Yae Miko looked at him with an unusual gaze, inexplicably filled with a sense of complaint.
"What's with him stopping halfway through? I wanted him to keep relaxing me..." Yae Miko complained inwardly.
Of course, in reality, Yae Miko had simply been enjoying the petting, and Yuuko's sudden stop left her feeling a bit unsatisfied.
"Um, Chief Editor Yae, is something wrong...?" Seeing Yae Miko staring at him, Yuuko felt a little guilty, wondering if his earlier actions had been exposed.
Yae Miko shook her head: "It's nothing, I was just a little surprised to see you, Yuuko-chan, right after waking up."
"Is that so? That's good." Yuuko let out a slight breath, relaxing.
It was good that his secret ear-touching hadn't been exposed; if it had, he'd be mortified on the spot.
Imagine, one day you're touching your female boss while she's asleep, and she suddenly wakes up. Wouldn't you just fall apart right then and there?
"You might even get labeled a pervert... What was wrong with me just now? Why would I think of touching Yae Miko's ear? I should restrain myself in the future..." Yuuko sighed inwardly and said:
"Chief Editor Yae, I came to see you today to discuss the release details for my new book."
Hearing this, the blush on Yae Miko's face finally faded considerably. She cleared her throat and said:
"Hmm, regarding your new book, Yuuko-chan, I've actually already made arrangements.
I've also found you a rather excellent illustrator. Once you submit the subsequent updates, it can officially go on sale."
Upon hearing this, Yuuko was pleasantly surprised.
He had originally thought that the release of the new book would involve a lot of troublesome matters, but Yae Miko had handled everything for him.
"Then thank you, Chief Editor Yae. I'll come to submit the updated manuscript in a few days."
"Hehe, I'm relieved to see you're working so hard, Yuuko-chan." Having probably regained her composure, the bad woman once again displayed that charming, mischievous smile.
After a moment, Yae Miko spoke again:
"By the way, Yuuko-chan, since your new book is going smoothly, would you like to move to live near the Grand Narukami Shrine later?
That way, it would be more convenient for me to discuss anything related to your novel with you."
Hearing this, Yuuko fell into contemplation.
Moving to live near the Grand Narukami Shrine wouldn't be bad, after all, that bad woman spends most of her time there.
And if he lived nearby, it would be much more convenient to visit the shrine for fortune-telling in the future.
However, Yuuko was someone who disliked trouble, so he still refused:
"Sorry, I'm quite comfortable living here in Inazuma City.
Besides, Inazuma City isn't far from the shrine. I can go to the shrine anytime I want, can't I?"
Yae Miko sighed in disappointment: "Is that so? Actually, I think it might be better if you lived at the shrine..."
To be honest, Yae Miko really wanted Yuuko to live at the shrine.
Her main purpose was to circumvent the new decree that the Raiden Shogun was about to issue.
She didn't want Yuuko to get caught in the maelstrom of Inazuma's new decree.
"If the Editor-in-Chief has no other matters, then I'll head back to work on my manuscript." Considering that most of what needed to be discussed had been covered, Yuuko didn't intend to stay much longer.
"Hmm, Yuuko-chan, don't overwork yourself, and remember to visit the shrine often."
"I will, I'll be off then."
And so, Yuuko left the Yae Publishing House, bought some food on the street, and went straight home... Meanwhile, Yae Miko, still in the Yae Publishing House, stretched after Yuuko left.
At the same time, her face was covered with a serious expression:
"Well, Yuuko-chan matter is settled. Now, it's time to deal with Ei... no, it's time to deal with Inazuma's matters."
She looked up at the sunlight outside the window and murmured, "At this time, that girl from the Kamisato Clan should be here by now."
Sure enough, not long after, there was a knock at the door.
A fresh, gentle voice came from outside: "Guuji-sama, I have arrived as invited."
Yae Miko smiled: "Come in."
When the door opened, a young girl, about ten years old, with white hair and blunt bangs, entered.
The girl was dressed in a blue and black dress and held a folding fan. Although young, her demeanor was extremely dignified, giving her a mature and steady impression.
This girl, named Kamisato Ayaka, was the Demoiselle of the Shuumatsuban in Inazuma and held a very high reputation among the people.
She was even called the Egret Princess by the populace.
As soon as Kamisato Ayaka entered, she opened her folding fan, covering her face, and asked with confusion:
"Guuji-sama, why are we discussing such an important matter here, instead of at the shrine?"
Yae Miko chuckled: "Because I happened to have some business to attend to here, so I decided to discuss it here. Don't worry, no one can eavesdrop."
Hearing this, Kamisato Ayaka closed her fan, adjusted her dress, and sat down opposite Yae Miko.
She said solemnly:
"Since Guuji-sama invited me for a private discussion, is it true that Her Excellency, the General, intends to seal off the areas surrounding Inazuma and issue the Vision Hunt Decree?"
Yae Miko also showed a rare serious expression:
"Yes, Ei's mindset seems to have changed significantly. She stubbornly believes that only this method can maintain Inazuma's eternity, and even I, her friend, cannot persuade her..."
Kamisato Ayaka slightly parted her lips: "Even Guuji-sama can't persuade her...?"
Yae Miko nodded:
"It's probably because the news of the Liyue Archon's death changed Ei's mindset quite a bit.
That longest-living Archon in Liyue has now passed away due to erosion.
Perhaps Ei has also started to fear."
Kamisato Ayaka pondered for a moment, then sighed:
"The Liyue Archon's matter, I've heard a little about it. To be honest, it's hard to believe. I've been to Liyue before.
The threat of monsters in the surrounding areas of Liyue far exceeds that of Inazuma.
But under the Archon's protection, Liyue remained as stable as a mountain, prosperous and flourishing.
That omnipotent Archon of Liyue has now passed away... It's only natural for Her Excellency, the General, to be worried because of this."
After that, the two were inexplicably silent for a long time before Yae Miko spoke again:
"Furthermore, Ei's sudden decision is most likely related to the Yellow Fox."
Hearing this, Kamisato Ayaka was startled: "Is it the Yellow Fox who is rumored to have helped suppress the Vortex God in Liyue?"
Yae Miko nodded: "Precisely him."
"But... according to rumors, shouldn't that Yellow Fox be a kind person? Why would this affect the General?"
Yae Miko was silent for a moment, then began to explain:
"Mainly because that Yellow Fox possesses considerable power, and it just so happened that the Liyue Archon passed away during the time the Yellow Fox appeared in Liyue.
Ei believes that the Liyue Archon's death might be related to this Yellow Fox."