Omniscius [Genshin Impact]

22: And I Have Both

Tick. Tack. Tick. Tack.

Beads clicked and clacked together as fingers slid them across the rows of an abacus. A small pile of papers were stacked on a table, creating crisp crinkling sounds whenever it was picked for signing.

Countless records have been piling on the desk of Harbinger Pantalone and young Soleil has sworn that whatever was on those records must be kept to herself and to the confines of the room as they were matters strictly meant for the eyes of Fatui and the Cryo Archon alone.

Soleil sat still on the couch. Her body was still like a graceful statue but her eyes flickered constantly to Pantalone, who skillfully handled the papers with the faintest light in his eyes.

Then, her eyes wandered around the room full of shelves and confidential files. It had only been a week since she was assigned to Pantalone yet he brought her into the room where Snezhnaya's darkest and tightest secrets were kept...

Soleil looked at Pantalone with poorly hidden skepticism. What were his plans for her, exactly?

"Have you finished?" Pantalone spoke suddenly, causing Soleil to flinch in her seat. "Yes, sir," Soleil muttered.

"Bring it to me," Pantalone said. Soleil got up, picking the papers beside her and handing it to the man's outstretched hand.

Pantalone did not say anything and simply added the papers to a desk with a note saying 'Consulted' in Liutian text. Soleil just stood before the desk, looking at Pantalone with a conflicted frown.

"What is it?" Pantalone asked, feeling Soleil's stare. "Why did you do it?" the young girl asked.

Pantalone paused in his writing for a second before resuming, catching unto what Soleil spoke of. "It was necessary," he simply said.

"Necessary?" Soleil couldn't hold back a scoff, "I told you the project was not a good idea and presented you with enough reasons to make you say no. Now that it failed, several workers have died working on that stupid underground facility and their families are demanding a lawsuit but you just had to bribe the judge into ruling it in that damn bastard's favor!"

"Is it really that surprising that the judge agreed?" Pantalone asked calmly. Soleil frowned.

"Of course, it is! The judge swore to uphold the Tsaritsa's word to keep Snezhnaya's peace and fairness yet threw his word away for a basket of mora," Soleil glared, "It's disgusting. And now, the families who lost a member will never get what they deserve."

Pantalone said nothing and flipped a page on the ledger. Soleil scoffed, "You said you were helping the Tsaritsa in achieving her dreams. How could you disregard her own people like that? You could have given them a chance to speak at court, in the least!"

"If I did nothing to stop the lawsuit, Snezhnaya would have been preparing for war at this very moment," Pantalone stated. Soleil became confused.

"What do you mean?" she asked. "There was a reason I did not allow the details of the project to get out. One of the major investors is a member of the Council of Fontaine," Pantalone answered.

"The Council of-! What would a member of the Council of Fontaine want with the remains of an Abyssal Dragon for?" Soleil asked confusingly.

"That is something we are not concerned with. Regardless, the attempt made by our workers to descend into the Abyss had corrupted them and resulted into a small skirmish. One of the people sent by the Council was killed by Dottore's prototypes and his body fell into the Abyss," Pantalone explained.

Soleil's blood ran cold. "Things just keep getting worse," she muttered. Pantalone let out a very small chuckle.

"That is why I had to intervene," he said. Then, he got serious, "Now, do you understand why the case shouldn't be brought to court?"