Do you really think I'm not the petty type?
How naive!
Sitting in Igor's chair, flipping through the documents he had been handling while enjoying the cool breeze from the window, Bai Luo was utterly at ease.
What makes a good plan? A good plan isn't just about doing bad things and making the other side grit their teeth in hatred—that's called recklessness.
Nor is it about doing good things while completely wrecking your superior's plans—that's called foolishness.
Back in Mondstadt, though he had disrupted the Doctor's plans, it was with the Tsaritsa's support. He was more like an agent helping her test certain boundaries.
A true villain is one who commits misdeeds while elegantly earning the victim's tearful gratitude—just like the ornamental fish trapped in an aquarium.
Not only will she not hate you, she'll even thank you for providing her with a living space and delicious food.
Little does she know that the very villain who dragged her out of the sea is the same "savior" who placed her in the aquarium to "save" her.
Such irony is truly exhilarating.
Shifting his gaze back to the documents in his hand, Bai Luo's lips curled into a smirk.
No wonder Sangonomiya Kokomi had been reluctant to dispose of Igor.
Perhaps in his bid to win her trust, he had managed everything meticulously, even handling workloads several times heavier than others.
No wonder Igor believed he had control over all of Watatsumi Island—after all, many of the affairs Kokomi assigned him were matters critical to the island's survival.
To gain even more trust, he leveraged his Fatui connections to promptly resolve issues that should have arisen. He even went so far as to extract intelligence from Inazuma City to help Watatsumi Island overcome countless crises.
He even betrayed the Fatui, all to accelerate his "control" over Watatsumi Island.
And in his eyes, this wasn't even betrayal—because once he took control, those losses would just be stepping stones to success.
To make him work even harder, Kokomi turned a blind eye to his infiltration of certain "key" areas. But whether those infiltrators were truly his agents remained to be seen.
After all, Old Li—the person Igor trusted most—was a double agent, loyal to both Snezhnaya and Watatsumi Island.
While Igor basked in self-satisfaction, he never realized he had been working for Kokomi for free all these years.
What a pitiful fool.
Indeed, for someone so young to become the Divine Priestess and earn a title like "Pearl of Wisdom," she couldn't have relied solely on Gorou's genius. She herself had real capability.
Without so many advantages and intelligence, whether Bai Luo could outmaneuver Kokomi would have been a real question.
But the world has no room for "what-ifs." The day of caviar freedom draws ever closer.
Perhaps one day, he'll sip coconut milk, nibble on bird egg toast, and savor caviar all at once.
Wouldn't that be a divine life?
...
The Sacred Sakura is one of Inazuma's signature trees, and on Watatsumi Island, they are also quite common.
Their purplish leaves blend seamlessly with the island's environment, making them appear less distinctive.
Most of Watatsumi's flora is purple or blue, with a small portion being green. Ironically, green vegetation is the rarest here.
Mirai was still by that small bridge, crouched near the waterfall, using its waters to wash the Sea Ganoderma in her hands.
These mushroom-like organisms are actually secretions of the "Sea Ganoderma Worm."
Some believe these tiny, mouthless and noseless soft-bodied creatures are the souls of children who died young. As punishment, they must spend eternity using their frail bodies to extract trace elements from sea sand, forming "Sea Ganoderma."
In truth, these extremely rare items can fetch a high price elsewhere.
Whenever Mirai had free time, she would gather some to sell to Miss Kiyoko in the village for pocket money.
Then she would return to the village entrance to wait for her brother.
But today, like always, her brother never appeared.
Even though he had just left, as a younger sister, she wished to see him every day.
Amid the mist rising from the waterfall, a figure approached from the distance—one that vaguely resembled her brother.
"Brother!"
Mirai forgot all about the Sea Ganoderma beside her and ran forward excitedly.
To her surprise, the figure wasn't her brother but a wandering samurai dressed in luxurious attire.
Mirai had seen many wanderers. Due to the Vision Hunt Decree, they had been forced to come to Bourou Village.
But aside from Mr. Himura and Mr. Kaedehara, almost all of them looked travel-worn, their clothes tattered, with only their swords appearing somewhat new.
But this wanderer?
His clothing and accessories could only be described as opulent.
His delicate features were flawless, giving the illusion of a doll.
Strangely, he carried no visible weapons. It was unclear how he had crossed the battlefield between the Shogunate's forces and the resistance to reach Watatsumi Island.
A wanderer?
More like a noble young master out for an adventure!
"Brother? You've mistaken me for someone else, kid."
Perhaps because of that word "brother," the wanderer didn't take offense. Instead, he teased her playfully.
"Ah, I'm so sorry!"
Mirai knew that no matter who he was, he wasn't someone she could afford to offend, so she quickly bowed.
Feeling this wasn't enough, she took out a Sunsettia she had gotten from Miss Kiyoko and timidly offered it.
"Will this make up for it? I was saving it for my brother."
A country girl like her didn't know any better. When she was upset, her brother always cheered her up with sweet Sunsettias. To her, these small fruits meant everything.
The wanderer had been about to leave, but seeing the fruit in her hand, he paused.
"Your kindness is noted. If you ever need help... Well, I suppose by then, you won't be able to find me anyway."
Pressing his hat slightly lower, he took the Sunsettia and muttered something cryptic.
At the very least, Mirai understood he wasn't angry with her.
Tossing the Sunsettia casually in his hand, the wanderer ignored Mirai's curious gaze and walked toward Bourou Village, now just steps away.
Mirai didn't think he would cause any trouble in the village. After all, every checkpoint leading into Watatsumi Island was guarded by the resistance.
Everyone entering was thoroughly questioned.
Not just the checkpoints—even Bourou Village had its share of Watatsumi soldiers keeping watch.
As the resistance's logistical hub, it was heavily guarded.
For example, near the stone bridge, several Watatsumi soldiers stood watch at the suspension bridge.
From here, she could still see their straight, unmoving figures.
But for some reason, today they stood even more rigidly than usual.
They didn't even twitch.