章節 31: Dogs?

---Amethyst Hoshino's POV---

It struck me as odd that, instead of using "foreigner" for those from outside the land, they chose the unusual term "Outlander." Regardless, I'll use the word myself.

"Amethyst Hoshino, an outlander."

Approaching him alone, I adopted a sarcastically respectful tone as I divulged details about his secret organization. At this point, I subtly conveyed a potential threat, though...

"Outlander? Well, Hoshino-san, why would an outsider like yourself... possess a letter of introduction from the Kanjou Commission?" His smile persisted, left hand behind his back, fingers signaling unseen lackeys in the plains and bushes.

They could strike at any moment, but whether they do depends on my next response.

Finally responding, I asserted, "Of course, I bribed an officer in front of your disguised subordinate to obtain one. Isn't that right?" he raised an eyebrow at this.

Confidence radiated from me, assured in my chances to win if a battle broke out. But my brash approach heightened the impact of the thought guidance.

"Hm, I suppose that was intentional?" He drew a conclusion. It wasn't intentional, but thank you for promptly aligning with my thought guidance.

"Well then, for what purpose are you here, Outlander?"

I replied, "...My purpose was to purchase information," that was a lie. I sought genuine connections with him.

With Riko and Rimuru awakening their visions (My intel: Great Sage), we anticipate less interference from the Shogunate, thanks to our alliances.

Some retained their visions in this land, and when confronting the Archon, we plan to seek asylum within the secretly supported resistance by the Yashiro commission.

You can never lack a plan B in mind.

Certainly, my group's impending need for asylum forms a compelling bond. Presently, I project an image of possessing valuable intelligence, making me a plausible negotiator in the eyes of Kamisato Ayato. In times of adversity, our safety could be secured by offering information in exchange for refuge.

In the end I got an "official" letter of introduction from him. Now then, since we have some backups now, we can proceed with the initial plan.

Magic sense overclock.

As mentioned earlier, my magic sense is a lie detector. When encountering a superior being proficient in manipulating magic, it implies the ability to counter it and engage in deception.

Therefore, those lacking this capability are inherently less formidable than myself.

Now, I've delved into a time-altered realm where the pace is sluggish with thought acceleration before. Surprisingly, overlocking my magic sense appears more perilous than navigating accelerated time due to the instant influx of diverse information.

That's where Great Sage come in.

In simple terms, I'll be reading the minds of everyone in this city.

«Report: The successful execution of magic sensing overclock is confirmed. To streamline relevant data, extraneous thoughts unrelated to the required information are filtered out. The magic sensing has been identified and blocked by four individuals; however, no additional measures will be implemented at this time.»

Four individuals has blocked the sensing? That's not good, one of them must be the so called "archon" that everyone is talking about. My magic sense should only cover this city so at least only four individuals might knows about my location now.

«Inquiry: individual thoughts related to the request detected. Would you like to listen?»

Yes...

Sample A: "Shit! I need to go, those are the shogunates... They saw my new vision did they???" Un, not this one.

Sample B: "That guy is hiding a vision, I'm sure of it! I should locate him and tell him to hand it over under the decree..." Yup, not this one either.

Sample C: "I'm pretty sure Kakashi-san might unlock a vision too. It's a bit strange – he claims to be a local, but that Riko Amanai girl acts like she's from out of town."

Un? Kakashi? Riko? Who's this? It seems they've crossed paths with the group. Either way, he doesn't appear to be a transmigrator...

Sample D: "....GAAAAAAAAAH, I • NEED • FRIED CHICKEEEEEN!!!!"

...eh?

The last one sounds a bit... "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH THIS WORLD!?? ONCE I ATE A VISION LATER I'LL DEFINITELY BURN THIS WORLD TO THE GROUND!!" The same voice of sample D echoed.

... This world?

"The only dude tossin' me a snack is that sweet old man who swings by once in a while, and the main character in this lame world just pats my head... SERIOUSLY, GET ME SOME EATS, WOULD YA!???"

Alright, I believe I've pinpointed the transmigrator, but there's something off about their dialogue—it's like they're not even human.

"You know, when I ponder it, that NPC had a vision on display in the game. Being just an NPC, nabbing their vision shouldn't be an issue, right? I could swing by the massive Ei statue and snag some visions, but there's still that chance of getting caught..."

Eating visions? I suppose that's the power of this transmigrator now.

Well, Great Sage...

«Confirmed: The target's location has been recognized.»

Great work.

--- Kakashi Hatake's POV ---

"Ne ne~ So what about Kazuha-san?" Riko voiced this line.

The boy with two visions responded calmly, "I'm quite well-known here. The shogunate tried to confiscate my visions once, so I fled to Liyue. Pretending not to have any is useless. In a few days, I'll take refuge with the resistance anyway."

He answered why didn't carry a fake vision around to the three of us as we finally reached our second destination, the outskirts of Inazuma City.

After a series of events that I won't go into detail about, we were able to obtain fake visions. I noticed Rimuru make a funny face when the boy asked to see Rimuru's vision so he could ask his acquaintance to replicate it. They were likely bewildered and questioning how we knew about their hidden vision.

"I see, well then thanks for everything... Kazuha-san." Rimuru stated. It's finally the time for us to part.

"I'm just happy to help. Though please excuse me... Can I borrow your hand, Kakashi-san?" suddenly, Kazuha-san asked thus.

I raised an eyebrow, but comply with his request promptly. I held out my right hand as If It demanded something to the person Infront of me.

and... *thud* a round object settled nicely in my hand. this boy placed something intriguing in my hand, it is the dead vision he has been carrying around on his back.

after a few minutes and nothing happens...

"Kazuha-san?"

"Sorry, just wanted to try something, that's all." Swiftly he took back the cold vision from my hand and walks away, "well then, this is where we shall part ways"

*Ding*

[EX-veteran (Admin) has shared a location]

[EX-veteran (Admin): Meet me at this place, I've taken a lead.]

Within the tranquil cave, a solitude reigns with no one in sight. Rain persists outside, and three individuals casually approach the admin. Surprisingly, their attire remains impeccably neat, unaffected by the downpour.

A campfire flickers, casting a warm glow on their faces as they delve into a profoundly serious discussion.

"I suppose you've figured out our next move here, admin?" I was the first to inquire.

"Something along those lines..." The young admin responded.

It's about time we took action on the quest. Initially, the quest was as vague as the fog lingering in this place.

"Why don't you guys open your phones, I'll give you some explanation while you're reading the quest once more..." (Ame)

"An unidentified variable was sighted within the realm of Teyvat. Transmigration has emerged as one of the most vexing concerns across multiple worlds. It not only alters the fates of every individual in that world but can also lead to instances of destruction." This is where things was not explained in details.

To us otherworlders, everything here is an "unidentified variable" so it doesn't make any sense in the first place. But then the text led to a narrative of transmigration and what not, so I suppose this unidentified variable is a person who was "transmigrated".

"So, did you find this transmigrated individual?" I casually inquire, glancing away from my phone – or, well, looking down, you know.

The admin shoots me an annoyed look, saying, "Feels like you just called me short or something..." She waves off the idea and adds, "Anyway, yeah, I found them."

Oh~ as expected of the admin.

"..."

"Uh... So who was it, That transmigrated person?" (Rimuru)

The admin had frowns on her face and looked at us first before answering, "It was a dog"

"Eh??"

"A dog?"