Chapter 144: Well Done, Little Collei
Every Fatui Harbinger had their own subordinates. For instance, Bai Luo's subordinates were the Debt Collectors.
As for this man, Igor—he was under Pantalone, the "Regrator."
When Her Majesty the Tsaritsa began laying out her plans across the Seven Nations, Pantalone was among the first to cast his net far and wide. Igor, in turn, was one of his seemingly insignificant yet strategically placed pieces.
However, Watatsumi Island was… more barren than anyone had anticipated. Eventually, Pantalone lost interest in it, shifting his focus instead to Liyue.
And as for Igor… he was abandoned.
Yet he didn't wallow in despair. To prove his worth to Pantalone, he single-handedly secured a foothold for the Fatui on Watatsumi Island.
Then, when the Vision Hunt Decree was belatedly enforced and the resistance army formed, Igor seized the opportunity to stage an incredible comeback. His efforts even managed to catch Pantalone's attention once again.
Igor was intelligent enough to understand that the renewed interest wasn't because of his achievements, but rather because of Watatsumi Island's growing trade with Liyue.
What he hadn't expected… was that Battousai would arrive on a Liyue vessel.
Truthfully, his position didn't qualify him to attend tonight's banquet. But with the unpredictable presence of Battousai, he had taken the risk of forcing himself onto the guest list, even if it meant exposing himself.
Fortunately, he had always imitated others in showing enthusiasm toward Battousai, so his presence was merely dismissed as a case of extreme admiration—nothing suspicious.
But what he never could have imagined…
Was that this nameless wandering swordsman, feared across Inazuma, was actually the Twelfth Fatui Harbinger—The Ausbilder!
"Mr. Rikou, you should head back."
After his initial excitement, Igor calmly dismissed the old man with the goatee.
He could tell that the Ausbilder did not fully trust this native-born Watatsumi resident.
And Igor understood why.
After all, the Ausbilder had carefully cultivated his identity as Battousai for years—he wouldn't dare risk exposing it.
Even though Mr. Rikou had repeatedly sworn his loyalty, in the end… he wasn't a Snezhnayan.
Mr. Rikou was smart, though. He didn't jump to the conclusion that Bai Luo was a Fatui Harbinger. Instead, he assumed Bai Luo had simply identified them as Fatui agents and was looking to negotiate some kind of deal.
A deal that a native of Watatsumi Island had no business knowing about.
So, tactfully, he took his leave.
"Igor, a member of Fatui Third Company, greets you, Lord Ausbilder!"
Igor's voice was low yet brimming with energy.
Had the situation been different, he would have shouted it with every ounce of his strength.
No wonder.
No wonder this Battousai was able to touch the domain of the gods with a mere mortal body.
If he was a Harbinger… then everything made sense.
If there were anyone in the world capable of shaking the thrones of the divine, it would be the Twelve Fatui Harbingers.
At least, that was what the Fatui believed.
After all… each of the Twelve bore a fragment of the Tsaritsa's authority.
"Do not tell anyone about me. Not even the person you trust the most. Treat me exactly as you did before. Understood?"
"Yes, my lord!"
Igor's heart was racing.
He knew exactly what the Ausbilder's words meant.
Trust.
And he would never betray that trust.
"What's the current situation on Watatsumi Island?"
After giving his orders, Bai Luo shifted the conversation.
Judging by the number of spies present at the banquet…
It seemed Watatsumi Island had already been deeply infiltrated.
"My lord, through our efforts, we have infiltrated both the military and the ranks of the Watatsumi people. Even among the shrine maidens of Sangonomiya, we have agents in place. If you so desire… we could seize control of Sangonomiya within five days and make Watatsumi Island ours."
"…"
Damn… that's terrifying.
Bai Luo had assumed the Fatui had only partially infiltrated Watatsumi Island. But judging by this report… at this point, the island's very lifeblood might as well be infused with the Fatui's presence.
Still… could Watatsumi really be this easy to infiltrate?
He seriously doubted that the Divine Priestess was so easily deceived.
"In the next few days, find a way to deliver your plans to my room. Use coded messages. I'll consider them carefully."
"Understood!"
In truth, even if Bai Luo hadn't asked, Igor would have found an excuse to present his work anyway.
He had spent years working in Watatsumi, not because he loved the place, but because he wanted to prove his worth to his superiors.
Unfortunately, his reports never seemed to interest his boss, Pantalone.
Originally, he could've sent them to the Ausbilder and the Balladeer in Inazuma City. But then, the Ausbilder was reassigned to Mondstadt, and the Balladeer never cared for such matters.
Now that he finally had the chance to report to someone who mattered, how could he let it slip away?
"By the way, have you heard any news from Sumeru lately?"
Just as Bai Luo was about to leave, he suddenly remembered something and stopped in his tracks.
Someone like Igor, who was well-connected in intelligence circles, should have access to relevant updates.
"Hmm… there is news, but… it's not good."
Igor's expression turned strange, as if he was hesitant to speak.
His voice faltered, as if the mere thought of the matter unsettled him.
"Go ahead. What news?"
"The young lady you sent to Sumeru, Collei… she infiltrated one of our Fatui bases in Sumeru alongside a Hydro-wielding woman from Liyue. Together, they assassinated one of our foreign envoys and a consul."
"…"
"M-My lord?"
Watching Bai Luo fall into complete silence, Igor grew uneasy.
This was practically a family disgrace, wasn't it?
"That damn—"
With a sharp crack, Bai Luo punched a nearby seashell, shattering it on impact.
Igor's eyes widened in shock.
That wasn't just any shell.
It was one of the sacred shells forged by the Great Watatsumi Deity's divine power!
They were said to withstand elemental forces, yet Bai Luo had just crushed one with his bare hands.
"Ausbilder, actually—"
"Well done, Little Collei!"
Igor: "???"
Watching the hint of a proud smile creeping onto Bai Luo's face, Igor finally understood.
The Ausbilder wasn't upset that his student had killed his subordinates.
He was ecstatic about her growth.
And he was right.
Even with a companion, taking down an entire Fatui stronghold—especially with both an envoy and a consul present—was no small feat.
It only proved that he hadn't misjudged her potential.
The last person to accomplish something of this caliber was known as the Darknight Hero.
Did this mean his student also had the potential to become a five-star character?
Could she make it into the banner rotation?
. . . . .
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