Liyue Harbor, again

"Now that we have arrived, I have some personal affairs. You can spend your time as you wish" As the group arrived at Liyue Harbor, Allen decided to leave Fischl and Endora while doing some matters with the Fatui.

"Okay, I'll rather avoid that type of affair" Contrary to his thoughts, Fischl did not try to follow, wanting to stay away from the Fatui.

'She avoids any matter with the Abyss Order and the Fatui, most probably her problems are heavily related to Celestia' Allen thought, but did not enquire, thanking her to take care of Endora who was better to keep away from that world.

Allen unleashed his Delusion, turning to her Columbina mode and walked across the bursting streets of Liyue reaching the Northland Bank. Entering it, Allen went to the nearest counter completely ignoring the line of people.

"Sorry, ma'am. But you have to follow the line or-" While keeping a perfect professional smile, the receptionist tried to make Allen back up, however, as Allen put her Fatui emblem with the characteristic crying dove on the desk, the receptionist froze, her smile breaking.

"M-my apologizes, my Lady" She bowed her head respectfully.

"I wish to talk with the one in charge" Allen stated.

"As you wish, my Lady. I will guide you immediately" The clerk quickly left her position and started guiding Allen through the bank "Please, follow me."

In the basement of the bank, they reached a golden door seemingly made of pure gold and without any keyhole or doorknob.

"Wait for a moment, I will present you" The receptionist stepped forward, prepared to knock on the door but as she was about to hit it, the door opened.

From the door, a man surged. He was a handsome and tall man with fair skin and short brown hair with amber tips.

Allen's and the man's eyes instantly met, both stopping for a second as they glared at each other. Allen seemed to be attracted to his eyes, they were amber with yellow diamond-shaped pupils that reflected intelligence and experience, showing that he was someone special.

"If you excuse me" The man nodded accepting their existence and left through the hall while calmly walking with his hands at his back and a scholarly air around him.

"Ekaterina you can return to your post" From the open door, a man surged wearing a big smile on his face. Someone that Allen had not seen in the last 4 years and he was extremely glad of that fact, Aleksei.

"Yes, sir" The receptionist bowed to both before returning.

"Come, let's have a private talk" Aleksei entered the room "Welcome to my workshop!" He presented grandiosely opening his arms as he showed the room.

"I did not expect you to work in this kind of place" Allen thought that it would be some office, but as Aleksei said, it was more of a workplace, with flasks, a furnace and all kinds of materials lying around.

"As Lord Pantalone, I am also an alchemist, so I need a place to work. Who do you think created these babies?" Aleksei smiled as he showed his two guns on his hip "I'm not like Alina who is only good at hiding away." Aleksei looked attentively at Allen, trying to see his reaction to not vail, Allen not expressing anything.

"I see..." Allen looked around the room and her gaze instantly fell over the end of the room where something that seemed to be a brown-amber lizard's tail was there.

Approaching it, Allen instantly knew what it was "Is this Morax?"

"Oh? So you knew what it was." Aleksei nodded impressed "I'm creating a copy of Morax with alchemy for some client."

"Was the client Morax itself? He left from your workshop now" Allen stated as she glared at Aleksei "Are you collaborating to fake his death?"

Aleksei's answer was a big smile "Your eyes and mind had become sharper, Allen. Or should I call you Columbina? Or you might prefer Coleen."

"Whatever," Allen stated keeping her cool.

"You've become boring, Allen. Could it be for Columbina? How much of her are you now?" Aleksei looked over her before sitting on a nearby chair and crossed his fingers "So what's the reason of you coming here?"

"You should be aware of my plan to go to Inazuma." Allen glared at him "I only came to know more about the changes and movements over there to prepare for my trip."

"And here I thought that you wanted to talk with an old friend. Now that you have become a Harbinger and your rank is higher, have you forgotten about the poor me?" Aleksei cried, a tear falling from his eyes "I've never had even the opportunity to congratulate you about your promotion and Ellen's well-being."

"Can we stop your acts?" Allen stated coldly "As you said I am a higher ranking, so simply follow my orders."

"What a tyrant have you become!" Aleksei laughed "You have been periodically updated on what happened there, knowing full well how that little Priestess is working to keep the war at bay while accumulating victories and increasing her strength. If there's something that had changed recently should the close of our maritime route to the islands."

"What happened?" Allen was unsure. The private route that used Enkanomiya as the gate was incredibly important to send support and gain control over Inazuma, a lot of her plans needing from it and being the primary reason for the Hiiragi Clan's support. Allen was precisely trying to use that route to enter Inazuma as it was safer and more hidden than traveling across the lightning storm. 

"It happened quite shortly so we are only aware that some problem has appeared over Enkanomiya. But it could be related to this..." Aleksei went to a nearby desk and took an envelope from a drawer and gave it to Allen.

Allen opened it and read the letter within. It was from Kokomi and informed that some strange group had started appearing over Enkanomiya and was starting to cause problems. In the letter, Kokomi ended up requesting Allen's help to deal with them, plus his cooperation for a future campaign at Inazuma, needing his direct action.

"What do you think of this?" Allen asked Aleksei.

"I don't know what is about as I have not read the letter" Aleksei answered clearly lying "But I will do my best to prepare everything necessary for your travel, my Lady" He said with a huge grin.

"I can take it as everything is ready?" Allen inquired.

"Yes, the ship and crew are ready, but even I am unaware of the possible problems that closed the route of Enkanomiya, you should be wary of it. Not that it would cause much problem to one of the Harbingers, no?" He lifted an eyebrow.

"I'll take care of it" Allen read one last time the letter before putting it in his clothes 'What is Kokomi planning?'

"So when are you planning to leave?" Aleksei finally asked.

"She has yet to arrive... so at least two days" Allen informed "Have it all prepared by that time."

"I will" Aleksei nodded "I have already prepared your accommodation for both, Allen and Columbina, so you can rest there as you wish. You are free to do whatever you want, but please, try not to meddle in others' affairs."

"Are you ordering me, Aleksei?" Allen glared at him.

"I'm merely advising you, ma'am." Aleksei said with a grin.

'Is it worth it?' Allen stopped for a second, thinking of punishing Aleksei, but in the end desisted, knowing the possible problems of injuring the disciple of a Harbinger and the one in charge of the Fatui's operations in Liyue. 'I need his help for now, but if he passes the line...' Allen glared one last time at Aleksei before turning around and leaving the room.

"So you are keeping your revenge?" Aleksei grinned as he flipped a Mora "Good movement."

...

"Your Excellency, I can't understand your decision." Over the Sangonomiya Shrine, the secretary asked Kokomi politely "Why had you forbidden any investigation of Enkanomiya but you sent that letter to sir Allen."

"It's simply the best option" Kokomi explained as she looked over a chessboard in front of her "Leave me some time alone."

"Yes" She bowed and left her room.

"It doesn't matter how many pawns I have, I cannot win against the enemy's King" She fixed her gaze on the enemy black King before turning towards a white pawn near the black King, patting it with her index finger "Allen, use this test. Show me that you have the potential to become a hero."

"But!" Kokomi quickly turned around towards a notebook "I need to think if he is not to my standards, what would be the best draw... Should I try that...? Or it will be better to force both armies to destruction?" A big smile appeared over Kokomi as thousands of alternatives were being created in her mind "I need to create the best plan!"

That night, the lights in her room did not turn off and the next day she was too sleepy to appear.

...

'How will Allen move these days?' Aleksei mumbled to himself as he walked through the streets of Liyue, surrounded by his guards.

'I suppose that is nothing now, but it's better to keep them away to be safe as the last ti-' "!" Just as he was immersed in his thoughts, he suddenly leaped to one side.

*Swiff* From the shadows, a spearhead surged followed by a masked person, and with Aleksei's quick movement, he barely avoided a fatal attack as the spear narrowly missed piercing through his stomach.

"HG!" BANG! With a growl of pain, Aleksei managed to shoot at the assailant, who quickly disappeared from the scene before being stopped by the guards.

"Ah!" Aleksei growled as he fell to the ground, clenching his wound tightly while trying to keep his consciousness.

...

"What can I do today?" Allen woke up the next day in her prepared room, with Fischl and Endora sleeping over another inn "Shall I visit her?"

*Knock!* *knock!* Allen turned over the door as someone knocked loudly.

"Lady Columbina, it's an emergency!"

Allen went towards the door, opening and seeing a hurriedly Fatui Scout "What happened?"

"Someone has attacked sir Aleksei this morning. He is in a critical condition!"