Chapter 26

Seeking amusement and finding joy were the daily principles of Yae Miko.

For her, who loved studying humans, the word "interesting" ranked third in her heart, right after fried tofu and light novels.

Whether it was a shrine maiden from Watatsumi Island whose beliefs conflicted with hers, a general from an opposing faction, or even an organization like the Fatui, which had a less-than-stellar reputation across Teyvat—if she found them interesting, they would become the object of her favor.

Just like when she had transformed into an ordinary woman and teased Sayu with tri-colored dango.

Compared to diligently working at the Grand Narukami Shrine, participating in the daily life of Inazuma as an ordinary person and experiencing the mundane yet fascinating routines of common folk was a true delight.

Yae Miko first noticed Bai Luo when he set foot in Inazuma.

That's right, when Bai Luo was at the dock, he had felt like the fox statue nearby was watching him.

That wasn't his imagination—it was Yae Miko using her youkai arts to observe him from a distance.

At first, she simply wanted to gather some information.

But Bai Luo's gaze caught her attention.

It wasn't that Bai Luo had some special charm that could win her over with a single glance.

After all, when it came to charm, foxes were the experts.

What intrigued her was the way Bai Luo looked at every blade of grass and every tree in Inazuma.

The red maple forest of Ritou was a famous sight across Teyvat, and most first-time visitors would marvel at its beauty.

But Bai Luo?

His gaze wasn't one of awe—it was more like nostalgia.

As if... he had been here long ago and was now revisiting a familiar place.

According to the information Yae Miko had gathered, Bai Luo was a genuine native of Liyue who had somehow ended up in Snezhnaya and become one of their Harbingers. He had no apparent connection to Inazuma.

Having lived in Inazuma for so many years, Yae Miko was certain she had never encountered anything related to Bai Luo.

Even Watatsumi Island had no information about him.

So... why did he feel nostalgic when looking at Inazuma's scenery?

And why was he so familiar with Ritou without needing a guide?

He even knew things that some locals weren't aware of.

"An interesting fellow."

Picking up a piece of fried tofu and eating it, Yae Miko turned her attention back to the manuscript spread out beside her.

The crooked handwriting made it hard to believe it was written by a Fatui Harbinger.

It also showed that he wasn't very familiar with Inazuman script.

There were even many typos.

But that didn't stop Yae Miko from reading it.

Honestly, from a literary perspective, this novel could be considered a complete mess.

Typos, awkward sentences, and even some borderline content.

But from the perspective of a light novel, it could be hailed as a masterpiece.

A good story could easily overshadow all the flaws in this light novel.

In fact, this somewhat straightforward style was the essence of light novels.

Yae Miko was certain that if this book were published by Yae Publishing House, it would become a hot commodity for a long time.

It might even surpass The Autumn Sword Chronicles in popularity.

But...

Another piece of fried tofu found its way into her mouth as Yae Miko stared at the manuscript, deep in thought.

The plot of this book could be described as wildly imaginative.

But some of the content made Yae Miko feel that there was more to it.

Because despite never having entered Tenshukaku, Bai Luo seemed to know its layout quite well.

If that could be explained away by the Fatui's intelligence network, then some other details were strange.

For example, the special barrier that only the Shogun knew about.

A dim space, filled with a blood-red hue.

Broken torii gates buried under rolling yellow sand, stretching endlessly into a desolate expanse.

This was the scene described by the author.

Although it differed slightly from Ei's Plane of Euthymia, the general idea was there.

And then there was the "shadow" left behind by the Shogun to deceive others.

All of this suggested that this Fatui Harbinger knew something.

Did he leak it?

The wanderer whom Kamisato Ayato referred to as the "Eccentric" came to Yae Miko's mind.

Among the Fatui, the only one who knew the Raiden Shogun's secrets was him, right?

But Yae Miko felt this wasn't his style.

Given his personality, why would he tell others about such things?

Most importantly...

Putting down the empty plate, Yae Miko glanced at the strange chess piece pressed against the pages of the book.

This exquisite piece, glowing with a faint purple light, had been casually used as a paperweight.

Was this his target?

Picking up the delicate chess piece, Yae Miko tossed it lightly in her hand.

No one would have guessed that this chess piece-like object was actually a Gnosis, held by one of the Seven Archons.

It was also Bai Luo's mission objective in Inazuma.

Regardless, it seemed necessary to get closer to him in the near future. Perhaps she could gather some interesting information.

As for the reason...

As the owner of Yae Publishing House, wanting to meet the author of a best-selling book shouldn't seem strange, right?

However, before its official release, the book needed some minor revisions.

At the very least, it should be readable, right?

Thus, under Yae Miko's direction, several editors at Yae Publishing House worked through the night to revise this "masterpiece."

They polished some sentences and corrected all the typos while trying to preserve the author's original intent.

But some terms were simply incomprehensible.

For example, phrases like "aba aba," "my youth is back," and "social death" were baffling.

After some discussion, the editors decided to leave these terms as they were.

Perhaps they held special meaning for the author.

After dozens of reviews to ensure there were no mistakes, the light novel titled My Raiden Shogun Can't Be This Cute was officially printed and put up for sale by Yae Publishing House.

The editors at Yae Publishing House, having earned Yae Miko's trust, were no slouches.

During the revision process, they realized this light novel had the potential to be a massive hit.

So on the day of its release, they went all out with promotions, even taking down the banners for the previously popular Please, My Fox Priestess and replacing them with hastily made promotional materials for My Raiden Shogun Can't Be This Cute.

They even added the tagline "Highly Recommended by the Guuji."

If the banners alone weren't enough to draw attention to this oddly titled new book, the "Highly Recommended by the Guuji" tagline ignited everyone's enthusiasm.

Everyone in Inazuma knew how much of an authority Yae Miko was when it came to light novels.

So far, the only light novels that had earned her "Highly Recommended" tag were The Autumn Sword Chronicles and Please, My Fox Priestess.

These two light novels were considered groundbreaking.

Could it be... that this new light novel could rival the status of those two giants?

And so, Bai Luo's book became a sensation in Inazuma.