Chapter 411: Exploring the Shrine at Night
"However, speaking of granting wishes, the divine probably cannot fulfill every mortal desire," Yae Miko said, her tone light and conversational. "After all, gods are not all-powerful. To realize a wish, in the end, one must rely on their own efforts."
At this, Yae Miko looked between Vermouth and Camus, offering a soft sigh tinged with mock regret. "But some wishes are indeed beyond current human reach. In such cases, it's better to accept reality as soon as possible, lest the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment."
She gestured gracefully toward the courtyard. "Of course, if you still can't give up, you can pray under the Sacred Sakura. The tree does possess some special power; perhaps a miracle might really happen."
Vermouth pressed her lips into a thin line. A heavy silence stretched between them.
For a fleeting second, the master of disguise genuinely did not know how to respond to the shrine maiden's bluntness. Now she fully believed Yae Miko's earlier, seemingly modest claim about lacking a way with words. If Vermouth had actually been an ordinary, desperate wife climbing this mountain to pray for a child, those casual remarks would have felt like a rusted knife twisting directly into her heart.
Still, the Guuji's passing suggestion to pray beneath the Sacred Sakura aligned perfectly with their true objective.
Masking her thoughts behind a polite, practiced smile, Vermouth decided against prolonging the conversation with this dangerously perceptive woman. She offered a graceful nod of farewell, slipped her hand naturally into the crook of Camus's arm, and guided him toward the towering pink canopy.
Within a few steps, they arrived beneath the sprawling branches. The air grew noticeably cooler in the shade of the massive tree. Up close, Vermouth found the Sacred Sakura to be a staggering, peculiar sight. Ethereal pink petals drifted down in a continuous, silent rain, glowing with a faint luminescence.
Camus shifted his stance, his broad shoulders subtly shielding her from the courtyard. His gaze swept the perimeter, ensuring no one could sneak up on their blind spots a second time. Taking advantage of his cover, Vermouth clasped her hands together and bowed her head in a flawless imitation of a devout worshipper. Beneath her lowered lashes, her eyes darted rapidly, scrutinizing the ancient wood from its gnarled roots to its glowing crown.
The bark was thick and knotted, forming the distinct, bizarre shape of a kitsune's head. Yet, beyond its unusual morphology and the impossibly lush foliage, nothing stood out. There were no hidden compartments, no visible technological seams, and no obvious mechanisms.
She let out a soft, measured breath and gave Camus an imperceptible shake of her head. She hadn't found anything amiss.
Camus's brow furrowed. The courtyard was far too active. Shrine maidens swept the stone paths, tourists snapped photographs, and devout locals regularly approached the offering box at the base of the tree. There were simply too many eyes. Conducting a thorough, hands-on inspection of the roots and trunk without drawing a crowd was entirely impossible in broad daylight.
The tactical reality was clear. They had to wait for the sun to set. Once the shrine closed its gates and the endless stream of tourists retreated down the mountain, they could slip past the perimeter walls. Only under the cover of darkness would they have the uninterrupted time needed to dissect the secrets of the Sacred Sakura.
Yet, a lingering risk remained. On the surface, the Grand Narukami Shrine appeared completely defenseless. The shrine maidens sweeping the floors possessed soft hands and relaxed postures, showing absolutely no signs of combat training or situational awareness. But this was the confirmed residence of the Teyvat Organization's Inazuma Department Head. A high-ranking executive of that caliber would never leave their base entirely unguarded. Infiltrating the peak of Mt. Yougou would not be a simple stroll through a park.
also, Glenlivet's earlier intelligence reports echoed in their minds. He had explicitly warned them about the Inazuma Department Head's terrifying personal strength. Moving blindly into their territory at night was a massive gamble.
Camus turned his head slightly, his cold eyes locking onto Vermouth as he silently deferred to her judgment.
Vermouth weighed the variables, her mind calculating the odds. Daytime espionage was out of the question. The tree stood in the dead center of an open courtyard, offering zero blind spots., that enigmatic Chief Priestess, Yae Miko, was still lingering nearby. The woman's gaze felt far too sharp. Making a move now would instantly alert the enemy.
"We move tonight," Vermouth decided, her voice barely a whisper against the rustling leaves. If they maintained absolute stealth and left no traces, there was a high probability they could bypass the Department Head entirely.
Camus gave a curt nod, his rigid posture relaxing just a fraction as the plan was set.
For the next hour, the pair played the role of fascinated tourists to perfection. They strolled along the wooden corridors and admired the torii gates. Beneath the casual facade, their eyes mapped every exit, every blind corner, and every patrol route the shrine maidens took, burning the architectural layout of the Grand Narukami Shrine into their memories.
Across the courtyard, Yae Miko stood beneath the shade of a roof overhang. Her violet eyes tracked the disguised duo as they carefully circled the perimeter. It was painfully obvious they were casing the grounds. With a soft, amused hum, she flicked her paper fan open, bringing it up to conceal the sly, predatory curve of her lips.
It appeared the shrine would be hosting some uninvited 'guests' this evening. How delightful. Perhaps she would convince Ei to stay up a little past her usual bedtime to entertain the intruders. It would be an excellent opportunity to liven things up for the Electro Archon. After all, she couldn't let her old friend stay cooped up in her room meditating all day, lest she accidentally regress into a total shut-in again.
Night descended rapidly over Mt. Yougou. In the silent, late hours, liquid moonlight spilled across the stone courtyard, draping the entire Grand Narukami Shrine in an ethereal silver veil.
Stripped of their civilian tourist attire and clad in form-fitting dark clothing, Vermouth and Camus melted into the shadows. Their disguises remained flawless. They advanced with agonizing caution, placing each footstep with extreme care to avoid snapping a stray twig or shifting a loose tile that might alert the sleeping residents.
The infiltration proceeded flawlessly. Within minutes, they bypassed the outer walls and arrived back at the base of the Sacred Sakura.
Yet, the sheer ease of their success sent a cold flicker of doubt through Vermouth's mind. Was the Teyvat Organization's Inazuma stronghold truly this porous? It felt as though there were absolutely zero defensive measures in place.
"I'll scale the trunk and search the upper branches," Camus whispered, his tone strictly business. "You dig through the soil around the base."
He didn't share her paranoia, his mind focused entirely on executing the objective now that the target was within reach.
Vermouth swept her gaze across the empty, moonlit courtyard. There was truly no one around. Forcing her unease down, she processed Camus's instructions and shot him a sharp, sidelong glare. Ordering a woman of her caliber and elegance to dig through the dirt like a common laborer... It seemed the Black Organization was increasingly populated by men who lacked even a shred of chivalry.
Despite her internal grumbling, Vermouth offered no verbal objection. She dropped to a crouch near the massive roots, while Camus silently hoisted himself into the glowing pink canopy above.
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