Tighnari said, "Bringing a mercenary to see me... hmm, this feels like it's going to be something big."
Lumine said, "Tighnari, there's something we'd like to ask you about."
Paimon chimed in, "Yes, yes, it's very important! You have to help us!"
Tighnari looked at them thoughtfully for a moment, then said, "Follow me."
The four of them went to a secluded pavilion.
Tighnari said, "This place is better—no one will pass by."
"So, how important is this matter?"
Lumine asked, "Have you met Dottore?"
"I need to know his whereabouts."
[Tighnari: It seems I'll play an important role in what's to come as well.]
[Lyney: Dottore is truly a difficult opponent.]
[Arlecchino: Dottore's strength lies not only in his power, but also in his intellect.]
[Scaramouche: Dottore is an opponent beyond your imagination.]
Tighnari pondered, "Dottore..."
Paimon explained, "He's that Fatui Harbinger who wears a mask and looks really strange! I remember he has blue hair."
Tighnari recalled, "I know him."
"As it happens, he left Pardis Dhyai not long ago."
Dehya was also surprised. "What a coincidence?"
Tighnari nodded. "Yes. He came to see me."
Dehya quickly pressed further, "May I ask what it was about?"
"I know this is sudden, but your answer is very important."
"All we can tell you right now is... your friend Cyno is also working with us."
[Cyno: It seems I'm the key to earning trust.]
[Paimon: I didn't expect the Traveler to gain trust so easily.]
"Cyno?" Tighnari thought for a moment after hearing this.
"...I see. So that's why he's not at the Akademiya."
"Alright. I can answer your questions and offer some help. You don't need to tell me what's going on."
[Lumine: Is he worried that knowing too much might get him into trouble?]
[Ningguang: That's a normal reaction—how a reasonable person would respond.]
[Tighnari: That way, even if the enemy interrogates me, they won't get any information about your plan.]
[Keqing: That's a good double layer of protection.]
Tighnari replied, "The Harbinger you mentioned—Dottore—came to take a scholar named Haypasia."
Paimon was confused. "Haypasia?! Why would that guy be after her?"
Lumine also pressed, "What does he want with her?"
Dehya had even more questions. "And what do you mean by 'take'? Is he leaving Sumeru?"
Tighnari explained, "Yes. He said he's leaving Sumeru and returning to Snezhnaya soon."
Tighnari recalled the scene from his memory.
[Lumine: I didn't expect Dottore to leave at such a critical time.]
[Yae Miko: It looks more like a scheme to me. As a Fatui Harbinger, why would he leave without obtaining the Gnosis?]
[Tartaglia: Nothing is more important than obtaining the Gnosis.]
[Arlecchino: That madman Dottore—would he really prioritize the Tsaritsa's orders above everything else? In his eyes, only his research matters.]
[Lumine: Perhaps there's a problem with his research elsewhere that needs his attention.]
[Arlecchino: That's the most likely explanation.]
In the recollection:
Tighnari looked at Dottore and said, "So you're leaving right away?"
Dottore nodded. "Yes. Otherwise, we might have had more time to talk."
"I should have departed immediately, but before I left, I remembered something important and made a detour to Pardis Dhyai."
"That scholar, Haypasia—she's under your care, is she not?"
Tighnari replied, "The Fatui's information is quite accurate—I suppose that's thanks to your informants. Haypasia is indeed receiving treatment here."
(T/N: That's it. There are no more chapters in this series, and the author has not updated in over 11 months. I think we can consider this fanfic basically dropped. Sorry if this disappoints you. I am going to consider this fanfic complete and will most likely no longer update any more chapters even if the author returns in the future.)