"Arlecchino! Arlecchino!?"
Tartaglia scratched his head in confusion, then rubbed his handsome face before naturally leaning in closer.
To make sure Arlecchino could hear him, he even called her name several times—such a polite Tartaglia.
However, Arlecchino was in no mood to appreciate his manners.
"My hearing is just fine, thank you very much!"
With a dark expression, Arlecchino marched up to Tartaglia, clamped a hand over his chatterbox of a mouth, and dragged him by the collar into a secluded corner.
Ignoring the onlookers' entertained expressions, Arlecchino turned to face the dumbfounded Tartaglia.
After a brief moment of confusion, Tartaglia finally reacted.
"Wait a second—why are you here?"
"Don't tell me… you're here to bust me out of the Fortress of Meropide?"
At that thought, Tartaglia patted Arlecchino's shoulder, his face lighting up with gratitude.
So Arlecchino actually cared enough to break him out of prison? That was touching.
It seemed that, as a fellow Harbinger, Arlecchino wasn't so bad after all!
At least, on the surface, she was way better than the arrogant Signora.
Speaking of Signora, Tartaglia couldn't help but lament in his heart—what a tragic fate she had met, cut down by the Raiden Shogun in Inazuma, not even leaving behind a trace of ash.
Honestly, what was the point of using such a large coffin for her funeral? There wasn't even a body left—just stick a tombstone there and be done with it.
Tartaglia had always disapproved of Signora's extreme actions.
Looking at his "good colleague" Arlecchino, an adult who seemed mature and composed, he was sure she wouldn't be as reckless as Signora.
This thought reassured him—at least he had a reliable ally in Fontaine who could get him out of prison if needed.
But Arlecchino's expression was anything but reassuring.
For once, Tartaglia actually felt a little guilty.
After all, he was a Harbinger, yet he had landed himself in Fontaine's prison. And now, Arlecchino had shown up at the Fortress of Meropide first thing in the morning, clearly anxious about his situation.
His opinion of Arlecchino skyrocketed.
Wanting to comfort her and assure her that there was no rush to get him out, Tartaglia spoke up.
"Don't worry, the Duke of the Fortress of Meropide is actually quite reasonable."
"I'm doing pretty well here. Occasionally, I get to spar with the golden-haired Traveler, and I even get to use spare machine parts to hone my combat skills. My days are quite fulfilling!"
"You should focus on your own business. I actually have some personal matters to handle here, so I don't need to leave just yet."
As he flashed a dazzling smile and gave her a thumbs-up, Arlecchino nearly laughed in exasperation.
With a twitching brow and visible frustration, she looked at Tartaglia and asked,
"Tartaglia, do you really think I came to the Fortress of Meropide to rescue you?"
Nineteen-year-old Tartaglia blinked at her with innocent yet slightly dim-witted eyes and confidently replied,
"Of course! You came to bust me out and restore my freedom!"
"There's no way you actually committed a crime and got locked up here too, right?"
Tartaglia was just joking, but when he saw Arlecchino's silence, his expression froze.
"Arlecchino, that's not funny!"
"Isn't it kind of embarrassing for two Harbingers to end up in a Fontaine prison together?"
Arlecchino took a critical hit.
The two Harbingers stood in the shadows of the Fortress of Meropide, staring at each other in an awkward silence.
Meanwhile, in the real world—
Players who were roleplaying as Tartaglia in the Fortress of Meropide also witnessed the two Harbingers' meeting and learned that they had both been imprisoned.
Arlecchino's inner thoughts and her actual actions remained a mystery.
From Tartaglia's perspective, he had simply seen Arlecchino suddenly appear in the Fortress of Meropide.
But when Tartaglia refused to be bailed out and then found out that Arlecchino was also a prisoner, the players couldn't hold back their laughter.
The two of them staring at each other, utterly bewildered, was simply too hilarious for the audience.
"Ahahaha—!"
CatCatEatsNoMedicine slapped her thigh, letting out a honking laugh.
"Guys, I already thought Tartaglia getting locked up was funny enough."
"But I never expected two Harbingers to end up in prison together—this conversation is pure comedy!"
"The livestream is delivering peak entertainment!"
CatCatEatsNoMedicine wiped her mouth. Before this scene, she had been drinking water.
It was only through sheer willpower that she managed not to spit it all over her computer.
Instead, she ended up coughing all over the floor.
—
[Comments from the chat:]
"These Harbingers are killing me with laughter."
"My Arlecchino got locked up too! Her expression almost cracked when she heard what Tartaglia said!"
"Tartaglia's face: 'What the hell is going on!?'"
"It's like Fontaine just doesn't vibe with the Fatui."
"A new legendary moment—The Harbingers' Fontaine Reunion!"
"Is Tartaglia teaching Arlecchino the art of surviving in prison?"
—
As the players laughed over this peak comedic moment, they also started speculating about why Arlecchino had been imprisoned.
CatCatEatsNoMedicine confidently proposed her theory,
"Listen, I think Arlecchino got herself arrested on purpose."
"Unlike Tartaglia, who's just a hot-blooded young man always looking for a fight, Arlecchino—our Dark Eula—clearly operates with careful strategy."
"If she's here, she must have a secret mission."
"Think about why the Fatui Harbingers are assigned to different nations."
"It's to obtain the Archons' Gnosis."
"So what if Arlecchino's investigation led her to believe that the Hydro Archon's Gnosis is hidden in the Fortress of Meropide? She could've deliberately gotten arrested to complete her mission."
"When you put it that way, her presence here makes perfect sense!"
—
[Chat reactions:]
"Damn, that actually makes a lot of sense!"
"Streamer, you're a genius—why wasn't I born with your analytical skills?"
"Hey, I was gonna say that! Let me post it instead!"
"I was about to say the same thing, but she beat me to it!"
—
"But then, how did Arlecchino get herself arrested?"
A viewer posed the million-dollar question.
CatCatEatsNoMedicine read the comment, then calmly responded,
"Based on all available information, if we analyze everything carefully…"
"And if we think it through logically…"
"We'll arrive at one solid conclusion—"
"Even I have no clue!"
—
[Chat:]
"Ugh, seriously?!"
"I waited all this time just for that!?"
"Refund my time! I'm enraged!"
—
As Tartaglia and Arlecchino stood at the corner, locked in a staredown, the blonde-haired traveler also opened her eyes in bed. By fate's design, she had arrived just in time to find herself standing near the pair.
"Huh? Tartaglia, who are you speaking to?"
Paimon peeked at Arlecchino standing before Tartaglia, slightly fearful, and hid behind Lumine.
Lumine eyed Arlecchino warily; her unique attire, appearance, and eyes made it clear she was no ordinary person.
"Ah, companion, don't be so cautious," Tartaglia interjected, playing the role of mediator as he introduced his colleague to the traveler.
"This is Arlecchino, the Fourth Seat of the Fatui Harbingers. Her codename is The Knave."
Tartaglia remained unfazed, but to Lumine and Paimon, this was akin to being told they were standing face-to-face with a formidable boss character.
"The Fatui's... Fourth Seat?!" Paimon's eyes widened in shock, her voice squeaking out loud.
Lumine's eyes also bulged as she instinctively drew her sword.
From being beaten by the Lady in Mondstadt, clashing with Childe in Liyue and fighting him back, confronting the Lady again in Inazuma, battling Scaramouche in Sumeru, and engaging in a game of wits with the Doctor, Lumine now faced a new Fatui Harbinger—one that couldn't help but spark thoughts of another impending battle.
Arlecchino crossed her arms, calmly observing this renowned traveler with steady composure.
"Hello, Traveler."
"Perhaps you're feeling cautious around me for now, but please believe me — at least for the moment, our goals align."
Lumine probed, "You're here to investigate the cause of Tartaglia's Vision going out of control as well?"
Arlecchino: "..."
Glancing at Tartaglia, Arlecchino's eye twitched slightly. She couldn't understand what he was thinking — how could he not realize how serious this situation was?
But seeing how guarded the Traveler seemed toward her, Arlecchino decided to just go along with it.
"That's right. Exactly as you've guessed."
Tartaglia looked puzzled. "Huh? But didn't you just—"
Smack! Tartaglia's mouth was suddenly covered.
Lumine & Paimon: o_O?
With a smile, Arlecchino said, "I saw a mosquito just now. It's gone now, so let's keep talking."
Tartaglia, who had just been slapped, blinked his wide, innocent eyes in confusion. He couldn't figure out what he had said wrong.
Arlecchino was about to die from second-hand embarrassment.
Taking a deep breath, she turned back to Lumine.
"Apologies. You mentioned the Vision going out of control earlier — could you explain the background and any clues you've discovered?"
"That way, I can better help you."
Tartaglia: "Why not ask me? I know too."
Arlecchino: "...Shut up!"
Lumine and Paimon exchanged glances, feeling like they were learning something new. So this is how Fatui Harbingers interact with each other…
The last time she saw two Harbingers face-to-face, it was Scaramouche and Dottore — and Scaramouche had clearly wanted to tear Dottore to pieces.
But now, Tartaglia and Arlecchino were putting on a whole different kind of show. Lumine instinctively retracted her sword, wide-eyed, and settled into the role of a curious bystander.
As for the actual conversation, she left it to Paimon — since Paimon would say everything she was thinking anyway.
After listening to Tartaglia and Paimon's back-and-forth explanation, Arlecchino finally grasped the whole situation.
"Interesting. A Vision going out of control… This is unprecedented."
"The whale you mentioned, and the clues you sensed in the Fortress of Meropide — they're clearly connected."
"It's possible that the whale is right beneath the Fortress of Meropide. Even if it isn't, it's definitely linked."
Arlecchino analyzed the situation with precision. Seeing Tartaglia obediently following orders made her feel a bit frustrated.
"So basically, you've been wasting time."
"If it's connected to a Vision going out of control, then it's definitely not something ordinary people would know about."
"You've been investigating in the wrong direction from the very beginning."
"You shouldn't be looking into local rumors — you should be investigating the Fortress of Meropide itself!"
Arlecchino's deduction struck Lumine and Tartaglia like a lightning bolt — a sudden realization that made everything fall into place.
Finally, they had a clear direction!
If they wanted to uncover the Fortress of Meropide's history, they'd have to ask someone who knew the truth.
With Fontaine's top three officials absent, the only person who could answer their questions…
…was Duke Wriothesley, the current ruler of the Fortress of Meropide.
"But before we act, I have one more question."
Lumine turned toward Arlecchino, her amber eyes filled with curiosity and suspicion.
"I know this might be a bit intrusive, but… why exactly are you here in the Fortress of Meropide? What did you do to get locked up?"
Tartaglia also turned toward Arlecchino, clearly curious about the answer.
Paimon's expression brightened as she realized there was juicy gossip incoming. She gave Lumine a mischievous look that said, This is gonna be good!
Arlecchino's expression tensed for a moment, then she decided to be direct.
"Actually… I tried to assassinate the Hydro Archon."
Lumine, Paimon, and Tartaglia all remained perfectly calm.
"Oh… so you ate the Hydro Archon's cake too, huh?"
Arlecchino crossed her arms, her gaze wandering. "No… I almost killed Furina…"
"AH—!?" ×3
All three of them shouted in unison, eyes wide with disbelief, as if they had just heard a ghost story.