Chapter 141: Traveler: So Many Primogems!

"Well, very well, I understand."

Furina nodded with elegance, then smiled like a cybernetic foster mother. "You completed this mission quite well, bringing me extremely valuable information. Let us reward you with sixteen hundred Primogems."

The Traveler froze on the spot, a brilliant light instantly erupting in her eyes. The next second, she bowed a full ninety degrees and spoke with the utmost sincerity, "Thank you immensely for your support, Lady Furina!"

"Hmm."

Furina was slightly taken aback. Primogems were not particularly precious commodities in the world of Teyvat; sometimes even children playing in the streets had quite a few, the Adventurers' Guild handed sixty Primogems to players daily, and Liben was even willing to trade worthless junk for them.

And yet she, the Hydro Archon of Fontaine, Furina—a secretly wealthy woman—possessed slightly more Primogems than average, which was only natural. It was simply that she rarely used such resources as rewards, given that everyone generally viewed them as rather commonplace.

*I never expected the Traveler to react so intensely. Is this the difference between an Outlander and an ordinary person?*

Furina felt a momentary surprise, but quickly composed her demeanor and continued, "I hope you will continue investigating the Dottore's criminal evidence and, at the opportune moment, force him before the Tribunal of Fontaine. I shall personally try his sins, and you shall be my executioner."

"Ah? Me, fight the Dottore? For real?"

The Traveler felt a pang of trepidation. She was not particularly eager to cross paths with the Dottore; although he was currently cursed, he was, after all, the Second of the Fatui Harbingers, representing a vast gulf in power and magnitude compared to her.

"Sixteen hundred Primogems," Furina said casually.

"..."

The Traveler paused for a split second, her entire mindset undergoing a qualitative transformation in an instant. She lifted her head with absolute confidence, pride, and solemnity, replying, "The Dottore is nothing more than a beast with its head stuck on a pole! Should he dare step into the arena, I shall send him packing in utter defeat!"

"...Very well."

Furina experienced another brief wave of astonishment. She had not anticipated that Primogems would prove so effective on the Traveler.

They were clearly just useless little stones, yet the Traveler liked them this much, and was even willing to fight the Dottore for them. It seemed she could make good use of this in the future; whenever the Traveler showed reluctance to accept a mission, she could simply suppress her with a threat of sixteen hundred Primogems.

Heh heh, what an easily manipulated creature!

"Traveler, are you really going to fight the Dottore?" Paimon asked, her brows furrowed in worry.

"Mhm."

"But, but the Dottore is the Second of the Fatui Harbingers! He's far too dangerous. Shouldn't we just abandon the mission?" Paimon said anxiously.

"Huh? I feel your perspective might be slightly misguided."

The Traveler halted her steps, gazing intently at Paimon as she said, "You know what? We are engaged in a very important and magnificent endeavor. Our goal is to save Fontaine from the threat of the Dottore; this is something we must do, something only we can accomplish."

"At a crucial moment like this, how can you suddenly get cold feet? Remember, that concerns the safety of an entire nation's populace! As travelers, we have a complete obligation to protect them, no matter how dangerous the process may be. We must extend a helping hand—that is the very meaning of travel."

"Uh... is that so?" Paimon replied, looking somewhat hesitant.

She felt that the Traveler's eyes were shining brightly, shaped suspiciously like two glittering crystals—resembling two twinkling Primogems indeed. Out of sheer self-preservation, however, Paimon kept this thought to herself. She could sense that if she dared voice it, today's little snacks might vanish entirely.

Delicious food had a way of teaching Paimon how to think.

"Next, let us head to the House of the Hearth," the Traveler declared.

"The House of the Hearth? Why? Isn't our goal supposed to be investigating the Dottore's criminal evidence?" Paimon asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"Paimon, we are travelers, not tools meant merely for completing commissions. Therefore, we must have our own ideas while undertaking tasks," the Traveler sighed helplessly.

"Your own ideas? Why would we? Isn't that individual known as the Knave extremely dangerous? Why seek her out?"

Paimon still failed to understand.

"The Father of the House of the Hearth, the Knave herself, does not enjoy a good relationship with the Dottore. Furthermore, during our exchanges with the Knave, she made no mention of the news regarding the Dottore being cursed. This indicates that the Dottore deliberately concealed it."

The Traveler's smile grew increasingly rich. She akimboed her hands, laughing proudly as she asked, "Now, take a guess: why would the Dottore hide his condition from the House of the Hearth? The reason is simple—the House of the Hearth is not a safe place for him. If the unexpected state of his body were to be discovered, he might well become the target of a manhunt initiated by the Knave and the House of the Hearth."

"Aren't they both Fatui Harbingers?"

"It is different. Tartaglia was plotted against by the Fair Lady, and the Wanderer curses the Dottore. The relationships among the Fatui Harbingers are not nearly as harmonious as you imagine. Therefore, is it not possible that simply by reporting this news to the Knave, she might launch a hunt for the Dottore, thereby reducing our own burden?" the Traveler asked with a smile.

"There are so many intricate details to this? I didn't think of any of it at all! You truly live up to the name of the Traveler, effortlessly hitting upon things beyond my imagination!" Paimon praised from the bottom of her heart. At the same time, however, a shred of doubt lingered in her mind—who on earth was the Wanderer?

Never mind, Paimon did not need to think about such matters.

"Naturally! After all, the reward for the mission is... well, it might just save Fontaine! For the prosperity of all Fontaine, for world peace, what is wrong with me pondering a few extra details? After all, I am the Outlander destined to orchestrate all things!" the Traveler asserted with confidence.

With those words spoken, the two embarked on their new journey.

***

At the House of the Hearth, escorted by Lynette, the Traveler quickly secured an audience with the Knave. When she stepped into the chamber, the Knave was standing by the windowsill, gazing out at the scenery outside, her eyes tinged with a faint, complex emotion.

"If you have something to say, speak directly. After all, both of our time is precious right now," the Knave stated plainly.

"Shall we not sit down to talk?" the Traveler asked with slight confusion.

"No. I wish to watch the scenery outside. Perhaps Fontaine will soon welcome a time of great transformation; gazing upon the present Fontaine a little longer is not a bad thing," the Knave replied decisively.

"A transformation in Fontaine?"

The Traveler murmured to herself. She could indeed sense that atmosphere—the atmosphere of Fontaine's people collectively seeking a way to save their future and resist the prophecy. This ambiance revealed to her the power of the people, reminiscent of a human-ruled Liyue.

After a brief meditation, the Traveler spoke simply and directly: "The Dottore is currently cursed. The one who cursed him is the Sovereign of Dragons, Nidhogg."

"...Is that so?"

The Knave gave a brief reply, while a myriad of thoughts instantly churned within her mind, calculating countless possibilities.

"Indeed. I witnessed Nidhogg's spiritual body within the Dottore's old testing grounds. His power and capabilities are beyond doubt, and he told me that the Dottore has fallen victim to his curse," the Traveler continued.

"Nidhogg?"

The Knave murmured, then remarked casually, "I possess some understanding of Nidhogg, though not a great deal. I never expected him to appear in such a place... What else did he say to you?"

*She has knowledge of him as well?*

The Traveler thought to herself, beginning to sense the deepening complexity of the situation. Perhaps it was because she had only just arrived in the nation of Fontaine that her pool of information was the smallest among all the factions.

Yet this was unavoidable. She was a traveler, not an omniscient deity; she could only piece together various truths bit by bit along her journey.

"He said he wished for me to act as the executioner and personally execute the Dottore," the Traveler replied.

"Oh?"

The Knave's gaze flashed brilliantly, and the oppressive aura radiating from her surged intensely for a fleeting moment. She then said coldly, "Mind your words, Traveler. I am the Fourth of the Fatui Harbingers, Arlecchino the Knave. Uttering such statements in my presence borders on being... improper."

*Such a suffocating oppressive aura...*

Feeling the heavy pressure emanating from the Knave, the Traveler's heart fluttered with unease. If the Fourth Harbinger possessed such strength, it was hard to imagine just how formidable the Second, the Dottore, truly was.

She could not even help doubting whether she genuinely possessed the capability to execute the Dottore...

Wait, perhaps the Knave's pressure was not meant to intimidate her, but rather served as a disguised way of illustrating the Dottore's true might, thereby testing her grit. After all, the target she was meant to fight was merely a cursed Second Harbinger, not one at the peak of his power.

When she battled the Wanderer, he had already ascended to become the Shouki no Kami. The Lesser Lord Kusanagli had told her that he was a bonafide god at the time, which meant she actually possessed the potential to defeat divine opponents.

She had now mastered five elements, making her stronger than she had been back then. Given the right opportunity, she might genuinely be able to slay the Dottore.

With this realization, the Traveler's gaze grew resolute. Meeting the Knave's eyes, she declared, "I am merely stating an objective fact. There is no question of propriety; it is your own perspective that is overly prejudiced."

"Silver-tongued."

The Knave dismissed her coercion and stated, "Leave. The House of the Hearth does not welcome you. For this period, you would do well to minimize your contact with us."

"Understood."

The Traveler turned and departed, accompanied by Paimon.

"So, does this mean we failed?"

Once outside the House of the Hearth, Paimon glanced back with lingering fear before turning a frowning, anxious look toward the Traveler.

"We succeeded."

The Traveler replied with a smile.

"Ah? Why? Didn't the Knave chase us out? Why do you say we succeeded?"

Paimon grew even more bewildered.

"The Knave driving us away, and telling us to keep our distance from the House of the Hearth's people, is actually an act of dissociation. It ensures our connection appears tenuous, allowing her to take action in the shadows."

The Traveler stopped, glanced around to confirm the absence of onlookers, and continued, "Paimon, you are still too naive. If we frequented the House of the Hearth every day, and right after that the Dottore suffered an unprovoked attack by unknown assailants, how do you think the Knave would look? Would that be wise?"

"So you mean the Knave didn't reject us at all, but rather intends to strike in the near future? Is that it?" Paimon asked in astonishment.

"Precisely, exactly that."

"But didn't she exert pressure on us earlier? She was so serious—how could that be agreement? I felt like she was genuinely about to attack us back there."

"That was also an act. She merely used her pressure to let us comprehend the Dottore's true strength, thereby preventing us from making poor choices. Otherwise, do you really think someone as intelligent as her would brush us off with such a simple excuse?"

"Well..."

Paimon pondered for a moment, then let out a deep sigh. "Traveler, why have you suddenly become so smart? Are you really still the original Traveler? It feels like you've been replaced by an entirely different person."

"Of course! After... after all, I was always someone skilled at contemplation and deduction!" The Traveler nearly blurted out the actual truth. Naturally, depending on the price offered, her attitude would shift accordingly.

"Is that really the case?" Paimon expressed skepticism.

"Of course, of course! Look over there—another decent-looking dessert shop. Shall we go buy some treats?" The Traveler deftly changed the subject.

"Yay! Let's buy lots! We can save some delicious snacks for our future explorations; otherwise, without tasty pastries at night, Paimon will be very sad," Paimon chirped happily.

"Alright, alright."

The Traveler let out a quiet sigh of relief. Little Paimon remained remarkably easy to fool.

***

"Fufu, the matter of Norton and Constantine has finally come to a close. What a lovely ending," Lu Mingfei muttered as he sprawled lazily across the bed, completely relaxed.

"Is that so? I have some good news and some bad news here. Which would you like to hear first?" Furina asked with a smile as she sat in her office.

"Bad news? What happened?"

Lu Mingfei sat straight up, his expression turning serious. He suspected either the Knave and Lynette had been acting up again, or perhaps it was time to deploy the Nightmare Tapir to dispatch them a few times just to be safe.

"The Dottore has arrived in Fontaine."

"The Second of the Fatui Harbingers, the Dottore?"

Lu Mingfei's nerves tightened instantly, a sense of insecurity washing over him regarding Furina's safety. He immediately proposed, "Shall we drag him into the Nightmare Tapir for a little chat first? Leaving him out in the open is rather dangerous after all, and killing him off a few times along the way would be ideal."

"Oh, no need to worry. The Dottore seems to have fallen victim to Nidhogg's curse now. The Traveler told me about it—she ran into Nidhogg's spiritual body in the Dottore's old testing grounds, and then..." Furina briefly outlined the sequence of events.

"Ah, I see. That's a relief then."

Lu Mingfei relaxed slightly, feeling a comforting reassurance settle in his chest before he suggested, "Since the Dottore is cursed by Nidhogg anyway, why bother investigating any criminal evidence? I might as well just pull him into the Nightmare Tapir, finish him off, and pin the blame on Nidhogg. Doesn't that sound utterly flawless?"

"Ah? That wouldn't do."

"What's wrong with it?"

"I've already yielded the Dottore's head to the Traveler. After all, she needs a Harbinger to pad her combat record, and this outcome benefits us all. Am I right?" Furina said with a smile.

"Hmm, fair enough. But if anything goes wrong, be sure to call me—and make sure you stay safe!"

"Got it~ Got it~"