บท 15: The Second Aide
Snezhnaya was over the most northern area of Teyvat, with an immense surface that easily doubled the size of the other nations. This made traveling between nations time and resource-consuming, even with Snezhnaya's mechanical cars and technology.
Even at the quickest, to travel from Snezhnaya's capital to over Liyue's Harbor it would take a pair of weeks, needing to cross most the Snezhnaya's region before reaching the sea where a ship would transport towards Liyue.
Having obtained the mission to go to Liyue, Allen didn't waste time, hurriedly leaving via carriage towards Vladivostok, the most important and biggest port city from Snezhnaya from where most people and merchandising entered the nation, causing it an explosive growth, becoming the second most important city as the main commercial hub.
Reaching Vladivostok, Allen was surprised by the bursting city and attracted by the people movements and cheerful air.
Before going, Allen was taught a little about the city by Alina. Vladivostok was considered one of the greatest trading hubs only falling lower against Liyue's Harbor. All of these, thanks to Pantalone's management who was in charge of the city, being something like its governor even when strangely, Pantalone rarely visited the city, preferring to base over the capital, staying there most of the time.
As could be expected from a city managed by a merchant like Pantalone, a person's standing was determined by money instead of strength like the capital. It could be seen as fairer or at least less dominating, but in Allen opinion, it wasn't much different. Having lived in a world controlled by Capitalism, he knew the hidden danger of it, the rich becoming richer while the poor, poorer, having only leftovers to live and keep moving the economy's wheel.
Anyway, even when money was so important, it didn't undervalue strength, Allen being on the receiving end of the respectful gazes while he wore his Ice Mage Cicin's uniform. However, he couldn't help to be wary of the smiling faces of the different merchants. While Allen was unable to see through them, they were too calm, most probably used to dealing with troops and even trying to benefit from them.
Allen crossed over the city, directly going to the main port where he would join the group to start the mission.
The Rite of Descension was an annual occasion from Liyue, when the god in charge of the nation, one of The Seven and the Geo Archon, Morax, descends to the city, giving them instructions on how to manage the city and the commerce over the next year.
As Liyue was the main commercial hub of the continent, this would determine next year global economy, even Snezhnaya needing to adapt to it.
That way, the group sent by Snezhnaya was in charge of attending it and preparing for the results of the rite.
Allen finally reached the port, stopping over a large ship where some group was already over it. There were clearly two groups of people in it. One was wearing sailor's uniforms and should be the group in charge of the ship while the others wore Faitui's combat suits, mostly skirmishers with some elite troops.
However, there was a single person that stood up over the group. He wore red robes of incredible quality that seemed to shout expensive and he was wearing a very distinct mask with a long nose that covered his face completely, only revealing his deep dark pink eyes and pitch black hair
"Oh! It seems that the last one finally arrived" The masked man was the one who talked, directly facing Allen. By his voice is sounded quite young, not being over 20 years "Our little "Guard" is finally here" He highlighted the guard part, even making a quotation mark with his fingers.
"We are all ready, let's immediately depart!" The young man commanded while spinning his body making an exaggerated move with his arms extended.
Everyone quickly moved inside the ship, even pushing Allen in it, clearly showing that the young man was in charge of the group.
"You come with me" Just as Allen stepped over the ship, the masked man gripped him by the shoulders pushing him inside a cabin. The cabin was quite luxurious, with two sofas facing each other with a glass table between them and a bar cabinet at a side, all decorated with red and golden patterns and a door at the end that went towards another room, most probably a bedroom.
Allen stood completely still, not really knowing how to react while the masked man went towards the cabinet, prepared a cup of what seemed whisky, and sat over one of the sofas while stretching all his body, putting his feet on the table. Finally, he sipped a little of the cup before looking directly at Allen, completely unmoved except for him stirring the cup over his hand.
"I am Allen. I look forward to working with you" Allen said reading his intentions.
"A little bland" The masked man said with a bored tone before he stood up, leaving the cup over the table. "I am Aleksei" The man made an incredibly wide reverence, twisting multiple time his right hand "It's a pleasure. Haha" He said with a short laugh before returning to his lying position.
"Alina hadn't taught you really well" Aleksai spatted "Oh? And for your knowledge, it's working for not with."
"The term with in correct in this case. As while is true that I will work as your guard, I had not been hired by you. The order being directly by lord Pantalone." Allen said coldly, hiding the pissing looks of him talking bad about Alina.
Alina is the only person with whom he had made a bond during this new life, being the only one qualified to have his truth, so of course, he would be pissed if they talked bad about her.
"Can I know the reason for you to bring me here?" Allen asked.
"You truly had been taught by her" Aleksei laughed again "Haha. I had read your informs and progress and it's clear as the day that you will be useless as my guard, so I wanted to see if you had some use as a talking partner to make the travel more interesting."
"So interest?" Allen mumbled.
"First of all, you can calm down. Take out your mask and sat over." Aleksei offered.
Allen followed his words. He was sure that he was informed about his true face, so it was useless to wear it.
"Shouldn't you also take your mask?" Allen asked.
"This mask?" Aleksei tipped his left chin "I'm sorry but I'm unable to show you my handsome face."
Allen wanted to retort, talking about politeness but Aleksei's next statement shut him down "I'll need to always wear this mask under Pantalone's order."
"Can I know why?"
"It's a penalty for losing the game" Aleksei answered like it was nothing "I'll need to wear until I learn."
"A game?"
"Before anything else, what had Alina taught you about me?" Aleksei asked.
"Nothing much. Just like her, you are one of Pantalone's three main aides, directly working under him and possibly being his successor. And that you are quite laidback, so there's not much need for formalities" Allen answered. Of course, Alina had informed him about Aleksei who is the one being guarded and he had been taught far more information that he would not expose to Aleksei, the words idiot, nerd and lazy appearing more than once.
"If you didn't know about the mask, you won't know about our games. Alina really hid a lot from you." Aleksei said "Once three months, if we aren't busy with important missions, of course, the three aides play a game of poker under Pantalone's watch."
"In it, Pantalone observes our facial and corporal moves and points us to our performance, hiding our cards and intentions while tricking the others" Aleksei explained "It's not important to win or lose, but how you hide your emotions. If you pass the exam, you don't have a need to wear a mask and if you don't, you can never take it out until the next test."
"There's really a need of a mask?" Allen asked "I think that it would make others doubt and be aware of you, being unproductive even when hiding your emotions."
"True. But Pantalone likes to follow the customs" Aleksei explained "Are you aware that Pantalone is the only one Harbinger that doesn't wear a mask?" Allen nodded "So you are wrong!" Aleksei retorted "His face is his own mask. A complete control over his face, hiding his true being. The perfect 'mask' that helps him in his endeavors. So until you create that perfect mask, we are forced to wear one. As for a possible future Pantalone, it's a sin to show our real face."
"Interesting" Allen said with a bored tone "So you are so incompetent that you are forced to wear a mask."
"Haha" Aleksei laughed "Yeah, but I won't call it incompetence, I would call it humanity. I prefer to keep my own emotions and be able to show them than turn myself into an inhuman monster with a perfect human mask." Aleksei paused for a second and his eyes seemed to glow a little "Like Alina."
"So it was that" Allen nodded "You want to turn me against Alina, not trusting her."
"Trust is something necessary for a merchant, but is something false, the truth being that no one of use deserves it, at least no good merchant. Hahaha" Aleksei laughed "Alina is a monster, forming a perfect mask at 14 years, only a year with Pantalone." Aleksei informed "I only tell you to not trust her, everyone of her actions is perfectly controlled."
"You really are the same" Allen sighed "Why such obsession to make me overthink and stress me. When the truth is that there's nothing to win."
"So Alina also played with you. Haha" Aleksei laughed it off "I suppose is funny to tease young boys, especially the ones that think that they are too intelligence, that intelligence only being naivety." He said with a deep voice.
"Have you finished?" Allen said pissing, wanting to finish the conversation. Somehow, he had a bad feeling about the young man in front of him, his instincts telling him it wasn't good company. He seemed similar to Alina but completely different in the end. "If yes, I will leave for now." Allen stood up.
"You are too boring. Haha" Aleksei said gripping his own head "Before leaving, take this with you" Aleksei threw a letter at Allen who quickly took it. It was a closed envelope that contained a certain volume.
"What is this?"
"This is Alina's information" Aleksei explained "This is Alina's past. When you met her again try to ask her about it. Then, compare her information with this, you will discover how deceitful she can be."
Allen looked at the envelope and hid it inside his coat, going towards the exit.
"Oh? One last thing, don't open it until she informs you" Aleksei warmed "If you know before, she would be able to read it in you, making this little experiment useless. Have a good trip. Haha."
Just as Allen left the room, he supported over a wall and clenched his head "Are they really playing like this with 9 years old children, they surely are nuts!" he whispered for himself "But growing like this, normal that they finish so broken." Allen sighed "Let's pray for the third aide to be more normal or a would be unable to endure it."
Allen looked over the ship, the huge sea extending over the horizon "It would be a long journey."
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