The Fatui's Big Business
Today, the skies over all of Liyue were clear and sunny, without a cloud in sight. For Liyue's residents, travelers, and merchants, it was obviously perfect weather for sightseeing, long voyages, and trade. Even without consulting the almanac, anyone could tell it was an auspicious day for just about anything.
Of course, besides sightseeing, long voyages, and trade, there were other things the weather was just as perfect for.
For example...
Smuggling?
Sure enough, in the quiet waters off the coast of Liyue Harbor—south of Yaoguang Shoal, east of the Guili Plains shoreline, and northwest of Guyun Stone Forest—far from the main shipping lanes, the flagship of the Crux Fleet, the Alcor, lay anchored alongside a medium-sized sailing ship.
Several small, wiry sailors on the two ships' lookout towers were anxiously scanning their surroundings through spyglasses. It was easy to see that they were on high alert. That alone made it clear that they were probably not engaged in any honest, aboveboard business.
"!!"
"Captain Beidou!"
"West!"
"A speedboat is approaching at high speed!"
Before long, one of the lookouts spotted something and immediately shouted down to the deck beneath the mast.
"That's..."
The small wave-rider speedboat was indeed fast. By the time the Crux Fleet's leader and captain of the Alcor, Beidou, strode to the bow, the other vessel had already drawn close. It had some kind of elemental booster, and was now slowing down in a hurry.
"Hmph!"
"An Inazuman turtle boat?"
For the Crux Fleet, which could break through the raging thunderstorms at sea and travel between Liyue and Inazuma's Ritou, there was no mistaking that short, plump, clumsy little boat that couldn't handle rough seas—the tiny thing that crawled across the water like a turtle!
The little wave-rider had no insignia or