The mission Thoma handed out this time was to help the members of the International Trade Association solve a rather tricky problem.
In short, thanks to the Fatui's manipulation behind the scenes, the Kanjou Commission had decided to change the tax system.
Merchants from other nations doing business in Inazuma were no longer required to pay in Mora, but in something called Crystal Marrow instead.
These crystals contained traces of elemental energy.
Naturally, the Fatui were scheming to extract the remnants of an ancient god's power from them for their own purposes.
At the same time, they secretly raised the market price of Crystal Marrow across Inazuma, eventually monopolizing the entire supply.
Once they had total control, they could resell it to the merchants at outrageous prices.
In other words — they managed to complete their "divine energy extraction" project and make a fortune off it. A win-win scheme straight out of the capitalist playbook.
Of course, even though everyone knew what was going on, no one could publicly admit it.
That's just how "the rules" worked.
The Fatui and the Kanjou Commission picked a "lucky puppet" to front the operation — a man named Werner, born in Mondstadt.
He used to run successful trade routes between Liyue and Inazuma, thriving off sea commerce. But after the Sakoku Decree closed the nation's borders, everything fell apart, and he became one of the many stranded on Ritou.
In the game, the Traveler has to "appeal to his homeland" — bringing him items and traditions from Mondstadt and Liyue to stir his nostalgia and, well… manipulate—no, inspire him to turn over a new leaf.
And right now?
May the Anemo Archon bless you (×)
May the Anemo Archon trick you (√)
Because this time, it's not just "Mondstadt flavor" — it's the Anemo Archon himself!
And with the Geo Archon standing beside him?
That's full Liyue representation too.
Werner might as well call this the highlight of his life.
Now that's what you call divine presentation! (leans back dramatically)
With just a few clever words, Venti — ever the silver-tongued bard — effortlessly convinced the devout follower of Barbatos to repent in tears and hand over critical information.
Meanwhile, Zhongli simply stood behind him, watching quietly — playing the role of a silent support character.
After all, in the art of persuasion, he couldn't possibly compare to his old friend.
Following the clues Werner provided, Venti and Zhongli tracked down the hidden ledgers that detailed the Kanjou Commission's corruption.
Accounting, naturally, was Zhongli's area of expertise.
With the evidence in hand, the two "assistants" went to report back to the president of the Trade Association — only to run into the Kanjou Commission's tax collectors mid-visit.
That's when the ever-charismatic Barbatos, God of Words, began another one of his masterful performances.
Everyone knows Inazuman samurai care deeply about honor and reputation.
As long as word of their corruption spread, those involved would be publicly disgraced.
And with a bard spreading the story? The impact would be devastating.
And so, the crisis was resolved — at least for now.
"...And that's how it went. Then we came back," Venti concluded casually.
After hearing the whole story, Lumine and Nagami nodded in understanding, putting on their best "Ah, I see!" expressions.
"In that case," Lumine said, "let's report back to Thoma."
Letting others handle all the work while she enjoyed a carefree stroll with cute girls by her side — this must be what freedom truly feels like.
For once, Lumine felt truly alive. It was almost like she'd been reborn.
"Haah… The Kanjou Commission really is rotten to the core," Thoma sighed, rubbing his temples with a weary expression.
"You'd think Lady Ayaka would step in about this sort of thing, wouldn't you?"
"Of course, Lady Ayaka would—wait." Lumine blinked, suddenly realizing something. "Actually… how did you know that we knew* about your connection to her?"
Thoma froze. "Huh? W–wait, did I ever tell you that I serve the Kamisato Clan?"
"Come on," Lumine replied smoothly. "Everyone knows you're the loyal attendant of the famous Shirasagi Himegimi, the White Heron Princess."
Thoma raised a brow, a flicker of intrigue in his gaze.
Who was this Nagami?
A mysterious young man with strange powers, who seemed to know far too much about Inazuma despite being an outsider…
Lady Ayaka's judgment in wanting to meet him suddenly made a lot more sense.
"Mr. Nagami, Miss Lumine," Thoma said, pulling an envelope from his pocket. "This is an invitation from Lady Ayaka. When you have the time, please visit the location written inside."
After a few polite words, he smiled. "Well then, see you soon — and enjoy your stay in Inazuma!"
———————————————————————
"So, what should we do next?" Lumine asked.
"Well, technically, foreigners can't leave Ritou without permission…" Venti said, uncorking a bottle and taking a satisfied sip, "…but with Nagami around, I suppose we can bend a few rules."
Lumine gave him a flat look.
"Sometimes I wonder if it was a mistake letting you use your powers of persuasion."
If it weren't for Nagami, any outsider would've had to deal with the nightmare of getting an official travel permit — meaning, in the game, running errands for that annoying old head of the Hiiragi Clan.
Lumine still remembered that ridiculous fetch quest — collecting 300 Qingxin flowers and 707 letters…
She couldn't help smirking at the thought of how that man would react if Venti and Zhongli showed up instead.
Probably something like:
"Don't even think about reincarnating again!"
followed by "Heavenly Principles, tremble!"
"In that case," Lumine said with a mischievous grin, "let's go visit the Grand Narukami Shrine."
Today, the green-haired girl was dressed in an elegant black off-shoulder gown that revealed her graceful neck and delicate shoulder blades — perfectly highlighting her curvy, enchanting figure.
Her outfit was strikingly similar to Lumine's usual adventurer attire—except hers was all black.
Standing side by side, the two almost looked like they were wearing matching couple outfits.
Across C.C.'s smooth, pale back shimmered a faint, crimson glow that twisted like living serpents—forming a mysterious red mark that pulsed faintly beneath the skin.
Nagami gently brushed his fingers across the sigil.
"...Still no sign of our shrine maiden coming out?" he murmured.
It had already been two months since the battle against the Herrscher of Domination.
C.C. sometimes visited the inner Stigma Space to keep Yae Sakura company, and although the miko always wore her signature radiant smile when she saw her, C.C. could feel the turmoil beneath that facade.
Sakura never once showed the intention to leave that space.
Nagami had been busy preparing for countless other matters, so he'd decided to let the situation take its natural course.
But by now… even he was starting to feel uneasy.
Even with Higokumaru keeping her company, isolating herself like that couldn't be good for Sakura's state of mind.
And since they happened to be in Inazuma—where one certain mischievous fox priestess resided—maybe she could lure the pink-haired miko out to have some fun again.
[Lumine]:Hey, Lumine's voice echoed through the shared mental link,
["don't you think there's something really off about Yae Sakura and Kallen's relationship?"]
With her millennia of experience, Lumine had gone through the entire "plot" inside Nagami's mind—essentially replaying the story as he remembered it—and immediately picked up on how inconsistent everything felt.
She couldn't quite understand why this world was so eerily similar to a certain company's game from Nagami's previous life.
But if this was reality, there had to be a reason behind it.
After all, real worlds don't get to just retcon things.
Kallen Kaslana—Schicksal's Saint and the woman who completely bewitched Otto Apocalypse—was supposed to be the embodiment of virtue and compassion.
You could tell just by looking at her "mother-in-law," so to speak.
But strip away the "yuri game filter" and the "Nagami-as-beautiful-girl" bias, and swap Kallen and Otto's genders for a moment— the whole story falls apart spectacularly.
We're not just talking "role reversal with 10k angry comments." No—this is total character collapse.
Kallen, engaged to Otto, suddenly falls head over heels for Yae Sakura within a few days.
And not just a crush—no, it's the full "I'd sacrifice the entire world just to protect you" kind of obsession.
If a writer did that in a normal romance story without proper buildup, readers would eat them alive.
Even free romance routes don't go that fast!
She supposedly didn't love Otto, yet never rejected the engagement either. If she was truly righteous and pure-hearted, wouldn't she have fought against that marriage?
But she didn't—meaning she must've had some affection for him, even just a little.
There's no way you could throw that away so easily.
Then, the moment she falls for Yae Sakura, she publicly betrays her fiancé and childhood friend, completely disregarding his feelings
That's not "pure-hearted." That's just idiocy.
You expect me to believe someone who could do that is a "saint"? Please.
Even Honkai's dumbest clones show more hesitation when they're torn between two people!
At least they take a moment to struggle! But Kallen? Engaged one day, soulmates with someone else the next?
Otto might be a manipulative bastard in most timelines, but when it comes to love?
There are barely a handful of people across the multiverse who could match his devotion.
Sure, being a simp doesn't guarantee love, but still—think about what he's done for her!
He's saved Kallen's life more times than anyone can count.
When her father died, Otto even tried to trade his own life to bring him back.
Tell me—what girl could resist that kind of devotion?
After that, Otto practically became her only remaining family, her greatest support.
And yet… Kallen throws all of that away for a shrine maiden she's known for what, a week?
Lumine folded her arms in thought.
———————————————————————
[Nagami]: You're right. The more I think about it… it doesn't just feel wrong—it's completely absurd.
———————————————————————
Nagami couldn't help but grin. For once, he completely agreed with this girl
———————————————————————
[Lumine]: If this were just a game, sure, you could call it forced yuri fanservice. But if it's real, then there has to be a deeper reason behind it.
———————————————————————
This was Lumine's true self speaking—the ancient traveler who'd lived long enough to see entire civilizations rise and fall.
———————————————————————
[Nagami]: So what's the possible explanation, then?
[Lumine]: …..Kallen after meeting Yae Sakura feels like a completely different person, Lumine continued,
[Which means maybe… she actually isn't the same Kallen. Think about it—what did you do during the Second Eruption?]
———————————————————————
A wave of sudden clarity hit both of them at once.
Their eyes widened.
———————————————————————
[Lumine]: That 'Kallen' who fell for Yae Sakura was—You!
———————————————————————
Yes.
If you look at her behavior—how quickly she fell for Sakura, how drastically her personality shifted—it all made sense if she wasn't the real Kallen at all.
If Nagami had gone back in time using Kurumi's Twelfth Bullet, taken Kallen's soul, and assumed her form to meet the miko of Yae Village…
Then suddenly, everything added up perfectly.