On the streets of Lungmen.
A purple-haired Cautus girl bumped into Zhu Jiuyin by accident.
"Watch where you're going."
Zhu Jiuyin scolded her sharply.
"Sorry! Sorry!"
The Cautus girl bowed repeatedly, apologizing in a fluster before hurrying away.
"Why didn't you dodge her?"
From within the scroll, Dusk's doubtful voice rang out.
By rights, with Zhu Jiuyin's reflexes, he should have easily avoided her before she even touched him.
"Looks like today's meal is secured."
Instead of answering, Zhu Jiuyin pulled a neat stack of wallets from his robe.
"That Cautus girl did pretty well for herself today."
"…You mean that girl just now was a thief?"
"Oh, my friend, I'd prefer you call her an 'unlicensed survival worker forced down a difficult path.' I sensed it—she's an Infected."
"And those wallets in your hand…"
"What can I say? Walk along the river long enough, and your shoes are bound to get wet. If she chooses to live by stealing, then me stealing the fruits of her labor in turn, to pay for a hot meal… hardly seems unfair, does it?"
"..."
"But I must admit, it feels quite satisfying to take someone else's spoils."
"…You're deranged."
Dusk muttered an insult and fell silent.
She was already used to Zhu Jiuyin's eccentric behavior. Besides, the Cautus girl had been in the wrong first.
Still… what on terra is my foolish sister doing?
Dusk had of course noticed the shadow trailing them.
As one of the Twelve Fragments, she could always sense her siblings in a strange, subtle way.
---
Weird. Too weird!
Nian frowned as she watched the robed lung-man.
She had seen it clearly just now: the very moment the Cautus girl's hand slipped into his pocket, he had already whisked away her "earnings."
Strange… I can't be mistaken, can I?
From what she knew of her sister, there was no way Dusk would willingly stick close to someone with such shameless, frivolous behavior.
Nian decided to keep tailing them in secret, to see just what kind of connection this man had with her sister.
She could clearly sense it—her lazy younger sister was curled up inside that scroll on his back.
My sister and this guy are that close?
Dusk was not someone who let people in easily.
On the contrary, with her chronic artist's temperament and dislike of socializing, getting past her defenses was no simple feat.
---
"Mmm~ these wallets will just barely cover today's meals. Tomorrow, I'll have to find another fated acquaintance with deeper pockets."
Humming an obscure Yan folk song, Zhu Jiuyin carried the scroll into a high-class restaurant.
He booked a private room, and once the dishes arrived, he unfurled the scroll and hung it on the wall.
"Come, try Lungmen's signature flavors. The taste is quite different from what we have back in Yan."
Zhu Jiuyin dug in enthusiastically to Lungmen's morning tea spread.
Dusk, watching him eat with such gusto, reluctantly picked out a few dishes to sample.
"…Not bad."
"To hear 'not bad' from you is praise indeed. That means this restaurant must be quite excellent."
Zhu Jiuyin quickly cleared the table, devouring every dish.
"…Sigh. Hardly any money left now. Looks like I'll have to find another 'fated benefactor' soon."
"Keep playing your little role, then. Once you've saved up enough for the trip back, you can call me out of the scroll again."
"Come on, what's the point of hiding in that scroll all day? When you're out with a friend, you can't just stay holed up inside."
"Correction—I didn't come out with you. You tricked me into this."
"Tricked? Since when do little favors between friends count as trickery? It was just a harmless invitation. Besides, if you never step outside to experience life's countless forms, and only lock yourself away, your inspiration will dry up in no time."
"…Spare me your flowery nonsense. I hardly need advice from someone who only knows how to copy others."
---
"Hm? Angry?"
Outside the restaurant, Nian, still lurking, noticed a small blue hound scurrying straight toward her.
It leapt up as if to pounce on her face, but she caught it effortlessly with one hand.
Pop!
The creature vanished into thin air, leaving only a slip of paper behind, marked with a single, elegant character:
"Scram!"
Nian burned the note between her fingers without hesitation, her lips curling into a mischievous smile.
Interesting. So you really are hiding inside that scroll. And here I thought my darling little sister would never get herself a close male companion without me knowing…
As always, Nian considered herself a caring "good big sister."
---
"Greetings, brother-in-law!"
"…Duke Kashchey, I must ask you to behave yourself."
In a reception room, Wei Yenwu sat with a pounding headache as the Eternal Duke of Ursus—his manners flawless but his words insufferably familiar—grinned across from him.
"Haha… no need to be so cold, Governor Wei. After all, Talulah is my foster daughter. And since you are her uncle, surely it's no crime if I call you 'brother-in-law' in private, is it?"
Kashchey's smile was warm, almost playful.
"…Duke Kashchey, I have no interest in discussing pointless matters. Speak your purpose."
Out of the corner of his eye, Wei Yenwu glanced at the official from Yan's Censorate seated nearby—a golden-haired woman with twin yellow horns, clad in crimson robes.
Damn this troublesome Black Snake!
Whether Kashchey's words of kinship were true or false, either way they would grate against the raw nerves of his overly suspicious brother.
"My purpose? Governor Wei, did I not say so before I arrived? Of course, I am here to maintain the friendship between Yan and Ursus."
Kashchey's reply brimmed with conviction.
The truth was simple enough: the Emperor of Ursus had sent Kashchey for that very reason—to uphold "friendship" with Yan.
And, more subtly, to keep him in Lungmen long enough to draw Yan's attention, to buy time while Ursus digested the spoils left behind by toppled interest groups.
Meanwhile, Kashchey's Snakescale were already at work—those exposed recalled to his duchy, while others quietly burrowed deeper into the power structures across Ursus.
The fall of such a massive faction had left a great void, and dividing those spoils was no easy task.
With the empire in the midst of a precarious transfer of power, stability abroad was vital.
Thus, Kashchey had come to Lungmen—to draw Yan's gaze.
He intended to stay for some time.
"Oh, by the way," Kashchey added cheerfully, "I'll be remaining in Lungmen for a while. I'd like to experience the local customs for myself."
"…Then we in Lungmen will, of course, do our utmost to host you properly."
Wei Yenwu's expression did not waver, but inwardly his resolve hardened.
He could not allow this restless Black Snake to wander freely in Lungmen.
Kashchey had to be watched, closely.
At the same time, he needed to dispel any suspicions from Yan.
Which meant—choosing who would watch him required careful thought.
And among the candidates, the official from the Censorate seemed the most fitting choice.