Chapter 9

"Crackle..."

The sparks from the lightning ignited the wood beneath the pot.

Before long, steam began to rise from the water in the pot.

"Sit, sit, sit. I don't have much here, but I do have some snacks and tea."

The enthusiastic Electro Cicin Mage brushed off nonexistent dust from the cushion and gestured for Bai Luo to sit down.

Perhaps it had been too long since she had seen a fellow comrade, as her enthusiasm was a bit overwhelming.

To outsiders, the Fatui were synonymous with villains.

But among their own, they shared an unparalleled warmth and trust.

When she learned that Bai Luo had gotten lost in the mountains, the Electro Cicin Mage accepted him without hesitation.

Even though his appearance clearly differed from that of a native Snezhnayan.

"Black tea, milk, or Fire-Water? Which do you want? Or should I mix them all together?"

After rummaging under her pillow for a while, the Electro Cicin Mage pulled out a jar and two bottles, asking Bai Luo for his preference.

"Have you forgotten the most important rule in the Fatui Vanguard training manual? Never carry Fire-Water or any related beverages during a mission."

Fire-Water, in essence, was a type of alcohol.

Just as Dandelion Wine was the soul of Mondstadt, Fire-Water was the lifeblood of Snezhnaya.

During the Archon War, the people of Snezhnaya created a special disinfectant. Someone tried drinking it and found it enjoyable, and soon more and more people began using this liquid, originally meant for medical purposes, as a spiritual comfort.

"What's the big deal? Out here in the wilderness of Inazuma, the sky's the limit, and I'm the boss!"

The Electro Cicin Mage didn't take Bai Luo's words seriously.

In her eyes, Bai Luo was likely a new recruit absorbed by the vanguard in Inazuma. It was understandable that he wasn't familiar with some unwritten rules.

Taking out a set of exquisitely preserved tea utensils, she ladled some hot water from the pot and carefully washed them before brewing some black tea.

Considering that Bai Luo looked quite young, she added some milk to it.

Before handing it to him, she couldn't resist asking again, "Are you sure you don't want any Fire-Water?"

"If we make it back to Snezhnaya, I'll treat you to some premium Fire-Water. But for now... let's skip it."

Taking the milk tea from the Electro Cicin Mage, Bai Luo took a sip.

It had to be said, her skills were quite impressive.

After attending so many tea parties with the ladies in Snezhnaya, this was the first time he had tasted such a flavorful milk tea.

"Hehe, the tea was stolen from some Nobushi, and the milk was scooped from a Hilichurl's pot. Tastes good, right?"

"Pfft—"

Before the Electro Cicin Mage could finish speaking, Bai Luo spat out the liquid in his mouth.

What had been a delightful cup of milk tea just moments ago now felt unbearable.

"Tsk tsk, young people these days really don't know how to appreciate things."

The Electro Cicin Mage wasn't surprised. During some missions, they didn't even have access to drinks of this quality. In particularly harsh conditions, they had to rely on Hydro Slimes for water.

As monsters formed from the accumulation of Hydro elements in nature, they could indeed serve as emergency water sources. However, due to the dense Hydro elements, drinking directly from a Slime was harmful to the human body.

If not treated promptly, it could even leave severe aftereffects.

These new recruits in the vanguard had no idea how tough things were for their seniors.

"How long have you been stationed here?"

Looking up at the tattered canvas, Bai Luo changed the subject.

He didn't want to hear about the origins of the pot used to boil the water.

Based on his intuition, she must have been here for quite some time.

"Hmm... I've lost track. Out here in the wilderness, every day is just messing with Hilichurls and robbing Nobushi. There's no sense of time. I was here even before the Sakoku Decree was enacted."

After a swig of Fire-Water, even though she was from Snezhnaya, the strong drink left her face slightly flushed.

Normally, she wouldn't drink Fire-Water like this.

This was Inazuma, not Snezhnaya.

Fire-Water was a precious commodity here, and every drop counted.

Even if she occasionally robbed a merchant caravan or went to Inazuma City to stock up, she couldn't get authentic Snezhnayan Fire-Water.

But when a friend visited, it was different.

Fire-Water wasn't Fire-Water unless you drank it in big gulps together.

"Listen, rookie. We Fatui don't need to care about what others think. We're here to do great things under the Tsaritsa. Don't let my current situation fool you. Once we finish this job in Inazuma City, I'll at least make it to officer rank! If anyone gives you trouble, just drop my name!"

The Electro Cicin Mage was clearly drunk. Her breath reeked of alcohol as she slapped Bai Luo on the back with gusto.

Fortunately, she wasn't very strong.

Otherwise, with the way she was hitting him, Bai Luo would have been seriously injured.

"Oh, right."

At this point, the Electro Cicin Mage realized they had been chatting for so long without exchanging names.

"My name is Kseniya. And you?"

"Bai Luo."

The name Kseniya made Bai Luo raise an eyebrow.

Having lived in Snezhnaya for so long, he had gained some understanding of their culture.

For example, the name Kseniya symbolized hospitality in Snezhnaya.

This woman truly lived up to her name.

"Bai Luo?"

Hearing the name, Kseniya paused mid-sip of Fire-Water.

As a member of the Fatui vanguard in Inazuma, she had some knowledge of the local culture.

But in her mind, this name didn't sound like it belonged to Inazuma.

It sounded more like it came from Liyue, across the sea.

"Are you from Liyue?"

If Kseniya remembered correctly, Snezhnaya and Liyue had recently entered into a strategic partnership.

She didn't know the specifics, but she did recall her good friend from the House of the Hearth mysteriously approaching her, saying she was taking her younger brother to Liyue for a big mission.

Ah, lucky Katya. She was probably feasting at Xinyue Kiosk with her brother right now.

How enviable.

"Yes, but I currently reside in Snezhnaya. I jumped into a frozen river during winter to save a child and caught the attention of Pulcinella, who made an exception to recruit me into the Fatui."

Recounting this, Bai Luo couldn't help but sigh.

Back then, he never imagined that a simple act of saving someone would lead to him diving underwater and resurfacing not on Earth, but in Teyvat, in Snezhnaya.

"Hey? Your story sounds a lot like someone I've heard of. Rumor has it that person became a Harbinger. I wonder if we'll ever make it to Harbinger status."

Kseniya had no idea that the young man sitting beside her, whom she had just fed a strange milk tea as a prank, was the very Harbinger she was talking about.

It wasn't until many years later, when she caught a glimpse of a familiar figure standing beside the Tsaritsa, that she realized just who she had encountered back in Inazuma.