Just a few days after being discharged from the hospital, Dottore was dragged into Pierro's office once again.
Dottore: "............"
"What do you want this time, Pierro?"
"You and I are going to wait for Her Majesty the Tsaritsa's orders."
Her Majesty? Oh well, he still had to show at least a tiny bit of respect to his own archon.
Just like that, after waiting for half a day, the Tsaritsa's orders finally came down: head to Mondstadt and Inazuma to try and recruit the Sixth and Eighth Harbingers.
"Let's go, Dottore. We'll head to Mondstadt first."
"Shouldn't I be the one going to Inazuma?"
"Intelligence from Inazuma reports that the Electro Archon just threw away her puppet."
Wait, how on earth did you people manage that? "...Fine."
"Don't come bothering me as soon as we get back from this."
"Rest assured, once the recruitment is done, you can hole up and do your own research for quite a long time."
Pierro grabbed Dottore's hand, and the two of them teleported to Mondstadt, materializing near Cider Lake. They looked toward the outskirts of Mondstadt city, where a "monster" engulfed in roaring flames stood.
"Incompetent Anemo Archon, give me back Rostam! Give me back Rostam!"
Pierro and Dottore walked toward her.
"Who are you?"
"We are the Fatui. Do you wish to seek vengeance against the gods? Join us, and we can help you."
"Why should I believe you..."
............
Dottore stood to the side, watching the two converse. After a few minutes, she was persuaded. After using the power of the Cryo Archon to extinguish the flames, Dottore draped a black cloak over Signora.
Rosalyne: "Thank you." Although she didn't know Dottore, since he had draped a black cloak over her, she needed to thank him.
"Alright, Dottore, it's time for us to head back."
Dottore: "You guys go ahead. I still have some business to attend to."
Pierro frowned slightly. "What business could you possibly have?"
"Just a forbidden experiment." With that, he tossed a single-use teleportation device at Pierro.
"Take care of yourself." Pierro caught the single-use device, took Rosalyne, and returned to Snezhnaya.
Dottore walked into Mondstadt city alone. Although it had been attacked by the evil dragon Durin, thanks to the Anemo Archon summoning one of the Four Winds before falling into slumber, further damage to Mondstadt had been successfully prevented.
Dottore walked toward the Mondstadt Cathedral, went around to the back of the building, and arrived before a gravestone inscribed with the name of the knight—Rostam.
*System, do you have any technology that can bring the dead back to life?*
*Host, your current mental fortitude cannot withstand it. You need to keep working harder.*
*Then what other way is there to resurrect Rostam?*
*Cloning?* No, cloned bodies don't have souls. *Wait, souls? I remember that when people die, their souls return to the ley lines. If that's the case, then it should be much simpler, but it requires the Tsaritsa's power, as well as Rostam's genetic material.*
As for Rostam's current state—he glanced down at the grave, took out a portable folding shovel, and muttered inwardly: *Bodhisattva... no, protect me, Her Majesty the Tsaritsa.* With that, he dug up the corpse.
The surrounding wind began to grow violent. He knew it was because he had desecrated the grave of the Anemo Archon's familiar, but since the Archon was currently fast asleep, this was probably the extent of his warnings. What was he going to do, punch him through a wall?
Carrying Rostam's corpse, Dottore returned to Snezhnaya. To prevent Rosalyne from flying into a murderous rage, he took the body straight to his own laboratory, opened up the manufacturing workshop, and conveniently used the cloning machine. He placed Rostam's body inside. In the blink of an eye, the flesh began to regenerate, and a fully restored version of Rostam appeared in the machine. However, he currently possessed no soul. Dottore placed him in a chair and set off for Snezhnaya Palace.
Upon arriving, Rosalyne had already returned to her original appearance, and Pierro was standing beside her. Seeing Dottore approach, Pierro asked, "What brings you here, Dottore?"
"I am here to request Her Majesty's grace." With that, he walked into Snezhnaya Palace.
"What brings you to me, Dottore?"
Dottore dropped to one knee to show respect. "Your familiar, Dottore, implores your grace to retrieve the soul of a deceased person from the ley lines."
"By doing this, you will completely offend the Anemo Archon, Barbatos, Dottore."
"Isn't everything we are currently doing an offense against the gods, Your Majesty?" Dottore remained on one knee. "Should the Anemo Archon place the blame, I am still willing to bear all of the Anemo Archon's wrath." Though flattering a god back into a good mood was probably pretty easy anyway.
"Then go fetch Columbina. We will need her help to summon a soul. At the same time, bring the vessel required to house that soul."
"I am grateful for your grace, Her Majesty."
Leaving Snezhnaya Palace, Pierro and Rosalyne were still standing outside talking.
Dottore greeted them, "Pierro, and my new colleague—Rosalyne-Kruzchka Lohefalter."
Rosalyne replied, "That was my original name. Now my codename is Signora."
"Is that so? Then I'll take my leave. You two carry on with your chat."
Columbina's home was very close to Snezhnaya Palace. Dottore prepared to knock, but the door opened before he could (or rather, it hadn't been locked to begin with). He walked inside. "Hello, Columbina—I would like to ask..."
The young girl was lying facedown on a desk, eyes half-closed. Her ethereal voice drifted over. "Are you here to ask for my help?"
Though somewhat surprised, he nodded anyway. "Her Majesty said that if one wishes to summon the soul of the dead, your assistance is required, so..."
"Let's go. To the Tsaritsa's." With that, she began humming a tune as she strolled toward Snezhnaya Palace.
*Surely it's not what I think it is, right?*
Columbina: "Yes, it is. Exactly what you're thinking."
Dottore: *...What should I do if I don't want to follow her anymore?*
"That won't do. Please come along with me to Snezhnaya Palace."
Dottore: (Abandoning all struggle)
Thus, the Doctor found himself unwillingly accompanying Columbina back to Snezhnaya Palace, where he found the Jester and Signora still chatting.
"You two still aren't done talking?"
"Almost. Why are you back again?" Pierro asked, feeling rather baffled.
*Pierro: Doesn't this guy usually bury himself in his laboratory? Why is he visiting Snezhnaya Palace so often today?*
Dottore helplessly gestured toward Columbina.
*Understood.*
Having accompanied Columbina into Snezhnaya Palace once more, and waiting outside while the Tsaritsa and Columbina remained within, he overheard as they emerged:
"When you're among the Fatui, the only one you need to watch out for is Dottore."
*Huh? Are they talking about me? Not sure, let's listen a bit more.*
"Though he seems reliable, he was expelled by the Sumeru Akademiya for researching forbidden knowledge, and his very condition for joining the Fatui was obtaining sufficient materials to research forbidden knowledge. Your current state happens to fall right into the category of knowledge he wishes to pry into, so you must be careful around him. Also..."
Suddenly sensing movement behind him, she spotted a Dottore wreathed in dark, sinister auras.
Pierro: "............"
……………………………………………