Chapter 250: Borrowing Someone
When the little crimson fox blocked Bai Luo's way, he hadn't thought much of it.
After all, he'd wandered through Chinju Forest before, and compared to those mischievous tanuki, foxes in Inazuma were surprisingly friendly with humans.
But the moment Miyuki appeared, Bai Luo realized something was off.
The shrine maidens of Grand Narukami Shrine weren't forbidden from leaving, true. But from what he knew of Shinobu, their lives were monotonous and tightly bound by rules.
In short… unless given direct orders or tasked with something, a shrine maiden like Miyuki would never leave the shrine just to appear along a mountain path.
And this Miyuki? She was someone who revered Yae Miko to an almost fanatical degree.
That was what made things interesting.
The fact that he had appeared on Mt. Yougou—there was no doubt that pink-furred fox had already caught wind of it. And for some reason, she hadn't wanted him reaching the summit too quickly.
Whether it was Miyuki or the little fox cub, both were obstacles deliberately placed in his way.
He even suspected that, knowing her mischievous personality, Yae Miko had taken the chance to toy with Miyuki as well. After all, that night she had indirectly revealed Miyuki's connection to Shinobu.
So the question was: why didn't Yae Miko want him to reach the top right away?
Because of the discussion he'd just had with Ayato?
Eight or nine chances out of ten, yes.
But even if Bai Luo had seen through her little ploy, he didn't rush.
He and that pink fox weren't at the point of open conflict yet. Playing along for a while… wasn't such a bad idea.
"The center of the shrine path is for the gods alone," Yae Miko suddenly reminded him, mischief gleaming in her eyes once they stepped into Grand Narukami Shrine. "If a human dares walk there, misfortune will follow."
Bai Luo rolled his eyes.
She could've told him that before he walked down the path. Instead, she'd waited until after.
Wasn't that just deliberate?
Not that it mattered. The god this shrine worshiped was Raiden Ei, meditating away in her Plane of Euthymia. As if she'd suddenly storm out, blade drawn, just because he stepped a little too proudly in the center.
And so, unlike ordinary worshippers, Bai Luo strode with blatant arrogance, no shred of reverence for the divine.
The shrine maidens around them frowned deeply, their brows knitting tight.
If not for the fact that he stood beside none other than Guuji Yae herself, they would have scolded him on the spot.
After passing the haiden and the honden, Yae Miko led Bai Luo to the shrine office at the side.
This was where charms, ema, and fortunes were normally distributed. It was also the place where Yae Miko received the Shogunate's envoys when official matters needed discussion.
In simple terms, it was the reception room.
"Just a little tea. Forgive the humble offering."
This was her domain. Which meant, here, Yae Miko's confidence only grew. The air around her was steeped in the aura of a local tyrant— no, perhaps better said, a local fox. She made no effort to hide it.
At her signal, one of the shrine maidens whisked away the old teacups, still faintly warm, and placed fresh ones before Bai Luo.
But Bai Luo only stared at the cup in front of him—and didn't touch it.
"What's this? My tea not to your taste?" Yae Miko tilted her head with a sly smile. "But this is all the shrine has to offer. Even if Ei herself were to visit, this is all she'd get."
Once the maiden left, only Bai Luo and Yae Miko remained in the room. Which was why she casually spoke of "Ei" without fear of eavesdroppers.
Bai Luo sighed faintly, eyes flicking between the teacup and the fox before him.
"…Next time you put something in the tea, at least stir it. Leaving a big, black pill floating in there—do you really think I'd dare drink it?"
Just as Bai Luo had said, whether it was deliberate on the pink-haired fox's part or mere carelessness from the shrine maiden, there was no mistaking it—floating inside the tea was a pill.
Not hidden, not subtle. A pill.
Though it was dissolving visibly by the second, there was no way it could escape Bai Luo's sharp eyes.
After all… he wasn't blind.
"My, my, you saw through it~," Yae Miko cooed, feigning surprise.
"…"
Watching her overly theatrical expression, Bai Luo finally understood.
This fox was simply toying with him.
There was no way he'd drink it now. Who could tell what she had slipped inside? If it were just some restorative pill, fine. But if it were something else… that would be a problem. A big one.
He pushed the teacup aside and got straight to the point.
"The letter—I've already had it sent to the resistance camp. Next issue of the That's Life should make it in time. But I need your help with something."
"Oh?" Yae Miko's ears perked in delight. "What kind of help? Speak."
When it came to "Miss Hina," she had taken quite the interest. In fact, it has been her greatest source of amusement lately.
So long as Bai Luo's request wasn't too outrageous, she didn't mind lending a hand.
"My people can slip past the resistance's blockades easily enough. The real obstacle is Kujou Encampment. I want someone from you to help deal with that."
At this, Yae Miko's expression turned… curious.
Others might not know, but she could "see" very clearly—hadn't the Kujou family's Tenryou Commission already been thoroughly infiltrated by the Fatui?
And yet here was Bai Luo, claiming he couldn't break through their defenses?
Surely just an excuse. What he really wanted… was a person.
"If you want to pass the Tenryou Commission, wouldn't it be more fitting to borrow from the Kujou clan themselves? Why come to Grand Narukami Shrine? I don't believe you lack the means to wring a few hands from Kujou Takayuki."
A polite refusal, wrapped in her usual silken words.
"The Kujou are locked in their struggle with the resistance, aren't they? Asking them would only add trouble," Bai Luo countered smoothly, already prepared for her pushback.
"Then at least tell me who it is you wish to borrow. But be warned—Grand Narukami Shrine's shrine maidens serve Narukami alone. They cannot be sent on your errands."
A line that seemed like a compromise, yet effectively closed every door.
For Yae Miko, her subordinates were shrine maidens through and through. If Bai Luo could not make use of them, then what difference was there between this and a flat rejection?
And then… something flickered in her memory.
There was one little one under her roof who wasn't a shrine maiden.
If she recalled correctly, that girl had only recently slipped out of Bai Luo's grasp.
Could it be—that was who he'd come for?
As the realization dawned, her expression grew even more intriguing.
From that girl's words, she could tell one thing clearly: Bai Luo might enjoy teasing her, but he had never truly harmed her. On the contrary… he'd protected her more often than not.
A beautiful curve tugged at the corner of Yae Miko's lips, her eyes narrowing into a fox's smile.
If Bai Luo had indeed come to borrow her…then perhaps, just perhaps, she would allow it.
. . . . .
If you want to see more chapter of this story and don't mind to pay $5 monthly to read till the latest chapter, please go to my Patreon[1]
Current Chapter in Patreon: Chapter 297: Void: Lover's Veil[2]
Link to the current chapter: https://www.patreon.com/posts/145673047?collection=174425[3]
https://www.patreon.com/collection/174425?view=condensed[4]
[1] https://www.patreon.com/collection/174425?view=condensed
[2] https://www.patreon.com/posts/145673047?collection=174425
[3] https://www.patreon.com/posts/145673047?collection=174425
[4] https://www.patreon.com/collection/174425?view=condensed