Ritou.
The dead of night.
Lumine quietly made her way back to the Kanjou Commission headquarters.
Following the instructions in the letter, she avoided the guards and arrived at a pavilion.
The woman who had invited them had been waiting there for some time.
"Ah, you've finally arrived... I... I'm Hiiragi Chisato."
"This is... our second meeting, I suppose? Please take care of me."
"Wow, it really is the young lady of the Hiiragi Clan!" Paimon exclaimed, acting like she'd never seen anything so impressive.
Our Lumine, however, remained composed.
"The pleasure is mine. Please take care of me as well."
Hiiragi Chisato was somewhat shy, unable to look directly at Lumine as she spoke.
"No need... no need to be so polite. I've long admired your deeds, and I finally found this opportunity..."
Paimon, caught between the two, scratched her head.
"Huh? Why does the atmosphere feel a bit strange?"
Hiiragi Chisato placed a hand on her chest, her cheeks slightly flushed.
"The reason I asked to meet secretly... was because I thought... if I missed this chance, I might never get to tell you..."
Paimon panicked—this atmosphere?!
"T-Tell us what?!"
[Who knew girls could get confessed to by other girls too?]
[Is it not cherry blossoms but lilies blooming in the homeland?]
[Hasn't that flower been blooming all along?]
Hiiragi Chisato lowered her head, intertwining her fingers nervously...
Lumine found this behavior inexplicable—what was she doing?
Hiiragi Chisato's voice was soft, but she managed to speak.
"Tell you... about the letter I want you to deliver."
Lumine: "Huh???"
[Lumine's expression, LOL—screenshot taken, this is going to be a legendary moment.]
[That face is pure comedy gold, hahaha!]
[One of life's great illusions: "She likes me."]
[Forever the reliable tool.]
"...I'm going back."
Lumine turned to leave.
Paimon shot Hiiragi Chisato a disapproving look.
"You and your father really are cut from the same cloth! Can't you come up with something different?!"
Hiiragi Chisato hurried after Lumine and grabbed her hand.
"N-No, please wait!"
"I was hoping you two could deliver a letter for me to Narukami Island—to the second young master of the Tenryou Commission, Kamaji-sama..."
She went on to explain:
"My father has always opposed our correspondence. No doubt he has higher political expectations for my future partner... but in my heart, there is only Kamaji-sama."
"No one in Ritou dares to defy my father's wishes, and you two are rare outsiders who wish to travel to Narukami Island..."
Paimon felt a pang of sympathy for the young lady. "So that's the situation..."
Hiiragi Chisato promised that if they helped deliver the letter,
She would do everything in her power to help them leave Ritou.
She added:
"Actually... as long as you remain in Inazuma, my father has no intention of letting you leave Ritou."
Paimon nodded. "Yeah, we figured that much. Giving us those tasks was obviously just to stall us."
Hiiragi Chisato continued:
A few days ago, she overheard her father speaking with a haughty woman.
Their conversation seemed to revolve around how to keep foreign travelers trapped in Ritou.
Hiiragi Chisato's face showed concern.
"I've never seen my father show such deference to anyone other than the Shogun before."
"A haughty woman..."
[The Fair Lady?]
[Definitely her, right? Snezhnaya's hardest worker—is she in every nation now?]
[Childe's already a weekly boss—is it her turn next?]
[I love bad girls—can she join the gacha before becoming a boss?]
The Fair Lady flashed through Lumine's mind.
Combined with the oppression the International Trade Association had faced and the collection of Crystal Marrow...
"It seems we need to leave as soon as possible. Pleasure doing business, Miss Chisato."
Seeing that Lumine had accepted her terms,
Hiiragi Chisato laid out the entire plan.
At dawn, a shipment would be sent to Watatsumi Island.
She would wait for Lumine at the checkpoint.
She then explained what Lumine should do upon reaching Narukami Island.
Finally, she clasped Lumine's hands. "The letter... I leave it to you."
——————
Just as day was breaking,
Lumine arrived at Ritou's checkpoint.
Two samurai were inspecting the cargo.
Hiiragi Chisato arrived as well and approached them.
"Wait—is this shipment bound for Watatsumi Island?"
The samurai turned and bowed respectfully.
"Young lady, what brings you here? You're correct—this cargo has been personally ordered by the Kanjou Commissioner to be delivered intact to Watatsumi Island."
Hearing this, Lumine glanced at the crates being loaded.
Faintly visible inside was Crystal Marrow.
"Personally ordered... Watatsumi Island." Lumine quietly noted this information.
The samurai didn't understand why Hiiragi Chisato had come at this hour.
"Young lady, what do you mean to...?"
Hiiragi Chisato smiled.
"Then it's settled. My father was concerned, so he asked me to bring an expert to escort the shipment."
The samurai hesitated.
"Young lady, you're escorting it personally? Th-That... surely there's no need to trouble you."
He scrutinized Lumine. "And this expert's identity..."
Lumine feigned offense. "What, are you questioning the young lady's judgment?"
The samurai hastily bowed to Hiiragi Chisato in apology.
"Young lady, I didn't mean it that way."
As he straightened up, his expression suddenly turned serious.
He raised his weapon and saluted someone behind them.
"Kanjou Commissioner!"
Hiiragi Chisato turned—and froze.
"F-Father?! Why are you here?"
This shouldn't be happening. Based on her father's habits over the years,
He never left the Commission headquarters at this hour.
Lumine was already considering whether to make a run for it.
After all, there were only two samurai and a few guards here.
Hiiragi Shinsuke patted his daughter's shoulder.
"I noticed you sneaking out early and grew concerned, so I followed."
With that, he dismissed the two delivery samurai.
Hiiragi Chisato noticed something different about her father today.
He was unusually gentle, lacking his usual domineering air.
He also seemed to have slept poorly—there was a bandage around his neck.
"Father, what's this...?"
Hiiragi Shinsuke explained that something had bitten him,
And he hadn't slept well all night.
Then, he turned to Lumine.
"Perfect timing, Traveler. I was just about to send someone to find you."
Lumine was puzzled. "Find me?"
Hiiragi Shinsuke nodded.
"Apologies—those two tasks yesterday were merely tests."
"As one of the Tri-Commission, I couldn't simply let you into Inazuma based on rumors alone."
"But your willingness to deliver seven hundred and nine letters for Ritou's people has dispelled my doubts."
[Since when did the old man change his tune?]
[Did we misjudge him before?]
[No way, you actually believe him? That's clearly an injury on his neck—someone threatened him.]
[How can you even tell?]
[Feels like the Fatui have a new plan.]
[They don't want us following that Crystal Marrow shipment—something's fishy here.]
Lumine smiled sweetly. "So you're saying... you'll let us pass?"
"Of course."
Paimon was furious.
"Hmph! More tests?! How would you like delivering seven hundred letters? Think you'd enjoy that?!"
Hiiragi Shinsuke felt as if an arrow had struck his left knee.
His smile stiffened. "Haha... My apologies..."
Lumine didn't buy that Hiiragi Shinsuke had changed overnight.
Combined with what Hiiragi Chisato had told her,
This was likely part of the Fatui's new plan.
Hiiragi Shinsuke continued, "You two are heading to Narukami Island, correct? Would you like me to assign an escort?"
Lumine shrugged. "What, is the 'Swordsman Slayer' active during the day too?"
Why bring that up now?! Hiiragi Shinsuke felt an arrow strike his right knee.
He forced a laugh. "Hahaha... No, of course not. Safe travels, you two."
Hiiragi Shinsuke was miserable.
'If only I'd just let Chisato send them off quietly...'
'Had to go and make a scene—happy now?'
Lumine turned to Hiiragi Chisato.
"Sorry for interrupting your morning stroll to ask about Ritou's history."
Hiiragi Chisato played along.
"Not at all. I'm glad you enjoyed Ritou's scenery. Please visit again when you have time."
Paimon waved. "Goodbye, Miss Chisato!"
"Goodbye, Paimon."
[High EQ Lumine.]
[That quick thinking though.]
[This way, Chisato won't get scolded when she returns.]
[That old man's definitely scheming—might as well act the part and shut him up.]