Chapter 166: An Insider Among the Resistances
Chapter 166: An Insider Among the Resistances
At night, the starry sky over Yashiori Island was already shrouded in thick clouds.
During the day, there had been constant drizzle, and at night it turned into a torrential downpour.
The endless rain pounded against the wooden roofs of the military camp, making a loud, crashing sound, as if the Milky Way itself were falling from the heavens.
Compared to the Shogunate, the resistance army was somewhat lacking in resources.
Most of the soldiers could only stay in tents; only officers were entitled to reside in wooden houses like these.
However, since Watatsumi Island was constantly humid throughout the year, the camps were built to be waterproof, so the resistances weren't completely at the mercy of the weather.
"This is actually a man-made disaster," Gorou sighed as he stood before the sand table (battle map).
At the moment, the large sand table was covered with a cloth.
Bot because they didn't trust Bai Luo, but ultimately because he wasn't truly one of them. By regulations, it wasn't supposed to be shown to outsiders.
Still, the covering was more symbolic than serious.
"Are we sure this wasn't done by Watatsumi Island?"
Listening to the thunder and rain outside, Bai Luo tapped the armrest of his chair rhythmically and asked.
"At least, it wasn't an order from our high command. Whether it's me or Lady Sangonomiya, we both understand how important this matter is. We would never issue such an order," Gorou said firmly, and then slowly explained what he had found in his investigation.
The incident happened on the day they defeated the Shogunate forces.
After learning that the Shogunate had sounded the retreat and temporarily stopped their offensive, the Divine Priestess summoned Gorou back.
Bai Luo understood that she had gone to replenish her energy and didn't want the leaderless island to fall into chaos, so she had Gorou cover for her.
But that was where things went wrong.
Before leaving, Gorou held a feast to lift the spirits of the soldiers who had been tense for so long.
However, he specifically ordered that no one was allowed to drink alcohol, since the Shogunate forces had only retreated temporarily, not withdrawn completely. They were still eyeing them from Kujou Encampment.
Yet, within the resistance army was a soldier from Mondstadt, where no feast was complete without alcohol.
Under his influence, this ragtag group of wanderers, which is composed of soldiers from all over the island, disregarded military discipline and started drinking heavily.
The next morning, they discovered that one of the squads had disappeared.
At the same time, reports from Yashiori Island residents came in: the wards suppressing the corruption of the Tatarigami had all been destroyed, and many areas on the island were beginning to suffer from Tatarigami's influence.
"That Mondstadt guy... did you investigate him?"
Bai Luo picked up on this key point and asked in a low voice.
"I did. He's actually an old hand in the resistance army. He's had a drinking problem for a long time. However, the incident probably has nothing to do with him. That night he drank himself into a stupor and didn't wake up until late the next day. Even though the law doesn't punish everyone equally when a group is involved, as the ringleader, he was still disciplined by me," Gorou said.
Since Bai Luo, an outsider, suspected the Mondstadt soldier, how could Gorou, as the general of the resistance army, not be suspicious of the soldier too?
But as Gorou said, that Mondstadt soldier's background was clean, and his drinking problem was indeed longstanding, everything pointed to it being a coincidence.
Still, the timing was too suspicious: the Shogunate had just called a retreat, and Yashiori Island was immediately struck by this disaster.
There had to be a deeper conspiracy behind it.
At this point, Bai Luo was already 100% sure that this incident was definitely the work of the Fatui.
The Shogunate forces had long suppressed the resistance army.
Even though the resistances' morale had surged thanks to his (Bai Luo's) arrival as Battousai, it still wasn't enough to explain the Shogunate's sudden retreat.
And it just so happened that the Kujou Clan — the top echelon of the Shogunate forces — had already been infiltrated by the Fatui.
Destroying the wards suppressing the Tatarigami might cause irreparable damage to Yashiori Island.
But for the Shogunate army? Such losses were almost negligible.
Moreover, they could use this incident to smear Watatsumi Island, how could they possibly pass up such a good opportunity?
Thus, it was inevitable that the Kujou Clan and the Fatui would easily join forces. The so-called retreat was just a way to sit back and observe, avoiding any risk of their own soldiers being corrupted by the Tatarigami.
"No matter how you look at it, we, the resistance army, are stationed on Yashiori Island. Now that the wards suppressing the Tatarigami have been destroyed, and considering that the Tatarigami's source is our very own Watatsumi Omikami, in the end, all the blame will fall on us," Gorou explained with a bitter smile.
He was also well aware that the Divine Priestess maiden had sought Battousai's help.
He knew that, for them — self-proclaimed champions of justice — to weave lies and ask Battousai to clear their name was a ridiculous thing.
But he had no choice. It seemed to be Watatsumi Island's only remaining way out.
Today, the patrolling soldiers had already found some flyers.
They were filled with statements offering aid to disaster victims, while not directly accusing the resistances of destroying the wards, the insinuation was clear and relentless.
This left Gorou deeply troubled.
"Lord Gorou, Himura-san's residence has been prepared and is ready for him to move in at any time," Just then, a knock came at the door.
In fact, when Gorou learned that Bai Luo was coming, he had already begun preparing accommodations for him.
However, due to the heavy rain, it had only just been finished.
"Then I won't disturb Himura-san any further tonight. Everything has been arranged. If Himura-san wishes to keep things simple, it's fine for you to just stay here at the camp for a few days. We will hand over the investigation results to you when they are ready." Said Gorou.
Under the escort of a resistance soldier, Bai Luo was led to a secluded wooden cabin.
Though the location was remote, the interior had everything he could need, there were even some small notes welcoming him.
Bai Luo didn't touch anything else. Instead, he casually picked up a brush from the table, dipped it in ink, and opened the cabin door.
He appeared to be testing the quality of the ink as he casually drew a wavy line on the door, then nodded in satisfaction and closed the door again.
To him, it was just a random doodle.
But to the Fatui, it wasn't so simple, it was a secret signal, representing the identity of the one who had drawn it.
It was a coded message known only to the Fatui.
All the strange events happening among the resistances suggested that the Fatui had already infiltrated here too.
Igor had helped conceal his identity, so the Fatui operatives stationed here shouldn't know that Battousai was actually one of the Fatui's Harbingers.
Thus, Bai Luo's presence would inevitably attract the attention of the traitor lurking within the resistances.
And once that traitor came snooping around, they would inevitably notice the symbol on the door.
After that, things would become much easier.
There were many things Bai Luo, as Battousai, could not do openly, but the insider hidden within the resistance army could help him accomplish them.
After finishing all this, Bai Luo lay down on the bed without even changing, closed his eyes, and patiently waited for the spy to show up.
Sure enough, after about an hour, there was a rhythmic knock on his door — a knock that was, of course, another secret signal of the Fatui.
The contact had come.
. . . . .
If you want to see more chapter of this story and don't mind to pay $5 monthly to read till the latest chapter, please go to my
Current Chapter in Patreon:
Link to the current chapter: