“Now that Lady Arlecchino has obtained what you wanted…”
Luo Qing took a sip of hot tea and spoke calmly, “As an exchange, shouldn’t Lady Arlecchino also share some intelligence with me?”
“What do you want to know?”
Arlecchino lifted her head, lightly swinging her foot as she replied indifferently,
“If you’re here to ask about the whereabouts of the Gnosis, all I can say is that we haven’t located it yet. When we do, you’ll be informed.”
“No, no.”
Luo Qing shook his head with a smile.
“I’ve made a deal with a certain fool—if I resolve Fontaine’s prophecy, she’ll personally help me obtain the Gnosis. So…”
“Rather than the Gnosis, I’m more interested in the prophecy and how to break it.”
“…”
Arlecchino fell silent for a moment.
It was clear that the “fool” Luo Qing referred to was none other than the current Hydro Archon, Furina.
But the problem was that Furina herself seemed completely clueless about the Gnosis’s whereabouts.
Making a deal with her… has Luo Qing lost his mind?
“Regarding that, we haven’t gathered much information yet…”
Arlecchino took a sip of tea and spoke evenly,
“All we know is that it’s an ancient power—older than Fontaine’s history, even older than the previous Hydro Archon’s era.”
“With Fontaine’s current strength, there’s no way to resist it.”
“An ancient power…”
Luo Qing suddenly recalled the Seven Sovereigns of the Dragon Kings, who existed before the Seven Archons.
“So even the Hydro Archon can’t stand against it?”
“…”
Arlecchino didn’t respond.
But her expression suggested that his assumption wasn’t far from the truth.
“No need to worry.”
Luo Qing’s sudden burst of laughter broke the room’s tense silence.
“My Lady, don’t you still have me? As long as we work together, even ancient powers are nothing to fear. Even the Water Dragon King would be powerless!”
“…”
Arlecchino eyed Luo Qing from head to toe.
How could someone dream so boldly after sunset?
While Luo Qing’s mental control abilities were impressive, his combat strength was, at best, middling among the Harbingers. Trusting him over the Tsaritsa herself? Not a chance.
“Don’t get the wrong idea…”
Arlecchino glanced at the Pure Ice Pendant hanging from Luo Qing’s neck, her tone frosty.
“This is merely an exchange of information. I have no intention of cooperating with you. If, one day, you stand in the way of my obtaining the Gnosis, I’ll treat you as an enemy all the same.”
“Uh, well…”
Luo Qing felt a twinge of awkwardness.
He had thought that Arlecchino’s letter was meant as a gesture of goodwill toward him.
Apparently, he had been overthinking things.
Tch, offering a warm face only to meet a cold shoulder from Arlecchino.
“Alright, then. Since that’s the case, I won’t say anything more.”
Luo Qing smiled faintly, stood up, and walked toward the door. Just before stepping out, he turned back to look at Arlecchino.
“But let’s not be so absolute. Who knows? We might end up working together after all.”
Without waiting for her response, Luo Qing left the Beaufort Mansion.
Another failed alliance.
Luo Qing wasn’t too bothered, though. He had obtained the information he needed.
So the so-called prophecy was essentially a calamity brought on by ancient power.
And Arlecchino sought the Gnosis to confront that ancient force.
As for what the Tsaritsa had promised Arlecchino in return, Luo Qing didn’t know.
After all, Her Majesty seemed to still be angry with him. No matter how much he called out to her through the Pure Ice Pendant, she refused to respond.
Silent, aloof, maintaining an air of mystery.
She wouldn’t even acknowledge him with a meow.
—
That night, Luo Qing returned to his home.
The moment he pushed the door open, he saw Furina sitting on the sofa. The tea table before her was piled high with documents, almost forming a small mountain.
Theresa stood to one side, arms akimbo, her little face puffed up with indignation.
“My Lord, you’re finally back!”
Upon seeing Luo Qing, Theresa’s face lit up with joy. She ran over and wrapped her arms around his waist, pointing angrily at Furina.
“This woman says she’s waiting for you! She’s been hogging the house and refusing to leave!”
“…”
Luo Qing glanced down at Theresa in his arms.
Her eyes seemed to plead, ‘Lord Luo Qing, please teach this vixen a lesson. She’s bullying me!’
At this moment, Furina paused her work.
She stood, placing her hands on her hips, and declared with an air of authority,
“Hmph! I am the sovereign of all Fontaine! Everything in Fontaine belongs to me, and coming here is your privilege!”
“And you, Luo Qing—get over here and help me investigate Lyney’s background!”
“If you want to flaunt your authority, do it yourself.”
Luo Qing ruffled Theresa’s hair and replied calmly,
“I’m not the one dueling the Traveler.”
“You—!”
Furina stomped her foot in frustration, grumbling,
“This concerns my reputation as the Archon of Justice! I can’t lose to an outsider like the Traveler!”
“But Lyney isn’t the culprit.”
Luo Qing casually pulled Theresa’s hand out from where she’d sneaked it under his shirt, speaking nonchalantly.
“A guaranteed loss. Why waste my time helping you?”
“How do you even know he’s not the culprit?!”
“Just a guess.”
“…”
Furina was speechless for a moment.
“Hmph! The true culprit must be him!”
Furina placed her hands on her hips, huffing,
“I know you all think no one would make so many obvious mistakes in a murder, practically exposing themselves, and that there must be some hidden truth behind it…”
“But I refuse to see it that way! Lyney must be doing it on purpose, exposing himself deliberately to gain the Traveler’s sympathy and clear his name.”
“It seems like I’m on the first level, and you’re on the second, but in reality…”
“I’m the one on the third level!”
“…”
Such solid logic.
Luo Qing didn’t even know where to begin pointing out the flaws.
“Is it possible…”
Luo Qing leaned forward, speaking softly,
“That you think you’re on the third level, but you’re actually on the negative first?”
“…”
[Frustration +1 from Furina]
“How dare you suggest that! I don’t like it—take it back!”
Furina puffed her cheeks in indignation. She grabbed the mountain of documents from the table and stormed toward the door.
“Hmph! I was even going to give you the chance to work with a deity! Goodbye… ouch!”
She had barely taken a few steps when she tripped over herself, falling flat in front of Luo Qing and Theresa.
The documents scattered everywhere.
Furina sat on the floor, clutching her ankle, tears welling in her eyes.
“…”
The two standing before her remained silent.
After a few moments, Theresa tugged on Luo Qing’s sleeve, her voice soft with hesitation.
“My Lord, she looks so pitiful. Maybe we should help her…”
“…”
—
T/N: FURINA IS SO CUTEEE
This is a fan translation of 原神：这个见习执行官太屑了 by 何一乐. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!
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