Chapter 18

The woman who had waved at him vanished like an illusion in the blink of an eye.

But Bai Luo knew better than anyone that it wasn't a hallucination. She was one of the most dangerous people in all of Inazuma.

Even though she appeared friendly now, that didn't mean she wasn't dangerous. Unpredictability was one of her defining traits.

Just when you thought you had her figured out, she would do something completely unexpected, shattering whatever image you had of her.

The head shrine maiden of the Grand Narukami Shrine, the inheritor of the Hakushin bloodline, the eternal familiar and friend, that woman, the cunning fox, and the terrifying editor-in-chief of the Yae Publishing House...

When you really thought about it, her titles were as elusive and ever-changing as her personality. It was said that the line of people trying to uncover her true nature stretched from the Tenryou Commission headquarters all the way to the entrance of the Yae Publishing House. Yet, to this day, very few had succeeded.

"Thousand Faces, Hundred Changes" wasn't just a saying.

"Instructor, we've kept you waiting."

While Bai Luo was still searching for the woman's figure, a group of people approached under the watchful eyes of the Inazuman citizens.

From the family crest on his clothing, he appeared to be from the Kujou Clan.

Regardless of whether the Kujou Clan had been fully infiltrated by the Fatui, as an envoy from Snezhnaya, it was only natural for the Kujou Clan to send someone to greet him.

"Where's Kujou Takayuki? Didn't he come?"

Kujou Takayuki, the current head of the Kujou Clan.

By now, he had been almost completely compromised by the Fatui. If it weren't for a few stubborn holdouts within the Tenryou Commission, the Tenryou Commission might as well have been renamed the Fatui Vanguard.

It just went to show... infiltrating the Tenryou Commission, the military authority of Inazuma, was no easy feat.

"Lord Kujou is with the Shogun. It seems the Shogun has grown suspicious of him recently, so he's unable to come and greet you in person."

The young man dressed as a scholar was likely a retainer or advisor, meaning the task of dealing with Bai Luo had fallen to him.

The fact that he referred to Kujou Takayuki as "Lord" but didn't show the same respect to the Raiden Shogun spoke volumes.

The Kujou Clan... it seemed they had long since harbored rebellious intentions.

Bai Luo sneered at Kujou Takayuki's self-serving cleverness.

Did he really think the Raiden Shogun couldn't see through his betrayal? She simply didn't care because his actions had no impact on eternity.

Even the Fatui's infiltration and schemes were laid bare before her.

In her eyes, so-called conspiracies and plots were as fragile as paper, easily torn apart.

If things truly spiraled out of control, she could always step in and cut him down with a single strike.

And if one strike wasn't enough, there was always a second.

"Please, this way. I'll arrange everything for your stay."

The young man gestured for Bai Luo to follow him.

Bai Luo didn't refuse and, under the young man's enthusiastic guidance, headed to the accommodations that had been prepared for him.

After passing through the streets of Inazuma City, Bai Luo glanced back at the railing where the woman had been leaning, but she was no longer there.

Turning his attention forward, Bai Luo followed the Kujou Clan members, passing through the bustling streets until they reached the vicinity of the Tenryou Commission headquarters.

"Please stay here for now. Once the clan head returns, he will personally escort you to the Kujou residence."

Contrary to Bai Luo's expectations, he wasn't taken to an inn or the Kujou residence but was instead settled in a small courtyard near the Tenryou Commission.

The courtyard had a distinctly Inazuman style, understated yet luxurious. While it couldn't compare to the grand estates of the major clans, it was far more refined than the average home.

In short, it was better than most but not the best. Compared to the crowded inns and the rigid formality of clan estates, this place was quite nice.

Not only could he see the towering Statue of the Omnipresent God from the courtyard, but from the second-floor balcony, he could also overlook the entire city. For someone who could even sleep in a small tent in the wild, this was more than enough.

"No need, I'm quite satisfied with this place."

Nodding in approval, Bai Luo walked into the courtyard.

The place had clearly been cleaned recently. The soil in the yard looked freshly turned, and the furniture inside showed no signs of use.

"Would you like us to arrange some staff for you?"

The young man adjusted his glasses and asked Bai Luo.

"I'll handle that myself."

"Understood. You must be tired from your journey, so I won't disturb you further. Lord Kujou will host a welcome banquet for you at Uyuu Restaurant this evening. I hope you won't decline."

The young man's face showed a thoughtful expression as he bowed and left the courtyard.

But he didn't notice a gentle breeze following him as he departed.

As the leader of the Pyro Agents, Bai Luo didn't consider himself a good person.

So how could he not see through the young man's little tricks? It didn't seem like Kujou Takayuki's doing but rather the young man's own initiative.

So... was this the Yashiro Commission's doing?

"Thud—"

Just as Bai Luo was pondering this, a figure was unceremoniously thrown into the room, crashing through the door and rolling to his feet.

"In... Instructor..."

"Whoosh—"

A lightning-infused arrow followed closely behind, flying into the room and aiming straight for the Pyro Agent's vitals.

If Bai Luo hadn't acted quickly and caught the arrow, the Pyro Agent's head would have exploded like a watermelon.

"Looks like we'll be meeting again."

Calmly shielding the Pyro Agent behind him, Bai Luo looked toward the courtyard outside.

He didn't need to guess who was responsible.

A Electro archer, near the Tenryou Commission headquarters, and with the marked true sight he had... aside from the "Southern Hemisphere Milk Cap Girl," who else could it be?

"The person next to you attempted to assault a key official of the Tenryou Commission. Please hand him over and cooperate with our investigation."

Kujou Sara stood atop the high wall, looking down at Bai Luo with an expressionless face.

"Now, now, let's not jump to conclusions. How can you say our people were trying to attack your officials?"

Although Bai Luo had indeed considered having his subordinates do just that, since they hadn't actually attacked yet, by rounding down, they were innocent.

"Sneaking around in stealth, what else could they be planning if not an attack?"

Kujou Sara frowned, her voice sharp. She had no good impressions of the Fatui and didn't hesitate to act.

"Come on, I just sent him to buy some tri-colored dango for me. Maybe he just happened to be going the same way as that person. We're envoys from Snezhnaya, you know. If you falsely accuse us, the Shogun might not be too happy with you."

The Pyro Agent, trained by Bai Luo himself, struggled to pull out his coin purse despite his weakened state.

"That's right, I was just going to buy some tri-colored dango."

Though the Pyro Agent's voice sounded strange, the sense of grievance was genuine.

This left Kujou Sara on the wall feeling somewhat awkward.

Because no matter how you looked at it, she was the one who had acted rashly and come off as the villain.

"If you were just buying dango, why were you sneaking around?"

As if seizing on a loophole, Kujou Sara pressed further.

"Are you serious? You know our reputation as the Fatui. Even in stealth, we got beaten up. If we weren't sneaking around, we probably wouldn't even make it back alive."