Once they were at sea, if the ship were to sink due to a storm, it would be nearly impossible for ordinary people to survive.
The refugees, overwhelmed by the joy of returning to Narukami Island, didn't notice that once they had reached deep waters, the samurai who were supposed to escort them all retreated into the ship's cabin.
Even the one steering the ship used the excuse of changing shifts to enter the cabin, locking the door behind him, leaving the refugees unaware.
Inside the Cabin
After the helmsman entered, the samurai exchanged glances, retrieving bundles of explosives from the cargo barrels, stacking them along both sides of the ship. There were enough explosives to blow the wooden vessel into pieces.
Once the fuses were set, the samurai moved toward the stern of the ship, planning to depart on a lifeboat once the fuse was lit.
Their mission was simple: under the pretense of escorting refugees to Narukami Island, they were to gather them mid-journey and sink the ship. If anyone discovered the plan, they would simply blame it on the Coral Palace rebels.
"Sir… do we really have to go through with this?" one of the younger samurai holding the fuse seemed hesitant, looking at the older samurai, clearly their leader.
"Are you questioning orders? This is a direct command from the family head. If you let these people return, we'll lose our heads instead!" the elder samurai snapped.
"But… wasn't the whole point of joining the army to protect the people?" the younger one muttered.
"And now you suddenly remember that? If you want to protect them so much, why don't you join them and drown in the sea!" The elder samurai snatched the fuse from him and was about to ignite it when something unexpected happened.
A small Electro Slime landed on his hand.
"An Electro Slime? How did this…?"
Before he could finish his sentence, the slime opened its mouth and shot an electric orb straight at his face. At the same time, more Electro Slimes emerged from the shadows around the cabin, carefully avoiding the explosives and surrounding the samurai, forcing them back toward the stern.
"Monsters! Be careful…" the elder samurai shouted, though his mind was foggy from the impact of the electric orb. He assumed the slimes had accidentally wandered into the ship.
Just then, a girl's voice echoed from behind them.
"Killing your own people? Inazuma is worse than Snezhnaya. If I'd known, I wouldn't have bothered coming here."
The samurai turned to see a young girl, a faint purple lantern in her hand, shaking her head lightly.
"You… you're Fatui?!" one of the samurai exclaimed.
"Correct! But even if you guessed right, you're still in for some pain~" Theresa giggled, covering her mouth with a hand. "After all, I just got scolded by my master, so I'm in a pretty foul mood right now~"
As she finished speaking, lightning sparked in Theresa's hand, and she charged at the samurai.
Having served in the scouting squads for years, and being capable of taking down entire Hilichurl camps alone in Guyun Stone Forest, Theresa's combat prowess was no joke. Even if she were up against Liyue's Qixing or Lumine, she could still hold her own. Dispatching a few Inazuma samurai was child's play.
Her only concern was making sure to control the lightning and the slimes carefully so as not to accidentally ignite the explosives.
It only took a few moves for Theresa to subdue the samurai, leaving them lying on the ground, twitching in pain.
At that moment, the cabin door opened, and Natalia and Igor entered, locking the door behind them.
Natalia frowned as she saw the samurai lying there, frothing at the mouth.
"Didn't Lord Luo Qing say not to be too rough? What have you done?"
"I couldn't help it~" Theresa replied, feigning innocence with a playful tone. "I've been a little angry lately~"
"..."
"Luo Qing asked us to interrogate them, to find out who gave the orders, and to leave behind some evidence. But look at them now…"
Natalia sighed, feeling exasperated. It would be difficult to interrogate them when they were barely conscious.
"Oh, come on! I didn't hit them that hard. They should wake up soon. Hey, you! Wake up, stop twitching…" Theresa crouched down, slapping one of the samurai lightly on the face.
After a few slaps, a young samurai finally regained consciousness, gasping for breath as he sat up.
"You… you're Fatui..."
"Well, guess what? My lord has some questions for you. I suggest you answer truthfully~ Or we'll toss you overboard to feed the fish~" Theresa taunted, her tone light and playful as if throwing people into the sea was just another part of her day.
Suddenly, a thought crossed her mind, and she turned to Natalia, asking, "Shouldn't we let the refugees listen in on the interrogation too? It might make these guys more likely to confess if the civilians hear them."
"Luo Qing said there were too many refugees to control. As long as we have these guys as leverage, it'll be enough. When we get to shore, someone will be there to take them away," Natalia explained patiently.
Theresa blinked blankly. "I don't get it…"
"..."
"Just stick to the interrogation. Ask him who gave the orders."
"Oh, I get that part! Leave it to me~" Theresa beamed, then immediately slapped the young samurai across the face again.
"Speak! Who gave you the order to drown those refugees?"
"..."
"Why… why are the Fatui asking about this…? What does this have to do with you?" the young samurai muttered through bloodied lips, his eyes darting nervously. It seemed that even he felt guilty about the planned massacre.
"Does it matter? We help when we see injustice! What's your problem, huh? You don't like it?" Theresa snapped, slapping him again before he could respond.
Another samurai, just regaining consciousness, was about to stand when his face met the same stinging slap. Dazed, he heard Theresa's voice shouting again.
"Speak! Who gave you the order?!"
It was late into the night. On the deck, many of the refugees had fallen asleep despite the chaos of their minds, their faces twisted in pain due to the lingering effects of the Tatarigami's curse. Some even woke suddenly, coughing up blood.
Seeing that it was time, Luo Qing signaled to Sergei to continue steering the ship while he descended into the cabin to check on the interrogation.
As he entered, he found the samurai huddled in a corner, their faces swollen like pigs' heads, trembling in fear.
Standing over them, Theresa had her hands on her hips, impatiently tapping her foot on the floor. She looked as though she were ready to slap anyone who so much as breathed the wrong way.
---
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]
Luo Qing glanced at the samurai lying on the ground, his expression indifferent.
"The order came directly from Kujou Takayuki, head of the Kujou Clan. There was no written command, only verbal instructions," Natalia reported respectfully, handing over the interrogation notes to Luo Qing.
"A verbal order, huh… That complicates things," Luo Qing sighed, feeling a bit of a headache. Without a written order, he'd have to rely on these samurai as leverage against Kujou Takayuki, which was more troublesome than he liked.
"Theresa, come over here."
"What is it, Lord Luo Qing?"
At his call, the fierce expression on Theresa's face immediately softened. Rubbing her hands together, she rushed to stand before him, expecting praise for her earlier work.
"You'll take them on the lifeboat and head straight to Inazuma City. Find a nearby outpost and lock them up. We'll meet up after we arrive."
"What?! Just me again?" Theresa was taken aback.
"Is there a problem?"
"No... no problem."
Theresa's shoulders slumped, grumbling internally. Why is it always me stuck with all the dirty work?
Is this what being at the bottom of the team feels like?!
With great reluctance, she threw the bound samurai onto the lifeboat, hopping on after them. As she set off, she shouted back, "Lord Luo Qing, don't miss me too much!" Then she sailed off toward Inazuma City.
The small lifeboat, which didn't rely on wind for movement, would reach Inazuma City much faster than the larger ship. By the time she arrived, Luo Qing and the others probably wouldn't have even reached Ritou yet.
Back on the ship, after a full day without seeing their samurai guards, the refugees began to grow anxious. When someone discovered the cabin door was unlocked, they went inside to investigate.
After confirming that all the samurai were missing, panic spread among the refugees, many fearing that the curses from Yashiori Island had followed them aboard.
But regardless of their fear, turning back wasn't an option.
Eventually, someone took control of the helm, and they continued sailing toward Ritou.
Two days later, the ship finally arrived at the port of Ritou.
Ritou's port was managed by the Kanjou Commission, one of Inazuma's three governing commissions, similar to Liyue's Qixing, each responsible for a different aspect of Inazuma's affairs.
The Tenryou Commission oversaw law enforcement and military matters. Except for the Raiden Shogun's direct forces, such as the Shogunate and Kamisato Ayato's Shuumatsuban, all military forces were under the Tenryou Commission's command.
The Kanjou Commission was responsible for Inazuma's finances and trade, as well as issuing travel permits for visitors, making them a key part of regulating Inazuma's interactions with outsiders.
The final branch, the Yashiro Commission, handled cultural matters, festivals, and religious rites, and though beloved by the people, it was the weakest of the three in terms of political power.
Unfortunately, before Luo Qing's arrival, the Fatui had already infiltrated two of the commissions. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they had significant control over Inazuma's governance.
Both the Tenryou and Kanjou Commissions had close ties with the Fatui, allowing the Fatui to continue sending agents and resources into Inazuma, even after the Sakoku Decree was enacted.
As a representative of La Signora, Luo Qing's identity had already been prepared in advance before his arrival.
So, while the other refugees faced strict scrutiny from the Kanjou Commission, Luo Qing's group merely flashed their identification to a local official and were quietly allowed to pass through the port.
It was evening by the time they arrived, and Luo Qing found a small inn for them to stay in, deciding to head to Inazuma City the next day.
After finally feeling the normal atmosphere of Inazuma, Natalia and the others, with Luo Qing's permission, headed out to explore the streets, leaving him alone in the inn.
Later that night, Luo Qing lay down on the tatami, preparing to take a short nap to recover from the exhaustion of their sea journey.
Just as he was starting to relax, he heard the faint sound of footsteps on the roof, as if something soft was lightly stepping on the tiles.
To ordinary people, such quiet sounds might have gone unnoticed.
But to Luo Qing, who needed rest, the noise was a bit too distracting.
Given his special position with the Fatui, Luo Qing couldn't afford to let his guard down, so he opened his eyes. In a flash of golden light, he teleported onto the roof.
Surprisingly, the roof was empty—whoever had been there seemed to have already left.
"Who the heck runs around on rooftops in the middle of the night? Don't they know people are trying to sleep?" Luo Qing grumbled, frowning as he teleported back inside.
Just as he was about to lie down again, a heavy knock came at the door.
"Who is it?" Luo Qing's brow furrowed further.
"Delivery from Neko Delivery! Sir, you have a package!"
A muffled, feminine voice came from the other side of the door.
"A delivery?"
Luo Qing was momentarily confused. I just arrived in Ritou today. How could someone have sent a delivery to my inn already?
Feeling a bit suspicious, Luo Qing walked to the door. He activated his Time Zero ability before opening it.
In the next moment, he saw a young girl with light brown hair standing nervously outside the door, holding a large cardboard box.
What set her apart from a normal girl were the fluffy cat ears atop her head, along with two long tails swaying behind her. Even her little feet, peeking out from beneath her long socks, were covered in soft fur, resembling paws.
"Huh..." Luo Qing was shocked—no, delighted.
A catgirl?!
"Ah!" The girl jumped slightly, startled by how suddenly the door had opened.
She had been standing right in front of it the whole time, but hadn't even seen it move.
"S-Sir, I'm Kirara from Neko Delivery! Here to deliver your package. Please sign for it! And if you could, kindly give me a five-star review, thank you!"
Kirara held the package out to Luo Qing with both hands, along with a slip for him to sign, her face lighting up with a sweet smile. Even her furry ears twitched a little, adding to her charm.
This was her signature move—customers usually couldn't resist giving her a five-star rating after seeing her cheerful and adorable expression.
"Huh…"
Luo Qing sucked in a breath.
This is the first time I've ever met a catgirl... Why do I have zero resistance to this?
Could it be that… I really am—
But professionalism comes first. As an executive, Luo Qing still had discipline.
Instead of signing, he shook his head slightly and looked at Kirara with a meaningful gaze.
"Let's put the signing aside for now. Tell me, was it you running around on the rooftops earlier, keeping me from getting any sleep?"
"Eh?!"
Kirara's bright smile froze in place.
She had been extra careful not to make any noise while on the roof. How had this man still heard her?
"Looks like your five-star rating might be in jeopardy," Luo Qing said, his tone full of implications.
Kirara, you don't want to lose that five-star review, do you?
---
T/N: NOOO NOT KIRARA!! RUN GIRL
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]
คุณอาจชอบ
ความคิดเห็นย่อย
คุณลักษณะความคิดเห็นย่อหน้าอยู่ในขณะนี้บนเว็บ! เลื่อนเมาส์ไปที่ย่อหน้าใดก็ได้แล้วคลิกไอคอนเพื่อเพิ่มความคิดเห็นของคุณ
นอกจากนี้คุณสามารถปิด / เปิดได้ตลอดเวลาในการตั้งค่า
เข้าใจแล้ว