Chapter 202: Changsheng Helps Out
Conan had never imagined the internal dynamics of the mysterious organization to be so chaotic. In his previous encounters, their operations had felt coordinated, not like the complex web of allegiances now being revealed.
However, Shuichi Akai's words had just confirmed a critical piece of his theory: Kaeya and the others did, in fact, belong to an organization.
Its name was Teyvat.
It had been a long and arduous road. After meeting so many people connected to this enigma, Conan finally had a name to anchor his investigation. He promptly shared the intelligence he had gathered on Teyvat in return.
Only then did Shuichi Akai learn that Teyvat was somehow connected to gods and strange artifacts called Visions. Like Conan, his first instinct was to associate it with some form of religious cult.
The mention of a Vision jogged Akai's memory, pulling him back to a specific scene.
That's right. Back at the hotel, both Kaeya and the man called Tartaglia possessed a unique, glowing gem. At the time, Akai had dismissed them as mere accessories, but he now understood their true purpose: they were likely symbols of identity, markers of rank or affiliation.
Fortunately, not much time had passed, and the designs of those two Visions were still etched in his mind.
Kaeya's was nothing new; Conan had seen it in person and knew its shape. Akai pulled a pen and a small notepad from his pocket. With a few deft strokes, he made a simple sketch of the Vision he had seen on Tartaglia and handed it to the boy.
Conan took the paper, his expression serious as he studied the drawing. Just as he suspected, the frame and design were entirely different from any he had seen before.
'This means they hold special status even within the Teyvat Organization,' Conan thought, his mind racing. 'They have codenames. The Snezhnayan Fatui… they must be a primary focus of our investigation into Teyvat.'
"So, in all your time with that girl, you really haven't found anything unusual about her?" Shuichi Akai pressed, wanting to confirm one last time.
Conan frowned, his mind carefully retracing every interaction he'd had since meeting Natsume. Finally, he shook his head. "Natsume really doesn't have anything that stands out. Other than her exceptional combat skills, unnervingly sharp senses, and a few more good friends than average, she's normal."
A corner of Shuichi Akai's mouth twitched.
Exceptional combat skills, unnervingly sharp senses, and a few more good friends?
That was already a far cry from ordinary.
However, he understood what Conan meant. The boy had observed no strange behavior, no clandestine meetings, nothing to suggest she was actively involved with the Black Organization. Considering the sharp intellect Conan had demonstrated over the past few days, Akai decided to trust his judgment for now.
"Also," Conan said, his tone shifting as they concluded their discussion on Teyvat, "regarding Mizunashi Rena, I have an idea…"
The topic returned to the Black Organization, and Conan laid out a daring plan for their upcoming operation.
"Oh?" Shuichi Akai raised an eyebrow, a flicker of genuine surprise crossing his features as he listened. He cast a sidelong glance at the boy, his expression one of renewed appreciation.
Late that night.
An FBI agent stood vigil by Mizunashi Rena's hospital bed. His gaze was fixed on her still form, ensuring he wouldn't miss the slightest sign of her waking.
But the hour was late, and the sterile quiet of the room was taking its toll. Though his mind remained alert, his body was beginning to betray him. He wasn't exhausted, but a jaw-cracking yawn escaped him, the sound echoing softly in the stillness.
What he failed to notice was the slight movement of the hospital room window. As he yawned, the faint click of the latch was perfectly masked by the sound.
A long, white form slowly slithered in from the outside.
It flowed from the window down to the floor, hugging the shadows as it moved into a corner. From there, it crept silently, approaching the FBI agent from behind.
The white shape drew close to the agent's ankle. There was a faint prick, a bite so light it was barely felt, and then it immediately retreated back into the darkness of the corner.
The agent felt a minor sting. He glanced down, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. Pulling up his pant leg, he found two tiny red dots on his skin. Shrugging it off as a mosquito or some other small bug, he paid it no further mind.
He lowered his pant leg, straightened up, and resumed his watch over Mizunashi Rena.
Except now, for some reason, a wave of drowsiness washed over him, far heavier than before. It was still bearable, but his eyelids felt like lead weights.
A moment later, the FBI agent fell asleep on his feet.
The window slid open fully, and a figure floated into the room, landing with a silence that defied physics.
At that same moment, Mizunashi Rena, who had been feigning sleep on the bed, sensed that something was wrong. The room had become too quiet. The intermittent sound of yawning had ceased entirely, and she was certain she'd just heard the window open.
An uninvited guest had arrived. 'Is it someone from the Organization?' she wondered.
Assuming the intruder didn't know she was conscious, she remained perfectly still, ready to wait and see how the situation would unfold.
Then she heard it: a faint set of footsteps, suddenly materializing in the room and heading toward the FBI agent.
Outwardly, Mizunashi showed no reaction, but a cold spike of adrenaline shot through her. Her heart hammered against her ribs. She hadn't heard anyone climb through the window; the footsteps had simply begun, out of nowhere, from within the room itself.
Wanderer, oblivious to the fact that the woman on the bed was questioning if she'd seen a ghost or if her own senses were failing her, walked straight to the FBI agent. He waved a hand in front of the man's face, confirming he was deeply asleep before he finally relaxed.
"Changsheng, I didn't expect you to have this kind of ability," Wanderer said, his voice a low murmur. He walked to the corner and squatted, looking down at the white snake coiled on the floor, flicking its tongue in boredom.
"Of course~" a young, crisp voice suddenly chirped from the corner. "What do you think? Now you see you underestimated me before."
Lying on the bed, Mizunashi's panic intensified. A second voice had just appeared, and this time, she was absolutely certain there had been no footsteps at all.
Meanwhile, Changsheng was still nursing a grudge. She remembered when this rude fellow had suddenly appeared in Baizhu's office demanding an anesthetic. When Baizhu had recommended her help, the man had given her a look that clearly said, 'Just this little pet?'
Please. She was an Adeptus, after all. Finding a way to make a mere mortal fall asleep without a trace was an effortless task.
Changsheng raised her head, flicking her forked tongue as she waited for the annoying puppet to admit his mistake.
"Hey, wait! What are you doing?!" her voice rang out in a panicked squeak.
Wanderer had no intention of humoring her. Seeing that the guard was dealt with, he ignored Changsheng's protests, reached down, scooped up her serpentine body, and unceremoniously stuffed her into his pocket.
As she squirmed, trying to crawl out, he whispered a sharp warning, "Stay hidden. You can't be seen by outsiders right now."
Only then did Changsheng settle down.
Wanderer was right. A beautiful white snake like herself was exceedingly rare. If someone saw her and later discovered she belonged to Baizhu, they would immediately know his identity wasn't as simple as it seemed.
But she was still angry. From inside the pocket, she glared at Wanderer's side, feeling a strong urge to give him a sharp bite to teach him a lesson.
Then again, she reconsidered. Wanderer wasn't human; biting him probably wouldn't do anything. With a sigh of reptilian frustration, she went limp, flicking her tongue idly as she resigned herself to listening to the conversation between Wanderer and Mizunashi Rena from the darkness of his pocket.
[Inorin's Note:
Enjoying the story? Dropping a quick review, comment, or Power Stone means the world to me!
Want to read ahead on our official home, or unlock 50 advanced chapters (plus an Ad-Free experience) to feed your addiction? Help keep this shameless translator alive here:
(P.S. Replace the [.] with a regular dot . to use the links!)
🌐 Official Website: elysianreads[.]com
✨ Patreon (50 Advanced Chapters & Ad-Free): patreon[.]com/InorinTL
☕ Ko-fi (Support / Sponsor): ko-fi[.]com/InorinTL
Thank you so much for reading and keeping this project alive!]