Mr. Yuto had no idea he was being targeted by someone he had previously considered an enemy.
For him now... the important thing was how to fully control the afternoon's negotiations with the Fatui.
Although the Fatui would certainly pay a price for this light blue glowing piece, if he wanted to gain greater benefits... Mr. Yuto would have to expend some effort.
Of course, he also had to prepare defenses against Arlecchino, after all... those who play with information are not to be trifled with.
...
As time passed, Mr. Yuto met Arlecchino, who arrived as scheduled, in the reception room.
Looking at her elegant figure as she gracefully took her seat, Mr. Yuto smiled slightly and then said,
"We meet again, The Knave. I hope this time... our discussion about the god's heart can be more 'normal'."
Hearing this, Arlecchino raised her eyebrows slightly, as if savoring the meaning of the word "normal," and then said,
"Mr. Yuto need not worry. Since Fontaine is willing to cede the god's heart, the Fatui will offer a suitable price."
Arlecchino smiled slightly, then, as if by magic, placed a contract on the table and pushed it towards Mr. Yuto.
"These are the terms offered by the Northland Bank. If Fontaine cedes the god's heart, the Northland Bank's Fontaine branch will cede 5% of its monthly profits as compensation."
"It is worth noting that the term of this contract... is permanent, meaning that as long as the 'Northland Bank' as a main entity exists for one day, this contract will remain valid."
At this point, Arlecchino paused slightly, then said,
"At the same time, to show our sincerity, the Fatui will, within three days after this contract is signed... withdraw most of their people, retaining only a portion of debt collectors and Wind Operatives for debt collection and liaison with other branches."
"Are you satisfied with such a contract?"
Arlecchino had dealt with Mr. Yuto several times and knew exactly what the Assistant Administrator cared about.
With his leadership and negotiation skills, Fontaine had established very deep cooperative relationships with several other nations...
From this perspective, mora was not actually important to Fontaine, and at this moment, what they cared about most should be "safety."
Although Fontaine's top combat power on the surface used to be only the Assistant Administrator and the Chief Justice, no matter what... they had a God.
Regardless of whether she possessed power, Fontaine indeed had such a God, who had a certain deterrent effect in terms of diplomacy and defense.
And now, Fontaine's visible top combat power is truly only a strengthened Mr. Yuto and Neuvillette; without the deterrent power of a God... Fontaine will have to bear more pressure diplomatically.
Of course, the source of this pressure could only be Snezhnaya.
The relationship between Mondstadt, Ritou, Inazuma, and Fontaine has become quite stable under Mr. Yuto's operation over the years; at least they will not take advantage of the God's disappearance.
As for Sumeru, it is struggling to protect itself; they are still mediating internal Akademiya matters and have no time to attend to so-called diplomacy.
As for Natlan... they are busy preparing for grand competitive events and also have no time to participate in this matter.
At this point, the only ones who can pose a threat to Fontaine... are the Fatui.
This was Arlecchino's consideration: rather than letting Mr. Yuto completely suppress the Fatui on a diplomatic level through various maneuvers, it was better to take a step back first to gain more benefits.
Thinking of this, a faint smile appeared on Arlecchino's face.
She believed that Mr. Yuto would certainly not refuse such terms.
Mr. Yuto looked at the contract in his hand, then looked up at Arlecchino, who was smiling at him, a flicker of understanding in his eyes.
"Knowing you might not be able to beat me, so you plan to retreat to advance... What a clever plan..."
Mr. Yuto smiled softly, then placed the contract on the table, and said,
"A very sincere contract, but in my opinion... this sincerity is not enough to give up this god's heart, which is quite commemorative for Fontaine."
"The Knave, as an Executive of the Fatui... you should be very clear about how bad the Fatui's reputation is in the other six nations."
"I have no doubt that you will withdraw most of the Fatui, both those in the open and those in the shadows,
Because this is trust based on the communication between you and me, it is my trust in the owner of the name 'Arlecchino'."
"But... who can guarantee they won't make a comeback?"
At this point, Mr. Yuto paused slightly, then looked at the silver-haired woman in front of him with a half-smile, saying with a hint of mockery in his voice,
"Besides, how do I know how many people are still lurking in the shadows?"
"How many people and arrangements are there that I, or rather, Palais Mermonia, don't know about?"
"If you hadn't investigated Furina's condition that night, I would never have discovered the spies you planted in Palais Mermonia."
"We are both intelligent people, and I believe you understand what I mean, The Knave. This request is not heavy compared to your loyalty to the Ice Queen."
With that, Mr. Yuto merely smiled at Arlecchino in front of him, saying nothing.
In his opinion, if safety was to be ensured... then it had to be done thoroughly, not giving the Fatui a chance to counterattack at the very end.
Given the current situation, he would be spending more time outside Fontaine for a long time in the future, and he couldn't just leave all these problems for Neuvillette to solve.
Although he also knew that the Fatui in the other six nations were like leeks in a field; as soon as one batch was cut, another would immediately grow, but...
He had to at least cut the leeks clean to prevent them from becoming rampant next time.
Looking at the smiling Mr. Yuto in front of her, Arlecchino narrowed her eyes slightly, and after about thirty seconds of eye contact... she sighed helplessly.
"In that case, I, Arlecchino, guarantee you that there will be no Wind Operatives or debt collectors within Fontaine, but... the Northland Bank needs Palais Mermonia's cooperation to ensure smooth debt collection."
"For each instance of assistance with debt collection, Palais Mermonia will receive 5% of the recovered bond interest as remuneration. What do you think of these terms?"
Hearing this, a very natural smile appeared on Mr. Yuto's face, and he then placed the "hot potato" glowing with light blue light on the table.
"In that case... this is my sincerity."
"May our cooperation... be pleasant."
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