Because of her inner turmoil, Kaguya didn't pay much attention to her conversation with Fuhito. She only fully snapped out of it when he bid her farewell. In reality, it made no difference; her mind was so occupied that she had no heart for social maneuvering.
If there was anyone even more "heartbroken" than Fuhito at this moment, it was likely Eirin Yagokoro, who was standing in the distance.
She had been silently protecting Kaguya from the shadows for half a year. She hadn't paid much attention to Lancer appearance; to her, the man seemed to have no romantic interest in Kaguya, acting more like a simple playmate. Considering it would take time for Kaguya to return to the Lunar Capital, she had left them alone—especially since Lancer didn't buzz around her like other "flies." But...
Looking at Kaguya, who was holding her face with blushing ears, Eirin wasn't blind. How could she not see that her disciple's emotions were off?
The only silver lining was that her disciple felt mostly embarrassment, not "love" yet.
Watching her shy disciple, Eirin couldn't help but recall their first meeting. As the Sage of the Moon, while she wasn't the leader of the Lunar Capital, her status was top-tier. Even Tsukuyomi couldn't completely ignore her words.
Back then, she was very different—most of her time outside of official business was spent alchemy, her only hobby. Then, on a perfectly ordinary afternoon, a lavishly dressed little girl appeared before her.
Eirin remembered how she had crudely kicked the girl out of her room. To her surprise, the girl reappeared near her room later, timid like a startled rabbit. Seeing the girl didn't approach further, Eirin ignored her. But when she was frustrated by another failed experiment, the soft touch on her shoulders startled her awake.
Perhaps because she had lived in the Lunar Capital for so long, or because her mind was solely on the experiment, seeing the timid girl behind her helping to massage her shoulders gave her a strange feeling.
Out of curiosity, she investigated the girl's identity. This was incredibly easy for the Sage of the Moon. The conclusion shocked her: the girl was Tsukuyomi's daughter. Later, she proposed to Tsukuyomi to become the girl's Shishō, which was quickly granted. Tsukuyomi's other two daughters had also studied under Eirin, though one was voluntary and the other forced.
The girl who was once gentle yet stubborn had now become a NEET (shut-in) and was even acting shy because of that man.
Could all of this be part of that man's plan?
First, use Eirin underestimation of him to get close to her disciple, then "conquer" her disciple without her noticing?
In an instant, Eirin had an epiphany—
It turned out this seemingly least threatening man was the biggest "pest"!
Her right hand gripped her longbow. Just as she was about to draw the string, she let out a sharp breath.
No, she couldn't do that.
It wasn't that she planned to let Lancer go—she wasn't bloodthirsty, but she didn't fear killing either. Lancer was insignificant to her. What she truly cared about was the consequence of killing him.
Even with the cleanest execution, there was no guarantee it wouldn't be found out. She didn't want a rift to form between her and Kaguya over an "insignificant" bug. Not even a tiny bit.
She had to find a way to handle this perfectly...
Though she hated the man, she had to admit that because of him, she hadn't had to exert herself for a long time. It wouldn't take long to return to the Lunar Capital; he should be able to protect Kaguya until then.
'When the time comes to test medicine on him, I'll use poison.'
In Eirin eyes, Lancer was a badger stealing melons from someone else's garden. Giving him poison instead of other experimental reagents was her greatest mercy.
Meanwhile—
Lancer, having set out on another herb-gathering journey, shivered for no reason. He looked around and scratched his head.
"Must be my imagination, right?"
Seven months and fifteen days since arriving in this world. This was a day worth remembering, for on this day, he had finally collected all the materials to create the "Hourai Elixir." He had even borrowed a furnace for alchemy from the Onmyo Bureau in advance.
Kaguya, who Lancer remembered always sitting in her room, rarely left her quarters. With a serious face, she flipped through a pre-prepared "plan," checking every herb one last time. If anything went wrong, all their previous efforts would be wasted.
Lancer was interested but, having zero experience, stood on the perimeter to maintain the magic circle on the ground so as not to cause trouble.
Yes, a magic circle.
Actually, before the refining, Lancer had specifically asked Kaguya if the creation of the "Hourai Elixir" would cause "Heaven and Earth anomalies." In his impression, refining high-level pills usually involved massive weather changes, or at the very least, dragons and tigers appearing in the clouds—or even a Heavenly Tribulation.
Kaguya had rolled her eyes and asked if he had drunk too much at Oni Island and let the alcohol get to his head. Lancer could only laugh awkwardly. After collecting all the materials, he had indeed gone to drink and celebrate with the others.
Usually, this was nothing, but hearing Kaguya resentful tone, he felt a strange sense of guilt. Was it because he was resting while she worked?
Regardless, following Lancer reminder, Kaguya had him prepare some measures. Even if there were no global anomalies, the most critical catalyst was the "Phoenix's Crest Feather." That terrifying flame could indeed cause unnecessary trouble. When her Shishō was around, it didn't matter, but now it was just the two of them. They had to be careful.
However, the two of them overlooked one thing. The "Hourai Elixir" was something Kaguya found in the Lunar Capital. When she took it, she was discovered immediately. Is there anyone in this world who understands the "Hourai Elixir" better than Tsukuyomi?