Chapter 47: The Disappearance of Ksenia

Those who vanished had triggered Bai Luo's passive ability, being quantumized as a result.

For these small fry, it didn't matter whether they were quantumized or not; they were all foes that could be dealt with in a single strike.

The fire beneath the pot continued to crackle, but the number of living beings around the campfire steadily decreased.

Finally, Bai Luo stood before Zhongfu.

"P-please spare me," Zhongfu begged.

Zhongfu had survived in the Treasure Hoarders for so long not just because he was clever, but also because he knew when to yield.

While the saying goes that a man's knees are worth their weight in gold, there are times when kneeling is the only way to survive. No matter how much gold you have, it's useless if you're dead.

"Where is the person who originally lived here?"

Bai Luo glanced at the interior of the makeshift camp. The dark red canvas tent was empty, and the fine tea set and slightly faded blanket were gone, seemingly taken by someone.

"I-I don't know. We were just passing through and found this camp abandoned, so we decided to rest here."

Zhongfu wasn't lying. In the forests of Inazuma, the most dangerous thing to do was travel at night. Wild beasts were one thing, but the real threats were the evil spirits in the woods and the wandering Nobushi.

Given the defensibility of the camp, it was natural for them to choose to spend the night here. However, they never expected that this spur-of-the-moment decision would provoke such a deadly foe.

If they had known, they would have moved on and at least avoided dying so senselessly.

Bai Luo could tell that Zhongfu was being truthful, as this was consistent with his own assumptions.

This disorganized, undisciplined group of Treasure Hoarders couldn't possibly have overpowered a skilled Electro Cicin Mage like Ksenia. Even a member of the Fatui's vanguard could have easily dealt with them.

"You didn't touch anything in the tent, did you?"

"N-no, we didn't. After getting caught in a trap in another abandoned camp, we've learned not to mess with tents," Zhongfu explained, shaking his head.

Initially, Zhongfu had considered entering the tent, but seeing the Fatui emblem on it, he quickly abandoned the idea. The Fatui's vanguard had left several such camps in Inazuma, all of which were heavily trapped and more dangerous than some ruins and tombs.

His interest had mainly been in the pot for brewing potions.

"Take your men and get out of here," Bai Luo commanded, confirming that Ksenia's disappearance had nothing to do with these Treasure Hoarders. He didn't make things difficult for them and simply drove away Zhongfu and the two other Treasure Hoarders who were still asleep.

As for the scattered corpses... there was no need to worry about them. The evil spirits and wild beasts of the forest would be more than happy to take care of them.

After the three unfortunate Treasure Hoarders left, Bai Luo approached the tent. Disabling the traps was a simple task for him since the Fatui used standardized methods.

Inside, the tent was noticeably emptier compared to his last visit. The fine tea set, and the small blanket both items that Ksenia treasured were gone.

Along with these, her spare clothes, mist grass seeds, and her diary were also missing. All that remained were items of little value, indicating that Ksenia had likely been reassigned due to some urgent matter.

"What a pity," Bai Luo murmured.

There was a tinge of regret, but he wasn't disappointed. He shooed away a few tanuki thgat was trying to steal his fireworks box, then carried it to the edge of the camp and set it off.

"Boom—"

Compared to the fireworks Bai Luo had seen before, these ones, made by Yoimiya, were much less impressive. The craftsmanship was clearly that of an amateur, with some patterns still incomplete.

However, they were still quite charming.

Bai Luo buried a bottle of firewater near the tent and left a mark before departing.

Whether Ksenia would ever find the fire-water he left behind didn't matter. His intention was what counted.

Bai Luo didn't have many acquaintances in Inazuma, but if he had to name one... Kujou Sara might count. However, their relationship wasn't nearly as intimate as the rumors suggested.

After a brief farewell with her, Bai Luo left.

Even though Scaramouche had taken the Mirror Maiden away, Bai Luo had his own method of crossing the thunderstorm.

Bai Luo's teleportation ability was no secret among the higher-ups in Snezhnaya. What they didn't fully understand were the specific conditions required for it.

If someone was considered on the same side as Bai Luo, he could teleport to their location within a certain range, quantumizing himself to appear beside them.

However, once he arrived, his dagger would automatically sheathe, preventing him from attacking allies.

Unless, of course, he had already decided beforehand that the target wasn't an ally.

Sensing the presence of Klober's ship out at sea, Bai Luo used his ability to teleport aboard, officially beginning his journey to Mondstadt.

Meanwhile...

"C-customer! Are you alright?"

The food stall owner's voice trembled as he looked at the oni who had lost consciousness after consuming thirty-two bowls of Kitsune Ramen.

The situation was simple: this oni was a regular customer, always eating at this particular stall. But today, a strange woman with fox ears had taken his seat, sparking an argument.

The stall owner found it odd because, if he remembered correctly, this self-proclaimed leader of the Arataki Gang was supposed to be locked up by the Tenryou Commission. So how was he here today? Had someone broken him out?

In any case, the argument between the two escalated into a competitive eating contest.

Unfortunately for the oni, the woman had chosen Kitsune Ramen, a dish that included tofu—a food deadly to the oni.

Even so, the oni had somehow managed to eat thirty-two bowls despite losing consciousness after about ten bowls.

"Alright, I give up. This seat is yours. I'll also cover the cost of the ramen," the fox-eared woman said, sounding slightly disappointed. But judging by the way she paid, the money meant nothing to her.

Perhaps watching an oni consume so much of a food he despised was entertaining enough for her.

"Hm?"

As the woman with fox ears finished paying, she paused and glanced over at the oni who was being carried off by his Arataki Gang subordinates. After a moment of contemplation, she turned and walked away.

On the land of Inazuma, there were many foxes and fox statues. In a way, these statues served as her eyes, and through them, she saw something important.

Bai Luo had left Inazuma.