Flowering Branches Swaying in the Wind
[Late update www]
[By the way, do you all want me to make a fan group? ovo]
[If you do, maybe there'll be one]
When the first rays of morning sunlight streamed through the paper windows of Tenshukaku, Baichen was staring blankly at the ceiling.
His fingers absently stroked the two marks on his earlobes-the silver stud Kamisato Ayaka had left on the left, and the Raiden Shogun's bite mark on the right.
The two utterly different marks symbolized Baichen's peculiar situation in Inazuma.
[Ding! Romance Reward System fully activated] [Nearby romanceable characters detected: Raiden Shogun (43%), Kamisato Ayaka (37%), Yae Miko (13%)] [Currently available rewards: Electro resistance (intermediate), swordsmanship talent (beginner), Inazuma language mastery]
The system's notification sounded in Baichen's ear, crisp and loud, as though clearer than ever before.
At the same time, a translucent screen appeared before his eyes, listing various stats and reward options in detail.
He gazed at the screen, an indescribable excitement welling up inside him.
The rewards all looked incredibly tempting, leaving him unable to decide for a moment.
But when his gaze fell on the "swordsmanship talent" option, the scales in his heart tipped instantly.
Baichen took a deep breath and silently selected "swordsmanship talent" in his mind.
The instant he made his choice, a warm current poured down from the top of his head like a clear spring, swiftly flowing through his entire body.
Wherever it passed, it brought a warm, comfortable sensation that made him feel as though he were immersed in a hot spring.
Even more surprising, as the warmth flowed through him, the essentials of countless sword moves were etched deep into his memory as if branded there.
The movements, the ways to exert force, the changes in rhythm, and everything else appeared clearly in his mind, as though he had practiced them countless times.
"So this is... a system reward?" Baichen murmured, filled with shock and delight.
He casually picked up the folding fan on the table and tried a few of the sword moves from memory.
Movements that had once been somewhat unfamiliar were now exceptionally smooth, every move flowing naturally like clouds and water.
A maid knocked gently outside the door. "Lord Baichen, the Shogun is waiting for you in the dojo."
Baichen hurriedly changed into his kendo clothes and followed the maid through the winding corridors.
Tenshukaku looked especially magnificent in the morning light, its vermilion pillars and golden decorations setting each other off.
Passing Okuzumeshuu members all bowed, but their gazes kept drifting involuntarily toward his ear ornaments-especially the obvious bite mark on the right.
The dojo lay on the west side of Tenshukaku, its spacious interior lined with polished wooden boards.
The Raiden Shogun was already waiting there. Today she wore a dark purple kendo outfit, her long hair tied high, giving her a capable and sharp appearance. When Baichen entered, she gave a slight nod:
"Three minutes late."
"Sorry, Shogun... Ei." Baichen corrected himself in time, noticing the flash of satisfaction in her eyes.
[Raiden Shogun affection +1%, currently 44%] [Note: approval of the intimate form of address]
Ei picked up two wooden swords and tossed one to Baichen. "Let me see your fundamentals."
The next hour could only be described as torture.
Ei's teaching methods were nearly merciless. Every movement had to be perfect, and the slightest mistake earned a light tap on the joint with her wooden sword.
Strangely enough, thanks to his newly acquired swordsmanship talent, Baichen could just barely keep up with her pace.
"Not bad." After a round of practice, Ei offered a rare word of approval. "Better than I expected."
She took a few steps closer and suddenly reached out to adjust Baichen's grip on the sword.
Her sudden closeness made Baichen's breath catch. She carried the faintly tingling scent peculiar to Electro, mixed with a certain cold incense.
"Relax your wrist a little more." Ei's voice was close to his ear. "Like this..."
Her hand covered Baichen's, guiding it through a proper slashing motion.
The intimate position pressed Baichen's back against her chest, and he could clearly feel her heartbeat and breathing.
"Do you understand?"
"Y-yes."
Ei did not seem inclined to move away immediately. Her gaze fell on Baichen's earring, and her fingers absently stroked the bite mark. "Does it still hurt?"
"It doesn't hurt anymore."
"Mm." She finally stepped back. "Rest for ten minutes, then we'll continue."
[Raiden Shogun affection +2%, currently 46%] [Reward obtained: swordsmanship proficiency +15%]
After the morning's training, Baichen returned to his room aching all over, only to find an elegant food box on the table.
He opened it to find a lavish lunch inside, with a note resting on top:
"I heard you've started practicing swordsmanship with the Shogun~ Make sure you get enough nourishment!-Love, Ayaka"
The handwriting was neat and graceful, and there was even a little heart drawn on the note. Baichen looked around in surprise, wondering how the letter had been delivered inside. More unsettling still, there was a line of small print on the back:
"P.S. Do you like the fragrance in the earring? It's a calming incense I made especially for you. It can help restore your stamina~"
Baichen instinctively touched the earring, only then realizing that the faint scent of camellias had indeed lingered around him since morning.
Stranger still, after such intense training, he really did feel much less tired than he had expected.
[Status gained: calming incense effect] [Effect: stamina recovery speed +20%]
Just as Baichen was hesitating over whether to report this to Ei, someone knocked gently on his door.
He opened it to find Yae Miko leaning against the doorframe, a kagura bell in her hand.
"Well, well~ The poor little thing's still alive." She looked Baichen's bruised body over with a smile. "How was the Shogun's special training?"
"Did you need something, Guuji?" Baichen stepped aside to let her in.
Miko slipped lightly into the room, her gaze immediately settling on the food box on the table. "Oh my, it seems someone got here before me~" She lifted the lid, picked up a piece of tamagoyaki and popped it into her mouth. "Mm~ That's definitely little Ayaka's handiwork."
"How do you know..."
"I know this taste very well." Miko licked her fingers. "She often secretly made me snacks when she was little."
She suddenly leaned closer, her long pink hair brushing Baichen's cheek. "But now... it looks like she's found someone else to feed?"
[Yae Miko affection +1%, currently 14%] [Note: displeasure at having her toy taken]
As if by magic, Miko pulled a small bottle from her sleeve. "Here, this is a special medicine I made. It's ten times more effective than what they have at Tenshukaku~"
The ointment in the bottle was a pale pink and smelled of cherry blossoms.
Baichen was about to thank her when she suddenly caught his wrist. "But... there's no such thing as a free lunch~" Her fingernail gently scratched his palm. "Tell me, what did little Ayaka write in her letter?"
The request put Baichen in a difficult position. While he hesitated, Miko had already picked up the note of her own accord. "Let me guess... it must be some mushy love talk, plus..."
Her voice stopped abruptly. Baichen looked up to find Miko staring at the small print about the "calming incense," her expression uncharacteristically serious.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing~" Miko quickly recovered her smile, but tucked the note into her sleeve. "I'm confiscating this. In exchange..." She unscrewed the medicine bottle and personally began applying the ointment to the bruises on Baichen's arm. "I'll make sure to treat your injuries properly."
The moment the ointment touched his skin, a cooling sensation immediately eased the pain.
Miko's touch was exceptionally practiced, her fingertips pressing each sore spot with just the right amount of force.
But her gaze wandered, as though she were thinking about something important.
"Guuji..."
"Call me big sister~" She suddenly pinched Baichen's cheek. "Why be so distant?"
"Big Sister Miko... is there something wrong with that calming incense?"
Miko's hand paused, then her smile grew even brighter. "How could there be~ Little Ayaka dotes on you most of all. Why would she hurt you?" She leaned close to Baichen's ear and lowered her voice. "But... if you ever feel the fragrance getting too strong, remember to come find me right away~"
The ambiguous warning made Baichen's heart tighten.
Before he could press her, Miko had already stood up. "All right, I should be going~ Remember to apply the medicine every day!"
She left as abruptly as she'd come, leaving behind a room full of cherry blossom fragrance and a head full of questions.
[Item obtained: Miko's special wound medicine] [Effect: recovery speed +30%, duration: 24 hours]
The afternoon's lessons in government affairs were even more torturous than sword training.
In Tenshukaku's government affairs hall, Ei had Baichen sit at a low table beside her and personally taught him how to handle various documents.
From tax reports for the islands to supply lists for troops stationed at the borders, no detail was too small.
"This is wrong." Ei suddenly pointed out the number Baichen had just written. "Seirai Island's fishing yield couldn't possibly be this low."
"But the report says..."
"The report is false." Ei took the brush and wrote another number on the paper. "The daimyo of Seirai Island has been concealing the true yield and lining her own pockets."
Baichen looked at her in surprise. "Then why not..."
"Because her family controls the sea routes through the thunderstorm zone." Ei explained calmly. "We still need their cooperation for now."
This political compromise was worlds apart from Baichen's image of the Electro Archon's absolute rule. Ei seemed to notice his confusion, and the corners of her lips lifted slightly:
"Eternity is not unchanging. It is a dynamic balance. I understand that better than you."
[Raiden Shogun affection +1%, currently 47%] [Reward obtained: government affairs handling ability +10%]
By evening, they had reached a temporary stopping point in their work. Ei put down her brush and suddenly asked, "Did the Guuji come to see you today?"
Baichen's heart skipped a beat, and he nodded honestly. "She brought me wound medicine."
"Mm." Ei's expression betrayed no emotion. "What did she show you?"
The question went straight to the heart of the matter. Baichen hesitated, then decided to tell the truth. "Lady Ayaka... sent me lunch and a note somehow. Big Sister Miko saw the explanation about the earring's fragrance on the back of the note."
Ei's purple eyes narrowed slightly. "Where's the note?"
"Big Sister Miko took it..."
A silence followed. Ei's fingers tapped lightly against the tabletop, each tap seeming to strike Baichen's heart. Finally, she stood up. "Take off the earring."
Baichen obediently did as he was told. Ei took the earring and examined it carefully, then suddenly enveloped it in Electro.
Strange ripples appeared on the surface of the earring, but it quickly returned to normal.
"The fragrance does help restore stamina." Ei returned the earring to Baichen. "But prolonged use will cause dependence. Starting tomorrow, wear it for only two hours after training each day."
"Yes."
"Also..." Ei suddenly reached out and stroked the bite mark on Baichen's right ear, Electro flickering faintly. "My mark can counteract the fragrance's effects. If you feel unwell, press here."
The intimate gesture made Baichen's ears burn. Ei's gaze lingered on his face for a moment, and she suddenly leaned closer-
But at that moment, the doors to the government affairs hall were flung open, and Kujou Sara rushed in. "Shogun! An envoy from Watatsumi Island..."
Her words stopped abruptly. She was clearly startled by the sight before her-Ei had Baichen almost pinned against the table, one hand still resting by his ear.
Kujou's face flushed bright red in an instant, and the wings on her back twitched unnaturally.
"I... I'll take my leave!"
"Stop." Ei calmly straightened up. "What happened with Watatsumi Island?"
Kujou lowered her head, her voice barely louder than a mosquito. "Sangonomiya Kokomi sent an envoy with a peace-talks gift... specifically for Mr. Baichen."
[Sangonomiya Kokomi affection +5%, currently 16%] [Note: attention from afar]
The peace-talks gift was an exquisite shell pendant, blue throughout, with what seemed to be Hydro flowing inside.
The envoy explained that it was a "token of friendship" from Watatsumi Island, capable of protecting its wearer from Hydro damage.
"Lady Sangonomiya made a special request," the envoy said respectfully. "She hopes Mr. Baichen will have an opportunity to visit Watatsumi Island as her guest."
Ei gave a cold snort, but allowed Baichen to accept the gift nonetheless.
After the envoy withdrew, she picked up the pendant and examined it, returning it to Baichen only after confirming it was harmless:
"Wear it. It'll help you resist humid weather."
[Item obtained: Watatsumi Blessing Pendant] [Effect: Hydro resistance +20%]
Dinner was served in Baichen's room.
A faint clicking sound suddenly came from outside the window, like a pebble striking the lattice. Ei's eyes sharpened instantly, and in a flash she was at the window.
"Shogun?"
"It's nothing." She drew the curtains. "Just a restless fox."
But when she turned back, she was unmistakably holding a strand of pink fox fur-Yae Miko's trademark.
[Attention from multiple factions detected] [Current romance progress: Raiden Shogun: 47% (deeply attentive) Kamisato Ayaka: 37% (morbidly obsessed) Yae Miko: 14% (greatly interested) Sangonomiya Kokomi: 16% (observing in secret)]
Before bed, Baichen removed the earring as Ei had instructed.
Strangely, as the fragrance faded, an inexplicable sense of emptiness welled up within him.
He instinctively pressed the bite mark on his right ear, and the faint tingling of Electro immediately dispelled the discomfort.
Lying in bed, Baichen looked back on the crazy day-sword training, Miko's sudden visit, lessons in government affairs, Kokomi's gift... and Ei's intimate gestures that alternated between closeness and distance.
In this female-dominated world, he seemed to have become the focus of a struggle among various factions, and the Romance Reward System had undoubtedly intensified the situation.
His fingers absently stroked the two ornaments-the earring on the left and the bite mark on the right.
Outside the window, a bright moon hung high, illuminating Tenshukaku's upturned eaves.
In the distant cherry tree, a pair of coral-colored eyes seemed to flash for an instant, but when Baichen looked closely, there were only flowering branches swaying in the wind...