Chapter 259: The Harbinger's Visiting Card
The ornate formalwear was adorned with gemstones as red as blood—though in truth, these jewels symbolized the will of Winter itself.
Blood? Or snow?
It hardly mattered anymore. Perhaps only by being steeped in blood could one preserve the purity of that untouched snow.
Truth be told, such a lavish outfit wasn't suited for anywhere outside of Snezhnaya. Not because its dignity would be sullied, but simply because…
…it was way too damn hot.
"Three sets of premium lacquerware from the artisans of Yayoi, select high-grade fabrics imported from Liyue by Ogura Textiles, and weapons forged by none other than Amenoma Tougo himself…"
Seated in his chair, Bai Luo listened to the report while his eyes lingered on the formal attire hanging on the wall.
From the list of gifts his subordinates had prepared, the offerings were indeed extravagant. After all, Master Amenoma had long since retired from the forge; a weapon personally made by him was something rarely seen on the market these days.
And yet…
None of these things could compare to the weapons that Ah Qi and the others wielded so naturally.
They still didn't understand what he truly meant when he spoke of "generous gifts."
"Forget it. Just prepare a visiting card and send it over. Tell them I'll be paying a visit three days from now," Bai Luo said, shaking his head slowly.
The Fatui agents tasked with acquiring the gifts all let out quiet sighs of relief.
Bai Luo's reputation within Snezhnaya wasn't exactly stellar. Unlike the other Harbingers, his name was often associated with death itself.
But among the rank-and-file soldiers, if you asked them which Harbinger they'd rather serve under… the "Ausbilder" would absolutely rank near the top.
He might look like a slacker, but somehow he always managed to resolve matters with almost absurd perfection.
There were times when his men would be tearing their hair out over his sudden disappearance—only for him to casually reappear on the streets of Inazuma with yet another earth-shattering revelation.
Like this time.
The Fatui all knew that after leaving Liyue, he had somehow returned to Inazuma. What they didn't know was how.
Not until word came from Watatsumi Island, linking him directly to the events unfolding there.
When they tried to contact him, urging him to return and resume the duties left vacant by Lord Scaramouche, the man went ahead and—without warning—took control of Watatsumi Island itself.
Even the Fatui agents who had been stationed on the island undercover were dumbfounded.
"What? Watatsumi Island's been conquered? When the hell did that happen?"
All in all, he was the sort of Harbinger who gave people headaches—while also being the one who gave them the least to worry about.
And for those lucky enough to make a name under his command… their futures were secured.
Ah Qi the Debt Collector, Sveta the Mirror Maiden, Ksenia the Electro Cicin Mage—even the nameless subordinate who once stayed in Inazuma to tend to Bai Luo's daily needs— All of them ended up with enviable positions within the Fatui ranks.
Which was why, upon being entrusted with this mission, Georgy the Fatui Skirmisher took it with the utmost seriousness.
Georgy. His name meant "farmer."
And true to that name, he had once been nothing more than a plain and honest man of the fields.
For someone with neither rank nor influence, the only way to rise above his station was to take the one road from which there was no turning back—the Vanguard.
To join the Fatui Vanguard was to receive the best of resources. Their pay, their weapons—several times greater than the average soldier's.
But the cost was steep. It meant abandoning your homeland, leaving your family behind, and entrusting your life and your back to comrades you had never even met before.
As a soldier, his weapon was never supposed to leave his side.
But this time, he wasn't here as a warrior. He was here to deliver the Harbinger's visiting card. Carrying a warhammer for such a task would be… improper.
So, at the Ausbilder's command, he set down the weapon that had accompanied him for so many years.
And only then did he realize that some things, once you've held them in your hands for long enough, aren't so easy to let go.
. . .
Hirotatsu had been standing guard by the two-oni-tall stones outside the estate for days, ever since he received Lord Kamisato Ayato's command.
The moment he heard the seriousness in his lord's tone, Hirotatsu knew this task demanded his utmost attention.
He didn't know what was so special about these stones, but in the days since, he hadn't left his post—not even for meals or sleep. To outsiders, it might have seemed obsessive, even foolish.
But to him, this was the way of a warrior. This was his conviction.
"…Hm?"
While his eyes were fixed on the stones, the edge of his vision caught a flicker of purple.
A man. His features were sharp and weathered, clearly not of Inazuman blood. His heavy clothes gave the impression of armor, and even though much of his plating had been stripped away, there was no concealing the air of a soldier about him.
"Stop right there! This is the Kamisato estate. State your business!"
Hirotatsu's hand slid to the hilt of his blade, his voice cutting sharply through the air.
Had the man been heading toward Mt. Yougou, Hirotatsu might have turned a blind eye. But this stranger's steps were aimed directly at the Kamisato residence. That was something he could not ignore.
Georgy made no move to fight back. He knew his mission was only to deliver the visiting card—one of the reasons his commander had ordered him to come unarmed.
"You're someone who speaks with authority here, aren't you?"
His gaze swept over Hirotatsu, measuring him.
Compared to ordinary foot soldiers, Hirotatsu was not only broader and more imposing, but he also bore a weapon rarely seen among rank-and-file—an elegant tachi instead of the standard yari. To Georgy, a man seasoned from constant clashes with shogunate troops, the conclusion was immediate.
This was no common guard.
"Fatui…?"
Hirotatsu, too, recognized the insignia on the stranger's garb at last.
"Yes. This is a visiting card from my Lord Harbinger. He commanded me to deliver it personally to your master," Georgy replied, holding out the card.
The word "Harbinger" did not escape Hirotatsu's ears. Lately, even Lord Ayato himself had mentioned that title more than once. From what little he'd gathered, it referred to an especially troublesome figure.
"Then entrust it to me. I will deliver it to my lord personally," Hirotatsu said. He eased his stance, stepping forward to take the card—though his right hand never once left the hilt at his waist. He knew better than most how dangerous the Fatui could be.
"My Lord ordered me to place it directly into your master's hands!" Georgy declared.
Hirotatsu thought he understood the Fatui. Escorting the Commissioner often brought him into contact with them, after all.
Yet, what he had never grasped was, just how absolute a Fatui obedience to orders truly was.
If his superior commanded him to deliver the card personally, then nothing short of that would suffice. To Georgy, his commander's word was law, more binding than any warrior's creed.
"My apologies. But I cannot allow someone like you anywhere near my lord," Hirotatsu answered firmly.
As far as the world was concerned, Kamisato Ayato was nothing more than a young noble with some talent in swordplay. To allow a hulking agent of the Fatui anywhere near him—
That would be far too great a risk.
The standoff grew taut, like a bowstring drawn to its limit.
A fight was about to break out.
. . . . .
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