Chapter 254: Living as a Little Tanuki Forever
The familiar bamboo hat that had been worn for years now rested quietly on the table.
Scaramouche's fingers tapped against the wood—tap, tap, tap.
The sound wasn't particularly loud, yet in the stillness of the room it felt… unnervingly chilling.
After all, the one making this sound was none other than the self-proclaimed Raiden Kunikuzushi, the Sixth of the Fatui Harbingers.
That made it different.
Just as the Dottore had his preachers, Krobber, and Bai Luo.
The Jester had Bai Luo.
The Rooster had Bai Luo.
The Regrator had Bai Luo.
The Fair Lady had Bai Luo.
The Childe had Bai—
—Alright, fine. Before Bai Luo became a Harbinger himself, it seemed he had worked under quite a lot of them.
And now, he'd leapt all the way up to stand on equal footing with his former masters, directly serving the Tsaritsa herself.
Well, the guy was talented at smoothing things over—he could handle all sorts of matters beautifully. Even the Dottore, who was infamous for being picky, had a soft spot for him. Bai Luo had been one of his longest-surviving subordinates.
In short, every Harbinger had their own confidant at their side.
Scaramouche was no exception. Though his attendants had changed countless times, there was one person who had always stayed with him.
Unlike the others, Scaramouche wasn't after practicality. The reason this one had survived so long was simple.
His expressions were more vivid than anyone else's.
Yes, that was all.
Scaramouche hated noisy, chattering humans—but he loved watching the way they broke down in fear and despair.
Yet most Fatui soldiers, barring a rare few, were the kind of tough guys who wouldn't even groan after being stabbed.
So when such a rare oddball appeared, Scaramouche treasured him.
After all, who knew if he'd ever find a second one?
"T-These… these are all the bills sent in by merchants across Inazuma. It should be the work of Ausbilder-sama," the man stammered, kneeling on the floor as he presented the thick stack of papers.
He was terrified—terrified of being dragged down by the Ausbilder's antics.
And even though the Balladeer was known for having a relatively mild temper compared to other Harbingers, he was still not someone he could afford to offend. Stuck in the middle, he could only suffer in silence.
The tapping stopped.
After a long pause, Scaramouche picked up his hat and rose to his feet.
The kneeling subordinate instantly pressed his forehead against the floor, trembling so hard he didn't dare lift his head.
"Where is the Ausbilder now?" Scaramouche asked, adjusting his hat.
"T-The Ausbilder is currently on very good terms with the Guuji of the Grand Narukami Shrine. According to our spies, he should be at the shrine right now."
"…"
At the words Guuji and Grand Narukami Shrine, Scaramouche froze for a moment.
He wouldn't risk a direct confrontation unless he was absolutely certain of victory.
That brat Bai Luo… had he caught wind of something, choosing this time to hole up at the shrine?
Scaramouche's gaze drifted down to the trembling subordinate.
Under that glance, the poor man shook like a leaf, barely daring to breathe.
"…Deal with these bills. When the Ausbilder returns, notify me immediately."
He didn't kill him—just left that single order and turned to leave.
"A-And… the Jester's letter…?"
"You didn't hear my command?"
"Yes, sir! At once!"
Once Scaramouche had gone, the Fatui soldier let out a long sigh of relief and finally got back to his feet.
After roughly sorting through the bills, he couldn't help but mutter under his breath.
"Ausbilder-sama really knows how to enjoy himself, huh…"
Indeed—spas, restaurants, souvenir shops…
Nearly all the bills were from places meant for leisure—and all of them in pairs.
It was hard not to assume he was using public funds for romantic escapades.
After finishing the sorting, the man glanced toward a sealed letter lying nearby.
Swallowing nervously, he picked it up with trembling hands and tucked it carefully into a drawer.
Unlike the other letters, this one came from the Jester in Snezhnaya.
As the Tsaritsa's confidant, his words could very well be taken as her will.
And yet, Scaramouche-sama had tossed it aside without a second thought.
…Was that really okay?
Well, not that it was his place to worry about such things.
'Ah, if only Scaramouche-sama could be as easy-going as Ausbilder-sama… life would be so much easier.'
Yes—Krobber and Igor would no doubt nod in firm agreement with that sentiment.
But the one occupying Scaramouche's thoughts, Bai Luo, wasn't at the Grand Narukami Shrine at all.
Instead, he was near Amakane Island.
Since this job was in cooperation with Yae Miko, he wasn't being particularly secretive about it—he didn't even avoid the eyes of the Tenryou Commission.
"Uhh… so I just have to deliver and receive letters?"
Sayu tilted her head, reading once again from the small card Bai Luo had written for her.
When he'd first given her these little cards, she had refused outright.
She was a shinobi of the Shuumatsuban, after all—did he really think she needed instructions for something this simple?
But then she learned this mission was assigned by both Bai Luo and Yae Miko.
At that point, she surrendered without a fight.
This wasn't addition or multiplication.
This was one-hundred-times-one-hundred.
Double the care… and Sayu felt she simply couldn't withstand it.
"With your speed, you should finish the task quickly. The rest of your time is yours to manage. Just remember—the letters' contents must never be leaked. And also… don't you dare start a fight with the Electro Cicin Mage who's delivering with you."
While waiting for Ksenia's arrival, Bai Luo went on and on, laying out the precautions in detail.
This little tanuki girl—when she was reliable, she was really reliable.
But when she wasn't… it made him want to grab her by the scruff and give her a good spanking.
He had to drill it into her head in advance.
"…So, do I get paid?"
Sayu suddenly realized something.
This wasn't just tagging along with Bai Luo for fun—this was actual work!
The job sounded much easier than she'd expected. Which probably meant… less pay, right?
Well, whatever. She didn't have much to spend money on anyway.
As long as she got, say, a few hundred thousand mora as a token, she'd be satisfied.
"Ten freshly picked Sunsettias. How's that?"
Glancing off to the side, Bai Luo casually pointed at a nearby tree.
Swaying in the sea breeze, about seven or eight plump Sunsettias gleamed in the sunlight—big, ripe, and irresistibly fresh.
If it had been before, Sayu might have complained a little, but she wouldn't have actually turned him down.
But now…
"..."
After a long silence, Sayu trembled as she pulled out her own coin bag.
Inside was all the mora she had managed to save up—six hundred seventy thousand.
"H-Here! Please take this! In exchange, I beg you… let me work for you for free! I insist!"
This wasn't just working for free—she was practically paying him!
And she wasn't joking. If Bai Luo really meant to pay her in Sunsettias, then she would rather lose money herself!
That flavor—that unholy taste capable of transcending the soul, destroying the taste buds, and making even stomach acid shudder—
She never wanted to experience it a second time.
Never.
She would rather be a little tanuki for the rest of her life.
. . . . .
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