"Do you want to borrow a puppet from me? Pantalone, you really just told me an interesting joke. If that's the case, I must admit that it made me laugh."
When Pantalone found Sandrone and told the girl whom his colleagues called "Marionette" his thoughts and requests, it was no surprise that he received this response.
The girl's words were filled with mockery toward him, as if she had heard some ridiculous joke.
This left Pantalone somewhat confused. Is it really that funny?
He came here with sincerity, right?
"I'm not joking. Although I'm a banker, I've actually had a great interest in these large blocks of iron and transmission machinery since I was a child. If you're willing to let me participate in it, it would definitely make me very happy."
Pantalone showed one hundred and twenty percent of his true feelings and looked at the little girl in front of him, who was held by the giant puppet, with a sincere smile on his face.
It was only after he finished saying this that he felt something was strange.
Fortunately, Sandrone didn't notice the details of these words, and the small figure held by the mechanical puppet let out a soft laugh.
"If you really think that, it's not that I can't give you a chance. But if your words don't convince me, I suggest you go back the way you came."
As one of the executive officers of the Fatui, Pantalone is responsible for logistics arrangements and is not a full-time combatant.
He thought he knew something about Pantalone.
This ambitious man with big plans is always good at using others to achieve his own goals. If nothing unexpected happened, this time he probably came to her to borrow her power to complete his "big plan."
Although Sandrone wasn't interested in Pantalone's arrival, seeing Pantalone's flattering attitude, she didn't mind listening to what he had prepared to try to convince her.
If that plan seemed interesting to her, she might lend him some of her power. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to get any of it.
The girl sitting on top of the giant puppet, with her hands on her legs, looked like a kind lady. After looking at Pantalone, Sandrone smiled slightly.
"Come with me."
Pantalone didn't pay attention to the offense that the girl named "Marionette" had caused him. He was simply happy that the other party accepted his request. This emotion was reflected on his face, making his smile even brighter.
But to others, it seemed more like a sinister smile with some calculation behind it.
However, Pantalone, as the person involved, obviously didn't have this awareness.
Looking at the huge puppet that moved according to the young girl's thoughts, Pantalone couldn't help but show admiration in his eyes.
This type of creation, full of mechanical engineering aesthetics, has an unimaginable appeal to any man, and naturally, he was no exception.
But the good thing was that Pantalone hadn't forgotten the real purpose of his visit.
After following the puppet's back, Pantalone walked down the corridor under Sandrone's leadership. When the object finally appeared in view, what appeared before his eyes was a huge machinery room.
The moment he entered the factory, he was met with waves of heat and air currents that were contrary to the snow and ice of Snezhnaya. The steam and machinery intertwined, and the chaos of civilization and nature gave a strong visual impact.
An astonishing creation, an incomparable masterpiece.
This is pure violence aesthetics, a pure killing machine born with no consideration for anything else.
Standing on the suspended steel walkway, Pantalone looked at the thing before his eyes and expressed his sincere admiration.
"It's a perfect masterpiece."
"I'll take your words as a compliment."
A smile appeared on the elegant young woman's face, though her eyes still contained mockery toward Pantalone, it was a bit more pleasant to look at.
Compared to a bothersome guy who doesn't even know how to flatter and can only be simple, a flatterer is more pleasant to look at.
Pantalone extended his finger and pointed to the ruin guards that were being assembled on the assembly line, then responded with his own evaluation.
"This is not flattery on my part. Look at these perfect creations of mechanical engineering aesthetics. They are much more practical than mortal bodies and can accomplish more things that can't be done. Compared to flesh and bone, these creations can resist more dangerous damage and wear. This is the superiority of mechanical creations over flesh and bone."
"However, although purely mechanical creations can withstand the wear and tear that flesh and blood cannot endure, they ultimately are not as precise as living beings and cannot act outside the established logic, which is a shame."
Having said this, Pantalone paused for a moment, then reorganized his words before continuing.
"But this is common sense, and also the most fundamental difference between a simple tool and real life. If you cross that threshold, you would have touched the realm of divine creation, wouldn't you?"
"If life can free itself from the shackles of flesh and bone, then the superiority of this creation must be greater than that of mortals, and it can compare to superior races like immortals and the beings from the Abyss."
While Pantalone expressed his feelings and opinions, he completely ignored the fact that the girl beside him had a look of surprise in her eyes after hearing his words.
Looking at the smile at the corner of Pantalone's mouth, she hesitated for a moment.
Because she realized that what Pantalone was saying in front of her was slightly different from the "rich man" who was the executive of the Fatui that she had known.
Pantalone's words caused some ripples in her heart, which made her want to hear Pantalone's deeper thoughts.
Looking at Pantalone in front of her, she started thinking deeply.
If what Pantalone secretly meant was really what she thought, then...
The young woman couldn't help but slightly raise the corners of her mouth when she thought about it, then looked at Pantalone and chuckled.
"It's interesting. Tell me about your whimsical ideas. If the story you invent satisfies me, I will lend you my puppet."