The feast in Qingce Village was a warm, joyous affair, filled with laughter, music, and the delicious aroma of local cooking. Ren was celebrated and fussed over, a small hero amidst a sea of grateful villagers. Eventually, the excitement of the long day caught up to him, and he retired to the quiet guesthouse the elder had prepared for their delegation.
While Lingshan prepared his bed, Ren sat by the window, the soft light of a lantern illuminating the adeptal sigil in his hand. He poured a small bit of his energy into it, and the familiar, calm voice of his Master filled the quiet room.
"Ren. Have you reached Qingce? Report."
Ren recounted the day's events, his voice a little tired but still buzzing with a residual excitement. He told her about the attack, the battle, and the overwhelming, heartwarming welcome they had received. He explained how he had used his Cryo abilities, focusing on the defensive and non-lethal aspects, just as Ganyu had taught him.
There was a long pause on the other end of the line. When Xianyun finally spoke, her voice was a complex mixture of profound relief and stern, scholarly concern. "You placed yourself in significant danger. However, your application of your abilities was… logical. You prioritized the protection of innocents and the neutralization of threats without resorting to excessive force. Your control is commendable." She paused again. "This one is… relieved that you are unharmed. And proud."
The rare, direct praise from his Master was a warm balm. They spoke for a little longer, and then, with a promise to call again soon, the sigil's light faded.
Ren, however, felt too restless for sleep. The events of the day, the battle, the celebration, the talk with his Master—it all swirled in his mind. He quietly slipped out of the guesthouse, needing a moment of quiet to himself.
He found a small, flat cliff edge just past the last of the village houses, a perfect spot that overlooked the moonlit, terraced fields. The night sky above was a breathtaking tapestry of brilliant, diamond-like stars, a sight the ambient glow of Liyue Harbor always obscured. He stood there, breathing in the cool, clean mountain air, feeling a sense of profound peace.
"It's a beautiful view, isn't it?"
The voice, light, melodic, and with a strange, almost musical, mechanical undertone, came from beside him. Ren startled, his heart leaping into his throat. He hadn't heard anyone approach.
A woman was now standing a few feet away, her form bathed in the soft glow of the moonlight. She was elegant and beautifully dressed in a dark, ornate gown, her hair a pale, silvery-blonde. Her eyes were looking directly at him, her lips curved into a pleasant, almost cheerful smile. Her most striking feature, however, was the large, almost life-sized automaton that stood silently, obediently, just behind her.
Ren recognized her instantly, and a chill far colder than his own Cryo power washed over him. He had seen her in the game's official art, in the lore books. This was Sandrone, "The Marionette," the Seventh of the Fatui Harbingers.
The automaton behind her was a marvel of engineering, a modified Ruin Guard of immense size, adorned with a strange, coat-like covering and intricate Snezhnayan machinery. It was not the mindless machine he had fought in the game; its single, glowing eye was fixed on him with an unnerving, intelligent focus.
"I saw your little scuffle on the road earlier," Sandrone continued, her tone conversational, as if they were old friends chatting about the weather. "And I stayed to listen to your presentation in the village square. I must say, I was utterly fascinated. Both by your… unique combat style, and by the principles behind your little heating device."
Ren's mind raced. A Harbinger was here. She had seen everything. His every instinct screamed at him to run, to use the sigil, to call for Keqing. But he knew, with a dreadful certainty, that against a foe of this caliber, none of that would be fast enough. He was completely, terrifyingly outmatched. So he did the only thing he could. He remained calm.
"Thank you," he said, his voice surprisingly steady. "I'm glad you found it interesting."
Sandrone let out a light, tinkling laugh. "Interesting? My dear child, it's revolutionary. A self-contained, regulated energy system that doesn't rely on a Vision. The applications in my own field of research are… staggering." Her smile widened, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Tell me, this 'electrical resistance' in your heating coil. How did you calibrate the alloy to achieve the optimal balance between heat generation and material integrity?"
She wasn't threatening him. She was… talking shop. She was an engineer speaking to a fellow engineer. It was the most bizarre, disarming, and terrifying conversation of his life.
He found himself answering her questions, explaining the basic principles in the same simple terms he had used for the miners. He spoke of conductors and insulators, of energy conversion. He didn't give away the secrets of his design, but he discussed the theory, one inventor to another. She listened with an intense, focused curiosity, her head tilted, occasionally interrupting with a surprisingly insightful question about energy transference or thermal dynamics.
"Astonishing," she said when he had finished. "Absolutely astonishing. The minds in the Akademiya could squabble for a decade and not produce a theory as elegant and practical as what you've created."
She then sighed, a sound of genuine, wistful appreciation. "I truly have enjoyed this conversation, little Ren. Far more than my usual dealings with Liyue's tedious merchants and stiff-necked politicians." She reached into a fold of her dress and produced a small, intricate device. It was a metal disk, adorned with the Fatui insignia and glowing with a faint, crimson light.
"I have a feeling we'll have much more to discuss in the future," she said, holding it out to him. "This is a long-range communication device. A direct line to me. Should you ever have a new idea you wish to discuss with a… like-minded individual, I do hope you'll use it."
Ren looked at the Fatui device, his mind screaming at him not to take it. But he knew that refusing a "gift" from a Harbinger was not an option. He took it, its metal cool and unnervingly smooth in his hand.
"Thank you," he murmured, his throat dry.
"You're most welcome," Sandrone said cheerfully. She turned to leave, her massive automaton moving in perfect, silent sync with her. She paused for a moment, her back to him.
"Oh, and one more little thing," she said, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, a final, parting gift of information. "I am sure, you have already recognized my identity. So, I shall part with a bit of business news you might find interesting. My colleague, La Signora, is scheduled to make a diplomatic visit to Mondstadt. I believe her arrival is set for one month from now."
And with that, she and her automaton melted into the moon-drenched shadows of the forest, leaving Ren standing alone on the cliff edge, his heart pounding, the cold Fatui communicator in one hand and a piece of information that chilled him to the bone in the other.
She knew he had recognized her.
More importantly, La Signora. Mondstadt. One month.
He stared up at the beautiful, indifferent stars, and a single, dreadful thought echoed in his mind.
The canon was about to begin.