"Are you the distinguished guest Miss Kamisato mentioned?" Sayu lifted her head and asked, "How old are you? And how did you grow so tall?"
"Uh…" Lora blinked, meeting Sayu's curious gaze, unsure how to respond. Was that really the first thing one asked upon meeting someone?
As for her age… that was better left untouched.
"Sayu!" Kamisato Ayaka stepped forward and said to Lora, "This is Sayu, the guide I've arranged for you. Don't let her small stature fool you—she's one of the ninjas of the Shuumatsuban."
Holding Yae Miko in her arms, Lora nodded.
"Then I'll be in your care, Sayu."
Sayu placed her hands on her hips and puffed out her chest as much as she could.
"Yes! Leave everything to me! A ninja of the Shuumatsuban will complete the mission without fail! Please rest assured, Miss Ayaka!"
After Lora left the Kamisato residence with Hélie and Yae Miko, following Sayu toward Watatsumi Island, Kamisato Ayaka immediately sent word to Ritou, inviting Fu Hai to temporarily assume Lora's responsibilities as Liyue's envoy.
Sayu led them to the shore and somehow secured a wave-rider for the journey.
"Right now, every route to Watatsumi Island—by sea or land—is being watched by the Tenryou Commission. Only smugglers know certain back routes. I'm pretty familiar with this kind of thing, so I managed to get us a wave-rider. We'll take this straight to Watatsumi Island."
As a ninja of the Shuumatsuban, Sayu was anything but someone to be pushed around. Even if she lacked the experience of some of her seniors, she was a capable ninja in her own right.
Lora stepped aboard the wave-rider, and Sayu set their course toward Watatsumi Island.
The cabin wasn't large, but it was more than enough for Lora, Sayu, and Hélie. Yae Miko, cradled in her arms, took up almost no space at all—like a small keepsake she carried with her.
As the boat cut across the water, Yae Miko's tail swayed lazily. Lora leaned back against the cabin wall, her eyes half-lidded.
The steady rhythm of waves against the hull gradually made her drowsy.
"The sound really does make you sleepy…"
Sayu, sitting nearby, nodded emphatically.
"Yes! That's why Sayu is going to sleep now. Honored guest, the wave-rider will keep moving on its own. I've already set the course for Watatsumi Island. I'll nap first—just wake me when we arrive!"
With that, she curled up on the spot and transformed into a daruma doll.
Hélie tilted her head, studying the daruma Sayu had become, then reached out and gave it a light poke.
"D-Don't poke my disguise!" Sayu's muffled voice protested from inside.
Lora suppressed a laugh. Stroking Yae Miko's head, she said to Hélie,
"Don't disturb her. If you're tired, you should rest for a bit too. We woke up rather early today. I doubt you got enough sleep."
Hélie shook her head firmly.
"No! If I fall asleep, I won't be able to respond immediately if you need me!"
Lora looked at her.
"It's alright. I can handle things on my own. And if you don't rest properly, then if something really does happen later, you won't be in the best shape to protect me."
Hélie fell silent, carefully considering that. After a moment, she nodded.
"You're right. Then… I'll rest for a little while. If anything unexpected happens, you must wake me!"
"Mhm."
Lora gave a small nod.
Once Hélie drifted off, Yae Miko lifted her head from Lora's arms and looked up at her.
"She followed you all the way from Fontaine? She doesn't know who you really are?"
Lora shook her head.
"Very few people do."
"She looks quite comfortable to hold. Why not hold her instead?" Yae Miko asked lightly.
Lora replied without hesitation.
"She's too big. I prefer smaller ones like you—just the right size to fit in my arms. When Makoto was still around, didn't I carry you like this too?"
"But back then I didn't even have a human form. That's different," Yae Miko said helplessly. Not having a human form at all and having one, yet being forced back into a fox—how could those possibly feel the same?
"Is it?"
Lora ran her fingers through Yae Miko's fur, smoothing it down in slow strokes.
"But you do seem to enjoy being held."
"…There's something about you that makes people relax," Yae Miko admitted after a brief silence. "Being in your arms really does feel… easier."
"That's only natural. I am the Source of Life. For any being of Teyvat, feeling at ease near me is perfectly normal."
Lora wasn't surprised. Being close to Neuvillette would probably feel similar—but she doubted anyone would dare try.
Let alone lie in the Chief Justice's arms.
The mental image was far too vivid. She immediately dismissed it.
The wave-rider continued forward when, without warning, the sea ahead shifted violently, jolting everyone inside.
Sayu sprang to her feet at once and rushed out of the cabin.
Lora followed, carrying Yae Miko and Hélie, and saw several wave-riders blocking the waters ahead. Dozens of Treasure Hoarders stood on their decks.
"Oh no—pirates!" Sayu cried. "These guys target smugglers around here! And since the merchants can't let the Shogunate find out about their smuggling, they don't dare report it to the Tenryou Commission. That's why they've gotten so bold! Yoohoo Art—retreat!"
Sayu seized the helm and spun it hard, sharply veering the boat in another direction.
But more Treasure Hoarders closed in from every side, cutting off all escape routes.
As they drew nearer, Sayu clutched her head and crouched down.
"Oh no, oh no, this is bad… Today's just not my day. I can't use my ninjutsu properly out on open water. There's no way I can handle this many at once…"
Hélie's expression turned solemn. She watched the approaching Treasure Hoarders closely, already calculating the angle from which she could take down the most in the shortest time.
Lora gently stroked Yae Miko's fur, then freed one hand to pat Sayu on the head.
"Sayu, don't be afraid. Look—"
The instant the word left her lips, the previously calm sea erupted.
Towering waves surged up and swallowed the Treasure Hoarders and their boats whole, dragging them down into the depths.
A whirlpool spun briefly where they had been—then just as quickly subsided. The sea smoothed over, returning to perfect stillness.
It was as though they had never existed at all.