The World Looks Glorious in the Snow

Chapter 6: "to be on my side"

"You've scouted the perimeter?"

"Yes."

"And you've taken out all the rebel camps?"

"Yes."

"Good. My turn. The rebels have recently set up a large base not far from here. Normally I'd just send Skirmishers, but apparently this case is a bit trickier."

"Trickier how?" Childe crossed his arms over his chest and wondered what could possibly pose a challenge to La Signora.

"The base is loaded with over a hundred Vision and Delusion wielders, and their leader is there."

Childe raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

"Yes. Of course, I could take them all on my own," she added. "But I suppose I'll let you tag along in case things get...complicated."

"Cool. When do we leave?"

"Tomorrow, at midnight. We'll be done before dawn breaks."

"Got it."

Thus, the Harbingers went their separate ways, with the promise of battle ahead of them. The sun was just about to set on Morepesok, and Childe was more than ready for dinner. He had, indeed, been finding and taking out rebel camps, under the pretext of his job. No one, including Lumine, knew what he was up to, and he fully intended to keep it that way. Cold, hungry, but in a decent mood, Childe strolled back to the path.

* * *

The air was always crisp and fresh where Kostya sat upon the lake. He had set up a small station for himself, with a chair, a fishing rod, and a bag to hold his catch. These were the only times he could think; these long hours of waiting for fish to bite allowed him to dive into the depths of his consciousness. He became so lost in his daze that he never noticed the rosy streaks as they started tinting the clouds with their vibrant hues.

It wasn't until the young woman arrived when Kostya snapped out of his trance. He expected Tonia, but instead, that curious blonde traveler stood by the edge of the lake, afraid to step on the ice. "Natalia told me to come get you," she said.

"Ah, yes, of course." The man sent her a warm smile before he stood and started to pack away his things."

"Need any help with that?" offered Lumine.

"Oh, no, don't worry. I'm quite alright." Kostya smiled again at the girl's willingness to help. He had noticed her kindness before, her unwavering dedication to the people around her, and he was slightly flattered to be a recipient of this kindness. He wondered how Ajax had managed to recruit her.

Kostya folded up the chair, put away his fishing rod, and swung his bag over his shoulder. "Let's go." When she didn't move, however, he detected that there were things she wanted to say. He peered at her sympathetically. "What's the matter, my child?"

Her expression changed at his words, conveying a level of anxiousness. "I...I want to talk to you."

"Oh, well of course. Come, sit down." He sat down by the edge of the lake and offered her a spot next to him, which Lumine took unquestioningly. "Alright. Now, what is it?"

"Ajax." Her voice had been reborn with a new sense of conviction. "I want to know about Ajax."

* * *

Ever since that morning by the lake, Childe could not stop recounting the conversation over and over in his head. Back in Liyue, he had determined that his problem lay in the way he communicated his thoughts; regardless of his intentions, he always managed to twist them in speech, to spout words that he didn't mean and omit the words that he did. There, on that morning, sitting with that same girl by that beautiful lake, he tried to say what he meant for a change: that he was concerned for her, that he understood her, that he wanted to help her.