Chapter 272: This Trainee Fatui Harbinger is Too Unreliable [272] [800 PS] Tapisserie Éternelle (2/4)
By your resolve, Tapisserie Éternelle has been unleashed—this is the second of the four treasures you have earned!
---
Morning at the Kamisato Estate
The sun had just begun to rise over the sea, casting a soft glow across Inazuma. Kamisato Ayaka stirred awake in her futon, slipping into her usual homely kimono. She tied her hair neatly before quietly sliding her door open.
Her plan was simple: freshen up, then sneak off to Sumeru using her teleportation device.
As she passed by her brother Ayato's room, curiosity got the better of her. Ayaka gently pushed the door ajar, peeking inside.
The room was dark. It seemed Ayato was still fast asleep.
Relieved, Ayaka closed the door and headed for the bathroom.
After a short while, she emerged looking refreshed, her mood visibly brighter. A small smile graced her lips as she prepared to return to her room and lock the door before teleporting away.
But just as she walked past Ayato's room again, the door suddenly opened.
There he was—Kamisato Ayato, fully dressed, standing right in front of her.
"B-Brother?" Ayaka stammered, a flicker of panic flashing in her eyes.
At this time of day, her brother should have just gone to bed after finishing his nightly duties.
Why is he awake so early?!
"You're up early today…" Ayaka ventured cautiously.
"I thought the same about you," Ayato said with a warm smile. "It's been a while since we've had breakfast together, hasn't it? Father always said that breakfast is the best way to nurture bonds between family members. Even though it's just the two of us now, we should cherish these moments. Come, let's eat together."
Without waiting for her response, Ayato stepped past her and began walking toward the dining room.
"Y-Yes, Brother," Ayaka replied hesitantly, following behind him.
As she trailed after him, a sense of unease gnawed at her.
The siblings sat cross-legged at a low table, their breakfast spread before them: traditional Inazuman pastries and steaming bowls of rice porridge.
After the servants retreated, leaving them alone, Ayato broke the silence.
"Ayaka, do you have plans to go out today?" he asked casually, his tone light.
"Um…" Ayaka nodded slightly, her gaze darting away.
"I heard from Thoma that you've been learning to dance recently," Ayato continued, taking a bite of his food.
"Y-Yes, that's true," Ayaka replied softly.
"Strange… I remember you once saying that dancing wasn't your forte. Did you develop an interest in it recently?"
"Well… something like that," Ayaka said, avoiding his gaze.
She couldn't possibly tell her brother that she was learning to dance for Luo Qing's sake!
"Yes, I've grown interested in it lately…"
"I see."
Ayato's expression remained composed, though he inwardly sighed.
"By the way," he said after a pause, "I have business at the Shogunate today. With the Raiden Shogun away, Lady Yae Miko has been handling state affairs, so I need to discuss several matters with her.
"Incidentally, Lady Yae has mentioned wanting to meet you several times. Why don't you come with me today?"
"W-What?!"
Ayaka's heart sank.
A trip to the Shogunate would take at least half a month, counting the journey. But she'd promised Nilou that she'd practice dancing with her at the Grand Bazaar every day!
Not to mention Luo Qing's house was full of rivals—her absence might give them an advantage.
Why now, of all times?
Ayaka stole a glance at Ayato, who was smiling at her with an unreadable expression.
After a moment of hesitation, she ventured timidly, "Brother… I already have plans with someone. Perhaps another time?"
"Is it Luo Qing?"
"Wha—No! It's… someone else!" Ayaka's voice faltered, her mind scrambling.
"Ayaka…" Ayato sighed, his tone heavy.
"We're family. There shouldn't be secrets between us. Besides, I'm not opposed to your relationship with Luo Qing, so there's no need to hide it from me."
"I-I'm sorry, Brother…" Ayaka's cheeks flushed as she lowered her head. "Yes, I've been spending time with Luo Qing recently."
[Frustration +1 from Kamisato Ayato]
Sigh… My little sister has reached the age where she seeks romance…
"I thought he left Inazuma?" Ayato asked.
"He…" Ayaka hesitated, then whispered, "He left me a teleportation device so I can visit his home directly from my room."
[Frustration +1 from Kamisato Ayato]
Teleportation… to Luo Qing's house. His house.
House…
Ugh…
Ayato took a deep breath, trying to maintain his composure. "And the dancing? Is he involved?"
"N-No! The dancing is something I'm learning from a friend in Sumeru. It has nothing to do with Luo Qing!" Ayaka quickly clarified.
"I see…"
Ayato felt a small measure of relief. At least she wasn't practicing dance at Luo Qing's house.
"Brother…"
Noticing Ayato's prolonged silence, Ayaka cautiously spoke up again.
"I… I've finished eating," she said, hinting that she wanted to leave.
Ayato sighed, noticing how her eyes kept darting toward the door.
"Ayaka," he said, his voice calm but firm. "You remember that Luo Qing is a Harbinger of the Fatui, don't you?"
"I…" Ayaka's heart sank. Why did her brother always fixate on that?
"The relationship between Inazuma and the Fatui—" Ayato began, preparing to lay out the political implications.
But before he could finish, Ayaka raised her head and interrupted him.
"But, Brother… the Shogun is just like me."
"What?"
Ayato froze, his mind blank.
Just like her?
"That… That doesn't make sense!"
"It does," Ayaka said quietly, lowering her gaze. "The Shogun is also staying at Luo Qing's house. And, Brother, you've heard the rumors about her and Luo Qing on Ritou, haven't you?"
"You mean… that incident was real?!"
Ayato's calm façade shattered.
He had heard the tales—rumors that the legendary Raiden Shogun had approached Luo Qing on Ritou and demanded a kiss. He had dismissed it as idle gossip.
After all, how could the Raiden Shogun—
But Ayaka's expression was serious.
And that… was terrifying.
Chapter 273: This Trainee Fatui Harbinger is Too Unreliable [273] [800 PS] Tapisserie Éternelle (3/4)
By your resolve, Tapisserie Éternelle has been unleashed—this is the third of the four treasures you have earned!
---
Sumeru
With Ganyu and Shenhe gone, several uneventful days drifted by.
The absence of the two women left the house quieter than before. For some reason, Kamisato Ayaka hadn't been visiting lately either.
What had once been a lively group of six was now down to just three.
Even then, Theresa and Ei spent most of their time holed up in a room together, noses buried in light novels, rarely stepping out.
The house felt eerily quiet, but Luo Qing didn't mind much. He figured it was normal for everyone to have their own lives and priorities. Once the Mondstadt residence was completed, there would be plenty of time to gather and enjoy each other's company again.
That morning, Luo Qing woke early, planting a soft kiss on Makoto's forehead before slipping out of bed.
After freshening up, he headed to Ei's room and quietly pushed the door open.
Inside, Ei and Theresa were sprawled on the bed, one at each end. Ei had her legs propped up, while Theresa leaned against the headboard. Both were engrossed in their light novels.
"You two stayed up all night reading again?!"
"Yeah… so what?" Ei replied flatly, her eyes never leaving the page.
"I told you not to stay up late reading novels!" Luo Qing scolded.
"What else could we do?" Ei shrugged, feigning innocence. "You and Makoto were making such a racket last night. We couldn't sleep, so we decided to read."
"..." Luo Qing was momentarily speechless.
Was it really that loud? I didn't notice…
"Ever since Ganyu and Ayaka left, you've been getting bolder," Ei continued, flipping a page without missing a beat.
"First, you'd sneak into someone's room. Now you don't even bother pretending to be subtle."
"Exactly!" Theresa chimed in. "And you don't even invite me to join in."
"..."
"Cough, cough! That's not the point," Luo Qing deflected, quickly changing the subject. "Ei, about what I told you before—it might happen in the next few days. Stay alert."
During his idle moments, Luo Qing had been monitoring Lumine's group through the Void, keeping track of their progress in retaking Sumeru. A few days ago, Lumine's group had encountered Scaramouche's taunts in the Sanctuary of Surasthana and were now on their way back to Sumeru City.
Today would likely mark the start of their final rescue mission.
"Hmph… Always changing the topic," Ei huffed. "Just don't forget your promise to me afterward."
"..." Luo Qing wisely chose to retreat, closing the door behind him and heading downstairs.
Stepping out into the morning air, Luo Qing connected his consciousness to the Void. He navigated the network to Nahida's dormant consciousness, observing her peaceful slumber for a few moments before moving on.
Next, he searched for Lumine's current location.
Once he pinpointed their position, Luo Qing retrieved a fishing rod from his system inventory, pretending to head out for a fishing trip.
As he walked past the Grand Bazaar, he "happened" to bump into Lumine and Paimon.
"Well, well, long time no see!" Luo Qing greeted them warmly, waving with exaggerated enthusiasm.
"Luo Qing…" Lumine's gaze drifted to the fishing rod in his hand. "Are you… going fishing again?"
"Exactly!" Luo Qing grinned. "But since I've run into you two, fishing can wait. Tell me, how's the intel gathering going?"
"I ran into Scaramouche…" Lumine muttered, her voice low. The memory of the encounter at the Sanctuary still lingered in her mind. "Luo Qing, you're helping them create a new god, aren't you?"
"More or less," Luo Qing replied with a casual nod. "Although technically, it's Dottore and Scaramouche doing the heavy lifting. I'm just here on an all-expenses-paid vacation—nothing to do with me."
"..."
Vacation… while secretly scheming to undercut his colleagues. Typical.
"So, you know they're creating a new god. That means you've also figured out who holds the Gnosis, right?" Luo Qing probed.
"Scaramouche," Lumine confirmed.
"Exactly. So, I'm counting on you two to snatch that Gnosis for me," Luo Qing said, pumping his fist for encouragement. "Right now, he hasn't fully absorbed its power. Go get 'em—I believe in you!"
"..."
"We're planning to rescue Nahida first," Lumine said hesitantly, glancing at Luo Qing. "Do you know her current situation?"
"Of course."
"Then why not come with us to save her? Aren't you two close?" Paimon interjected, her tone accusatory.
"Well, I am the Tsaritsa's man," Luo Qing said, crossing his arms confidently. "If I join you and ruin Her Majesty's plan to recover the Gnosis, I'd never hear the end of it."
"But…" Paimon scratched her head, flustered. "You can't just stand by and watch while Nahida is imprisoned by those guys! Aren't you friends?!"
"Of course we are. That's why I'm here talking to you," Luo Qing said. "Do you have a Void Terminal?"
"Yes…"
"Put it on."
After a brief hesitation, Lumine complied, placing the device in her ear.
"Now, wait a few seconds."
With a flick of his will, Luo Qing transmitted a piece of information directly into their minds through the Void.
"This is the anchor point for Nahida's consciousness. Once you infiltrate the Akademiya, you can use it to locate her."
"It's far more accurate than whatever Alhaitham gave you," he added smugly.
"..."
Lumine frowned slightly, feeling a strange sensation coursing through her mind. She glanced toward the Akademiya, as if Nahida's presence was now faintly perceptible.
Still…
"How does Luo Qing know our plans?" she wondered aloud, piecing the clues together. "We discussed this back in Aaru Village…"
"Luo Qing, you can manipulate the Void too, can't you?"
It didn't take much deduction for Lumine to connect the dots.
"Smart girl," Luo Qing said with a sly smile, completely unfazed. "With this, you'll be able to communicate directly with Nahida's consciousness—assuming she can hear you, of course."
"Well then, off you go. It's almost noon, and the fish will be biting soon. I need to get back to my fishing trip."
Luo Qing clapped his hands, ushering them along.
"Luo Qing! How can you think about fishing at a time like this?!" Paimon exclaimed, stomping her feet in frustration.
"I'm just a fisherman at heart. What's the problem with that?" Luo Qing replied, utterly unbothered.
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