Bab 148: This Trainee Fatui Harbinger is Too Unreliable [148] [DDD!]
December Double Drop!
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The sudden arrival of The Crux's mercenaries instantly shifted the tide of the battle.
With their involvement, the previously struggling resistance forces were reinvigorated, launching a fierce counterattack against the Shogunate forces.
The Crux, known for years of fighting sea monsters and pirates on the high seas, displayed combat skills that were on par with the Shogunate's soldiers. With both Beidou and Kazuha—wielders of Vision—ripping through the Shogunate's ranks, the battlefield quickly turned in favor of the resistance.
For a moment, Kujou Sara's gaze lingered on the white-haired boy amidst the chaos, her thoughts wandering.
"Retreat, everyone!"
The morale of her troops had plummeted, and to continue fighting would only lead to further casualties. She had no choice but to order a retreat.
After suffering two consecutive defeats at Tatarasuna, her composure was starting to crack.
Even as she ordered the retreat, her eyes darted across the battlefield, searching for any sign of Luo Qing.
He had already caused her so much trouble in the past, and now she was convinced that this unexpected reinforcement of the resistance had something to do with him!
It had to be him who went and found help for the resistance!
She had thought it was strange when Luo Qing promised not to intervene directly—so his idea of not helping was to find allies for them?
...
Meanwhile...
Hiding within a sunken ship along Nazuchi Beach, Luo Qing watched the scene unfold. Suddenly, he received another notification from his system.
[Frustration Value from Kujou Sara +1 +1 +1...]
"Hmm?"
Luo Qing was baffled, looking down at the withdrawing Shogunate forces below.
What did I do to make that girl mad again? I didn't even step in!
And those mercenaries had nothing to do with him.
How did this get pinned on me?
...
With the Shogunate forces losing their will to fight, they quickly retreated. On the other side, the resistance, having suffered casualties of their own, chose not to pursue.
As the battle came to an end, The Crux's mercenaries regrouped with the resistance fighters, taking a break together. A few familiar faces caught Luo Qing's eye, chatting with the Traveler.
From the look on the Traveler's face, it seemed she was quite surprised that Beidou and her crew had come to Tatarasuna to support the resistance.
Typically, mercenaries only fight when they have the upper hand, avoiding risky ventures at all costs.
For Beidou to bring her crew here and side with the resistance—it was hard to say what her motives were.
Having stood up Gorou earlier, Luo Qing knew showing up now wouldn't earn him any friendly faces. So, after glancing down at the cheerful conversation below, he turned away and headed back to the Shogunate's camp.
After two consecutive defeats and losing many soldiers as prisoners, the Shogunate's morale was at an all-time low. Even Kujou Sara herself seemed at a loss for how to restore their fighting spirit.
For her, Luo Qing was an insurmountable obstacle.
As long as he remained at Tatarasuna, any standard tactics against the resistance would be useless.
Kujou Sara sat inside the war tent, deep in thought, trying to figure out how to handle the "Luo Qing problem."
Not long after, Luo Qing casually strolled into the tent from outside, as if nothing had happened.
"What are you doing here again?"
Kujou Sara's voice was icy.
She swore she would never trust another word out of his mouth.
"Just thought I'd help Kujou-dono ease some of your troubles~"
"?"
[Frustration Value from Kujou Sara +1]
"Hmph. Everything you've done, I've already reported back to Inazuma City. The Raiden Shogun herself will decide your fate. I wonder if you'll be able to laugh as easily when the time comes."
Kujou Sara's expression was stern, clearly believing that as long as she truthfully reported Luo Qing's actions, the Shogun would deal with him appropriately—most likely by unleashing a bolt of lightning to turn him to ashes.
"Hahaha, whatever happens, happens," Luo Qing shrugged nonchalantly, finding her angry expression somewhat amusing.
He wondered how Kujou Sara would react if she learned just how close he had gotten to the Shogun. What if he kissed the Shogun right in front of her, exchanging a mouthful of saliva?
Knowing her personality, she might just break on the spot.
Hehe, that's even more thrilling than an NTR scenario.
"Tell me, what nonsense are you trying to sell me this time?" Kujou Sara huffed, leaning back slightly and crossing her arms defensively over her chest.
"Hmph. I'm not going to believe a single word you say. You might as well give up!"
"Is that so..." Luo Qing leaned back slightly, deep in thought, before continuing.
"Then, if I told you that the reinforcements on the other side had nothing to do with me, would you believe that?"
"What do you think?"
Kujou Sara's face was as cold as ice.
From the look on her face alone, Luo Qing could tell she had already made up her mind—she was convinced he had called in reinforcements for the resistance.
"Whether you believe it or not, those mercenaries from Liyue have nothing to do with me... Well, maybe just a little."
"Anyway, the agreement we made is still in effect, Kujou-dono~"
Luo Qing got up slowly, walking over to Kujou Sara and narrowing his eyes slightly.
"I'll leave Teresa in your capable hands. If you capture any more prisoners, please be sure to send them her way for... training~"
With quite a ways to go before his next big pull, Luo Qing did feel a bit guilty about messing with Kujou Sara's mental state like this, but he had to gather Frustration Values somehow.
"And why would I follow your instructions?"
Kujou Sara frowned, thinking to herself, You went to help the resistance, yet you expect me to cooperate with you in training prisoners? You think you can play both sides?
"Because it affects whether or not I'll switch sides to the resistance, of course~"
Luo Qing's smile widened, and he unexpectedly flicked Kujou Sara's forehead with a light tap, making her step back in alarm.
Startled, she instinctively reached for her bow, her wings spread in a defensive stance.
"Whoa, why so tense? I'm not going to eat you~"
Luo Qing chuckled before turning and leaving the tent.
He had delivered his threat clearly.
Now, Kujou Sara was left with two choices:
Either follow his instructions—handing over any captured soldiers to Teresa for training—and gain his cooperation in a fair fight against the resistance.
Or hold onto her sense of duty and refuse to play along, but in doing so, make Luo Qing her full-fledged adversary.
For Luo Qing, it didn't matter either way.
He was only at Tatarasuna's frontlines to collect Frustration Values, after all.
Who he helped didn't concern him in the slightest.
With his objective achieved, Luo Qing left the Shogunate's camp, ready to go fishing again.
Once his presence was completely gone, Kujou Sara finally exhaled and lowered her guard.
She had fought alongside Luo Qing several times now, but it was the first time she had felt genuine killing intent from him.
As a Tengu, she could sense it—the same aura a god possessed.
If Luo Qing fully sided with the resistance, then with just the current Shogunate forces at Tatarasuna, they wouldn't stand a chance.
---
Thanks for reading! Let me know if you spot any mistakes or inconsistencies!
Posture and water check! Remember this is a fan translation!
If you wish to support me or read ahead here's a link! [patreon.com/WiseTL]
Bab 149: This Trainee Fatui Harbinger is Too Unreliable [149] [DDD!]
December Double Drop!
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In the Plane of Euthymia...
Sensing a familiar presence, Ei slowly put down the light novel she was reading.
In front of her, the Raiden Shogun—identical in appearance—approached, her gaze sweeping disdainfully over the fully packed bookshelves of light novels scattered around the floor.
"What is it?" the Raiden Shogun asked coolly.
Typically, as a puppet, she rarely projected her consciousness into the Plane of Euthymia unless the situation was crucial.
Ever since her growing fondness for Luo Qing, she and Ei had barely spoken, their interactions strained by jealousy and ideological differences.
But today, Ei had called her here, saying there was something important they needed to discuss.
"I think you realize it too. Luo Qing has used some kind of technique to manipulate our emotions, making us develop these feelings for him. Isn't that right?"
"..."
"Is this what you called 'important'?" The Raiden Shogun's brows furrowed slightly.
"What if I told you... there's a way to remove those feelings?" Ei's voice was calm.
Ever since she discovered Luo Qing's ability to manipulate emotions, she had been pondering how to break free.
But the feelings seemed to be genuinely hers, with no trace of external tampering. While her affection hadn't reached the same level as the Raiden Shogun's, she knew that if she couldn't find a way to break free, there would come a day when even she would become Luo Qing's puppet... no, his person.
To have feelings for Luo Qing meant her emotions would be influenced by his every move. If he were to vanish one day, she couldn't bear to imagine what she might become.
She didn't want to experience the pain of losing someone important ever again.
This was not the path of eternity she had sought.
And so, faced with a choice between Luo Qing and her pursuit of eternity, she chose eternity. Just as she once did with Yae Miko—severing emotional ties and sealing herself off.
For a while, she had no idea how to erase the emotions Luo Qing had planted within her. But then, this morning, she had sat on Luo Qing's teleportation toilet.
When the spiritual entity residing in it denied her access, she suddenly understood.
In the Plane of Euthymia, she didn't have a physical body.
Without the "hardware," no matter how powerful the "software," it couldn't function. Human emotions are channeled through the body.
No matter what Luo Qing's methods were, they must have used the puppet's physical body as a medium to plant those emotions in both of them.
Why else would any increase in favorability affect them both simultaneously?
With this theory in mind, Ei had a bold idea.
If everything began with the puppet's physical form, then perhaps resetting the puppet to its state before meeting Luo Qing would erase whatever he had planted within them.
In other words, Ei intended to "format" the puppet's body, finding a restoration point from before they met Luo Qing and resetting it entirely.
Of course, if she went through with this, it meant both she and the Raiden Shogun would forget every moment they had spent with Luo Qing—even forgetting his very existence.
But if she left a mark for herself and the Raiden Shogun—a warning to eliminate him at first sight to prevent him from manipulating their emotions again—everything could return to its original state. They would no longer be swayed by Luo Qing.
"You want to sever all of this?" The Raiden Shogun's brow furrowed.
A favorability rating of 60 was a threshold. Crossing it, either up or down, resulted in two completely different states of being.
Even knowing that her feelings for Luo Qing were the result of his manipulations, she found it difficult to extricate herself.
"His presence contradicts the pursuit of eternity. If we wish to continue along that path, he must be erased..." Ei's voice was resolute.
Though she held considerable affection for Luo Qing herself, she had wrestled with this decision for a long time.
If they only erased their emotions, Luo Qing might simply use his abilities to ensnare them again.
Only by eliminating him completely could they cut off any future threats and fully commit to the pursuit of eternity!
"Eternity..." the Raiden Shogun whispered, her gaze drifting to the two massive shelves of light novels behind Ei.
"In this so-called eternity of yours, do those books have a place?"
"..."
Ei awkwardly looked away.
"Th-those... Those were also Luo Qing's influence! I'll remove them all too when the time comes!"
"I see..."
The Raiden Shogun hesitated.
She had been created to aid the woman before her in governing Inazuma and seeking eternity. As a puppet, she had felt nothing unnecessary before meeting Luo Qing—her resolve like a blade, fixed only on eternity.
If anything opposed that path, even if it were Ei herself, she would become a merciless executioner.
But now...
Choosing between eternity and Luo Qing, she couldn't bring herself to decide.
"You're hesitating," Ei noted with a frown.
"Eternity was once my ultimate goal. You are my past self; you should not waver over something like this..."
Even after a long pause, the Raiden Shogun said nothing.
Seeing her silence, Ei was a little surprised. She sighed and shook her head gently.
"There's no rush. I'll give you time to prepare. When the moment comes, I will personally take control and enter our mindscape to erase every unnecessary emotion..."
"..."
The Raiden Shogun said nothing, only gazed at Ei before turning and vanishing from the Plane of Euthymia.
Returning to the physical world...
The Raiden Shogun replayed Ei's words in her mind, still feeling as if a massive weight pressed upon her chest. It was the first time since her creation that she had ever felt such an emotion.
"Luo Qing..."
...
Meanwhile, at Tatarasuna.
With no ongoing battles and no new prisoners captured, Luo Qing had called Teresa over to join him for some fishing.
Chewing on a piece of grass, Luo Qing watched the bobber on the water, waiting for a bite.
Suddenly, a notification rang out in his mind.
[The up-pool has been updated. Host, please use it as soon as possible!]
"..."
Luo Qing glanced at the notification and brought up the system's gacha screen.
He saw that the featured item had changed.
The golden item had shifted from the Guardian Angel to a new one:
[Seed of Rebirth]
[Seed of Rebirth: Repairs fragmented souls and reshapes the physical body. The restored body will not regain previous powers, with strength limited to that of an ordinary human.]
[PS: There is a one-year cooldown period after use.]
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✧ New Story Announcement! ✧
Introducing: The Weapon Master Shall Never Die Bare-Handed in Genshin Impact! ⚔️ This isn't like the misunderstanding fun of Unreliable Harbinger or the calm, slow-paced journey of Incense Burner. Oh no, this one is action-packed, laugh-out-loud funny, and full of feel-good moments that'll leave you grinning like (๑>ᴗ<๑).
Thanks for reading! Let me know if you spot any mistakes or inconsistencies!
Posture and water check! Remember this is a fan translation!
If you wish to support me or read ahead here's a link! [patreon.com/WiseTL]
Status Power Mingguan
200+ Peringkat
Power 
238 Power
stone 
Komentar Paragraf