"I... Sir... this... I…"
Kirara stammered, unsure of how to explain herself.
She was used to delivering packages from rooftops—it was a habit by now. It was the first time someone had heard her footsteps and actually complained about the noise.
Five-star ratings were critical to her performance as a courier. If she didn't get enough five-star reviews each month, there was a risk she might get fired from her job.
And if she lost this job, she'd have to return to the wilderness, back to being the "great yokai" people whispered about.
Every five-star review was a lifeline for her.
Look at her... she's so scared, her tail's drooping down.
"Let's set aside the rating for now. Are you sure this delivery is meant for me?"
Seeing Kirara's anxious expression, Luo Qing sighed and decided to shift the conversation.
"Uh... 1145."
Kirara took a half-step back, tilting her head to check the number on the door. She then compared it with the delivery slip, nodding after confirming.
"Yes, sir, this is your delivery. For... Mr. Luo Qing, right?"
"That's me."
Luo Qing's brows furrowed slightly.
He'd only arrived in Ritou less than half a day ago. Other than his subordinates, who else could have tracked his movements so closely?
"Alright, hand it over."
"Certainly, sir! Just sign here, please!"
Luo Qing took the package from Kirara and signed the delivery slip. He was about to shut the door and return inside when he noticed Kirara was still standing there, unmoving, with no intention of leaving.
"Do you need something else?"
"I... um..."
Kirara hesitated, but suddenly gathered her courage. She bowed deeply at a perfect ninety-degree angle and blurted out:
"Mr. Luo Qing, I'm really sorry for disturbing your sleep earlier with the noise on the roof!"
Luo Qing blinked, taken aback. He hadn't expected her to bow and apologize so directly.
"Oh, I wasn't too bothered by it—"
Before he could finish, Kirara raised her head abruptly, her cat ears twitching slightly. Her eyes were wide and pleading.
"So, could you please give me a five-star review? It's very important to me!"
"Uh..."
Luo Qing was a little surprised by her insistence. Do delivery workers in Inazuma really take ratings this seriously?
An amused idea suddenly popped into his head.
"Kirara, right?"
"Yes, Mr. Luo Qing!" Kirara nodded vigorously, her fluffy ears bouncing up and down.
"I just have a few questions for you. Answer them, and I'll give you that five-star rating."
"Huh?"
Before she could process his request, Luo Qing had already turned and walked back inside, leaving the door open for her.
Despite feeling a strange sense of unease, Kirara's instincts told her she could handle herself. As a member of the yokai race, her escape skills were top-notch, and she doubted this man could pose any real threat to her.
Cautiously, she poked her head through the doorway, sniffed the air, and then tiptoed inside.
Her soft paw pads made no noise whatsoever.
"Excuse me."
Entering the room, she saw Luo Qing already seated at a low table, and she took a seat across from him. Her two long, fluffy tails swayed restlessly, revealing her nervousness.
"What does Mr. Luo Qing want to ask?" she murmured softly.
"Who requested this delivery?" Luo Qing asked as he began unboxing the package.
"Well..."
Kirara picked up the delivery slip from the table and scanned it, trying to recall the details.
"Hmm... I remember now. The client was anonymous. They didn't leave a name..."
Luo Qing opened the package to find a wooden box inside. In the box was a small, neatly cut piece of Crystal Marrow.
"Anonymous, huh? And it was a man?"
"Mm-hmm…"
"What about his hair color?"
"Uh... well…"
Kirara scratched the back of her head, trying to remember.
She handled so many deliveries each day that recalling one specific customer wasn't easy.
"I think... he had blonde hair. And he wasn't from Inazuma…"
"A blonde foreigner?" Luo Qing confirmed.
Given that the Traveler, Lumine, hadn't arrived in Inazuma yet, the description could only match one person—that particular diplomat.
"Yes, yes!" Kirara nodded enthusiastically, her cat ears bobbing up and down.
Luo Qing's gaze lingered on her twitching ears for a moment, suddenly feeling an irresistible urge to pet them.
"Alright. Did he say anything when he placed the order?"
"Umm..."
Kirara scratched her head again but seemed to draw a blank this time.
"I don't think he said much… He just insisted it had to be delivered today, and even paid extra Mora for the priority delivery."
"Today, huh..."
Luo Qing frowned slightly, eyeing the Crystal Marrow in the wooden box. Is this the Shuumatsuban's way of warning me?
I barely set foot in Inazuma, and they're already keeping tabs on me?
"Where did the delivery originate?"
"Right here in Ritou. I had just arrived to make a long-distance delivery when that client approached me!"
"Alright, I've finished my questions."
"Then... my five-star review?" Kirara asked timidly.
"No more running around on rooftops at night, alright?"
Luo Qing picked up the review slip, marked five stars, and handed it back to Kirara.
"Okay, okay! Thank you, Mr. Luo Qing! I hope you have a great day! I'll be on my way now~"
Seeing the genuine five-star rating on the slip, Kirara beamed, preparing to leave. But just as she was about to stand, Luo Qing's voice turned cold.
"No. You can't leave."
"Huh?"
Kirara froze, half-standing, unsure whether to sit back down. Cautiously, she asked:
"Is there... something else, Mr. Luo Qing?"
"Aren't you with a delivery service? I have something I'd like to send as well."
After a moment's thought, Luo Qing decided it was only polite to return the favor. Since someone had sent him a gift, it wouldn't be right not to reciprocate.
"Wait a moment. I have a package I'd like you to deliver."
"Oh... okay..."
Relieved that it was just another delivery, Kirara sat back down, folding her legs neatly beneath her. She watched Luo Qing curiously as he rummaged through his belongings.
After a while, Luo Qing finally pulled out a black disc—a familiar item he had once sent to Ningguang.
It was the same—his very own recording of The Most Dazzling Ethnic Wind.
"Deliver this to the Yashiro Commission. Make sure it's signed by the head of the Kamisato family personally."
Luo Qing set the disc on the table. Kirara picked it up, examining it with curiosity while mumbling under her breath:
"Fragile item… Yashiro Commission... long-distance delivery... Mr. Luo Qing, would you like this to be anonymous too?"
"No need. Just let them know it's from me."
Luo Qing smiled, a mischievous glint in his eye.
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