"Watatsumi Island…"
Standing on the deck, Bai Luo gazed at the distant island, his expression filled with helplessness.
He had originally thought this ship was heading to Ritou—once he arrived, he could go back to his carefree, idle life.
But instead—Beidou had sent him straight into the heart of the Resistance.
Naturally, Bai Luo questioned Beidou about this decision.
Her reasoning was flawless.
"We smuggled ourselves into Inazuma. Going to Ritou would be walking straight into a trap, wouldn't it? Of course, we should come here—to Watatsumi Island, our allies."
"Makes sense."
And so, the ship gradually approached the dock.
As they neared the shore, the scene unfolded before them.
A massive crowd of soldiers stood in formation, banners raised high.
Bai Luo hesitated, then asked cautiously:
"…Are you sure Watatsumi Island is friendly?"
Because this looked like a battlefield.
"Uh… it should be?"
Even Beidou herself seemed uncertain now.
If not for her injured right arm still bound to her chest, she might have already drawn her weapon just in case.
Did something happen to Watatsumi Island while she was away?
Or worse—had the supplies she delivered last time failed to strengthen the Resistance, causing them to be defeated?
But the banners by the shore were definitely Watatsumi's.
"—Wait. Could it be… that snake I killed really was Orobashi?"
Bai Luo instinctively touched the crystal pendant hanging around his neck.
That didn't make sense, though.
His system clearly stated that thing was Beisht, not Orobashi.
Everyone looked confused.
Except for one person—Kaedehara Kazuha.
"Boss, Himura-san—those soldiers are here to welcome Himura-san."
Back when Kazuha stayed in Watatsumi, he had already witnessed firsthand the sheer reverence the Resistance held for Battousai.
So, before setting sail, he had sent word ahead.
"They're welcoming me?"
Bai Luo was dumbfounded.
Even Beidou was surprised.
She knew Bai Luo was popular in the Resistance, but this level of admiration?
That was a bit much.
She scanned the crowd.
Damn.
Not only was the Divine Priestess herself here, even the unstoppable general with the pointy ears was among them.
And plenty of other important figures from Watatsumi Island as well.
While a few of them looked calm and rational, most wore expressions of fanatical devotion.
Beidou suddenly felt reminded of the worshippers of the Geo Archon back in Liyue.
Yikes.
Terrifying.
"Welcome back to Watatsumi Island, Captain Beidou."
Sangonomiya Kokomi had noticed Beidou's injuries, but now wasn't the time to ask about them.
So, she chose to ignore it for now.
"Hahaha, we have a saying in Liyue—'The old drunkard cares not for the wine, but for the scenery.'"
"I take it the one you're truly welcoming is this guy?"
Beidou, without hesitation, sold Bai Luo out.
The moment Bai Luo was pushed forward,
Every single gaze locked onto him.
Just like the rumors, he wore red robes and that distinctive cat-faced mask.
But…
Something felt off.
"Wasn't Lord Battousai supposed to be eight feet tall and built like a mountain? How come he's smaller than me?"
"Yeah, and isn't he supposed to wear a fearsome, fanged demon mask? What's with the cat face?"
"Aren't we missing the bigger issue? If he can cut down gods, then his swordsmanship must be godlike, right? But why… does he just feel like a normal person?"
That was the first impression Bai Luo left on the crowd.
Completely ordinary.
He just stood there lazily, a faint smile at the corner of his lips, looking no different from any ordinary youth on the street.
If no one had said he was Battousai, people would have thought he was just a poor imitator—someone who hadn't even captured the essence of the real Battousai.
Even the higher-ups of Watatsumi Island shared the same doubt.
Except for two people.
One was Sangonomiya Kokomi.
The other was General Gorou.
Kokomi had read countless books and knew that some powerful warriors had the ability to conceal their true strength.
Since Captain Beidou, someone not easily impressed, held Battousai in such high regard, then this man must have a similar ability.
As for Gorou, his reasoning was much simpler.
It was because of Kaedehara Kazuha.
Even though Gorou hadn't spent much time with Kazuha, their bond was strong.
And if Kazuha was looking at Bai Luo with that kind of expression, then no matter how ridiculous it seemed, there was no way he could be wrong.
"Captain Beidou, you jest."
"If not for your support, Watatsumi Island wouldn't have lasted this long. Whether it is Battousai or yourself, both of you deserve such a grand welcome."
Despite hating socializing, Kokomi had mastered it completely.
Not only did she perfectly follow Beidou's conversational lead, she even elevated Bai Luo's status alongside hers.
"You're too kind, Lady Sangonomiya."
"According to our last agreement, we've brought the supplies Watatsumi needs. But… we ran into some trouble along the way, so there may be a few shortages. I hope you won't hold it against us."
While Beidou spoke, she gestured for her crew to start unloading.
Under normal circumstances, it's expected for ships to face occasional mishaps.
But the Crux wasn't just any fleet, they were legendary for keeping their losses to a minimum.
Facing Beisht was no minor issue, if not for Bai Luo, every single one of them would've died in its jaws.
Compared to that, losing a few crates of supplies was nothing.
"Captain Beidou, the fact that you brought anything at all is already an honor for us. How could we possibly blame you?"
"We've prepared a banquet at Sangonomiya Shrine. We hope that both you and Battousai will attend."
Kokomi's smile was calm and confident, her air of authority was flawless.
No one could tell that she actually hated situations like these.
But thanks to Battousai's presence, most of the attention was on him, reducing her usual pressure significantly.
Otherwise…
She didn't even want to think about how much energy she would lose.
Speaking of energy—
Forcing herself to do things she disliked severely drained Kokomi's energy.
If she ran out, she would shut down, abandoning all duties to recharge as an ordinary homebody girl.
In a way, both the Shogunate and Watatsumi's leaders had similar hobbies.
Once she got home tonight, she was definitely going to re-read—
"My Electro Archon Can't Be This Cute."
A well-written light novel like that could restore at least half of her energy.
"Then we shall graciously accept your invitation."
. . . . .
If you want to see more chapter of this story and don't mind to pay $5 monthly to read till the latest chapter, please go to my Patreon[1]
Current Chapter in Patreon: Chapter 167: Nathan[2]
Link to the current chapter: https://www.patreon.com/posts/genshin-impact-127663337[3]
https://www.patreon.com/Thatsnakegirl[4]
[1] https://www.patreon.com/Thatsnakegirl
[2] https://www.patreon.com/posts/genshin-impact-127663337
[3] https://www.patreon.com/posts/genshin-impact-127663337
[4] https://www.patreon.com/Thatsnakegirl