The news of an additional Fatui Harbinger was a massive morale booster across Snezhnaya, especially since this new arrival had promptly seized the second seat. It meant that among the Harbingers of Snezhnaya, four now possessed power on par with gods. For the other seven nations, however, this was far from good news.
The Fatui had always held a notorious reputation across Teyvat. They were known for their rampant arrogance and underhanded schemes, causing no shortage of trouble for every nation. Mondstadt, being the closest to Snezhnaya, suffered the most under their reach. Its people were bullied relentlessly, and with the Grand Master away on his expedition, the city was gripped by anxiety. Not long ago, Dvalin, one of the Four Winds, had reawakened and brought chaos to the region, leaving the Knights of Favonius with very few options.
***
Beside the palace of The Tsaritsa, a bizarre new structure had appeared. Its architectural style belonged to none of the seven nations, nor to any of the ancient, fallen civilizations. Because it sat directly next to the palace, few dared to linger nearby. But today, a special guest arrived at this place: La Signora, the eighth of the Fatui Harbingers.
She stepped inside what Su Ran called his workshop. Rosalyne was filled with caution and suspicion. She knew all too well how cruel and disgusting Dottore's laboratories were. Since this second-ranked Harbinger possessed power even greater than his, who was to say he wasn't more twisted? She half-expected to walk in and see nothing but corpses. Though she was no saint herself, Signora had no desire to witness such carnage.
"Identification successful. Welcome to Su Ran's Creative Workshop, Ms. Rosalyne."
As she reached the entrance, a beam of green light scanned her, and the heavy doors slid open. She frowned. What kind of technology was this? It felt far stranger than anything Dottore or Sandrone had ever produced.
"Do you require an escort, Rosalyne?"
The voice was both familiar and strangely alien, putting her immediately on guard. She scanned the room but saw no one, finally lowering her gaze. A two-headed, forty-centimeter-tall, chibi-style Arlecchino stood before her, staring up with an expressionless face.
There was no mistake. Every feature, every detail was identical to the adult Arlecchino. Only the tiny, shrunken proportions made the chibi version look remarkably cute.
"Are you... Arlecchino?"
How did the fourth—no, the fifth seat—become so adorable? She wondered if she had walked through the door the wrong way.
The chibi Arlecchino nodded, then shook her head. "I am Arlecchino, yet not entirely. You may call me Arlecchino-chan."
"Right... Arlecchino-chan," she muttered, still unable to shake the shock.
She was intensely curious about the nature of this existence. This stature wasn't something a child should have. Was this a doll?
"Where is the genius? Can you take me to him?"
Despite her lack of familiarity with the fifth seat, it was impossible to maintain her usual haughty demeanor in the face of this pint-sized Arlecchino. Had they been closer, she might have even reached out to pick her up.
"The great genius master is currently crafting a true weapon of mass destruction. If you wish to see him, follow me."
Arlecchino-chan turned and began hopping along to lead the way. As for why she was hopping? Her legs were simply too short to walk at a decent pace. Even as a chibi construct, she remained an efficiency-obsessed pragmatist who hated being a burden to others. Hopping was simply faster.
Rosalyne watched her lead the way. This version of her colleague was far more endearing than the original; she had a feeling she might actually grow to like this place. After traversing a long corridor, they finally reached the inner sanctum. Arlecchino-chan brought her into a large reception hall.
"Hey! You, stop biting my dress!"
Another familiar voice rang out. Rosalyne looked toward the sound to find a two-headed, chibi version of herself looking disgusted as she shoved away a chibi Columbina. The chibi Columbina seemed to be using the chibi Signora's dress as a chew toy.
She stood frozen. Was this place, this "Su Ran's Creative Workshop," even remotely sane? Why did it feel like the entire aesthetic of the Fatui had been thrown out the window?
"Hmph! If you moved higher up, you wouldn't have to worry about it, would you?"
A chibi Sandrone sitting on a one-meter-high table looked at the pair with disdain. She held a middle-school math textbook, evidently lost in her studies until now.
"Be quiet, we have a guest!" Arlecchino-chan rushed over to stop the bickering. It would be disgraceful if the real Harbinger saw this.
"Ah! Is there someone else?"
The chibi Rosalyne looked up in alarm at the tall, real Signora looming over her.
"This is Rosalyne-chan, and this is Columbina-chan," Arlecchino-chan explained, gesturing to the two who had been playing, before pointing to the girl on the table. "And that is Sandrone-chan."
Sandrone-chan adjusted her posture, showing no interest in anyone who might interrupt her studies.
"Strange, why do you look so familiar?" The chibi Rosalyne squinted, observing the real Signora with intense focus.
"Hmph, you idiot. That is yourself," Sandrone-chan retorted coldly, already drifting back into her sea of knowledge.
Rosalyne stared at the shrunken version of herself. She stepped closer, and the chibi Rosalyne began to tilt her head back, determined to maintain eye contact with her taller self.
"Whoa!"
Because of the extreme angle and her diminutive height, the chibi Rosalyne lost her balance and tumbled backward.
"Pfft..."
Looking at this clumsy, cute, bootleg version of herself, Rosalyne couldn't help but laugh.