"Shadow, let's leave quickly. There's something off about this woman."
Watching Orpheus below, who seemed to be lost in her own world, he thought, "If I get entangled with her, my life will be difficult."
"This is not ideal... I believe it's necessary to seal Orpheus beneath the seabed, so she doesn't bother me anymore or harm my people."
Just as he was about to take action and seal Orpheus beneath the seabed.
Orpheus rapidly dove into the depths. In the water, it was her domain. No one was more familiar with water than she was, no... it should be, no one was more familiar with the sea.
Her figure swam quickly through the water, completely untraceable. Then, she disappeared, seemingly having left this part of the sea.
"She's quite fast. It seems we can't seal her. To prevent further accidents, I suggest we head to the port quickly."
Shadow nodded, and the two returned to the ship. After a few quick instructions, the fleet resumed its course. At this speed, they would reach Ritou in about two to three hours.
No more than a kilometer behind them, a head slowly emerged from the water. Orpheus stood silently in the sea, her eyes fixed on a person. That person... was not Shadow, but Lu Ze.
"Lu Ze... I'll remember you, Lu Ze, right? We'll meet again in the future. By then... you'll be obedient... hehe."
Everything returned to calm. Lu Ze yawned and went back to his room, finally able to get a good night's sleep. What kind of days were these?
But as soon as he closed his eyes, he remembered the blushing face of that woman, and Lu Ze immediately got goosebumps.
"Sigh... I probably won't be able to sleep tonight either."
The morning sun slowly rose, and the soft light illuminated the entire ship, signifying the start of a new day.
From here, they could already see the port of Ritou, the wondrous sight of the island covered in trees, and the highest point glowing with light. Most peculiar was the largest cherry blossom tree.
"Inazuma's scenery... is truly beautiful."
Shadow, standing beside him, simply smiled faintly. Yes! The scenery was indeed beautiful, but 500 years ago... was that scenery so different from now?
Since the Electro Archon herself was leading the convoy, there was no need for troublesome procedures or fees. After all, the officials wouldn't dare, let alone dare to reveal themselves.
Foreigners who arrived at the same time, thanks to the Electro Archon, avoided the misfortune of being exploited and happily headed to Inazuma.
"Do you want to explore Ritou for a bit, or go directly to Inazuma City?"
Lu Ze rested his chin on his hand, contemplating. There wasn't much to see in Ritou, but as a port, it surely had some local specialties. Buying something as a souvenir wouldn't be bad.
But there would be other opportunities to come later, so it didn't feel necessary. However, the Kanjō Commission here... were all a bit problematic. That girl, Lumine.
He hadn't seen her in a long time. The story had probably progressed to Dainsleif's part by now, meaning... the Inazuma storyline hadn't unfolded yet.
Even though it hadn't unfolded, the Electro Archon had changed quite a bit. At least she wasn't the shut-in who only stayed in the Plane of Euthymia anymore. She was still addressing livelihood issues.
The Vision Hunt Decree was no longer in effect. Sangonomiya Kokomi's side probably had no reason to resist, or no need to.
Present-day Inazuma, aside from some official corruption, had few major problems. So... perhaps they could let Shadow see firsthand what the problems were in the Inazuma she governed?
"Let's explore Ritou for a bit. You've been out for so long, haven't you truly seen it properly?"
Shadow was slightly taken aback. That's right! She had been out of the Plane of Euthymia for so long, but had she truly seen the current sights? How did it differ from hundreds of years ago? She didn't know. To her...
There wasn't much difference from before. After all, eternity... forever enveloped this place.
"Then I'll listen to you. Let's take a good look around."
The two walked together into the central street. The surrounding residents, the people of Inazuma, were somewhat shocked. Who was this man? Why was he walking shoulder-to-shoulder with their Archon? It felt wrong.
"Actually, looking closely, it's very different from a hundred years ago. Not only has it expanded, but there are more people, and the goods are more abundant. Perhaps, I'm just out of touch with the times?"
The Electro Archon's words caused the people nearby to break out in a cold sweat, terrified that she might suddenly utter something like... "Let's go back to the old ways." That would be a complete loss.
"People grow old, and things constantly change. The eternity you pursue... actually, does not exist. As for philosophy, I lean more towards your sister... cherishing what's in front of you and enjoying it."
Shadow furrowed her brow slightly. Sister? How did he know she had a sister? She had never mentioned this to anyone, not even her subordinates.
"How do you know?"
The atmosphere between them instantly turned cold. Lu Ze realized he had let slip. His mind raced, trying to find a way to salvage the situation. If he delayed any longer, he feared facing the Musou no Hitotachi.
"This... I heard it from the Geo Archon!"
Upon hearing the answer, Shadow still frowned. The words of the Geo Archon, as the most ancient of the Seven Archons, he knew far more than she did. Knowing she had a sister didn't seem too unreasonable.
"Is that so? It seems I was overthinking it."
Seeing that Shadow had dispelled her suspicions, Lu Ze slowly breathed a sigh of relief. Geo Archon, oh Geo Archon, I've helped you so much, asking you to cover up a lie for me shouldn't be too much to ask, right?
As they walked, they saw the Kanjō Commission. Many soldiers guarded the entrance, as if there was a secret inside.
Upon seeing the Electro Archon's arrival, the nearest soldier quickly ran inside to report. Soon, the head of the Kanjō Commission, with a smiling face, emerged.
The same old man walked out. Lu Ze knew the current plot hadn't progressed much. Such heavy guarding meant there were likely Fatui Harbingers inside.
"Why has the Divine General honored my humble abode?"
Shadow merely glanced, saying nothing, because she didn't know why they were here either, as Lu Ze was leading the way.
Lu Ze, standing beside her, spoke:
"I heard... that you, the Kanjō Commissioner... are harboring quite a few vampires?"