most trivial of questions so seriously and motioned for him to escort her towards the city below. Paimon drooled at the idea of herself tasting either of the two famous cuisines.
"Xinyue Kiosk." Aether said finally, surely the harbor city's vicinity to the ocean would mean that the Tianquan that lives above Liyue Harbor would prefer the cuisine made from the sea's bounty. The Tianquan merely materialized a gold fan in her hand and unfurled it to fan herself, showing no reaction to his answer as they went down the stone stairs together.
"Isn't that the Lady of the Jade Chamber, why does she have a young man beside her?" Wealthy citizens murmured among themselves as they try to figure out his identity and his relation to the Qixing, a few remarked that they saw him with Mondstadters several hours ago while others reached their own conclusions. Aether looked at the ground in front of him as he tried to ignore all the high society attention on him.
Passing through the circular opening of the perimeter wall together into the streets of Feiyun Slope, civilians and merchants currently minding their own business stopped what they're doing to do the same at the special sight after moving aside when they saw who was approaching in respect. While seeing the Tianquan herself descend from her Jade Chamber to Liyue Harbour isn't as rare as seeing even a glimpse of the Adepti during one's lifetime. It isn't as common as seeing ships leave and enter the wharves either.
'Xiangling?' Aether blinked when he thought he saw Guoba following a familiar-looking girl into the crowds far ahead, she wasn't alone. There were two boys accompanying her with different shades of blue hair colors, they were all carrying takeaway food likely for delivery purposes. While he did want to speak with her since the last time they met, she was extremely busy. He isn't free either.
"Over there!" Paimon exclaimed, pointing at the building with a large red fish swimming on the waves. It was exactly on the opposite side of the street of a similar structure with an ornate fan showing the mountains.
"Welcome to the Xinyue Kiosk. May I have the table number of your reservation?" The Traveller looked confused before the Tianquan came to his rescue. To not bother his soon-to-be boss, Aether took several steps back to talk to the giddy companion that can't contain her excitement.
"Paimon heard that customers usually book three months ahead of time even if they are super important." Widening his eyes at that, he looked back at Ningguang who had the waitress nod and allow her to enter after a brief exchange of words. Did she really predict that he'd make this choice so long ago through unmatched foresight or did she pull some strings so she'd have no problem entering the establishment no matter what he chose, whichever is the case he gained a new level of respect for the woman that seemed prepared for anything.
They entered the kiosk and took a seat on the left roundtable as the right was completely filled by jovial merchants, Aether recognized them. They were the same bunch that was brave enough to stand up to the Fatui, a grand feast was placed before them which they enjoyed greatly. Paimon was given a menu which she was excitedly reading through while Aether inwardly blanched at the steep prices.
'Thousands of Mora for even the cheapest dish, guh…12,200 Mora for a single Golden crab of one of the smaller portions!' Aether paled when he glanced at the other table to see the amount of food there that included shrimp balls and fullmoon eggs by the batches including some other dishes he doesn't dare try to estimate its price. Easily multiplying the cost of the one crab into the hundreds of thousands at the bare minimum, he knew that he has plenty of Mora to spend but using it here would be ill-thought out.
'Paimon no…' Aether grimaced when he saw his flying companion order as much as she wanted with Ningguang calmly picking her choices as if it was a regular occurrence. He resisted the urge to shake and pretended to look brave before looking at his soon-to-be boss in an attempt to offer to treat her to a Golden Crab as it looked to be the most impressive choice among the single dishes.
"I've come across those who demand Golden Crab for every meal. Though it all seems so grandiose, I really have no desire for such frivolousness. If you're ever thinking of ordering such a thing for me, you'd be better off just giving the Mora to me directly."
'Guh…' Aether managed to keep himself from slumping into his chair and found the empty rice bowl quite the eye-catching object. It's as if she could read him like an open book, he looked up again and found Ningguang sipping a small cup of tea with closed eyes. He supposed he'd just let Paimon do whatever she wants, he can only hope that the Tianquan won't make turn the amount the fairy cost her into his debt.
"Ah, Lady Ningguang. Forgive us for not noticing you here earlier." One of the merchants had left his banquet to greet the Qixing, Aether could see several others getting up to do the same. Seeing the opportunity to curry favor with one of Liyue's most influential and the wealthiest in the nation. Several others got up to do the same, they wasted no time giving her praises before inviting her over to dine with them.
"We'd be quite honored if one of the esteemed Liyue Qixing would deign to grace our humble table."
"Apologies but I did not come to dine here for pleasure but for business. I'm sure gentries such as yourselves understand clearly."
"It's quite alright, Lady Tianquan. Remember that our invitation is always available. And you, you are?" The merchant leader looked quite displeased about the rejection but quickly masked it before turning to the watching Aether to ask several questions.
"He's the Hero of Mondstadt!" Paimon blurted out as the waiter left with the order fully written down, the merchants that did not even recognize him before or even put much thought to it immediately became more respectful. Offers of business, friendships, and invitations to their estates were given to the wide eyed Traveller.
While they weren't impressed by his appearance, they believed that there was a reason the Tianquan had chosen to invest in the foreign Hero besides being her bodyguard. The merchant in question merely let Aether receive the brunt of his newly found interest, he looked like a boar under the lamplights and fumbled around as he tried to not make a complete embarrassment of his soon-to-be boss.
'Hmm, there's room for improvement. He'll have to get used to this early if he's going to stay in Liyue.' Ningguang mused as she reminded the merchants that he was here to negotiate with her over dinner rather than the group of high-profile businessmen. He heard several names being spoken as brief introductions, one of them was Gentry Wang that he recognized from Shengdi being in quite the debt to the Fatui.
As the three of them patiently waits for the appetizers and the main course to arrive, Ningguang materialized a contract which she slid in front of him with all he needed to sign it. When Aether moved it in front of him so he can immediately fill it in, a disappointing sigh left the merchant's lips. Paimon had no idea what was going on and merely looked at her companion looked clueless.
"Always read the fine print. Let this be a lesson to you if you're going to make a contract in Liyue. Ink is stronger than words." She idly tapped a particular section of the contract with her nail guard which he examined more closely, he wanted to slap himself across his face as he was about to screw himself by agreeing to pay half a million Mora each hour he spent in the Jade Chamber and be made to use the cheapest of equipment during his work hours.
"…." Aether covered his face with both his hands as Ningguang made the contract vanish and made another one appear for him to actually sign, this time with the exact terms he agreed to in the Chamber earlier. It was quite mortifying if it wasn't the Lady of the Jade Chamber. He doubted if they'd keep him from making a mistake of this sort. This time, Aether checked the whole thing slowly with Paimon almost blowing a gasket about how unfair it is before the reveal of the second contract.
"Paimon doesn't understand those words." The little fairy creature said in confusion as she struggled to read the lines of longwinded text. She gave up and felt a headache coming up only for it to completely vanish in time for the appetizers to arrive. Time afterward passed quite quickly as the contract has been officially signed so all that was left is to enjoy the food.
'The table on the other side sure is noisy' Aether noticed the loud chatter filling the restaurant when his share of appetizers was exhausted, the banquet was in full swing. Some were in other rooms and even upstairs, he had no idea where the kitchen was, and snooping around because of curiosity with the risk of Paimon causing problems thanks to her gluttony made it a less than preferable action.
"So, how are the other Qixing?" It seemed a logical choice of conversation as any seeing where they are and type of company the business usually accommodates. Ningguang swallowed her food and sipped some tea before asking him which one would he like to know. Not a bad choice, she'd be quite disappointed if he had asked her something trivial or beyond her expertise at a time like this.
"The Yuheng and Kaiyang first."
"Haha, choosing the most active aren't we." Laughing softly at his choices, she noticed that the noise coming from the other tables would ensure that what words that left her mouth would not get far with the waiter not in sight.
"Keqing is someone who chooses her own path with her own power and ability, instead of letting the gods determine her fate and successes. She is a diligent perfectionist and as such is blunt to the point that her social skills suffer from it somewhat. Sima Wei however is the complete opposite, a zealous demagogue more concerned with appeasing the Adepti and the Geo Archon than material wealth or social standing."
The Tianquan chose her words carefully, as she neither love nor hate either of those two coworkers of hers though having the Traveller or his companion prefer the latter would be quite unhelpful as the Fatui are her opponents.
"Paimon does not know what zealous or demagogue is but it sounds bad."
"Try thinking a Barbara that prays to Barbatos much more and uses words to convince people to do the same or bad things can happen," Aether replied as simply as he could which Paimon seemingly understood, it made her sure that he was a bad guy but he thought differently. He had already seen the inside of his city in one of Liyue's more rural regions.
They prospered greatly and the things he saw the people there did to appease the Adepti was truly a sight to behold. Sure, Fatui presence is vast but he didn't see much of a problem between them or the locals. The executions popped up in his mind which made him suppress a shudder but those were a consequence of their local laws, not Fatui ones.
"One thing I can say for Keqing Is that she's quite uncompromising in her belief, actions over words is quite the breath of fresh air within Liyue." Ningguang continued, there were many merchants and business owners here that would toss aside their values, lie and cheat their way to success. She herself may not be a paragon of virtue but…
The merchant's line of thought stopped when the waiter came into view carrying Stir-Fried Fish Noodles and Golden Shrimp Balls to their table. A smile appeared on her delicate features when she moved to take some of them for her own after Aether and Paimon happily dug in, the Yuheng really did enjoy the taste of it which is a fact she unashamedly used to benefit and be entertained in their interactions together.
Paimon scarfed the seafood down like there's no tomorrow while her partner enjoyed the noodles more slowly. Finding its intense flavor delicious with its sumptuous, fresh look making sure that he wants another bite will surely lead to another until it's all gone. The smooth rice noodles and tender fish were delectable, he must say.
"Is there anything else you know about the Kaiyang, surely there's more to him than that?" Aether asked, adding the second part before he shot himself in the foot by saying that he's not all bad instead. He chose the exact moment when Paimon was devouring a dozen more shrimp balls as if she had never eaten for months, he doesn't need her being suspicious or thinking him strange with the question.
"The Kaiyang has proven me wrong several times and is not quite predictable, anymore at least. I can give him that though it's more to his choice in company than his own skills and set of talents." She can still remember that period of time several years ago, that Sima Wei had just replaced the last Kaiyang and was eager to prove himself with his Lithic Restoration Project he was spouting about that was the subject of widespread ridicule and insult. A rural son of a miner from Liyue's most backwater area plagued by earthquakes since forever trying to overhaul the nation's military and technological abilities which had already been proven for many millennia.
"I wonder how?" Aether mumbled quietly as what he said back at the terrace popped up in his mind which his soon-to-be boss caught and teasingly replied with a challenging smirk. She tapped the contract that appeared in her hands for a moment which told him that he'll have to make good on if he wants to know more. Paimon merely slurped down the noodles, paying no heed to the discrete conversation which only became more energetic when the waiter delivered the rest of the main course. For now, she'll let him wonder on his own as she continued to reminisce of wasted opportunities.
Oh how the new Kaiyang and poorest of the Liyue Qixing searched far and wide to secure the funding he needed to make things happen, war and militarism have never been popular in the Land of Contracts. It wasn't Natlan or even Snezhnaya, that need of their merchants to try and profit over something that has never been proven profitable. Ningguang herself was among them as she had no desire in throwing Mora away for a cause doomed to fail by throwing it into a bottomless pit, he hadn't proven himself in such large projects before and his reputation in Liyue Harbor was non-existent to poor.
'Yueying was the only one in the harbor.' Ningguang could remember when she dismissed his proposals and rejected his proposals, the last of which occurred in public while she was speaking with the Yaoguang at Yujing Terrace. She had long grown bored of his attempts and the old woman, ever the doting grandmother figure for many and oldest among the seven gave him her good luck charm, a Sigil of Permission.
"Have a little faith, youngster. Seek out the Adepti, they will judge you and see if you're worthy." Odd words from a Qixing of today's Liyue, then again the Yuheng had always been odd ever since she was a little girl and the old woman was a member of the Qixing in decades past. The Tianquan recalled how things quickly changed and stayed the same ever since that moment, the Kaiyang became twice as faithful and then he revealed that the Fatui had funded his efforts as the natural disaster blighted region stabilized in a week before the Northlanders that had only little influence within the land of the Geo Archon seeped in like a plague until their influence is almost choking.
'That Golden Crab, how unsightly…' Ningguang thought distastefully as the crustacean seemingly leered at her as the fairy ate its deceased body, truly a waste of Mora. How she loathed ordering such a meal.
"What about the Yaoguang?" Aether wondered vocally as he was quite curious about the Qixing that seemed closer to the man than the other two Qixing that he saw at the city which made the merchant shake her head in amusement, what a coincidence. She was just thinking of the woman that mentored her for a time in the nation's culture and tradition.
"Yueying, yes. She's wise and quite sharp in her age, she's as old as the three of our number put together, perhaps even four. Don't let her looks fool you, she may have lost and regained her position of Yaoguang more times than all seven of us combined over the decades." Gazing sharply at the Traveller who looked like he was about to ask about her age, the question died as soon as it appeared and Aether sheepishly looked away at being predicted once again.
"Wow, Paimon thinks it's amazing that the Yaoguang had managed to do that. Is there really no one else in Liyue that can take the position and keep it until they get replaced by someone else?"
"Heh, many did just that for a time. She always retook the position one way or another, her successors either always retired, passed away, or were successfully replaced by fierce competitors that are flawed enough for her to take back the position of Yaoguang within a decade. Merchants call her the Tellurian Phoenix because of it."
"Wow!" Were the only things the foreign pair could say to that, Ningguang smiled as such longevity was still no match for her own wealth and economical power. The woman who she greatly respects was but another rival that she had long surpassed in her life goal to accumulate as much Mora as possible with her fortune merely a pittance compared to her own.
Not wanting to make it so easy for her bodyguard to gleam information for the rest of her high-ranking coworkers, she then made it clear that they won't be getting any more information about the Qixing at the point in time which they both understood. "Now, that should be enough about us for tonight. We have dinner to conclude after all."
The remaining time they had within Xinyue Kiosk was spent with idle chatter and culinary enjoyment, Ningguang had no fear of the likelihood of her words being overheard by mercantile rivals or even the staff within the restaurant as all of it was public knowledge to those that bothered to pay attention to local happenings, to those less attentive such words could be considered secrets to some.
Aether and Paimon were told to wait outside the building as she had a few words to share with those within, while he was curious. He wasn't curious enough to go against her words and likely get punished with the reimbursement of the bill at another time in the shape of debt.
"Wow, Liyuen Yue cuisine is so yummy. Paimon can still remember the taste of the noodles!"
"I don't think I'll eat here anytime soon," Aether mumbled to himself, worrying over the fate of his own Mora at the very idea of Paimon pigging out and asking for seconds or his other friends deciding to tag along. It would be terrifying to see the small fortune he had amassed to be reduced to nothing because of gluttony and wild spending.
"My business here has concluded, let us return to the Jade Chamber."
"The biggest secret in Liyue, is not a secret in of itself, but Ningguang, who herself knows all the secrets of Liyue. Do keep your wits about you, lest you find yourself becoming her pawn." As the walk back to the Jade Chamber was a more quiet and calm ordeal than the dinner itself, Aether had a chance to contemplate the words that appeared in his mind a while back.
'Exactly what does she know and what doesn't she know, is she truly as capable as he said she was?' Unable to stop himself from looking at his boss with a puzzled look on her face as they moved into the still lantern-lit streets of Feiyun Slope. The crowds were far smaller than they were in the day but they were still large enough to be noticeable as they sought dinner or nightly snacks among other ordinary acts.
"I suppose you've heard enough rumors about me. Hehe... What kind of person am I? I shall leave that for you to decide... Of course, your judgment will become a part of the rumor." The ever-observant Tianquan noticed it, finding it quite amusing that he still had some doubts about her after she was willing to divulge some information about her fellow Qixing.
It was a pleasant diversion as the Traveller's stunned expression of being caught entertained her greatly, this must be what his companions felt on occasion especially that witch Lisa. Eager to non-verbally retaliate against her bodyguard and see if his ability to resist such methods had improved or not. She slowly closed the gap between them inch by inch as the filled fairy flew without a care in the world.
"I-"
"Is that the Tianquan and her bodyguard?"
"No way, I think she's with her lover. Don't you see how close she is to him?"
"Maybe you're right, I've heard that Lady Ningguang has many suitors from all over Teyvat. Maybe he's one that she has taken a fancy to."
"What makes him so special, didn't she reject the advances of one of the Qixing or something?"
With one simple action, new rumors spread like wildfire across the slope exactly like she said she would which shocked the Traveller and amazed the fairy at how wild some of them could get. Paimon did not notice how and why only that she heard the rumors. Aether on the other hand started to believe the words, he no longer doubted that she could turn him into one of such pawns if she really wanted to do so.
'I don't think it would be that bad.' He thought with an odd smile on his face as the rumors continued with less intensity the higher up in Liyue they went all the way to the terrace where it vanished alongside the crowds which trickled into nothing the same time he slowed his pace to watch Ningguang walk forward to greet the guide to the Jade Chamber.
'Oh brother. Not again, those rumors must've gotten to him.' Paimon thought while shaking her head, it's probably her plan to get some kind of advantage since she's that good of a businesswoman. Maybe she'll ask Lisa how he could act in a situation like this, yes she'll do that. And get a little snack from her at the same time, asking Aether right now would probably make it worse for him as they had already reached the ground of the chamber itself.
"Ah, Yanfei. Still here so late at night?"
"Just exploring the Jade Chamber, it's not every day I get hired by the highest authority where the law is concerned for a pretty big job, it's a pretty nice place. Beidou did say that you should know where you will be working from top to bottom."
"Did she now?" Losing her calm for a moment and letting a look of annoyance appears on her composed face. Ningguang had a tick on her forehead and scowled, go figure that sea captain would've had a hand in this. Paired with one so attuned with the law, she didn't doubt that Yanfei can snoop around and skirt the line just enough to not be punished by her for trespassing or invading her privacy to get an edge for herself. She'll check-up with her secretaries just in case.
"Go rest. If anything important comes up, I will be sure to send for you. Your quarters are in the eastern wing, seek out Ganyu if you need anything else." With that, Ningguang vanished into the Jade Chamber while the cheerful girl noticed him and looked him up and down before doing the same to the exotic sight of a small floating child.
"The Hero of Mondstadt and Honorary Knight of Favonius I presume. My name is Yanfei, top legal expert in Liyue — and for the avoidance of doubt, no one else comes close aside from that Ningguang of course!" The young woman with pale skin and bright teal-green eyes with ovoid pupils with long, salmon pink hair fading to light pink at the tips. Her clothes consist of a red and black xiezhi hat, a crop top of the same color, a white cross-collar, and two detached white sleeves. Below that is a red skirt with cloud-shaped patterns over a pair of black shorts with lace trim as well as a pair of fluffy upturned-toe boots that matched the rest of her clothes.
"Huh?" Aether can only squeak out in confusion at being overwhelmed as she continued to introduce herself in a longwinded speech and mention that she had heard of him from several Knights of Favonius that she'll be working with closely as the Tianquan would not be able to assist them with all law-related matters that will inevitably turn up during their stay in Liyue so she hired her as a legal advisor to do it when she isn't able.
"My contact details... Where should I write this down? ...Hmm, paper will just get lost, and it'll only rub off if I write it on the back of your hand, so... Aha! I know, I'll just write it here, on the clothes of this... whatever this child-looking thing is that follows you around."
"Hey! Paimon is not a child or a thing! Paimon is Paimon!" Nodding as she scribbled something down on the flailing fairy before moving on to the floating platform to leave for the night with an energetic wave. Aether noticed the scales and the antlers on the young woman that had already vanished down below which made him think of Ganyu and the chances of them being related in some way.
"See you around, I'm sure we'll be seeing each other again. Feel free to hire me for any law-related problems instead of that stuffy businesswoman!" Now the befuddled pair was left along on the exterior of the Jade Chamber with a few Millelith that did not envy them with how overwhelming the legal advisor could be.
Entering the Jade Chamber together, both of them looked around to see if they could spot the blue-haired secretary. There she was just done talking to one of the other secretaries near the stairs leading down.
"Ganyu, do you know where the others are?"
"Traveller, Paimon. Greetings, Amber and Jean had already left the northern wing to turn in for the night. Miss Lisa is still there in the office, ugh… Do you need me to show you two the way there?" Ganyu yawned, she covered her mouth as she did so which made them both look at each other in concern. Quickly telling them that there's nothing to worry about, she insisted that she will do so either way which only made them look more worried.
"If you'll excuse me, I'll be returning to work now."
'Just how often does she work?' They both thought in unison as she yawned again and excused herself from the premises in front of the sign that looked different from the other rooms in the wing. Aether pushed open the door to reveal a spacious room that was a combination of an office, an alchemical lab, and a base for adventurers that had been mostly cleaned up.
"Why hello there cutie~" Lisa answered with a warm smile as she was putting away several potions she had brewed for future use, there were potions to bolster the elemental powers of anemo, pyro and electro with some that protect against all seven of the elements just in case. The librarian was tired as it was night time but the sight of the Traveller always perked her up. '
"Is there anything you need or do you miss me already?" Aether could only look flustered as Lisa giggled at his expression, remembering that she wanted to test something with the Traveller's elemental powers. The witch motioned towards several grey crystals held up by rope at the other side of the room, she asked him to use his anemo and geo powers together on six crystals.
"Not too hard now, we wouldn't want any collateral damage." He looked at the crystals and raised both of his hands to unleash small amounts of elemental energy. For Geo he simply shot small rocks at it and for Anemo, he used the Anemo Samachurls as inspiration with small controlled tornadoes. Neither of them was surprised to see that only a few of the rocks hit the crystals while the tornadoes turned the rest of the crystals green.
'At least these aren't boulders…' The Traveller thought as Lisa observed the results which weren't different from what she theorized, even though he's able to use different elements which is unheard of among Vision wielders which he obviously isn't. The powers take time to develop and he won't be able to master them instantly the moment he acquires them. The cutie truly is an interesting individual, one that she's pretty sure that she won't get bored of anytime soon.
"You're still full of surprises, darling. I can't wait to find out more~" The Librarian looked pleased as both the Traveller and fairy moved to deal with the rocks on the floor. Lisa was quite eager to learn more about him and the secrets hidden within him. The line of thought excited her and it reminded her of her days studying in the Sumeru Academia many years ago. The smile on her face faded as she recalled the fear she felt during her time there that caused her to end her studies there prematurely.
'R-r-right, no need to be too excited. After all, I'm no longer a student looking knowledge.' She didn't think that a single simple test would make her reminisce. She let out a sigh which she disguised as a playful yawn, she should take it easy with future research. No need to make Aether think he disappointed her in any way, he didn't do anything wrong.
"Goodness, look at the time. Time to turn in for the night unless~" Aether saw the flirty expression the lovely woman was giving him, letting him fill in the blanks with his wandering mind that went in many directions. Turning red in the face, the Honorary Knight quickly bid her good night and fled the room in the direction of his supposed quarters.
A part of Paimon wanted to chase after her companion and maybe sleep in the luxurious Jade Chamber as well but staying with the Knights of Favonius is comfortable and getting fed a lot is a bonus. The fairy spent time mulling over it as the witch found the hasty retreat adorable and cleaned up her own workplace. Paimon snapped her finger and came to the conclusion that eating in the fancy place and leaving leftovers is bad while doing it outside of the rich woman's property would make it harder for her to turn her companion into her pawn somehow.
"Wait. Paimon wants to ask Lisa for some help"
"Oh?"
Aether quietly made his way to the eastern wing, he looked at the door signs which he passed by shortly after. He wondered what inspired Ningguang to design the Jade Chamber like this, it was quite convenient to be able to move from one wing to the other clockwise or counterclockwise. Some of the rooms seemed to be for records while others are for storage. A part of him wanted to explore each and every one of them but in a time and place like this, it would be ill-thought out.
Eventually, he reached one near the end of the hallway where the name is different than the others, it looked new, and when he saw the interior. He gawked at it the same way he and Paimon stared at the inside of the Jade Chamber. Each and every piece of furniture looked it was worth more Mora than he'll ever make in Teyvat. Aether treated the floor as if it was the most valuable object he had ever set his foot upon and carefully shut the door behind him.
Locking the door and putting a small geo construct at the small gap was the first thing he did, the last thing he needed is for his boss or any of her secretaries to get in without his knowledge and see some of his objects that he would very much like to keep hidden. Strange potions and old books were placed on the bed as he randomly picked among which he should start using, the Seashell Table Lamp was exceptionally helpful in lighting the room.
'Phew, at least this one doesn't seem as intense as that last book.' The book he picked this time around wasn't that big and looked quite ordinary. It was a collection of old tales and myths from the Aristocratic Era meant for children and bards which was quite pleasant for him to read through. Some reminded him of The Fox in the Dandelion Sea and The Mondstadt Tower. Aether would be quite disturbed if some of the other books were as intense as that one about that Lawrence woman. He shook the memories out of his head and wondered how the books of Liyue would be like as he dozed off after putting out the room's lighting which caused the night to engulf the room utterly leaving only the moonlight from the window to shine into the room, remembering to at least stow away all the confidential items he has in his possession first.
Author's note: There will be polls to decide the harem members for each nation, some of them are guaranteed a place while others will not be included like the children. It'll mostly decide the sub members of the harem. Also, apologies for the late update. I was quite busy the last few months which did not give me much free time and I even had to rush to complete Moonchase in time to make progress with the patches. The next chapter will not take as long, that's for sure.