From Kannazuka to the harbor at Ritou, the journey at sea could take anywhere from a day to several, depending on the winds and weather.
Once they were at sea, if the ship were to sink due to a storm, it would be nearly impossible for ordinary people to survive.
The refugees, overwhelmed by the joy of returning to Narukami Island, didn't notice that once they had reached deep waters, the samurai who were supposed to escort them all retreated into the ship's cabin.
Even the one steering the ship used the excuse of changing shifts to enter the cabin, locking the door behind him, leaving the refugees unaware.
Inside the Cabin
After the helmsman entered, the samurai exchanged glances, retrieving bundles of explosives from the cargo barrels, stacking them along both sides of the ship. There were enough explosives to blow the wooden vessel into pieces.
Once the fuses were set, the samurai moved toward the stern of the ship, planning to depart on a lifeboat once the fuse was lit.
Their mission was simple: under the pretense of escorting refugees to Narukami Island, they were to gather them mid-journey and sink the ship. If anyone discovered the plan, they would simply blame it on the Coral Palace rebels.
"Sir… do we really have to go through with this?" one of the younger samurai holding the fuse seemed hesitant, looking at the older samurai, clearly their leader.
"Are you questioning orders? This is a direct command from the family head. If you let these people return, we'll lose our heads instead!" the elder samurai snapped.
"But… wasn't the whole point of joining the army to protect the people?" the younger one muttered.
"And now you suddenly remember that? If you want to protect them so much, why don't you join them and drown in the sea!" The elder samurai snatched the fuse from him and was about to ignite it when something unexpected happened.
A small Electro Slime landed on his hand.
"An Electro Slime? How did this…?"
Before he could finish his sentence, the slime opened its mouth and shot an electric orb straight at his face. At the same time, more Electro Slimes emerged from the shadows around the cabin, carefully avoiding the explosives and surrounding the samurai, forcing them back toward the stern.
"Monsters! Be careful…" the elder samurai shouted, though his mind was foggy from the impact of the electric orb. He assumed the slimes had accidentally wandered into the ship.
Just then, a girl's voice echoed from behind them.
"Killing your own people? Inazuma is worse than Snezhnaya. If I'd known, I wouldn't have bothered coming here."
The samurai turned to see a young girl, a faint purple lantern in her hand, shaking her head lightly.
"You… you're Fatui?!" one of the samurai exclaimed.
"Correct! But even if you guessed right, you're still in for some pain~" Theresa giggled, covering her mouth with a hand. "After all, I just got scolded by my master, so I'm in a pretty foul mood right now~"
As she finished speaking, lightning sparked in Theresa's hand, and she charged at the samurai.
Having served in the scouting squads for years, and being capable of taking down entire Hilichurl camps alone in Guyun Stone Forest, Theresa's combat prowess was no joke. Even if she were up against Liyue's Qixing or Lumine, she could still hold her own. Dispatching a few Inazuma samurai was child's play.
Her only concern was making sure to control the lightning and the slimes carefully so as not to accidentally ignite the explosives.
It only took a few moves for Theresa to subdue the samurai, leaving them lying on the ground, twitching in pain.
At that moment, the cabin door opened, and Natalia and Igor entered, locking the door behind them.
Natalia frowned as she saw the samurai lying there, frothing at the mouth.
"Didn't Lord Luo Qing say not to be too rough? What have you done?"
"I couldn't help it~" Theresa replied, feigning innocence with a playful tone. "I've been a little angry lately~"
"..."
"Luo Qing asked us to interrogate them, to find out who gave the orders, and to leave behind some evidence. But look at them now…"
Natalia sighed, feeling exasperated. It would be difficult to interrogate them when they were barely conscious.
"Oh, come on! I didn't hit them that hard. They should wake up soon. Hey, you! Wake up, stop twitching…" Theresa crouched down, slapping one of the samurai lightly on the face.
After a few slaps, a young samurai finally regained consciousness, gasping for breath as he sat up.
"You… you're Fatui..."
"Well, guess what? My lord has some questions for you. I suggest you answer truthfully~ Or we'll toss you overboard to feed the fish~" Theresa taunted, her tone light and playful as if throwing people into the sea was just another part of her day.
Suddenly, a thought crossed her mind, and she turned to Natalia, asking, "Shouldn't we let the refugees listen in on the interrogation too? It might make these guys more likely to confess if the civilians hear them."
"Luo Qing said there were too many refugees to control. As long as we have these guys as leverage, it'll be enough. When we get to shore, someone will be there to take them away," Natalia explained patiently.
Theresa blinked blankly. "I don't get it…"
"..."
"Just stick to the interrogation. Ask him who gave the orders."
"Oh, I get that part! Leave it to me~" Theresa beamed, then immediately slapped the young samurai across the face again.
"Speak! Who gave you the order to drown those refugees?"
"..."
"Why… why are the Fatui asking about this…? What does this have to do with you?" the young samurai muttered through bloodied lips, his eyes darting nervously. It seemed that even he felt guilty about the planned massacre.
"Does it matter? We help when we see injustice! What's your problem, huh? You don't like it?" Theresa snapped, slapping him again before he could respond.
Another samurai, just regaining consciousness, was about to stand when his face met the same stinging slap. Dazed, he heard Theresa's voice shouting again.
"Speak! Who gave you the order?!"
It was late into the night. On the deck, many of the refugees had fallen asleep despite the chaos of their minds, their faces twisted in pain due to the lingering effects of the Tatarigami's curse. Some even woke suddenly, coughing up blood.
Seeing that it was time, Luo Qing signaled to Sergei to continue steering the ship while he descended into the cabin to check on the interrogation.
As he entered, he found the samurai huddled in a corner, their faces swollen like pigs' heads, trembling in fear.
Standing over them, Theresa had her hands on her hips, impatiently tapping her foot on the floor. She looked as though she were ready to slap anyone who so much as breathed the wrong way.
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