Yoimiya: "Whoa! Really?! Wow... I'd sure love to have seen that! You're a real powerhouse out there on the battlefield, huh! I bet the Shogunate are really wishing they got you on their side! Hehe!"
Y/N: "Eh, I'm not so sure. They're all a bunch of sticks in the mud, really. I don't think they'd be willing to work with me, even if I worked for them unconditionally... Well, most of them at least."
Yoimiya: "Oho? Got some friends in the Shogunate then, have you? OH! Or maybe it's... more than friends? Ehe!"
Y/N: "Please, Yoimiya, I've hardly got the time for– what? A secret collusion with an enemy soldier?! I barely have enough hours in the day to eat once a day, let alone sneak out for something so— so frivolous!"
Yoimiya: "Heehee! I know, I know. I'm just messing with you! Heh, I missed seeing you so flustered like this! But... you've not been eating well? You should be having three meals a day, especially if you're doing something as strenuous as fighting the Shogunate!!"
Y/N: "It's fine Yoimiya! Don't worry about it. It may just be one meal a day, but the rations were designed to give us soldiers enough nutrients and the like for our daily activities."
Yoimiya: "Y/N, you silly billy! ...Hmph! Wait right here, I'll be back in just a second!"
Yoimiya had then jumped up off of her seat and ran off into another room, leaving me to both dread and be somewhat curious as to what it was that she was going to be returning with. We'd spent quite some time talking to each other since my surprise arrival at her front door, enough so that there was now probably an hour or two of sunlight left in the day at most. I'm sure that Ayaka's meeting with those other Clan's heads has probably concluded by now... I hope that it went as she had hoped it would, and that my encouraging her to take a nap on my lap helped her out some mentally. Sayu left a while ago to return to the estate, so I'm also hoping that she's not taken too long a nap herself and is there to help Ayaka with anything she might need.
Ah. It's been nice to be back on Narukami Island again. Although I'm now technically considered to be a criminal that would likely be arrested on sight, it's definitely worth the risk to have the opportunity to meet my first friends that I made here in Inazuma... Yoimiya especially.
Yoimiya: "I'm back! Miss me?"
Y/N: "Miss you? But it's only been like thirty seconds since you left!"
Yoimiya: "...oh"
Y/N: "I–I'm just kidding! Of course I missed you! It's definitely going to be a shame to have to leave again tonight. I've really missed these chats with you, Yoimiya."
Yoimiya: "Me too! I definitely miss all the time we'd spend together when you were sharing the same roof as me and my pops. It was like having my own personal conversation partner at all times of the day! Heehee!"
Y/N: "Oh? Well I'm glad I was at least of some use to you at least!"
Yoimiya: "Hey now! I didn't mean it like that! Heehee, you're so silly Y/N! Oh! And I almost totally forgot the reason I stepped away for a second... here!"
I didn't even notice it at first, but the entire time since her return Yoimiya had her arms behind her back. And now, ready to present her retrieved item, she brandished what it was that she was keeping secretive; and that turned out to be a...
Y/N: "Is that a..."
Yoimiya: "Mhm! It's a homemade bento, I made this one for my pops but he said he went to eat out with some old friends of his. So you can have his now! That way you'll get some good food in you! And whilst you eat this one, I'll prepare a bunch more for you to take back with you! That way I'll be able to rest a little bit easier knowing that you're eating well out there. You'll accept it... won't you... for me? Hehe~"
* LATER THAT EVENING *
I simply had to accept Yoimiya's charity. There was absolutely no way I could bring myself to say no to her. And so I ended up partaking of that initial homemade bento that Yoimiya had originally made for her father, and whilst I chowed down on that delicious meal the expert fireworks maker had ended up preparing over a dozen more bentos for me to take with me!
I still felt a little bad about being given so much of the Naganohara's food for myself, especially because their shop is now a safehouse for those in hiding from the Shogunate. I suppose the least I could do is share some of my bounty with my company, right? Of course, those little fish-shaped dango that Yoimiya made are reserved for me! Her "Summer Festival Fish" as she called them are simply too delicious for me to give up willingly!
Now though? After having to say goodbye to Yoimiya once again, I was now climbing up the mountain towards the Grand Narukami Shrine so as to meet with Yae Miko. After all, that was the main reason I made the trip to Narukami Island in the first place. That letter Sayu delivered to me, it said that Yae Miko wanted to redeem another of those favours I owed her. *sigh* I feel like I'm never going to get free of owing her these favours, am I?
Yae Miko: "Ah, I was wondering what sort of foolish would be trying to visit my Shrine at such a late hour. I see you got my letter then, my little Adeptus~"
Y/N: "Good evening, Yae Miko. I'm sorry for my late visit, I hope my late arrival isn't too much of an inconvenience? I can return in the morning if that'd be preferred?"
Yae Miko: "Hm? No, no, I don't think that will be necessary. After all, it'll be Miyuki that will be accompanying you on this task. If I were to ask it of her, she would most assuredly accompany you under any conditions I set for her. Hehe, perhaps I could ask her to hop all the way to Kannazuka Island on just one foot. You'll make sure she'd do that for me, won't you?"
Y/N: "You... You can't be serious, right?!"
Yae Miko: "Hehe. Of course not. I might find amusement in such things, but I'm not so cold as to treat my own Shrine Maidens like puppets. No, puppets are often the tool of either cowards or those too afraid to face their innermost fears... *sigh* Never mind that for now, I suppose. I will fetch Miyuki now, whilst you wait, why don't you draw yourself a fortune slip? I'd be most curious to see what fortune you get."
The Guuji of the Grand Narukami Shrine then slunk away from the railing that she had been leaning against, making her way off towards another part of the shrine. But not before she had pointed out a booth's counter nearby that was as close to the shrine's large Sakura tree as the building got. I assumed this is where I was to get this fortune slip she wished for me to draw, and so I headed on over. Upon arriving, it looked like this booth should have a Shrine Maiden manning it, given the space behind the counter, but given the time of night that it was... I assume the usual maiden that staffed this feature had likely retired for the night.
Fortunately, there appeared to be five bamboo slips sitting on the counter. Did Yae Miko do this? It seemed as if she had been expecting me tonight after all...
I didn't put too much thought into it, simply picking up one of the five bamboo slips before then opening it up and reading the contents of the paper that fell out onto my hand. On said paper, it read the following...
The clouds disperse, revealing the moon in the sky.
Whoever draws this slip will receive great fortune.
With clarity in your heart, what you wish for will come true.
Things will go your way today, whether there is something you wish to accomplish...
...or someone you wish to meet. Now is the time to act.
Your lucky object for the day: Everburning Flaming Flower Stamen
The heat of a Flaming Flower comes from the fire in its heart.
The reason everything will go your way is because your heart knows the path to take.
Huh... A great fortune? I guess I got quite lucky then with my pick, huh! But I feel like I would have been better off not opening it until tomorrow. Considering that this mentions that my goals will go my way today and my wishes will come true. But the day has already almost come to an end! And if my wishes would have really come true...
Yae Miko: "Ah, you look quite disheartened, my little Adeptus. I suppose you've received a bad fortune? No worries, just simply tie it up over on that Fortune Slip Hanger and it can help change the luck."
Y/N: "Hm? Oh. You misunderstand. It was actually a pretty good fortune, it's just... well, I feel like I might have squandered my day, if this was indeed my fortune for today!"
Yae Miko: "Oho! Unfortunately you cannot simply just save your fortune for a more auspicious day I'm quite afraid to say!"
Y/N: "I presumed as much. And I assume you were the one who laid out the selection of fortunes for me to choose from?"
Yae Miko: "I was indeed."
Y/N: "Thought so. And that would mean you can probably tell which one I got then, right? Assuming I didn't pick and move them around I guess! Or, wait, were they all the same?"
Yae Miko: "My my! You still think me so sly? I simply drew five slips and laid them out for you to choose from. What fun is it really to control everything to such a degree? No. I would much rather just put things into motion and watch what happens– I find that to be a much more enjoyable pass time indeed. Ah, and speaking of which. Miyuki?"
Miyuki: "Ah! Yes, how can I help you, Lady Yae?"
Yae Miko: "As I mentioned before, Miyuki, you'll be making the trip back to Kannazuka Island to deal with yet another issue. Namely, the state of the Thunder Sakura. Y/N here shall be your escort and guard, and will do as you require of them to amend this issue of ours."
Miyuki: "Of course, Lady Yae! As you wish!"
Yae Miko: "Ah, and one more thing, before you take your leave. It will be quite some journey, travelling from one of Inazuma's island to another. How about I give you something in common to discuss, namely... your relations with a miss Kuki Shinobu..."
* * *
As it turns out, this Shrine Maiden that Yae Miko had entrusted to me, adorning the standard uniform that consisted of a white kosode and red hakama, was in fact the elder sister of the Kuki Shinobu that I had now interacted with quite some times. But how did Yae Miko know about my meetings with her beyond that first time here on Narukami Island...?
Fortunately it seems that Yae Miko had prepared quite some resources for this mission, including a boat prepared for our travel to the neighbouring island. This meaning that neither me nor my Shrine Maiden company had to worry too much about how we would get to Kannazuka Island. Of course, that meant that our conversation wasn't wasted on practical planning, but instead...
Miyuki: "Sooo... How do you know little Shinobu? Are you a part of that gang that I've been hearing rumours of her joining?!"
Y/N: "Hm? A gang? I've, uh... I've no idea what you're talking about. She's just helped me out a couple times is all. Yeah."
The fact that Shinobu's own sister doesn't know about the Arataki Gang, despite working for that troublemaking Kitsune, I would presume that was by Shinobu's design. And it's hardly my place to be the one to reveal such a thing to her own flesh and blood. Best I be careful what I say from here I suppose...
Miyuki: "Is that so... How is she doing? It's been a while since I've seen her. Is she eating well? She came back from Liyue a while back, how's she doing monetarily?"
Y/N: "She's been doing pretty well, best I can tell. She's always got a smile on her face, and she's always up for some jovial chatter with me whenever we meet. In terms of money? She seemed well enough I suppose? She keeps offering me meals, whether homemade or at an eatery so she's at least not going hungry!"
Miyuki: "That's... That's good. I'm glad that she seems to be doing well. I do wish she'd come and see me sometime still though... But what was that you said about her offering you a meal? Are you two perhaps... seeing each other?"
Y/N: "h–huh...? Me and—? Oh! No no no! There's nothing like that, we're just friends is all. I helped her with something and she's just been wanting to pay me back the favour is all."
Miyuki: "Oh? Is that so? Well then, as her older sister, it's only right that I thank you for supporting my little sister as you have. I hope you will continue to look out for her."
Y/N: "Of course! If she need any help at all, she knows that she can always come to me. That's what friends are for after all, right?"
Miyuki: "Ah, I'm glad to see she's made such a competent and kind friend. You know, Lady Yae told me a bit about you before your arrival to the Grand Narukami Shrine. I was worried at first when she told me you were a Watatsumi Resistance Soldier, but if Lady Yae trusts you then that is more than enough for me. And it seems that I was correct in doing so. Ah, but speaking of the civil war... Shinobu... uh, her Vision, has that caused any troubles for her?"
Y/N: "Her Vision? Oh, she gave that up as soon as she was approached as far as I'm aware. She said she didn't have much issue with it, and she seems to be doing fine despite her losing it, unlike some other unfortunate people. Maybe because she offered it willingly?"
Miyuki: "She... She gave up her Vision, willingly? I don't understand? Why would she...? *sigh* I suppose she had her reasons. She really has grown since then... my little sister..."
That seemed to be enough to placate her curiosity for now. With the Shrine Maiden growing starry-eyed at the thought of her little sister growing up it meant that there was a bit of peace whilst I continued to row the boat across the Inazuman waters. In fact, she didn't speak up again until we reached the shoreline of Kannazuka Island. To which Miyuki then took over and led me deeper into the island where she then revealed to me the reason for Yae Miko's concern. And by the time we got there, the sun was just barely rising up and dismissing the night sky that we had travelled under.
Y/N: "A dead tree...?"
Miyuki: "This isn't just any old tree! These are Thunder Sakura. We used to have a lot of visitors coming here for the Sakura, but no one wants to come here these days. Not with all the fighting going on."
Y/N: "Oh? I guess that's a bit of a shame."
Miyuki: "It's a little more than a shame. It's an absolute tragedy! Seeing the damaged condition that the Thunder Sakura are in fills my heart with grief. And— Oh!"
We were still approaching the decrepit tree when suddenly it started to spark, and I could feel a weird tingling sensation in the air, a sensation that gave me a very bad feeling. Knowing just how deadly nature can be on these islands of Inazuma, I didn't ignore the worrisome feeling and grabbed the Shrine Maiden before then jumping out of the way. And just in time too, as— *BOOM!*
Y/N: "Did that tree just... attack us with lightning?!"
Miyuki: "...i–it would appear so. *ahem* Thank you for saving me. But next time, please don't pick me up. I'm sure that Lady Yae would not approve of you handling her Shrine Maidens in such a way."
Y/N: "Huh? Oh, of course. Sorry. I guess I just did it by instinct. But... if you can't safely approach the tree, then how are we meant to find out what's wrong with it? And what's with these Thunder Sakura anyways?"
Miyuki: "You don't know the first thing about them, do you? Small wonder, I suppose, since you're not from the shrine. You've probably seen the Sacred Sakura at the Grand Narukami Shrine? That's a symbol of the Great Narukami's power. The Great Narukami is eternal, just as the Sacred Sakura will always be in full bloom. Beyond the shrine, in Kannazuka, you will find Thunder Sakura. They share a common origin with the Sacred Sakura and possess a similar power, too. Recently, however, the Thunder Sakura has been damaged, and they are not producing blossoms. It cannot be a good sign. It alarmed Lady Miko enough that she sent me to Kannazuka to investigate."
Y/N: "And do you have any idea as to why that might be?"
Miyuki: "I can't be certain, but I noticed a nearby group of Treasure Hoarders nearby. They seem very suspicious to me, and I must find out what their connection is to all this. However, I... Well to put it bluntly, I'd be hopeless in a fight, and these Treasure Hoarders look particularly fierce... Y/N, I'd ask you to investigate their camp and find out what they're up to. I initially thought that I'd be more than capable of handling the investigation on my own, but now... it's less straightforward than I'd imagined, so all I can do is ask for your help. Thank you, Y/N."
Y/N: "Sure, I'll see if there's any connection with those Treasure Hoarders and your tree. You should probably stay back here, and... well, you should probably not get too close to that tree either!"
Accepting her commission, I did as Miyuki requested and made my way towards the Treasure Hoarders that she had spotted on our journey here. A camp of which immediately grew hostile upon my approach. I suppose I will have to deal with the majority of them before I can ask somebody some questions...
The fight, obviously, was of little difficulty for me to come out on top. The scrap and farm equipment that they call weapons were of no comparison to my weapon that I had yet to find an equal to. And with me also utilising my Hydro Vision, the fight lasted but a couple minutes before everybody was now grounded. Most of them seemed to be completely out of it, but there was one in particular that seemed quite promising...
Hoarder: "P—Please don't kill me! I had nothing to do with the Thunder Sakura, I swear!"
Y/N: "Mhm. And how did you know that I was here because of the Thunder Sakura? It seems like you do know something about it after all..."
Hoarder: "Y—You... What's that got to do with you, huh?"
Y/N: "Well, I've been commissioned to look into this issue. So it's my business to figure out... one way or another."
Hoarder: "I—I'll talk! B—But it's not as if anyone cared about these trees anyway! Can't a man and his brothers make some money off their power? We had a big-shot buyer who was interested in these trees, and they even provided us with the means and tools to extract their power. As long as we did as they said and opened up a gap in those trees, we could use those tools to collect the Thunder Sakura's power. Then all we'd need to do was to direct that power into this crystal, and hey presto, we'd have something worth three Tenryou Commission mansions! They gave us a huge sum of money, too! Not a sum a small-timer like you could ever spend in your life! If you'll just let me go, I'll give you a share! Ten percent to you, and ninety to us. How's that sound?"
Y/N: "How's that sound? Well, considering I beat all of you with little issue, I feel like I should be the one getting the majority of the reward money; rather than trying to give me such a paltry sum. Not that I'd need your money."
Hoarder: "Yamada, did you hear that? This person's loaded, get them!"
Instantly, I turned around to look for this "Yamada" that the Treasure Hoarder had yelled out to. But I didn't see anybody around here, wait... I didn't see anybody around here? Where did all the guys I knocked down go? I quickly turned back around to the original Treasure Hoarder... but all I was left with was the remnants of a smoke grenade and the Treasure Hoarder being nowhere to be seen. Damn it. Guess he gave me the slip. But I've gotten some decent information at least, so I might as well head back to Miyuki and fill her in on what I've learnt from these miscreants. And I guess I should also mention that these Treasure Hoarders seemed to set up their base around an odd cube-looking thing. It looked sort of familiar, actually... almost as if it were something I'd seen before...
* * *
Miyuki: "So that's what's going on... But Treasure Hoarders are just petty thieves. Could their juvenile antics really cause this much havoc? I suspect there must be other reasons why the Thunder Sakura are withering... I have my suspicions, but I can't say for sure..."
Y/N: "What do you mean?"
Miyuki: "This is Kannazuka, where neither the Inazuman faith nor Sangonomiya's has any influence. Ever since the Vision Hunt Decree was promulgated, conflict often breaks out here between the Shogun's Army and the rebels you align with. I don't think either side cares whether the Thunder Sakura become collateral damage in their war. To quote Lady Miko, "Honors and accolades are all these military types care about." They will not listen to reason... Ah, no offense of course. We were well prepared for this, but we hadn't expected the Thunder Sakura to be in quite as terrible a condition as they now are... Anyway, here and now, the most pressing matter is to put a stop to the Treasure Hoarder's juvenile antics. Y/N, can I entrust this to you?"
Y/N: "Of course. It sounds straightforward enough."
Miyuki: "I fear it may not be as straightforward as you presume. The Thunder Sakura being weakened makes the situation very dangerous indeed. After all, these trees serve to suppress the one who lies beneath... Ah, I've said too much... P—Please forget you heard me say that. In short, please exercise extreme caution. I also need some time to work though my findings. One major outstanding question is: Who is directing the Treasure Hoarders behind the scenes? This case is becoming more and more complicated..."
Y/N: "Wait... Trees? There's more than just this one?"
Miyuki: "Oh? I guess you're unfamiliar with the Thunder Sakura's locations. Well, you are from abroad. I should have guessed as much. The five Thunder Sakura trees are not difficult to find. You just have to follow the western shoreline from the northernmost point of the Kujou Encampment islet to northernmost point of Tatarasuna — you'll encounter three of them that way. As for the other two, one is on the mountain northwest of Tatarasuna, the other is on another mountain to the southwest. Knowing the directions should make things easier for you. I'll leave the matter of the Thunder Sakura to you. Please be careful."
Over the next several hours I ended up making my way across Kannazuka Island in search of these trees whilst also doing my best to avoid Shogunate patrols, but not before I took a good and proper look at that first tree that we had encountered. It took me a while to figure it out, and all the while I was dodging the constant barrage of lightning strikes. Eventually though I thought to use my Elemental Sight, and I saw some curious concentrations of energy that I tried to examine. It wasn't until I had to dodge another strike of lightning whilst by one of these concentrations of light that I made the realisation that said lightning was actually beneficial if I could direct them to hit these three concentrations of energy. Once all three were hit the Thunder Sakura actually grew quite tame and some of the flowers on the branches seemed to bloom too, and I was able to safely approach the trunk of the tree, enough so that I was able to get a proper look at the foreign object that had been stabbed into the tree... upon removing the foreign object I would presume that the tree would be able to recover in due time on its own. I guess this is what the Treasure Hoarders meant when they said they were extracting stuff from these trees...
I ended up doing similarly at all of the trees that I found in the places that Miyuki told me I could find them. And now I had a collection of these foreign objects and all of the Thunder Sakura were now much less hostile and beginning to bloom their petals once more. Having done as requested, I returned to our original place beside that first tree where I found the Shrine Maiden to be waiting for my return.
Miyuki: "How is the situation with the Thunder Sakura?"
Y/N: "Well, those "juvenile antics" as you put it, have been dealt with."
Miyuki: "Wonderful, that will at least stabilize the condition of the Thunder Sakura. I'm sure Lady Miko will also be relieved. How dare these crooks brazenly seek to steal the power of the Thunder Sakura for their own gain. Their actions are unforgivable. You also mentioned that the Treasure Hoarders have some sort of crystal cube at their camp with which they're trying to collect the Thunder Sakura's power? That is incredibly dangerous... It must be dealt with as soon as possible. You've already helped me out enormously, so I couldn't possibly ask you to deal with this all by yourself once again. I will join you this time. There's no time to delay. Let's go."
I didn't even have the opportunity to discourage her into coming up with a plan. The Shrine Maiden was already off on her march towards the Treasure Hoarder camp that was set up around the crystal cube. So all I could do now was to follow behind and make sure she doesn't get into too much trouble...
Hoarder: "Hmph. So it's a meddling maiden from the shrine getting in the way of our money-making."
Miyuki: "Money-making? You scoundrels. How dare you have designs on the Thunder Sakura. Lady Miko will not let you off easy."
Hoarder: "Pah! Big talk, but you're forgetting who you're messing with! Master, that soldier over there's the one who's been getting in your way. Our deal's gonna be in jeopardy if you don't help us out here!"
???: "Hehe. You're going to act tough in front of me, small fry?"
These people beside the Treasure Hoarder looked to be soldiers of some kind, but they adorned armour and weapons that I didn't recognise. They seemed to have access to elemental abilities too. I should be careful not to underestimate them. Although... that one there seems to have a backpack of Hydro energies...
As I expected, these soldiers seemed to be quite disciplined and with access to elemental abilities. Fortunately despite this they weren't enough to deal with me, with both my weapon and Vision able to completely control the battle and easily dismiss the threat. The soldiers, having seemingly realised the situation, they all retreated and left the lone Treasure Hoarder alone to myself and the angry Shrine Maiden I was working with.
Hoarder: "Ugh! Just my luck, bumping into this kind of opposition."
Miyuki: "You shameless villains. Conspiring with the Fatui... the Great Narukami will strike you all down sooner or later."
Y/N: (The Fatui...?)
Hoarder: "Huh! Don't you go thinking you've got the best of me just because you successfully interfered in my business. I still have an ace up my sleeve!"
Saying this, the Treasure Hoarder did... something. And that something seemed to bring life to the weird crystal cube that laid dormant nearby. The cube then seemed to gain a strange purple light around it, with it growing in intensity as it began to levitate above the ground it once sat on.
Hoarder: "I'll leave this thing to finish you off. Meanwhile I'm outta here!"
Miyuki: "I'm not about to let you get away after desecrating the Thunder Sakura! Y/N, you take this fight, I'm going after him."
Once again, I didn't have the opportunity to convince my companion otherwise, and Miyuki had gone off chasing the retreating Treasure Hoarder. I'll have to deal with this thing as quickly as I can, lest she find herself in a dangerous situation. But that's easier said than done...
Combat with this strange being was much different to that of those soldiers before. Whilst the cube wasn't directly attached with all the parts of its self, it still seemed more than capable of attacking in a very fluid manner. And whilst the attacks were really quite telegraphed, there was such a variety of attacks that this ended up being the most challenging opponent I had fought since my confrontation with Beisht. Eventually though, after a rather gruelling fight with the entity, I managed to defeat it... or at least I thought it did.
Upon defeating it, there appeared three weird crystals around the fallen body of the cube. I wasn't sure what to do with these and so I just watched to make sure that this cube was truly beaten. What I didn't expect for was it to suddenly spark back to life, seemingly from the three crystals I left alone. And the fight only restarted from there, fortunately it seemed that it didn't entirely regenerate and was quicker to beat this time than last time. This time, when the three weird crystals appeared once again I tried to attack them. But neither my weapon nor my control of Hydro seemed capable of having an impact on these crystals, and with no way to damage the crystals the cube only just ended up reviving once again...
I couldn't just leave this thing to its own devices, it could wreak havoc on the island if left alone! But... how am I supposed to stop this thing? It looks like my control over Hydro won't be of any use at all to— *FWIP!*
???: "I heard the commotion whilst on a scouting mission. Don't worry Captain, I've got your back!"
It was nothing short of a stroke of luck that General Gorou had made an appearance, but just the fact that I now had some support was like a breath of fresh air, and with the General's aid we quickly brought the cube back down to it's downed state. But this time, with Gorou's Geo-infused arrows, he was able to destroy the three weird crystals that encircled the cube and... then the area fell silent.
Gorou: "Aha! Looks like that's that sorted then!"
Y/N: "All thanks to you, General! I guess a Hydro Vision wasn't the right tool for that job."
Gorou: "Well, that was an Electro Hypostasis by the look of it. It wasn't your fault, and you did exceptionally well despite the odds! You know, I was surprised to see you here. Was this a part of that favour you had to leave for? Or was this an ambush on your return to camp?"
Y/N: "Well, a bit of both I suppose. I've technically done what I needed to do, but the one that caused this issue in the first place ended up having a trick up their sleeve I guess. Well, they were more of a minion doing some mysterious person's bidding than the mastermind behind the issue..."
Gorou: "I see... Well, hopefully you'll be able to give a report later on this matter. If there's someone on these islands that has the power to bring an Electro Hypostasis to life on this island, then that could very well be a threat to our soldiers! I suppose you'll be continuing your investigation into this matter?"
Y/N: "Oh? Well... I'm not too sure, actually. I technically did all that I was asked to do, so I guess I'll just need to speak with the person I escorted here to see if they— Oh! I forgot they gave chase to that minion whilst I was fighting that cube! I'll have to try and catch up, but don't worry, I'm sure I'll be back at camp by nightfall!"
Gorou: "Excellent! I'll be sure to let the rest of your troop know to expect your return! Stay safe, Captain!"
Y/N: "Thank you General, and you too with your scouting mission!"
A salute and a smile was given by the both of us before we each turned about and returned to our separate duties. I had more of a rush than he did though, so I quickly got to sprinting off in chase of Miyuki and the Treasure Hoarder. Hopefully she's okay...
Hoarder: "S—Stop chasing me, please... We've run this loop three times. I can barely walk..."
Miyuki: "You lowlifes, consorting with outlanders for profit! There would be no mercy for you, even if we ran another ten rounds."
Y/N: "Oh? Well it looks like I had no reason to worry about you after all, Miyuki!"
Miyuki: "Phew... From the relaxed look on your face, Traveler, I assume you've dealt with that little problem. Thank you very much. The Thunder Sakura's power cannot be allowed to fall into the hands of these types, much less be handed over to the Fatui in the shadows. It is hard to say what the Fatui have planned, but since we've captured this little lackey of theirs, I will be sure to get some answers from him. Leave the cleanup to me. The Shogun's Army's positions are well known to me. This man will not escape."
Y/N: "Ah, right. I guess we are in Shogunate territory right now... probably for the best you don't get seen with me in this armour of mine! You sure you'll be alright?"
Miyuki: "Most definitely. Don't worry, I'll make sure those responsible for the damages dealt to the Thunder Sakura receive what they deserve. Ah, but before you go, I was told by Lady Yae to give this letter to you if I considered your performance adequate. She said that you shouldn't open it until you're somewhere quiet though."
Y/N: "Oh? Well... thanks for the positive feedback I guess! I guess I'll keep this in my pocket until I get back to my room at camp. Thank you again, Miyuki. It was a pleasure working with you."
Miyuki: "And you also, Y/N. It has indeed been a pleasure working alongside you. I thought all you from Sangonomiya were nothing but trouble, but perhaps I was wrong... Oh, and Y/N? Please, look after my little sister for me, would you? Keep Shinobu safe for me, and tell her... tell her that both me and our parents wish her the best in chasing her dreams."
Y/N: "Of course. I always seem to run into her one way or another, and she does owe me that meal after all!"
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