"I suppose you've already guessed that I knew the Fatui sent Rosalyne to Mondstadt with the mission of seizing the Anemo Archon Barbatos's Gnosis. Hm... In fact, I possess more intelligence than you might imagine," Shen Qin said calmly.
Tartaglia remained noncommittal. "And what does that have to do with our transaction?"
"Of course it matters. As you know, that woman Rosalyne caused me a lot of trouble. Her behavior was overbearing and erratic, seriously disrupting my peaceful, daily life," Shen Qin said, clearly annoyed. "My request is simple: I want her to leave Mondstadt immediately. Since I'll be handing the Gnosis to you, there's no longer any reason for her to stay here."
Tartaglia thought for a few seconds before agreeing readily. "Alright. I'll report this request to headquarters. I can't think of any reason we would refuse."
Getting Rosalyne to kneel and apologize might be hard, but just asking her to leave Mondstadt? That was no big deal.
She was probably tired of reporting to the Knights of Favonius daily anyway. She might even welcome the chance to leave.
"But obviously, that request alone doesn't match the value of a Gnosis. Go on, tell me your real goal."
Shen Qin smiled. "Rosalyne is just a side note. My main goal is to trade the Gnosis for 25% of the shares in the Northland Bank."
"Are you insane?" Tartaglia was stunned. "Do you have any idea how much Mora does 25% of the Northland Bank is worth?"
"Do you have any idea how much a Gnosis is worth?" Shen Qin asked back.
"..."
Tartaglia was speechless. The value of a Gnosis clearly couldn't be measured in Mora. It represented the supreme authority of a god over one of the seven nations, and each Gnosis held a unique and immense elemental power. In truth, it was likely worth more than the entire Northland Bank.
"Also, I won't interfere with the bank's operations. I'll only take yearly dividends. For any financial matters, I expect to receive the same treatment as a Snezhnayan top official."
Seeing him hesitate, Shen Qin sweetened the deal further. "Tell me, how do you view the profits from my cooperation with the Dawn Winery? If I launch more alchemical products in the future, could this commercial empire surpass the Northland Bank in value?"
'Of course it could.' Tartaglia affirmed in his heart.
The flying hoverboard, bionic limbs, and healing spray. These three products alone had already pushed the Shen Qin and Dawn Winery partnership to a market valuation equal to a fifth of the Northland Bank. If Shen Qin launched five or six more successful products and expanded to just three more countries, he'd far surpass the bank's worth.
But the Northland Bank wasn't just a money-making tool. It was a vital foothold for the Fatui across Teyvat. It is more like an intelligence network than a financial institution.
'Was a Gnosis really worth letting an outsider own part of it?'
"You don't need to decide right away," Shen Qin said, seeing Tartaglia's struggle. "You've got a few days to discuss with Snezhnaya headquarters. But once you return, I expect Rosalyne to be reassigned immediately. If she does anything else to annoy me, this deal is off."
'That was clearly a dismissal.' Tartaglia could only sigh.
From the very beginning, Shen Qin had taken control of the conversation. But before leaving, he asked the one question that had been bothering him for a while.
"...That gift you gave me last time… Did you pick it specifically?"
He stared into Shen Qin's eyes, hoping for a genuine answer.
"There's a boy named Timmy on the bridge at the gates of Mondstadt. He loves pigeons. So I gave him a mechanical pigeon. Diona at the Cat's Tail tavern is like a little cat, so I gave her a mechanical cat."
"My goal in developing mechanical pets was simple: to ensure they could provide companionship. True companionship shouldn't have any impurities mixed in."
"Also, as I said. I know more than you think."
Shen Qin's answer was roundabout, but Tartaglia understood.
"...Then, thank you. For the gift."
After Tartaglia left, Albedo blankly looked at Shen Qin. "You two talk in such convoluted circles. Can't you just get to the point?"
"Huh? Don't you think it's cool? It matches my image of how the Fatui operate," Shen Qin replied with a grin.
Albedo: "..."
Soon after, Sucrose returned with news, Venti and the others had fully repaired the Sky Harp. A final strategy meeting was being held at the Knights of Favonius headquarters, and she had come to get them.
Shen Qin placed the Gnosis inside Haro's belly compartment and brought it along to the Knights' headquarters.
Inside were the Knights, Diluc, Keqing, Venti, Lumine, and Paimon. Everyone has gathered.
Jean quickly laid out the plan:
That night, the Knights' main force would camp outside the barrier around Stormterror's Lair. The Sun's Annihilator would then be set up on the highest slope surrounding the lair.
At dawn, after Venti destroyed the barrier, the main force would sweep in to clear out the Abyss Order and monsters. Meanwhile, an elite squad would support Venti in dealing with Stormterror and lure him to the preset coordinates for the Sun's Annihilator's strike.
Once Stormterror was injured and weakened, the others would restrain him, allowing Lumine to perform the final purification.
"Hey, Shen, that Sun-whatever cannon—it won't kill Stormterror, will it?" Venti nudged Shen Qin in the ribs.
"It shouldn't. Stormterror isn't that weak, right?" Shen Qin replied with a playful blink.
"Hmm… in theory, he's nearly unkillable. He's a high-level elemental lifeform, not an ordinary dragon. As long as he has even a breath of wind, he can recover," Venti said seriously.
To him, "barely alive" was as good as "not dead." So it didn't matter how heavy the injuries were.
"Relax, one shot definitely won't kill him. Three or four though? That's less certain," Shen Qin added cheerfully.
"...How many shots did you prepare?"
"I've got just enough ammo for ten shots," Shen Qin replied with a gentle smile.
That night, after dinner, the Knights officially set out.
Jean led the way, flanked by Noelle and Lisa.
Captains marched with their squads behind them. Shen Qin, Albedo, Sucrose, and Lumine moved in the center, escorting the massive Sun's Annihilator. Behind them, Keqing led the Liyue Millelith and more Knight divisions.
This time, they didn't fly out of the Knights' base as usual.
They walked through Mondstadt's streets and departed from the city gates.
This was a long-standing Mondstadt tradition: when the Knights of Favonius launched a major campaign, they always marched on foot from headquarters to the city gates.
It was both a show of strength to inspire the people and a way to build the knights' momentum and resolve—step by step.