Chapter Text
Childe looks out at Liyue as his ship approaches the Harbour. It’s beautiful. He’s wanted to come here for a long time and finally he’s got the chance. Sure, it’s for work but he should have ample time to do some sightseeing before he has to leave.
Grinning, he jumps off the boat, taking in the fresh air and the warm breeze. It’s certainly different to the harsh, biting winds of his motherland.
A wanted poster is pinned to a wooden post. He stops to look at it.
WANTED
DEAD OR ALIVE
---------------
TARTAGLIA
no picture
available
For crimes of bank robbery, theft
REWARD: 2,000,000 mora
CONTACT THE
Ministry of Civil Affairs
Huh. The reward is now twice what it was the last time he saw one of these. It seems the Raiden Shogun really wants that sword back. Too bad for her it is now part of some filthy rich Snezhnayan’s weapon collection. Hopefully the money from that will last until he manages to finish this job.
Thievery comes naturally to him in a way that normal jobs do not, and he's made quite a name for himself by only stealing the most valuable items possible. Granted, this makes it very difficult to find a buyer for them that won't rat him out to the authorities, and it doesn't help that the preparation time required to plan the heist means he has to live surprisingly frugally for a thief of his infamy.
Luckily for him he has actually been commissioned for this job. All he needs to do is steal a Gnosis.
No one knows who made these ornate chess pieces or when, but there are only seven in the whole of Teyvat, and they are kept by each country's respective ruler as a symbol of their power.
Naturally, this also means they are some of the most heavily guarded artefacts to exist.
The absentee King of Mondstadt keeps his under guard in a hidden chamber beneath the Mondstadt Cathedral. The Shogun of Inazuma has hers on proud display in her residence. Tartaglia saw it when he was stealing the sword. It was one of the most beautiful objects he's seen, and also one of the most heavily booby trapped. The ruler of Natlan had hers fashioned into a handle for her claymore. This means it never leaves her side, but her ancestors must be rolling in their graves. The Exalted Judge of Fontaine keeps hers in the High Courtroom, constantly under the careful watch of the law. the monarch of Sumeru... well... no one knows where that one is. And the Queen of Snezhnaya, his Tsaritsa, who promised him an exorbitant sum for stealing one, has hers encased in unbreakable ice in the throne room of Zapolyarny Palace.
The Emperor of Liyue, Rex Lapis, is a bit different however. It is rumoured that he keeps his on his person, but he hasn't been seen in the public eye for 8 years and no one knows where he is. The only indication that he's still alive comes from the letters read out each year detailing his plan for the country's future.
Finding Rex Lapis, let alone the Gnosis, will certainly be an interesting challenge. Tartaglia has always loved a challenge.
But for now he needs lodgings, then he can start his search.
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One renting of a seedy apartment later and Childe is back to exploring Liyue Harbour. As he wanders through the market he is hit by a sudden pang of homesickness as he watches the merchants animatedly shouting about their wares and bartering prices with customers, much like they would do in his home town. If he has any money left at the end of this endeavour he really should come back here and buy some souvenirs for his siblings.
The smell of delicious food almost makes him drool as he passes a food stall. As appetising as it looks to his empty stomach he should do his best to save his money until he has a better idea about how long this job will take him.
".... ... heard ..... Tartaglia .. ... ."
A passing conversation about him catches his interest. He discreetly glances around. Who? Ah, there. A young couple, probably here on a date, browsing the wares of a nearby stall.
Childe pretends to be looking at the extensive rock collection of the stall next door while he listens in on the conversation.
"I heard he recently stole from the Raiden Shogun. Have you seen how much his bounty has increased? The Inazumans must be furious."
"Apparently they got close to catching him this time."
Childe smirks. The Tenryou commission just said that to save face. He was already long gone by the time they arrived.
"Really? They should update the posters with a description. All people have managed to glimpse so far is a red mask."
"Yeah! If no one sees him the only way to tell it was him is by the coins he leaves behind. I wonder where he gets the winking narwhal design from."
Not that anyone will ever know, but he made them himself back when he first started as a thief.
"Haha, who knows? Where do you think he'll strike next?"
"That is a very good question. Fontaine? Sumeru? I hear the Exalted Judge is very rich, she must have something worthy of stealing, and there is a lot of expensive academic equipment in the Sumeru Academia."
"That sounds likely. Think he'll ever come to Liyue?"
"I doubt it. The Tianquan doesn't have much in the way of expensive trinkets and Rex Lapis hasn't been seen in years. Why would Tartaglia target them?"
Childe chuckles to himself. If only they knew.
It's good that people don't think he'll come to Liyue. It gives him a bit more breathing room as hopefully when he comes to steal the Gnosis it will take everyone by surprise and he can slip away in the confusion.
He is about to continue his walk through the market when he hears the conversation between the man next to him and the merchant get heated.
"What do you mean you don't have mora? Stop wasting my time. What are you even doing here in the market if you don't have mora to buy anything?" The merchant is snarling at the man, face flushed bright red in agitation.
In contrast, the customer's smooth baritone seems completely unconcerned with the other man's yelling. "I told you, I quite simply forgot. Would it be possible for me to pay you at a later date, or for you to hold onto the gems for me until I return with mora?"
"Of course not! What kind of place do you think this is?"
This is getting out of hand. He should probably step in, if just to save this poor man from being yelled at.
"How much is it?" Childe asks the merchant.
"120,000 mora." Comes the immediate response.
120,000 mora? That kind of money could feed him for two weeks! But he's interfered now, so he may as well help this stranger, even if it means he has to skip lunch for a while.
"Fine." He passes the exact amount to the merchant, who makes a show of counting it before eventually nodding in satisfaction and passing a blue rock to the customer. A rock? He spent all that just for a rock? He turns to the man, about to give a comment about his buying habits, but as soon as he lays eyes him the words refuse to leave his lips.
The man in front of him is, quite simply, stunning. The sunlight shines onto his dark hair, making it shimmer and the amber tips appear to glow. His eyes shine like jewels the colour of molten gold. Even his attire exudes an aura of elegance. This man is gorgeous. Of course, this is slightly dampened by the fact that he just spend 120,000 mora on a rock, but even still this is the most handsome gentleman Childe has ever seen.
"Thank you very much, kind stranger. My name is Zhongli. Might I have the pleasure of knowing yours?"
Even his manner of speaking is elegant, and Childe is lost for a second in the man's deep voice before he realised he was asked a question.
"I- I'm Childe." Goddamnit why is he stuttering. Surely the sight of an attractive, dazzling, beautiful man isn't all it takes to reduce him to an infatuated fool?
"Childe." There is the faint hint of a smile on the other's lips. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
Childe returns the smile. "The pleasure's all mine."
Zhongli raises his hand to his chin and looks at Childe as if considering his appearance. "Pardon my asking, but you don't look like you're from around here."
"You are correct. I am actually from Snezhnaya. I'm here on holiday." Well, actually he's here to steal a priceless artefact belonging to this country's Emperor, but he can't tell Zhongli that.
"I cannot in good conscience let you pay for me without giving you something in return."
Shaking his head Childe denies, "Mr Zhongli I assure you that isn't necessary."
"I insist. How about I give you a tour of the Harbour?"
That would be very helpful actually. He gets to explore the town and ask questions about all the buildings without seeming too suspicious. "Actually that would be amazing, thank you."
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Zhongli turns out to be very knowledgeable about Liyue and seems perfectly content to not just tell him what each building is, but also launches into a lecture on their purpose and history. If that wasn't worth the 120,000 mora then the delighted smile Zhongli shoots him when he asks a follow-up question certainly is.
One of the buildings his companion pointed out to him is the Emperor's official residence. No one has been inside in the 8 years the Emperor has been absent, but it may have a few clues about where to find him.
A lead! And on his first day here as well! It's just a pity that he can't follow up on it for a while - it would be suspicious if he arrived in town the same day that someone breaks into Rex Lapis' house. But he is nothing if not patient.
"Should we get some dinner?"
Zhongli's voice breaks him out of his thoughts. It seems during their tour the sun has sunk low in the sky without Childe noticing.
He turns to Zhongli and nods. "Anywhere you'd recommend?"
"There is a restaurant well known for its excellent food nearby. Let us go there." At this, Zhongli starts walking. He's a very fast walker, most likely due to his long, slender legs and Childe can't help but stare at them as Zhongli walks ahead of him. When Childe hasn't started to follow after a few seconds, he turns around. "Are you coming?"
"What's this restaurant's name?" Childe asks as he runs to catch up.
"Liuli Pavilion. There are two styles of cuisine in Liyue, the Li style and the Yue style. Liuli Pavilion is the leading restaurant in Liyue for its mastery of the Li style." As they walk to the restaurant Zhongli tells him all about the history of the two different styles of cuisine. Childe listens intently, fascinated by the tale of the rivalry between the two styles, and it is almost a shame when they reach the restaurant.
Instead of ordering himself, he defers to Zhongli's expertise and the man rattles off a list of dishes that Childe has never heard of before. They sit, and finally Childe gains the opportunity to ask a question he has been wondering about for a while.
"Mr Zhongli, I feel I must ask. Why did you spend 120,000 mora on a rock?"
Zhongli does not seem phased at all about the question as he removes the rock from his pocket and places it on the table.
"This rock is actually a piece of noctilucous jade. The jade itself is difficult to gather due to its rarity, and this specimen is such a beautiful shade of translucent blue and is cut so masterfully that I felt I must buy it. Noctilucous jade has been used in the past in various rituals included, but not limited to, the Rite of Parting which is the funeral rite for when a member of the royal family pass away."
True to form, Zhongli proceeds to launch into another lecture, this time about the uses of the jade, and he looks a little sheepish when the food arrives.
"Oh dear, I often tend to lose myself when talking about something. I hope I didn't bore you too much?"
Childe could listen to Zhongli's lectures for hours. "Don't worry, Mr Zhongli. I wasn't bored at all. I believe you had gotten to the part about using it in construction of ceremonial weapons?"
Zhongli shoots him a dazzling smile, and continues while Childe considers the spread of food in front of him. It is a considerable amount of food, which looks amazing to his empty stomach. He looks for cutlery, but instead of the knives and forks he is used to, instead there are two thin pieces of wood on the table next to his bowl. He picks them up, bewildered.
Zhongli stops his lecture. "Are you perhaps unfamiliar with using chopsticks?"
Childe glances between the pair of sticks expertly balanced in Zhongli's hand and the ones sitting in his own. "Unfortunately."
Zhongli stands up and situates himself behind Childe. He begins to instruct him in the use of the chopsticks, but all Childe can focus on is the other man's proximity. What is this strong scent? He thinks he smelled something similar as they walked through Yujing Terrace. What were the flowers Zhongli pointed out to him called? Silkflowers?
"Childe, are you listening?" Oh yeah, the chopsticks. He glances down to see that Zhongli has manoeuvred his hand to hold them in the correct grip.
"Yes, definitely." If Zhongli knows he's lying he doesn't call him out on it as the other man huffs out a laugh and returns to his seat.
"I recommend that you become more proficient in chopsticks if you wish to appreciate Liyue's gastronomy." He says, before launching into a lecture about the history of chopsticks.
It takes Childe several tries before he is able to pick anything up, and several more tries before he is able to keep hold of it long enough to bring it to his mouth. At one point he tries stabbing one of his chopsticks through a dumpling to hold it, but the look of displeasure Zhongli sends him prevents him from doing it again.
Eventually all the food on the table is eaten, and Childe feels full, which is a nice feeling that he hasn't felt in a long time.
And then the server comes and tells him how much it cost.
Somehow, he isn't even surprised. The food was wonderful, and Zhongli did order a lot of it so this price sounds about right. At least he has someone with him to split the bill.
"Ah yes. I forgot that I forgot my mora."
Or not.
He huffs out a short sigh. At least he has a lead on Rex Lapis now, so hopefully he won't run out of money.
"Alright, Mr Zhongli. I'll pay just this once."
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Just because he said he would pay once doesn't mean he wants to pay every time! He has met up with Zhongli again several times over the past few weeks and not only has the man proven to be someone with very expensive tastes, but he also forgot his wallet every single time. As much as he likes seeing the smile on his friend's face whenever he agrees to pay, he really needs his lead to work out because he is beginning to run low on money.
Wait. Friend?
Zhongli is an asset, an informant, not a friend... right?
So how come over the past few weeks he has begun to like the man, begun to care? After he steals the Gnosis he won't have a chance to go back to Liyue for a while so he will probably never see him again. He can't afford to start caring about him.
Zhongli must see a change in his expression, because he pauses in his eating to ask him if there's anything wrong.
Childe shoots him a smile, and prays the other man doesn't notice just how fake it is. "Nothing's wrong, Mr Zhongli. Just lost in thought is all." He continues picking at his food with his chopsticks. Even if he was able to use them well, he’s suddenly lost his appetite.
The two are currently eating in Wanmin restaurant, one of the cheaper of the restaurants they've been to. It has a lot of... questionable items on its menu, but the young chef is very talented and everything she cooks is delicious.
Zhongli doesn't buy his obvious lie, and continues looking at him in concern. Quick, change the subject.
"I was wondering, if the Emperor is missing, how does he rule his country?"
Zhongli lowers his chopsticks and seems to think for a second about how to answer. When he does speak, he's not nearly as animated as he is when discussing everything else. "The Liyue Qixing is full of gifted individuals and they are very good at governing Liyue by themselves so the Emperor isn't really needed. However, every year he sends a letter to the Qixing that is read out in front of his official residence in Yujing Terrace which details his plan for the country for the coming year. In fact, this year's letter is being read just next week. You should go if you're still in Liyue."
Hmm... that is interesting. And very useful. However he still needs more information.
Adopting a joking tone he presses Zhongli for more information. "I can't believe he would send such an important letter in the post."
Zhongli looks insulted at the suggestion. "Of course not. The letter is delivered to the Qixing by a trusted messenger."
Perfect. This messenger must either know where the Emperor lives or they meet with him somewhere. He needs to find out who it is, and follow them until they lead him to Rex Lapis. He also needs to get a move on if he wants to do this before next week because his funds definitely won't last him another month with Zhongli's spending habits, let alone a year.
It seems tonight is finally the night he breaks into the Emperor's official residence.