Thoma looked slightly uncomfortable. He had never encountered someone like Luo Qing, who seemed to wear his intentions so openly.
Doesn't he fear embarrassment?
"Oh, that's right! I'm Luo Qing!"
Luo Qing eagerly grabbed Thoma's hand, feigning excitement as if overcome by emotion. "So, now can you introduce me, Mr. Thoma? I heard the Kamisato Estate is quite far—shall we set out now?!"
"..."
"I'm sorry, Mr. Luo Qing, but that's impossible. The young lady does not like meeting people publicly..."
Thoma was flustered, inwardly thinking, Does this guy not have any shame? Why is he in such a rush?!
"I see..."
Luo Qing put on a show of disappointment, hanging his head. In a softer tone, he said, "Then it looks like I'll have to go back and work harder..."
After a moment, he lifted his head again, pretending to be fired up. "Thank you for the encouragement, Mr. Thoma! I'll make sure to improve myself and earn the chance to meet Miss Kamisato!"
With that, Luo Qing turned and walked away, leaving Thoma standing there, completely bewildered.
It wasn't until Luo Qing was long gone that Thoma snapped out of his daze, replaying their conversation in his mind.
This man named Luo Qing had only talked about wanting to meet his lady.
Could he have been subtly warning me not to meddle with the Kanjo Commission? Was he threatening to harm Miss Kamisato if I got involved?!
It wasn't out of the question...
Thoma thought it over carefully. It seemed the priority was to get his findings from Ritou back to the Kamisato Estate and, while he was at it, warn Miss Kamisato to be cautious of this Luo Qing.
He hadn't exchanged blows with Luo Qing, but his gut told him there was far more to the man than met the eye.
...
Several days later, at the Kamisato Estate.
Kamisato Ayato was seated at his desk, poring over the mountain of paperwork related to the Yashiro Commission's affairs.
The Kamisato Clan was currently in a period of rebuilding. Although his younger sister was quite mature for her age, she was still not yet ready to handle the family's business.
As a result, Ayato was left to oversee both the Yashiro Commission's and the Kamisato family's matters—making him, without a doubt, the busiest of the three heads of the Commissions.
Just as he was studying one of the documents, a servant's knock echoed from outside.
"Lord Ayato, there's a delivery girl from the Kairagi Courier Service outside. She says she has a package for you and needs your signature."
"A package?"
Ayato raised an eyebrow.
The servant hesitated. "Yes, she insisted that it requires your personal signature and refused to hand it over to anyone else..."
"Let her in, then. I could use a short break."
"Understood."
The servant bowed respectfully and left. Moments later, he returned, leading a young girl with cat ears on her head and two long, swaying tails.
"Kamisato-san, here's your package. Please sign for it! And if you don't mind, could you give me a five-star review? Thank you~"
Kirara held the package out with both hands, her face adorned with a bright, sweet smile. She gave Ayato a small bow.
"Thank you."
Ayato accepted the package, glancing at the name of the sender. A slight confusion crossed his face.
Luo Qing... Isn't that a name from Liyue?
"Are you sure this is for me? I don't recognize the sender."
"Yes! The gentleman specifically requested you to sign for it, and he even tipped extra Mora to make sure it arrived quickly."
"I see... thank you."
Ayato marked the review sheet with five stars, and Kirara's ears perked up happily at the sight.
"Then I won't disturb you any longer, Kamisato-san. Have a wonderful day~!"
"Mm."
After Kirara left, Ayato inspected the package, checking the packaging carefully. He used his Vision to sense any hidden elemental traces.
After confirming that there were no threats, he slowly unwrapped the box.
Inside the brown paper was a round, black disc.
"A phonograph record?"
Ayato blinked in confusion, turning the disc over in his hands. He glanced over at his servant.
"Bring me my phonograph."
"Yes, my lord."
Shortly after, the servant carefully carried in a Fontaine-made phonograph, placing it on Ayato's desk.
Ayato gave the disc another glance before slipping it onto the player.
The machine whirred to life, the disc spinning. Soon, a rough, deep male voice echoed from the brass speaker:
"Dun~ Dun Dun Dun Dun~ Dun Dun Dun Dun Dun Dun! The vast horizon is my love~ Flowers bloom at the foot of the green hills~ What rhythm could be the most rockin' groove~"
"...?"
[Ayato's Frustration Value +1]
Ayato's brows furrowed at the bizarre and off-tune singing. He wondered if someone was playing a prank.
But he didn't stop the phonograph, choosing instead to endure the offbeat melody, curious if it held some hidden message.
As he listened, footsteps approached the door.
"My lord, you're listening to quite an... interesting piece. Is this the rock music they play in Fontaine?"
Thoma stepped in, grinning playfully.
He had heard the jarring music before even entering the room, and despite its oddity, he found it strangely catchy.
"Thoma, you're back."
Ayato smiled faintly, pressing pause on the phonograph. In a calm voice, he asked, "You've come at the right time. While you were in Ritou, did you come across anyone named Luo Qing?"
"...What?!"
[Thoma's Frustration Value +1]
Thoma froze.
He had rushed back as quickly as possible to deliver his report, and yet it seemed he was already a step behind Luo Qing!
Panic flashed across his face. "Did something happen to Miss Kamisato?!"
Ayato's frown deepened. "Ayaka? She's been resting at home these past days. She only left for Komore Teahouse two days ago. Why do you ask?"
"N-Nothing, as long as she's safe," Thoma replied, sighing with relief.
"It's like this, my lord..."
Thoma proceeded to recount his investigation of the Kanjo Commission in Ritou, including the matter of Luo Qing.
"I see..."
Ayato rested his chin on his hand, staring thoughtfully at the phonograph. He seemed to be lost in thought.
"Changing the tax from Mora to Crystal Marrow... A foreigner treated as an honored guest by the Kanjo Commission... You think his words were a veiled warning?"
"It's only a guess. Still, the way he acted back there—it was like he was some kind of stalker..." Thoma said with a grimace.
"Hmm..."
Ayato considered this for a moment before speaking calmly.
"Thoma, I'd like you to stay in Ritou a while longer. Keep an eye on any visitors arriving at the port. As for the Crystal Marrow, I'll have someone investigate it discreetly."
"And what about Miss Ayaka..." Thoma asked anxiously.
"I'll send someone to accompany her as well. She's gone to Inazuma City to formally submit a proposal to lift the Vision Hunt Decree. Since she's within the Raiden Shogun's domain, there's no need for concern."
"Understood, my lord," Thoma said with a nod after a moment's hesitation.
...
The two discussed the specifics of the Kanjo Commission's dealings for a while longer before Thoma excused himself.
After Thoma left, Ayato's gaze shifted to the ceiling beams above. In a soft voice, he said:
"I'll leave Ayaka's protection to you."
A drowsy voice answered from the rafters a moment later.
"Mmm... Didn't get enough sleep, and now there's more work...?"
---
Thanks for reading! Let me know if you spot any mistakes or inconsistencies!
If you wish to support me or read ahead here's a link! [patreon.com/WiseTL]
Bonus Chapter! Woah 200!
---
Luo Qing glanced at the sudden notification of two new Frustration Values in his system.
It seemed that the package he entrusted to Kirara had successfully reached Kamisato Ayato.
But what puzzled him was why Thoma was also involved.
Could it be that Thoma had run back to inform Ayaka of his intentions to meet her?
Am I really that intimidating?
He thought about it briefly but ultimately brushed it aside, focusing on leading Natalia and the others as they continued their journey toward Inazuma City.
Inazuma Island, with its unique geography, was the only place among the archipelago that had vast plains. Even though they had been traveling for almost a week, they had only just passed through Konda Village and reached Byakko Plain.
They still had about half the journey left before they would reach Inazuma City.
Fortunately, with Natalia and the others around, Luo Qing didn't feel too bored. When things got slow, he could always amuse himself by teasing his subordinates and accumulating more Frustration Value points.
"Natalia, it's been a week since I asked you to learn We Learned to Meow, and you still haven't mastered it?"
"And you, Sergei, is doing a Lightning Whip five times in a row really that hard? Even a seventy-year-old grandpa can pull it off. What's your excuse?"
"Igor, you're laughing, but all you've done is memorize the first line of Thirteen Deadly Spear Strikes. If you want to learn spear techniques from me, you'd better recite it ten more times!"
As they trudged along, Luo Qing continued drilling his three subordinates, tirelessly making sure they followed his orders.
On the other hand, Natalia, Sergei, and Igor, who initially thought their master would be less eccentric after leaving Snezhnaya, quickly realized just how mistaken they were.
At this point, they finally understood:
When the team is in danger, the danger lies outside the group.
But when there's no danger outside, Lord Luo Qing himself becomes the biggest threat!
With gloomy faces, the three dutifully carried out his commands. By now, they must have looked like some sort of traveling performance art troupe.
Luo Qing, observing their efforts, nodded in satisfaction. He had successfully amassed another thousand Frustration Value points—enough for another ten-pull in the system's lottery.
Suddenly, his gaze shifted, noticing something in the distance. Along a side path, a young woman with short, light-blue hair was surrounded by a group of Hilichurls.
These Hilichurls emanated a faint purple aura, clearly tainted by the forces of corruption. Leading them was none other than a Thunderhelm Lawachurl.
"What a coincidence."
Luo Qing raised an eyebrow, motioning toward Kamisato Ayaka's direction.
"You three, go help her out."
"Us?"
Natalia and the others were taken aback. "Lord Luo Qing, are you sure you want us to use those weapons?"
"Is there a problem? Do you expect me to step in? Right now, my cover is that of a powerless Snezhnayan merchant, remember?"
"This... understood, Lord Luo Qing."
After receiving the command, the three stopped walking. They set down the large black cases they had been carrying and opened them, revealing sleek modern weapons.
Luo Qing glanced at them once more and added, "Be careful not to hit that lady."
Though he said that, in his Time Zero domain, even the fastest bullets would slow to a crawl, so there was no real risk of things going wrong.
However, considering how close Ayaka was to the Hilichurls, only Natalia's heavy sniper rifle, the M82A1, would be effective.
Ever since Luo Qing had given Natalia this weapon, she had diligently trained with it. New recruits in Snezhnaya already received basic firearm training, and with the system's auto-replenishing ammo buff, her marksmanship had improved significantly. This would be a good test of her skills.
Meanwhile...
Facing the sudden ambush by the Hilichurl group, Kamisato Ayaka remained calm, her gaze focused on the Thunderhelm Lawachurl leading them.
Though she was the daughter of the Kamisato Clan, the Vision Hunt Decree was in effect, and even she couldn't casually use the power of her Vision unless absolutely necessary.
If word got out, it could become a political weapon for the Tenryou and Kanjo Commissions to use against the Yashiro Commission.
But the Hilichurls, corrupted by malevolent forces, had no interest in mercy. The corruption had twisted their minds, leaving them with only the urge to destroy.
Realizing that there was no avoiding a battle, Ayaka gripped her blade, prepared to draw it.
Suddenly, a deafening sound rang out.
In an instant, the towering Thunderhelm Lawachurl in front of her was cleaved in two, falling lifeless to the ground.
Then, with several more thunderous shots, the Hilichurls surrounding her suffered the same fate, cut down by an unseen force.
"..."
Ayaka's eyes widened in shock. She could hardly believe what had just transpired, so much so that she didn't even notice the blood that had splattered onto the hem of her skirt.
A few seconds later, she turned in the direction of the gunfire, wary of what she might find.
Not far away, a blonde girl had just gotten back on her feet, holding a strange, dark weapon that resembled a firearm. She was rubbing her sore shoulder as if the weapon had a hefty kick.
"A foreigner?"
Ayaka wondered silently, watching as a black-haired man, who seemed to be the leader of the group, waved and began walking toward her.
Sensing no ill intent, Ayaka relaxed slightly. She was grateful for their assistance in dealing with the Hilichurls and figured she should at least offer her thanks.
When Luo Qing and his group reached her, Ayaka gave a small, polite nod.
"Thank you for your assistance."
"A few shots, nothing more. Miss, are you heading to Inazuma City as well?" Luo Qing asked politely, pretending it was their first meeting.
"Yes, I am on my way to the city. Are you travelers? Your attire seems unfamiliar."
"We are," Luo Qing nodded, continuing, "My name is Luo Qing, a merchant from Snezhnaya. These are my guards."
"I see..."
Ayaka glanced at the three people behind Luo Qing. Their blonde hair and blue eyes were consistent with Snezhnayan features.
But why was the merchant's face so different from his Snezhnayan guards?
"My name is Kamisato Ayaka. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Luo Qing bowed slightly and offered, "Since you are familiar with the area and we are newcomers, might we accompany you on the way to Inazuma City?"
At this, Natalia's patience began to wear thin. She was annoyed. After doing all the hard work—carrying the heavy sniper rifle and taking out the enemies—now Luo Qing was all excited to chat up a pretty girl?
What's wrong with my broad shoulders and long legs? Are they not appealing enough?! she thought bitterly.
Her shoulder was still sore from all those sniper shots!
---
T/N: C-can I just keep it Sergey...? I don't feel like editing it right now...
heh i edited to sergei get frigged past me
Thanks for reading! Let me know if you spot any mistakes or inconsistencies!
If you wish to support me or read ahead here's a link! [patreon.com/WiseTL]
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