Author Notes: Surprise! Early Chapter!
/ --- /
Ren
"Careful with the incense crates!" Ren called out, watching two hired workers move a stack of boxes toward the shelves. "Priority goes on the left, remember?"
"Got it, boss!"
He nodded and turned to check on the next delivery coming through. Three days ago these same workers had been fumbling through basic sorting. Now they moved with something close to actual confidence.
'Got to hand it to Xiaosi and Daquan, they're great motivators.'
A merchant representative watched the preparations commence without a single word, which is a compliment in itself considering their usual behaviour.
After he secured the Northland Bank as a sponsor, the heads started to become much more cooperative with the Shadow Courier. That was well and all, but Ren couldn't help but think of the details behind the deal again.
He really, really wanted to refuse, but he was pretty sure he was set up to agree no matter what.
Not only did they have a literal Harbinger come to "talk" with him, the contract really emphasised the positive effects their collaboration would have for the Shadow Courier.
But that also acted as a warning. If the Shadow Courier were to reject them, the Northland Bank—and thus the Fatui—could very well make his operation a living hell.
The Harbinger themselves only made his situation much more confusing. 'Seriously, that Childe guy was giving me mixed signals all over. He was super hard to read.'
What kind of representative says they want to fight the person they're sponsoring?
'Now that I think of it, there's no way Childe was being serious. He probably said it to throw me off… Which sadly worked.'
He really hated being on the low-end of businesses.
Shaking his head, Ren forced himself to focus on the present again. After he signed the contract, there had been extra hired helpers around, which Ren assumed was part of the Northland Bank so as to not make the Fatui presence obvious.
"Boss, where's the Feiyun Commerce shipment supposed to go?" one of the workers called.
"On column two, it should be labeled."
"Found it!"
He rolled his shoulders and looked out over the staging area. Crates moving where they needed to go. This was, against every anxious expectation he'd had walking into the Jade Chamber a while ago, genuinely working.
'Hope this lives up to Ningguang's expectations.' He looked up at the sky, 'And hopefully, to your expectations, Lord Rex Lapis.'
He was about to check on the next section when Hengyi suddenly came running towards him at a pace that immediately told him something had gone wrong.
'Oh no.'
"Master!" Hengyi said, out of breath. "We have a situation."
Ren felt his good mood immediately go away and dropped the documents he was holding in his Shadow storage. "Give it to me straight."
"One of the merchant shipments was intercepted on the way here." Hengyi flipped open his notebook. "The ones that were intercepted carried Silk and dye materials meant for the ceremonial garments."
"Intercepted?! By who?" The news immediately made him alarmed, and he moved Hengyi to a quieter area to discuss details.
"The Millelith report said a group of Treasure Hoarders was waiting to ambush the merchant's carts carrying Rite supplies. The escort reported four, possibly five carts that were taken." Hengyi hesitated. "The report only just reached me."
"How long ago did this actually happen?"
"About twenty minutes ago, according to the escort."
"Twenty minutes ago." Ren rubbed the bridge of his nose. "And it's only reaching me now?"
"The escort had to make it back to file the report before anyone could relay it forward."
"Of course they did." He groaned into his hand. "Why is it always the slowest possible chain of communication?"
"I apologize, Master. I came to you the moment I heard."
"Don't worry, it's not your fault." Ren waved a hand. He looked at the notebook again. "So what was taken was only silk and dye?"
"Correct. In normal cases, I would advise simply ordering more as this issue is resolved, but we don't have that luxury." Hengyi gave him a grave look. "If this isn't resolved cleanly, it doesn't just cost the merchant. It reflects on us, even if we weren't at fault."
'Great. Exactly what I needed today.'
Ren looked back at the staging area. Everything was going smoothly so far, and there wasn't anything critical that needed his attention. He could afford to step away for a bit.
"Do you know where this happened?"
"Southern route, near the old quarry path. About a half hour out on foot. Faster with—" Hengyi moved his arms like wings, hinting at Ren to use Nue.
"Right." Ren was already thinking through the logistics. "How many hoarders again?"
"Four to five. The escort wasn't entirely certain in the moment."
"Any of the escort hurt?"
"Bruised, mostly. Nothing serious. They said the group didn't seem particularly organized."
Four or five disorganized Treasure Hoarders wasn't a threat at all. What he needed to focus on was getting the goods back and the situation resolved before word spread any further than it already had.
"I'll handle it myself," he said. "Keep things running here."
"Do you need anyone to accompany you?"
"Nah." Ren stretched his arms above his head. "This shouldn't take long."
"Understood, Master." Hengyi hesitated for a moment. "For what it's worth, the operation has been running well. This is the first real disruption we've had."
"I know." Ren managed a small, tired smile. "Which is exactly why I want it handled fast, before it becomes the story people remember instead of everything that's gone right."
'At least I get to stretch my legs.'
/ — /
Nue dropped down in a small clearing off the quarry path, and Ren slid off her back before she'd fully settled.
"Thanks, buddy." He dismissed her into the shadows and headed out to find any traces of the Treasure Hoarders.
Given how Hengyi described them, they seemed to be amateurs, so tracking them down shouldn't be too hard.
'An attack should at least leave the stolen carts damaged.' He arrived at the attack location and spotted a stray wheel track heading into the forest. 'Yup, found it.'
As he followed the trail, more and more signs of human activity showed themselves. The group had left an obvious path of broken branches and pieces of wood that gave away their location.
Not long after, he heard sounds of talking and quieted his footsteps. He spotted them all gathered in a small clearing with the stolen carts on the sides.
'Looks like they're talking about something.'
"—we could get at least two thousand Mora for each roll of silk alone—"
"You sure? I think I heard they're worth way more—"
Ren decided he'd seen enough and channeled Cursed Energy into his arm. 'Extension Technique: Orochi—'
"I'm so glad… We needed a haul like this," one of them said, quieter than the others. A woman, younger than he'd expected. "With winter coming, I thought I wouldn't be able to get the kids presents."
"I know, I know." Another one, a young man, smiled. "The cut from this alone should let me pay months of my mom's medical bills."
Ren stopped just before he summoned any Geo constructs. 'Dammit, why does my conscience always get the better of me?'
There's no way he could just beat them up after hearing all that. Although there was also no way to truly confirm whether or not they had committed heinous crimes, his gut was telling him that they were just people without options.
Just like his current employees—except Shenhe.
'I can't believe I'm gonna do this again.'
He stepped out of the bushes.
"Nice haul you got there."
Five heads turned at once.
"Who the hell—!"
"Shit, it's a Millelith—!"
"He's not wearing Millelith armor, idiot—!"
Ren held up both hands. "I'm not here to make this complicated. Give back the carts and I can help you get out of this situation."
A bigger guy with a knife didn't seem interested in backing down. "Back off."
"That's not really an option."
The man lunged.
Ren caught his wrist before the knife got anywhere close, smacked the weapon away, and had him face-down on the ground in about a second and a half.
'I'm getting deja vu.'
"Anyone else want to go?"
Two more came at him from different directions, wielding daggers. He handled the first by catching their knife with his reinforced hand and using a geo construct to bind their legs.
The second one he just sidestepped and tripped the man, making his momentum carry him into the dirt.
The remaining two didn't move.
"Smart," Ren said.
He walked over to the carts and did a quick inventory. Everything appeared to still be there, nothing damaged beyond a little dirt.
'At least they didn't try to sell it off immediately.'
He turned back to the group. None of them even tried to run away, probably because they saw the sheer gap in strength between them.
"Here's what's going to happen," Ren said, pointing to all of them. "You're all coming back to the harbor with me. I want to actually talk before I decide what to do about this."
"You're turning us in?" the woman asked, resigning herself to her fate.
"I said talk, not turn you in." He sighed. "I'll do a quick background check on all of you. Be honest and work with me, and I will give you all a job working under me."
"Huh?" All five of them said simultaneously.
Their baffled expressions made Ren chuckle. "Almost all my employees are former Treasure Hoarders, so you'd fit right in. As long as none of you have done any heinous crimes, and if you're willing to prove yourselves, I'll take you all in."
They all turned to each other, trying to figure out if he was being truthful or not.
He was about to say more when a voice cut through the clearing.
"Well, this is a sight."
'What the–?!'
Leaning against a tree at the clearing's edge was Childe, looking too pleased with himself for some reason.
"How long have you been standing there?"
"Long enough." Childe pushed off the tree and walked closer, glancing at the subdued Hoarders with mild interest before returning his attention to Ren. "Efficient work. Restrained, too. I expected more of a mess given your file."
'Great. That's my reputation with the Fatui.'
"What are you doing here?"
"I… have another proposal for you." Childe's smile widened slightly. "But first, what were you planning to do with them?"
Ren glanced at the group. He'd like to have a real conversation with them before actually considering hiring them. But with Childe's appearance, it seemed like he wouldn't get the chance.
"Change of plans, you're all going to bring the carts back to Yujing Terrace alone," he said to the group. He reached into his shadow storage and pulled out five Shadow Bands, handing one to each of them. "These'll help you get there faster and serve as identification for the Millelith."
They each wore their bands slowly, as if expecting it to be a trick.
It might be a little irresponsible to give random Treasure Hoarders Shadow Bands, but it wasn't like they could actually hurt anyone with it. And the trail of Cursed Energy would lead him straight to them if they ran away
"Ask for Ganyu and tell her that Ren sent you, that I said she'd sort out work for you. Temporary labor that will be paid properly. You return what you stole, you work off whatever's left, and we're square."
'Sorry, Ganyu, I'll make up for the extra work you have to do.' He winced in his head. He was confident that Ganyu would do the necessary checks to see if the Treasure Hoarders had a good enough record to work. He trusted the secretary.
"...Why?" the older man asked.
"Because I want to." Ren looked at him flatly. "Sort of. Don't make me regret this."
He gestured toward the harbor direction. They went, slowly at first, then faster once it became clear he wasn't changing his mind.
Once they were far enough, he turned back to Childe.
"Alright." He crossed his arms. "What's this proposal?"
/ — /
"So what's this new proposal?" Ren said, still watching the direction the Hoarders had gone. "Considering you went all the way to stalk me into the woods, I doubt it's anything related to the Rite."
"I already told you, didn't I?" Suddenly, a wave of Hydro energy exploded from Childe's person, and two water blades formed in his arms. "I want to spar with you."
Instinctively, Ren took a step back. "You were actually serious about that?!"
The harbinger just nodded happily.
"Spar. Fight. Whatever term makes it sound less alarming to you." Childe crossed his arms. "Not to the death, obviously. I have use for you alive."
'Is that supposed to be reassuring?'
"Why?"
"Curiosity, partly." He shrugged. "You lost to Arlecchino. Badly, from what I understand. But you tried, and you managed to leave an impression on the compound and the mansion that most people twice your age couldn't manage." He tilted his head. "I find that combination interesting."
'I need an adult.'
"I'm going to say no," Ren said carefully, getting a handsign prepared behind his back just in case, "Nothing personal. I've already had my one Harbinger beatdown for the year, and I'd like to keep it that way."
"Fair." Childe didn't seem particularly bothered by the rejection. "But I have another reason. One that might actually interest you."
"I doubt it, but go on."
"I know your energy leaks constantly," Childe said it as a simple fact. "I also know that you have been going around to try to find a way to stop it. Even going so far as to ask an Adeptus, and even find a witch."
'How the fuck does he know that?'
His energy leakage wasn't exactly a secret, nor was his desire to suppress it. But he told no one about his meeting with Alice, and even his relationship with Cloud Retainer was kept to only a few people.
"You've been running yourself thin without anything to show for it."
"You're not doing a good job at convincing me, you know. Where are you going with this?"
Childe smiled. "I happen to know a way to help you with that issue, and I'd be glad to teach you."
Ren was stunned silent. "Why would you offer that?"
"Because I understand the problem better than most people would." Childe's expression shifted slightly, a look of understanding crossing his face. "My own energy wasn't exactly comfortable to be around either. It's not the same as yours, but it carries a similar quality."
'He had a similar issue?' He found it hard to believe, but his instincts were telling him that the harbinger wasn't lying.
"That's… that's oddly specific for something you're just telling a stranger."
"I'm telling you because I recognized it in you the moment we met. It's rare enough that I don't get many opportunities to bring it up."
'Okay. Two questions. Why does he actually want to help me, and how much of this is actually about the fight he wants regardless.'
He suspected the answer to both was probably "yes, both things are true simultaneously," which was somehow more unsettling than if it had been one or the other.
"And you'll teach me if I fight you?"
"Haha—! No."
"What?"
Childe twirled the blades in his hands. "I'll teach you the same way I was taught. Through battle."
"I have a feeling you and I are more similar than you think." He met his eyes, challenging him. "You have my word that by the end of this, you'll know how to suppress your energy. And I'll get a good fight."
This entire situation remained too suspicious, and Ren had many unanswered questions.
But…
The look in the Harbinger's eyes lit a fire in his body, and he found himself unwillingly moved by the man's battle lust.
His reason and body fought, but eventually, the body won.
'Screw it,' He grabbed his sword from his shadows and pointed it at the Harbinger, who only grinned wider in response. 'When else will I get an opportunity to spar with a Harbinger?'
Ren's heart beat faster as adrenaline flooded his veins. "You want to do this here?"
"Fine by me!" Hydro energy burst from Tartaglia's body as he assumed a battle stance.
In response, Ren let his own Cursed Energy flare out. The positive and negative forces met each other in violent waves that sent gusts of air through the canopy.
"Let's do this then, Tartaglia!"