Chapter 391: Heading to Tataragami

Kannazuka's **Fort Fujitou** had always been a frontline stronghold. In ancient times, it stood alongside **Mt. Yougou** as a bulwark against threats from the **Dark Sea**.

Now, while the dangers from the Dark Sea had diminished significantly, Fort Fujitou's strategic importance remained. It was the key fortress holding back the advances of **Watatsumi Island**. In the current conflict, the resistance had pushed their frontlines to this point but had been unable to advance further.

During wartime, a frontline like this was filled with battle-hardened warriors. From what Li Mo had gathered, the war had been ongoing for some time. It was unlikely that outsiders would appear here.

The man before them was a quintessential warrior. Clad in armor, his presence was commanding. Though he lacked a **Vision**, his experience in battle made him a formidable opponent.

If this had been during Li Mo's previous visit to Teyvat, dealing with him would have been more troublesome.

"Officer **Masahito**, this priest has been sent by the Narukami Shrine to clean up the mess you've made at Tatarasuna. We need **Xavier**, the Fontaine engineer, to provide his expertise."

Aki emphasized the word "your," making it clear that the explosion at Tatarasuna was entirely the Tenryou Commission's fault.

Li Mo also recalled who this man was. **Kujou Masahito**, the eldest son of **Kujou Takayuki**, the current head of the Tenryou Commission, and the older brother of **Kujou Kamaji**.

Li Mo had learned this during his time at the Narukami Shrine, where Yae Miko had drilled such knowledge into him.

"Priestess Kuki, we deeply regret the incident at Tatarasuna. However, it's already late. Why not wait until tomorrow to address it?" Masahito suggested.

"Some matters can't wait," Aki replied.

Masahito continued, "It's not that I don't trust you, Priestess Kuki. But as of now, there's no record of anyone from the Narukami Shrine passing through the routes between Kannazuka and Narukami Island. May I ask how this priest…"

Due to the war, the sea routes between Narukami Island and Kannazuka were tightly controlled. While the **Sakoku Decree** restricted ordinary ships, it didn't affect the Tenryou Commission.

With all ships being monitored, the appearance of this priest in Kannazuka was suspicious.

"The priest has been active on Yashiori Island. We need to deal with Tatarasuna immediately. The wards on Yashiori Island have been deliberately destroyed, and the **Tatarigami** energy could erupt at any moment. After handling Tatarasuna, we must return to the Narukami Shrine overnight to consult the head priestess," Aki explained.

Masahito's expression shifted. "Yashiori Island is also in trouble? The frontlines are about to reach there… I understand. Xavier is currently staying in a room here. Please make it quick, Priestess Kuki."

Masahito stepped aside and ordered someone to bring Xavier out.

The foreign engineer from Fontaine was brought forward, and the three of them left Fort Fujitou under the soldiers' well-wishes, heading toward Tatarasuna.

Both Tatarasuna and Fort Fujitou were part of Kannazuka, connected by land. Li Mo had taken little time to travel from Tatarasuna to Fort Fujitou earlier, but with two others in tow, their pace slowed.

—On his way here, Li Mo had taken a direct route, walking over the sea and flying over mountains. With two others, it was more complicated.

Fortunately, Li Mo crafted three paper horses as temporary shikigami. With mounts, their speed increased.

"Sorry for dragging you out during dinner. Here, have some rations and candy to keep your energy up. Mr. Xavier, I'd like to know the full story behind the Mikage Furnace explosion."

"Alright," Xavier said, munching on the rations.

The story wasn't complicated. He started with the initial leak at the Mikage Furnace, which was successfully resolved with the help of a blonde traveler. The furnace had even resumed operations. Due to its importance, the previous administrator had been transferred to **Sumeru** to deal with mushroom-related issues. A new manager, a craftsman, had taken over and seemed unlikely to cause problems.

—Then, one day, the furnace exploded.

"Under normal circumstances, the Mikage Furnace could have operated safely for a long time. It wouldn't have exploded so soon unless external forces were involved."

"External forces? What kind?" Li Mo asked.

Xavier explained, "Any powerful attack could do it. The Mikage Furnace is a delicate instrument. Considering the **Tatarigami** pollution, we set the safety thresholds very high. And… someone had adjusted the parameters, reducing production efficiency but significantly increasing safety."

The Fontaine engineer clearly knew the Mikage Furnace inside out and spoke at length.

"When were the parameters modified?" Aki asked. "Before the explosion or before the leak?"

Li Mo thought for a moment, understanding Aki's line of reasoning.

The Mikage Furnace had experienced two incidents so far. The first was a leak of Tatarigami energy, which was contained by emergency measures, including a protective barrier. With the help of a blonde traveler, the issue was resolved.

The second incident was the explosion, which remained unresolved.

If the parameters were modified before the explosion, that was one thing. But if they were changed before the leak… it suggested the first incident was also man-made.

"It was before the leak."

"Are you certain, Mr. Xavier?" Aki pressed.

Xavier nodded. "I'm sure. The furnace's parameters might have changed due to the leak, but the protective barrier's design was altered. Based on the records, the barrier's effectiveness was much stronger than originally intended."

Someone had modified the Mikage Furnace's parameters before the leak, reducing output but greatly increasing safety.

Then…

Li Mo connected the dots, a realization only he could make.

"Could the first leak have also been caused by someone?"

"It's possible. I think it's highly likely."

Li Mo said, "Then it was man-made. The wards on Yashiori Island were destroyed, the Mikage Furnace exploded around the same time, and the Thunder Sakura's power was stolen… That's too much of a coincidence."

There were no such coincidences in the world.

One coincidence was just that—a coincidence. But two? Three?

Li Mo even thought of who might benefit from all this.

—Aside from the **Fatui**, who else? The more chaotic Inazuma became, the easier it was for them to fish in troubled waters.

"By the way, while repairing the Mikage Furnace, we also encountered the Fatui. If it weren't for the traveler's help, I might not have been able to fix it."

"The Fatui… them again. Priest Li Mo, what about Yashiori Island?" Aki asked.

She had also encountered the Fatui during the Thunder Sakura incident. Now, the Fatui were involved with the Mikage Furnace. What about Yashiori Island?

Li Mo said, "It's unclear. We'll need to investigate. We've reached Tatarasuna. Let's deal with this first."

Along the way, they encountered a group of **Slimes**, which Li Mo swiftly dispatched using **"Shadow of the Dragon"**. Soon, they arrived at Tatarasuna, now polluted by the Tatarigami.