Chapter 232: A Battle of Acting Skills
The so-called "Kuroda"… was actually Yae Miko.
The moment Bai Luo heard from his subordinates that Kuroda had entered the study, a flicker of doubt had already taken root in his mind.
He'd never dealt with the man too formally before, but he had observed him a few times.
And one thing was clear: every time Kuroda showed up, he was reluctant and distant—avoiding stepping into the estate if he could help it.
Part of that was out of fear for the Fatui agents stationed here.
Another part had to do with the lingering tension between the Tenryou Commission and Bai Luo's influence.
After the Fatui—led by Bai Luo—successfully infiltrated Inazuma, the nation had undergone a series of dramatic shifts.
Even the once-powerful Hiiragi Clan, the former heart of Ritou, had fallen into disgrace and corruption.
And the Tenryou Commission?
Aside from Kujou Sara, their public trust had all but vanished.
In short—Kuroda? Entering his study?
That alone was wildly out of character.
He probably wouldn't even dare to step into Bai Luo's yard, let alone the house.
And then there was that moment earlier—rifling through Bai Luo's manuscript like it was nothing.
Not Kuroda's style at all.
But the moment Bai Luo was absolutely certain was when she mentioned manuscript payments.
Everyone knew that all payouts at Yae Publishing were personally managed by Yae Miko herself.
If she didn't give the green light, no one—not a single manager or editor—would even dare to mention money.
Her disguise, though, was top-tier.
Not only had she mimicked the appearance of Kuroda perfectly, but she'd altered her voice and even disguised her gender.
As for whether she'd gone as far as to fake the male anatomy… well. Bai Luo figured he'd find out soon enough.
All he had to do… was invite "Mr. Kuroda" for a dip in the hot springs that evening.
Still, the real giveaway hadn't been the voice or the clothes.
It was the small details that always decided the victor in these kinds of games.
And Bai Luo?
He was a master of detail.
Why could he switch so seamlessly between the roles of Battousai and Hei?
Because he paid attention to the tiny things.
(Well… the system's assistance helped, too.)
When the system changed his class, it also altered certain habits and micro-behaviors.
Battousai, for example, liked to refer to himself as "this humble one," and his smile always carried a faint, bashful gentleness.
He carried an innate respect for life—he never killed unless it was absolutely necessary.
Hei, on the other hand?
Also a smiler.
But behind that gentle grin was a chilling, merciless bloodlust.
He could laugh as he ended a life—casually, without remorse.
The contrast between the two personas was stark.
That's also why, when Sangonomiya Kokomi found out that Bai Luo was Battousai, she had trouble accepting it.
Had she not seen him shift classes before her eyes, she might've assumed he was just trying to ruin the good image Battousai had in her heart.
So now… to keep this sly fox from catching on, and to enjoy the little game a bit longer—Bai Luo didn't instruct his men to order either her favorite or least favorite dishes from Uyuu Restaurant.
He simply told them to order from the restaurant's standard high-end menu.
Of course, part of him really wanted to bring out the preserved monstrosities from his storage.
Like the infamous surströmming—fermented herring in a can.
If his memory served, that was one of the things Yae Miko hated the most.
She despised anything pickled or preserved.
But if he actually did that, she'd know.
She'd definitely know.
Compared to the little fish from Sangonomiya, this pink-haired fox was on an entirely different level of cunning.
Whenever facing her, Bai Luo had to stay completely alert.
This was no longer a game of wits—it was a full-on acting match.
And as an award-winning actor in his own right, Bai Luo wasn't going to lose.
"Come, come, Mr. Kuroda, make yourself at home. Eat as much as you like! If it's not enough, I'll have more brought over," Bai Luo said with a hearty laugh, handing "Kuroda" a pair of chopsticks himself.
After all, if Uyuu Restaurant sent someone over demanding payment, it wasn't his wallet they'd be knocking on.
The debt would fall to Scaramouche.
To keep up appearances, the pink fox went all out.
When presented with her usual favorite—Tricolor Dango—she didn't even glance at it.
Only after Bai Luo insisted did she reluctantly nibble on one, as if it were some loathsome, sickly-sweet thing.
To the unknowing eye, she might've seemed like someone who hated sweets.
As drinks flowed and dishes were passed, the two found themselves lost in yet another deep dive on the topic of light novels.
Bai Luo gradually came to a realization.
It wasn't that the fox loved light novels.
What she really loved… were the stories they told.
After hearing some of the tales he "brought from another world," even the worldly Yae Miko had to let out a rare, heartfelt sigh.
"If only you were born in Inazuma, Ausbilder… that would've been wonderful."
That wasn't flattery.
It was her honest wish.
The gods would all fade, one day.
If their stories disappeared with them—scattered by time and dust, forgotten by all—it would be a terrible loss.
Only those with exceptional talent and penmanship deserved to record their stories.
And if such people didn't yet exist, then they would have to be nurtured into existence.
To Yae Miko, Bai Luo was that kind of person.
The ideal author.
Even if his handwriting was… let's just say a bit of a tragedy, Yae Publishing House's editors were more than willing to clean it up.
The only problem?
He wasn't from Inazuma.
He was the envoy of another god.
And based on what she knew… His position in Snezhnaya likely rivaled her own status in Inazuma.
Which meant… there were many things she couldn't say to him.
"Ausbilder," Yae—ahem, "Kuroda"—began, "if there's no way to continue 'My Electro Archon Can't Be This Cute' into a third volume, then perhaps you could submit those new stories to Yae Publishing House. I'm sure Inazuman readers would go just as wild for them."
What did Yae Miko love most?
Fresh novel drafts? Sure, that was part of it.
But even more than that… she adored watching all the upstart writers desperately trying to imitate Bai Luo's success, failing miserably while pulling their hair out in frustration.
That combination—new manuscripts and struggling imitators—was her equivalent of cola and potato chips.
An unbeatable source of joy.
Bai Luo smiled slyly.
"Well, I've actually been thinking about that. I wonder, Mr. Kuroda, would you be willing to take a little stroll with me? We could… dive deeper into the topic."
He put extra emphasis on "dive deeper," his voice suggestive in the most deliberate way possible.
"…I suppose that's fine. But let's avoid going toward Hanamizaka. I wouldn't want Lady Yae to see me wandering around and assume I'm slacking off," Kuroda replied, hesitating for the first time before finally agreeing.
She had to be cautious.
After all, the real "Kuroda" was still on duty at Yae Publishing House.
If they strolled too close and Bai Luo happened to spot two of him, the whole act would instantly fall apart.
"Don't worry," Bai Luo said with an easy smile. "We'll just stick to the shopping district. Look at some flowers, walk off the food. Just a bit of post-meal digestion."
The corners of his mouth curled into a subtle arc.
Sure, exposing this "Kuroda" was fun and all.
But even more fun?
Letting her, completely "unaware," accompany him straight into the hot springs.
Maybe even take a soak together.
This time, it wouldn't be some accidental encounter inside Tenshukaku.
No—this would be the real deal.
A deliberate, shared trip to the baths.
The only question was… would the pink-haired fox bail at the last second?
. . . . .
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