Book 6: Contracts of the Earth

by Fir100

Zeo, Akira, and their team arrives at the nation of Liyue in order for Aether, Lumine and Miriam to gain powers of the Geo Archon along with witnessing the Rite of Descension to meet the Archon. However, many trials lie ahead for our heroes that could change the nation forever. Will our heroes be able to overcome those trials in the land of contracts?

6. Mighty Cyclops' Adventure!

Book 6: Contracts of the Earth

Chapter 6: Mighty Cyclops' Adventure!

---

Yujing Terrace, Liyue Harbor

Daytime

While Rin led her team to Chihu Rock in search of Houki's belated birthday gift, Zeo led his team to Yujing Terrace to meet up with Ningguang to request any important commissions to deal with.

Upon arrival, they saw Ningguang, Jean, Fu Hua and Keqing waiting for them. "Good morning, Zeo and friends." Ningguang greeted. "Did you have a good rest after what happened yesterday?"

"Yeah, we really deserve that rest considering how hectic last night was." Zeo replied.

"On behalf of the people of Liyue, once again, thank you for saving our nation from both the Fatui and Osial." Keqing bowed.

"Anytime. We're always ready to lend a helping hand." Gaius replied.

Aether then noticed someone that's missing. "Wait… where's Ganyu? Shouldn't she be here with you guys today?"

"She's busy preparing the Rite of Parting for tomorrow." Keqing replied. "The same goes for Yanfei."

"Ah, I see."

"So tomorrow's the day for the rite. Good to know." Gunvolt noted.

"Let's just hope there aren't any more unexpected surprises caused by the Fatui." Joule said.

"Speaking of the Fatui…" Ningguang spoke up. "I believe you all know the reason why you're here, correct?"

"An investigation on the Fatui due to yesterday's incident?" Gaius guessed.

"Correct." Ningguang nodded. "That is why I'm asking for your help with the investigation, Gaius."

"No problem, Lady Ningguang. I'm ready to assist when needed." Gaius nodded back.

"Jean and I will also assist with the investigation, Gaius." Fu Hua said with Jean nodding. "Kanade, care to join us?"

"Do I get the chance to bust some Fatui heads?" Kanade asked.

"...Depends on the situation." Jean replied.

"Good enough for me! I'm in!" Kanade grinned.

"Hold on a sec." Zeo raised his finger. "What about me and the others?"

"Don't worry, I'm about to explain that part." Keqing replied. "Recently, one of the Millelith stationed at Lingju Pass discovered unusual Ruin Guard activity."

"Unusual?" Miriam repeated. "How so?"

"Numerous eyewitness reports have confirmed an active Ruin Guard presence in that area, even though it's far beyond their normal area of activity. Luckily there were no injuries, but that might change sooner or later. A Millelith soldier named Daipai will fill you in with the rest of the details when you meet him at the pass."

"Leave it to me and my team, Keqing. We'll get it done immediately." Zeo replied. "Aether, Miriam, GV, Joule, Chris, you're joining me for this commission."

"Roger!" The members Zeo chose replied.

"One other thing, Chris. Try not to use your missiles this time considering what we saw last night against the Fatui." Ningguang cautioned. "Keep collateral damage to a minimum."

"Alright, fine. I'll just have to rely on my crossbows instead." Chris noted.

"Good."

"Well, time to head out." Zeo declared as Joule vanished into Gunvolt's relic necklace. "Good luck with the investigation, Gaius."

"Same to you too, Zeo." Gaius replied as the two shared a fist-bump before Zeo led his team and flew off in their Wind Gliders.

"Right. If there's nothing else, I'd better go and give Ganyu a hand with the workload before she falls asleep again." Keqing said.

"Very well, you may leave." Ningguang approved with a nod.

"Best of luck, guys!" Keqing waved to the group as she left.

"Thanks for the encouragement, Keqing!" Kanade waved back.

"Now then, follow me to my office, everyone. We have work to do." Ningguang said as she walked towards the main office building.

"Right behind you, Lady Ningguang." Jean replied as she and the others followed the Tianquan.

---

Lingju Pass

Upon arrival at their destination after Zeo and Chris changed into their battlesuits, the team found the Millelith soldier named Daipai standing guard of an area.

"Excuse me!" Aether called out, earning the soldier's attention. "Are you Daipai? Lady Keqing sent us to find you."

"Oh, bless the Yuheng! Thank you for coming to our aid." Daipai replied. "I assume you were already informed of the situation?"

"Yes." Gunvolt nodded. "Something about a Ruin Guard roaming the area."

"That's correct." Daipai nodded back. "Sergeant sent someone to find out just where these ancient machines might have come from. It appears that they simply left their ruin and marched off all of a sudden, for no clear reason."

"Did anyone wake up the machines by accident?" Chris asked.

"The reason is still unclear as we have very little intelligence at present. Moreover, the ruin in question is of the especially spooky variety. Strange noises are often heard coming from within. As such, we are not permitted to investigate until the order comes through from headquarters. But, since the Yuheng sent you all here to investigate, you have my permission to search the area."

"Thank you for the cooperation, sir." Miriam bowed. "Keep up the good work with the patrols while we investigate."

"Leave it to the Millelith, ma'am. We'll make sure no harm will come to innocent civilians." Daipai assured. "If you're wondering where to start the search, I did see some Ruin Guard footprints on the hillside."

"That will do." Zi-O noted. "Now if you'll excuse us…" He and his team then walked past the guard and headed for the hillside.

Upon arrival at the search area, they were able to discover a large Ruin Guard footprint.

"Here's one of the footprints." Aether took a closer look at said footprint.

"Huh, those Ruin Guards really do leave large footprints now that I think about it." Chris remarked.

"There has to be more than one of these somewhere…" Joule pondered.

Gunvolt looked around until he noticed a trail of the same footprints up ahead. "There, a trail."

"Alright, let's follow it. But if any of us see a Ruin Guard, hide." Zi-O advised. "We'll go for a silent takedown if necessary."

"Understood." Miriam nodded as the team followed the trail.

Eventually, the trail led them to some abandoned ruins after climbing up some stone stairs where they saw a Ruin Guard walking around the area, causing the group to hide in some nearby bushes to avoid detection.

"Well, we found the Ruin Guard. Now what?" Gunvolt asked.

"Silent takedown, remember?" Chris reminded. "Though it would be nice if this one could lead us to the source of the problem."

"Yeah." Zi-O agreed. "But for now, let's take it down quickly before it could harm anyone else. Fortunately, the weak spots are obvious."

"Yup." Aether nodded, staring at the glowing parts. "Aim for the glowing spots on either its back, or the eye on the front. Though you need to shoot it twice to temporarily shut them down before they reboot."

"Then in that case…" Miriam summoned her Prototype Crescent bow and took aim. "Aether, I'll fire the first shot while you fire the second one."

"Got it." Aether nodded, summoning his Viridescent Hunt.

"As for taking it out while it's shut down, this one's on me." Chris finished, preparing her crossbow-shaped sniper rifle Armed Gear.

"Alright, make it count." Zi-O said as the three took aim with their weapons.

Once the Ruin Guard moved to a direction where it's weak spot is exposed, Miriam fired a Geo arrow at it, causing the machine to be stunned. Aether then fired an Anemo arrow at the same target, causing the machine to shut down and slumped to the ground. Afterwards, Chris fired a powerful beam from her weapon that pierced through the machine before it exploded to pieces.

RED HOT BLAZE

With the threat neutralized, the team got out of the bushes and approached the machine pieces with Zi-O storing said pieces into his Zikan Phone.

"Well, more Ruin parts for our scientists to use." Zi-O said as they dispersed their weapons.

"We seem to be getting plenty of those parts lately." Gunvolt commented.

"Better in our hands instead of the Fatui." Chris said. "Still, I get the feeling this is not the only one causing that racket."

"Good point." Aether replied as they looked around. "There has to be ano… huh?" He then noticed a young boy looking at a powerless Ruin Guard up ahead. "Wait, how did a kid get in here?!"

"He snuck past the Millelith patrols?" Miriam questioned.

"Either way, let's get him out of here before he gets hurt." Zi-O stated as they rushed towards the boy.

"Hm?" The boy sensed their arrival and called out to them. "Hey! Check this out!" He then pointed at the powerless machine. "Isn't it awesome?!"

"Uh… only when they're not bombarding us with missiles?" Zi-O answered in confusion.

"Hmm…" Aether hummed as he observed the boy's attire. "The outfit he's wearing… definitely not from Liyue nor Mondstadt… maybe from another nation that we haven't visited yet?"

"I've never seen one this close before!" The boy remarked with excitement. "Have you ever seen one?"

"Several times." Gunvolt replied. "But kid, try not to get too close to this Ruin Guard. You'll never know if it'll spring back to life and grab you."

"Um, excuse me? His name is Mr. Cyclops, actually! What sorta dumb name is 'Ruin Guard'"?

"Mr… Cyclops…?" The team blinked in confusion.

"Yep!" The boy nodded. "My brother said so. And he's the best toy seller in the whole world! It's his job to sell this kinda stuff! Right now he's at the Institute for Toy Research in Liyue. That's where Mr. Cyclopses come from. It's always nice to meet someone else who likes toys."

"Uhh… yeah…" Zi-O answered awkwardly while rubbing the back of his neck.

"(...Do they actually sell toys of Ruin Guards in Teyvat?)" Chris whispered to Aether.

"(Not that I know of during my travels with Paimon.)" Aether silently replied.

"Greetings, have you found anyt-" Daipai greeted as he arrived, until he noticed the young boy. "Oh… a child? What's the situation here?"

"We… kinda found him during the investigation." Gunvolt replied.

"Uh huh…" Daipai noted before speaking to the boy. "You shouldn't be out here, boy. There are killing machines in the area, it's extremely dangerous."

"Killing machines?" The boy repeated before pointing at the powerless machine. "You mean... ones that look like this?"

"Precisely, and including this one." Daipai nodded. 'It's not moving now, but if it were to wake up, the consequences would be-"

"You take that back!" The boy retorted. "Mr. Cyclops is not a killing machine, he's one of the good guys!"

"Oh boy…" Joule cringed.

"Um... 'Mr. Cyclops'?" Daipai repeated in confusion.

"We shouldn't be talking to this guy." The boy said to Zi-O's team. "If he's saying mean things about Mr. Cyclops, he's definitely a bad man."

"H-huh?!" Daipai stuttered. "I-I'm just trying to help…"

"I think you've lost him there." Chris sweatdropped.

"Maybe you should let us handle this." Miriam advised. "We'll keep the boy safe."

"Y-Yeah, good idea." Daipai agreed before sighing. "Ugh, I've always been hopeless at dealing with children… Take care of the boy and make sure he's safe."

"Leave it to us, you just go ahead and continue your patrol." Gunvolt said.

"Of course. Stay safe." Daipai replied before leaving the area.

"Hahahaha, the mighty Mr. Cyclops scared off the bad guys once again!" The boy laughed.

"Hey, the guard was only doing his job." Chris stated.

"What is your name, little one? And where are you from?" Miriam asked.

"My name's Teucer!" The boy introduced himself. "I came all the way from Snezhnaya to look for my brother in Liyue. But I'm all on my own, and I don't know where to find him."

"Wait, Snezhnaya? As in, the nation of the Cryo Archon?" Gunvolt asked, earning a nod from the boy.

"Oh, I think this is the part where I give you this." Teucer took out a bag of Mora from his pocket. A large bag of Mora. "Here you go!"

"...T-That's a lot of Mora, kid…" Zi-O sweatdropped. "Are you sure that's okay for you to give that much to us?"

"My brother said I should take it with me." Teucer replied. "He said, 'Find a nice person to give this to, and they will take good care of Teucer.'"

"I… see…" Aether noted awkwardly.

"Your family must be freaking rich to give you that much money." Chris commented to the boy. "Do you still have enough for the rest of your travels?"

"Mhm. I have plenty." Teucer nodded. "Will you take my gift?"

"Well… it'd be rude to refuse your gift. We'll gladly take it." Miriam accepted.

"I'll hold onto it for you." Gunvolt took the large bag of Mora from Teucer.

"Yay! Thanks, nice guys and ladies!" Teucer smiled. "Alright, now we gotta make a pinkie promise! 'You make a pinkie promise, you keep it all your life. You break a pinkie promise, I throw you on the ice. The cold will kill the pinkie that once betrayed your friend, the frost will freeze your tongue off so you never lie again.'"

"...Whatever happened to 'Cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye'?!" Zi-O mentally questioned. "These Snezhnayans are weird… Oh well, a pinkie promise is a pinkie promise."

"(That has got to be the most questionable pinkie promise I've ever heard in my entire life.)" Joule thought.

"Now that we've made a pinkie promise together, can you escort me to my brother?" Teucer requested. "It's my first time in Liyue and I don't know where to start looking."

"Hmm…" Aether pondered with his hand on his chin. "Could you guys excuse me for a moment?"

"Sure thing, Aether." Zi-O replied, allowing Aether to move to a private spot.

Aether then took out his Zikan Phone and began calling someone. "Hey, Fu Hua? Are you free to talk for a moment?"

"Sure, I have time." Fu Hua answered in audio call. "How's the Ruin Guard investigation?"

"Doing okay, until we found a kid from Snezhnaya looking for his brother. Any ideas on where to start looking?"

"Hmm… how about you try looking into Northland Bank at Liyue Harbor since it's the only non-local bank besides their home nation of Snezhnaya? But word of warning, I'd suggest entering the bank without the battlesuits, so I'm afraid Zeo and Chris will have to sit this one out. We don't want to garner any negative feedback from the Snezhnayans."

"Gotcha. Thanks for the help." Aether noted before putting away his phone and rejoined the others. "Guys, I think I have a clue on where to look for Teucer's brother's whereabouts. Northland Bank."

"Oh, I know that bank! It's a Snezhnayan bank with branches all over the world!" Teucer mentioned. "My brother mentioned a non-local branch in Liyue Harbor. Maybe the people there can tell me where he is."

"Well then, let's head back to the city." Gunvolt said.

"You guys go on ahead. I need to talk to Zi-O and Chris for a bit." Aether said.

"Understood." Miriam nodded. "Let's get going, Teucer."

"Alright! Finally, now I get to see my brother!" Teucer cheered as he was escorted by Gunvolt and Miriam back to Liyue Harbor while Zi-O, Chris and Aether stayed behind.

"Y'know Aether, I think I know what you're gonna say to us. Me and Chris are not allowed to enter the bank in our battlesuits for obvious reasons?" Zi-O guessed.

"Yeah… pretty much." Aether confirmed, rubbing the back of his neck. "We don't want to get any negative feedback from the Snezhnayans."

"Understandable."

"So what are we supposed to do instead?" Chris asked.

"The two of us will continue the Ruin Guard investigation." Zi-O replied. "As for you Aether, stay with Miriam and GV."

"Leave it to me." Aether nodded before going after the three. "Good luck, you two!"

"Same to you too, Aether!" Chris replied. "Alright, back to work for us."

"Yep." Zi-O nodded as the two resumed their investigation. "There's gotta be some kind of factory around here where these machines spawned."

"Do you really think a place like that exists around here?" Chris asked .

"You'll never know until we explore every last detail." Zi-O replied.

---

Northland Bank, Feiyun Slope, Liyue Harbor

Several minutes later after arriving in the city, the group were able to locate the Northland Bank in one of the buildings on the 3rd floor thanks to a Millelith soldier providing directions.

"Well, this is the place." Gunvolt said as they stared at the door. "Remember, be on our best behaviour when interacting with the Snezhnayans."

"Right./Of course." Aether and Miriam nodded.

"Okay, let's go!" Teucer said as he quickly opened the doors and ran inside.

"Wait, slow down!" Miriam responded as the three quickly ran after him.

When they entered the bank, they noticed a Fatui Scout named Ekaterina and… Childe?!

"Childe of the Fatui Harbingers?!" Aether, Miriam and Gunvolt mentally exclaimed at the harbinger's sudden appearance.

"(What the heck is he doing here?! And talking to a Fatui Scout no less?!)" Joule mentally questioned.

"Yay, my brother! I found you!" Teucer cheered.

"I know that voice…" Childe heard the familiar voice with wide eyes and turned to the direction of said voice. "Why, if it isn't my little brother, Teucer! My goodness!" He gasped in surprise. "Haha... What a nice surprise, Teucer! I thought I would have to wait till I return home before seeing you again…"

"...EEHHH?!" The three heroes, and Joule, mentally exclaimed with wide eyes upon hearing what the harbinger said. Teucer is Childe's little brother?!

"How are the others, sister Tonia and brother Anthon? Is everybody keeping well?" Childe asked his little brother.

"They miss you a lot! Tonia prays for you every day at dinner." Teucer replied.

"...Wait a second, what are you doing here in Liyue, Teucer? How have I not heard anything about this?"

"Well... what happened was... I saw a boat that looked like it was selling toys, so obviously I thought you were on board. And then when I got off I just kept walking and walking... and then, I found a Mr. Cyclops!" Teucer explained before pointing at the three heroes. "Mr. Cyclops scared off a bad guy, and then I found these nice guys and lady to help me come look for you."

"(Huh, so that explains how he got here. He stowed away on a ship while no one is looking.)" Joule thought.

Childe however, was shocked at the sudden appearance of the traveler and his companions. "The Traveler was the one who found my brother?! And these two… these must be his companions from the Rebellion… oh boy, I'm not gonna enjoy this…" He thought before sighing and spoke to his brother. "Teucer, what you did was extremely dangerous. I'm so happy to see you, really I am, but please, promise me you won't do anything like this ever again."

"Okay, I promise…" Teucer replied. "Please don't be mad at me…"

"I'm not mad at you. I just care about your safety, that's all." Childe assured. "If you hadn't met these nice people, things could have been a lot more dangerous for you, Teucer. I hope you said a big thank-you to them?"

"Yep!" Teucer nodded. "I always remember my pleases and thank-yous."

"He uh…" Gunvolt spoke up while rubbing the back of his neck. "He gave us his Mora as thanks and made a pinkie promise with us. It'll be rude if we refuse his gift so uh… yeah…"

"Can we… talk privately for a second? This is getting… awkward." Miriam requested.

"Yeah, good idea." Childe agreed before turning to his scout. "Distract my little brother with the toy talk."

"W-What?!" Ekaterina stuttered. "B-But that's…!"

"I know. But do not let my brother know about our real line of work, or you will get it from me. Understand?" Childe warned. "And don't worry about the debt collection, I'll handle that one personally."

"...Yes, sir." Ekaterina replied before facing the boy. "Excuse me, but could you leave your big brother alone for a moment? They need to have a… private discussion about the toys."

"Oh, okay!" Teucer replied back as the two went to one corner to give the others some privacy.

"Childe of the Fatui Harbingers, right? Zhongli told us everything that's happened, especially his final contract as Rex Lapis Morax." Aether spoke to the harbinger.

"Ah. So he did fulfil my promise after all." Childe noted. "He was supposed to apologize to you and the Rebellion for tricking you, like how he tricked me."

"He did. And he also earned a slap from one of our members." Miriam confirmed.

"He got slapped?" Childe blinked. "Well… that's unexpected."

"Signora got you good, didn't she?" Gunvolt asked.

"A little too good. And we're supposed to be comrades instead of being backstabbers." Childe frowned. "Also, she's confident that she can stop you all with her own powers. But after I witnessed the Rebellion's performance yesterday… she's about to get her ego crushed when she meets you again."

"Oh? Not trusting her despite being on the same side?" Aether raised his eyebrow.

"Heh, what do you think?" Childe smirked. "And I still wanna have a shot against your group, but that's for another time. Anyway, thanks for watching over my little brother while I was busy. Though I was not expecting him to stow away on one of our ships."

"Yeah… something about toys. Is there a reason why you mentioned toys to him?" Miriam asked.

Childe sighed in response. "Look, I only told him that so that he'll look up to me. In the eyes of a child, working with toys must be the best job imaginable, right? I don't want my family to have anything to do with the Fatui's... or should I say, Snezhnaya's... darker side. The older ones already know that I serve the Tsaritsa. But Teucer is still so young, and in his eyes…"

"I see. You don't want any of your younger siblings to get involved." Gunvolt realized.

"Exactly. So please, do me a favor and entertain my little brother for a moment while I take care of my own business. Use the money my little brother gave you to give him a good time in Liyue, feel free to take him anywhere he wants to see."

"Well…" Aether pondered as he glanced at Teucer before looking at his teammates, answering with a shrug. He sighed before giving Childe his answer. "Alright, fine… we'll do it for Teucer."

"Then I'm in your debt, Xross Drive Rebellion." Childe smiled. "If need be, you may find me by the river near Qingxu Pool." He then turned to Teucer and spoke to him which earned his attention. "Little brother? The nice guys and lady will give you a tour around Liyue Harbor while I go take care of some toy business, okay? So be good and listen to them while I'm gone."

"Okay!" Teucer nodded. "They did make a pinkie promise after all!"

"Great." Childe smiled before leaving the bank with a wave. "I'll see you guys later!"

"See you later!" Teucer waved back before turning to the heroes. "Shall we get going? I wanna see more of Liyue!"

"Of course." Miriam smiled. "Let's start with the toy store at Chihu Rock."

"Okay! Lead the way!" Teucer nodded as he was escorted by the group out of the bank… while Ekaterina was completely speechless at what had occurred.

"Lord Tartaglia… why must your little brother be such a…" Ekaterina quickly shook her head after pausing her sentence. "No, I must not say anything bad about his family… or else…" She gulped.

---

Chihu Rock, Liyue Harbor

Upon arrival at the toy store, Teucer noticed the large kites resting on a tree. "Eh? What are those super-colorful winged things?" He pointed at said kites.

"Those are called kites." Miriam answered. "The kids of Liyue like to play with them all around the city."

"Hello there, dear!" Granny Shen greeted. "You look like you've come a very long way. Let granny guess, from what you're wearing, I would say... Snezhnaya?"

"Hee-hee, that's right!" Teucer smiled. "How do you play with these kite things, Granny?"

"When the wind picks up, you let out the string, and whoosh! The kite will fly into the air, up, up and away!"

"Wow... That's amazing. Do you have any Mr. Cyclops ones?"

"Mr. Cyclops...?" Granny Shen repeated. "I'm sorry, I-"

"I wanna fly Mr. Cyclops high into the sky so all the kids can get to know him!"

"Well, I can do custom builds, but I'll need some amount of reference material."

"Will this picture do?" Teucer showed her a picture of Mr. Cyclops. "I drew it myself. I bring it with me everywhere!"

"Hmm... I'll manage." Granny Shen nodded, taking the picture. "Still, I must warn you that custom builds can really be quite expensive."

"Don't worry, we should have enough Mora to pay for that." Aether assured, taking out Teucer's Mora bag along with his own. "Teucer, you don't mind if we use some of your Mora to pay for that?"

"Sure! Anything for a Mr. Cyclops kite." Teucer replied.

"Here you go, Granny Shen." Aether then payed her 10,000 Mora (5,000 from Teucer's bag and 5,000 from Aether's).

"Ah, that will do nicely, thank you." Granny Shen smiled. "Well then, I'll get that custom order done for you. Come back in an hour or two and the kite will be ready."

"Thanks for the help." Miriam bowed.

"So, where do we go next while we wait for my kite to be ready?" Teucer asked.

"How about we get something to eat?" Gunvolt answered. "Liyue's got some pretty amazing foods, so let's pay Wanmin Restaurant a visit."

"Okay, let's go there!" Teucer nodded as they head for the restaurant.

"(GV, can I come out for a while? I really wanted to get something from Wanmin Restaurant.)" Joule whispered.

"(Sure. Just let me find a quiet place for you to appear without any prying eyes.)" Gunvolt quietly replied. "Guys, I'm gonna get my friend for a bit. She might be feeling hungry at the moment."

"No problem, GV. We'll go on ahead." Aether replied, prompting Gunvolt to head for a private place while everyone else head for Wanmin Restaurant.

Moments later, they arrived at the restaurant where Chef Mao noticed their arrival. "Oh, it's the Traveler and his friends!" He greeted with a smile. "Table for three?"

"Table for five, actually." Aether corrected as they took their seats. "GV and Joule will arrive in a bit."

"Ah, got it." Chef Mao nodded.

"Whew, this restaurant has a really... choking smell…" Teucer sniffed.

"A 'choking smell'?" Chef Mao repeated. "You must be referring to our signature spicy chili scent."

"Spicy chili? But I... can't eat spicy food."

"Ah, what a pity. A person who can't eat spicy food misses out on half of life's joys."

"Is it really that bad?" Miriam asked the boy.

"My meals need to have lots and lots of sugar, and the oil has to be extra virgin vegetable oil." Teucer replied.

"...This boy has a… very questionable sense of taste…" Miriam thought and sweatdropped.

"Will that be all? Any more special requests?" Chef Mao asked after writing Teucer's order.

"Wait, you can do that?" Aether questioned.

"Of course!" Chef Mao replied. "Giving the people what they want is the very reason Wanmin Restaurant exists. If I thought for one second that I couldn't make a dish to satisfy this child's tastes, I would have absolutely no business calling myself a chef ever again."

"Wow, what an interesting sense of pride. I guess I can respect that." Miriam remarked. "Very well, we'll leave that to you."

"Thanks, mister!" Teucer smiled.

"But let me say this first: special requests are going to cost you more than normal." Chef Mao stated. " Of course, we aren't going to demand prices anywhere near as exorbitant as the likes of Liuli Pavilion or Xinyue Kiosk."

"No problem." Aether noted. "And Teucer, we're going to be using your Mora again for your meal."

"That's fine with me!" Teucer replied.

"Sorry we're late! I had to freshen up a bit." Joule greeted as she and Gunvolt arrived. "Nice to meet you, Teucer. I'm Joule."

"Nice to meet you too, Joule!" Teucer greeted back as Joule and Gunvolt took their seats with the others. "By the way, I never got your names yet."

"Ah, sorry about that." Aether replied. "My name is Aether."

"I'm Miriam."

"And the name's Gunvolt, but you can call me GV."

"Aether, Miriam, GV and Joule. Got it." Teucer nodded.

"Now that everyone's here, besides Teucer's order, what will you all be having?" Chef Mao asked.

"Since Teucer can't handle spicy foods, we'll take the non-spicy ones." Aether replied. "Crystal Shrimp please, with glasses of water for us to drink."

"Oh, me too! I always wanted to try those shrimps." Joule raised her hand.

"I'll try the Triple-Layered Consommé." Gunvolt ordered.

"Then I'll have the Dragon Beard Noodles." Miriam also ordered.

"Okay." Chef Mao noted, writing the orders. "The food will be with you shortly, so hang tight. I'll get the payment later." Afterwards, he went to the kitchen to prepare the dishes.

---

As time passed, the food were ready, the payments were made and they had a nice meal together. Teucer offered the others to try his dish but they respectfully declined since they can't handle a dish with too much sugar and vegetable oil on it. Once they finished their meals, Teucer wanted to see the wharf of the harbor, so they took him to see it. They explain to him what the wharf is like in Liyue, until he noticed a large anchor nearby and took a closer look.

"Whoa… what a big metal hook! And it gets bigger the closer we get!" Teucer said in awe upon looking at said large object.

"That's actually an anchor, Teucer." Miriam explained. "Docked ships use it to hold themselves in position, to stop the wind and waves from blowing them away."

"An anchor. Got it." Teucer noted with a nod. "But I think I might get it mixed up with Commodore Hook."

"Commodore Hook?" Joule repeated. "Is it another one of your toys from your nation?"

"My brother always sends me a really big toy for my birthday. Commodore Hook, Blacksteel Jack, Iron Tony... We keep them all in our backyard."

"Are they as big as that anchor?" Aether asked.

"Yeah, and that's why I can't bring them with me all the time. It's a shame…"

"Huh, so Childe used his funds to support his family." Gunvolt mused. "And I thought the Fatui used those funds for machines and stuff… most of them anyway."

"But my favorite has to be Mr. Cyclops. Even though I mostly came here to see my brother, the other big thing I wanted to do was play with Mr. Cyclops!" Teucer smiled, until he noticed a fish stall nearby. "Ooh, are they selling fish over there? Let's have a look!"

"Hey, slow down for a moment!" Miriam shouted as they went after him.

"Is this where they sell fish?" Teucer said as he looked at the fish stall. "Wow, the fish here in Liyue are so... small."

"Hey! Whose fish are you calling small?" The fish monger named Uncle Gao retorted. "Little kids shouldn't go around ruining others' business."

"Ah, sorry sir. He's just a curious kid from another nation. No need to get worked up." Aether apologized.

"Another nation, huh?" Uncle Gao raised his eyebrow. "Well… I guess I can let it slide since he's new to Liyue."

"How big are the fish you saw in your own eyes, Teucer?" Miriam asked.

"Um… maybe two hundred times your size?" Teucer answered, which surprised the group.

"...You're kidding, right?" Gunvolt questioned.

"Nope!" Teucer shook his head. "There are legends in my hometown about it. It's supposed to be a super delicious fish. I told my brother about it, and he went out to sea to catch one for me. A few days later, he returned with a humongous fish slung over his shoulder. Anthon and I were so happy."

"...I wish I could see the fish with my own eyes to see what it looks like." Joule remarked. "But it's good to know that your brother is taking care of the family."

"Hehe." Teucer grinned before looking at the boats. "Hey, let's go over there and see the boats!"

"Alright, but let us walk with you." Aether replied as they went with Teucer to see the boats.

But when they were observing the boats, Teucer began to feel sad.

"Hm? Is there something wrong, Teucer?" Miriam asked. "Are you tired? You don't seem so happy."

"I miss my brother…" Teucer answered.

"Oh that." Gunvolt noted. "It has been quite some time, huh? Around 30 minutes or more, at least."

"Take me to see my brother! I don't want to play anymore!"

"Well guys?" Aether asked the group, responding with a nod. "Okay, we'll go see Childe."

"If I recall, Childe said to find him by the river near Qingxu Pool." Miriam recalled.

"I'll… take Joule back to the hotel to rest. I'll catch up with you guys later." Gunvolt said.

"It was nice meeting you, Teucer." Joule smiled. "Be good when you grow up like your brother, okay?"

"Mhm!" Teucer smiled and waved. "See you, Joule! Nice meeting you, too!"

Gunvolt and Joule then went to a private area so that the latter can vanish back into Gunvolt's relic necklace safely while the others went to Qingxu Pool to look for Childe.

---

Qingxu Pool

Upon arrival at their destination, Aether, Miriam and Teucer noticed a conversation between Childe and three Treasure Hoarders named Slippery Wu, Sneaky Wu, and Slick Wu.

"Hmm… looks like Childe's having a conversation with those Treasure Hoarders." Aether observed.

"I wonder what the conversation is?" Miriam pondered. "But let's wait for him to finish his business before we let Teucer talk to him."

Unfortunately, Teucer couldn't wait and approached his older brother anyway, which shocked the two.

"H-Hey! Teucer, not now!" Aether said as he and Miriam quickly followed the boy.

"You know what I'm here for, I trust?" Childe spoke to the hoarders.

"Oh, you've got lip." Slippery Wu replied. "Makin' us guess, are you? If you wanna join up, let me say this first; dandy kid like you? You ain't welcome."

"Oh ho. What a commendable imagination." Childe smirked. "Well, in the Tsaritsa's name, I suppose I should forgive you country bumpkins for your ignorance. For I am-"

"Brother!"

Childe's eyes widened in shock as he saw his younger brother approaching him. "Teucer?!"

"You're selling them toys, aren't you, brother? That's so cool! I've always wanted to watch you work!" Teucer said in awe.

"Uh… y-yes, of course!" Childe stuttered slightly. "For I am, uh… the greatest toy salesman in Snezhnaya!"

Aether and Miriam can't help but facepalm at Childe's actions… in front of the Treasure Hoarders… that were completely dumbfounded.

"So cool…!" Teucer on the other hand, beamed with awe.

"...You playin' games, pretty boy?" Slick Wu questioned.

"...So, will you buy, or not? The toys that Snezhnaya produced three months ago will run you... yes, 600,000 Mora. To be paid in full." Childe requested.

"...This is not going to go well…" Miriam mentally cringed.

"T-Toys? And h-how much money!?" Sneaky Wu questioned.

"Wow, is that what it's gonna cost to fix that head of yours?!" Slick Wu added before the Treasure Hoarders laughed.

"Look at that! Spreading joy and laughter to everyone! That's what toy selling's all about!" Teucer smiled.

"Teucer… you're missing the point…" Aether thought and sweatdropped.

"I'll say it again. Toys from Snezhnaya, three months prior, 600,000 Mora, paid in full." Childe requested again.

"Yeah... No. Sorry, salesboy. The same joke isn't funny twice." Slippery Wu declined. "Or were you always cruisin' for a bruisin'?"

Childe sighed in annoyance. "Alright then, I'll make things a little easier for you. I'll join the Treasure Hoarders. Perhaps you'll be more willing to pay when we're brothers-in-arms?"

"Huh?! Would you listen to yourself!?" Slippery Wu questioned. "You think we just let any old person into the Treasure Hoarders? I'm not so sure you could hack it."

Childe chuckled in response. "Well then, why don't you put me to the test, dear seniors? I like to think of myself as quite talented in the field of treasure hunting."

"Hmph, looks like you're not gonna pack it up until someone packs you in." Slippery Wu said before nodding. "Alright then. Show us what you got. Truth be told, we've set up shop here because there's a fine little loot cave nearby. But the treasure hasn't been easy to get at. We've been at it for two days now. If you think you're up to snuff, why don't you have a crack at it on our behalf? 'Course, that means that once you've got it, it's ours. Don't you try to sneak off with the prize, now."

Sneaky Wu chuckled. "Come on. If we can't do it, do you really think this guy stands a chance?"

"An initiation test, eh?" Childe raised his eyebrow and smirked. "Interesting. It's been a while since I've been assessed by someone else."

"The loot's on the opposite cliff." Slippery Wu informed. "We're gonna hang back here and watch the show."

"No problem. Don't blink, though, or you might miss it." Childe smirked and took off in his Wind Glider using the nearby updrafts to ascend in order to look for the treasure. He also took advantage of the Wind Rings to boost his speed. Eventually, he reached the top of the opposite cliff where the treasure is located within under a minute. Once he obtained the treasure inside, he flew back to the Treasure Hoarders and showed them the treasure.

"Impressive. As expected from a Fatui Harbinger." Miriam thought.

"Well, I have the goods. Here you go." Childe said, giving the treasure to Slippery Wu as the Treasure Hoarders shuddered. "So, how'd I do? Pretty well, I'd say."

"I hate to admit it, but you did pretty dang well, Childe." Aether thought.

"B-Brother... What do we do?" Slick Wu asked Slippery Wu. "This fellow isn't normal…"

"Please... hold on a moment, sir. We need to discuss something amongst ourselves." Slippery Wu said to Childe, answering with a nod before the hoarders moved slightly away from him and huddled up. "He ain't here for an initiation. He just wanted to show off."

"Honestly, we'd be no match for him if he wanted to fight…" Sneaky Wu admitted.

"Guys... do you think that maybe… we're being robbed?" Slippery Wu questioned.

"I don't know…" Sneaky Wu answered. "Surely he wouldn't have come here all dressed up like that if he was only after us? Unless... Maybe his words have a hidden meaning?"

"Snezhnaya, three months, 600,000…" Slick Wu recalled, until realization sets in. "Oh, I get it! It was insider talk! I remember that the boss took out a 600,000 Mora loan from that Snezhnayan bank about three months ago, and still hasn't repaid it."

"So this guy must be the debt collector…" Slippery Wu realized. "But why didn't he just say so? What's with all the toy talk?"

"Haha, and that's where you're still green. See, in a lot of professions like this, people speak in code to protect the privacy of their business partners and clients." Slick Wu explained.

"Makes sense." Slippery Wu noted. "Owing money is pretty embarrassing."

"This guy isn't one to mess with, I tell you. He's a professional. Way too professional." Sneaky Wu remarked before the hoarders broke off their huddle and approached the Harbinger.

"So, Mister... Salesman. My apologies, but we can't have you joining us." Slippery Wu said.

"Oh? I didn't pass?" Childe blinked. "I must say, I never imagined that the Treasure Hoarders would have such strict entry requirements…"

"No, it's not that." Slippery Wu shook his head. "What we mean is that you're too big a fish for our little pond. But we fully understand the situation with the... uh… toys, sir. So we'll fetch that 600,000 for you right away."

Childe was silent for a moment before nodding in agreement. "I see. Well then, it's been a pleasure doing business with you. We get paid, and everyone stays happy. A wonderful outcome, wouldn't you say?"

"Yes, couldn't agree more, sir!" Slippery Wu agreed with a nod, shook hands with the harbinger, and began heading back to their camp with Sneaky Wu and Slick Wu following behind to prepare the debt.

"That's my brother for you! Toy sellers are so cool!" Teucer smiled.

"He's a bit of a… special case." Aether remarked with a sweatdrop.

"Still… that went more smoothly than I thought." Miriam added.

But then a Fatui Agent named Felix appeared beside Childe in a puff of smoke before the latter could say something. "Ah, Master Childe, there you are."

"Oh what now?!" Aether and Miriam mentally groaned.

"A new batch of fresh recruits have just…" Felix continued until Childe shushed him.

"Will you keep your voice down?" Childe requested and pointed at the others. "And before you ask, yes, that is the Traveler and his companion watching over my little brother. And if you do anything to them without my permission, I will show you no mercy. Am I clear?"

"...Y-Yes, sir…" Felix gulped.

"Good." Childe nodded. "Now… what is it about fresh recruits?"

"Well… you see, the motherland has dispatched a new batch of recruits to Liyue. They've just arrived, and I'm afraid we must trouble you to speak to them."

Childe groaned in annoyance. "Ugh, do I really have to? Now is hardly the best time…"

"I must apologize for troubling you, Master Childe, but they are already waiting for you south of Lingju Pass. Every new batch of recruits must be baptized by the Tsaritsa's will through the words of her Harbingers. This has always been our rule. At present, Master Childe, you are the only Harbinger in Liyue. Please, everyone is standing in formation and waiting for you to bestow this honor upon them."

"Well… fine, I'll go." Childe reluctantly accepted. "Just give me a moment to catch up with my brother, and I'll be right with you."

"As you wish." Felix nodded, allowing Childe to approach the others.

"I'm guessing that conversation earlier means you have more work to do?" Miriam guessed.

"Unfortunately." Childe sighed.

"Do you have to keep working?" Teucer asked.

"Yes, Teucer." Childe replied. "We have a group of new toy sellers fresh in from the motherland, and I need to go teach them the ropes."

"Wow, that's great!" Teucer beamed. "When I grow up, I wanna be a toy seller too! Can I go listen?"

"...I'm afraid you're still too young, Teucer. I'm not sure if you'd understand much of it, and most of it's rather boring, anyhow. Why don't you go play with the Traveler and his friend instead? Sound good?"

"Sorry, but Childe's right. This is something he needs to do personally." Miriam stated.

"You will play with him once you're done with your meeting, right?" Aether asked.

"As long as I don't get any more requests from my other clients." Childe replied.

"...Very well. We'll watch over your brother for a little while longer." Aether nodded.

"You have my gratitude, comrades. Thank you." Childe smiled.

"...Comrades?" Aether thought and blinked.

"But… But…" Teucer said sadly.

"I really do have to go now, Teucer. A lot of people are waiting to see me. I'll see you around, alright?" Childe said before he and Felix began heading for Lingju Pass where the Fatui recruits are located.

"(Aether.)" Miriam whispered.

"(Yes, Miriam?)"

"(Childe really does care for his brother, but because of his job as a Harbinger, he has to leave him in a hurry. I know he's our enemy, but I can't help but feel sorry for him.)"

"(Yeah.)" Aether nodded. "(Must be a really tough job, especially if he's covering up the dark truth about the Fatui and the Tsaritsa. And I can't help but worry what would happen to Teucer or his family if they found out about it.)"

"(Agreed. I don't think they can handle the truth, especially the young ones. So the least we could do now is to help Childe with his younger brother and give him a memorable time in Liyue.)"

"(Mm.)" Aether nodded in agreement. "(That would be best for now.)"

"Hey, guys!" Gunvolt said as he arrived. "What did I miss?"

"Childe just finished his meeting with the Treasure Hoarders about the debt collection, but then he had to leave for another meeting. So he asked us to watch over Teucer for a little while longer." Aether informed.

"And where is the little guy?" Gunvolt asked.

"Oh, he's right…" Miriam turned to where Teucer is… until they realized that he's long gone. "...oh no."

"I think he went after Childe the moment we took his eyes away from him." Aether sighed. "He must be really eager to hear his brother's speech."

"Well at least we can see his footprints." Gunvolt noticed said footprints leading to two more footprints that belonged to Childe and Felix.

"Let's hurry! He can't be too far ahead!" Miriam said as the three quickly followed the footprints.

---

Lingju Pass

Once the three arrived at the south of Lingju Pass as they followed the footprints, they saw Teucer hiding behind some bushes, watching over something.

"There you are, young man!" Miriam said as they approached the boy.

"Don't you dare run off while we're not looking. Your brother would be worried sick if something happened to you." Aether added.

"Shh! Quiet… my brother is giving his speech." Teucer shushed them before pointing at where he's looking, which revealed to be Childe talking to a group of Fatui Skirmisher recruits.

"(Guys… what am I looking at here?)" Gunvolt whispered to Aether and Miriam.

"(Must be the new recruits for the Fatui. And Childe's in charge of guiding them.)" Miriam answered.

"(So this is how the Fatui gets their recruits…)" Gunvolt mused.

"...From this day forward, you will honor the oaths you have made to Her Majesty the Tsaritsa, and you will stop at nothing to bring Snezhnaya to victory." Childe spoke to the recruits. "You shall sweep through this land like the icy winds of the furthest north, as strong as the hoar frost of Zapolyarny Palace. You will chill the very marrow in our enemies' bones! Her Majesty expects of you loyalty, ruthlessness, and meticulousness. For the trials that we face are harsh, and our enemies are like…"

Before he could continue his speech, his eyes widened as he noticed Teucer and the others poking their heads out of the bushes. Teucer waved happily, Aether awkwardly waved, Miriam covered her face in shame, and Gunvolt looked away while poking his index fingers together.

"Ugh… I thought I told you to stay with them, Teucer…" Childe mentally groaned before reluctantly continuing his speech after clearing his throat. " ...Ahem, like kites and rattle drums… Who shall become redoubtable foes of Mr. Cyclops in the marketplace of Liyue…"

"Uh-huh. Kites are really fun, too." Teucer nodded… while Aether and Gunvolt facepalmed in embarrassment.

"Childe, for the love of God, please don't embarrass yourself…" Miriam mentally prayed while her face is still covered.

The Fatui recruits on the other hand, are completely confused at what the Harbinger is saying in his speech.

"This is, of course, an analogy. As they say, 'the marketplace, too, is a battlefield.'" Childe continued… while mentally groaning at what he said. "So as your... sales manager here in Liyue, I demand that you obey my every order. A refusal shall be considered a betrayal, and the price for betrayal is to be dishonorably discharged from... Ahem, from the Liyue Institute of Toy Research."

"Woah, that's really strict…" Teucer remarked. "Won't people be really sad if they get fired from the Institute?"

"That… depends if they do their jobs properly." Aether answered.

"(A refusal means betrayal…)" Joule whispered. "(GV, does that mean…)"

"(Yeah.)" Gunvolt silently replied with a nod. "(Betrayal means death. It's one way to clear up any loose ends and cover their own tracks. The Fatui made Sumeragi look like a nursery school in comparison.)"

"(Though I think the recruits are still clueless at Childe's speech.)" Miriam observed with a sweatdrop.

And true to Miriam's observation, the Fatui recruits were still confused, making the Harbinger sweat nervously.

"Hmm… Seeking to please everyone pleases no one at all. Time to try something else…" Childe thought before speaking to the recruits. "On second thought, never mind. Perhaps a round of hands-on training will suit us better."

"Hands-on… training…?" A Fatui Cryogunner repeated.

"After all... a strong body is the proof of one's capacity." Childe stated.

"Hey. Did... did he just say that we're doing hands-on training?" A Fatui Anemoboxer asked the other recruits.

"A Harbinger wants to spar with us personally? W-What an honor!" A Fatui Pyroslinger gasped.

"I can't believe it... are recruits like us really worthy?" A Fatui Hydrogunner pondered.

"Am I hearing a hint of objection to this idea?" Childe raised his eyebrow.

"No! Not at all, sir!" The recruits quickly answered.

"That's the spirit!" Childe smiled as he summoned his black and dark red bow called Rust, and prepared his combat stance. "Now, come at me, you lot."

"Oh! You guys don't wanna miss this! You're about to see my big brother in action!" Teucer beamed.

"Don't worry, we're not gonna look away from this." Aether assured as the group observed the bout between the Fatui Harbinger and the recruits.

"(Looks like we'll get a glimpse of how this Harbinger fights.)" Gunvolt silently remarked.

"(Indeed.)" Miriam agreed. "(This will give us a chance to prepare for our inevitable fight against Childe in the near future.)"

"(Too bad Zeo and Chris aren't here to see this.)" Joule whispered. "(I wonder how their investigation is going along?)"

Childe awaited the recruits to make the first move so he could take action himself. And in a moment, the Pyroslinger fired Pyro bullets with his rifle, with support fire from the Cryo and Hydrogunners with Cryo and Hydro bullets. In response, Childe easily dodged the bullets with Hydro side-dashes before retaliating with Hydro arrows aimed directly at their weapons to disarm them, and then fired more Hydro arrows to the knees to hinder their movements, and then knocked them out with Hydro arrows to their heads.

"The Hydro element. And he's definitely no slouch with his archery." Gunvolt thought while observing.

"He easily disarmed them before going for the knockout blow. Impressive…" Miriam also thought.

Only the Electrohammer Vanguard and the Anemoboxer remain while Childe taunts them to come forward with a hand gesture. The Anemoboxer responded by rushing towards the Harbinger and attacked with punches. But Childe was able to duck and weave the punches, then changed his bow into Hydro blades in reverse grip and countered with rapid slashes, finishing with an X-slash that knocked out the Anemoboxer.

"He changed his weapon to close-ranged blades?!" Aether thought with wide eyes.

"So he's also good in close-range combat… We're gonna have a hard time fighting him." Gunvolt thought.

The Vanguard then rushed towards the Harbinger, leaped into the air and delivered an Electro hammer slam to him. But Childe quickly leaped into the air before the attack could connect. During Childe's descent, he fused his blades into a Hydro spear and unleashed a double Hydro slash onto the Vanguard, and then finished with a thrust, appearing behind the Vanguard who collapsed while the Harbinger dispersed his weapon.

"Whoa…! My brother is so cool…!" Teucer beamed in awe.

The others on the other hand, had cautious feelings after observing Childe's performance.

"So this is the strength of a Fatui Harbinger…" Miriam thought.

"He really is that strong… I wonder if Signora's the same since she wields Cryo?" Aether also thought. "And yet… she wears red instead of light blue. Shouldn't she be a Pryo wielder instead?"

"Well then. Do you all understand what I said earlier?" Childe asked the recruits that were slowly getting back on their feet after the Harbinger's assault.

"Yes… sir…!" The recruits replied.

"Excellent." Childe smiled. "And, you all gave me a pretty good workout. There were a few openings I was able to exploit, so you're gonna have to work on covering them. Other than that… You have done well… for new recruits."

"Thank you, Lord Harbinger!" The recruits bowed with gratitude.

"Alright, hush now." Childe politely shushed them. "Now, then. I wish you all glorious victory - for Snezhnaya, for Her Majesty the Tsaritsa, and for yourselves. Dismissed!"

"Yes, sir!" The recruits saluted before leaving the area.

Once they're gone, Childe let out a sigh of relief and looked at the bushes. "Alright, you guys can come out now. I know you're watching."

"Brother! You were amazing!" Teucer cheered as the group approached the Harbinger.

"To be fair, it's kind of our fault." Aether admitted.

"We're supposed to watch over him, and yet he slipped past us the moment we looked the other way." Miriam added.

"Teucer…" Childe sighed.

"I'm sorry…" Teucer apologized. "But I really wanted to play with you. Although, you were really amazing with your speech and the way you fight is awesome!"

"You were good. Too dang good." Gunvolt remarked.

"Ah, it's you. I was wondering where you were." Childe noticed the Adept.

"Sorry, had to help a friend for a little bit."

"It's fine. But I'm glad you enjoyed the show. Still wanted to test my strength against all of you though."

"Oh you'll get your chance one day, Childe. Mark our words." Aether said.

"Heh, I'll be sure to remember that." Childe smirked. "I've got plenty of surprises up my sleeve. What you saw earlier was just the appetizer. Can't use lethal force on the recruits, after all."

"Cool!" Teucer beamed. "I wanna learn to fight too. I wanna be cool like you!"

"Now Teucer, fighting isn't about looking cool. You can only continue to get stronger if you know the reason why you're fighting." Childe stated.

"That's true." Miriam agreed.

"I can teach you. But think carefully, first. Why do you want to fight?" Childe asked his brother.

"I…" Teucer thought about what his older brother said.

"Take your time. No need to rush for an answer." Gunvolt advised.

"Mm." Teucer nodded and heeded the Adept's advice before thinking of an answer a moment later. "I... I want to protect sister Tonia."

"That's a good answer." Childe nodded. "When I return to Snezhnaya, I will start teaching you fighting techniques. Then, you'll have to protect Tonia for me. How does that sound?"

"Hehe... Leave it to me!" Teucer grinned.

"You know, Teucer's a good kid when he's not being so stubborn." Aether remarked.

"Yup." Gunvolt nodded.

"Protecting family is an admirable motivation." Miriam added.

"You've had a nice long time here in Liyue, haven't you, Teucer? Isn't it about time that you took the boat back home?" Childe asked.

"But, but... but you've been so busy, and we didn't get any time to play together yet…" Teucer replied sadly.

"Teucer, you know I'm very busy at work... And hasn't it been fun traveling all over the place with these kind travelers?" Childe gestured to the team.

"W-Well, how about this? If you just do one little thing for me, I'll be a good boy and go back home!" Teucer requested.

"Oh dear, who taught this little devil to bargain…" Childe chuckled. "Alright. What'll it be?"

"Take me to visit the Institute of Toy Research!"

"Done deal." Childe accepted. "After all, you've come all this way for me, Teucer. As your brother, it's only right for me to grant you one last wish before you leave."

"Exactly! Hee-hee!" Teucer grinned.

"(Why do I get a bad feeling that we're going to some place dangerous which is unsafe for kids?)" Joule thought.

"You guys should come along too!" Teucer said to the team. "This time, it's Teucer's turn to take you sightseeing!"

"Let me think... Yes, the Institute of Toy Research is not far at all from Lingju Pass." Childe recalled before letting out a sly smile to the team. "Now, travelers... you're not the sort of people who would disappoint a kid now, are you?"

"Oh god, he's giving us the look." Aether muttered.

"Well, no point refusing at this point." Miriam shrugged. "We might as well see this through till the end."

"Hate to say it, but I'm gonna have to agree with Miriam." Gunvolt said.

"Yeah… I guess you're right." Aether sighed in defeat before answering the brothers. "Alright, we'll go with you."

"I was hoping you'd say 'yes'!" Teucer smiled.

"Okay, follow me, everyone." Childe said as he led the group to the location of the… 'Toy Institute'.

---

Meanwhile, Zi-O and Chris followed the footprints left behind by the Ruin Guards, until the trail led them to an entrance of an abandoned factory, hidden below a cliff near the ruins.

"So this is where those Ruin Guards are coming from, huh?" Chris observed the entrance.

"No doubt about it." Zi-O confirmed.

"So what's our next move? Call in the Millelith about this place? Or we explore the place first, and then call in the Millelith?"

"We'd better go with the latter approach, just to make sure the soldiers don't trigger any traps."

"Alright." Chris noted. "Guess we're going in first."

The two were about to enter the factory, untill…

"Oh, hey there! What are you two doing here?"

The two immediately stopped upon hearing a familiar young voice.

"Teucer?!" Chris exclaimed with wide eyes.

"Hey, kid! You're not supposed to… be… here…?" Zi-O spoke as the two turned around, and were in complete shock when they saw Teucer, Aether, Gunvolt and Miriam… along with Childe of the Fatui Harbingers.

"...WHAT THE HELL IS HE DOING HERE?!" Zi-O and Chris mentally exclaimed upon noticing the Harbinger.

"...Oh crap." Aether, Gunvolt, Joule and Miriam mentally cringed, not expecting Zi-O and Chris' appearance.

"That armor…" Childe thought while observing the Rider. "It's him… Kamen Rider Zi-O, in the flesh… To think I would meet him in a place like this…" He then observed the white haired girl in magenta armor. "And this girl must be another one of Aether's friends."

"Oi! What are you looking at?!" Chris retorted upon noticing Childe's actions.

"Easy there. I was only looking at your cute face. That's all." Childe defended with his hands raised.

"Uh… can we talk somewhere quiet really quick? I'll explain everything. Childe will help too." Aether said to Zi-O and Chris.

"You'd better." Zi-O replied.

"Miriam and I will watch over Teucer for a bit." Gunvolt said to Childe.

"Please and thank you." Childe replied before he, Aether, Zi-O and Chris went to a quiet place to talk, while the others watched over Teucer.

Once the four reached the quiet spot, Childe began to speak. "Kamen Rider Zi-O. So we finally meet."

"Childe of the Fatui Harbingers, I presume. Zhongli told us about you." Zi-O replied.

"Aether, why is the Harbinger here with you?!" Chris demanded.

"Well… you see…" Aether poked his index fingers together as he explained what he and his team had done.

Moments of explaining later…

"You've gotta be gacking kidding me." Chris muttered before staring at Childe. "Teucer's your little brother?!"

"That's right." Childe confirmed. "And I highly advise you to keep this a secret. We may be enemies on the battlefield, but leave my family out of this, especially my younger siblings."

"So you're doing this for your family, huh?" Zi-O noted.

"Yes." Childe nodded. "And I don't want my younger siblings to know about the dark secrets of the Fatui and Snezhnaya. So please, don't tell them about it. I don't know what will happen if they find out."

"Hmm…" Zi-O hummed in thought before answering. "...Very well. For the safety of your family, we'll keep this a secret."

"That's what I want to hear. Thank you, comrade." Childe smiled.

"...Comrade?" Zi-O thought.

"I can believe we're agreeing to this…" Chris sighed. "But on the other hand, I shudder to think what would happen to Childe's younger siblings if they found out that dark secret. Fine… we'll keep this a secret."

"Thanks." Childe smiled. "Now that's all been cleared up, time to go back to my little brother. Luckily he'll return back to Snezhnaya once we finish his favor."

"Let's hope so." Aether replied. "We won't be able to sleep well tonight if something bad happens to Teucer."

"That, I can agree with." Childe replied back before they rejoined the others. "Sorry for the wait. Had to tell them about the things we did earlier in the day."

"That's okay." Teucer replied. "Miriam and GV told me about their adventures while you're busy. And they're so cool!"

"Is that so?" Childe raised his eyebrow. "I wonder what kind of adventures they had?"

"Maybe next time." Zi-O replied before facing Teucer. "By the way, since you know the names of my friends, I might as well tell you mine. I'm Kamen Rider Zi-O, and this is Chris Yukine."

"Did not expect this guy to be your brother." Chris gestured her thumb to the Harbinger.

"That's because you never asked." Teucer replied.

"Gh?!" Chris stuttered before looking away with her face feeling a bit red. "F-Fair enough."

"Anyway…" Childe then approached the factory entrance. "Here we are. Welcome to Liyue's Institute of Toy Research."

"Yeah, we're here! I can already hear the sounds of machinery inside. Awesome!" Teucer cheered as he took a closer look at the entrance.

"Institute of Toy Research, huh?" Chris questioned with her arms crossed.

"Just roll with it, for Teucer sake." Zi-O advised before turning to Childe. "But seriously, what is this place anyway?"

"Based on my limited understanding, I believe this is one of Dottore's research facilities." Childe explained. "Dottore is another one of the Fatui Harbingers, ranked number 2. Codename: The Doctor. He loves tinkering with old things, it's a... personal passion of his. So, he converted these ruins into a Ruin Guard research lab."

"Dottore…" Aether thought.

"Rank number 2…" Zi-O also thought.

"The Doctor…?" Gunvolt thought as well.

"A Ruin Guard research lab…" Chris mused. "So I'm guessing the Fatui had a hand in building some Ruin Guards?"

"Not quite." Childe answered. "They have much closer connections to the Abyss, so strictly speaking, they're as much our enemies as anyone else's... We just do research, nothing more."

"So the Fatui are also fighting against the Abyss. Got it." Chris noted.

"As to why the Ruin Guards have been moving outside of this area recently... I can only imagine that he's gotten bored of playing around with them, and has lost interest in this place."

"Seriously? He just… left it there with the lab still online?" Miriam questioned. "Well that's just irresponsible."

"Have you visited this place before?" Gunvolt asked.

"Unfortunately, I actually have no idea what this place is like on the inside." Childe answered.

"So we're basically going in blind." Zi-O deduced. "Are you sure it's okay to bring your little brother into this dangerous facility? Aren't you worried about his safety?"

"Of course I am. But no matter what the danger is, I will parry it. Isn't that what any older brother would do? Even Teucer understands that, now he knows what he's fighting for. It's the very same reason that has nestled in my own heart for so many years…" Childe replied with a solemn look on his face.

"Childe…" Aether whispered with concern, with the others feeling the same way.

"What are you guys chatting about?! Come on, let's go in!" Teucer shouted and waved to the group, earning their attention.

Childe chuckled in response. "Alright alright. Follow me, everyone." With that, the group followed the Harbinger into the abandoned Ruin Guard lab.

---

Inside the Ruin Guard research lab…

Once inside, the heroes were in awe at how large the lab is with the large gears still turning.

"Wow. For something this large to be hidden below a cliff near some ruins… I'll admit, it's pretty impressive." Miriam remarked.

"Brother... someone was saying that Mr. Cyclops is a killing machine." Teucer said to Childe.

"Were they, now?" Childe raised his eyebrow. "What a silly thing for them to say. And you shouldn't go repeating it either, Teucer. You're far too young to be talking about such violent topics."

"Yeah, I knew that they were lying, anyways. Mr. Cyclops is here to defeat the bad guys and protect the world. He's my favorite toy!"

"Right. With Mr. Cyclops around, the bad guys won't ever get you." Childe assured.

"Hee-hee, that's right! Okay, I'm going to go play with Mr. Cyclops now!" Teucer grinned as he ran ahead.

"Hey, Teucer, wait up!" Childe shouted, but it was too late as the entrance to the lab closed shut the moment Teucer ran inside.

"Oh crap, that can't be good." Zi-O muttered.

"There had better be a side entrance nearby!" Chris said as they looked around.

Childe then noticed said side entrance on their right behind some railings and pointed at it. "Over there, let's move!"

The group quickly leaped over the railing and went inside the side entrance. From there, they saw several sealed Hydro monuments and one sealed console that's guarded by Pryo Slimes. There's also a gate window where Teucer is located in a room full of inactive Ruin Guards.

"Coming through!" Gunvolt shouted, summoning his Luxcalibur and slashed away the slimes with support from Childe with his Hydro blades. Once the smiles were quickly dealt with, the monuments were unsealed.

"Electro, huh? Not bad." Childe remarked to the Adept.

"Don't get too comfortable." Gunvolt replied.

"Hydro monuments." Miriam observed. "Childe, if you would?"

"Of course." Childe complied, summoning his bow and fired Hydro arrows at the monuments, activating them and causing the seal on the console to be broken. Once Chris activated the console, the doors on Teucer's room and the one they're currently in, opened up.

"Oh, the door opened!" Teucer noticed. "Was that you?"

"That's right. But give me a moment over here, Teucer. I need to make sure that everything's safe." Childe replied before they and Teucer went to the next room. "Maybe I shouldn't have spoiled him quite so much." The Harbinger sighed.

"Gee, ya think?" Chris deadpanned.

Inside the next few rooms, the group noticed the Ruin Guards being strung up by chains. "Ruin Guards on chains…" Miriam observed. "Where are they taken to, I wonder?"

"I don't know." Childe answered. "But if there's a chance it's where Teucer is, we need to stop this before things get ugly."

"Then that's our trail. Let's hurry!" Aether deduced as the group pressed on ahead.

Eventually, they reached some kind of room where Electro Slimes were used as a power source for the lab. The slimes noticed the intruders and began attacking the group, eventually spawning Pyro Slimes in the process. However, the group were able to defeat the slimes, causing another room to open up on their left. Moments later, they reached another console, along with seeing Teucer staring at another console in the other room.

"Two consoles." Zi-O observed. "Something tells me the doors won't open unless we activate both consoles at the same time."

"In that case…" Childe turned to his brother. "Teucer! See that big stone cube in front of you? I need your help."

"Yay! Do I really get to help my big brother out?" Teucer asked.

"You bet." Childe nodded as the brothers got close to their respective consoles. "Now, I'll count down from three, and then we touch it together. Ready?"

"Ready!"

"One… Two… Three!" And on Childe's third count, the brothers activated their consoles at the same time, causing the doors leading to the next rooms to open up.

"Good work, now let's move on!" Aether praised as they and Teucer went to the next room.

Inside, they saw a room full of lasers and Ruin Guards being held by metal hooks, moving to another section of the lab.

"Lasers… Why did it have to be freaking lasers…?" Chris muttered.

"At least we can use the Ruin Guards as cover." Miriam observed the lasers being blocked by the Ruin Guards.

"Though some lasers won't be blocked by the Ruin Guards." Gunvolt observed the path ahead.

"Then we'll make our own shields." Zi-O answered. "Aether, Miriam, you both know what to do."

"Right." The two in question nodded.

"Ah, that's bright! What is that?" Teucer noticed the lasers in his room.

"It's a Witch-Ray that will turn you into a little lamb if it hits you, so stay out of its way!" Childe answered with caution.

"...That's scary…"

"You wanna know what's even more scary? That kind of weapon actually exists in another world." Zi-O thought. "...along with the lasers that turn living beings into cows, chickens and sheep… and they explode."

The group quickly traversed past the lasers with Aether and Miriam summoning Geo walls to block the lasers that's not blocked by the Ruin Guards. Once they went past the next room, they finally reunited with Teucer who was surprisingly unharmed during his trek.

"Phew, back together at last." Childe sighed with relief. "You're not hurt, are you, Teucer?"

"Hurt? No way. This was really fun!" Teucer smiled.

"Fun for you, maybe…" Chris thought with her eyebrow twitching. "We're nearly about to have heart-attacks, you know. Especially Childe."

"What's over there?" Teucer then noticed a large room up ahead. "Wow, this room is huge! Is this where Mr. Cyclops takes his friends when they come to visit?"

"It is. Impressive, isn't it?" Childe replied. "Now, how about a little game of hide-and-seek?"

"Uh... Now? But…"

Childe chuckled. "I have a surprise for you, you know."

"Oh, a surprise!? What sort of surprise?" Teucer beamed.

"Don't worry, you'll have the chance to look for it later. But before that, you have to close your eyes, turn around, and count down from 60. And no peeking."

"Okay... 60 is a really long time, though." Teucer complied, turning around and covering his eyes.

"Miriam, watch over Teucer while we do some work." Zi-O ordered.

"Understood." Miriam nodded, summoning a Geo wall to protect herself and Teucer, while the others entered the room ahead.

"There's not much time. Let's clear all these hazards out." Childe stated with his bow ready. "Remember to aim for the cores first. And try not to dismember them or else the surprise will be ruined."

"Don't worry, we've got this." Gunvolt assured, summoning his Luxcalibur.

"Also, 60 seconds is all we need." Chris smirked, twirling her crossbows.

"Oho, confident, are we?" Childe smirked back.

"Let's just focus on surviving first, guys." Aether stated with his Favonius Warbow ready.

"Alright team… and Childe. Let's Ragna-Rock and Roll!" Zi-O declared with his Zikan Gilade Zyu Mode ready as the group rushed ahead while Teucer began counting.

The Ruin Guards immediately sprung to life upon sensing the group's presence and began attacking them with a horde of missiles. Gunvolt went ahead and blocked the missiles with his Flashfield before Chris and Childe countered with their arrows, striking at the Guards' cores twice to shut them down.

Gunvolt ran towards another group of Ruin Guards as they were about to smash him. But the Adept quickly leaped into the air and launched Luxcaliburs at their cores, shutting them down in one move.

Aether kept evading the machines' swings with his Anemo dashes until he was surrounded. When the machines are about to slam at the Traveler, he quickly summoned a Geo barrier, pushing the attacks away and made them stagger. Then Aether energized his right fist in glowing Geo and punched the floor so hard that large stone spikes erupted below the Ruin Guards, making them fall to the floor. The Traveler then followed up by leaping into the air and fired precise Anemo arrows from his Favonius Warbow as each arrow landed at the machines' cores, shutting them down.

Childe dodged the machines' attacks with Hydro dashes before leaping into the air and launched a Hydro arrow storm, making them stagger with some of the arrows landing on their cores which knocked them down.

Chris evaded the machines' slams with backflips while countering with her energy arrows which pushed them back with some of her arrows landing on their cores. She then spin-jumped right above the machines and unleashed a hail of energy arrows to finish them off.

QUEEN'S DOWNPOUR

As for Zi-O, he's running away from a spinning Ruin Guard with its arms spread out. As he was about to reach a wall, he ran up the wall and leaped into a backflip while the machine crashed into the wall instead. Zi-O quickly slotted the Zi-O Ridewatch and took aim at its core on the back.

=FINISH TIME!=

=ZURE ZURE SHOOTING!=

He then fired a powerful charge shot at the core which was enough to shut the machine down while the Rider landed safely. He twirled his gun and moved onto the next targets.

While Childe and the others fought the Ruin Guards, Teucer was busy counting down, until he stopped for a bit and asked the Shardbinder. "Umm… Miriam?"

"Yes?"

"Are they doing okay in there? I'm hearing a lot of banging and crashing."

"Ah, don't worry. It's all part of the surprise." Miriam answered.

"Oh, okay. Uh… which number did I stop at?" Teucer asked.

"35."

"Thank you! 35… 34… 33…"

The team continued to battle against the Ruin Guards as Teucer's counting reached 25 seconds. The number of Ruin Guards are starting to decrease, but the team is beginning to feel exhausted.

"Hey guys…" Chris panted. "I think I… lost count on… how many… damn machines… we've shut down…"

"Me too…" Gunvolt added.

"Well… at least the numbers are starting to get lesser. Remember, we eliminated the Electro Slimes powering up the lab. That should at least stop the machines from producing them." Aether stated.

"Unfortunately… I think we're running out of time. Teucer's counting is going below 20 seconds." Zi-O said. "We're gonna get exposed at this rate…"

Childe listened to the words of his comrades as he turned to the approaching Ruin Guards, then turned to the group, then turned to the stone wall where Teucer is busy counting behind the wall. He then turned back to the Ruin Guards with a determined look, took a deep breath, dispersed his weapon and slowly approached them which garnered attention from the others.

"Hey, Childe, what are you doing?" Aether asked.

"Stay back. I'll finish the rest personally." Childe replied, moving his Fatui mask to his face. "Remember when I mentioned a trick up my sleeve? Well, you're about to get your wish."

"What trick?" Chris asked.

"...My younger brother got us all into this mess…" Childe answered as he began to float with Hydro swirling below him… and Electro surging through his body. "So it's my responsibility for the older brother to fix this mess. Xross Drive Rebellion… witness the true power of a Fatui Harbinger!"

His body began to glow in Electro and Hydro as he became slightly larger with armor parts appearing on his body before letting out a flash of the two elements, making the group cover their eyes. And when they uncovered their eyes, they gasped in shock at Childe's new transformation.

Childe now dons black armor, with a violet fade from his midriff to his upper thighs. His torso sports his original outfit's collar, and his Hydro Vision, with a lavender, feathery collar at his neck. He also wears a long cape with a starry pattern. His armor extends to his arms, with his fingers now wearing sharp gray claws. At his navel is his Electro Delusion. His legs are also armored, complemented by a silver lining, and a violet diamond pattern where his kneecaps are. Finally, his mask takes a new form, covering the entirety of his face, and elongating to sport long horns at his head. The face of the mask is featureless, save for a single purple eye.

Tartaglia (Childe)

The 11th of the Eleven Fatui Harbingers

Foul Legacy Form

"Ho…ly… shit…" Gunvolt remarked.

"(You said it, GV.)" Joule silently agreed.

"The power of two elements… and now this…?" Aether said in shock.

"If all of those Fatui Harbingers can do this, then we're in serious trouble…" Chris frowned.

"For now though, just be glad he's on our side for a change." Zi-O stated.

"Can't argue with that." Chris agreed.

"How much time left?" Childe asked the group.

"I think Teucer's about to reach ten seconds." Aether answered.

"...That will do." Childe noted, summoning his blue double-glaive as the Ruin Guards were about to smash him. But the Harbinger quickly countered with a destructive Electro shockwave that sent the machines flying. While Teucer is counting down from 10, Childe quickly pierced through the cores of the machines at lightning speed, never giving them a chance to retaliate. He then lunged his glaive through one Ruin Guard, then collided with the remaining ones before sending them crashing into the machine that produces the Ruin Guards, even though the lab was shutting down after eliminating the Electro Slimes in the generator room earlier. Afterwards, he landed on the ground in exhaustion and quickly vanished in a lightning flash as Teucer reached the 5-second mark.

"5… 4… 3… 2… 1… 0!" Teucer finished counting, prompting Miriam to drop her Geo wall with a simple kick, shattering it on impact. Once the boy uncovered his eyes and turned around, he gasped in awe as he quickly ran inside the room where he saw the room was full of Ruin Guards sitting down… with one of them in a heroic pose for some reason. "This... This is everything I've ever dreamed of! It's Mr. Cyclops' world!"

"Well I hope you like the surprise your brother made for you, Teucer." Zi-O said as they already dispersed their weapons before Miriam dropped the Geo wall.

"Mr. Cyclops is the coolest, isn't it?" Aether added with a smile.

"Awesome! Hee-hee!" Teucer grinned with excitement. "Boy, if these Mr. Cyclops' weren't so big, I'd sure love to take one home." But then he noticed someone was missing. "Wait… where's my brother? Where did he go?"

"Ahem. Hide-and-seek, remember?" Miriam reminded.

"And don't try telling us where he is." Chris said with her arms crossed. "Though now that I think about it, I have no idea where he vanished after he prepared the surprise."

"Oh yeah, that's right! I was so excited that I forgot all about our game!" Teucer remembered. "Can you nice guys and ladies help me find him together?"

"Well… sure, why not." Zi-O shrugged. "You, Chris and Miriam search the right, while the rest of us will search the left."

"Okay!" Teucer nodded before turning to the girls. "Let's go!"

"Remember to stay close to us, got it?" Chris cautioned as the three searched the right side of the room.

"(Now then, time to cheat a bit. Aether, your Elemental Sight?)" Zi-O whispered.

Aether nodded, using his Elemental Sight to detect an elemental trail. Soon enough he found it, leading to a small room on the left. "(Found it.)" He silently answered. "(Wanna call the others?)"

"(No. Just the three of us will do. I get the feeling Childe's not looking too good earlier.)"

"(Now that you mention it, he did look exhausted after lunging those Ruin Guards to a machine.)" Gunvolt recalled.

"(Exactly.)" Zi-O nodded. "(Aether, we'll follow your lead.)"

"(Gotcha.)" Aether nodded back as he followed the elemental trail with the boys following behind. Once they're inside the small room where the trail leads, they saw Childe resting on the wall in a seated position.

"Hey, it's you three." Childe greeted, slightly panting in exhaustion. "It's a good thing that you guys found me first. Looks like using the Foul Legacy Transformation earlier somehow made me tired than before. Must be because of the errands I had to do today."

"Foul Legacy Transformation…" Aether repeated. "So that's the name of the form you used earlier."

"Yep." Childe nodded. "It's powerful, but puts a strain on my mind and body, so I only use it at crucial moments such as this. I was going to use this form to fight you guys, but desperate times call for desperate measures."

"I see." Gunvolt noted.

"Still, I've no idea what I'd do if Teucer saw me like this. Look at me, deflated as a burst balloon."

"Was this worth the effort though?" Zi-O asked.

"Like I said, I can never pass on an opportunity to test my limits. And that's why I, Tartaglia, am always getting stronger." Childe chuckled.

"Tartaglia?" Aether repeated. "Is that your real name?"

"Yes. But feel free to call me Childe if you guys want." Childe replied.

"We'll just stick with Childe." Gunvolt replied back, with the others agreeing with a nod.

"Anyway, childhood dreams are all too easily shattered. Even if you just leave them be, they will fall to pieces all by themselves. So, someone has to protect them, right? If you make a promise, you keep it, if you make a mistake, you apologize. And if you give someone a dream, you defend it to the end. That's what family is all about, isn't it?"

Zi-O thought about what Childe said before nodding in agreement. "Yeah. And I'm glad that I still have my sister and my parents. Although sis is strong enough to take care of herself and is not afraid to watch mine and my friends' backs."

"Oh?" Childe raised his eyebrow. "I didn't know a Kamen Rider like you has a sister."

"I figured you deserve to know that part about me."

"Originally, I came to Teyvat in search of my long lost twin sister after we were separated." Aether said. "But eventually, I finally reunited with her. Well… more like she found me. And she made a lot of friends along the way."

"Heh. Good to know you're reunited with her." Childe smiled before turning to the Azure Striker. "And what about you, GV? Got any family members?"

"...Unfortunately, I never had any." Gunvolt sadly replied.

"Come again?" Childe blinked.

"You could say that I was an orphan at birth, with no family to call my own." Gunvolt continued while hiding his real origin. "But…" He then began to smile as he looked at Zi-O. "After I met Zi-O and the others, I now have a new family to protect. And that family, is Xross Drive Rebellion."

"(GV…)" Joule whispered.

"So your team is your new family, huh? I see nothing wrong with that." Childe remarked before coughing a bit.

"Whoa, easy there, Childe. You'd better go to a doctor immediately." Zi-O advised.

"Don't worry… I'll be fine." Childe replied as he slowly stood up. "But first…" He then took out a small doll version of the Ruin Guard from his pocket. "This gift is for Teucer. Give this to him on my behalf."

"A Ruin Guard action figure?" Gunvolt guessed.

"A 'Mr. Cyclops' action figure." Aether corrected.

"Exactly, Traveler." Childe nodded. "I had it made to order by a smith some time back. I had intended to give it to him on my return to Snezhnaya, but it seems that it would make a better souvenir at this point. That, and I'll need you guys to make an excuse for my abrupt departure. Think you guys can do that for me?"

"Zi-O?" Aether asked as all eyes were on the Rider.

After some thought, Zi-O accepted with a nod and took the action figure from the Harbinger. "Very well, for Teucer's sake."

"Thank you, Kamen Rider Zi-O." Childe smiled. "That being said, let's count this as a pinkie promise. You guys remember what Teucer recited?"

"Yep, we remembered." Aether nodded before all of them recited the Snezhnayan pinkie promise.

"You make a pinkie promise, you keep it all your life. I break a pinkie promise, I get thrown on the ice. The cold will kill the pinkie that once betrayed your friend, the frost will freeze your tongue off so you never lie again."

Childe then chuckled afterwards. "Ah… that nursery rhyme brings back so many delightful memories."

"That was a nursery rhyme?" Gunvolt blinked. "Huh, fancy that."

"Alright. Go in peace, Childe." Zi-O said.

"I will. See ya." Childe replied, giving a two-finger salute and ran off to an alternate exit route.

"You know... he's not such a bad guy when he's not our enemy." Joule spoke up.

"Yeah." Gunvolt agreed. "But because of the Tsaritsa, he has no choice but to join the Fatui for the sake of his family, especially his younger siblings."

"Maybe someday, we'll find out why the Tsaritsa began acting so cold to the world and the other Archons." Aether said. "I know it's because of what happened in the Archon War 500 years ago, but we still need more info about it."

"And the only reason we'll find those answers is to ask the Cryo Archon herself in Snezhnaya." Zi-O said. "But we'll cross that bridge when the time comes. For now though, let's give Childe's gift to Teucer." Afterwards, the boys left the room to regroup with the others.

"I can't find him anywhere... where did he go…" Teucer pondered.

"Hey, don't give up. He can't hide forever." Chris replied before they noticed Zi-O, Gunvolt and Aether arriving.

"Did you guys find Childe?" Miriam asked them.

"We did, but unfortunately he had to leave immediately because one of his associates informed him about a large crowd wanting to buy more Mr. Cyclopses. And they needed his help to sort out the stocks." Aether replied with a small lie.

"Oh... T-That's great!" Teucer replied, but still felt down. "But still, I was kinda hoping we could play here a little longer…"

"Then maybe this will cheer you up." Zi-O said, taking out the action figure and showed it to the boy. "Here. Childe wanted us to give this to you as a gift. Mr. Cyclops will keep you company in his stead."

"Whoa…" Teucer said in awe as he took the action figure and examined it. "I never knew that they made Mr. Cyclopses in this size! Look, it even has my name on it! It's my very own Mr. Cyclops!"

"Glad you're enjoying his gift, Teucer." Gunvolt smiled.

"You bet! My brother is the best big brother ever!"

"Yes… he really is." Miriam smiled.

"You had a tour of Liyue, met your brother, visited the Institute of Toy Research, and got yourself a souvenir." Aether summarized. "I think that's what we tour guides call it the perfect trip."

"Yep." Chris agreed before turning to the boy. "Ready to finally go back to Snezhnaya?"

"Hehe... Don't worry, I know I can't get my way all the time. That'd just be annoying for everyone else." Teucer replied.

"Good boy. Let's get out of here." Zi-O declared as he led the group to the same alternate exit Childe took.

"Oh right, we still need to get that custom kite!" Miriam remembered. "It should be done by now."

"Oh yeah! I completely forgot about that!" Teucer realized. "Let's go get my kite first!"

"Then it's time to head back to Liyue Harbor." Aether declared.

As the group were making their way to the alternate exit, Chris began to whisper to the Rider. "(Hey, Zi-O.)"

"(What's up, Chris?)"

"(So what are we going to do about this lab? We gotta inform the Millelith about this.)"

"(I already did.)" Zi-O smirked. "(While we're going to regroup with you after Childe gave the gift to me and left, I secretly planted a tiny tracking beacon on a wall, then contacted Keqing and Einstein about it. So it won't be long before our allies will arrive and patrol the lab.)"

"(Heh. I was hoping you'd do that.)" Chris smirked back… before blinking in confusion. "(Wait. You also contacted Einstein?)"

"(Consider it a golden opportunity for Einstein's research since Dottore lost interest with the place.)"

"(You know, for a high ranking general of the Fatui, that was irresponsibly stupid. He basically just gave us the keys to his old lab.)"

"(True. But we should still never let our guard down since he's rank number 2, so we need to be very cautious about him.)"

"(Good point.)" Chris nodded. "(For now though, I think Aether and the others can handle the rest with Teucer while the two of us will head back to Yujing Terrace for the mission report.)"

"(Good idea.)" Zi-O nodded back. "(All in all, I think we can safely call this mission a success.)"

---

Liyue Harbor

Once the group returned to Liyue Harbor, Zi-O and Chris had to leave for Yujing Terrace, so they said their goodbyes to Teucer before leaving him to the care of Aether's team. Aether's team then head for the toy shop at Chihu Rock where Granny Shen had just finished the custom Mr. Cyclops kite for Teucer, who was really happy with the results and took the kite while also taking back the picture he gave to Granny Shen earlier who used it as the custom basis for the kite. With the kite in hand, the group began heading back to Northland Bank at Feiyun Slope. Upon arrival, they went inside and saw a man in Snezhnayan attire waiting for them.

"I'm guessing you're the guy Childe sent to meet us?" Gunvolt asked.

"That is correct." The man nodded. "My name is Andrei, and I am here to escort young master Teucer back to Snezhnaya."

"Andrei?" Teucer repeated in confusion.

"Don't worry, Teucer. Think of him as Childe's toy making advisor." Miriam said. "He's only making sure you reach home safe and sound."

"Well… if you say so." Teucer noted before facing the group. "Anyway, I had a really great time traveling with you guys. It was really nice to meet you."

"Same to you too, Teucer." Aether smiled. "You may be a bit of a troublemaker, but you're a good kid."

"Will you guys come to Snezhnaya someday? I'll definitely be waiting for you."

"Of course we will." Gunvolt replied as he and the others nodded.

"Young master Teucer, the boat to Snezhnaya will dock soon. We'd best prepare for boarding." Andrei reminded.

"Gee, time really flies when you're having fun…" Teucer remarked. "Just let me do one more thing to the nice guys and lady please!"

"As you wish." Andrei nodded.

"Let's make one more pinkie promise so you'll never forget to visit Snezhnaya someday." Teucer requested from the group.

"Sure thing, Teucer." Miriam replied before the group recited the pinkie promise.

"You make a pinkie promise, you keep it all your life. I break a pinkie promise, I get thrown on the ice. The cold will kill the pinkie that once betrayed your friend, the frost will freeze your tongue off so you never lie again."

"Hee-hee! It's a promise, then!" Teucer grinned before waving at the group. "Aether, Miriam, GV, see you again soon!"

"Have a safe trip!" Aether replied as he and the others waved back while Andrei escorted Teucer out of the bank.

Once the bank is silent, Gunvolt turned to the furthest pillar with his arms crossed. "Okay Childe, we know you're nearby. Reveal yourself."

"...Heh. Pretty perceptive of you, GV." Childe chuckled, approaching the group from behind the pillar.

"I assume you heard the whole conversation earlier. But is it really okay for you to hide from your brother without saying goodbye?" Miriam questioned.

"Partings are special moments. If he spent his final moments in Liyue seeing me all haggard and weak like this... That's not a memory I want him to leave with. Still, it is a shame that I couldn't see him off by myself…" Childe replied before sighing. "I should have been the one taking him back. I do have subordinates to escort him, but I still feel a little uneasy."

"Considering how intimidating the Fatui are, I guess it makes sense to feel uneasy." Aether replied back. "Though I get the feeling you're spoiling him a tad too much."

Childe chuckled in response. "I can't quite explain it, but somehow I felt much more at ease leaving him in your care. And yet… we're still on opposite sides."

"Yeah…"

"Anyway, remuneration for your services - which I really couldn't have done without this time."

"There's no need for that, Childe." Aether raised his hand and shook his head. "As long as everyone is happy, then that's a good enough remuneration for us."

"As you wish." Childe noted. "One other thing: don't forget our promise, now. Let's have a battle when we get the chance someday, with my honor as a Harbinger on the line. So do me a favor and don't die untilI get a chance to fight you."

"Don't worry, we're not gonna die that easily. The Rebellion is a lot stronger than you think. But you already knew that, don't you?" Gunvolt smirked.

"Hehe, getting confident, I see. We'll find out someday." Childe smirked back. "But regardless of who wins or loses in our future bout, I'd also like to invite you and the other members of the Rebellion over to my home. I'll introduce you to my other siblings, Tonia and Anthon. They're great kids, and I'm very proud of them both."

"Very well. We'll let Zi-O know about it. I'm sure he won't mind visiting your family." Miriam replied.

"That, and we've already made a pinkie promise to Teucer." Aether added.

"That's what I wanted to hear." Childe smiled as he walked to the door. "Well, that settles it. I'm definitely looking forward to it, now. Farewell for now, Xross Drive Rebellion. Until we meet again… in Snezhnaya." He gave one more two-finger salute to the group before leaving the bank.

"Childe of the Fatui Harbingers… He has something most Fatui didn't have: a freedom of choice and something to protect." Miriam remarked. "I wonder if there's someone else like him?"

"Who knows?" Gunvolt shrugged.

"The Fatui may be our enemies, but it's nice to have a reliable and caring comrade amongst the group." Joule said. "Hehe. For some reason, I wanted to meet his younger siblings and make them smile with my songs."

"That's definitely a sight to behold, Joule." Aether agreed. "Come on, guys. Let's head back to base, our work here is done."

"Mm." Gunvolt and Miriam nodded before the three left the bank.

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Chapter 6: Mighty Cyclops' Adventure!

END

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Author's Note: Phew... sorry it took so long to finish this chapter. Busy as usual with work, games and other stuff. But the good news is that the next chapter will be the last one for this book. As for what that chapter is... you'll just hand to find out for yourself. Afterwards, there will be another interlude before moving onto Book 7.

Until then, stay safe and see you in the final chapter!