A familiar, energetic voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Multiple lovers? Who else do you want to hold?"
Warm breath spurted against his neck, hair brushing his skin, causing him to pause.
Qiliangliang had shifted from her cat form to a girl and snuggled into his blanket.
And the sensation…
Aiden pursed his lips, the surge of youthful vitality within him responding. Naturally curious, Qiliangliang dove further into the blanket to investigate—but Aiden gently grabbed her by the nape and lifted her out.
"Ugh… what are you hiding in there?" Qiliangliang pouted. "Let me see!"
"See what? You've encountered the Shadow Camera," Aiden quipped lightly, avoiding any risqué misunderstandings.
"What? A Shadow Camera?"
"Then what else could it be?"
Qiliangliang froze for a moment, then nodded. She was still just a pure, innocent cat-girl at heart.
Aiden exhaled, relieved. It wasn't that he was indifferent to her—just that thinking of her innocent expression made him feel morally conflicted. He had limits.
Together, they got up to wash, then walked toward the Narukami Shrine's dining hall.
On the way, Aiden asked casually, "Why are you in human form now? You always sleep beside me in cat form."
"Oh, right! I wanted to discuss something with you," Qiliangliang bounced to his side. "Now that you can leave Narukami Shrine, I have several deliveries scattered across the city. Can you fly me there?"
"What? Weren't your deliveries supposed to be lighter? And weren't you on break yesterday?"
"Yes, but some clients insisted today. Probably because it's a festival in Inazuma… the day the Shogun defeated the demon Orobas a thousand years ago."
Aiden noticed a hint of guilt behind her cheerful words. He didn't press, simply nodding.
At the dining hall, Aiden grabbed a bowl of ramen and slurped effortlessly—a fluid motion that amazed Qiliangliang. Only Kamisato Ayaka, Arataki Itto, and an ancient master named Kai could match this grace, she thought.
Suddenly, Qiliangliang's tail twitched. She looked back: both tails were now in the hands of Yae Miko.
"Sh-Shinso-sama!" Qiliangliang shivered.
"Mmm… nice feel. You take care of them well," Yae Miko said with a smile. "Aiden often touches your tails too, right?"
"Yes, yes! Besides my tail, he also—"
"Enough, Miko!" Aiden interrupted, aware of how exposed this could look in public. Even Nahida, Yae, and early acquaintances were watching.
Yae Miko's playful demeanor suddenly shifted into composed elegance, her shrine maiden aura and fox-spirit majesty exuding seamlessly.
"That was before," she murmured internally. "He is… special."
Watching the child she had nurtured, she could not treat him as she would others.
Once Aiden finished eating, Yae Miko's gaze turned serious. "Last night, the people you brought back caused quite a stir. There are some matters I need to assess you on."
---
Notes: Lan Naro doesn't require burning memory to fight. This misconception exists because most Lan Naro are timid; only a few are brave enough to battle, as documented in the Water Heaven Tome. Landisha, meanwhile, truly could kick over relic colossi, surpassing previous "Thousand Tree Kings" in raw power. Lan Naro's potential is enormous.
---
Inside Narukami Shrine's quiet chamber, Aiden sat across from Yae Miko.
Sensitive matters—like the activities of the Fatui—couldn't be discussed openly. Yae Miko's assessment was akin to grooming an heir; outsiders had no place.
Noticing her rare solemn expression, Aiden raised a brow. "It's just a few Fatui. Hardly a major issue."
As a player, he genuinely hadn't treated hunting Fatui as anything remarkable. In fact, he had long lost count of how many he'd slain just to farm Eula's materials.
"Not a big deal? You even captured their Sea Affairs Lieutenant. In Fatui ranks, she's second only to the Executrix." Yae Miko's glare was sharp.
Aiden froze. He realized he had immediately captured the second-in-command upon descending the mountain, explaining the pre-capture confidence of that Rena—she had walked in like royalty.
After all, diplomacy is always tied to national strength. Even though the other nations disliked Fatui's heavy-handedness, the weak cannot afford confrontation.
Inazuma, though bolstered by the Shogun, was comparable to Mondstadt in power; too much diplomatic chaos would be unwise.
"But I didn't expect her to be second-in-command," Aiden admitted, "but I couldn't let her go."
"The Kanjō Commissioner handles Fatui diplomacy closely. If a major incident occurs, Shinsuke Hiiragi will report it to the Evaluation Council, and the Shogun will inevitably take notice. I've already told you: Raiden Shogun won't show favoritism."
"I understand. The Shogun acts by the rules," Aiden nodded. He knew the plot, and Yae Miko had long explained Raiden Ei and Shogun secrets.
"Easy to say. Do you want to fight the Shogun?" she teased, observing him closely.
Aiden almost replied, That strike may not be out of reach, but hesitated. He didn't want to jinx himself—it sounded far too much like the Waverly friend with a lightning-element Vision and supreme swordsmanship.
Instead, he calmly explained, "The Shogun follows the rules. She won't favor me, but she won't favor them either. I have a reason to capture the Fatui."
He recounted yesterday's events, including what he overheard next to Rena, summarizing: "The Fatui interfered in Inazuma's affairs, provoked war, unsealed relics, destroyed the environment, and coveted the Raikou tree and Mikage core. Any one of these alone would be enough to doom them."
At first, Yae Miko hadn't been overly concerned. Her intelligence recognized the Eye Hunt and Lockdown Order as Winter's machinations. But learning of the relics and their coveting of the Raikou tree roused her.
"Hmph… the Fatui are bold," she said, her eyes flashing b
riefly with cold, before regaining composure. "But unfortunately, you lack sufficient evidence."