"Never mind, let's not dwell on it. It's all in the past now."
Paimon rubbed her head, then looked at Fang Qiu and said:
"Let me introduce you. This is Sayu, a ninja of the Yashiro Commission, currently stationed at the Grand Narukami Shrine."
After introducing Sayu, Paimon introduced Fang Qiu in turn.
"It's you!"
When Sayu heard that Fang Qiu was the author of anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day and Weathering With You, her eyes went wide.
"Don't tell me you like reading Fang Qiu's books too, Sayu?"
Paimon looked shocked.
"No, no."
Sayu waved her hands, then warily scanned the surroundings, even sliding the door open to peek out at the garden and the veranda a few times, before finally sighing. "It's because that woman... Yae... Lady Guuji. Every time she wants to make life hard for me, she pulls out one of Fang Qiu's books. She tries to eat into my rest time, forcing me to read them. And worse, she once made me deliver a book all by myself to that lord..."
"That lord?"
Lumine and Paimon both blinked in surprise.
Fang Qiu blinked too.
That lord?
Zoffy?
"The Shogun Almighty, of course."
Seeing that they didn't get what she meant, Sayu said timidly, in a small voice.
"Ah, I see."
Lumine and Paimon immediately understood.
Fang Qiu, meanwhile, swallowed hard.
The Shogun Almighty...
In other words, the Raiden Shogun...
Back when she was still in Liyue, she'd already heard plenty of rumors about Inazuma's Raiden Shogun.
Just like the Anemo Archon, who had reshaped Mondstadt's terrain with the power of wind and sheared off the peak of a snow mountain, or the Geo Archon, who had hurled down a spear of stone that became a massive island.
It was said that the Raiden Shogun had once, with a single strike, cleaved the Serpent God in two, along with the vast island beneath its feet.
Even now, that place was still saturated with violent Electro energy.
It was terrifying, to put it plainly.
Her strength was so great that she stood among the rarest of the rare across the entire Teyvat continent.
Unlike Mondstadt's vanished Anemo Archon or Liyue's deceased Geo Archon.
Inazuma's god was the genuine article — a truly living deity.
And that Yae Miko of the Grand Narukami Shrine had actually sent a little girl like this to deliver a book to that deity...
No wonder Sayu had been scared out of her wits.
If it had been her, she probably would've been half-scared to death too.
Sure, she'd seen plenty of grand scenes in her time, but standing face-to-face with an actual god? That she'd never experienced...
As for the whole business of delivering a book to a god, the deity in question had most likely never even read her work.
After all, what kind of god would enjoy reading light novels?
As for that earlier story about the Raiden Shogun tasting Dango Milk, it was probably like some tale of Emperor Qianlong going incognito to try soup dumplings.
Just sampling a novelty, nothing more.
Besides, as a ruler, she could hardly say the food tasted bad after trying it, could she?
"Sayu, this isn't Fang Qiu's fault. It's all that Miko's doing."
Paimon said.
"I know."
Sayu said.
"Good, then."
After saying that, Paimon paused, puzzled, and asked, "Wait, that's odd. If Miko sent you to pick up Fang Qiu, how come you didn't know her name?"
"She told me to come pick up you two, the Travelers, and said if there was a silver-haired woman with you, I should treat her well too."
Sayu said, spreading her hands.
"I see."
Paimon understood in an instant.
Miko probably figured that since Sayu didn't know Fang Qiu, sending her to fetch Fang Qiu specifically might mean she wouldn't find her even by tomorrow.
But by sending Sayu to fetch her and the Traveler, Fang Qiu would get picked up along the way too.
All that could be said was — that was Miko for you.
After chatting for a bit, they started settling in their luggage.
Once the luggage was set, Paimon and the Traveler suddenly remembered they had business of their own — they needed to go find Yae Miko.
Paimon's face was full of anticipation.
When they asked Fang Qiu if she wanted to come along, she declined without hesitation, saying she wasn't feeling well and wanted to rest at the inn for a while. She then handed them the manuscript of her new book, asking them to pass it along for her.
After hearing Sayu's complaints, Fang Qiu had already filed Yae Miko away as a dangerous individual.
Staying at the inn was simply safer.
"Alright then. Get some rest, Fang Qiu."
The Traveler and Paimon pulled a set of bedding from the closet and laid it out on the tatami for Fang Qiu, then left with the manuscript of The Legend of Sword and Fairy 3.
After the Traveler and Paimon left, Sayu yawned, stretched, and looked at Fang Qiu. "Can I keep sleeping here?"
"Sure."
Fang Qiu nodded.
"Great. If I sleep here, Priestess Sister won't be able to find me."
As she spoke, Sayu yawned again and slid open the closet, ready to pull out another set of bedding.
Fang Qiu had meant to help, but Sayu easily hauled out a futon several times bigger than her own body and laid it out on the tatami.
"Good night."
With that, she burrowed into the bedding and drifted peacefully to sleep.
Watching Sayu's unguarded sleeping face, Fang Qiu resisted the urge to pat her head and turned to examine the room instead.
A standard Japanese-style interior.
Sliding doors, tatami mats, a built-in closet, hanging scrolls, floor cushions, paper lanterns — all in traditional style.
And an exquisite kimono hanging on the wall.
Outside the door lay a traditional garden, complete with hills, water, and trees.
There was even the iconic bamboo water-catcher known as a shishi-odoshi, also called a sōzu.
Once the bamboo tube filled with water, it would tip to one side, pour the water out completely, then spring back and strike a stone with a crisp, hollow thock.
It was meant to scare off birds.
As for where the device had originated, she wasn't sure.
On the other side of the room was a wooden veranda, where the sea breeze drifted in, gentle and just right.
Fiery red maple leaves swirled on the wind.
Not bad. Really not bad.
There was just one thing that puzzled Fang Qiu.
Where were the cherry blossoms?
Why were nearly all the trees on the island maples?
Not a single cherry tree in sight?
That wasn't what the Traveler and Paimon had told her.
Where were the skies full of drifting cherry petals they'd promised?
After taking in the scenery for a while, bored out of her mind, Fang Qiu decided to get some sleep too.
She shut the doors and windows, burrowed into the bedding the Traveler had laid out for her, and fell into a deep sleep.
...
Paimon and the Traveler made their way to the Kanjou Commission headquarters that Kano Nana had mentioned.
Inside the Kanjou Commission, Yae Miko was in a meeting with her editors. When she saw Paimon and the Traveler arrive, her eyes narrowed slightly, and she said teasingly, "I only just heard from Kano Nana that you'd delivered Fang Qiu to Inazuma. I didn't expect you'd show up at my door this fast. Don't tell me you're here for your payment?"
"Wh... what?! No way... Miko, we came specially to deliver Fang Qiu's new manuscript to you, and here you are thinking we came for payment! Paimon's mad now!"
Paimon had actually been feeling a little guilty at first, but the moment she spotted the sealed paper envelope in Lumine's hands, she straightened up with newfound confidence and even turned the accusation right back around.
"A new book?"
Yae Miko blinked in mild surprise, then a smile crept unbidden across her lips. "Would you mind waiting a little longer? Let me finish this meeting first."
"No problem."
They settled off to the side and listened quietly.
Yae Miko turned her attention back to the editors. "Kuroda, cancel the planned print run of the hardcover special edition of Your Lie in April. Once I've personally reviewed the manuscript, switch the print run to Fang Qiu's new book. Murata, the moment this meeting ends, go start preparing the promotional materials for Fang Qiu's new book. It has to be finished before the Irodori Festival — understood? As for the picture studio, send someone to confirm there are no issues there too. And since the Traveler has arrived, that means The Crux Fleet has arrived as well. Hirayama, I want you to go meet with Beidou personally."
With everyone's assignments handed out, the meeting continued a while longer. Since the Irodori Festival was still several days off and they had arrived early, most of the meeting concerned matters related to the festival.
The meeting dragged on for a long while before finally wrapping up.
"Where's Fang Qiu? Didn't she come?"
Once the editors had all gone off to carry out their tasks, Yae Miko handed the payment to Lumine and asked with a faint smile.
"She said she wasn't feeling well, probably worn out from the long journey, so she's resting at the inn."
Paimon glanced at the bulging pouch of Mora in Lumine's hand and leaned in to whisper in her ear, "Let's treat Fang Qiu to a feast tonight."
"Is that so."
Yae Miko's fox-like eyes flickered, and the corner of her mouth curled into a playful arc.
"Miko, that's a weird smile. Are you scheming something again?"
Paimon said, edging back slightly.
"I'm just the editor-in-chief of Yae Publishing House. What kind of scheme could I possibly have?"
Yae Miko smiled. "And even if I did, it'd have to wait until after I've read Fang Qiu's new book. Since payment's settled, hand over the manuscript."
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