Citlali clenched her fists so tightly that her nails nearly pierced her palms.
"...Such a colossal price to pay, one that could shake the very foundations of Natlan's existence... How can you Fatui possibly guarantee that all this is worth it? How can you control such immense power?"
Angie raised an eyebrow. It seemed Citlali believed her and was now weighing the possibilities.
She truly is intelligent, Angie thought. Even if Citlali wouldn't choose this plan.
"We aren't acting alone," Angie replied. "The Captain has his own methods and preparations."
"But that's not the point," Citlali countered. "The crucial question is: is this the only choice? Must we choose between 'the Pyro Archon's plan succeeding' and 'Natlan being completely consumed by flames'? Perhaps there's another way."
Citlali: "What do you mean?"
Angie: "Have you noticed the Traveler's unique nature?"
Citlali didn't answer. She had never met the legendary Traveler, only heard tales of her extraordinary strength.
Angie leaned forward, her gaze earnest. "That's why I need to find the Traveler."
"She belongs to no nation, yet her Fate is inextricably linked to Teyvat's. She has witnessed the turmoil in Mondstadt, Liyue, Inazuma, Sumeru, and Fontaine. Her wisdom, her strength, and her neutral stance might allow her to find a third path—a way out of this despairing choice between two extremes."
"At the very least, her judgment would be more reliable than the biased opinions of either of our sides."
Angie leaned forward. "Take me to meet the Traveler," she urged, "not as a Fatui agent, but as an individual who, like you, doesn't want Natlan to face any kind of end."
Citlali fell into a long silence.
On one hand, she had unwavering faith in the Pyro Archon Mavuika and an instinctive wariness toward the Fatui. On the other hand, the cost of Angie's proposed plan was staggering, and the Traveler was still a familiar stranger to her.
After what felt like an eternity, Citlali finally lifted her head, casting a complex glance at Angie before sweeping her gaze across Ailina and Vanyeliya.
"...I can't fully trust you or The Captain. I still believe Mavuika would never consider your so-called 'Plan'," Citlali said slowly. "But I can see your sincerity, and I'm willing to trust you for now."
She took a deep breath, her decision made. "Alright, I'll take you to meet the Traveler. But if I detect any ulterior motives..."
Citlali didn't finish her sentence, but the coldness in her eyes spoke volumes.
Angie smiled and nodded. "I understand. Thank you for your help."
Angie glanced at Ororon, thinking, See? She's not so hard to talk to. What were you so worried about?
"Let's go."
Citlali turned to leave. "The Traveler should be at... Oh no, I completely forgot about our scheduled meeting!"
-
Stadium of the Sacred Flame.
Lumine, Paimon, and Xilonen had been waiting here for over an hour, having already finished their drinks.
Paimon floated around restlessly, occasionally cupping her tiny hands like binoculars to scan for Citlali's arrival.
"Hmm... still no one here... Is Citlali going to stand us up?"
Xilonen sighed. "Even though we considered all the angles, she really wasn't obligated to agree."
Paimon: "That's true, but this is the Pyro Archon's request! Isn't she one of the Pyro Archon's people too?"
Xilonen: "People? That term... If you ask me, I'd say we're more like partners. Mavuika is our leader, but that doesn't mean there's an insurmountable gap between us."
"...It's just that when she makes requests, she always... well, she has very high expectations of us."
Lumine: "We've seen that firsthand."
Paimon clenched her tiny fist. "Okay, even though the Pyro Archon has a big punch, she doesn't act high and mighty. She seems pretty approachable."
At this point, Paimon's tone shifted abruptly. "But that old hag! Granny Itztli or whatever—just because she's famous doesn't mean she can ignore people, does it?"
"You all kept hyping her up as some big shot, but she can't even bother to reply to a letter? Honestly, if she wasn't coming, she could at least send a message!"
"If getting old turns you into that, I'd rather not grow up at all!"
Paimon huffed indignantly, completely oblivious to Citlali, who had materialized behind her unnoticed.
"Oh, really? Is that what you think of me?"
Hearing the voice behind her, Paimon's small face stiffened instantly, her eyes widening in shock. "Wah! Who's there?! Don't just sneak up and talk in my ear like that!"
Citlali: "Come on, I'm just a senile old hag muttering complaints in your ear. What else can an old woman do?"
Xilonen stood up. "Huh? Citlali?"
"Citlali?!" Paimon's jaw dropped. So she was Citlali? That meant... that meant she had heard everything Paimon had just said!
But wasn't Citlali supposed to be Granny Itztli?
"Ah, n-no, I'm sorry! I just assumed... I never imagined Granny Itztli would be such a beautiful young woman!" Paimon stammered.
Citlali's displeased expression immediately softened upon hearing Paimon's words, the corner of her mouth curving into a barely perceptible smile that went unnoticed by the others.
"Granny Itztli—the emphasis is on Itztli, not Granny. Besides, isn't this a common trope in novels? Young-looking old men, heroes with the appearance of youth but the experience of centuries, or mages who look like children..."
"Hey, what's with that look? Haven't you ever seen an old hag before? Don't secretly think I'm pretending to be young! See? I'm not even wearing heavy makeup." Citlali leaned closer to Lumine and Paimon, pointing to her face.
Xilonen chimed in, "Oh, did I not mention it? She's a young... uh, grandmother."
Lumine sighed, "In that regard, you're just like the Pyro Archon."
The group chatted for a while until Angie, who had been hiding nearby, could no longer contain herself and coughed loudly. Citlali finally seemed to remember her presence.
She sat down in an empty seat and cleared her throat:
"Ahem, the reason I'm late is because of that brat Ororon. Just moments ago, I used a special secret technique to locate his hiding place, rushed there, and dragged him out."
Lumine: "You dragged him out?"
Citlali: "Yes, and several Fatui agents were with him. At first, I thought Ororon was being threatened by them, but it turned out that wasn't the case."
"The Fatui don't seem to want to antagonize Natlan. You should hear the details from them directly. After confirming it was safe, I brought them here."
Xilonen exclaimed in surprise, "You brought them here?"
Citlali nodded and shouted toward a high place, "Alright, come on down. I've already explained everything to them."