Luo Qing never would have guessed that being selected as a Trainee Harbinger was nothing more than a baited trap.
The moment he donned that uniform, he was bound to go to Liyue on a mission.
Originally, he had planned to lie low in Snezhnaya, accumulating Frustration Points by toying with the new recruits, and then make a stealthy escape once he was strong enough to protect himself.
But now, with nothing but the Thirteen Fatal Thrusts under his belt, he was being sent to Liyue to stir up trouble.
Pierro had even claimed he possessed some sort of power to manipulate minds, making him the perfect candidate for such a task.
Has Pierro lost his mind, or did Old Man Zhongli's Geo spears dull?
If given a choice, he would have preferred to be a decent person.
But unfortunately, he didn't have a choice.
Fatui New Recruit Training Grounds
After a day of rigorous training, a group of recruits gathered in the rest area, cups of Snezhnayan firewater in hand, a drink renowned for its warming effects.
They had been with the Fatui for three months, having completed all the training at the recruit camp. Now, they were preparing to select their specialties and be assigned to their respective units.
"Hey, Natalia, are you seriously considering joining the Luminescent Witches?"
A tall, muscular man asked while sipping his firewater.
"I heard they spend all their time dealing with bugs and get sent to the wilderness for deployments. Doesn't seem like your style — aren't you all about beauty?"
Natalia took a sip of her drink, gazing at the sparks flickering in the stove.
"It's good to get some fresh air. But what about you, Sergei? Why not join the Vanguard?
Their weapons are impressive — way cooler than the desk job you mentioned. Or do you plan on staying in Snezhnaya forever?"
Under the icy might of the Tsaritsa, Snezhnaya remained frozen year-round, making alcohol a daily necessity to fend off the chill.
"They might look impressive, but outside of Snezhnaya, you'd be seen as a dangerous threat. It's only a matter of time before someone decides to beat you up."
Sergei grimaced at the thought, shaking his head as he pictured himself being chased around in foreign lands.
"Come on, what kind of defeatist attitude is that! For the glory of Her Majesty, if anyone dares to pick a fight with me, I'll show them what a true Snezhnayan greeting looks like!"
"By the way, did you hear? The instructor was selected as a Trainee Harbinger and will be heading to Liyue."
The conversation was interrupted by a thinner man named Igor, who had been listening quietly.
"Isn't that good news, Igor? We should toast to that!"
Sergei clapped Igor on the back with a hearty laugh.
Three months ago, they had joined the Fatui with dreams of glory, inspired by their loyalty to the Tsaritsa.
Then, on their second day, they met Instructor Luo Qing, who quickly shattered those fantasies.
Even now, they still didn't understand why Luo Qing insisted they dance to plaza music before every training session.
And worse, they had to sing along!
Dear Archons, it was a song Luo Qing recorded himself — not terrible, but certainly unforgettable.
"But I heard... he might be taking a few of us with him," Igor muttered nervously.
The moment those words left his mouth, all three of them went rigid, as if they'd heard the most dreadful news imaginable.
Going to Liyue... with Instructor Luo Qing?
Oh, heavens above, what could be worse?!
"Igor, let's change the topic to something happier... Cough, cough, Instructor Luo Qing! What a surprise to see you here!"
Natalia jumped up, hastily hiding her cup behind her back.
Hearing that Luo Qing was there, both Igor and Sergei quickly stood, tossing their cups aside.
Luo Qing, draped in a black cloak, made his way through the snowy training grounds and stopped in front of them.
"Good evening, Instructor Luo Qing!"
The three recruits saluted in unison.
"Hmm..." Luo Qing nodded.
"How good?"
[Frustration Value from Igor +1]
[Frustration Value from Natalia +1]
[Frustration Value from Sergei +1]
"If you can't give me a satisfactory answer, I'll have to severely punish you for drinking firewater on the training grounds." Luo Qing's voice was calm, but his threat was clear.
"Uh..."
The three exchanged nervous glances, unsure of how to respond.
"Three... two..."
"Reporting, Instructor Luo Qing! As good as Her Majesty's long legs!"
Igor's expression was dead serious. He remembered how Luo Qing often slipped up, talking about working hard for the Tsaritsa's "long legs," so he figured this answer was foolproof.
"Excellent. I like that answer. You pass."
Luo Qing smiled in satisfaction, sat down next to the stove, and removed his cloak.
Natalia, ever attentive, took the cloak, folded it neatly, and hung it up while refilling Luo Qing's cup, standing respectfully by his side.
"Instructor Luo Qing, what brings you here tonight?" Sergei asked cautiously.
"Oh, I have two pieces of news for you: one good, and one bad. Which would you like to hear first?" Luo Qing asked with a smile.
"Uh... the bad news?"
"The bad news is that in two days, I'll be heading to Liyue. I won't be back in Snezhnaya for quite some time."
"Oh, that's... truly unfortunate."
"Yes, I might actually cry, thinking about not seeing you for so long, Instructor."
"Yeah, it's really a shame..."
The three of them exchanged sorrowful glances, their faces marked with exaggerated sadness.
"Instructor Luo Qing, what about the good news?" Igor asked, trying to sound hopeful.
"The good news is... I'm taking the three of you with me."
Luo Qing gave Igor a friendly pat on the shoulder as if asking, Aren't you excited?
"..."
"..."
"..."
The three recruits looked like they'd been struck by lightning. It felt less like Luo Qing was taking them to Liyue and more like he was leading them to the gallows.
[Frustration Value from Igor +10]
[Frustration Value from Natalia +10]
[Frustration Value from Sergei +10]
"Instructor Luo Qing, isn't that a bit... inappropriate?"
"Yeah, yeah, we've only just finished our training. We might not be ready for such a big responsibility..."
"Right, what if we end up dragging you down? We'd feel terrible about it..."
Despite their reluctance, they couldn't afford to show it, so they put on faces of false gratitude.
"It's fine. I don't mind."
"..."
The three were on the verge of tears.
You may not mind, but we do! Can't you just leave us behind?!
"Your performance in the recruit camp has been exemplary. I'm sure this mission will go smoothly," Luo Qing said, downing his firewater in one gulp. He stood and draped the cloak back over his shoulders.
His reason for bringing them along was simple: to provide a steady source of Frustration Points.
The Fatui's presence in Liyue was limited, mostly stationed secretly in the wilderness. There was no way he could start troubling the people of Liyue right away.
It would be far easier to mess with his own comrades.
"By the way, I've already submitted your names. We'll be departing from the port in two days, heading to Liyue Harbor. So, make sure to wrap things up here in Snezhnaya."
With those words, Luo Qing patted their shoulders and disappeared into the snow-covered training grounds.
The three recruits stood there, staring at the stove, their expressions as lifeless as condemned men who had just received their death sentence.