Islands are always surrounded by peninsulas and smaller islands, and Watatsumi Island is no exception.
As a large island, Watatsumi Island has many such peninsulas around it, like countless stars in the sky.
However, four of these are particularly large, and together with their resonance with the Moon-Bathed Deep in the center of Watatsumi Island, the people of Watatsumi Island collectively refer to these five locations, including the Moon-Bathed Deep, as the "Five Wounds of Watatsumi."
These five are the Eye, Fang, Fin, Tail, and Heart. And now, on the "Tail" of Watatsumi Island's eastern shallows, a stealthy figure has appeared.
"The Tail? It should be here, right?" Enjou squatted behind a large rock, peeking his head out and muttering to himself as he looked at the desolate beach ahead.
After many days of lurking by their Abyss four-person team, combined with their intelligence, they finally figured out the path to Enkanomiya.
This secret lay within the Five Wounds of Watatsumi, which the people of Watatsumi Island often spoke of but preferred not to look at too closely.
The four small islands—Eye, Fang, Fin, and Tail—are located to the west, north, south, and east of Watatsumi Island, respectively. Together with the Moon-Bathed Deep, which serves as the "Heart" in the center, they form a grand array covering the entire island.
As for the purpose of this grand array… Enjou scratched his head. Enyu, the smartest among them, had eloquently explained a great deal, but Enjou hadn't understood a single word.
As for why he was still able to successfully reach the Tail of Watatsumi, Enjou pulled out a small scroll.
"Search the Tail of Watatsumi to see if there are any things like warding stones."
The text on the scroll was twisted and chaotic, lost words that humans could not comprehend. Yet, Enjou read it without any difficulty.
The chaotic aura on the scroll was, for him, less invigorating than the chill it exuded.
"It seems I need to quickly find the mechanism." Enjou shivered. When Enyu got angry, even as an Abyss Herald, he felt afraid.
After confirming his next course of action, Enjou cautiously emerged from behind the large rock and began to move forward, exploring.
Why was Enjou so careful? It was all thanks to his painful experience of being robbed 34 times since arriving in Inazuma.
How long had he been in Inazuma? He had been robbed 34 times, and only he knew the hardships involved.
Nobushi robbed him, deserters robbed him, and even when he sought lodging, vicious villagers extorted him!
Enjou adjusted his glasses, thinking that next time he would definitely transform into a muscular man who clearly looked unapproachable.
Enjou advanced across the shallows, accompanied only by the pale soil unique to Watatsumi Island and sparse, scattered vegetation.
Soon, a dilapidated shrine appeared before him. In front of the shrine, a severely weathered stone tablet stood.
"Let me see… a stone tablet? There really is something?"
Enjou's face lit up when he saw the shrine and the stone tablet. He hurried forward and examined them closely.
The stone tablet was severely weathered, its edges smoothed out. Fortunately, the inscriptions on it were still clear, not entirely unreadable.
But what difference did that make to Enjou?
He stroked his chin, circled the stone tablet several times, and then slapped his head, saying, "Why am I looking at this? I can't understand human writing at all!"
Then Enjou sat on the ground, pulling at his hair in frustration.
If he couldn't read the words, what should he do next?
"Hey! What are you doing here?!"
Just as Enjou was troubled, he suddenly felt someone tap his shoulder.
"Who?" Enjou jumped in fright. He sprang from the ground and saw Fatui carrying large and small bags in front of him.
"Fatui? Trying to rob me again? I warn you, I'm a good fighter!" Enjou immediately brandished his fists when he saw the Fatui in front of him.
"Rob you? What do you have worth robbing? On the contrary, I'm here to give you something." The leading Lieutenant found Enjou's menacing posture quite amusing.
He nodded to the Fatui behind him, and the soldiers stirred slightly.
"Captain, are we really giving it away?"
"Otherwise, would you dare disobey the Lady's orders?" The Lieutenant sighed deeply. He didn't know what those above him were thinking.
He was just a small Lieutenant, and he only needed to follow orders. As for anything else, he didn't want to think too much.
"Giving something? Giving what?" Seeing that this group of Fatui had no intention of robbing him, Enjou breathed a sigh of relief. He finally met someone he could talk to properly.
"Food. Our camp is being moved, and we have some leftover provisions, so we're giving them to you."
As the Lieutenant spoke, the soldiers behind him threw a package over.
Enjou opened the package, and inside were golden-yellow loaves of bread.
"We're about to be redeployed. Keeping these long-stored provisions would just mean giving them away eventually, so you're just in luck."
The Lieutenant explained, seeing Enjou's dazed expression.
Unfortunately, Enjou wasn't dazed; he was simply disgusted by what the Fatui were giving him.
He was an Abyss Herald; what did he need this food for?
"Tha… thanks." Enjou struggled for a long time before thanking the Fatui opposite him.
"Haha, no need to be polite." Enjou's reaction, in the eyes of the Fatui, was undoubtedly one of gratitude so profound he couldn't even speak clearly.
Seeing Enjou's grateful expression, the leading Lieutenant scratched his head a little awkwardly. He hadn't expected to experience the joy of helping others.
It felt… not bad?
"What are you doing here alone? You're not fleeing famine, are you?" The Lieutenant raised an eyebrow, seeing Enjou's relatively neat appearance.
"Me?" Enjou pointed to his face. He looked around, then caught sight of the stone tablet nearby.
"I'm here for archaeology! I saw ruins here, so I came over!" Enjou pointed at the stone tablet with one hand and adjusted his glasses with the other.
At first glance, it seemed quite convincing.
"Archaeology? Interesting. In such chaotic times, someone actually comes here for archaeology?" The Lieutenant couldn't help but laugh at Enjou's explanation.
"I'm guessing you are too, right?" Enjou stood on tiptoes, looking at the large and small scrolls held by the soldiers behind the Lieutenant, guessing.
Ordinary Fatui wouldn't carry such intellectual items; they'd rather replace those books with bombs.
"Haha, pretty much, but not anymore!" The Lieutenant nodded and admitted it. They had been on this small island for a long time, and their research had stalled.
Now they were being summoned by the Lady to do some "provision transport" work, so their research would likely remain unfinished.
Seeing Enjou start circling the stone tablet again, the Lieutenant's face showed appreciation.
He said to Enjou, "The inscription on this stone tablet means: 'Upon holy pilgrimage, one who bears divine grace shall tread lightly and slowly, following the lights. Avoid running and leaping, avoid shouting and wailing. One must embrace the great serpent god's grace with a heart of mournful silence…'"
"Specifically, it means to have a heart of piety."
The Lieutenant sighed. A heart of piety—where would the Fatui find such a thing? That's why their research had stalled.
"A heart of piety?" Enjou didn't understand the first half of the Lieutenant's sentence, but he understood the latter half.
A heart of piety, he was sorry to say, he didn't have either.
"These are our findings. They're useless now, so they're yours. See what you can discover!"
The Lieutenant saw Enjou's thoughtful (confused) gaze, and his admiration grew. He then handed over the fruits of his labor from this period to Enjou.
"If you make any discoveries, don't forget to tell me. This is my first mission, after all, and I don't want to have any regrets."
"Our outpost should be here later. We Fatui are doing good deeds now. If your belongings are all stolen, you can get some things here."
Forcing the scroll into Enjou's arms, the Lieutenant also slipped in a map. Then he waved his hand and led the soldiers behind him away from the Tail of Watatsumi.
Touching the soft bread in his hand and then looking down at the scroll and map in his arms, Enjou, despite not being human, was still moved.
"There are still many good people in this world!"
Enjou exclaimed with great emotion.
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