Genshin x Minecraft: Building the Temple of Virtue

Liyue Harbor.

Second floor of the Northland Bank.

Tartaglia stood by the redwood window, silently listening to the movements downstairs.

Perhaps it was the clamor within the bank, or perhaps the bustling streets of Liyue Harbor.

For someone as battle-hardened and restless as he was, moments of peace like these were rare.

He wasn’t sure how long had passed before the manager of the Northland Bank, drenched in sweat and visibly exhausted, climbed the stairs and stood behind him.

”Lord Harbinger, the auditors from the Ministry of Civil Affairs have left…”

Tartaglia made a faint sound of acknowledgment through his nose.

The manager continued his report:

”This is already the third audit targeting us in just seven days, my lord. The Ministry’s actions are growing increasingly frequent.”

”Many of our clients, possibly affected by these audits, have begun withdrawing their deposits from the Northland Bank.”

”In just two weeks, our fixed Mora assets have shrunk by a fifth. If this continues—”

Tartaglia raised a hand slightly, cutting him off with a calm voice.

”That’s something for the rich to worry about.”

”But—”

Tartaglia shot him a sidelong glance and said indifferently,

”But what? Do you expect me to confront the Ministry of Civil Affairs? Or have the Northland Bank go against all of Liyue?”

”My lord! This is blatant targeting!”

The manager’s voice carried frustration and resignation.

Tartaglia chuckled coldly in his heart. He had no interest in these trivial financial maneuvers and could see right through the manager’s attempt to use him as a shield.

But…

He didn’t care what happened to the Northland Bank. At the end of the day, it was a tool for the wealthy.

And he, Tartaglia, had no deep ties to those rich aristocrats.

He despised the likes of Pantalone and the Doctor—their scheming, their underhanded calculations.

Among the Harbingers, the only ones he had any genuine regard for were Capitano and Pulcinella.

The former was a warrior who aligned with his ideals—strong and capable.

The latter, though undoubtedly driven by self-interest, had always been kind to him and his family.

Besides, Tartaglia hadn’t come to Liyue just to oversee the bank.

His mission from the Tsaritsa was the real priority.

Cutting off the manager once more, he spoke slowly,

”This is Liyue, not Mondstadt, not Sumeru, not Inazuma…”

”Liyue Harbor is the most prosperous trade hub in all of Teyvat. Every nation relies on it for commerce.”

”You think I alone can stand against the entirety of Liyue?”

”You think the Fatui have the power to face the wrath of the Geo Archon and his Adepti?”

”Has the Tsaritsa’s favor given you such blind confidence that you’ve forgotten the Geo Archon’s other title—the God of War?”

”Do you even comprehend how many hidden Adepti reside within this city?”

At these words, the manager fell into a troubled silence.

Indeed, with the Fatui’s backing, the Northland Bank had expanded smoothly in other nations, gaining an almost untouchable status.

He had grown accustomed to things going their way, assuming Liyue would be no different.

But…

This was the very heart of commerce, the land ruled by the Geo Archon.

Even Pantalone—the Fatui’s self-proclaimed god of wealth—had started his career in Liyue.

When it came to finance, the people of Liyue were their forefathers.

And if the Fatui ever broke the rules and resorted to force, there were always the Adepti to put them back in their place.

In Liyue, the Fatui could provide the Northland Bank with financial support—nothing more.

After a long pause, Tartaglia, growing bored, suddenly asked,

”I heard that all trade dealings involving Sumeru’s Akademiya have had their material costs inflated by three hundred percent?”

The manager, regaining his composure, immediately replied,

”Yes, my lord. Any transaction involving Sumeru—be it with Liyue or other nations—now requires significantly higher fees.”

”These additional costs are to be shouldered entirely by the Akademiya…”

”Furthermore, just last night, the Northland Bank in Sumeru sent word that the Akademiya was attacked.”

”There were no casualties, it seems, but the attack specifically targeted the Grand Sage. A strike from above obliterated the heart of the Akademiya, leaving a crater over a thousand meters wide and hundreds of meters deep.”

At this, Tartaglia’s interest was piqued.

He didn’t particularly care what the Grand Sage had done to provoke such an attack.

But the attacker? That was a different story.

For a single strike to cause such devastation while still being controlled enough to avoid outright obliteration…

That meant the assailant was, at the very least, at the level of a god.

Tartaglia’s dormant battle spirit ignited, but just as quickly, he calmed himself.

An opponent like that… was far beyond him.

Though he would love to challenge such a foe, now was not the time. His mission took precedence.

”Is there any link between the Akademiya’s attack and Liyue’s economic pressure on them?”

The manager shook his head.

”There’s no sign of any direct connection yet. The Adepti of Liyue aren’t the type to act recklessly, and among them, only a handful have power approaching that of a god.”

”Moreover, the attack didn’t appear to contain any elemental energy…”

Tartaglia raised an eyebrow.

”So, pure physical strength… Now that is the kind of warrior that gets my blood pumping!”

His eyes burned with the thrill of battle, and for a moment, he was tempted to abandon Liyue and rush to Sumeru.

”There’s one more thing,” the manager added. ”The Grand Sage isn’t dead—just severely injured. He’s claiming the incident was caused by an earthquake…”

After a brief pause, he continued,

”Additionally, the Grand Sage has mobilized all of Sumeru’s forces to hunt down the attacker.”

At this, Tartaglia let out a derisive chuckle.

”An earthquake? A manhunt? What an amusing farce…”

”That Grand Sage clearly learned all the wrong things from his ’wisdom.’ Does he really think he’s worthy of tracking down an enemy like that?”

”Forget Sumeru’s affairs—I have no interest in their mess. Just keep an eye out for any news about that attacker. The Tsaritsa might find them… interesting.”

”One more thing.”

Tartaglia pulled a sealed Fatui communication letter from his coat and tossed it to the manager.

”This contains Pantalone’s latest instructions regarding the Northland Bank’s operations. We are not to antagonize the Ministry of Civil Affairs or the Qixing.”

”We are to purchase as much of Liyue’s recently released resources as possible.”

”Focus on coal and iron ore. As for the lapis lazuli that resonates with elemental energy…”

”A state-sponsored delegation from Snezhnaya will handle that transaction.”

Hmm…

Lapis lazuli’s ability to resonate with elemental energy made it an invaluable asset.

Whether for forging high-tier weapons or other applications, the more, the better.

Not to mention, Liyue’s iron ore was of exceptional quality—perfect for crafting semi-divine weapons.

It held immense strategic value.

But since Ningguang and the Qixing had restricted its supply, its price had skyrocketed.

Snezhnaya was prepared to pay any price for it.

The Tsaritsa’s orders were clear: acquire it at all costs.

The manager accepted the letter but hesitated before asking,

”My lord, won’t the Ministry of Civil Affairs obstruct Snezhnaya’s trade convoy?”

Tartaglia smirked, uninterested.

”Pantalone’s letter covers that.”

”He made it clear: the Fatui are the Fatui, and Snezhnaya is Snezhnaya. This convoy is not affiliated with the Fatui or the Northland Bank.”

”It’s merely a private enterprise from Snezhnaya’s civilian sector.”

”Anyway, his letter will tell you what to do. Also…”

”He wanted me to remind you—under no circumstances should the Northland Bank in Liyue provide any financial support to the newly arrived trade convoy.”

”It’s best if the two sides don’t even meet. No contact whatsoever.”

The manager immediately understood, bowing slightly before taking his leave.

The second floor fell silent once more, leaving only Tartaglia standing by the window.

He gazed out at the lively streets of Liyue Harbor, the prosperous city bustling with merchants and travelers. After a long pause, he let out a quiet sigh.

”Such a peaceful and thriving place…”

”If not for Her Majesty’s grand plan, perhaps bringing Tonya and the others to settle here would have given them a better life…”

”But unfortunately…”

His expression darkened with a hint of frustration.

He had been in Liyue for quite some time now, yet he had gained nothing.

Following the Tsaritsa’s instructions, he had tried to establish contact with Zhongli—only for the consultant to have seemingly vanished, nowhere to be found in Liyue Harbor.

With no way to proceed with his assigned tasks, he had instead turned to his own interests—seeking out powerful opponents for a good fight.

But even that had been fruitless.

There were mighty adepti hidden within Liyue, but they did not show themselves. And he knew better than to stir up trouble just to draw them out.

He had ventured to the fabled Nantianmen, where legends spoke of an ancient, sealed being of great power.

Indeed, he had sensed something terrifying slumbering there.

Yet, the mere presence of that being had sent a chilling warning through his entire body, an instinctive dread that surpassed even what he had felt when facing those dreadful eyes in the Abyss.

He hadn’t dared to act recklessly.

Nothing was going his way.

Tartaglia sighed inwardly.

At least the process of obtaining the ”Forbidden Talisman” was progressing smoothly—it had already entered production.

But everything else… every obstacle, every deadlock… all of it seemed to lead back to that heavily guarded manor.

That place was the very heart of the storm brewing in Liyue.

Yet Tartaglia could no longer afford to step foot there.

He knew for certain that an adeptus was watching over it.

He had no qualms about fighting adepti—he actually welcomed it.

But this was different.

This particular adeptus wasn’t just watching him; they were ready to kill him the moment he crossed the line.

There would be no holding back, no friendly spar—only a deathmatch.

Tartaglia wasn’t foolish enough to throw his life away.

Besides…

The aura of that adeptus gave him an overwhelming sense of fatal danger.

It had to be one of the legendary adepti—perhaps the infamous Conqueror of Demons, or one of the Three-Eyed Five-Manifold Immortals.

The only silver lining was that this adeptus seemed uninterested in the lesser members of the Fatui.

They had their eyes set solely on him—on warriors of his caliber.

That was something Tartaglia could use to his advantage.

He was still lost in thought when a sound of ragged, frantic breathing reached his ears from across the room.

His sharp gaze flicked toward the doorway, his expression darkening.

A debt collector had stumbled in—no, not just any debt collector, but one in a wretched, bloodied state.

His clothes were tattered, soaked in crimson. His body was riddled with deep, vicious bite marks, as if he had barely escaped the jaws of some ravenous beast.

One arm hung limp at his side, clearly broken beyond use.

Tartaglia’s brows furrowed deeply.

He didn’t particularly value the lives of debt collectors.

They weren’t strong—not in the grand scheme of things.

But they were masters of stealth and evasion.

For one to return in such a state…

And more importantly—he had sent out four.

Where were the other three?

”What happened?” Tartaglia’s voice was low and firm.

The debt collector sucked in a trembling breath, his eyes filled with sheer terror, his body shaking uncontrollably as if recalling a nightmare.

”Lord Harbinger… that manor… that manor—”

”The place is surrounded by hundreds of Millelith guards!”

”And… and traps—traps filled with lava!”

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