The Fatui's Ninth Company is no longer just a vanguard unit; it is now the direct subordinate unit of the Harbinger known as "The Rooster."
To put it simply... compared to the Fatui brought by Klober and the missionary, the Ninth Company is truly one of "our own."
Although Bailuo had never served in the Ninth Company, having been saved by The Rooster in the past, his entire squad had always admired this unit.
To them, the Ninth Company was synonymous with glory, so Bailuo had a deep impression of it, especially their team slogan.
"Who else but us!"
"Who else but us!"
Hearing Bailuo shout these four words, the soldiers of the Ninth Company immediately stood tall and proud, echoing the inspiring phrase.
"Tartaglia didn't come?"
Although Bailuo was quite familiar with Tartaglia, he had never marked him. Mainly because he had been too cautious at the time, fearing that some of his actions might be discovered by the Tsaritsa.
"Lord Tartaglia has gone to The Chasm."
Katarina explained.
Not just Tartaglia, but the Captain had also taken some elites into The Chasm ahead of time. They needed to secure a foothold inside to make it easier for the reinforcements to set up camp later.
"That sounds like him."
Tartaglia's love for combat is well-known.
Once, The Rooster had spoken to Bailuo about Tartaglia: "You can trust him, but don't get too attached. The kind of battle he craves isn't what ordinary people imagine—it's an extreme and high-risk experience."
If Bailuo is an absolute black dagger that seems to absorb even light, always ready to deliver a fatal strike, then Tartaglia is like a silver blade wrapped in velvet—ominous, unpredictable, and always on guard.
But that's fine. Not seeing him means avoiding a lot of trouble. Thinking this, Bailuo's mood improved.
His attention then turned to the Electro Cicin Mage in front of him, as she reminded him of Kseniya, whom he had met in Inazuma.
He wondered if she had discovered the firewater he had hidden.
"Do you know Kseniya?"
Perhaps because their walking styles were so similar, Bailuo couldn't help but ask.
However, as soon as the question left his mouth, he realized how naive it was. Even if they were both Electro Cicin Mages, it didn't mean they had to know each other, right?
"Lord Instructor, you know Kseniya?"
The Electro Cicin Mage's eyes lit up with surprise. As orphans adopted by the House of the Hearth, they were, in a sense, sisters.
After Kseniya went to Inazuma, there had been no news of her. Katarina had already prepared herself for the possibility that her dear sister had perished on Inazuman soil. She never expected to hear Kseniya's name from the Instructor himself.
"Yes, I ran into her once. We're not exactly close, but we almost had a life-and-death bond."
That night, if he had been a little bolder and stayed in the old tent instead of going out to stand guard, Kseniya might have ended up on maternity leave. That would have been a life-and-death bond, right?
He just didn't know where Kseniya had been transferred to.
"How is Kseniya... doing?"
Katarina didn't dare hope for much—not even that Kseniya was still alive. As a member of the Ninth Company, she had access to a lot of classified information.
For example, she knew just how dire the situation in Inazuma was.
"She's living freely, more freely than you. Though her firewater reserves are running low, I gave her a bottle later, so it should last her until the end of the year."
Bailuo... was telling the truth. Life in the wilderness of Inazuma might be tough, but it was definitely freer than the lives of the Fatui in the cities.
As Kseniya had once said, "The sky is vast, the earth is vast, but I am the greatest."
How great she was, Bailuo hadn't experienced firsthand, but judging by appearances, she was certainly... larger than Katarina.
Oh, my poor Katarina, did Kseniya steal something important from you?
Was it your heart? Or your...
Ahem.
"Would you like to come to Inazuma with me?"
At this point, Bailuo hadn't realized that the Electro Cicin Mage in front of him was the one from The Chasm. He didn't have any ulterior motives; he just felt that he didn't have anyone else to use at the moment. The ordinary Fatui members around him weren't even worthy of being marked as "monsters."
He simply wanted to transfer some people over to bolster his presence.
And this acquaintance of Kseniya's was the perfect candidate. Later, he might even use her connections to bring Kseniya over as well, achieving the feat of having both by his side.
Katarina glanced subtly at her comrades behind her, lingering for a moment on a shy young man, before finally shaking her head.
She knew that even if Bailuo was a rising star among the Harbingers, being his confidant would undoubtedly elevate her status far beyond that of a mere member of the Ninth Company.
It would be like ascending to the heavens in a single step.
Many of her comrades behind her were already secretly celebrating for her. Especially that shy young man—he was even more excited than Katarina herself about her being noticed by Bailuo.
"Thank you for your appreciation, Lord Instructor, but... I think I'll stay in Liyue."
Katarina's choice surprised everyone, including Bailuo.
If it weren't for Bailuo's presence, the young man would have already started arguing with Katarina.
"Is it because of him? I can assign both of you to my unit. The Rooster won't be stingy."
Although there were no formal factions within the Fatui, Bailuo had served under The Rooster for so long that they could be considered part of the same faction.
If Bailuo only wanted two Fatui members from his ranks, The Rooster wouldn't refuse.
"It's because of our mission!"
Katarina proudly puffed out her chest, which was severely underdeveloped, and declared with pride.
Before they left, The Rooster had told them that this mission was for the sake of all humanity in Teyvat and for the future of Snezhnaya.
If she were to leave now because of another Harbinger's favor, it would be tantamount to desertion.
She didn't want to be a deserter.
"Who else but us!"
Shouting the Ninth Company's slogan once more, Katarina's face was filled with unconcealable pride and honor.
The same went for the Fatui members behind her.
The contrast with the four Fatui members Bailuo had brought was stark, making him want to slap them.
Even though these were the best he could find in Mondstadt, the difference between people was just too great.
"Alright, but my offer stands. Once the situation in The Chasm is resolved, you can transfer directly to me. Bring as many people as you want—I'm short on hands lately anyway."
"Thank you, Lord Instructor!"