Led into a Pit

Xingsu followed Clorinde onto the path to Poisson.

The bustle unique to a small town, beautiful houses arranged at pleasing intervals, orderly lanes crisscrossing between them, a leisurely, peaceful atmosphere.

Really... it had none of those!

Xingsu felt as though Clorinde had led him into a pit.

A literal pit.

Unlike the town Xingsu had imagined, Poisson was built inside a huge cavern, and its architecture was completely different from that of the Court of Fontaine. The defining feature of every building in Poisson was... usability.

The tactful version: practical.

The blunt version: where did these cobbled-together houses come from?

Xingsu climbed down the stairs and silently surveyed his surroundings, quietly studying Poisson's houses and residents.

A few curious gazes did settle on Xingsu, but travelers and new arrivals streamed through Poisson all the time, so outsiders were hardly unusual. Besides, Clorinde was an old acquaintance of the boss here. After looking him over, those people turned their gazes away.

"Come along, Mr. Xingsu. I'll take you to see Mr. Callas and Miss Navia." Clorinde led the way. Xingsu came back to his senses and hurried after her.

Along the way, houses stood at irregular intervals, their iron walls stained with rust of varying shades by the damp, fishing nets and fabrics hanging from their windowsills to dry. Beside the waterway, several fishmongers stood by wooden tubs, loudly hawking their fresh catches as fish with gleaming silver scales thrashed about in buckets of clear water.

There was a constant flow of traffic along the roads. Workers carrying supplies shouldered wooden crates and sacks, weaving back and forth along the wet paths and occasionally exchanging greetings and idle chatter. It was lively, but not noisy.

Xingsu was brought to the largest building in Poisson, which resembled a ship. Clorinde knocked gently on the door. "This is the Spina di Rosula's headquarters. Mr. Callas and Miss Navia should be inside at this hour."

"Coming! Coming!" A bright, enthusiastic figure came out to greet them. It was Navia. "Clorinde? How come you have time to come hang out with me today? And this is...?"

Her skirt fluttered gently with her steps, and her radiant smile was infectious. Her curious eyes settled on Xingsu, looking him up and down.

"Good morning, Navia. I'm currently on official business. Is Mr. Callas inside? I have a few matters to discuss with him," Clorinde said.

"Oh, yes, Dad's inside. He just finished a meeting with Melus and the others." Navia's gaze shifted, settling curiously on Xingsu, and her voice suddenly dropped. "Honestly, Clorinde, I haven't seen you in a while, and suddenly you've brought a man back from outside."

Xingsu, standing beside them: Huh? Is... is that right?

Clorinde pressed a hand to her forehead helplessly and corrected her. "All right, Navia. He's a traveler from Sumeru, and he's going to be settled in Poisson. Stop making trouble..."

"Well, if it isn't Clorinde! What brings you to Poisson today? Huh? I haven't seen you in a while, and suddenly you've brought a man over from outside." Hearing the commotion, Callas also rose and came over, his gaze sweeping across the two as he teased them.

"...Mr. Callas, it's one thing for Navia to fool around, but even you..."

"Hahaha, all right, all right, just a joke. Don't keep such a stiff face all day, or you'll turn into a Jumpy Dumpty when you're old. Come on, let's go inside and talk." With that, he turned and led them in.

Xingsu followed the two into the Spina di Rosula's headquarters. Unlike the rough architectural style outside, the interior was simple and cozy, with a faint scent of roses lingering in the air.

"Navia, take this young man to that room and chat with him for a while. Clorinde and I have some business to discuss." As he spoke, Callas discreetly gave Navia a meaningful look.

"Got it, Dad." Navia immediately understood and winked playfully at him in acknowledgment.

Then she turned to Xingsu beside her with a bright, open smile. "Mr. Xingsu, please follow me."

Xingsu gave a slight nod. "Sorry for the trouble, Miss Navia." The two turned and headed toward the room to the side.

Once their footsteps had faded into the distance, only Callas and Clorinde remained in the hall. The light, teasing atmosphere dissipated, and Callas's expression grew serious.

"Tell me, just who is this traveler from Sumeru?"

"That's the general outline of his situation. You can decide where he belongs based on the circumstances, Mr. Callas. All I can do is bring him to Poisson. Whether the Spina di Rosula is willing to take him in, and what arrangements you provide, is your decision."

Callas tapped his fingertips lightly against the table, no longer looking as jovial as before, and fell briefly into thought.

"The Akademiya is hunting him, and on top of that, the Fatui's 'The Doctor' has set his sights on him... That's no small amount of trouble," he mused quietly. "Poisson has all sorts of people, so it certainly is a suitable hiding place. But accepting an outsider who has drawn the attention of multiple powers is the same as willingly taking on that risk."

"That's precisely why I chose to entrust him to you," Clorinde said calmly. "The Spina di Rosula has deep roots here, is well informed, and has enough strength to deal with prying outsiders."

Callas looked up at Clorinde and chuckled. "You very rarely take the initiative to get involved in matters like this. It seems this Mr. Xingsu really is worth your help."

"I simply don't wish to see someone devoted to scholarship become a political sacrifice." Clorinde did not elaborate. "Of course, if you ultimately decide to refuse, I can understand."

Callas slowly stood and walked to the window, looking out over the town he had managed for so many years.

"The Spina di Rosula was founded to shelter people with nowhere left to turn." He paused briefly, then made his decision. "I can let him stay in town for now. I'll also assign people to watch for outsiders searching for his whereabouts."

"A wise choice." Clorinde nodded slightly.

"However," Callas changed tack, "I'll arrange for Navia to spend more time with him, both to get a clear sense of his character and to keep us promptly informed of his movements. If he has any hidden intentions, we'll be able to prepare early."

Clorinde nodded to show she understood.

"Let's hope our judgment isn't wrong. Come on, let's see how things are going next door."

Meanwhile, on the other side...

"Really? That Consecrated Beast was that big and that powerful?" Navia listened intently as Xingsu told him stories of traveling through the desert, her eyes shining and her face full of undisguised curiosity and wonder.

Seeing how interested she was, Xingsu smiled faintly. "You can often encounter them in the sands around the Mausoleum of King Deshret. Their enormous skeletal frames charge through clouds of sand, and even experienced mercenary groups have to be extremely cautious when facing them. Fortunately, that time I found a spot behind a dune in time and lay in ambush. Our captain led us in striking directly at the Consecrated Beast's weak point, and only then did we kill that monster."

"Oh, oh, the first-strike advantage! I get it, I get it! One of these days, I'll bring you along and invite my friends to play Tabletop Troupe together. That's a lot of fun too!"

Callas opened the door and saw Navia gazing at Xingsu with admiration all over her face. An inexplicable, odd feeling welled up inside him.

Oh, my dear daughter! What are you doing? I told you to sound him out. How did it turn into this?