After dismissing the autonomous mechanisms, The Puppet, Sandrone, lifted the hem of her skirt and squatted down, personally washing Severin's feet with meticulous care. When she was done, she wiped away the remaining moisture with a clean cloth.
This was normally the duty of the Mirror Maidens, but whenever Sandrone wasn't busy, she would insist on taking their place.
At first, Severin found it difficult to get used to it. Later, as Sandrone persisted, he gradually accepted it by default—though more often than not, this behavior sparked dissatisfaction from The Damselette, Columbina.
The two women had long been at odds over this matter, frequently trading barbed words and subtle verbal attacks whenever they met.
Eventually, the issue escalated all the way to the Tsaritsa herself.
As a result, the Tsaritsa warned Severin not to favor either side.
Judging by the outcome, her advice proved effective. At the very least, more than a year had passed without Sandrone and Columbina clashing openly again.
Neither of them wished to put Severin in an awkward position before the Tsaritsa, so both had restrained themselves considerably.
As for Sandrone, Severin viewed her more like a younger sister.
Mischievous and eccentric, she was something of an oddity even among the Fatui.
Ill-tempered yet intensely focused, she never followed the crowd and always clung to her own unique ideas—like a spoiled little sister in a large household.
"Your Highness… I was being childish…"
After finishing, Sandrone suddenly burst into tears.
She had received orders in Snezhnaya and rushed to Liyue at once, eagerly hoping to see Severin. She waited an entire night in vain.
Yet on the day Severin arrived in Liyue, he didn't summon the Fatui Harbingers at all. Instead, he went off with Beidou to a small fishing village, leaving Sandrone utterly confused.
In a fit of pique, she abandoned her post and ventured into the wilds of Liyue to explore ancient ruins.
Today, she had returned—and without permission, even barged into Severin's bath to wash herself, using this as a form of "protest."
But when she emerged, she found Severin seated in a chair, already asleep.
In that instant, her vision blurred with tears.
Severin had summoned them because he needed his most trusted subordinates to shoulder his burdens—yet she had effectively "run away from home" when he needed manpower most, without any regard for the bigger picture.
Heart aching over his exhaustion and filled with regret over her own willfulness, she fetched a basin of water and personally attended to him before bed.
"Enough. You may stand. As long as you recognize your mistake and correct it next time, that's sufficient."
"Yes… Your command."
Sandrone rose to her feet.
"How is the situation on the Traveler's side?"
"Katherine reports that the Traveler and his companion, Paimon, have completed a series of adventure commissions in Mondstadt. That Traveler is improving at an astonishing pace. At first, even defeating Slimes was difficult for him—now he can single-handedly wipe out an entire Hilichurl camp."
"Katherine also mentioned something even stranger. The Traveler arrived in Mondstadt less than two months ago, yet he has already mastered the power of Anemo. He can even use Anemo combat techniques without relying on a Vision. His talent and potential are truly extraordinary."
"Your Highness, should we send someone to capture him and hand him over to Dottore for research?"
Severin rejected the idea on the spot.
"The Traveler's identity is anything but ordinary. You are to support him in secret—cultivate him, assist him. Do you want Dottore to slice him up?"
Sandrone giggled.
"Your Highness, the Traveler's physique is special. He seems capable of accommodating multiple elemental powers, just like you. He'd be perfect for human experimentation~. The Doctor only needs to inject a tiny bit of Archon residue serum, then we observe his reaction. We might uncover the secret of elemental compatibility."
"The Collei batch already ended in tragedy. From now on, human experimentation is strictly forbidden."
"But I'm really curious about the secrets he carries."
"You're more curious about what his sister discussed with me when she came to see me, aren't you?"
Severin pierced straight through her thoughts.
Lumine had visited Snezhnaya before. All eleven Harbingers had met her—and naturally, they were aware of the Tsaritsa's intention to arrange a marriage between Lumine and the Prince.
"Your Highness… then what did you talk about?"
Whenever it wasn't a public setting, Sandrone would cling to Severin, pestering him with private questions.
Fortunately, Severin was long accustomed to her inquisitive nature—and had already mastered the art of deflection.
"At the Wangwen Bookhouse auction the day before yesterday, I acquired an autonomous mechanism. A Ruin Serpent relic left behind from the Khaenri'ah era. It's yours now."
"Really? That's amazing!" Sandrone beamed instantly. "Thank you for the gift, Your Highness!"
Severin had purchased the autonomous mechanism specifically for her research.
After he told her the location, Sandrone's eyes lit up.
"I'll head over right now. A complete Ruin Serpent relic—that's priceless."
Then she remembered something.
"Your Highness, you haven't assigned my mission yet."
"In Liyue, there is a former Dust Archon named Guizhong, once Morax's closest companion. She perished during the Archon War, and her death caused Morax to enter erosion prematurely. The most dangerous part is that Morax himself remains unaware of it."
"Recently, he suddenly announced that he would enter seclusion. His condition is extremely unstable. We must be on guard."
At the tea room of the Wangwen Bookhouse, Zhongli had once used divine power to test Severin's strength.
Unbeknownst to him, Severin had been testing Zhongli as well.
Through that exchange, Severin confirmed that Zhongli possessed combat strength ranked among the top three of the Seven—and also discovered something else.
Within Zhongli's vast Geo energy, Severin sensed decay and corruption.
It meant that Zhongli's erosion had already reached a critical stage.
Originally, Severin had intended for Sandrone to work with Pantalone on matters of commercial warfare. But after confirming Zhongli's hidden danger, he altered her assignment.
"Pantalone will cooperate with my commercial strategy. You, on the other hand, are responsible for monitoring and dealing with Morax. In case of emergency, you may employ any means necessary—no need to report to me."
Sandrone immediately understood.
"As you command, Your Highness. Are there any further instructions?"
"The Northland Bank will be establishing branches across the other six nations. Without intelligence support from your Adventurers' Guild, Pantalone's task will be difficult. Set aside past grievances and focus on reality and the future. You must work together in full cooperation."
"Understood, Your Highness. Toward the stars and the abyss!"
Sandrone performed the highest ceremonial salute of the Adventurers' Guild toward Severin.
The world knew Sandrone only as a Fatui Harbinger.
Very few were aware of her other identity—
The Guild Master of the Adventurers' Guild.
The receptionists stationed throughout the nations—Katherine among them—were all biomimetic puppets she had developed using Khaenri'ah alchemy.
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