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"That's truly excessive. If you had shown even a glimmer of goodwill, you might have earned my favor and, in turn, received more supplies for the children struggling with their illnesses."
He had visited the House of the Hearth himself. The children there were indeed better off than those recruited from the general populace of Snezhnaya. After all, those who entered the House of the Hearth had nothing else to their names, and the only affection they ever knew came from within those walls. It was rare for them to betray their home.
Yet, few betrayals did not mean few rejections. Even though the atmosphere at the House of the Hearth had grown more humane under Arlecchino's influence, there were still those who fell behind. The sick children struggled to survive in such an environment. As the head of the household, Arlecchino cared for every one of them. She played no favorites, nor did she neglect anyone. She cared deeply about their health. The House of the Hearth never lacked medicinal supplies; it lacked the expertise to treat rare, specialized diseases.
The Doctor might have had the means, but Arlecchino did not trust him. As for Su Ran, while she could not fully trust him either, he was at least far more reliable than the Doctor.
"If a mere glimmer of goodwill could win the friendship of such a genius, then you are welcome to use my shoulder for as long as you like."
Arlecchino had regained her composure. The Genius was much easier to get along with than she had initially perceived. She had overreacted.
"No need for that. I can see you don't quite trust me yet, Arlecchino. You think so highly of me, yet you're too shy to praise me to my face. What a bashful person you are. Next time you have the chance, feel free to shower me with compliments."
Even Signora, standing off to the side, covered her mouth to hide a light laugh. It was clear that Su Ran was a unique existence among the Fatui Harbingers. He could enliven the atmosphere effortlessly, even when there was no genuine affection between the colleagues gathered there.
"If that is what you want, I can praise you now."
Arlecchino could tell that he was a man far more passionate and cheerful than Clervie had ever been.
"That wouldn't be easy. I'm a newcomer among the Harbingers, and I haven't done anything grand yet. Don't I need to go out and make a name for myself first so you have something to praise?"
Su Ran watched her with a smile. His gaze was unlike that of the other Harbingers, filled only with amusement.
"You killed a segment of the Doctor and blasted a five-hundred-meter crater outside the walls of Snezhnaya. Are those not significant accomplishments?"
How many Harbingers would go to such lengths? Setting aside whether they possessed the strength to do it, the repercussions alone were immense. That crater was essentially right against the city walls of Snezhnaya.
"Killing a useless waste of space, blowing a hole in the ground, and waking everyone up—I'd say those count as negative press, don't you think?"
Arlecchino desperately wanted to say, 'You know that, too?' but she held her tongue. For the sake of the children.
Su Ran sensed her thoughts. "Arlecchino, you wouldn't want to watch those children suffer through their illnesses any longer, would you?"
He closed his eyes, collected his thoughts, and shifted his expression as he extended his right hand toward her. He looked like a priest offering a hand to a young boy.
"Yes. Do you have any conditions?"
The children of the House of the Hearth were her bottom line. In certain situations, she would even betray the Tsaritsa for them. To see such tender emotion in a high-ranking Harbinger created a stark contrast that intrigued Su Ran. It was precisely for this reason that he liked her quite a bit.
"Have you never read any of the light novels imported from Inazuma? You're acting so cold that it makes it hard for me to keep this conversation going."
Her demeanor, as if she were prepared to pay any price, left him feeling nothing.
"I will read them."
Arlecchino still did not understand his train of thought. But since he had dropped the hint, she would try to learn about those light novels from Inazuma. Perhaps reading them would provide some common ground with this genius.
"Fine. I'll quiz you when I head to Fontaine."
He wondered what kind of expression she would make once she actually read that content. Would she look at him with utter disdain? The thought was strangely appealing, and he found himself looking forward to it.
Even after responding, Arlecchino still wanted to gather more intelligence on the man before her. As a descender, he was a blank slate in this land, and there was no way to obtain information about him from outside sources. She chose the simplest method.
"Genius, we are both Fatui Harbingers, and we may work together often in the future. But I still want to know: what is your reason for swearing loyalty to Her Majesty the Tsaritsa?"
She asked directly. There was no simpler or more efficient way. Every Harbinger joined the Fatui for different reasons, and they all had their own demands. So, what about the Genius?
"Because she provides the funding. I have such terrifying abilities; I can't just rely on chopping down trees to develop things, can I? The Pantalone authorizes funding incredibly fast. When I told him I needed money to build a workshop, he didn't even hesitate when I inflated the budget by several times."
Su Ran wore a deadpan expression. Joining the Harbingers provided him with a wealth of resources. Wasn't that far easier than collecting them slowly himself? Now, he could sit on a mountain of resources without lifting a finger. What wasn't to like?
"Is that... that's it?"
Just because they provided enough funding? This loyalty seemed far too simple. Arlecchino did not believe such a straightforward explanation. No higher ideals? No other motives? Just because they gave him enough money?
"What if someone else could provide that funding for you one day?"
Signora suddenly realized that the Genius's position did not seem very firm. To think that the connection between him and the Fatui was maintained by something as trivial as Mora.
"That depends on whether that person can provide the other resources I need."
Arlecchino grew interested. "And if they could?"
"I would take Columbina and leave together."
He kept the thought of taking the Tsaritsa with him to himself. Su Ran did not care that he was in the heart of the Fatui headquarters. Even if someone reported him, the Tsaritsa would likely just increase her support for him.