Chapter 261: This Trainee Fatui Harbinger is Too Unreliable [261]
"E-Everyone's here…"
He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Why aren't you all asleep yet?"
By this time of night, his "wives" were usually fast asleep.
"We were waiting for you to come back," Makoto replied calmly, placing her knitting aside. She turned to Lumine and Paimon, who were still frozen at the doorway, and gave them a warm smile.
"It's been a while, hasn't it?"
"Uh… yeah, it's been a while," Lumine responded awkwardly.
Even though Makoto's tone was friendly, Lumine couldn't shake the subtle sense of hostility radiating from her.
Wait… Lumine's mind reeled as she pieced things together.
Luo Qing is already living with all these women?! Ganyu, Shenhe, Makoto…!
She glanced around quickly, noticing that Ayaka and Ei were absent.
At least not everyone has fallen for him. Yet…
"Good evening, Ganyu… Shenhe…" Lumine forced a polite smile as she greeted the two.
Both women blushed, their heads lowering as they avoided her gaze. It was as if they'd been caught sneaking out with a boyfriend only to have their dad unexpectedly pick them up.
"Have you eaten? Should I prepare something for you?"
Unlike Ganyu and Shenhe, Makoto maintained her composure. Walking over to Luo Qing, she calmly helped him remove his coat and hung it up.
"We've already eaten," Luo Qing replied. He hesitated before adding, "Lumine and I have some matters to discuss. Other places didn't seem safe, so I thought we could talk here…"
Before he could finish, Makoto interrupted him with a light tap to his forehead.
"Next time, let us know in advance."
"R-Right… I'll remember that."
"Alright then. You two talk. I'll head upstairs to rest."
Makoto poured tea for Lumine and Paimon before giving Luo Qing a reassuring pat and leaving with La Signora in tow.
Ganyu and Shenhe sat in stunned silence, blinking as they processed Makoto's smooth, effortless maneuvering.
She waited up all night just to make sure Luo Qing saw her first…
And when she realized he had something important to discuss, she left without complaint, even though she'd been waiting for hours.
So this is the legendary grace of "Sister Makoto…" How can anyone compete with that?!
Not wanting to miss the lesson, Ganyu quickly stood and grabbed Shenhe's arm.
"Luo Qing, we'll head to our rooms as well. You two talk. Goodnight, Lumine, Paimon."
"Uh… goodnight…" Paimon replied, her small voice tinged with confusion.
Her little brain was struggling to keep up with the sudden shift in the atmosphere.
Now only Theresa remained, still curled up on the couch with her light novel.
"Eh? Why is everyone leaving?" Theresa closed her book and blinked, her expression mirroring Paimon's dazed look.
"Well then, my lord, I'll leave you to your conversation. I'll catch you later~"
She winked at Luo Qing before darting upstairs, clearly planning to try sneaking into his room again later that night.
"E-Everyone's gone…" Paimon muttered under her breath. Just moments ago, the living room had been lively and crowded. Now it was empty except for the three of them.
"Sit down," Luo Qing said as he plopped onto the couch.
Lumine and Paimon hesitated for a moment before taking their seats across from him.
"Alright, Luo Qing," Lumine began. "What's so important that you had to bring us here?"
"Of course." Luo Qing sipped his tea, his tone calm. "Let me guess—you're investigating the Akademiya's deepest secrets, aren't you?"
"Wha—?!"
Lumine's eyes widened.
"How did you know?!"
"Just a guess."
"…"
"You're not here to tell us to give up, are you?" Paimon interjected suspiciously. "After all, you're a Harbinger…"
"That's the Doctor's plan, not mine. I've got nothing to do with it—I'm just here on vacation," Luo Qing replied nonchalantly, shrugging off the accusation.
"Then what do you want?"
"An equal trade," Luo Qing said, setting his cup down. "I'll help you investigate the Akademiya, but in return…"
He paused, letting his words hang in the air.
"You'll help me retrieve the Electro Gnosis."
"The Electro Gnosis…" Lumine's expression grew serious as she contemplated his words.
"Scaramouche… he's here in Sumeru, isn't he?"
"Smart as ever." Luo Qing smiled.
"So, you want me to steal the Electro Gnosis from him?"
"That's a harsh way to put it." Luo Qing chuckled, waving a hand dismissively. "You won't need to lift a finger. Someone else will handle him for you."
"…"
Lumine's confusion deepened.
"But you're a Harbinger," she pointed out. "Back in Liyue, Childe caused chaos by summoning Osial, and you had to clean up his mess. In Inazuma, you turned La Signora into your personal maid and fought against the Raiden Shogun herself. And now, you're helping us fight the Akademiya and the Doctor?!"
She narrowed her eyes.
"Are you even really on the Fatui's side?"
"You just don't get it, do you?" Luo Qing leaned back, his smile growing sly.
"Snezhnaya is all about performance. Whoever brings back a Gnosis gets rewarded by Her Majesty. Watching your colleague earn the Tsaritsa's favor while you get nothing? It's worse than being punished."
"I get it!" Paimon suddenly exclaimed, her voice loud enough to startle both Lumine and Luo Qing.
"You're just trying to steal all the credit!"
"Bingo."
"And if we don't help you?" Lumine asked, her tone cautious.
"Then I'll help the Doctor take you two down," Luo Qing replied casually.
"…"
Lumine stared at him, momentarily speechless. Was he seriously threatening them?
"I'm kidding." Luo Qing chuckled, waving off her glare.
Leaning forward, he softened his tone, lowering his voice to a near-whisper.
"But… as a bonus, if you help me, I might just share some information about your brother's whereabouts."
Lumine's breath caught in her throat.
"I mean, you want to find your brother, don't you?" Luo Qing added with a knowing smile.
---
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— Raiden Shogun
Chapter 262: This Trainee Fatui Harbinger is Too Unreliable [262]
Lumine's expression grew serious as she stared intently at Luo Qing.
"Just that a few of my colleagues happened to cross paths with him," Luo Qing replied nonchalantly.
"Help me retrieve the Electro Gnosis, and I'll share the information with you. How does that sound?"
"What do you need the Electro Gnosis for?" Lumine asked skeptically.
"Why else? To present it to Her Majesty, of course," Luo Qing said, as though it were the most natural thing in the world. "As the lowest-ranked Harbinger, I need some achievements to earn the Tsaritsa's favor."
His tone was so matter-of-fact it almost convinced them.
While presenting the Electro Gnosis to the Tsaritsa would indeed give Luo Qing a chance to meet her again, that wasn't his real goal. His true intention was to use the Electro Gnosis and the Dendro Gnosis to open the sealed divine knowledge capsule before Nahida could.
If he succeeded, perhaps he could bring back Greater Lord Rukkhadevata and finally understand her connection to Nahida.
But those details weren't something he was ready to share. Not yet.
"…"
Lumine exchanged a glance with Paimon, unsure of how to respond.
So this was what loyalty to the Tsaritsa looked like? Willing to steal credit from a colleague just to impress her?
"Of course, I'll help you in return," Luo Qing continued, his voice smooth and persuasive. "If you need information, I'll provide it. Lumine, you've been wandering this world for so long—don't you want to see your brother sooner rather than later?"
Lumine remained silent, her mind racing.
Her entire journey was about finding her brother. Now someone was offering her a lead—how could she not be tempted?
After a few moments, she exhaled and spoke.
"What do you need me to do?"
"Just keep following the leads you're already investigating. When the time is right, I'll tell you what to do," Luo Qing said with a slight smile.
After a brief pause, he added, "And one more thing—don't tell Nahida about this."
"Why not?"
"She's just a five-hundred-year-old little loli, isn't she?" Luo Qing said with a light chuckle. "There are things she's better off not knowing for now."
In truth, he still wasn't sure about Nahida's origins. All he knew was that her name had been given by him, and according to Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, her existence was closely tied to him.
But the specifics? Rukkhadevata hadn't explained them before the dream ended.
Was she born naturally? Or was it… something else?
Luo Qing didn't want to entertain the thought that he had somehow fathered Nahida with Rukkhadevata in the past. But with thousands of years to account for, who could say for sure?
What if… future me went back in time and ended up having a child with a legendary white-haired Archon? And that child is Nahida?
The thought made him shudder.
Too terrifying. Best not to dwell on it.
Lumine broke the silence, her voice low but firm.
"Luo Qing, you won't harm Sumeru, will you?"
"Do you think I would, given how I treat Nahida?" Luo Qing countered with a question of his own.
"…"
She hesitated.
It was true that Luo Qing's demeanor toward Nahida practically radiated fatherly affection. The warmth in his gaze was enough to make anyone believe he'd never harm her or Sumeru.
Suddenly, a bold thought struck Lumine.
"Luo Qing… don't tell me you plan to add Nahida to your…"
"To my what?" Luo Qing blinked, confused.
"To your… you know…"
"To my what exactly?"
"To your harem!" Lumine's voice rose slightly, her cheeks flushing as she practically shouted the accusation.
"Shh!" Luo Qing quickly made a silencing gesture.
"And no, for the record, Raiden Ei isn't even part of that!"
"Wait, what?" Lumine froze.
So… Makoto is already part of it? Does that mean Luo Qing, a Fatui Harbinger, actually hooked up with the former Raiden Shogun?!
And by the sound of it, Ei wasn't far behind?
What kind of twisted world was this?!
"Also, who said I'd ever do that to Nahida?" Luo Qing frowned, feeling the need to clarify.
"But you…"
"No 'buts.'"
He cut her off firmly. "My feelings for Nahida are pure. No forbidden thoughts involved. Got it?"
"…"
[Lumine's Frustration +1]
Lumine wanted to argue but found herself at a loss for words.
"Alright then, no more nonsense," Luo Qing said, redirecting the conversation. He extended his hand with a calm smile. "Let's toast to a fruitful partnership, shall we?"
"…"
After a moment of hesitation, Lumine shook his hand.
As soon as their hands parted, Luo Qing stood and walked behind Lumine, gently pushing her toward the door.
"Well then, it's late. You two should head back and rest. I won't keep you any longer."
"Huh?"
Before they realized it, Lumine and Paimon found themselves standing outside the door.
"Seriously, Luo Qing?! You're not even offering us a place to stay for the night?" Paimon huffed, stomping her tiny feet.
"Of course, I want to," Luo Qing replied with a sigh of mock regret. "But there aren't any extra rooms. Once I move into my new house, you can stay over. Until then… goodnight!"
With that, he began closing the door.
But just as it was about to shut, a familiar voice called out from behind Lumine and Paimon.
"Huh? Lumine, Paimon, what are you doing here?"
"Hmm?"
They turned around to find Kamisato Ayaka standing nearby, dressed in a Sumeru-style dancer's outfit.
"Ayaka… you live here too?" Lumine's brain short-circuited.
Ayaka is living with Luo Qing too?! Just how many women is he hiding in this house?!
"I… um…" Ayaka's cheeks turned pink as she lowered her gaze.
"Y-You could say that…"
"…"
[Lumine's Frustration +1]
Lumine turned back toward the house, her gaze burning as she silently vowed to remember Luo Qing's face.
This man… is too much.
"Alright, we're leaving. Goodbye, Ayaka!"
Without giving her friend a chance to respond, Lumine grabbed Paimon and marched away, putting as much distance as possible between herself and Luo Qing.
She feared that if she lingered, she too might end up like the other women in his house.
"Huh?" Ayaka blinked in confusion, watching as Lumine fled.
"Luo Qing, what's going on? Why did they leave so suddenly?"
"No idea," Luo Qing replied with a chuckle. "Maybe they were just in a hurry to get some sleep."
His gaze fell on Ayaka's outfit, and he tilted his head. Something about it felt familiar.
"By the way, Ayaka, why are you back so late? And that outfit…"
"I…" Ayaka fidgeted, her blush deepening.
"I was at the Grand Bazaar… spending time with Nilou. She gave this to me as a gift…"
"Nilou, huh?" Luo Qing's eyes lit up with recognition.
No wonder it looked familiar—it's the same outfit Nilou wears, just in a different color.
"Come on, let's head inside. It's getting cold out here."
"Mm…" Ayaka nodded shyly and followed him in.
---
Reader, your presence signifies commitment.
To walk this path is to contribute to the pursuit of eternity.
Should you wish to further fortify our resolve, step forward: [patreon.com/WiseTL].
Each action contributes to the unyielding foundation of our creation. Together, we etch a mark that transcends the fleeting nature of time.
For those who aspire to push the limits further, offering one 'Burger' will unlock an additional 5 chapters: [ko-fi.com/wisetl]. Specify which story your donation pertains to; this offer applies exclusively to stories available on Scribble Hub.
— Raiden Shogun
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