Childe smiled, hands in his pockets. "Whether it's you or me, we're both going in."
"True enough."
Gu Sanqiu grinned as well.
For Childe, this was obviously a strategic move for Snezhnaya's plans. Maybe he also just wanted a shot at fighting a god, indulging his personal passions.
But Gu Sanqiu's motives? Curiosity? A chance to witness an ancient era's forgotten god?
No. He wasn't all that interested in these things.
As Childe had pointed out, if a god's revival was on the horizon, it would unleash massive repercussions throughout Teyvat, even if the mighty Geo Archon himself were to intervene. If things spiraled out of control at the mortal level, someone needed to gather first-hand intelligence and send it out.
Mondstadt bordered Liyue, and the wind could easily carry its secrets across.
Everything he cared about was rooted in Liyue's soil.
His sister, Hu Tao—the friend who'd once shared a prison cell with him—the feisty Yuheng star he used to bicker with, the "grandma" adeptus who had watched over generations of kids, and friends like Xingqiu and Chongyun.
"Whatever anyone else is planning, I'm definitely exploring that place."
"Maybe there'll be no god after all. Instead, I might come back with a stack of rare materials. And between that and Mondstadt's reward, I'd come out way ahead."
Gu Sanqiu grinned. "I gave you that elixir formula, right? Have you started giving it to your vanguard? It's supposed to boost their abilities—how's that working out?"
Childe's grin turned sly. "Oh, I had Northland Bank staff handle collecting the ingredients and making the elixirs. Thought I'd let them take care of it—you know, just in case you tried to backtrack from the purchases to find our other camps."
Gu Sanqiu raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise. "Ah, caught on, did you?"
Both of them chuckled, unfazed. Personally, they got along well, but at the end of the day, their loyalties lay with different nations.
As the Incense Burner of Liyue and a Harbinger of Snezhnaya, a certain amount of back-and-forth was inevitable. And since they both happened to be skillful and shameless, it was hard for anyone else to tell.
"So, when do we move out?" Childe asked.
"No rush. They're still setting up. The plan is to head out in the dead of night."
Gu Sanqiu surveyed the room. Albedo was missing, along with the reconnaissance knight and the former top Pyro archer. Even the shunned descendant of a traitor was nowhere in sight—they were likely off preparing together.
The two-hour wait was partly to make a show for onlookers outside, but mostly to allow people to gather, rest up, and form groups.
It felt a bit like a raid pre-party, with everyone hanging around outside the instance portal, spamming chat bubbles like, "Need main tank," and "Looking for a strong Pyro mage."
"Hey, you two, could I introduce myself?"
A scrawny young man with white hair approached, holding out his right hand to Gu Sanqiu with a friendly smile.
As for why he didn't shake hands with Childe… well, the Fatui weren't exactly renowned for their great reputation.
"Oh, hello, Captain Bennett. Nice to meet you. I'm Gu Sanqiu, from Liyue."
Gu Sanqiu smiled and accepted the handshake, though he mentally noted every inch of skin contact, planning to wash off any potential bad luck with elemental energy later.
As someone with average fortune, shaking hands with this avatar of misfortune required no small measure of courage. If Bennett had any "luck transfer" passive effect, things could get messy fast.
Still, the young adventurer had reached out earnestly, so he wouldn't just brush him off.
"Nice to meet you!" Bennett beamed, giving a thumbs-up. "With all my adventuring experience, I'd say we're about to head out soon. How about teaming up for this one?"
So enthusiastic. So full of spirit.
But team up? With him?
Gu Sanqiu felt a cold sweat break out.
I signed up for an adventure-level instance, but with you here, we're looking at nightmare-level difficulty at least. And even if we do make it, the loot will probably be cabbage—half-rotten at that.
"Oh? This guy seems pretty strong."
Childe noted with interest. "But we might be headed for the most dangerous areas. You sure you're up for that?"
"The most dangerous area?" Bennett hesitated, his face conflicted. "I'm not sure you know this, but my luck's pretty bad. If I went there with you, it'd probably turn into… 'extremely dangerous.'"
He scratched his head. "I mean, last time I was on a simple C-rank mission, and out of nowhere, two Mitachurls appeared, and I nearly failed it."
"Another time, I was supposed to investigate the Ruin Guard situation near Thousand Winds Temple, and a whole swarm of Anemo Slimes landed right next to me, giving away my position! I barely escaped that time, too. Used up all my bandages."
"And then there was…"
Bennett, thrilled to find someone listening, launched into a series of his misadventures. Partly to share, partly in hopes they'd abandon the idea of bringing him along.
Σ(⊙▽⊙")
"Hey, how are you still alive? Even our Fatui soldiers don't have your survival skills."
Childe's stunned expression was priceless.
If every Fatui recruit had to survive Bennett's level of disaster without dying, Snezhnaya would likely dominate Teyvat without the need for diplomacy or excuses.
"Haha, I guess I'm just lucky too!" Bennett said brightly. "I've got caring dads, and Katheryne from the Adventurers' Guild looks out for me. Even Sister Barbara from the Church heals me up when I get hurt."
"And then there's Head of Guild Cyrus and all my friends in the Guild—they've all got my back, even though I've been such a hassle."
Bennett smiled, radiating warmth like a tiny, optimistic sun.
"So, I guess I'm unlucky, but also really lucky at the same time."
Gu Sanqiu chuckled and clapped him on the shoulder.
"Great attitude. If you find yourself in a tight spot, just follow the trail and find us. We'll lend a hand."
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Thanks for reading! Let me know if you spot any mistakes or inconsistencies!
Posture and water check!
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