“My dear Chongyun, this is a mission of vital importance. Let's wait a moment longer! Seeing the Fatui closer will certainly improve my knowledge, and my next novel will be much more accurate.”

The first voice Childe heard as soon as he was outside was that of a blue-haired young man lurking behind one of the columns. With him was another boy a little taller than him with tousled icy hair and eyes of the same color. Puzzled, Childe stared at them for a moment as they tried to hide, one boy wide-eyed with concern, the other with a witty expression. What were they trying to do? Were they waiting to meet someone from Snezhnaya’s army?

Word of their arrival must have already spread in the city. The boys were probably curious, attracted by the novelty of it. He could hardly blame them.

“Look for a slightly thicker column next time,” Childe said, approaching the two boys. The one with the lighter hair jumped, while the other froze, trying to smile. Childe frowned, slightly taken aback. Perhaps the young man was not naïve or careless, but simply too bold to care about the opinion of others.

“I'm sorry. My friend, Xingqiu, and I were curious—but for good reason! Xingqiu is a great artist. He does a lot of research to complete his writings,” the lighter-haired boy said, nervously wringing his hands.

Childe could not help but admire his clothes with curiosity. They looked like the type a person involved in performing sacred rituals would wear. Unlike Xingqiu’s, which looked to be made of precious fabric. Who were these two boys and what family did they belong to? Perhaps they were two of Liyue's nobles. All the more reason to pay attention to their words.

“Write that we are all beautiful and kind, then. Rich and intelligent, too,” Childe joked, trying a friendly approach. After all—not counting the first formal conversations with Ningguang and her attendants, Keqing and Ganyu—he had not yet had the opportunity to get to know the inhabitants, and the boys seemed to be friendly enough to keep from turning on their heels. Talking with them could be a good opportunity to find out more about Liyue and its traditions and, why not, to pass the time in a more pleasant way. After the heavy talk with Signora, his mind was demanding a truce and much less overbearing company.

“We saw your companions pass by but they didn't respond with much enthusiasm to our greetings,” Xingqiu pointed out. “You are the first to give us any rope. If I may ask, what's your name?”

“I am number eleven of the Fatui Harbingers, code name Childe, but I also go by Tartaglia,” Childe recited with the ritual formula taught to him by the Fatui, using the two names with which he usually presented himself to the outside world.

To be honest, neither Childe nor Tartaglia were his real names. His parents had called him Ajax, but it was a name he had relegated to his private life, carefully hidden from most people. Sure, in his hometown of Morepesok they called him Ajax and of course his family would never have dreamed of using his Fatui names, but as soon as he set foot outside the area he was born, he did not allow anyone to use a name other than Childe and Tartaglia, just as he did not let others see his more courteous and apprehensive sides.

Ajax was the kind boy who lived in a village by the sea, who led his little brothers into the forests and taught them how to fish, who tucked the blankets around Teucer, the youngest of them all, and who collected medicinal plants for his father. Childe, on the other hand, was the youngest and most reckless of the Harbingers, the one who threw himself headlong into missions to experience the thrill of adrenaline, the one who had gone overseas to get to Liyue and perform secret tasks. And the one who had to hide and protect Ajax most of all.

“And you…do you prefer Childe or Tartaglia?” timidly asked the boy with lighter hair, whose name he still did not know.

“Childe is easier to pronounce,” he answered simply before saying what he had been wondering for the past couple minutes. “But you are the ones who came out of nowhere! Tell me who you two are.”

“I am Xingqiu, second son of the head of the guild of commerce. Avid reader and aspiring master of martial arts, Guhua Clan,” said one of the two boys with an elegant bow, a gesture which confirmed that he belonged to a noble family. His friend followed shortly after, managing a more uncertain smile.

“I am Chongyun, an exorcist serving in the territories of Liyue,” he said with a nod.

Childe could not help but be surprised by that statement. He had guessed that Xingqiu was from a good family, but he never would have thought that Chongyun, perhaps barely eighteen, practiced such a dangerous art.

“Chongyun is amazing!” Xingqiu pointed out. His expression softened as he placed a hand on his friend, whose rigid posture visibly relaxed. Chongyun's lips lifted into a smile veiled in gratitude as he ran his fingers through his hair and over the back of his neck as if to reassure himself.

“He is able to lead corrupt spirits to peace and free places haunted by ghosts. His skill is phenomenal,” Xingqiu went on enthusiastically. Childe couldn't help but notice how sincere his praises were, leaving his friend looking both amazed and pleased. The two boys must have known each other for a long time and trusted each other immensely, or perhaps they were even linked by a feeling stronger than friendship. Childe couldn't help but wonder, for a moment, if anyone would ever look at him or appreciate him in that way. But he seriously doubted that he could ever open himself up to someone enough to deserve that.

“It's nothing that great. My whole family does it. But yes, that is my job,” Chongyun intervened with a slight laugh.

“He works so hard that unfortunately he has little free time.” There was a perceived note of regret in Xingqiu’s words, before he added more cheerfully, “And that's why we were walking around town. Do you want to join us? We can show you the main squares, the harbor, and then we booked a lunch at our friend Xiangling’s restaurant.”

“Today is Saturday. The restaurant might be full,” Chongyun remembered worriedly before Childe could accept the invitation. “But we'll ask Xiangling if she can find you a place, just in case.”

“A tour of Liyue? Alright then, lead on,” Childe replied with a smile, crossing his arms over his chest.

Chongyun and Xingqiu wasted no time beckoning him down the stairs, and he wondered if he should ask them if they would be afraid to being seen around with him. It already seemed quite bizarre that they had no trouble addressing him without prejudice, but that they even wanted to take him out to lunch was surprising. He found himself wanting to ask more questions, but thought it was best to postpone those doubts until the boys had more confidence with him.

“Ghosts, exorcisms…” Childe pondered out loud. “This morning two people from the funeral parlor greeted me. Does Liyue have a culture close to the afterlife and esotericism or something?”

Xingqiu nodded readily as they ventured down the long staircase that connected a series of squares to the lower port area, passing under a wide scarlet archway.

“It is said that our city, or our realm, has numerous temples and areas where it is possible to perceive the proximity to the afterlife,” Xingqiu explained, visibly happy to tell those details. “Furthermore, the presence of the Adepti brings us closer to the words and history of our beloved God, Rex Lapis. He was the one who built our capital and all the mountains around here, and Liyue Harbor is the heart of our nation.”

Childe listened intently as they strolled along the harbor, admiring the fragrant stalls selling spices and freshly baked food.

“Exactly. Here, for example, is the port where you came in,” Chongyun added, pointing to the long piers that extended for meters in front of them. The ships were immersed in the placid water and merchants moved about unloading their goods. “While higher up there are the houses, the shops, the restaurants, and the tea rooms, where Xingqiu and I often like to go.” He lingered, thoughtfully, before adding, “Did you mention the funeral parlor? Have you met Zhongli and Hu Tao?”

"You mean the girl with the big hat and pigtails, and that tall man with long, dark hair and golden eyes, dressed all in black?" Childe asked, with a short laugh. “Yes, they witnessed my arrival. Hu Tao even offered us some tombstones. An interesting person, I would say.”

“Hu Tao is an interesting person, indeed. I would like to know more about her view on matters such as life and death,” Xingqiu commented cheerfully. He stopped at a cart that sold fried chop suey, ordering a couple to munch on during the walk. “And Mr. Zhongli is a unique person, whom I admire very much. He has a frighteningly vast knowledge on a multitude of subjects: flowers, plants, history, and literature. Who knows what a huge library he has in his house!” He sighed dreamily. “I would give anything to see it.”

“Hu Tao calls him ‘The Talking Encyclopedia,’ in fact,” Chongyun laughed lightly. “But it's true, he is intelligent. His job isn’t easy, but he always seems to know what to say in every context.”

Childe thought for a moment about the man Xingqiu and Chongyun were talking about. He remembered without too much difficulty his serious and thoughtful expression, the way in which his gaze never lingered too long on Childe’s, as if trying to read it with a simple glance. Not having exchanged a single word with the man, he certainly hadn't been able to guess the information that Xingqiu and Chongyun were now giving him, but now that he had it he realized that they suited his poised and elegant gestures. As for why an intellectual of his caliber carried out such a profession, he did not have the slightest idea.

“Shall we go for a walk upstairs, in the gardens?” Xingqiu proposed after a few moments, interrupting Childe’s memory. “The ponds are wonderful, surrounded by Silk Flowers. They are my favorite kind, as well as the ones my family trades.”

“Only if you swear that if you hit one by mistake you won't sue me,” Childe joked before stopping abruptly, a distant sound interposing his thoughts. Looking straight ahead, he noticed a series of dark-robed figures approaching them along the harbor road, marching in a solemn procession.

The music that soon filled his ears was played by the figures who flanked them, a traveling orchestra playing small stringed instruments producing a slow and melancholy melody. It didn't take Childe long to realize that this procession was carrying a coffin, and that Hu Tao and Zhongli were leading it, both with serious and respectful expressions.

Hu Tao had wiped the usual playful expression from her face and, with her hands clasped around a gilded vase, she was advancing solemnly through the city, aiming for the stairway leading up to the main square. Zhongli, for his part, had his golden eyes veiled with a melancholy patina, and he held a scarlet vase as he marched with the same determination. Childe couldn't help but widen his eyes, realizing he was one step away from their funeral procession.

“I thought it was tomorrow…" Xingqiu whispered in a low voice before Chongyun carefully placed a hand on his shoulder.

“The family must have changed it. Saturday was his favorite day, after all. Do you want to go?” Chongyun asked with a sweetness that softened the cold colors of his eyes, making Xingqiu tremble slightly.

“Yes. We have to tell him goodbye,” he asserted before turning to Childe while Hu Tao and Zhongli led the procession to the upper floor of the capital. “Do you mind if we interrupt our little tour? Unfortunately, a merchant I knew passed away. I wish to say goodbye in one of the squares above.”

“No, of course not,” Childe replied, abandoning his usually lighthearted and joking tone. He did not know the deceased, but he understood that Xingqiu wasn’t the only one hurting from this loss. “I'll accompany you.”

In the middle of a square built of pale stone broken by the cool waters of the fountains, lay a coffin surrounded by flowers, the one Hu Tao and Zhongli had guided there. An attentive procession had already crowded in front by the time Chongyun, Xingqiu and Childe arrived.

Zhongli and Hu Tao stood still while standing in front of the coffin, their backs to the audience. Zhongli was the first to turn, hands still clasped around the vase, and address the audience. The gold in his eyes was the same hue as the luminous streaks on his clothes, small flashes of light contrasting with the darkness of his hair and jacket.

“When I arrived at Liyue Harbor for the first time, observing it from a distance while coming into the port, the first thing I admired were its lights. A thousand lights welcomed me here, to this city, like a sea of stars.”

Zhongli began to narrate in a slow and calm voice, which surprised Childe. It was the first time he had actually heard him speak, and his tone was not aloof or pedantic as his appearance might have suggested, but sincere and caring. He listened attentively, curious to hear more of his speech.

“For Liyue to shine like this, however, it owes it to those who let it glimmer: its inhabitants, those who keep it alive, who warm it with their heat and love. The merchant Zhang Shun was one of those people,” he continued, with an almost affectionate tone.

Hu Tao turned to face the crowd. The young woman took a pearl necklace from the vase and, in a similar tone, continued her colleague's speech.

“Zhang Shun sailed abroad so often that he could have travelled the seas with his eyes closed. Every piece of jewelry he traded in Liyue Harbor was the result of his hard work and adventures. With his earnings, he hired many assistants, starting a commercial enterprise and helping those in need,” narrated Hu Tao. She bent to place the necklace on his coffin in a respectful gesture, lighting a pyre of incense shortly after.

“When we light a lantern, we watch it fly in the sky until it disappears. Inevitably, we know that sooner or later it will go out,” continued Zhongli. He dipped a hand into the scarlet vase and extracted bright pink flowers, the famous Silk Flowers. “But we light it anyway, because the moments we will always remember are the ones in which we gave it life, warmth, light, and let it free,” he added, hinting at a nostalgic smile. “So it is with the people of Liyue Harbor, as well. We remember their life with joy and let them fly away, knowing that they are reaching a higher and better place. Zhang Shun will go in peace, and he will shine like a golden seal in our hearts forever.”

Childe realized after a few moments that he had been holding his breath, hypnotized by that warm ritual, letting the scent of incense and its smoke envelop him like a reassuring embrace.

In Snezhnaya, when he had lost companions or loved ones, there had been hot tears against faces frozen with cold, a dull silence to dig deep into his soul, and a respectful but lonely farewell to the person lost.

Zhongli opened his hand over the grave of the deceased with the same delicacy that he would have used to give a final goodbye caress, letting the soft and fragrant Silk Flowers rain down upon it. The music started playing again and Xingqiu took refuge against Chongyun's protective arm, both with tears in their eyes. Childe found himself blinking, feeling slightly damp lashes. For an instant, an awareness enveloped him. Although he had only been there for a few hours, he already knew he would never forget Liyue Harbor.

“He used to work with my father," Xingqiu explained to Childe after a few moments of mournful silence. “Every now and then he came to dinner bringing gifts. He was elderly and had been retired for a long time, but he was an important figure for us. He was a nice person, as well as a good merchant.”

“I'm so sorry. I bet he was deeply loved,” Childe replied sincerely.

“Thank you. Well…. Let’s go to lunch. It will distract me a little,” said Xingqiu with a small smile.

“Mr. Xingqiu, I offer my condolences.”

A caring voice made Childe and the other boys turn, and they found themselves facing the tall, composed figure of Zhongli, who bowed his head in greeting.

“I also recommend you have a good, warm meal. Be kind to yourself, especially in the darkest of moments. I'm sure that’s what Zhang Shung would have wanted.” He looked from Xingqiu to Chongyun, and then finally to Childe. Childe expected to find disapproval in his gaze, or at least suspicion, but Zhongli merely seemed surprised at the sight of him. Perhaps he had noticed from Childe’s expression how much respect he had for the occasion.

“Childe, am I right?” he asked cordially. “I hope you enjoy your time in Liyue. Now I must speak with Zhang Shun's family. Have a good day.”

Without further ado, Zhongli took his leave with a short bow, his long dark coat fluttering around him as he moved quickly. His words, his speech, and his concern still echoed in Childe's head. Of one thing Xingqiu was certainly not mistaken: Zhongli was a truly unique person.