Chapter 47: The Missing Ksenia
Those who disappeared had naturally triggered Bai Luo's passive ability and were quantized.
In truth, whether small fry like these triggered quantization or not didn't really matter—anyway, they were the kind of enemies that could be dealt with in a single strike.
The fire beneath the pot still crackled and burned.
But the number of living people around the campfire was steadily decreasing.
In the end, Bai Luo stood in front of Zhongfu.
"M-My lord… spare me."
Zhongfu had survived among the Treasure Hoarders for so long not only because he was clever, but also because he knew when to bend.
Although people say a man's knees hold gold beneath them, sometimes kneeling is still the right choice.
After all, no matter how much gold you have, it's useless if you're dead and can't spend it.
"Where is the person who used to live here?"
Bai Luo glanced into the temporary camp.
Inside the dark red canvas tent, there was no sign of anyone.
The delicate tea set and the slightly faded blanket were also gone—apparently taken away.
"I… I don't know, my lord. We were just passing by. We saw the camp was empty, so we stayed here temporarily to rest."
Zhongfu was telling the truth.
In Inazuma's forests, the worst thing you could do was travel at night.
Wild beasts were one thing, but the truly dangerous threats were the malicious yokai in the mountains and the wandering Nobushi.
Finding such a defensible campsite, they naturally chose to spend the night there.
What they hadn't expected was that this casual decision would attract such a terrifying killer.
If he had known, he would have left immediately rather than die so inexplicably.
Bai Luo could tell Zhongfu wasn't lying.
Because his own guess had been the same.
A loose and undisciplined band of Treasure Hoarders like this wouldn't even be able to defeat a Cicin Mage.
Heck, even a random Fatui Skirmisher could wipe the floor with them.
"You didn't touch anything inside the tent, right?"
"N-No. We didn't. The last time we borrowed someone's camp, we fell into traps they set. Since then we've never dared to enter tents casually."
Zhongfu shook his head.
At first he had indeed considered going inside.
But when he saw the Fatui insignia on the tent, he immediately abandoned the idea.
Fatui advance troops had left many camps like this across Inazuma.
But these places were full of traps—sometimes even more dangerous than ruins or ancient tombs.
What had attracted him more was the pot at the campsite, which he wanted to use to brew potions.
"Take your men and get lost."
After confirming that Ksenia's disappearance had nothing to do with these Treasure Hoarders, Bai Luo didn't make things difficult for them.
He simply drove Zhongfu away along with the two other Treasure Hoarders beside him who were still asleep.
As for the corpses lying scattered everywhere…
There was no need to deal with them.
The yokai and beasts of the forest would happily take care of them.
. . .
After the three unlucky Treasure Hoarders left, Bai Luo walked toward the tent.
The methods the Fatui used to set traps were mostly standardized, so Bai Luo easily disarmed them and entered the tent.
Compared to the last time he visited, many things were missing.
For example, the delicate tea set and the small blanket mentioned earlier.
Those were some of Ksenia's most treasured belongings.
Aside from those, other important items—such as spare clothes, Mist Grass seeds, and her diary—were also gone.
What remained inside the tent were mostly useless items.
Which meant…
Ksenia had probably been transferred elsewhere due to some assignment.
"What a pity."
He definitely felt some regret, but Bai Luo wasn't too disappointed.
After chasing away a few tanuki that tried to drag off his box of fireworks, Bai Luo carried it to a nearby spot and lit them.
Boom—
Compared with the other fireworks Bai Luo had seen before, the batch that Yoimiya gave him seemed much less impressive.
You could tell the maker's technique was rather immature, some of the patterns weren't even fully formed.
But… it was still pretty nice.
After burying the bottle of fire-water near the tent and leaving a mark, Bai Luo finally left the place.
As for whether Ksenia would ever find the fire-water he left behind, it didn't really matter anymore.
It was the thought that counted.
Bai Luo didn't have many acquaintances in Inazuma City. If he really had to name one… Sara might count.
But despite the rumors outside that they were some sort of romantic pair, their relationship wasn't nearly close enough for them to stay up together deep into the night talking.
So after saying goodbye to her, Bai Luo left.
Although the Mirror Maiden had already been transferred away by Scaramouche, Bai Luo still had his own method of crossing Inazuma's raging thunderstorms.
Bai Luo's teleportation ability wasn't much of a secret among the higher ranks in Snezhnaya.
Only some of the necessary conditions remained unclear to them.
If someone was judged to be on the same side as Bai Luo, then within a certain range he could freely quantize and teleport to any allied unit.
However, after teleporting, his dagger would be forcibly sheathed, preventing him from attacking that allied unit.
Unless—before teleporting—he had already decided that the target was not on his side.
So after sensing the ship at sea where Krupp was located, Bai Luo used his ability to teleport directly onto it, officially beginning his voyage toward Mondstadt.
Meanwhile…
"C-Customer! Are you alright?!"
Looking at the oni youth who had already eaten thirty-two bowls of Kitsune Ramen and completely lost consciousness, the food stall owner's voice trembled.
The situation had started quite simply.
This oni youth was a regular customer who often sat in that very seat to eat.
But today, a strange woman with fox ears came and took his spot.
So the two started arguing.
The stall owner actually found it strange.
If he remembered correctly, this oni who called himself the boss of the Arataki Gang should have been locked up by the Tenryou Commission yesterday.
So why was he here today? Had someone bailed him out?
Regardless, their conflict truly erupted.
Fortunately, the situation eventually developed in a better direction.
Their quarrel turned into a so-called competitive eating contest.
Unfortunately, the fox-eared woman who slipped up ended up choosing Kitsune Ramen.
Everyone knew that Kitsune Ramen contained fried tofu, and soy products were practically lethal for oni.
Yet despite that, the oni youth managed to eat thirty-two bowls.
In truth, after about ten bowls, he had already lost consciousness.
Everything he ate afterward had been consumed purely out of instinct.
"Alright, I admit defeat. The seat is yours. I'll also pay for all the ramen used in the contest."
The fox-eared woman looked somewhat regretful, but judging by how casually she paid the bill, the money clearly meant nothing to her.
Perhaps making an oni eat so many soy products he hated was the real thing she enjoyed.
"Hm?"
The fox-eared woman suddenly paused after paying.
She glanced at the unconscious oni youth—now being carried away by the Arataki Gang underlings—and then walked alone to the end of Hanamizaka Street.
Across the land of Inazuma, there were many fox statues and fox shrines.
And in a certain sense, these statues were her eyes.
Through those eyes, she noticed something.
The Ausbilder had left Inazuma.