Chapter 256: The Conscription of Watatsumi
Scaramouche didn't force Bai Luo to take on the assignment.
Not because he'd given up, but simply because he didn't want to burn that bridge too early.
"This mission won't expire anytime soon. If you change your mind, you can always come find me."
With a press on the brim of his kasa, Scaramouche turned and left.
Bai Luo remained seated, alone at the table, lost in thought.
At some point, rain had begun to fall outside.
Water washed over the moss-stained stone streets, yet failed to cleanse the filth embedded deep in the city.
The townsfolk scattered through the downpour in panic, while only Bai Luo strolled calmly beneath a crimson paper umbrella.
In the dim, lifeless outskirts, even the pink cherry blossoms seemed tainted with decay.
Only that umbrella in Bai Luo's hand lent a splash of vivid color to the scene.
Lightning flashed.
The eyes of Inazuma's citizens reflected not reverence nor respect, but only endless fear.
What would the great Narukami herself think, if she saw her people gaze at the world like this?
The puppet shogun, seated within Tenshukaku, sought only to grant her subjects an eternal dream.
But she never considered that "eternity" brought not only peace and stability… It also brought suffering.
"Ausbilder-sama!"
At Bai Luo's subtle signal, the hunched old man sheltering from the rain at the corner straightened at once, shedding all pretense of frailty as he hurried to his side.
"Prepare a lavish gift. I'll be paying a visit to the Kamisato estate."
"Yes, sir!"
"Remember—lavish. Truly lavish."
"—Y-Yes, sir."
The Fatui agent blinked in confusion.
What exactly did "lavish, with emphasis" mean in his commander's mouth?
. . . . .
"Lady Sangonomiya, please take a look."
On Watatsumi Island, Sveta placed a document before Kokomi, who still seemed slightly absent-minded.
In recent weeks, supplies from the Tsaritsa, specialized instruments privately gifted by the Dottore, and equipment diverted by Bai Luo from Inazuma had all arrived in full.
The long-neglected harbor of Watatsumi was now packed to the brim with ships.
With Fatui vanguards guarding the cargo, not a single pirate dared make a move.
Medicines, weapons, armor, foodstuffs, technology—
Not only everything promised in the contract, but even items never mentioned were now delivered in abundance.
The more generous the shipments became, however, the heavier Kokomi's heart felt.
It wasn't that she thought such things unwelcome.
The fuller their warehouses, the brighter Watatsumi's prospects.
Even the hardline elders, who had once spoken against such dealings, had fallen quiet after seeing the sheer volume of supplies.
And yet… why were the Fatui being this generous?
Her mind flickered back to that morning—
To herself, stripped bare.
"…"
Nothing happened… right?
Then why did all of this feel like a son-in-law sending gifts to his bride's family?
"Lady Sangonomiya?"
Sveta's voice pulled her back.
"Ah? Yes, what is it?"
"You'll need to sign here first. Without your approval, we aren't authorized to move the goods inland."
Sveta's explanation was gentle, patient.
"…Understood. One moment."
Drawing a deep breath, Kokomi carefully read through the inventory once more, then finally penned her name across the bottom.
Though everything in recent weeks felt like a fleeting dream, Kokomi had long since shaken off the haze of that morning.
As the Divine Priestess of Watatsumi, her duty was clear: no matter the circumstance, she bore responsibility for her people.
"Sveta-san, may I inquire about something?"
After handing the signed inventory list to one of her subordinates, Kokomi addressed the towering woman before her.
Compared to an ordinary person, Sveta's frame was far larger, and more importantly—she was the highest-ranking Fatui presence on Watatsumi Island.
Even though some members of the newly arrived Fatui vanguard technically held higher official rank, Sveta had been dispatched here personally by a Harbinger. That made her the de facto authority.
Unless another Harbinger arrived, all orders here flowed through her.
And ever since word spread that Bai Luo had secured this island, most of the other Harbinger, save for a stubborn few, had tactfully chosen to keep their distance.
"Please, Lady Sangonomiya, speak. Before departing, the Ausbilder expressly stated that any reasonable request you make—so long as it doesn't conflict with Fatui interests—we will accommodate to the fullest."
Sveta folded her hands neatly before her stomach and dipped into a graceful bow.
Gone was the sharp, overbearing aura from their first encounter; she now carried herself with calm elegance.
"I wish to discuss conscription. Specifically, the requirements for recruitment on your side… and how the families of those enlisted would be cared for afterward."
This was the most hotly debated issue on the island.
Many of the elder councilors believed that conscription was the one hidden landmine buried within the contract.
And truthfully, their suspicions weren't without basis.
In Inazuma City, ordinary citizens had once enlisted under the Fatui.
For the first few months, letters and even small parcels would still reach their families.
But before long, all contact ceased.
Rumors spread that these recruits—lacking ties to Snezhnaya—were shipped off to the most dangerous frontlines, little more than disposable cannon fodder.
Kokomi could accept if some of her people chose to serve the Fatui.
But she would never allow them to be used as kindling for someone else's wars of conquest.
"On that matter, Lady Sangonomiya, please be at ease."
Sveta's reply was calm, considerate.
"After discussions between the Ausbilder and the Dottore, a decision has already been made: all conscription activities on Watatsumi Island are to be suspended—temporarily."
"T-Temporarily suspended?!"
Kokomi blinked in shock.
Wasn't recruitment the only tangible benefit the Fatui stood to gain from this deal?
Why abandon it so readily?
"According to the Ausbilder, Watatsumi's population is far smaller than elsewhere. And given that the island is already embroiled in open war against the Shogunate, drafting soldiers at such a time would be no different from cutting the legs out from under the cauldron. Thus, all matters of recruitment will be revisited only after the war concludes."
Sveta, too, seemed to approve of Bai Luo's judgment.
After all, if reckless conscription shattered Watatsumi's stability, then the contract between Kokomi and Bai Luo would collapse overnight.
And in that case—everything the Fatui had poured into the island would turn to nothing but wasted effort.
. . . . .
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