If it were just about knowing the pen name Sole of the Deep, Kokomi wouldn't have been so anxious.
In fact, she might have felt excited to be featured in such a masterpiece.
After all, her pen name was quite famous in certain circles.
The problem was that the author seemed to be using her as a template to describe the character named Sole of the Deep.
It was as if the only thing missing was her real name.
This couldn't be ignored.
Could it be a coincidence?
Perhaps the author was simply using well-known women in Inazuma as inspiration, and creating the Sole of the Deep character based on her wasn't impossible.
But... the hidden and confirmed information within the story made it seem unlikely to be mere coincidence.
Should she meet this author?
The idea startled Kokomi.
In the current situation, even a regular Watatsumi Island resident appearing in Inazuma City could be arrested by the Tenryou Commission, let alone herself.
Moreover, few people had ever met this mysterious author, and no one knew what he truly looked like.
Perhaps it would be better to have her subordinates keep an eye out for any suspicious individuals on Watatsumi Island.
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Haeresys.
Fatui Underground Arena.
Although it was an arena run by the Fatui, the spectators were all distinguished individuals from Snezhnaya.
In the octagon-like arena, a young boy lay motionless.
However... his full head of white hair made it hard to associate him with the word "young."
"Subject #139, vital signs have ceased. Reconstruction is initiating."
Amid the dissatisfied murmurs of the crowd, the judge coldly announced the boy's fate.
"H-how could this be? He was defeated so easily..."
In the highest row of the spectator stands, a middle-aged man named Krobber watched the boy in the arena, sweat beading on his forehead.
This was a specimen he had gone to great lengths to procure from Mondstadt.
If it didn't perform well...
"This material isn't showing much improvement, Krobber."
A mocking voice sounded behind him, nearly causing him to drop to his knees.
The speaker was a mysterious figure dressed in luxurious clothing, his face covered by a strange black-and-white mask.
However, the derision and madness in his voice were palpable, even through the mask.
The tube-like object emitting a peculiar glow above his right ear sent a shiver down anyone's spine.
The glow was all too reminiscent of a certain radioactive material.
"M-master!"
"It seems you're out of ideas as well. Perhaps next time, we should use you as the test subject?"
The mysterious figure raised his hand, pointing a finger at Krobber.
Though his tone seemed playful, Krobber knew all too well that his master was a man of his word.
If he couldn't provide a satisfactory solution, he would undoubtedly be the next one in the arena!
Driven by a strong survival instinct, he suddenly remembered something.
He hurried to the mysterious figure's side and fawningly suggested, "No need for that, Master. I've recently received an invitation to the Pre-Windblume Festival banquet in Mondstadt. How about I go there and procure some more specimens?"
Indeed, he had received an invitation from the Mondstadt Merchant Guild's chairman and Dawn Winery's owner, Lord Diluc.
Initially, he had no intention of attending, but now... he could only hope that his master would be interested.
"Mondstadt, you say?"
The mysterious figure rose and walked to the railing, watching as the test subject was dragged from the arena.
A slightly crazed smile curved the lips visible through the small opening in his mask.
"I'll give you one more chance, but... I probably won't be able to go with you personally."
He actually wanted to see how the preparations for that particular task were coming along, but the Tsaritsa had assigned him more pressing duties, and he couldn't leave just yet.
"Rest assured, Master. I will go alone and will not disappoint you again."
Going together? Krobber knew all too well that accompanying his master would bring him no benefits.
On the contrary, it could very well end in his death if anything displeased him.
Take this instance, for example.
Even though the experiment had failed due to the master's flawed plan, the blame fell on the poor quality of the subject Krobber had procured.
It was the master who had claimed that the child from the bakery south of Mondstadt was a perfect candidate, ideally suited as a subject.
Krobber had gone to great lengths, deceiving both the Knights of Favonius and the Church, to secure the child under the guise of conscription.
Ah, they say serving a lord is like serving a tiger.
But in his case, the tiger was less dangerous than the master.
He would have never chosen to serve this man if he had known.
"Stop with your petty thoughts. I know exactly how efficient you are. If you don't bring anyone back, you'll be dead in Mondstadt before anyone else."
"Master, I value my life. Even if I die, it will be on the path of loyalty to you. So..."
Krobber's ingratiating smile didn't faze the mysterious man at all.
He returned to his seat, a rare contemplative expression crossing his face.
"Where's Bai Luo? Why hasn't he shown up lately?"
As if remembering something, he turned to Krobber with the question.
"Bai Luo?"
Krobber was momentarily confused, but then realized who his master was referring to.
"Do you mean the Ausbilder, Master? Have you forgotten? He's been promoted recently."
"Ausbilder? Promoted?"
After pondering for a moment, the mysterious man finally seemed to remember.
"Ah, I completely forgot. That little darling is a Harbinger now. What a pity. Compared to useless trash like you, he's far more perceptive. This is going to be difficult... I don't have the authority to order someone of equal rank."
Though he was annoyed that Bai Luo had once collected information under his name, the young man's performance had won his respect.
Unlike his other worthless subordinates, Bai Luo had a keen sense of timing, always providing useful intel just when it was most needed.
Rarely, he also seemed to share the mysterious man's ideology.
Among the Fatui, Bai Luo was the one he valued the most.
Valued so highly that he had even considered dissecting him to see what made him different from everyone else.
"He's gone to Inazuma, right?"
Recalling recent deployments, the mysterious man looked at Krobber for confirmation.
"Yes, since Ausbilder now a Harbinger, Her Majesty sent him to Inazuma, the most easily conquered nation, to hone his skills."
The Ausbilder's assignment to Inazuma was no secret in Snezhnaya.
In fact, the deployments of the Fatui Harbingers were often public knowledge.
Some were even given grand farewells before leaving.
Like Tartaglia and his group.
They had been sent to Liyue under the pretense of saving it and the entire Teyvat continent.
They were celebrated as heroes before they left.
"I think the Balladeer also went to Inazuma, right? He's overseeing my Delusion factory there."
"Master, do you mean...?"
Krobber swallowed nervously, uncertain of his master's intentions.
"Prepare to meet with Bai—no, I should call him the Ausbilder now. Prepare to meet with the Ausbilder. I'll request permission from the Tsaritsa to have him assist you in Mondstadt."
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