The square remained quiet for a long time.
The ice that had sealed Venti's feet began to melt little by little.
As the chill subsided, puddles of water remained on the stone slabs.
Ying, supporting herself on her sword, stood up, quickly walked to Venti's side, and knelt down.
" Venti! How are you?"
"I'm fine, I'm fine."
Venti swayed, sat up from the ground, and grinned as if nothing had happened.
"It just feels a little empty in my chest, but everything else is fine."
"A little free time?!" Paimon was so anxious he spun around in the air.
"That was the Gnosis! And that woman just... just took it away!"
"Hey, don't be so loud," Venti said, picking at her ear.
I don't really use it. Without it, I can still play the piano, drink alcohol, and lie on the grass sunbathing.
But--
"Okay, okay." Venti waved her hand and looked up.
Her emerald eyes curved into crescents as she looked at the five people still standing at the edge of the square.
His eyes lit up.
"Oh, aren't these some of the people from the concert the other day?"
He waved to them, "Come here, come here, what are you doing standing so far away?"
All five people ate one meal.
Bai You instinctively shrank back and hid behind Varesa.
Varesa glanced down at her, smiled, and took her hand.
Columbina followed behind, her gentle smile returning to her face.
Sandrone walked slowly, arms crossed.
Odette walked at the back, her face still slightly turned to the side, not looking at the center of the square.
Ying was taken aback when she saw them approaching, then she recognized them.
The concert in City of Mondstadt square a few nights ago.
Paimon recognized her too, and suddenly flew out from behind Ying.
"It's you guys!" Her voice was a mix of surprise and delight. "The one who sang! That concert was amazing!"
"Thank you, Paimon." Varesa smiled and waved at her, "We meet again."
"Hey hey, we meet again!" Paimon scratched his head, then suddenly remembered something.
His expression changed. "Wait—you guys were standing over there the whole time?"
"Hmm." Columbina nodded softly, "You watched a... play?"
"A play?!" Paimon stomped his feet in anger, "That's the Anemo Gnosis— "
"Okay, Paimon, don't be angry, don't be angry," Venti quickly smoothed things over, smiling at Columbina.
"The Third Seat of the Fatui' Harbinger, ' The Damselette ' and ' The Marionette,' why aren't you at the beach? What are you doing here at the cathedral entrance?"
He casually called out the seats.
The square fell silent for a moment.
Paimon's mouth opened, then slowly closed.
"... The third seat?" Her voice trembled. "What, the third seat?"
Venti blinked, as if only then realizing what she had said.
"Oh dear, don't you know? Their identities are quite extraordinary." He tilted his head and pointed at Columbina.
"This is the third seat of the Fatui Harbinger, the Damselette Columbina."
Then he pointed to Sandrone.
"This is the seventh seat, ' The Marionette ' Sandrone. She was the one operating the stage machinery that night."
Paimon's eyes widened, and his mouth formed an "O" shape.
"Foolish, Fatui Harbinger?!" She suddenly flew to Ying's side and grabbed her hair.
"Ying! They're the Fatui' Harbinger! They seem to be in cahoots with that ' La Signora ' Rosalyne from earlier!!!"
Ying's body tensed up instantly.
Her hand slammed onto the hilt of her sword, her gaze sharpening as she swept her eyes over Columbina and Sandrone.
A few nights ago, the guy who was wandering around near the stage turned out to be the third seat of the Fatui's Harbinger.
The one silently controlling the lighting mechanics backstage was actually the seventh seat.
She remembered that after the concert ended, Columbina was still smiling, a very gentle smile.
Thinking back on that smile now, it's so gentle it sends chills down my spine.
"... You are the Fatui." Ying's voice was low, carrying a hint of coldness from being deceived.
"We never said we weren't," Columbina said with her gentle smile and soft voice, as if saying, "What a lovely day."
"But—" Paimon was so anxious he was incoherent, "When you were at the concert, you clearly, clearly looked like ordinary singers and friends!"
"We were just... on vacation," Columbina tilted her head.
"Holding a concert is part of a vacation, you know. Even Harbinger need rest."
Sandrone snorted beside him but didn't say anything.
Venti watched all this with a smile, then added insult to injury.
"And there's little Bai You." His gaze fell on Bai You, who was hiding behind Varesa.
"According to the intelligence... he's also Harbinger, right?"
All eyes immediately turned to Bai You.
Bai You seemed a little embarrassed.
She clutched Varesa's clothes and whispered, "... um..."
He simply responded with a sound of agreement.
Paimon was speechless.
Three.
Three Fatui, the Harbinger.
Three of the people who were singing in the square a few nights ago, playing music with Venti, and smiling at the audience were actually Fatui' Harbinger.
Ying's fingers tightened around the sword hilt.
But she did not draw her sword.
From the moment the La Signora appeared until she left, the five people stood behind the pillar without approaching, intervening, or even making a sound.
If they wanted to make a move, that was their best opportunity.
They didn't.
"... What are you doing in Mondstadt?" Ying's voice was cold.
"Don't tell me it's just a vacation and concerts."
"It's just a vacation," Columbina answered matter-of-factly, even winking at her.
"I just happened to be here today and happened to see Rosalyne on a mission."
"Just a coincidence?"
"Well, it was a coincidence."
Ying looked at her without saying a word.
She didn't believe it.
But she also knew that now was not the time to pursue the matter.
She sensed that the other side had three Harbinger, and if a fight broke out, neither she nor Venti would come out on top.
Venti seemed to be having a hard time fighting that " La Signora " from before.
What's more, Venti just had her Gnosis stolen.
"Then why didn't you stop her?" Paimon couldn't hold back any longer, puffing up his cheeks in anger.
"That's the Anemo Gnosis! And you just stood by and watched?"
"No... I forgot... you should be considered accomplices."
"It's over, it's over!" Paimon said anxiously.
Sandrone scoffed.
" Rosalyne's task is none of our business," she said indifferently, arms crossed.
"Each Harbinger has their own tasks. Whoever's task is responsible for it—that's the rule."
But--
"Little Paimon is right," Columbina suddenly interrupted softly, her tone tinged with apology.
"Logically, we should indeed lend a hand. But according to the rules..."
She didn't finish her sentence; she simply shook her head slightly.
His expression suggested he genuinely regretted not being able to help.
Looking at her, Ke Ying felt that beneath that gentle exterior lay something unfathomable.
"Never mind, never mind," Venti waved her hand, trying to smooth things over.
"They didn't help her or me, which is already quite considerate."
"If all three Harbinger attacked together, I wouldn't even have a chance to make a move."
" Venti!" Paimon panicked.
"It's really nothing." Venti smiled at her, then looked at Varesa.
"Speaking of which, I changed two lines of the song we sang together that night. Maybe we can sing it again sometime?"
Varesa smiled, her eyes crinkling.
"Okay."
But Ying's hand was still on the hilt of the sword.
She looked at the five people, her mind racing with calculations.
The atmosphere relaxed a little.
"... So who is this person's true identity?" Ying's gaze fell on Odette.
Odette finally raised her eyes and glanced at her.
That glance was very faint.
"If I had to say, I belong to the Fatui too." She only said a few words and then fell silent.
"She's our companion," Columbina added with a smile.