Bab 105: This Trainee Fatui Harbinger is Too Unreliable [105]
Sayo spoke respectfully, her gaze occasionally drifting towards the Komore Tea Room.
She was well aware of the orders that Ayato had sent through Sayu.
At this moment, not only had their lady failed to follow the master's orders, but she had also taken things a step further, spending every day glued to Mr. Luo Qing in the tea room.
And now, with the master showing up unannounced...
This was straight out of one of those dramatic love light novels from Yae Publishing House.
"I came to Inazuma City for some business. I heard that Ayaka has been highly regarded by the Shogun and selected for some sort of special training team, so I thought I'd stop by and see her. Is she inside?"
Kamisato Ayato spoke softly.
"Ah... well..."
Sayo hesitated.
She knew that right now Ayaka and Luo Qing were most definitely entangled in the tea room. If she led the master in there, it would definitely lead to a big problem.
On one hand was the master, and on the other, her beloved lady.
For a moment, she didn't know what to do.
"Sayo, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Ayato asked gently.
Just from her expression, Ayato already had his answer.
Not only was Ayaka in the tea room, but that guy, Luo Qing, was certainly in there as well!
He felt anxious, very anxious.
"Ah... I... I'm fine, thank you for your concern, Master."
Finally, Sayo made up her mind to stand by the master's side.
Resolving herself inwardly, she bowed respectfully to Ayato and said,
"Master, the young lady is resting inside. I'll take you to see her right away..."
With that, Sayo, as if bravely facing a noble sacrifice, opened the door to the Komore Tea Room for Ayato.
Upon entering, they turned right, following the wooden corridor down to the end, where Ayaka and Luo Qing's room was located.
In the otherwise quiet hallway, Ayato's footsteps sounded particularly heavy.
Upon reaching their door, before he could even knock, the sound of a conversation between a man and a woman could be heard from inside.
"Mmm... it hurts... Master, is it still not done?"
"Almost done, Ayaka, just hang in there a little longer..."
"Mmm... mm..."
!!!
Ayato's brows furrowed deeply.
What on earth were the two of them doing in there?!
Without hesitation, Ayato pushed open the door to the room with a grand gesture, while Sayo covered her eyes, too scared to look at what was happening inside.
The next moment, they saw Ayaka kneeling on a tatami mat, her head tilted back, her fair, delicate face being gently massaged by a pair of large hands. From her expression, it seemed like she was even enjoying it.
Ah, so it was just a face massage...
No! A face massage was still not okay!
"Mmm... Sayo, didn't I tell you to knock before entering... Eh?! Brother?!"
In an instant, the atmosphere in the room froze.
Ayaka's pupils widened in disbelief at the scene before her eyes.
She glanced at Ayato's tightly furrowed brow, then at the hands of Luo Qing still cupping her cheeks. Her face immediately flushed crimson, all the way to her ears, and she wished the ground would swallow her whole.
Exchanging a glance with Luo Qing, she motioned for him to retract his hands. Hastily standing up, Ayaka lowered her voice and said,
"Brother... why... why are you here?"
Inside, Ayaka was filled with regret. If she had known this would happen, she wouldn't have agreed to Luo Qing's request earlier.
"I had some business in Inazuma City, so I thought I'd drop by to see you. And this is..."
Ayato spoke softly, his eyes narrowing as he stared directly at Luo Qing.
If looks could kill, Luo Qing would have been shredded to pieces by now.
"Uh... he..."
Ayaka hesitated, wondering whether she should hide Luo Qing's identity from her brother.
But before she could decide, Luo Qing smiled slightly and stood up, politely introducing himself.
"I am Luo Qing, a merchant from Snezhnaya, and also the swordsmanship instructor appointed by the Shogun. You must be Ayaka's brother, Ayato."
"..."
Ayato was speechless for a moment. This guy really doesn't hold back, does he?
"So, you are Mr. Luo Qing. Then that disk sent to the Yashiro Commission..."
"Yes, I sent that to you, Ayato. How did you find it?"
"..."
How did I find it?It felt like my ears were assaulted, that's how!
"The melody was... quite unique. It had a certain flair to it. Thank you for your thoughtfulness, Mr. Luo Qing."
Ayato's eyes narrowed further as he continued, "I wonder, what exactly were you and my sister doing just now?"
"Oh, nothing much. Ayaka and I were just playfully sparring, Ayato, nothing to worry about."
Luo Qing smiled.
Subtext: Yep, exactly what you think. And by the way, we've done this countless times when you weren't around!
"..."
"Ayaka, why haven't you ever mentioned Mr. Luo Qing to me before?"
Ayato turned his gaze to his sister.
In his memory, Ayaka had always been sensible and aware of the bigger picture. She handled the Yashiro Commission's affairs with grace.
How had she ended up entangled with someone from the Fatui?
"Brother... Mr. Luo Qing saved me on my way to Inazuma. After that, we traveled together, and he shared many things with me..."
Ayaka replied quietly.
She didn't know what else to say.
The plan had originally been to finish her training, return to the Yashiro Commission, and then explain everything to Ayato, including the fact that Luo Qing meant her no harm.
But now that Ayato had shown up unannounced at the Komore Tea Room, all her plans had fallen apart.
"So that's how it is."
Ayato smiled slightly and turned his attention back to Luo Qing.
"Mr. Luo Qing, I have some family matters to discuss with my sister tonight. Would you mind stepping out for a while?"
"No problem at all."
Luo Qing waved his hand, smiling as he said, "Since Ayato has business, I won't take up more of Ayaka's time."
He then looked over at Ayaka.
"See you tomorrow, Ayaka~"
After all, they had plenty of time. Ayaka would be attending training at the Tenryou Commission tomorrow, and Luo Qing wasn't worried about not seeing her again.
"Yes... Mr. Luo Qing, goodbye..."
Ayaka's face flushed as she avoided calling him "Master" in front of her brother.
After Luo Qing left, Ayato sighed, sitting down across from Ayaka. He spoke softly.
"Ayaka, you know who he really is, right?"
"Snezhnaya... the Fatui... but brother, I trust Mr. Luo Qing. He would never harm me."
Ayaka replied quietly, "When I was on my way to Inazuma, I encountered a group of hilichurls. If not for Mr. Luo Qing and his men coming to my aid, even with my Vision, I could have been hurt..."
"So, you trust him?"
"I..."
"Setting aside whether or not he intentionally set that up to win your trust, you must understand that the Fatui are behind many of the events related to the Vision Hunt Decree.
Getting involved with them could spell trouble for the Kamisato Clan, and even the Yashiro Commission."
"Brother... I know, but..."
Ayaka lowered her head.
She wanted to argue, but didn't know what to say.
"Sigh..."
Seeing his sister like this, Ayato felt a pang of sadness in his heart.
He sighed and shook his head.
Suddenly, his gaze fell upon the tracksuit in the corner.
His heart sank even further.
---
T/N: Sayo this time...
Thanks for reading! Let me know if you spot any mistakes or inconsistencies!
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Bab 106: This Trainee Fatui Harbinger is Too Unreliable [106]
Kamisato Ayato glanced at the slightly revealing tracksuit and couldn't understand.
What kind of trick did Luo Qing use to make his normally reserved and elegant sister wear something like this?
"I... I think I might like him a little..."
Ayaka lowered her head and whispered softly.
"Brother... I trust Luo Qing. He really isn't a bad person..."
"Hmm..."
Ayato responded thoughtfully, then slowly stood up, glancing at the clothing catalog on the table.
"Before Father passed, he told me that if you ever found someone you cared for, I should respect your feelings and not interfere too much...
So, Ayaka, the choice is entirely yours."
Ayato gently patted Ayaka's shoulder and spoke softly,
"No matter what, as your brother, I will respect your decision..."
"Brother..."
Ayaka lowered her head in guilt.
Her brother was always burdened with governmental duties, and as his sister, she should be helping ease his burdens.
But now, because of Luo Qing, she was adding to his worries.
Sigh, if only Luo Qing were from Inazuma...
...
Seeing Ayaka's silence, Ayato understood.
He needed to give his sister some space and time to think things over.
After giving a few brief instructions to Sayo, Ayato left the Komore Tea Room, heading back to the Yashiro Commission.
It wasn't that he was deliberately trying to prevent his sister from finding love. It was just that, with the Vision Hunt Decree in full swing and Luo Qing's identity being so sensitive, Ayato had to be cautious.
As the head of the Kamisato Clan and the Yashiro Commissioner, the weight of responsibility on his shoulders forced him to tread carefully, ensuring that the Kamisato Clan wouldn't fall into decline again.
As soon as he stepped outside, he spotted Luo Qing standing not far away at a small stall, holding two cups of bubble tea. Luo Qing waved him over.
After a moment of thought, Ayato walked over to him.
"Care for a cup of grass jelly bubble tea, Ayato? This place makes excellent bubble tea~"
"..."
Ayato looked at the cup of grass jelly bubble tea Luo Qing was offering, and a suspicion arose in his mind.
Did Luo Qing know he would come out and was waiting here on purpose?
Did he even know about his favorite drink?
"Thank you, Mr. Luo Qing."
Ayato smiled faintly, accepted the tea, and skillfully inserted the straw, taking a sip.
After all, this was the Shogun's territory. He didn't think Luo Qing would try to harm him here.
Hmm... the bubbles are indeed quite tasty.
After taking a sip, Ayato noticed Luo Qing glancing at the tea room and casually asked,
"So, you finished your talk with Ayaka?"
Ayato smiled slightly and probed, "Is Mr. Luo Qing curious about what we discussed?"
"Just a little curious."
Luo Qing shook his head and continued, "But there is one thing I'm especially interested in. Would you be willing to enlighten me, Ayato?"
"What is it?"
Ayato was puzzled.
"I was wondering... what are the Kamisato Clan's typical bride price requirements?"
"?"
[+1 Frustration Value from Kamisato Ayato]
In all his life, Ayato had never met anyone as bold as this.
He had spent so much time exchanging pleasantries with politicians and officials from the Shogunate that he was momentarily at a loss for words.
After thinking for a bit, he decided to feign ignorance.
"Why is Mr. Luo Qing suddenly interested in that?"
"Well..."
Luo Qing smiled tactically and replied in a calm voice,
"Take a guess~"
"..."
[+1 Frustration Value from Kamisato Ayato]
Now, Ayato finally understood.
Luo Qing was also a master of playing dumb!
How on earth did my sister fall for someone like this?
Judging by his skills in pretending to be clueless, there was no telling how many women he had charmed on the side!
After some thought, Ayato responded calmly,
"The Kamisato Clan has always valued mutual affection above all, and we've never had any formal bride price requirements. So, I'm afraid I can't answer your question."
"Ah, I see."
Luo Qing let out a sigh of relief and then, smiling again, asked,
"So, Ayato, do you think I still have a chance?"
"..."
Ayato smiled slightly and asked,
"Mr. Luo Qing, do you like my sister?"
At this point, he realized that the usual diplomatic responses he used in the political arena wouldn't work on Luo Qing.
The man was just as adept at reading people and playing to the situation.
So, Ayato decided to be as straightforward as Luo Qing had been earlier.
"Ayaka is so adorable, who wouldn't like her?"
Luo Qing waved his hand and added,
"Alright, Ayato, I have some things to take care of, so I'll leave for now. We'll talk again sometime."
Without waiting for a response from Ayato, Luo Qing turned and waved at the second-floor window of the tea room, where Ayaka had been secretly watching. He said his goodbyes to her and walked off toward his own resting place.
He knew full well that dealing with someone as politically shrewd as Ayato meant he couldn't follow the usual playbook. Otherwise, he'd quickly fall into one of Ayato's traps.
But he had conveyed the message he wanted to deliver.
Now, he'd leave the rest to Ayato to figure out.
...
Ritou Port
A large fleet of ships had, after several days of navigating through storm clouds, finally broken through the blockade and arrived at the port of Ritou.
The traveler from another world and her floating companion finally set foot on the land of Inazuma.
Taking advantage of the docking time, the two stood on the deck, gazing at the beautiful islands of Ritou and chatting.
"Wow, we're finally in Inazuma! I wonder what delicious food they have here!"
"Why are you always thinking about food? Don't forget why we came here!"
"Hehe, filling your belly is part of the adventure! Besides, what's the point of visiting a new land if we don't try the local delicacies?"
Paimon rubbed her belly, her mind wandering back to the word "purpose."
"Speaking of which, you did bring that thing Ganyu asked us to deliver to Luo Qing, right?"
"You mean the red ribbon she and Shenhe asked us to bring? Why did you suddenly think of that?"
"Ah, I was just looking at the port and got this weird feeling, like that guy Luo Qing has been here before!"
"But didn't he return to Snezhnaya? We're in Inazuma now; we're not likely to run into him here, right?"
"Hmm... I guess you're right. Maybe it was just my imagination?"
Paimon scratched her head, looking a little puzzled.
"Alright, stop thinking about it. The ship's docking. Let's go."
"Yeah..."
As the Alcor docked, the two, under Beidou's guidance, finally set foot on the land of Ritou.
As soon as they disembarked, a young man with golden hair and dressed in red, who had seemingly been waiting for a while, hurried over to greet them.
"Finally! The big boss from Liyue, and two stowaways... oh no, I mean esteemed guests!"
---
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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