Rosalyne chuckled lightly and said, "Oh right, I haven't introduced myself yet, have I? Listen carefully—I am the Eighth Harbinger of the Fatui, La Signora. I've come here to invite Mr. Shen Qin to join our nation of Snezhnaya. As long as you accept, the position of Twelfth Harbinger will be yours. Why not give it some thought?"
"No need. I won't join Snezhnaya, and I'm not interested in being a Fatui Harbinger either," Shen Qin rejected her without the slightest hesitation.
Although he still didn't fully understand what the Tsaritsa was up to—and most known information about Snezhnaya was negative—based on the pattern of how the Archons always eventually enter the limited pool (in gacha terms), she was bound to get a redemption arc once her nation's story chapter unlocked.
But the Tsaritsa and the Fatui were not the same thing. He simply couldn't accept the Fatui's methods and style—it was, as the saying goes, "people on different paths cannot walk together."
"Sigh… looks like you really don't know what's good for you. Did you think when I said 'invite,' it was a genuine invitation? I was merely conveying our demand."
Rosalyne stood, tossing a pouch of Mora onto the table, and walked out gracefully. "Whether you're willing or not, in the end, you will serve the Tsaritsa of Snezhnaya. That outcome will not change."
"What you should be thinking about is: do you want to become the Twelfth Harbinger with dignity—or wait until we force you into servitude ourselves? Oh, and that Mora? It's for you to replace the door to your alchemy workshop. Using such a flimsy door… better watch out or someone might steal your latest alchemical invention! Hehe."
"Hmph. The Fatui really are insufferable," came a cold voice as Diluc appeared expressionlessly at the doorway, blocking her path. "This isn't Snezhnaya. Aren't you afraid you might never leave here again?"
Rosalyne raised an eyebrow and looked at the man who exuded no small amount of pressure. She sneered, "Stay here? You? We Harbingers, when abroad, represent Snezhnaya and the Tsaritsa herself. Do you dare lay a hand on me?"
She walked past Diluc, leaving her unguarded back exposed, showing not a shred of fear.
"You're not taking Shen Qin anywhere. We could've discussed commercial cooperation, but judging by the Fatui's attitude, it seems you don't care about those alchemical products. So be it. If you've done your research, you should know who's really managing those operations. You can pass this message back to Snezhnaya—tell them Diluc said it himself." His calm voice carried such imposing authority that even Shen Qin almost applauded.
"Hmph!" Rosalyne paused for a second, then left without another word, her face now extremely grim.
Back at the Fatui's outpost, a deputy quickly approached her, looking troubled. "My lady, did you just go meet with Shen Qin?"
"I did," she replied offhandedly.
The deputy forced a bitter smile. "But... didn't the Tsaritsa instruct us not to interfere with his affairs—"
"I don't need you to remind me. I'm perfectly aware our mission is only to retrieve the Anemo Archon's Gnosis," Rosalyne interrupted impatiently. "But haven't you read the recent investigation reports? There may be a very close relationship between Shen Qin and the Anemo Archon. It's entirely reasonable for me to approach him."
The deputy: "..."
She waved dismissively. "Leave this matter to me. Right now, I'm the highest-ranking Fatui commander in Mondstadt. You only need to follow my orders."
She had never taken Shen Qin seriously. In her eyes, he was merely a talented alchemist. 'The Fatui offering him a Harbinger seat was already a show of great favor—he should not have refused!'
Would Mondstadt really risk open hostility with Snezhnaya for his sake? As for that arrogant Diluc, he was just a businessman. She didn't even hold the Anemo Archon in regard—why would she fear a mere merchant?
Ridiculous! She was a Harbinger, under the command of the supreme Tsaritsa!
Her arrogance blinded her to the trouble she had just provoked.
Not long after Diluc, Jean also arrived at the alchemy workshop after being notified by Ms. Butterfly Seeing Shen Qin unharmed, she finally let out a sigh of relief. After understanding what had happened, she frowned. "Snezhnaya had already sent a formal invitation. There's no reason for them to provoke Shen Qin in private—they know full well the Knights have no grounds to block their formal request."
Shen Qin gave a wry smile. "With someone like La Signora, this kind of behavior isn't surprising."
"In any case," Diluc said firmly, "Dawn Winery will continue to refuse any commercial cooperation with Snezhnaya or the Fatui. That stance will not change." He turned to Shen Qin. "What about you? This involves your profit share, after all."
Among the business alliance they had formed, Shen Qin unquestionably held over 50% of the shares—he was the major shareholder.
"I don't like working with them either. Since we're of one mind, let's go with your plan."
Jean sighed. She had always been reluctant to strain relations with Snezhnaya, but she could not tolerate Signora's private threats against Shen Qin. She quickly made her decision. "In that case, I'll officially send a letter to Snezhnaya, condemning Signora's actions and rejecting their audience request with Shen Qin."
Diluc nodded silently. With Jean leading the Knights, he usually found little reason to be disappointed.
Now more than ever, the three of them had to unite and stand against the Fatui's arrogance.
Signora's uninvited appearance had rung alarm bells in Shen Qin's heart. Most of the respected people and organizations in Teyvat followed the rules. But the Fatui did not. Their "rule" was no rules.
Whether it was blocking divine perception in Inazuma and distributing Delusions to incite war, or persecuting civilians and creating a false god in Sumeru—they feared nothing.
To ensure his own safety, Shen Qin would need to speed up the defenses of Mondstadt.
Fortunately, his research was progressing well. In five days, he could finish a working prototype of a ley line energy filter. Within ten, he could complete a large-scale protective barrier covering the entire city.
On the third day, with Albedo working overtime, they successfully developed a small ley line energy filter that matched the data model of a Statue of The Seven. Shen Qin immediately began adjusting the structure for a larger energy exchanger. Albedo and Sucrose began building a mockup for the city-wide shield and calculating optimal layouts for smaller ones.
By the seventh day, both projects were completed. Most of the components were handed over to Wagner's blacksmith shop, while the core structures were built personally by Albedo and Sucrose. Meanwhile, Shen Qin began programming the control system.
By the ninth day, under escort from the Knights of Favonius, a total of eight secondary shield generators—each two meters tall and one meter wide—were installed at eight equidistant points around Mondstadt. Viewed from above, the eight units formed a perfect circle.
At the center of that circle, Shen Qin was preparing to install a main shield generator equipped with a central control terminal.