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Chapter 19: Diplomatic Play
It's been a week since I have opened the school. A week which has seen the House of the Hearth becoming quite the school for the young children here in Mondstadt.
The name Sampo Koski was beloved by adults and little ones alike! And, as much as I want to say everything was sunshine and rainbow, I would be lying. I mean, I am still a smuggler, and I had recently claimed fatherhood over little Collei. While she didn't give much of a fuss once in a while as she had settled just nice with her books and her new Outrider friend, I had been growing considerably busy due to handling some Fatui issue that had recently come to my attention.
In the specific, I was talking about one Dottore and his little gray-skinned goblin of an assistant that was currently looking for Collei. Dottore himself had been around just briefly for something about the Diluc's plotline of the manga, I think he was already out of the picture at this point. The same couldn't be said about the Sumerian researcher which I promptly tracked down and took care of. I had no issue in plunging a few knives on the slim asshole's back, even more when he tried to explain that 'science had demanded Collei to suffer'.
And with this lowlife out of the way, I knew that there was more to it as Dottore's brief visit was not short due to impatience, but because he didn't want to be around the one individual that came along to take over the operations to steal the Anemo Gnosis. And, if I have to be honest, I should give credit where it is due: La Signora did her math right. For when she finally arrived in Mondstadt and she was done settling at the hotel, she soon visited the House with two guards by her sides.
The visit came a bit abruptly, and I had been a little bit distracted reading some ledgers regarding the expenses when Collei came running looking for me.
"S-Sampo, there's... guests."
"Hm? Guests?" I perked up, noticing instantly her nervous look and nodding as I could tell it was serious. "Oh, do bring me to them. Let's see what we have here."
And as if fate decided my patient waiting for the Traveler to 'spawn' was too lenient on myself, I was indeed dealing with La Signora. Stepping by the counter, I was soon eye to eye with the Eighth Harbinger herself. A curious glance on her visible eye, glinting towards a degree of annoyance and interest blended into a fine crysal of... well, curiosity.
"So, I finally meet the one that has gained the interest of the Tsaritsa."
"And I finally meet the one that has so kindly taken the Mondstadt Branch off Dottore's hideous claws."
Her smirk widened a fraction. As much as many would think that the Harbingers were close, Dottore was not a social element and he had burned plenty of bridges with his companions to gain sympathies from them.
"I suppose anything it better than that babbling researcher," Signora hummed, then looked around and saw a few drawings from the children stiched to the walls. "Still, I have to admit I was expecting something morebarrenwhen it comes to the House of the Hearth."
I perked up at this. "Truly? I guess you can say I saw fit toimproveover the previous head of the house's work."
"Yet the name is not one that can be claimed with ease. Only the Tsaritsa can bestow it, and it is only affiliated with the Knave."
The challenge was thus presented. It was a little jab, I could tell this much. If she wanted to flex, she could have done this differently. No, I could tell what game Signora was playing and, if I have to be honest, I like this sort of plays.
"Then the Tsaritsa can happily visit and tell me herself that I have been a terrible boy that stole from the Knave such a relevant thing to have," I teased along, my smile infuriatingly cute. "Or the Knave herself can visit. I am sure we could have some good coffee in the name of old times."
She nodded. "I see you are not hiding it. You were part of Crucabena's brood."
"Why would I give you the chance to flair knowledge when it is just surface level tidbits about such a hideous person?" I asked back. "Alas, there's also a matter of politeness. We are not in our own houses, so wehaveto behave around the others."
This was my own threat. She could try to act as if she could take me on a fight, but the way she looked a bit stiff just there showed she wasn't truly sold on the idea. Arrogant she may be, but the Harbinger was not an idiot. She knew her bits in basic Diplomacy between Mondstadt and Liyue (and be atrocious when it comes to Inazuma), so she knew this could end up ruining her plans for good. Integrity was needed if she wanted to get the 'rat' and his 'gnosis'.
Signora thus snorted, trying to sound amused but overall irked by what I had said. "Of course you would be the opposite of her. Now I see why Arlecchino speaks so little of you."
"I am sure she just has her hands full with her own responsibilities. And I suppose you are not here just to say 'hello'."
"You would be right," The harbinger admitted, turning to her guards and sending them out with a glance. "I would like to watch some of the lessons. I am curious to see what's truly different between the two Houses."
I offered a shrug. "I see why you should be denied such a humble request. At the same time, if possible, I wouldn't deny you the urge to assist if any of the children ask for your 'input'."
As I said that, I finally saw Signora frown in confusion at this last bit, but she would soon learn.
After all, the very first thing Klee did as she saw Signora was to ask her help build a small petard. And, in a rather unusual display of 'interest', Signora agreed to help Klee with such a task as she thought it a cute endeavor. I looked at the two from afar, kind of surprised how easily Klee had Signora under control despite her being the child, but I also saw that their propensity to dabble in explosives a bit worrisome and enough to make me wonder if this had been a good idea or not.
I have indeed become Oppenheimer, bringer of Ded. Also, I probably should get the Fire Extinguisher ready, you know, to deal with the upcoming apocalypse.
Collei knew this visit had been a warning. She was too familiar with cues of the kind to ignore the dangerous hint behind this sort of situation. A Harbinger had decided to visit, engage Sampo in a Standoff and then ended up joining them for the lessons.
The girl was indeed unnerved, and it wasn't because little Klee had ended up calling Signora 'Auntie Rose' (for the roses by her skirt) while also getting deep into bomb-making with the woman, but also because Sampo had been socalmabout that situation. Collei would have expected him to behave a bit more tensely. It was a Harbinger they were dealing with! Not a specialist, but something well above that. Someone like...
Dottore.
She shuddered as she considered that name, the 'servant' which had acted as her own physician proving to be a fraud and a monster that hurt her in ways that made her aghast over Fatui as a whole. Thus, as the night came and the school had long closed down, the greenette decided it was time to get some answer from her benefactor and see why he was being so cozy about the group.
Sitting in his office with a glass of wine and a book in hand, Sampo looked up from the tome as he spotted Collei standing by the doorstep.
"Can I help you with something?"
She kept quiet as she stepped inside, pacing on the left then to the right.
"Are you part of the Fatui?"
The question should have not come out as fast as it did, but the soreness of the topic made Collei extremely tense to the point where her usual shyness was eclipsed by her need for answers.
"I am not."
He spoke truthfully, yet she didn't feel truly settled on the matter.
"Why did you- did you act so friendly with Signora?"
"Because she was a guest," He curtly admitted, and she saw his green eyes narrow with intrigue. "You think this is a ploy to send you to Dottore, isn't it?"
...
He huffed at the silence, fetching some papers and offering it for her to read. It was the local newspaper and... A man with dark-gray skin from Sumeru had been found...
"...You killed him."
"Indeed. If it makes you feel any better, none of the Harbinger truly love Dottore. He is a rather despicable individual. The only one who could stand by his side was the previous Knave, Crucabena," Sampo spoke up, confirming the good news that lessened the burden on her back but- "Who was my adoptive mother."
Collei froze up, confusion stirring anew. "W-What?"
"The House of Hearth for the Fatui is a recruitment center. Its main goal is to produce the best agents, loyal to the Tsaritsa and able to handle strenuous tasks without hesitation," The man explained, standing up and looking out of the window behind his chair. "Under Crucabena, children were trained in the way of the blade. The weak would be cut off, the strong would be made machines to serve the Harbingers and the Tsaritsa herself."
...
He turned to her with a flat look, his smile gone. "I am part of what you may call the 'last batch' made by Crucabena. The current Knave, Arlecchino, my sister in all but blood."
The greenette frowned. "I-If that's the case... then why are you a smuggler?"
"Oh, that is a long story, but I will just tell you that I was also known with a hideous title. Crucabena's Most Hated Son," Sampo admitted with a sigh. "And when I prospered at 12, that woman lost her wits and decided I was 'ready' to be sent to the frontline. I knew this was her last chance to kill me, so I decided to leave... leaving behind my sister to bear the burden of this cursed batch. And she won, becoming the new Knave andFatherof the House of the Hearth."
Collei frowned. "Are you... where does this leave us? Are we aligned or not with the Fatui?"
"We are against the Tsaritsa and those willing to pursue her will," Sampo firmly answered. "That being said, the Harbingers are a most curious breed. Many of the stronger ones may respect the Tsaritsa and bow to her orders, but most are not and are tied to the Fatui for their own gains."
"Like your sister?"
He smiled at this. "Like my sister. I can't fault Arlecchino for thinking that the best path to take is 'diplomacy' and 'tradition'. While I don't know how much has remained the same from Crucabena, I know that the recruitment among orphans had grown significantly and the agents more... clever. They have the mind to think for themselves when needed."
"But she has to obey for now because she could be killed."
"And Dottore would be given free hand on the House itself if necessary."
This possibility disgusted Collei, but Sampo wasn't done talking.
"Signora is also opposed to Dottore. And while I am not too pleased to be diplomatic with her, I have to be in my best behavior until she slips and I have reason to act on her transgressions."
Collei nodded, and slowly understood what this all meant. "We are just playing nice with Signora but... she will become our foes."
"Yep. So, don't get too cozy at the sight of Signora being nice with the children. This behavior is not as simple and warm as it seems, no- she does this because inside she is truly hollow as a person."
This last sentence perplexed Collei, but she decided against pressing on the topic. She just bid Sampo a good night, leaving for her room as her head hurt. This situation was far more complex than she could have imagined, and while she wasn't sure how to tackle it all, she was at least sure of one thing.
Sampo couldn't be a bad person. He just couldn't- she just couldn't bear another betrayal.
AN
Thus Sampo's position is somewhat 'consolidated' and... next time, the canon plot starts! With Stormterror raising hell and a Traveler making a landfall.