Chapter 15

That war was filled with an eerie atmosphere from start to finish.

Take Orobashi, for example.

The death of the tengu Sasayuri seemed more like Orobashi deliberately provoking the Raiden Shogun.

Even when the Raiden Shogun struck the fatal blow, Orobashi didn't put up any resistance.

In the Shogun's eyes, Orobashi had willingly dropped all defenses and thrown itself onto her blade.

Perhaps it was this realization that led her to spare the people of Watatsumi, allowing them to survive on the lands Orobashi had once protected.

But let's get back to the remains of Orobashi on Yashiori Island.

After all, Orobashi was a god of the highest order. After its death, its remains produced something called Tatarigami and Crystal Marrow.

These materials were key ingredients in the creation of Delusions.

After Bai Luo arrived in Inazuma, A-Qi had mentioned the Delusion Factory to him.

However, the factory was under the control of Dottore. Even though Dottore wasn't currently in Inazuma, Bai Luo hadn't tried to interfere.

Aside from the fact that Dottore had helped him in the past, and Bai Luo didn't want to do anything that might be seen as betrayal, he also didn't want to get too involved with Delusions.

Those things were just too... sinister.

"Indeed. Since you're new to being a Harbinger, it's not yet appropriate to hand over matters related to the Delusion Factory to you."

Scaramouche didn't hide this from Bai Luo.

It wasn't so much that Snezhnaya didn't trust Bai Luo, but rather that he hadn't undergone the necessary training and was completely clueless about how the Delusion Factory operated.

Handing these matters over to him... wasn't realistic.

"Then... will you be taking over matters related to the Gnosis?"

Bai Luo asked tentatively.

Based on his memory of the story, Scaramouche would later deceive La Signora and use the Traveler to exchange the Gnosis with Yae Miko, then disappear from the Fatui.

Tartaglia would even chase him to Inazuma to investigate.

Later, Scaramouche would defeat Tartaglia and present him to the World Government. Tartaglia's younger brother, Teucer, would lead a group of prisoners from the underwater prison to the World Government to save him.

To protect Teucer, Tartaglia would be struck through the chest by one of the Three Admirals, Patrick Star.

Finally, in the war known as the Summit War, the Tsaritsa would shout those famous words:

"ONE PIECE! IT'S REAL!"

And with that, the war would come to an end.

Wait... something seems off about this plot.

"As I said earlier, I won't interfere with your mission."

Looking at this new Harbinger who kept testing him, Scaramouche showed remarkable patience.

Mostly because, after returning to his homeland, he could continue to annoy his "mother," which inexplicably improved his mood.

Until then, he'd let this newcomer called the Instructor draw some fire for him.

"Then... as a senior, could you give this junior some advice?"

Bai Luo had no problem calling Scaramouche "senior."

Not only was Scaramouche his senior in rank, but in age and experience as well, making him worthy of the title.

Scaramouche hadn't planned to say much, but it seemed he remembered something and changed his mind.

"Fine, but I'll only give you one piece of advice: the one in Tenshukaku might not be the real Raiden Shogun."

Scaramouche tilted his wide hat slightly, revealing his somewhat gentle face. However, his eyes, in stark contrast, were filled with a cruel glint.

Like a lone wolf stalking its prey.

Wolves are terrifying, but a lone wolf is even more ruthless.

After leaving the pack, it must not only be brave but also cunning. Otherwise, it wouldn't survive in the harsh wilderness.

"..."

Seeing Bai Luo's dumbfounded expression, Scaramouche nodded in satisfaction.

After finishing the warm tea in his cup, he left Bai Luo, who looked like he was questioning his life, and headed to the Delusion Factory on Inazuma's soil.

What Scaramouche didn't know was that Bai Luo only had one thought in his mind:

"No ****, Sherlock!"

To others, this might have been explosive news. But to Bai Luo, it was less useful than knowing the Raiden Shogun's bust size.

Since things had come to this, Bai Luo couldn't stay in Ritou any longer.

Following the prior arrangements, he met briefly with the head of the Kanjou Commission to discuss some matters of cooperation.

A few days later, after settling affairs in Ritou, he prepared to leave.

Calling A-Qi, he arranged for a carriage to take him to Inazuma City.

Honestly, Bai Luo was probably the most indulgent of the Harbingers.

Unlike the other Harbingers, who preferred to work alone, he was more than willing to lower himself to do things they wouldn't.

Like riding in a carriage.

Though, the carriage wasn't pulled by horses but by one of Teyvat's most common monsters: Anemo Slimes.

Guided by the reins, the Anemo Slimes swayed gently, causing some discomfort at first but becoming quite pleasant after a while.

Watching the Anemo Slimes diligently flapping their wing-like appendages, Bai Luo chuckled softly, his gaze drifting to the nearby mountains.

Compared to the snowy forests of Snezhnaya, Inazuma's scenery was far more vibrant.

During the night, he hadn't paid much attention, but in the daylight, even he was captivated by the beauty.

The fiery red maple leaves reminded Bai Luo of a famous ancient poem:

"停车坐爱枫林晚" (I stop the carriage to sit and admire the maple forest at dusk).

If "sit" were replaced with "do," the scene would probably be even more beautiful, right?

Unfortunately, as the carriage left Ritou and entered Narukami Island, the red maple leaves gradually gave way to green, with occasional glimpses of strange flowers that glowed even in daylight.

"Rustle, rustle..."

While Bai Luo was admiring the scenery, small movements occasionally came from the forest. These movements were often accompanied by convincing sounds like bird calls or the swish of a tanuki's tail.

But Bai Luo knew better than anyone that these were likely ninja from the Shuumatsuban, sent by the still-uninfiltrated Yashiro Commission.

The head of the Yashiro Commission was truly relentless.

He'd have to find a chance to talk to him later.

Pulling down the carriage curtain to block out the outside world, Bai Luo closed his eyes, lost in thought.

The journey was relatively smooth. Once they entered Narukami Island, the kind of exploitation seen in Ritou was less common.

Additionally, the checkpoints were mostly manned by the Kujou Clan of the Tenryou Commission. While the Tenryou Commission wasn't as thoroughly infiltrated as the Kanjou Commission, it was still heavily influenced by the Fatui.

So when they saw the Fatui carriage, most of the guards turned a blind eye, pretending not to notice anything unusual and simply let it pass.

And so, Bai Luo smoothly left Ritou and arrived at Inazuma City, the largest city on Narukami Island and the capital of the Electro Archon's realm.