Chapter 25

Huff... Huff...

Bai Luo was currently in a very strange state.

He could feel that he was awake, but he had no control over any part of his body.

He wanted to shout, but no sound could escape his throat.

He tried to pinch himself to wake up.

But he couldn't even move a finger.

Gradually, even his breathing became difficult.

The surroundings grew colder and damper.

The air became heavier, giving off a sticky, oppressive feeling.

"This is..."

This sensation of cold, suffocation, and weakness... wasn't this the same feeling he had when he jumped into the river to save someone?

Why was this scene replaying?

Come to think of it, although he knew he had been swept to Snezhnaya by the rushing river after jumping in to save someone, to this day, he couldn't even remember what the child he had tried to save looked like.

All he could do now was use all his strength to swim toward the light in the darkness.

Perhaps that was the surface.

As the surface grew closer, the dizziness from suffocation became more severe.

When he finally broke through the icy, bone-chilling water, what he saw wasn't the slightly gray, snow-filled sky of Snezhnaya, but a pale little girl.

The girl looked at him, her eyes filled with sorrow and despair, but also a hint of... fear?

"You... uh!?"

Bai Luo wanted to comfort her, but suddenly felt a sharp pain in his abdomen.

He looked down and saw a dagger stained with a dark substance piercing through his stomach.

No...

That dark substance wasn't on the dagger—it was coming from him.

His body was now covered in an unknown black material, and he had just emerged from it.

Now... he was a monster.

The dagger drained all his strength, and the black, mud-like substance pulled him back, dragging him into endless darkness.

Just before the last glimmer of light was swallowed, he seemed to hear a faint, almost delighted cry of a crane.

...

"Ugh... what time is it now?"

Instinctively touching his stomach, Bai Luo sat up from the comfortable bed.

He had had many dreams before, but most of them faded with time, lasting no more than half an hour in his memory.

But this dream was different. He remembered many details clearly.

Like the searing pain when the dagger pierced his abdomen.

If it weren't for the fact that his stomach was smooth and scar-free, he would have thought he had actually been stabbed.

"Commander."

Perhaps hearing the movement in the room, the Fatui agent who had been waiting outside entered after receiving Bai Luo's permission.

"As per your instructions, the manuscript has been delivered to Kuroda, the editor at Yae Publishing House."

Thinking about the contents of the manuscript, the agent couldn't help but sweat for his superior.

Was it really okay to write something like this?

If someone in Snezhnaya dared to write about the Tsaritsa in such a way, even under a pseudonym, they would undoubtedly be obliterated by the Fatui's wrath.

"Oh? What did the editor say?"

Pouring himself a cup of hot tea, Bai Luo asked.

Even though his writing wasn't the best, the story's novelty would surely outshine the current light novels in Inazuma.

"Editor Kuroda said that the subject matter is quite unique and needs to be reviewed personally by Lady Yae. If it passes, they'll notify you."

In the agent's opinion, Kuroda was being quite lenient.

If it were up to him, he would have thrown the manuscript back in Bai Luo's face to teach him a lesson about disrespecting the Shogun.

"Alright, you can go. Let me know when you get a response."

"Yes, sir..."

After leaving the room, the agent's face was full of worry.

He felt that the day he received a response would be the day the Tenryou Commission threw him in jail.

He could only hope that the Commander would remember his hard work and pull him out.

With a sigh, the agent left.

Unbeknownst to him, the manuscript he had delivered was now in the hands of Lady Yae at the Grand Narukami Shrine.

In Inazuma, there was a majestic mountain.

This mountain was called Mount Yougou.

As one of the highest peaks in Inazuma, it even towered above the Tenshukaku, the residence of the Raiden Shogun.

At the summit of Mount Yougou stood the largest shrine in Inazuma—the Grand Narukami Shrine.

It was said that those with a wish could climb step by step to the summit, pass through the numerous torii gates, and ask the shrine maidens for a fortune slip, seeking the protection of the Almighty Narukami Ogosho.

Whether the wish would be granted depended on whether the Guuji of the shrine found the supplicant interesting.

If the wish was amusing, the Guuji wouldn't mind granting it.

Aside from enshrining the Raiden Shogun, the shrine had another lesser-known purpose.

To protect the sacred cherry tree at the summit.

No one knew the origins of the sacred cherry tree, but its existence seemed to date back to ancient times.

At least, in the memories of many Inazumans, it had always been there.

As the sun set, the land was bathed in a fiery red glow.

As the highest point in Inazuma, the Grand Narukami Shrine offered a panoramic view of the entire region.

After seeing off the worshippers, the shrine maidens finally had a moment to tidy up the shrine.

"Sigh, Sayu's disappeared again today, and Lady Yae hasn't come out of her room all day. Thankfully, there weren't many worshippers today, or we'd really be in trouble."

Kano Nana, while cleaning up the fallen cherry blossom petals, couldn't help but complain.

Early in the morning, the Guuji had dumped all her tasks on Nana and then locked herself in her room with a new novel, completely shirking her responsibilities.

After a busy day, Nana still had to handle the cleanup at night.

If it weren't for the help of Fuyuki, who handled the fortune slips, the cleanup would have taken even longer.

"Pfft—hahaha!"

Another burst of unrestrained laughter came from the side room, but the shrine maidens seemed used to it and simply shook their heads before continuing their work.

"What's going on with Lady Yae today? Why has she been laughing so much in her room?"

Maki, one of the shrine maidens, quietly approached Kano Nana and asked.

Today, she had been in charge of the area around the sacred cherry tree, so she had no idea what had happened with the Guuji.

On the other hand, Kano Nana, who had taken over all of the Guuji's tasks today, might know something.

"What else could it be? Yae Publishing House sent over an incredibly exciting light novel. Apparently, it's a bit risqué, so they wanted Lady Yae to review it personally."

Since the Guuji was the owner of Yae Publishing House, most of the shrine maidens had developed an interest in light novels under her influence.

Hearing that it was a risqué light novel, Maki's face lit up with anticipation.

"What kind of light novel is it? Will it pass the review? When can we read it?"

Kano Nana thought for a moment and then revealed the title of the manuscript the Guuji was holding.

"I think it's called My Raiden Shogun Can't Be This Cute."