NOVEL NEXT Chapter 5: Chapter 5: Ritou Island
Inazuma, one of the seven nations in the continent of Teyvat, is located in the distant eastern archipelago. Unlike the "Cyro" that dominates the nation of Snezhnaya, this country is surrounded by thunderstorms and is associated with the "Electro" element.
Though the lightning that flashes by is fleeting, the ruling Electro Archon of Inazuma, known as the Raiden Shogun, who pursue eternity.
Or rather, not just Raiden Shogun, but Raiden Ei believes in it as well.
Although both share the name of Raiden, even the inhabitants of Inazuma may not know that the current ruler of their nation is not the original Raiden Ei, but Raiden Shogun, the puppet that Raiden Ei created.
The lightning storms that even Geo Archon Morax found troublesome to breach through was something that Bai Luo had a solution for, - Sveta, the Mirror Maiden that came with him on this voyage.
He finally understood why the Rooster instructed him to bring the Mirror Maiden along.
The water mirrors she conjured were able to avoid the terrifying thunderstorms, allowing their not-so-sturdy sailboat to safely cross the endless tempest.
After leaving the thunderstorm behind, even Bai Luo couldn't help but sigh.
No wonder the game didn't depict the process of crossing the thunderstorm; the horrifying scene... would hardly be bearable on a small screen.
"Rest for a while. I'll take care of the rest," Bai Luo said to Sveta, who had put away the water mirrors. It was quite draining for her to protect the entire sailboat through the thunderstorm.
After bowing to Bai Luo, the Mirror Maiden turned and returned to the cabin.
Having instructed the crew to take care of her, Bai Luo tossed his dagger and wrapped a steel wire around the lookout post.
Pressing the switch gently, he was pulled up to the lookout post by the wire connected to the dagger.
"Is that Ritou island?" Bai Luo couldn't help but exclaim as he looked at the red island at the edge of the sea.
Although he had already seen the island in its entirety in the game, seeing it again gave him an unreal feeling.
Before Bai Luo arrived in Inazuma, the Fatui's Brigade had already infiltrated this land of eternity.
Based on the information he had, under the Fatui's Brigade's inducement, the Raiden Shogun had already issued the isolation decree and the Vision Hunt Decree.
Now, his task was to find the right opportunity to obtain the Raiden Shogun Gnosis and bring it back to Snezhnaya.
'What a load of bull!'
Every time he thought about this, Bai Luo felt annoyed. No matter how you look at it, Inazuma was indeed the easiest nation to infiltrate among the several countries.
But being familiar with the storyline, he knew very well that the current Raiden Shogun in the Tenshukaku wasn't Raiden Ei at all, but a puppet created by her.
Even if he was fortunate enough to encounter Raiden Ei, who was hiding in the Plane of Euthymia, Bai Luo wouldn't be able to snatch her Gnosis.
Fighting her was one thing, but most importantly, the Gnosis wasn't even in her possession in the first place.
After Raiden Makoto died in the war with Khaenri'ah, Raiden Ei severed all connections with the island in the sky. Even the Gnosis representing her identity as one of the 7 Archon was handed over to the Yae Miko of the Grand Narukami Shrine.
Who was Yae Miko?
She is the high priestess of the Grand Narukami Shrine in Inazuma City, in charge of all shrine affairs, and a retainer of the Electro Archon Raiden Shogun.
Raiden Shogun herself once said that even if she unsheathed her sword against the fox girl, the pink vixen would be able to evade it.
Currently, only the Traveler would be able to survive the strike from Raiden Shogun.
Anyway... let's set foot on the island first.
Everything can wait until they all arrive on the island.
His current identity could be considered an envoy from Snezhnaya, at least for now, the Electro Archon couldn't slay him.
...
Ritou island belongs to the Watatsumi Army and is the only way for foreigners to enter Inazuma.
During the period of the Vision Hunt Decree, in order to truly set foot on the territory of the Sangonomiya Shrine, one must first pass through the hurdle of Ritou island.
This island, covered with maple trees, is under the jurisdiction of the Kanjou Commission.
People must possess various credentials to enter and exit this place, and obtaining these credentials often requires complex procedures and special connections.
If one cannot obtain the credentials smoothly, they can only briefly stay on Ritou island, taking in the scenery of red maple leaves and desolate fishing villages along with other stranded foreigners.
For Bai Luo, the 12th Harbinger of the Fatui's Brigade, this is not a problem.
Because whether it's the Kanjou Commission or the Tenryou Commission, they have already been infiltrated by the Fatui's Brigade.
The so-called Tri-Commission are the institutions responsible for managing various affairs in Inazuma, namely the Kanjou Commission, the Tenryou Commission, and the Yashiro Commission.
The Yashiro Commission, led by the Kamisato Clan, represents Inazuma's culture and is responsible for rituals and celebrations. They are the most involved with the people among the Tri-Commission.
The Tenryou Commission from the Kujou Clan is in charge of public security in Inazuma, enforcing government orders and overseeing all the Shogunate's armed forces outside of the direct control of the Shogun. They also have the authority to issue travel permits.
The Kanjou Commission from the Hiiragi Clan manages Inazuma's financial hub, responsible for the national treasury. Similar to the Tenryou Commission, they have the authority to issue travel permits.
One of their responsibilities is to strictly review the identities of those entering and exiting Inazuma and manage foreign visitors on Ritou island.
As the ship gradually approached the harbor, the appearance of Ritou island became clearer.
Compared to the ports in Mondstadt, the docks were no longer covered in thick snow but in red maple leaves.
There weren't many ships at the docks, and apart from fishing boats, not a single cargo ship could be seen.
This was quite surprising for a prosperous port.
As the ship approached, the soldiers on the dock, dressed in Inazuma attire, did not show any hostility. Instead, they stood up straight, as if welcoming an important person.
Led by the Harbingers, with the Pyro Agent at the forefront, the Fatui's Brigade arrived at the dock surrounded by Inazuma soldiers.
"Lord Ausbilder!"
Throughout the continent of Teyvat, if there was anyone who would respect the 12th Harbinger of the Fatui's Brigade, it would undoubtedly be the Pyro Agent.
Because all the Pyro Agents existing in Teyvat were trained by him.
"Long time no see, Ah Qi."
After joining the special training division of the Fatui's Brigade, they no longer had their own names.
They only had code names.
Only after leaving the training division and serving the Tsaritsa would they regain their names.
For example, Bai Luo's code name was BK201.
And this Ah Qi's code name was 9527.
It wasn't Bai Luo joking with him; he really was the 9,527th person to join the Fatui's Brigade.
"Lord Ausbilder! I have arranged a table of authentic Liyue cuisine through the Feiyun Commerce Guild, it's specifically prepared to make sure Lord Ausbilder feel welcomed and refreshed after such a long journey!"
Bai Luo's hometown is Liyue, which is not a secret within the Fatui's Brigade.
In the Fatui's Brigade, strength is respected, and not all the Harbingers come from Snezhnaya.
For example, La Signora is a Harbinger that was born in Mondstadt.
There is even a Harbinger who originally hails from Inazuma.
"Forget about the refreshments. I have important matters to attend to this time. Please make arrangements as soon as possible and take me to the city of Inazuma."
Although the scenery on Ritou island was pleasant, the people Bai Luo really needed to interact with were in the city of Inazuma.
He was eager to see them.
"Hmm?"
After disembarking from the ship, he noticed a fox sculpture erected beside the dock.
In Inazuma, these sculptures are quite common and can often be seen by the roadside.
However...
He always felt like this sculpture was staring at him.
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