Chapter 225: Words of Wisdom
They say a wild fox never appears twice before a traveler without fate.
The moment that fluffy tail vanished into the horizon, it marked the end of a chance encounter—never to be repeated.
Perhaps it was because of the shrine maiden beside her, but the wild fox following her seemed unusually fond of Bai Luo as well.
The sky had long since darkened. Rather than heading to the nearby Konda Village, Bai Luo cleared a patch of ground near the statue of the Sky Kitsune and, borrowing a campfire from a Hilichurl camp nearby, began roasting a few Naku Weeds.
"…This thing... it can be used for dye, right?"
He asked as the skin of the Naku Weed started to char under the flame.
The little tanuki, after all, knew how to turn its skin into makeshift dye.
Too bad the dye made in a hurry like this only worked as a temporary marker—it faded away before long.
"That's right. It's actually one of Inazuma's traditional crafts. Especially the nearby Konda Village—they used to hold the secret art of Konda Dyeing."
Bai Luo gave the Naku Weed on the ground a glance, thought for a bit, then reached into his coat and pulled out a Sunsetia.
Give it to the shrine maiden?
…Yeah, no.
If a normal person ate it, maybe they'd just pass out for a while.
But if the shrine maiden ate it… she might just disappear on the spot.
Bai Luo was well aware of how dangerous the Sunsetia in his possession was.
It was the kind of fruit that even gods would turn pale at the sight of.
So why take it out?
Using a method he'd secretly learned from the little tanuki, he quickly whipped up some dye and began coating the Sunsetia in it.
"Hey, doesn't this kinda look like a Naku Weed now?"
He lifted the now-purple Sunsetia and showed it to the shrine maiden.
What he got in return was complete silence.
Honestly, even a fool could tell this wasn't a real Naku Weed.
But… it did hide its original look pretty well.
"The Sunsetia is a gift from nature. To treat it like this feels a little backward, doesn't it?"
Sure, Naku Weed was valuable—but only if properly roasted.
Bai Luo's little trick had stripped the Sunsetia of its natural allure.
"You just don't get the reason behind it," he replied.
The truth was, any Sunsetia that got too close to him would turn a bit sour.
It's not exactly something you go around telling people.
With a casual rub of his fingers, the purple color flaked off instantly, leaving behind a clean, untouched Sunsetia. Bai Luo sighed in disappointment.
So it really did take some kind of secret technique to pull it off?
Word had it that the art was already lost to time.
Maybe someday he'd stumble across it.
For now, the little tanuki's method would have to do.
That night, Bai Luo sat beside the shrine maiden, with the little fox curled up in his arms, and they talked for hours.
Not about the past. Not about the future.
Just idle chatter, full of trivial things.
But even in those little things, he could tell—she was truly happy.
—Of course she was.
The people who could see her were long gone.
And those who could see her had no reason to try talking to her.
In the end, her only companion was that one little fox.
Day after day, she waited here, watching over this place, hoping someone would come to help her perform the Sacred Sakura Cleansing Ritual.
. . . . . . . .
The next morning, they parted without exchanging names.
Before they parted ways, the shrine maiden gave Bai Luo a parting blessing.
"Do not be deceived. Do not waver. Walk forever upon the path you believe in."
She had thought herself unworthy of giving such words of guidance—but if it were her, surely she wouldn't hesitate to offer her blessings either.
And he, in return, left the shrine maiden with a line she remembered for a long time, despite her usual preference for short verses.
"A ballad—ahem... On fairy leaves, the midnight rain falls. Every drip, every drop... speaks of parting."
As for the half-eaten roasted lavender melon and the sunsettia that had long lost its color…
Well, maybe some random oni ended up picking them off the ground.
The heavy, stifling atmosphere of Yashiori Island began to ease up once Bai Luo got closer to Inazuma City.
Walking along the clean stone-paved roads, accompanied by the distant barking of a countryside dog, he found an unexpected sense of tranquility.
Compared to the bustling heart of the city, the outskirts held less noise and far more serenity.
It was said that many former high officials chose to retire in these parts.
Each day, they would sit beneath the eaves of their homes, watching children play under the falling cherry blossoms—far more enjoyable than dealing with the chaos of the inner city.
The moment Bai Luo stepped onto Hanamizaka, he was approached by members of the Fatui.
The Tenryou and Kanjou Commissions were practically riddled with Fatui influence by now.
On these seemingly peaceful streets, who could tell how many spies were already watching?
Naturally, the moment he entered Inazuma City, word of his return had already reached them.
"Lord Ausbilder!"
The one saluting him wasn't the same servant who used to attend to Bai Luo back in the day.
He'd heard that one had already been reassigned.
"Is Scaramouche around? I need to talk to him."
As he spoke, Bai Luo put his mask back on—the one symbolizing his authority as a Harbinger.
Work was best delegated. Why handle things yourself when you could throw it at a coworker and go slack off?
"Reporting, sir! Lord Scaramouche rarely lingers in the city. He left some time ago and has yet to return."
Scaramouche was... unpredictable.
His personality shifted like the wind, impossible to read.
Asking too many questions could easily get you punished—or worse.
Those who had gotten used to Bai Luo's lazy and easygoing ways had learned that underestimating him came at a cost.
Which was precisely why they all rushed out the moment they heard he was back.
If nothing else, working under him was a walk in the park—so long as you didn't actively try to die, even a slip of the tongue would earn you no more than a chuckle.
If it were Scaramouche, though?
Forget words—even a poorly timed gesture could piss him off.
"Hm... There are too many ears around. Let's talk back at the residence."
"Yes, sir!"
With his subordinates flanking him, Bai Luo made his way back to the small courtyard he used to call home.
Unlike Bai Luo, Scaramouche had neither the time nor the mood to enjoy such leisurely living.
So ever since he left, the place had remained unoccupied.
Even so, the Kujou Clan hadn't reclaimed the property, and the Fatui would periodically send people over to clean—without touching a single item inside.
As a result, everything remained exactly the same as when Bai Luo had last been there.
Even the things on the table hadn't moved an inch.
Once he settled in, the first thing he did wasn't to organize his forces for personal use, but rather to start arranging things for Watatsumi Island.
Now that the island had been taken, it was finally time to do something he had attempted—unsuccessfully—long ago.
"In the name of Her Majesty the Tsaritsa, allocate two billion Mora to Watatsumi Island!"
Truly, nothing feels better than spending someone else's money—especially your boss's.
. . . . .
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