Allen's Talk

"OH! Hello, long time not seen you Aleksei. How had been all these years?" Aleksei said full of sarcasm "Really? Nothing? You simply greet me with a what the fuck?"

Aleksei sighed while shaking his head completely ignoring Allen's glare "I don't know if Tomoki taught you swordsmanship but I'm sure that he didn't teach you manners, such a rude man."

Allen withdrew his sword, pointing it at Aleksei "Don't even dare to name Tomoki. If you insult him again, I won't stop with a mere warning."

"So your temperament had taken a turn for the worse, you would have been able to easy ignore it before. But one thing, Allen" Aleksei swung his right arm, a black object surging from his sleeve to his hand, a gun!

*Bang* Allen quickly turned his sword, blocking the bullet 'What's this strength?' Allen's body was pushed away by the bullet throwing him to the ground.

*Clink* Allen could see a coin falling to the ground 'That should be the bullet, but how can it have such strength "Fuck!" Allen cursed as he turned to Aleksei.

"I don't like to be threatened, Allen." Aleksei said coldly while pointing at Allen with his gun "Don't be too full of yourself just because you've become a little strong."

Allen glared at him suspiciously. He had never seen Aleksei being serious in a fight, only in business, but with his swift movement and his actual presence, there was no doubt that he was quite strong. 'As it could be expected from someone directly under a Harbinger. He is the same as Alina, while they focus on money and business, they had enough strength to defend themselves.'

"Seeing your look, it seems that you can still learn, so I will pass it for today, but never repeat it" Aleksei returned the gun to his sleeve, his cold and deathly aura disappearing returning to his usual laidback "Oh! And I'm still waiting for my thank you."

"Thank you?" Allek stood up, sheathing his sword "For what should I thank you?"

"For saving you of Yelan, of course." Aleksei nodded "If it weren't for my intervention, you could have been retained for quite the long time, who knows how could you have ended with such a dog."

"Hah? Really, you want a thank?!" Allen shouted offended "You have destroyed my possible reputation! If it was know that I was from Snezhnaya before, now they are sure that I am a Fatui and quite the high-up being 'friend' with someone like you. You have broken any possible interactions with them outside of the Fatui, restringing my movements that now would be close followed! What were you thinking!? I would be able to make my own way without your help!."

"That's were you got wrong, Allen" Aleksei hummed "Why do you think Yelan herself was there to detain you just as you arrived? You subestimated Liyue, Allen. You have been already marked, your movements being restricted. The only thing that I had done was give you enough status to defend yourself. If it weren't for me, you would have been played by them."

"Why would I?" Allen asked unsure "My previous time here, a part from passing the day with the Yuheng, I did nothing at all, nothing that will put me as a criminal or a Fatui."

"You made much more, Allen. It's simply that you are unware of it. Haha" Aleksei laughed "Both me and Alina use you, to have them busy and open the way for us. Thanks to you, we were able to obtain Morax's policies, causing this year to become one full of struggles for them and incredible beneficial for us. Of course, knowing that the only difference there was you, they will be wary of you."

"So in the end, it's your own fault" Allen glared at him "And Alina's" 'So it really turn to this again. I'll need to doubt again everyone.'

"It was Alina's plan, I really only benefit from the aftermath" Aleksei explained while scratching his head "The truth is that I'm also angry at her as she made use of the Yuheng. It was a good year, but it became more difficult after that, with Yelan's always on my track."

"So my meeting with the Yuheng was prepared?" 'Thinking about it, I always thought it was too much of a coincidence, always thinking it was one of their tests. But if I trust Aleksei, rather than him, it was Alina's plan.

"Of course, what a stupid question!" Aleksei spitted "Anyway, Allen I saw that you made friend with the Yuheng and I would recommend breaking it, or even better, never meet her again."

"That's strange coming from you" Allen wondered "A close relationship with one of the Liyue Qixing wouldn't it be a good contact?"

"You can play and make deals with other Qixing, it doesn't really matter, but Yuheng is kind of especial" Aleksei explained "As merchants, even when they cooperate in public for the well being of Liyue, in the shadows they are enemies trying to eat each other. However, the Yuheng is special, she is the link that joins them and all of them are specially protective for her. If you were to touch, lie or make use of her, you would have all Liyue against you. That's precisely the reason that you were already so closely watched by them."

"So I should never meet her again?" Aleksei nodded and Allen touched his pocket where the half Promise with Keqing was. Even after this time, he still brought it with him. Why? Because Allen considered Keqing to be quite special.

Keqing was quite mature for her age and while their situation was completely different, Allen was able to link with her. She was also the only one of his age that was stronger than him, moreover, he truly could talk and even if it was due to a sudden burst, he had explained his situation to her.

Of all the people that he met, Keqing was the one that Allen could consider as a friend, even with only spending one day together. In the end, Ayaka, Sayu, Kazuha he thought them more as little kids, treating them as an older brother and Kokomi could be nearer than them, but she was more of a partner in business, their relationship based in Allen's interest for her position unlike Keqing who, at least for Allen's part, was unplanned.

"I don't think so" Allen smiled "My life is already enough controlled by all of you, so at least, I'll decide for myself whom I want to keep in touch. Even more, now that I am at Liyue, I'll try to meet her, I'll explain myself that I'm part of the Fatui as she must already be aware of it, but as I don't really want any harm to her and Liyue, I think that she would trust me and even help me with the retention."

"Such naivety, putting your trust in others" Aleksei sighed "Okay, you can try it in your own way, you are not working under me, so I can't force you if that's your decision. However, I don't want you to screw it up, so explain to me what happened at Inazuma so we can plan what to tell to Yelan and Tianshu. I'm quite aware of your movements to put apply the Vision Hunt Decree. Good job with it. But I'm unaware of this last week and the early implementation as it should have passed some months later."

"Okay" Allen started explained what happened. Tomoki's fight with the Shogun, Kazuha's intervention and his saving.

"Okay, I understand." Aleksei nodded "You have obtained quite the good reputation. We can publicise Tomoki as a hero that went against the Shogun herself for the well-being of the nation, risking even his live, and you as his inheritor. We have proof of you being away for quite the long time, so while you were from Snezhnaya you don't have the need to be a Fatui..." He thought.

"Even better, he can even tell the truth, that you are cooperating with the Fatui to save your sister. That you are the little brave hero that moves for her sister, but even put his life in danger for other people. Yes, that's good."

"You are a bastard" Allen grunted, hating hearing Aleksei talking about his private life.

"But it's the best, we are the bad guys forcing you, exactly the same as we force the other nations. Haha" Aleksei laughed "That would give you some air to go."

"Okay" Allen didn't really like the plan, but it was a good one and the best that he could think in the actual sitaution.

"Oh?! And congratulation. I'm sure that you will be awarded at Snezhnaya. All your plans made results, plus the new constellation was yours..." Aleksei whispered thoughtfully "At least my plan at Inazuma served for something."

"What are you talking about?" Allen asked unsurely.

"I had some of my men in Inazuma and I was also planning to close the country, you simply got ahead. And just as I was there, I planned to force Tomoki to work a little for a change, convincing Kaedehara Kazuha of asking to him for mentorship." Aleksei explained. "But in the end, he started working because of you not him. At least Kazuha forced you and you were able to gain something from it."

"You wanted Tomoki to die!" Allen shouted angrily as he realized. If it was in like the game, Tomoki would have challenged the Shogun and be killed by her due to Kazuha in the end, Aleksei being the one who planned their meeting.

"I wanted him to move. If it was to his death or to a new life, it depended on his own strength." Aleksei said "And anyway, was it truly bad to recommend someone from the Kaedehara clan to search help from a Niwa? They were family, their great great grandfather being the same."

"TCh!" Allen clenched his hands, it was the truth. In the end, it wasn't as he specially planned his death and knowing Tomoki, he was only searching an excuse, a significance for his death. And even for Kazuha that was the best way, he learned from Tomoki how to life and was able to say good bye to his father without anger, letting go his clan and searching his own path.

"I'm not a monster. If I can help people with my plans, I'm not against it" Aleksei grinned inside the mask 'Not that this was the case. In the end, the one that poisoned the Kaedehara's patriarch to his death was me as Kazuha was perfect to move Tomoki, only needing being an orphan to truly move him. He always had a weak side for orphans like him' Aleksei thought looking at Allen.

"Anyway, as we already have prepared what to say, I'll prepare the interrogation with Yelan." Aleksei changed the conversation "I'm sure that you are find, but I will keep a doctor as an excuse to help you if things take a bad turn, use it as you want."

"Okay" Allen nodded and prepared to turn around.

"Oh? One last thing!" Aleksei stopped Allen, throwing him some little bottle with a liquid inside "It seems that your eyes had been a little damaged and not recovered completely, so use it this eye drop. It's quite effective."

Allen turned around and left the room.

"Now how could I meet Keqing again...?"