"I admit this is not what I expected from a person important enough to be in this room" the girl in question said in a dry tone while looking at the kneeling boy in front of her.
"Kenshin, what the hell are you doing?" asked Sara in a cold voice. She had been talking with Kenshin alone on Saturdays for months now, but now she was seeing how Kenshin was literally asking for a date with a woman he hadn't seen in his life. She felt all her efforts were being thrown into the trash can.
"Sush my little bird and don't be jealous. If you could see what I'm seeing I fear even your heterosexuality would be questioned" replied Kenshin, still not raising his head.
"Hmmm" Ayato said looking at the scene curiously, sipping on his drink, as always.
"Behave you fool!" shouted Kujou Takayuki, intending to shove Kenshin away from this girl.
"Touch me and I will reveal even your deepest secrets old decrepit and impotent fool" Kenshin sharply said, not even deigning to look at him.
"Hmm, if this is how Inazuma's leaders carry themselves, I'm honestly disappointed" the girl said in a calm voice, looking at Ei, who was studying the scene calmly.
"Please lady, don't try to fool us" said Kenshin still waiting for a response. "May I hear the answer to my petition?".
"Kenshin, you are going to get killed later" muttered Sara clenching her fists. "Do you know who are you talking to?"
"I'm blind, how could I know?" replied Kenshin.
"If you are blind, why did you say that you were able to see me?" the girl's firm and level voice held a hint of curiosity.
"Why don't you take my offer and find out?" replied Kenshin, still on his knee.
"Enough" said Ei, looking suspiciously at the girl. "Let's start, we have a lot of things to talk about".
"I need my answer first" Kenshin refused to move.
"Maybe if I leave this room in a happy mood" the girl thought that even if the situation was unlike anything she had seen, she would take any advantage she could.
"Please be assured. I will do my utmost to help you reach your objectives and fulfil your goals. I bet my own pride on that" replied seriously Kenshin, returning to his seat under the surprised gaze of everyone present.
And yet, his thoughts were quite different to what his mouth was spouting.
There was only one other person important enough to be here, and that was the Fatui in charge of Inazuma. As the only other person in Inazuma with the power to import food, getting to know how this now identified as a girl person thought and behaved was the first priority in Kenshin's mind.
And a 'date' was the best way to go to the deep ends.
The fact that her soul was this amazing was only an extra.
"Kenshin, I think you lost your pride the day you pissed on the Head Miko of the Shrine as a baby" calmly said Ayato, making the girl look at Kenshin in surprise, and a bit of disdain.
"Ayato!! Now the beautiful lady is feeling disdain towards my person! I will tell how you cried hugging my feet of gratefulness after your mother recovered!" Kenshin roared at the betrayal of what he thought was his friend.
"Do whatever you want, there is nobody in this room I care about" Ayato said in a casual voice. "Maybe the General, but I'm not ashamed of it".
"What do you mean disdain?" asked the girl, feeling inwardly alarmed. She was sure she didn't show anything on her face.
"Don't be alarmed lady, as I said I can see some things" Kenshin said while sending her a smile.
"I am not alarmed" replied the girl, feeling even more alarmed.
"Lie" Kenshin said with a large smile.
"*Ehem*, milady, this man can detect all lies, and since a few years ago he knows how you are feeling. He is nothing more than an extremely nosy and obnoxious child" explained Takayuki, directing Kenshin a heated gaze.
"I see" said the girl, knowing that she was doomed. She came to blackmail, *cough*, negotiate, and bluffing was going to be a big part of the negotiation as she needed to bargain with an Archon after all, but with this weird guy here she wouldn't be able to do absolutely anything. She clenched her teeth, angry with the Hiirage and Kujou leaders. Why didn't they tell her beforehand of this?
"Don't worry lady, I promised that I would make you reach your goals" Kenshin said with a 'winning' smile.
"I see" said the girl, thinking that maybe she had a chance thanks to this weird guy.
"I don't" replied instantly Kenshin, pointing at his closed eyes. "Sorry, verbal tick".
The girl was confused for a short while but looked at Ei.
"I would like to start if that's alright with your Majesty" she politely said, her calm gaze meeting Ei's own.
Ei nodded, and the girl took her chance to start by introducing herself.
"I'm the new Knave, a member of the Fatui of Snezhnaya and the one in charge of the people here" the girl said, doing a polite bow.
Her hair was mostly white with some black and red undertones, tied into a ponytail with some of it covering her forehead and the right side of her face.
Her eyes had a red 'X' on them and she was wearing a stylish white suit, that fitted her elegant demeanour.
"She is not lying" Kenshin said, even without being asked.
"Why would I need to lie in my introduction?" questioned Arlecchino in a calm voice.
"Well, maybe you didn't want us to know that you are a Fatui Harbinger, who we know are the direct subordinates of the Tsarista or Cryo Archon. Or that you have a Delusion tied to your waist, a false Vision that grants you quite a lot of power without relying on Celestia. Or that you are not here to do charity, you came to Inazuma to look for something a certain person has" Kenshin said while shrugging.
Arlecchino froze upon hearing that. She was sure she didn't speak about that to anybody, not even her own subordinates, and now her hidden identity was exposed in the room where all important people were, and worst of all, the God of Eternity.
"Something you want to say?" said Ei calmly, but everybody could notice that she didn't like what Kenshin said.
"I am not here to harm anybody, and would like to reach my goals peacefully" Arlecchino calmly said not losing her composure, even if she was panicking inside.
Everyone looked at Kenshin, waiting for his verdict, even Arlecchino. This strange boy's next words would decide her future.
"What are you looking at me for? She is sweating like crazy inwardly, probably scared about the murderous God's attitude, but she didn't lie" replied Kenshin with a shrug.
"Kenshin, show some respect for your Excellency!" shouted Sara with an indignant face.
"I am here because I stopped her from murdering someone, I don't think I lied" Kenshin defended himself with an aggrieved face.
"Enough" said Ei, more or less used to Kenshin's antics. "What did you come here for".
"To look for a fugitive that escaped from Snezhnaya. He carries some important information that shouldn't have left our borders" Arlecchino replied with a calm voice, praying that the boy could 'see' her desperation and let her lie slide. She couldn't say that she came for the Gnosis under the Archon's control.
Kenshin didn't answer, and served some tea in a cup he pushed towards Arlecchino with a smile, who ignored it.
Ei nodded, thinking about some possible outcomes this conversation could have.
"What do we get in exchange for helping you find this fugitive?" asked Sara, still angry about Kenshin's attention to this woman who looked to be a few years older.
"Everything the Fatui can offer you. Money, food, medicines. Of course, with some limits" Arlecchino replied looking straight at Sara, realizing all of Sara's internal conflict with just a gaze. The fact that she had been chosen as the next Knave at 15 years old showed how incredibly good she was at her job, mainly as a negotiator, even if she could hold her own in a fight.
But that was only the front, her cover. She managed the House of Hearth, an institution where children were used as spies and trained to be what Snezhnaya needed them to be.
"Of course, we will help you with everything we have" said Takayuki in a flattering tone.
"That's not your call to make" said Ayato disinterestedly.
"I agree with lord Takayuki's proposal" now everyone looked at Kenshin with wide eyes, even Ei looked at him with surprise. In the 7 years Kenshin had been working in this room, the only thing he directed to Takayuki were insults and threats, so why was he now agreeing? "I think making this lady happy is the only way I get to have a date with her".
'And to get food' thought an exasperated Kenshin. 'Don't you all maggots realize that this girl has us caught by the balls? If she decides that no more food is to be sent, we will starve in a week. Keeping her 'satisfied' is our only way to go'.
"Kenshin!" shouted an outraged Sara. "Are you going to sell Inazuma for a date?!"
"Yes" unashamedly replied Kenshin. "It's not like she wants to hurt Inazuma, why shouldn't we? She is the one in charge of sending food, and let me remind you that this lady is the only one besides me who can introduce supplies in Inazuma".
'So this is the boy hindering us' thought Arlecchino with the smallest of frowns. Kenshin had thrown wrench after wrench in her plan. If he didn't exist, she could have collected more information about the Gnosis location using her monopoly over food as leverage. Even if the Harbingers were not going to steal Gnosis for a few years, they still needed as much information as they could.
And that was not talking about the extremely weird power he could use, and that was making her head hurt, thinking of some possible ways to fool him.
"May I know this man's power? He may be useful in my search for the fugitive" she said, thinking about finding more about her main obstacle.
"That's a secret of Inazuma" replied Sara with a challenging look, one that Arlecchino ignored.
"Of course you can!" said a still hyperactive Kenshin. "I can see souls, their forms and actions, meaning that I can detect lies, sense what they are feeling and many things more".
"You told me you could see Elemental Power, you never said anything about souls" said Ei with a dangerous look, one that made Sara and Ayato alert.
Arlecchino thought about how overpowered this man's ability was. Seeing souls was something too....wait a second, didn't Signora say something related to this the same day she was named the new Arlecchino?
"Elemental Power, souls, all the same" Kenshin said disinterestedly with a wave of her hand. "And calm down, you should already know that I'm not a threat to your Eternity or whatever that thing is called?"
"Are you Kenshin?" asked suddenly Arlecchino, thinking that if this guy is the same Kenshin Signora talked about, she may have a chance to kidnap him and take him to Snezhnaya. That would make her plans go forward a lot faster.
"Yes milady! I'm deeply touched by your sudden interest in my person" Kenshin quickly appeared by her side in his kneeling position, making Arlecchino sweat a bit.
"The same Kenshin that was 3 years ago in Mondstadt?" Arlecchino insisted, making Sara look at her with some surprise that immediately changed to suspicion.
"Yes, have you heard of my courageous attitude and chivalry from what I surmise is your coworker, Signora?" asked Kenshin, realizing that the 'hot' woman was a bit too talkative.
"Indeed, and about some book you wrote there" Arlecchino said, and looked with surprise at the trembling Kenshin.
"Kenshin?" asked a somewhat worried Sara, seeing him shake in fear.
"Please, tell me nobody has seen that book" pleaded Kenshin, not raising his head, trying to think how to disappear from Teyvat. He was going to have a meteor shoved up his ass.
"Only the Tsaritsa" replied honestly Arlecchino, as lying would be useless around him. She was now curious about what the book contained after seeing this brazen guy shake in fear.
"Fuck" cursed Kenshin, ready to leave the room.
"Where are you going?" asked Ei with her eternal calm gaze.
"To write 2 letters" said Kenshin with a grim face "One to Morax and one to Barbatos".