"Small fry?"
Albedo looked up at Gu Sanqiu. "Can someone blessed by the gods really be called a small fry?"
"And as for what Barbara mentioned at the dinner table—how your prayer seemingly elicited a response from the Anemo Archon—wasn't that something you planned in advance?"
At the time, Albedo had simply chosen not to call it out, despite being the only one present who understood the connection between Gu Sanqiu and the Anemo Archon.
Gu Sanqiu scratched his cheek with a finger. "Uh... not exactly."
Albedo's brow furrowed. "Is there more to this story? Is that Alberich fellow suspicious?"
Gu Sanqiu let out a dry laugh. "No, no, it's not that. It's just that the Anemo Archon didn't actually respond to me. That spectacle? I pulled it off myself by using elemental energy. Or, as we say in Liyue, it was forging imperial edicts without permission."
Forging imperial edicts? So, the Anemo Archon hadn't acknowledged Gu Sanqiu at all?
That whole "divine response" was a self-directed performance?
Albedo briefly lowered his head, then looked up again with his usual calm demeanor.
"Given the nerve it takes to do something like that, you've already disqualified yourself as a 'small fry.'"
It wasn't as if just anyone had the audacity to fake a divine decree.
But Gu Sanqiu shrugged it off. He had acted boldly, with little concern for the consequences. His brashness bordered on madness, but it was underpinned by an understanding of Venti's personality. As long as his antics only resulted in a minor punishment for someone like Alberich, the carefree bard wouldn't intervene.
That said…
Using the elemental seed gifted by Decarabian right in front of the Anemo Archon statue and at the Church of Favonius had been a touch excessive.
Eh, Barbatos is generous. Surely, he wouldn't sweat the small stuff, right?
Albedo poured another round of drinks for them both. "Well, let me share some news of my own."
"The Fatui are increasing their forces in Mondstadt."
"Excuse me?" Gu Sanqiu frowned. "Increasing their forces? That's a pretty serious claim. Are you sure?"
"Yes. They're reinforcing their numbers," Albedo replied. "From Liyue, no less. The Eighth Harbinger—La Signora—is here."
Oh, so that's what "reinforcements" means. Big deal.
Gu Sanqiu smirked, leaning back casually. "La Signora, huh? That woman got thoroughly trounced by me not long ago. She's no match for you either. What's there to fear?"
"Beating up women?"
"Huh?" Gu Sanqiu gave Albedo a once-over. "Why would you even ask that? Don't tell me you've got some kind of moral purity complex?"
"Not at all. I just want to know why you fought her."
Gu Sanqiu spread his hands. "She nearly insulted the Geo Archon into oblivion. Honestly, I was merciful not to kill her outright."
"Hmm," Albedo murmured, setting his glass down. "Here's another piece of information for you: she's not the only Harbinger in Mondstadt. Childe, the Eleventh, is here as well."
Albedo watched as Gu Sanqiu's expression remained indifferent.
"Just the two of them? What's there to worry about? The two of us could easily wipe out them and their accompanying forces if we teamed up," Gu Sanqiu said casually.
Albedo shook his head. "Strength isn't the issue. I'm more concerned about the implications of their reinforcements."
"The implications?"
Do we even need to think about it? Gu Sanqiu mused. Obviously, they're here to rough up Venti, then rip his Gnosis out of his chest with a flourish.
Whether or not the Gnosis Barbatos handed over was genuine, however, was another question entirely.
Back when players were eagerly awaiting Inazuma, nobody questioned whether the Gnoses exchanged in Mondstadt or Liyue were real. It was simply assumed they were.
Then, Naganohara Yoimiya dropped the bombshell that Visions could be forged. Dialogue even hinted at the possibility with a choice saying, "Could it be that Venti and the others...?"
And just like that, the mystery deepened. Nobody knew if the Gnosis was authentic until official lore unraveled the truth.
Schrödinger's Gnosis, they might call it.
Or the riddle-masters, leaving us hanging.
"So, what's the point? Are the Knights of Favonius planning to hire me to deal with the Fatui?"
"No," Albedo clarified. "This is just a personal suggestion. With two Harbingers in Mondstadt, this might be a good opportunity for you to make preparations back in Liyue."
He added, "And if you don't have a way to send long-distance intelligence, I can help with that."
"That won't be necessary," Gu Sanqiu replied, shaking his head. "The groundwork is already laid. The Fatui won't be able to stir up much trouble in Liyue in the short term. Besides, keeping them around has its uses."
The situation in the Chasm was still under investigation. No matter what Snezhnaya's motives were, the Fatui soldiers stationed there had actually been addressing real problems underground.
Until things escalated, Gu Sanqiu was willing to show some leniency.
Still, he couldn't help but wonder: once things went south, how would the Fatui's advance team in the Chasm react when they realized they'd been abandoned by their so-called "greater plan"?
Would they defect to the Liyue Qixing? Gu Sanqiu imagined. Specifically, to Tianquan Ningguang?
Snezhnaya's habit of stirring up trouble abroad could be turned to Liyue's advantage. If he managed to sway even a fraction of the Fatui to his side, they could serve as valuable double agents, blurring the lines of allegiance wherever they went.
The only question was whether, after Yelan's inevitable intervention, he should bother saving the Fatui stationed below.
Perhaps it'd be better to let them languish until they were on the brink of collapse before swooping in dramatically—playing the hero. With the right spin, invoking themes of "humanitarian spirit" and "bold leadership" during their rescue could greatly increase the odds of their defection.
"Belief in their Tsaritsa is steadfast," Gu Sanqiu mused. "It takes extreme measures to shake such conviction. But if they feel abandoned… well, who knows what might happen."
"However," he added, "if their orders are to hold the Chasm, not to abandon it, then swaying them would be impossible. It'd be like trying to get a Millelith soldier to badmouth Rex Lapis—utterly futile."
The bond between gods and their followers, though often intangible, was a powerful force. Even when doubts about divine intervention arose, the light of faith remained an unbreakable tether.
The gods love their people, and the people revere their gods.