LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 17: chapter 17
Chapter 17: Yae Miko: "As Beautiful As I Am, I Lost to Kamisato Ayaka~"
Kamisato Ayaka couldn't help but feel uneasy after Yae Miko left her alone with Su Ran. The thought crossed her mind: Had Yae Miko planned this all along?
Without the cunning fox priestess by her side, Ayaka felt far more vulnerable. The remains of the "General" were still scattered across the room, serving as a constant reminder of Su Ran's overwhelming power.
At this moment, she was massaging Su Ran's shoulders. Though the initial terror had subsided, her nerves remained taut.
"Are you worried about Inazuma, Miss Ayaka?" Su Ran asked, his tone casual.
With Su Ran facing away from her, Ayaka couldn't see his expression, which made it slightly easier to compose herself. Without direct eye contact, she could think more clearly.
However, the irony of the situation wasn't lost on her. The chaos in Inazuma had been largely caused by the Fatui, and here she was, serving one of their most powerful executives.
After a brief pause, she decided to answer honestly. Lying to a god seemed foolish.
"Yes," she admitted softly.
"You've made a lot of sacrifices for your homeland, haven't you?" Su Ran continued.
"...Yes," Ayaka replied hesitantly.
"Even going so far as to betray General Raiden and secretly contact the rebels?"
The question struck like lightning, and Ayaka froze.
Her mind raced. How could she answer? While her actions had been for the sake of Inazuma, aligning with the rebels could undeniably be seen as a betrayal of the Shogun. But here, in this room—under the shadow of Raiden's shattered puppet body—she didn't have the courage to admit it outright.
Su Ran chuckled, as though sensing her turmoil.
"Don't worry, your General can't hear you. After all, she's not exactly… alive anymore."
His words, though spoken with a smile, felt like a cold wind cutting through the room.
"Relax," Su Ran said. "Just treat me like an ordinary person. Can't we have a normal conversation?"
His casual demeanor was disarming, almost unsettling. Despite his overwhelming power, there was an undeniable humanity in the way he spoke.
"Then… why did you come to Inazuma?" Ayaka asked cautiously.
Su Ran sighed dramatically.
"Didn't I already tell you? The girls in Snezhnaya dress too conservatively. There's no joy in looking at them."
The bluntness of his answer caught Ayaka off guard. It sounded far too mundane for someone with godlike abilities.
"So, you came to Inazuma… to see girls?" she asked, her voice tinged with disbelief.
"More or less," Su Ran admitted with a shrug. "The Ice Queen may be beautiful, but I personally prefer the aesthetics of Inazuma and Liyue. The gods of Inazuma are especially intriguing."
Ayaka's mind raced. Was this why he had clashed with the Shogun?
Su Ran shifted the topic.
"What do you think of the rebels' military strategist?"
"Miss Kokomi?" Ayaka tilted her head thoughtfully. "She's a brilliant tactician. I never imagined Watatsumi Island could hold its own against the Shogunate for so long. It's a shame I've never had the chance to meet her in person."
Su Ran chuckled.
"Maybe she's just shy. A strategist who gets exhausted just because her diary is read? That's hardly what you'd expect from a leader."
Ayaka blinked, unsure how to respond.
"Still," Su Ran continued, "there's something charming about her. Don't you think so?"
Ayaka hesitated. She had refrained from meeting Kokomi in person for fear of drawing too much attention to the Kamisato family. Their correspondence had been limited to letters.
"Perhaps," Ayaka replied politely.
---
Meanwhile, outside the Tenshukaku, Yae Miko emerged from the castle tower, her usual sly smile plastered on her face.
Kujo Sara, who had been waiting anxiously, immediately rushed over.
"Lady Yae, you've returned!" Sara's face lit up with relief.
The fact that Yae Miko had walked out unharmed was a good sign. And that smile… it seemed to promise that everything was under control.
"Calm down," Yae Miko said, her tone light. "Everything is fine. As for the General… she's doing just fine as well."
The words were a blatant lie, but Yae Miko delivered them with such confidence that Sara didn't doubt her for a moment.
Sara's eyes welled up with tears, her emotions overwhelming her.
"That's wonderful news," she said, her voice breaking. "I was so worried…"
But as her relief set in, Sara noticed something.
"Where is Miss Kamisato?" she asked, glancing around.
Yae Miko waved a hand dismissively.
"The castle tower has been quiet for too long. It wouldn't hurt to leave someone behind to serve the gods, would it?"
Sara frowned.
"Then… could I take her place? Please allow me to serve the gods."
Yae Miko's expression darkened slightly. There was no way she could let Sara into that room. If she saw the shattered remains of Raiden's puppet, it would break her completely.
She laughed, her tone sharp and mocking.
"Ha! Even I, the great Yae Miko, as beautiful and clever as I am, couldn't earn the honor of staying to serve the gods. And you, little tengu, think you're more qualified than Kamisato Ayaka?"
Sara flinched at Yae Miko's words.
"Can you truly claim to be more beautiful or skilled than Ayaka?" Yae Miko continued, her voice dripping with disdain. "You can't even hold a candle to her. Don't make me laugh."
Sara lowered her head, her confidence shaken.
Yae Miko turned on her heel and walked away, her fox-like grin hiding the guilt she felt for leaving Ayaka behind. But what choice did she have? Some sacrifices were necessary.