No one knew how much time had passed.
As the sunset bled across the sky, and the false heavens' starry river began to turn upside down,
Luo Li stepped out from the Inner Garden, stretching lazily with a faint sense of relief.
He had already come to an understanding with Makoto—
she would no longer hide anything from him.
At least… not from him.
And he had even gained some rather useful personal information, such as matters related to her affection…
so his mood was exceptionally pleasant.
But just as he walked past the outer hall of Tenshukaku and slid open the door,
a familiar voice sounded right beside him.
"You look awfully happy. Did you get some good news?"
Luo Li nearly jumped—he had not expected her to be lurking there.
"Weren't you helping Ei tidy the room?"
"Yes, and we finished already."
Wearing an innocent expression, Saiguu scratched the chin of the little fox in her arms.
"This little one kept whining about wanting to go to the Night Parade, so I waited here."
"…"
Seeing the curious gleam in her eyes, Luo Li couldn't possibly tell her the truth.
He casually made up an excuse.
Saiguu sighed helplessly.
"You two really are alike. Fine, I won't ask. Here—take this."
She handed the impatiently squirming little Yae into his arms,
then waved elegantly and slipped into the side entrance of Tenshukaku.
Before her figure even disappeared, the little fox chirped loudly:
"When does the Night Parade start?"
"No need to rush. It's still early."
Since he had been away for so long, Luo Li decided to visit Mitsuyo and Asase Hibiki before hosting the Night Parade.
He wondered how the two girls were getting along—
after all this time, they should be much closer now.
With that in mind, he stepped out of Tenshukaku.
Unlike his usual style, Luo Li didn't use spatial movement this time.
Instead, he chose to walk slowly through Inazuma City and across the plains of Byakko no Yano,
taking the opportunity to enjoy the natural beauty of the land.
Normally he only gazed down from a high vantage point.
Rarely did he truly immerse himself in the world below.
The impatient fox had initially kept urging him to hurry—
but once she discovered the beauty along the way, she fell silent in awe.
Sky foxes and earth foxes roamed casually through the wilderness,
unlike in the future, when many would turn to stone after Saiguu's death and fade from the world.
"Someday, it'll fall to you to protect this land."
The little fox tilted her head, puzzled by his sudden statement,
her large eyes full of confusion.
"Kyuu?"
Luo Li only said this because he had begun considering traveling across the entire continent of Teyvat after leaving Inazuma.
That impulse, instead of fading after talking with Makoto, had only grown stronger.
He was never someone who could sit still.
Otherwise, he would not have wandered between Mondstadt and Liyue before arriving in Inazuma.
If not for coveting the Raiden twins…
there was no way he'd have stayed put this long.
And judging by recent progress,
success didn't seem far off.
Mt. Yougou — Grand Narukami Shrine
Even without its caretaker for nearly two months,
the shrine—standing for centuries—had not been affected in the slightest.
Pilgrims and believers still arrived in a constant stream every day.
Many came to draw fortunes, hoping to overcome luck or avert misfortune,
and far more than usual, at that.
Perhaps the newspapers had been publishing too much about the Shogunate's troop movements,
or warning merchants to be wary of monsters and increase their escorts.
The ordinary people placed their hopes on the divine ruler,
wishing through prayer to withstand these turbulent times.
The shrine maidens, accustomed to storms and waves, were unfazed.
Even with the increased number of visitors, they handled everything effortlessly.
No wonder Saiguu could comfortably accompany the Shogun and abandon her duties for days.
As dusk deepened, the last of the pilgrims hurried down the mountain.
Any later, they would have to stay overnight in the shrine's guest rooms—
otherwise, walking the mountain paths at night meant guaranteed encounters with yokai.
Most yokai were harmless to humans,
but fearful hearts outnumbered courageous ones.
And since yokai loved pranks,
it wasn't unusual for them to scare someone into fainting.
Luo Li knew this well—
he often found unconscious people at night along the roadside,
lying on stones with expressions of terror.
Usually he would flick them awake and guide them out of the forest using light butterflies.
"It's dark! The Night Parade is starting soon!"
Despite the fox's constant chatter right by his ear,
Luo Li walked leisurely toward Mt. Yougou.
"The main character always enters last. Don't be impatient."
Hearing that, the little fox instantly felt it made perfect sense.
Arriving too early would be beneath her dignity,
so she settled down and became quiet.
Halfway up Mt. Yougou
A large clearing had been trampled flat,
and yokai from all over Inazuma were pouring in.
Since this was their once-a-year grand festival,
if they didn't let loose now,
they would spend the rest of the year secluded in the mountains with no one to brag to.
And unlike humans with strict etiquette,
yokai-run gatherings were…
chaotic at best.
The noise was so overwhelming that an ordinary person couldn't hear someone two meters away.
And in this place that should belong solely to yokai—
two humans had slipped in.
Seated quietly at the very end of the banquet were two girls, one older and one younger.
They hid themselves well and drew no attention.
The younger one, looking barely thirteen or fourteen, appeared nervous.
"Mitsuyo-sister… is it really okay for me to be here?"
Asase Hibiki whispered, afraid of attracting unwanted attention.
Even if lightnovel logic ensured she wouldn't be harmed—
being stared at by an entire non-human crowd was not a pleasant experience.
"Don't worry, it's fine."
Mitsuyo comforted her softly.
"My mother is the clan leader of the tengu. We could sit in the front if we wanted.
But I stayed back here for your sake."
"And even if we were discovered, no yokai would dare trouble us.
If we reveal you're teacher's disciple, they'd treat you like royalty."
Hibiki widened her eyes.
"R-really? Nothing bad will happen?"
Mitsuyo nodded confidently.
She had brought Hibiki here to broaden her horizons.
Yokai might be elusive normally,
but they wandered far and wide,
and the amount of ancient knowledge and strange tales they possessed was immeasurable.
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