At those words, the corner of Tartaglia's mouth twitched.
Even the professionally trained Fatui soldiers standing on either side trembled slightly, apparently taken aback.
The Tsaritsa raised an eyebrow, and a flicker of emotion finally appeared in her ice-blue eyes. "Oh? Why do you want to become a Harbinger?"
"Because Harbingers get to go on missions in other nations."
Bai You tilted her head up, her face earnest. "And they get lots of Mora every month! I want to use the Mora to take my good friend to all the different nations, eat delicious food, and see beautiful scenery!"
The audience chamber fell silent for a few seconds.
Tartaglia was dumbfounded, wondering if he was dreaming.
The Tsaritsa looked at her without smiling or getting angry. She simply watched her quietly for quite a while.
During that time, she noticed Bai You's ears, but after a moment's thought, paid them no further attention.
After a while, the Tsaritsa's voice remained even. "So you want to become a Harbinger for the fun of it?"
"Having fun is important!" Bai You said confidently. "There are six other nations in Teyvat besides Snezhnaya."
"The free, open wilderness of Mondstadt, the Xiao lanterns of Liyue, the cherry blossoms of Inazuma, the rainforests of Sumeru, the seas of Fontaine, and the volcanoes of Natlan-I want to see them all! And don't Harbingers get funding when they go to other nations? Wouldn't that mean I could travel at public expense?"
The Tsaritsa fell silent.
She looked at Bai You's earnest little face. A faint, almost imperceptible trace of shock and curiosity flashed through her ice-blue eyes, but they soon grew calm again.
"Travel at public expense," she repeated softly, her tone betraying neither pleasure nor anger.
"And this letter," the Tsaritsa said slowly, gently picking up the invitation lying beside her chair. "Where did you get it?"
Bai You didn't know how to explain it for a moment. After some thought, she figured she was probably being taken for an innocent, sweet, adorably silly child, so she could only keep making things up.
"I picked it up out in the wild earlier, and then I saw what looked like the word 'Tsaritsa' written on it, so I came here."
"..."
The Tsaritsa looked at her for a long time, seemingly pondering something.
She looked at her for so long that Bai You began to wonder if she shouldn't have made up such a story.
Then the Tsaritsa spoke. "I can give you a chance."
The Tsaritsa's voice came from the throne, as calm and untroubled as a frozen lake.
Bai You lifted her head, her eyes sparkling. "What kind of chance? Please tell me, Your Majesty!"
Her voice rang with undisguised anticipation, and her little face wore an expression that plainly said, "I'm ready." She had no idea what she was about to face.
The Tsaritsa looked at her, her ice-blue eyes unreadable.
She raised a hand, her fingertips glowing faintly with cold light, and pointed at Tartaglia, who stood nearby.
"Defeat him."
Three simple words, yet they were like a boulder thrown into a tranquil lake.
The entire audience chamber fell silent in an instant, so quiet that the sound of snowflakes falling outside could be heard.
Tartaglia stood where he was.
For a moment, he thought he had misheard.
Defeat him?
This girl, who looked barely into her teens, whose arms were as slender as lotus roots and who could be blown over by a gust of wind, was supposed to defeat him?
Has she never heard of me? I may be the lowest-ranked Harbinger, but I'm pretty well-known.
Come to think of it, I didn't introduce myself either. I thought she knew.
He narrowed his eyes slightly, his blue eyes full of surprise.
But he quickly suppressed it, and his face returned to its usual nonchalant expression.
The Tsaritsa's decision was unexpected, but not enough to make him completely lose his composure.
This is too unusual. Her Majesty just wants to scare the girl into going home obediently. She won't really make me fight her.
He looked down again at Bai You's small figure-she barely reached his chest, with a cute face and big eyes that made her look utterly harmless.
She reminded him of his little sister.
Could she defeat him?
Don't be ridiculous.
Tartaglia shook his head inwardly, but let nothing show on his face.
He raised his head again and looked at the Tsaritsa on her throne, quietly waiting for her to continue.
Bai You froze for a moment, then nodded vigorously, her little face full of determination. "Okay! I'll give it a try!"
Her clear, bright voice echoed through the spacious audience chamber.
This time, Tartaglia whipped his head around to look at her.
His composed expression completely collapsed.
His eyes widened, his blue eyes full of disbelief, and his mouth hung slightly open, as if he had just heard something utterly absurd.
"Wait, wait-" He said "wait" several times, his voice full of disbelief. "What did you say? A real fight?"
"Of course it's a real fight," Bai You said, looking up at him as though it were obvious. "Her Majesty said I can become a Harbinger if I defeat you. How can I become one if I don't fight?"
Tartaglia opened his mouth, but for a moment he couldn't think of anything to say.
He turned to look at Her Majesty the Tsaritsa again, only for her to nod gently as well.
Tartaglia was completely baffled. What on earth was going on today?
He instinctively pinched his own cheek and found that it hurt.
But he had never seen a little girl of twelve or thirteen, when faced with him, a Fatui Harbinger-
Not only was she unafraid, she wore an expression that said "I'm ready," eager to fight him. He might love a good fight, but it depended on who he was fighting.
Did this girl not know how to spell "death"?
"But you're so young..." Tartaglia frowned, a hint of helplessness in his voice.
"How can I fight a child? What if I hurt you?"
He really didn't want to fight.
He gave his all in every battle and took every opponent seriously.
But this little girl in front of him?
She didn't even look strong enough to lift a weapon. Was she going to run up to him and give him a soft little punch?
If he really fought her, even a little force might send her flying.
If word got out that the lowest-ranked Fatui Harbinger had bullied a girl in her teens, how could he, Tartaglia, show his face?
He turned to the Tsaritsa, seemingly wanting to confirm it.
"That is an order."
The Tsaritsa's voice carried unquestionable authority.
The temperature in the audience chamber seemed to drop another few degrees, and even the frost patterns on the walls shone a little brighter.
He had followed the Tsaritsa for so many years that he knew the temperament of this god of ice all too well-she really was making him fight.
He simply wondered to himself: who exactly was this little girl, for Her Majesty to go this far today?
But on second thought, the little girl had been crying and making a fuss outside. She was clearly just an ordinary girl.
He sighed, dropped to one knee, and placed his right hand over the left side of his chest. "...Yes, Your Majesty."
As he stood, he glanced at Bai You again, his expression complicated.
He hoped the girl wouldn't be frightened into tears by him later. If that happened, he wouldn't know how to deal with the mess.
Would he have to beg Columbina to sing and soothe her??? The more he thought about it, the more troubling it became.
Thinking of the Tsaritsa's order, he could only steel himself and go through with it. He hoped she really wouldn't be frightened.
He then walked to the center of the audience chamber and made a show of loosening his wrists and neck, his joints cracking.
Then he stood straight, clasped his hands behind his back, and struck a pose that said, "I'll go easy on you."