"So generous? I hope you'll be just as diligent when you work in the future." Ember said expectantly, patting Balladeer's shoulder after seeing him wave his hand dismissively.
"Work?" A hint of confusion appeared in Balladeer's eyes. Soon, he realized, what was Ember doing on Tsurumi Island?
He came to Tsurumi Island to find something that even Beelzebul found troublesome.
What about Ember? He couldn't possibly be here for the same reason, could he? Balladeer thought Ember just staying in Inazuma was already troublesome enough for Beelzebul.
"I remember you were the one who suggested going to Tsurumi Island. What did you come to Tsurumi Island for?"
Balladeer turned his head and asked Ember.
Ember didn't respond immediately. He merely glanced at the Fatui gathered around the bonfire; without exception, their faces were filled with exhaustion.
The more strenuously they rowed the boat, the sorer their bodies felt now.
"Before you answer that question for me, shouldn't you answer one of mine first?"
"Did the Fatui have a hand in Inazuma's Sakoku Decree and Vision Hunt Decree?"
As soon as these words were spoken, Childe, who had just been resting with his eyes closed, trembled and sprang up from the beach with a carp-like flip.
"It has nothing to do with me, I don't know anything. If you ask me who owes Northland Bank money, I can immediately pull out a long list of names for you."
"But what I can understand is limited to debts and collections. These policy-related things definitely have nothing to do with me!"
Childe waved his hands quickly, hastily trying to distance himself from the matter.
However, under everyone's gaze, Childe's movements gradually slowed down, mainly because being the center of attention made him quite uncomfortable.
"Since you asked that, it seems you've received some definite information. Yes, I admit that the Fatui did play a part in the Sakoku Decree and Vision Hunt Decree."
"What? Did you specifically drag us here to make it easier to deal with us?"
Balladeer feigned composure, his gaze never leaving Ember, fearing that Ember might suddenly lash out.
Childe, hearing Balladeer's words, darted his eyes around—he was considering where he should run if he had to escape later.
"Haha, do I look like such a bloodthirsty person?" Seeing Balladeer and Childe's subtle movements, Ember couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"See... never mind, you probably can't see it." Ember put one arm around Balladeer's neck and pointed at the distant dense fog, wanting him to take a good look at the desolate Tsurumi Island.
However, after realizing that Balladeer's vision couldn't penetrate the thick fog, he decisively lowered his arm.
Ember turned to the tense Balladeer and said, "Tsurumi Island is a good place, but it has one small drawback: it hasn't been developed yet."
"So, since you Fatui have caused so much destruction to Inazuma, how about compensating them with a fully developed island? What do you say?"
After Ember finished speaking, he stared intently at Balladeer, awaiting his answer.
Seeing Balladeer lower his head and remain silent for a long time, Ember placed his lowered hand on Balladeer's shoulder and began to apply pressure.
"Crack!"
A sound like brittle wood snapping suddenly appeared in the silent camp, making everyone's hearts tighten.
"Stop, stop, stop! Agree! We agree!"
Excruciating pain shot from Balladeer's shoulder, causing beads of cold sweat to seep from his forehead.
As a puppet, he shouldn't have felt pain, but at this moment, pain surged into Balladeer's mind like a tide.
If it weren't for his strong mental fortitude, he would probably have fainted by now.
"That's more like it." Ember immediately released his grip on Balladeer's shoulder, acting like a good-natured gentleman.
"Phew…" Balladeer looked up at Ember, then shifted his attention to his half-damaged shoulder.
Pulling open his collar, Balladeer glanced inside. Fine cracks had already spread across his shoulder.
Fortunately, there were only cracks, no further damage. At this level, Balladeer could still barely repair it himself.
"Balladeer has agreed, so what about you, Childe?" After dealing with one leader, Ember turned his gaze to the other leader.
"I completely agree!" Childe didn't hesitate and immediately nodded.
Balladeer was a puppet and could endure such a blow. But he wasn't; if Ember gave him such a blow, even if he could eventually recover, it would inevitably leave lasting damage.
The importance of a shoulder to a warrior was almost as great as that of the limbs. Childe dared not try it.
"That's right!" Ember was very satisfied, seeing Childe nod like a pecking chick.
He looked at the intimidated Fatui nearby and snapped his fingers.
"Boom!"
The firelight brightened even more, and the heat it emitted dispelled the cold brought by the fog.
"Sleep, sleep. Only after a good night's sleep can we explore Tsurumi Island, right?"
"Hmm… hmm… hmm…"
After Ember finished speaking, he pretended to snore.
Hearing Ember's snores, Balladeer sighed deeply.
"You all look exhausted. Rest."
After Ember's antics, Balladeer also lost interest in exploring Tsurumi Island. He waved his hand and lay down on the ground… The fog on the outskirts of Tsurumi Island lingered, and Ember sat by the bonfire, not knowing how much time had passed.
"Mmm…"
"Awake?"
"Awake!"
Childe, hearing Ember's voice, immediately lost all sleepiness and was full of energy.
"How much time has passed?" Balladeer also opened his eyes. In fact, he didn't need to sleep, but after realizing Ember wasn't sleeping either, he decisively shut himself down.
"I don't know. The fog hasn't changed much, but it should be daytime now," Ember speculated, looking at the fog, which was noticeably brighter than yesterday.
The only thing on Tsurumi Island that could distinguish time was the fog that enveloped the entire island. Besides that, nothing else could be seen.
"What's the point of knowing the time? We might as well go explore now." Childe got up and stretched. He looked at the vast white expanse around him, eager to start.
"That's true. Let's set off now." Ember also thought it made sense.
"Set off? How do we set off? We can't see anything around us; if we rush forward, we might get separated without even knowing it." Balladeer looked at the surrounding fog. If they set off like this, a group of people would be no different from one person.
"That's a problem." Ember also noticed this. He scratched his head, then took a deep breath.
"Screech! Boom!"
Firelight erupted from Ember's body. This firelight was insignificant compared to the previous bonfire, but its radiance was extremely penetrating.
The firelight, like a sharp needle, pierced through the "paper" of the dense fog, shooting directly into the distance.
However, compared to the firelight, what was most striking was the surging aura emanating from Ember's body.
Ember's aura soared to the sky, like a beacon in the dark night, visible from a great distance.
"You… what are you doing?" Childe, seeing Ember in this state, couldn't help but take a few steps back in fear.
In his memory, Ember's posture like this was always displayed when facing a powerful enemy.
So now that he had taken on this appearance, what was he doing? Could it be that he was dissatisfied with the Fatui's answer yesterday and wanted to eliminate them here?
"What am I doing? This way, you'll always be able to find me, right?" Bathed in the firelight, Ember reined in some of his aura.
It was striking enough but not so overwhelming as to make people gasp for breath.
"I declare, the Fatui Tsurumi Island advance party, depart now!"
With that, Ember sprinted into the mist.
Although his figure was swallowed by the dense fog, the fiery glow on him pierced through who-knew-how-thick the fog was, flickering in everyone's eyes.
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