Chapter 229: The Fish of the Tenshukaku
Should he say, as expected of a street rascal?
Despite his seemingly bulky frame, Itto was far more agile than Bai Luo had imagined.
With a few loud thuds as his feet left indents in the wall, Itto landed steadily beside Bai Luo.
"This... This is really the tengu's home? It's huge!"
The moment Itto steadied himself and took a glance into the courtyard, his eyes were glued.
His first impression of the place?
Big.
No—massive!
Just the lotus pond beneath their feet looked like it was almost half the size of Hanamizaka itself.
And within that pond, several plump, juicy fish swam leisurely. With no natural predators to fear, they glided through the water without a care in the world. When they noticed the presence of people nearby, they didn't even flinch—instead, they swam over and opened their mouths as if begging for food, acting like spoiled pets.
Well-manicured plants surrounded the entire pond, and a few tastefully arranged pine trees—though not tall—added just the right touch of elegance to the scenery.
A few oddly shaped ornamental stones were placed near the water's edge. Strangely enough, instead of looking out of place, they added an air of solemnity to the garden.
And then there were the cherry blossoms, drifting down gently in the breeze...
The scene was so peaceful and idyllic, one might be tempted to lie down on that soft, grassy lawn, bask in the warm sunshine, and maybe roll around a little while they were at it.
"Man... this Kujou Tengu really knows how to live."
For the sake of the Arataki Gang's development, Itto had taken on all sorts of jobs, even working for the rich on occasion.
But even the wealthiest folks in Inazuma couldn't manage to build a landscape like this.
"Shhh."
Bai Luo gestured for silence and pressed down on Itto's head, forcing them both to duck.
A patrol of the Tenryou Commission's guards swept their gaze lazily across the area. Luckily, they didn't pay the two intruders any serious attention—probably assuming it was just a stray cat or dog.
It wasn't that they were slacking off. It was just... who would ever expect someone to scale the walls of the Tenshukaku?
Once the patrol moved on, Bai Luo silently dropped down from the wall, hiding behind one of the ornamental rocks.
Itto followed suit, imitating Bai Luo's every move. Unfortunately, without the passive support of Angel's Wing, he landed squarely on his butt.
After confirming the guards were gone, Bai Luo moved toward the lotus pond.
The fat, juicy fish swam over immediately, mouths agape, begging for food.
But instead of feeding them, Bai Luo—with the dramatic flair of a street magician—pulled out a snakeskin sack and, with a few swift scoops, dumped the majority of the fish inside.
"Hey, bro... isn't stealing kinda bad?" Itto asked cautiously as he eyed the sack full of fish.
He had a bit of a reputation in Inazuma City—not exactly a villain, but certainly not the model citizen either.
Even so, he had principles.
Candy from kids? You had to win it fair and square.
Picking up someone else's roasted Lavender Melon? You better leave Mora behind to pay for it.
No stealing. No robbing.
That was the Arataki Gang's bottom line.
Their dignity.
"Stealing?" Bai Luo raised an eyebrow. "My friend, do you think a scholar's actions could be called that?"
He straightened his posture, voice righteous and solemn. "These fish—creatures gifted to us by nature—have been imprisoned in this tiny pond, growing bloated and restless. What we're doing is liberation! Giving them the freedom they so rightfully deserve!"
The only thing ruining the speech was the audible gulp he made at the end.
"...You know, that kinda makes sense."
Itto still felt something was off, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
Then he looked again at the plump fish in the pond... and thought back to himself, locked up in jail.
He knew how it felt to be trapped in a cramped place, day after day, with no hope of escape.
If Shinobu hadn't pulled him out... he might've lost his mind in there.
Maybe those fish... swam over not to beg for food, but to chase freedom.
Motivated by this newfound "justice," the two of them worked together and fished out most of the plumpest fish into Bai Luo's sack.
Before the guards made another round, they scaled the wall once again and quietly left the scene.
And not long after they disappeared, someone else arrived at the courtyard.
Her soft pink hair was tied neatly behind her back, swaying gently with each step she took. Long fox ears drooped behind her head, blending so seamlessly with her hair it was hard to tell where one ended and the other began.
Her outfit resembled a shrine maiden's attire, but compared to the usual ceremonial wear, it looked far more elaborate.
Ornate accessories adorned her sleeves, waist, and hair, lending her an air of grace far beyond that of any ordinary miko.
Or perhaps… it was only natural.
After all, she was the figure that all shrine maidens of the Grand Narukami Shrine looked up to with reverence—Yae Miko.
With a pouch of fish food in her arms, she seemed to be in quite the good mood.
According to the intelligence she'd gathered, that long-time procrastinator of an author had finally returned to Inazuma.
Though, from what Kuroda had told her, the moment he got back… the man went straight to loafing around the streets again.
"Let's settle the shogun's matters first," she mused. "Then I'll deal with him."
"Hm?"
Just as she scattered the fish food into the pond, she noticed something strange.
The water, which should've erupted with splashes and hungry flailing, remained strangely calm.
Were the fish not energetic today?
No… that wasn't it.
They weren't sluggish.
They were gone.
A faint violet glint flickered across Yae Miko's eyes. Her gaze sharpened as she peered into the depths of the pond.
Then, a moment later, she came to a conclusion.
Where are my fish?
Her eyes scanned the surroundings. Eventually, they landed on the far end of the pond—on a cat nonchalantly licking its paws by the wall.
The cat blinked.
"???"
Yae Miko narrowed her eyes.
"…Forget it. I'll have them buy a few more later."
With a soft shake of her head, she upended the rest of the fish food into the empty pond, then turned on her heel and stepped toward the Tenshukaku.
Past the lotus pond and up thirty-eight stone steps—yes, she had counted, it was exactly thirty-eight—stood a brightly lit building, its entrance glowing in the warm evening light.
Above the doorway, three characters gleamed in gold: Royal Hot Springs.
Strictly speaking, Inazuma's volcanic activity wasn't as active as Natlan's. The nation lacked the kind of natural hot springs formed from geothermal heat.
But ages ago, when the culture of hot spring bathing first made its way to Inazuma, its people became utterly enchanted by the soothing warmth and therapeutic relaxation.
Determined to recreate this experience, the then-Kanjou Commissioner, Hiiragi Koushi, had imported a high-efficiency furnace from Snezhnaya—one capable of heating water to hot spring temperatures.
By adding rare minerals and herbs gathered from across Teyvat, the first Inazuman-style hot spring was born.
However, compared to the Royal Hot Springs nestled within the Tenshukaku, the town's public bathhouses had long since dropped the use of expensive mineral additives.
Naturally, they couldn't compare in terms of comfort.
"Lady Guuji."
As Yae Miko approached, a woman stepped forward to greet her with a respectful bow.
She was Mikawa Akane, the manager of the Royal Hot Springs, in charge of all things related to the Royal Hot Springs.
Unlike other offices, all of Akane's subordinates were women.
Officially, it was said that women were more meticulous—better suited to the detailed work of maintaining baths.
As for the real reason…
Well, no one really dared to ask.
After all, this was a facility intended to serve high-ranking officials and nobility.
But with the hot spring located inside the Tenshukaku itself, it wasn't like anyone would be bold enough to cause any trouble here.
"The usual spot. And don't make it too hot."
"Understood. We'll prepare it right away."
. . . . .
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