"Oh?~ Looks like you're having fun."
Knowing Rosalyne had arrived, Su Ran didn't linger in his laboratory.
He walked out holding a small, armed figurine.
A chibi version of the Tsaritsa.
But in Rosalyne's eyes, that was nothing less than a two-headed caricature of the Cryo Archon.
An almost blasphemous act against Snezhnaya's god!
"If Her Majesty were to find out you'd made something like that, she might well fly into a rage."
Rosalyne owed the Tsaritsa a debt beyond measure.
So when Su Ran made a miniature version of her, she hadn't minded— the little thing was even amusing.
But to shrink down the Tsaritsa herself into this "Q-version"…
That was no small matter.
"Relax. She's very easygoing. In fact, I've got a photo of her with the little duckling right here."
Su Ran pulled out his phone, showing Rosalyne a snapshot he'd taken a few days ago— the Tsaritsa smiling alongside the chibi Tsaritsa.
The joy on her face was genuine.
Rosalyne's anger cooled.
"…Fine."
"The plan to collect the Gnosis is about to begin," she said evenly.
"We need power to resist Celestia. The Jester has ordered you and me to head to Mondstadt and obtain the Anemo Archon's Gnosis."
The pursuit of the Seven Gnosis was the Fatui's oldest and most important scheme.
If necessary, they would abandon all other preparations to secure them.
"Other people's body parts? Ugh, disgusting."
Su Ran's unfiltered disgust was plain as day.
Rosalyne had no response.
Gnosis were, after all, the remains of the Third Descender— relics that still contained His power.
And to oppose Celestia, the power of Teyvat's mortals was nowhere near enough.
The primordial elemental dragons had already proven that.
Their only hope lay in power from beyond the skies.
This was the sole path to resist Celestia.
"You know nothing of the Heavenly Principles!"
Even with all seven Gnosis collected, there was no certainty of victory.
More likely nine deaths out of ten.
For in the end, Gnosis were but remnants of a defeated Descender.
Relics, no matter how strong, remained fragments of failure.
To the Archons themselves, the Gnosis was hardly significant— it didn't increase their power in any meaningful way.
Yet for the Fatui, it was all they had.
Aside from that, there was only the Khaenri'ahn technology brought by the Jester, and the scientific genius of Dottore and Sandrone.
Now, Su Ran had joined their ranks— though so far, he hadn't revealed any breakthrough that could raise Snezhnaya's power by an order of magnitude.
"You also know nothing about me~"
Su Ran sighed, gently combing the chibi Tsaritsa's hair.
"If I cared to, I could make Snezhnaya's technology leap ahead thousands of years."
Even without inspiration, he could push the nation from medieval black powder to modern spacefaring civilization.
"You expect me to believe that?"
Rosalyne sneered.
Thousands of years of progress, just like that? Ridiculous.
If he truly possessed such power, would he really be serving as a mere Harbinger?
Wouldn't he already have ascended to godhood?
"Hmph. Foolish woman. Can someone as ignorant as you even comprehend what a member of the Genius Society is capable of?"
Sandrone-chan set down her book, sneering.
"My very existence is the clearest proof of his brilliance!"
The tiny doll declared her narcissistic creed with utter conviction.
Rosalyne was momentarily stunned.
Uncannily accurate…
This miniature Sandrone's arrogance and vanity were a perfect copy.
No doubt Su Ran had crafted her true form.
"I've no interest in arguing with you. Three days from now, I'll depart for Mondstadt. Are you coming or not?"
Her rank was below his; she had no authority to order him.
So she asked plainly: join her, or don't.
Either way, she would go.
After all, taking the Anemo Archon's Gnosis was not difficult.
That cowardly god— she had no reason to fear him alone.
"Three days? I've little interest in Mondstadt either… but fine. I could use a walk. Everyone here bundles up so tightly, it's stifling."
The Gnosis itself meant little to him.
But it had been a long time since he'd mingled with people.
Visiting another nation sounded refreshing.
Besides—before he crossed into this world, Genshin Impact had been one of his favorite games.
Meeting its characters in person… that was a dream once impossible.
At that moment, his phone chimed.
New messages.
He scrolled through, grinning at the fresh batch of memes.
"Since you've agreed, my purpose here is fulfilled," Rosalyne said.
She glanced once more at the rows of weaponized dolls.
"If the others find out you've been making such little toys, they'll want an explanation."
Each one was modeled directly after a Harbinger, their personalities faithfully replicated,
only… cuter.
"They won't mind. After all, you didn't."
In his view, Rosalyne was the one with the worst temper.
The only other one with a similar temper—the puppet— showed no interest in the outside world at all.
And seeing Rosalyne react not with fury, but with amusement…
The rest would be no problem.
"Three days. Don't forget to depart."
She turned on her heel and left.
"Rosalyne-chan~ See her out."
The miniature Rosalyne, who had been on her best behavior ever since noticing a guest had arrived, promptly stood up to escort her "real" self.
But outside the workshop, another guest had arrived.
And she was… stuck.
The building's recognition system had been troubling her for quite some time.
"Identification failed. Please make a face of such sorrow you are on the verge of tears."
The door's scanner repeated its demand.
The girl outside tilted her head, thought for a moment, then obediently pulled a pitiful, tearful expression.