บท 27: Crossing the Sea
"Tock! Tock!" Allen nocked the door.
"You can enter" With this word, Allen entered Pantalone's office. Pantalone as always stayed doing some work while different helpers were rumbling around trying to keep up his pace.
"Why did you call me?" Today was the day for his depart towards Inazuma, but just as he was about to leave, he was called by Pantalone.
Pantalone lifted his head and made shook it, signaling the aides to leave the room, they quickly followed the order leaving Allen and Pantalone alone.
"What's wrong with a boss saying goodbye to his subordinate?" Pantalone smiled "Thinking it now, you are no longer one."
"You can go to the point" Allen said pissed.
"Why such hate and distrust, Allen?" Pantalone asked.
"Weren't you the one to say that we need to distrust everyone?" Allen answered "You are a clear example. I can see that even when you have people helping you, you revise everything beforehand."
"Yes. I use people as simple tools, never leaving important decisions to them, but I am too old to change." Pantalone "It won't be bad to have someone you trust, even if a little."
"I don't think that starting with you would be a good idea."
"True" Pantalone laughed "About why I called you. What do you know about Inazuma and our relationship with them?"
"I studied about Inazuma beforehand, but the information was kind of lacking, only a little of the government organization based on the Archon and the Tri-commission and some local traditions." Allen answered "About Snezhnaya's relationship with it is hardly any. We have low diplomacy with them and the commerce is stuck, the Fatui having a very low influence and almost no forces there."
"Correct" Pantalone nodded "There's not much to say, except for, do you know about Tartaglia?"
If it was his previous world, Allen would have been able to give an answer. Childe the 11th and youngest Harbinger, the battle junkie young man with brown hair that travels over the world following the Tsaritsa's orders while sharpening his strength.
However, now that would be a wrong answer. It was clear that he was in the past of canon and Childe hadn't become Tartaglia yet. So the actual one should be his predecessor that would most probably die, retire or be substituted.
"No, I don't know anything about him" The information about the Harbingers was very limited, the personal and their battle progress, making it almost impossible to take a hold of some.
"It's not strange" Pantalone nodded "He can be considered the black sheep of the Harbingers as he rarely participates in any mission or even comes to Snezhnaya. Moreover, he prefers to keep his identity hidden, only the Tsaritsa and us the Harbinger and very few people knowing about it."
"He is considered to be in charge of the Inazuma region, but he hasn't accomplished anything it, the region being mostly unexploited" Pantalone explained.
"So why is he still in charge?" Allen asked "For what you say, he seems kind of useless. How can someone like that become a Harbinger?"
"Allen, there are two ways to become a Harbinger." Pantalone lifted one fingers "One is being irreplaceable. This will be my case." He lifted another finger "The other being strong enough, enough to take the position by force."
"Tartaglia is quite strong and he had gained her Majesty favor, so while he continues like that, his actions would be forgiven without mattering how many times he fails."
'In the end, is always strength' Allen thought 'The exact same as with Ellen's case, my strength being lacking.'
"However, don't take completing objectives as worthless. You would gain favors, resources and recognition, making your way up far easier." Pantalone explained "If you do good enough, you might even gain the favor of her Majesty, obtaining your and your sister's forgiveness."
'Having meet the Tsaritsa, only on the level of obtaining a Gnosis would be enough for that' Allen thought.
"Now, the important part" Pantalone said seriously "I send you to Inazuma with two objectives. The main one is for you to work under Tartaglia and learn from him. He is quite the passionate one with the sword and a great swordmaster. While he is certainly not the strongest..." Pantalone stopped for a second, an angelical face and bright smile passing through his mind causing him shivers, quickly shaking his head "he should be your best possible teacher."
"As I said before, he is quite laidback and would negate to work with anyone, having rejected to have any subordinated." Pantalone explained.
"So I will be rejected?" Allen asked confused.
"Of course" Pantalone nodded "But ignore it. Draw your sword, state your name and prepare to fight and make sure to not use your Vision. I'm sure that he would take you then."
"Okay?" Allen answered unsurely "And what should be the second objective?"
"Like I said, Tartaglia does nothing, Inazuma being almost unexploited. So while it's difficult, it's also a big opportunity. Try to exploit it. Money, resources, contacts... try everything to lower the Shogunate strength while increasing the Fatui's influence on it. I will give you monetary support from the Northland Bank, but nothing more. Everything will be up to you."
'I should think about it. There should be a lot of ways to accomplish it. I can play with this' Allen made a thoughtful face.
"Show what you learned these months under me" Pantalone said "That's all that I wanted to inform, if you don't have anything to ask, you can go now."
"One thing" Allen interrupted "If I accomplish anything noteworthy, the recognition will be yours?"
"I like that confidence of thinking that you will be able to accomplish anything" Pantalone smiled "But answering your question, no" Pantalone answered "For now, you will be under Tartaglia and he would take the credit and wins at Inazuma. It could be different if I was able to gain money from it, but I really doubt it, expecting more necessary expenses than monetary gains."
"If that's the case, why do you do it?" Allen asked "Just as I showed a Talent and potential, making myself a little useful you go and leave me. And even if I were to become stronger, returning under you is quite improbable, focusing on a more battle team. I can see it as a good merchant way."
"True" Pantalone nodded "It might sound strange coming from me, but I am also a human with feelings." Allen made a strange face.
"I hadn't always been rich like now or come from an important family, Allen" Pantalone explained his history "Like you, I was an orphan, my parents dying when I was 12, leaving me alone with my 10 years old little sister. I took care of her while doing medial works, putting my most effort for her to grow well, but unfortunately, she fell ill."
"Her illness was quite rare and while it could be treated and slow down with medicine, it was too costly for me. I tried to move to shadier works to win more money, but I wasn't fast enough. My sister died, leaving me alone."
"That's when I promised myself that I wouldn't let myself repeat such tragedy, gaining so much money that it won't become a problem never again and finally even becoming Pantalone."
"When I saw you risking your life to save your little sister, I saw myself in you" Pantalone said with a sad smile "That's the reason for me helping you, I want to see in you what I wasn't able to accomplish. Allen," Pantalone said seriously "show me that Happy Ending."
"I will!" Allen nodded solemnly.
"You can go now" Pantalone said waving his hand "Good luck in your journey."
Before leaving Allen bowed his head "Thanks for everything!"
'I think that he has said the truth, but...' Outside of the room, Allen made a thoughtful look 'he left something to explain. If not, how had be finished bein so rotten?
...
At the coast of Kannazuka, a small boat landed, Allen jumping from it.
"It has been a long journey" The travel to Inazuma had been a long one for Allen. First, he needed to cross Snezhnaya until the coast by carriage, then go to Liyue by boat. Stay over Liyue for a week while hiding his identity, not wanting to be noted by Yelan and finally taking a normal merchant ship towards Inazuma.
The ship was quite normal and of course, it wasn't under Snezhnaya's name, but the Fatui's had some influence over their commerce group. And finally, the night before reaching Inazuma, Allen escaped the ship by boat, needing to row his way towards the coast.
"It has been exhausting" Allen buffed falling to the ground and stretching his arms. He was sure that without his training he should have been able to endure, a 10 years old rowing his way over kilometers of sea was impossible, thankfully Allen after his training and regime was quite strong for a 10 years old.
He would have liked to have a helper, but it could break his protection. If he were to be discovered, it would become a huge hindrance but he was confident in making his way out of it as in the end, who would really doubt a little 10 years old boy? Being excuses as a shipwreck or some amnesia. It would cause him to be taken by the authorities but without any way to return, after some time he would most probably let stay in the region.
That was also the reason for his equipment, only wearing simple clothes and his sword, having a short sword in Inazuma not being too strange even for a child. He even had to let away his Cicin Uniform that while he hated it at first, he had grown quite fond of it, finding it extremely useful.
'I can't imagine how much difficult this will have become if it was in the game timeline' Allen thought 'Thanks god, Inazuma is not closed yet.'
After resting for some hours, Allen started moving again, following the map already memorized in his mind, walking over a canyon and finally finding a little cabin hidden inside a rock, even the sun not reaching it.
Allen didn't doubt and directly entered the cabin finding it almost empty without anything to rob worth enough the travel here. But, Allen had learned it better.
"Crr!" Stepping inside, the wooden floor sounded, seeming old enough to fell at anytime, but this was all a decoy, all of it being a puzzle.
"Crr!" "Crr!" "Crrr!" Allen jumped around the cracking floor, following an already learnt frequency and finally, after stepping over the last one, a hidden door opened from the door, revealing a hidden downward path.
Following the path, Allen finally reached the end, entering into a big room, similar to a dojo with some exposed swords at the end and a man sitting in the middle of it with his legs crossed and his eyes closed.
The had unruly blond hair tied into a ponytail and wore a blue scarf and a red and black hakama. And while Allen feel that he had seen him before, he couldn't say who he was or from what.
Detecting Allen's presence, the man opened his eyes.
"You should Tartaglia, I-"
"Don't call me by that name" The man frowned and stood up and made a bored face "You are the new recruit that they gave me, such a young boy" He sighed
"I don't know why they continue doing this" The man sighed "My answer will always be the same." The man shook his head whispering.
"Sorry for the travel but you can return, I don't want anyone working under me." He said "I will give you money and help you with your return, but I can't accept anyone." He looked genuinely worried at Allen "I don't know what Pantalone is really trying to do."
Allen found himself unable to even talk, being stopped every time. It seemed that he was quite decided on not taking him, not accepting a yes for an answer. That's when Allen remembered Pantalone's words.
Just as the man stood up and was approaching him to kick Allen out or accompany him, Allen didn't really know, Allen draw out his sword.
"I'm Allen and I request a duel!" Allen declared lifting his sword, preparing himself.
"So it's like that..." The man sighed, drawing his sword from the hip, a beautiful blue blade like crystal with a black handle, with a carefree movement.
Suddenly, the man's cool and cheerful yellow eyes sharpened, glaring at Allen with strong pressure. He seemed to have become a completely different man. "Niwa Tomoki. I accept your duel!"
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