Chapter 3: Beidou

"Boom——"

Bai Luo, who was lying in bed reviewing the Inazuma storyline, was suddenly startled by a violent tremor.

Judging by the rumbling sounds, it seemed that they were under attack?

But who in Teyvat would dare to assault a ship bearing the Fatui insignia?

"Instructor! Pirates are attacking! Lady Mirror Maiden has temporarily blocked the cannon fire with her water mirror. Should we retaliate?"

A nervous Fatui member with a small ponytail knocked on Bai Luo's door, anxiously asking for instructions.

The Fatui were accustomed to running rampant across the continent and had rarely encountered anyone daring enough to confront them head-on. Now, faced with such an audacious assault, they were understandably shaken.

"Retaliate!"

Grabbing the white mask hanging from his waist, Bai Luo placed it over his face. After exiting the cabin, he looked towards the massive dragon-head ship, towering over their sailboat.

"The Alcor? Beidou?"

Upon seeing the ship, Bai Luo immediately recognized its owner. In the game, he had spent plenty of time causing trouble on that very vessel.

He had been wondering who would have the guts to attack him, but if it was Beidou, he wasn't surprised. This was exactly the kind of thing she would do.

As he watched the woman wielding the Blackcliff Slasher leap into the air, Bai Luo flicked his wrist, sending a dagger flying towards her.

Skill: Shadow Strike

Throws a dagger in the targeted direction, dealing piercing normal attack damage to any targets it hits. The dagger can penetrate multiple enemies (treated as a flying projectile, it can be blocked by special abilities) and can critically hit. For the first three targets hit, it increases the user's critical rate by 10% until a critical hit is triggered, lasting for 8 seconds and stacking up to 5 times.

"Hmm?"

Seeing the Fatui ship protected by some kind of elemental skill, Beidou leaped forward with her Blackcliff Slasher, intending to use her elemental power to shatter the water mirror and sink the Fatui ship. If she could capture a few low-ranking members, she might even extract some useful information.

However, she quickly noticed a man in a windbreaker, wearing a white mask, standing on the deck. His mask was different from those of the other Fatui members. It covered his entire face, with a faint purple lightning-like symbol over his right eye that seemed to glow. Below his eyes was a red line, almost stretching across the entire mask, with the ends slightly curling up like a mocking smile.

The grin felt ominous, as if it wasn't made with paint but with human blood.

When Beidou noticed him, she focused part of her attention on him, naturally catching his movement as he raised his hand.

The moment she sensed the dagger flying towards her, piercing through the water mirror, she immediately responded.

"Clang——"

The dagger collided with the Blackcliff Slasher, sparking a brilliant display of light and electricity. Beidou was knocked back, landing on the deck of the Alcor.

"Crash——"

As she landed, the entire ship sank slightly, sending ripples across the previously calm sea.

"Such power!"

Watching the dagger spinning back into the man's hand mid-air, Beidou's eyes were filled with shock. She slowly opened her right hand, blood seeping from out from the base of her palm, and small sparks of electricity crackled in her palm. Although her Vision was Electro, this electricity didn't come from her. She had been repelled because the electric shock had paralyzed her, rendering her immobile.

Just a casual strike had such power. Who was this Fatui member?

"The person in charge over there, how about we talk?"

Beidou hoisted the Blackcliff Slasher onto her shoulder and stood at the edge of the ship, trying to communicate with the other side. If the Crux Fleet were here, she wouldn't hesitate to go after this big fish. But with only the Alcor present, and none of her top fighters with her, she couldn't risk a direct confrontation.

"Why did you attack us?"

The masked Fatui agent sheathed his dagger and responded calmly.

"Apologies, didn't realize you were friends from Snezhnaya. Thought you were some wandering ronin from Inazuma. Let me offer my apologies."

Beidou laughed heartily and gave a signal to her crew. One of them, quick on the uptake, fetched a barrel of fine liquor and brought it over.

Beidou effortlessly lifted the wooden barrel with one hand and tossed it onto the Fatui ship. The Mirror Maiden, standing nearby, waved her hand, causing a wave to rise and gently carry the barrel to the masked man's side.

"This is Mondstadt's finest dandelion wine, consider it a token of our apology."

Mondstadt's wine and Liyue's cuisine were renowned across Teyvat. In particular, Mondstadt's dandelion wine was a prized commodity, often used as a peace offering.

"Do you think a barrel of dandelion wine is enough to settle a grudge with the Fatui?"

The masked man placed a foot on the barrel, his tone flat. With the mask covering his face, it was impossible to gauge his emotions. As he spoke, the Mirror Maiden beside him made another gesture, causing the reflective surface encasing their ship to begin to ripple. Under the sunlight, the ice shards glittered, all aimed at the Alcor.

"We in the Crux Fleet have a good relationship with your Harbinger, Tartaglia. For his sake, let's call it even."

Beidou's words were nonchalant, but she subtly signaled her crew to be ready. If things took a turn for the worse, she would strike first. She was willing to negotiate mainly to gather intelligence. But if the situation escalated, she wouldn't hesitate to fight. After all, becoming the leader of the Crux Fleet wasn't just about brute strength.

"Tartaglia..."

When the masked man reacted to Tartaglia's name, showing a slight shift in his tone, Beidou let out a sigh of relief. As long as Tartaglia's name could suppress him, that was enough. Even though she barely knew Tartaglia, it didn't stop her from using his name to bluff her way through.

"But do you know who I am?"

The strangely shaped dagger twirled in the man's hand as his tone took on a playful edge.

"Do any of you recognize him?"

Beidou glanced at him again before turning to her crew. Just because they roamed the seas didn't mean they were out of touch with current events. For instance, they were well aware that the Eleventh Harbinger, Tartaglia, had recently arrived in Liyue. But this masked man... no one recognized him.

"Instructor, I am the Twelfth Harbinger of the Fatui—the Instructor."

"..."

Beidou was momentarily at a loss for words upon hearing his title. She had initially thought she was dealing with a small fry, then a big fish, but now it seemed she had hooked a shark.

The Harbingers were the Fatui's top combat force, representing the pinnacle of their power.