Chapter 18: I Just Wanted Some Dango

Chapter 18: I Just Wanted Some Dango

The woman who had waved at him vanished in the blink of an eye, as if she were nothing more than an illusion.

But Bai Luo knew better than anyone—that was no illusion.

That woman was one of the most dangerous individuals in all of Inazuma.

Even if she appeared friendly on the surface, that didn’t mean she wasn’t a threat.

Unpredictability was her true nature. Just when you thought you had her all figured out, she’d do something completely unexpected—shattering the image you'd carefully constructed in your mind.

She was the Head Shrine Maiden of the Grand Narukami Shrine, the heir of the Hakushin bloodline, confidante to the Electro Archon herself…

A cunning fox spirit, and, of course, the terrifying owner of the light novel publisher, Yae Publishing House.

Her list of titles was as complex and shifting as her personality.

People said the line of those who wanted to uncover her true self stretched from the Tenryou Commission all the way to the doors of the publishing house.

But to this day, not many had succeeded.

Her reputation as a master of deception was no exaggeration.

"Lord Ausbilder, sorry to keep you waiting."

As Bai Luo scanned the area, trying to catch another glimpse of her, a group approached him under the watchful eyes of Inazuma’s citizens.

Judging by the crest on the man’s robe, he was someone from the Kujou Clan.

Whether or not the clan had already fallen completely into the Fatui’s hands didn’t really matter. Given Bai Luo’s identity as a diplomat from Snezhnaya, it was no surprise the Kujou Clan had sent someone to greet him.

"Kujou Takayuki—is he not coming himself?"

Takayuki, the current head of the Kujou Clan, had already been deeply compromised by the Fatui.

If it weren’t for the fact that some parts of the Tenryou Commission were harder to infiltrate, the whole organization might as well have been renamed “Fatui Forward Operating Base.”

Then again, it made sense. Military power like the Tenryou Commission was always going to be harder to fully subvert.

"The lord is currently with the Shogun. She’s recently grown suspicious of him, so he's unable to come in person at the moment."

The young man in front of him, dressed like a scholar, was probably an advisor or aide.

Looks like all the formalities were being left to him.

He respectfully referred to Takayuki as “lord,” but when mentioning the Shogun, there was no honorific at all.

That told Bai Luo everything he needed to know—the Kujou Clan’s loyalty had long since wavered.

Bai Luo scoffed to himself at Takayuki’s foolishness.

Did he really think the Shogun couldn’t see through his betrayal?

She simply didn’t care. As long as his schemes didn’t threaten her vision of Eternity, she wouldn’t waste the effort.

In fact, the Fatui’s plots—every last one of them—were probably already in her grasp.

To the Shogun, their so-called strategies were nothing more than fragile paper screens—easy to pierce, and utterly worthless.

And if things ever spiraled out of control... she’d just cut them down herself.

One strike not enough? Then she’d strike again.

"Please, this way. I’ll take care of your accommodations and daily needs while you're here."

The young man gestured politely, inviting Bai Luo to follow.

He didn’t refuse. With a nod, Bai Luo followed the escort through the bustling streets of Inazuma City.

As they passed a familiar intersection, Bai Luo glanced at the spot where that mysterious woman had been leaning against the railing…

But she was long gone.

With a quiet sigh, he turned his gaze forward and continued walking.

Eventually, they reached the area near the Tenryou Commission headquarters.

"You’ll be staying here for now, Lord Ausbilder. Once the clan head is free, he’ll personally escort you to the Kujou estate."

Rather than being placed in an inn or the Kujou residence as he had expected, Bai Luo found himself temporarily settled into a small courtyard near the Tenryou Commission’s offices.

The small courtyard had a distinctly Inazuman style—elegant yet understated.

It didn’t quite match the grandeur of a noble clan’s estate, but it was clearly more refined than an average citizen’s home.

If you had to sum it up in one sentence: not the best, but certainly better than most.

Compared to a noisy, crowded inn or a stiff and overly formal clan residence, this place was... surprisingly comfortable.

Just outside the door stood the towering Statue of the Omnipresent God, and from the second-floor balcony, you could see almost the entirety of Inazuma City.

For someone like Bai Luo—who could sleep just fine in a tent out in the wilderness—this was already more than enough.

“No, I’m quite satisfied with this,” he said calmly.

With a slight nod of approval, Bai Luo stepped into the courtyard.

It looked like the place had just been cleaned. The garden soil had clearly been freshly turned, and none of the furniture inside bore any signs of use.

“Shall I assign some attendants to assist you?”

The young man adjusted his glasses and asked respectfully.

“I’ll handle it myself.”

“Understood. You must be tired from your journey. I won’t take up any more of your time.”

He paused for a moment, a thoughtful look crossing his face.

“This evening, Lord Kujou will host a welcoming banquet for you at Uyuu Restaurant. Please don’t decline.”

With a bow, the young aide finally took his leave.

He didn’t realize, however, that a faint breeze quietly followed him as he exited the courtyard.

Bai Luo—head of the Fatui Pyro Agents—never considered himself a good person.

So how could a little trick like that slip past him?

Still, this didn’t feel like something arranged by Kujou Takayuki.

If anything, it reeked of this young aide’s personal initiative.

Which meant... Shuumatsuban again?

Bang—!

While Bai Luo was still lost in thought, a figure suddenly came crashing through the door in a very undignified manner, rolling to a stop at his feet.

“Se–Sensei...!” the man croaked weakly.

Whiz—!

An arrow, crackling with Electro energy, came flying in right after, aimed directly at the man’s vital points.

If Bai Luo hadn’t reacted in time—catching the arrow mid-air—that man’s skull might have ended up like a smashed watermelon.

“So, we meet again,” Bai Luo said calmly, placing himself protectively in front of the injured Pyro Agent.

He didn’t need to guess. He already knew exactly who was responsible.

Electro archer. Still near the Tenryou Commission headquarters. And judging from the marked aura he had placed earlier—

There was only one person it could be: that milk-tea-loving war hawk from the southern hemisphere.

“The man beside you attempted to assault a high-ranking official of the Commission. Hand him over and cooperate with the investigation,” came a stern voice.

Kujou Sara stood atop the courtyard wall, looking down at Bai Luo with a cold, expressionless gaze.

“You’re making a serious accusation there. How exactly did our man try to ‘assault’ one of your officials?” Bai Luo replied, still shielding the fallen subordinate.

Sure, he had intended for the man to do something, but nothing had happened yet.

Preemptively attacking someone was basically the same as saying he was innocent.

“He concealed his presence and tailed a Commission officer. What else would he be doing—delivering flowers?”

Sara narrowed her eyes, her voice sharp and accusing.

Her opinion of the Fatui was already rock-bottom. She hadn’t hesitated at all before attacking.

“Please,” Bai Luo sighed. “I just asked him to pick up some Tricolor Dango from town. Maybe he just happened to take the same route as your official.”

“We’re Snezhnayan diplomats, you know. Making baseless accusations like this won’t reflect well when you report back to the Shogun.”

The Pyro Agent, true to his training under Bai Luo, pulled himself together despite his injuries. With trembling hands, he took out his coin pouch.

“Y-Yeah… I just… wanted to buy some dango,” he said, his voice weak but filled with genuine grievance.

That pathetic sincerity left even Kujou Sara a little awkward.

No matter how you looked at it, she was the one who seemed like the aggressor here.

“Then why conceal your presence?”

She latched onto the one inconsistency like a hawk spotting prey.

“Isn’t that obvious?” Bai Luo raised an eyebrow.

“Even with stealth, you still beat him half to death. If we’d walked around openly, he probably wouldn’t have made it back at all.”

“You know full well what kind of reputation the Fatui have here, don’t you?”