"Isn't this a little... undignified?" Lucas sighed, exasperated. "You're a girl now, you know!"
"I don't even have a real gender," Scaramouche muttered, a slight blush still lingering on her face. "As soon as I get back, I'm dismantling all of these... parts!"
"No way!" Lucas interjected. "That's an order—you're not allowed to remove anything."
For reasons she couldn't explain, a powerful urge settled over Scaramouche, suppressing her impulse to tear off the new "armor." It was his "command," not just affecting her actions, but compelling her very thoughts.
"What did you do to ?" she demanded, grinding her teeth. "Why am I following your orders?"
"It's just a little safety asure," Lucas replied, relieved that it worked. "You looked dangerous, so when I repaired you, I added a command to your core."
"And what command was that?"
"To obey my orders," Lucas admitted. "Relax—it's only for my own safety. I have no intention of threatening you."
"That's absurd," she muttered, her voice dripping with skepticism. "I don't believe it."
"Fine," Lucas grinned mischievously, "I order you to roll on the floor and ow like a cat."
"There's no way I'd— ow~"
To her utter horror, Scaramouche obeyed the command, rolling on the floor and letting out a string of cute "ows." Her face turned beet red from embarrassnt, yet she couldn't stop.
"Good girl," Lucas chuckled, scratching under her chin. "Want a little fish treat too?"
Damn him...
Strangely enough, she even found herself purring, unable to resist the pleasant sensation.
"That's enough," Lucas said finally. At his command, Scaramouche stopped her humiliating actions. "Now do you believe ?"
Scaramouche scowled, nodding reluctantly. "Fine, say what you really want from ."
"Huh?" Lucas raised an eyebrow.
"You put this control in place to blackmail , right?" she sneered. "Tell what you want in exchange for lifting the command."
Of course. Just like before, you still don't trust anyone.
"I already told you—it's just for my own protection," Lucas replied, smoothly continuing the lie. "The command only works if you're within a hundred ters of . Beyond that, you're free."
"Really?" She still seed skeptical.
"Believe it or not," Lucas shrugged. "But, since you brought it up, I'll make one request: don't cause trouble in Mondstadt."
He was careful not to ntion anything about the Gnosis, lest his connection to Venti was exposed.
"Fine," she agreed reluctantly. "I won't."
After last night's fight, she realized the power gap between herself and an Archon. Continuing her mission here wouldn't bring her any closer to success.
"Deal." Lucas smiled. "Oh, by the way, I'm Lucas. And you are...?"
"I'm Scara—" She paused and corrected herself, "The na's Kabukimono."
So, that's the na she's giving .
After all, if she wanted to hide her identity, she could have just made up any na.
"Right," Lucas added, as if rembering sothing, "if you ever get damaged again, feel free to co to for repairs."
"There won't be a next ti." Scaramouche turned away coolly. "I won't make the sa mistake twice."
Watching her walk away, Lucas felt a mix of emotions well up within him.
Two won he had grown close to in the simulator were now, in reality, distancing themselves just as swiftly.
But he knew there was little hope of anything further. Both Scaramouche and La Signora were Harbingers, and their paths would never intersect with his in this lifeti.
---
Goth Grand Hotel
In the Doctor's Room
"What? You're telling it didn't work?" The Doctor stroked her chin, puzzled. "Impossible. Based on all the intelligence we've gathered, my thod should be effective."
"Twice." La Signora folded her arms, her voice ice-cold. "Twice, and not the slightest sign of progress. Your intel must be flawed!"
"Oh, twice?" The Doctor's eyes glead with amusent. "And how would you know so precisely? Don't tell you personally... hehe."
Of course, La Signora wasn't about to divulge what had happened last night. "It was... soone from the Maple Guild."
"Then what's got you so upset?" the Doctor raised an eyebrow. "You didn't lose anything."
"It wasted my ti." She scowled. "And I even had to bribe the cavalry captain of the Knights of Favonius. You're covering that expense."
"No problem," she replied, unfazed. "This information is valuable, after all." Then she added, "But, La Signora, shouldn't you be a little more focused on your actual mission?"
"I know what I'm doing," she replied, frowning. "Acquiring the Gnosis is no simple task."
"Then you'd best pick up the pace." The Doctor's expression shifted to a knowing smile. "Because Scaramouche made his move last night."
"What?"
La Signora's eyes widened. But just then, the door opened, and Scaramouche walked in.
Both the Doctor and La Signora imdiately noticed the change.
Even the usually composed La Signora was montarily taken aback. "You... what happened to you?"
"Oh, nothing," Scaramouche replied nonchalantly. "Just upgraded my core defenses a bit. What, jealous that I've outdone you?"
"Jealous of you?" La Signora spat, clenching her jaw. "Besides, I'm still ahead—size isn't everything, you know."
"Tsk, tsk," the Doctor shook her head in mock disappointnt. "A procedure this amusing... what a sha you didn't let handle it."
In a way, the "surgery" could indeed be credited to "The Doctor"—though not the one currently present.
"So, what's the result?" La Signora got straight to the point. "Did you obtain the Gnosis?"
"Mission failed," Scaramouche replied calmly, her usual pride replaced with surprising frankness. "Furthermore, I've decided to withdraw from this mission."
"Why give up?" La Signora asked coldly. "That's not like you at all."
"I don't owe you an explanation, Eighth Harbinger," she sneered. "Besides, isn't this exactly what you wanted? Without my competition, your chances of success just improved."
"You—!"
La Signora clenched her fists, fuming, but held back. Though Harbinger ranks weren't strictly based on combat prowess, she knew she would struggle to defeat Scaramouche in a direct fight.
Although she couldn't understand her sudden decision to drop out, her withdrawal certainly eased the pressure on herself.
"Fine, whatever." Scaramouche waved dismissively. "I'm heading back to my room to rest."
---
Once in her room, Scaramouche flopped onto the bed, only to feel a slight twinge from the "armor" pressing against her.
"Ugh, all because of that idiot..." she muttered, rolling onto her back and staring up at the ceiling. But the face that appeared in her mind wasn't just any idiot—it was Lucas.
mories of the bizarre encounter flooded her thoughts, particularly the... embarrassing "comparison." The image of Lucas's expression lingered stubbornly in her mind.
Suddenly inspired, Scaramouche reached for an intricately carved mahogany chair in the room. With a swift snap, she broke off one of its cylindrical legs. Using her finger as a makeshift knife, she quickly whittled the chair leg down into a shape based on her vivid recollection.
Exactly like the "Doctor" in her dreams.
"If it were really you..." Scaramouche whispered, closing her eyes. "You could return to that perfect dream."
---
By midday, two maids approached Scaramouche's door, each carrying a tray with his lunch.
"Ah, we're finally seeing Master Scaramouche again," the first maid whispered, a blush coloring her cheeks. "It's the best part of my day, really."
With his fair, refined looks, Scaramouche was undeniably appealing, especially to those with a taste for youthful features.
"But he scares sotis," admitted the second maid, her tone nervous. "Rember last ti when he glared at for putting pepper on his steak?"
As they neared the door, both maids paused, their faces growing red as they caught faint sounds coming from within the room.
"W-what's that noise?" the second maid stamred, blushing.
"It's probably just... self-discovery," the first maid replied, slightly more composed. "I have a younger brother who I once caught doing that. You'd think having an older sister would be enough, but there he was..."
"Wait... sothing feels off about this." The second maid hesitated. "Maybe we should just leave. If he catches us—"
Before she could finish, the door swung open, and Scaramouche stood before them, looking rather disconcerted.
"Did you two... hear anything just now?" she asked, her expression unreadable.
The two maids paled, shaking their heads frantically.
"Not a word of this to anyone, understand?" Scaramouche's voice was icy, but just as she finished speaking, a loud thunk echoed in the hallway.
The improvised "artwork" she'd crafted from the chair leg had slipped from her grasp and rolled right to the maids' feet.
"Damn it... humiliated like this..." she seethed internally, her thoughts darkening. "Just wait, Lucas. I'm not letting you off the hook that easily."
---
"Achoo!"
Lucas, oblivious to Scaramouche's vengeful thoughts, suddenly sneezed.
He had spent a few uneventful days in Mondstadt by now. Although Zhang Luo had ntioned he could take his ti, he felt it might be about ti to head back to Liyue, where he felt most at ho.
After finishing so takeout from Good Hunter, Lucas lay on his bed, lost in thought. With everything that had happened recently, the sudden calm felt almost surreal.
And, as always...
[Ta-da-da-dah! Since you're free, why not start a simulator round?]
Of course...
Even when Lucas wanted a break, Little Xi wasn't about to let him have one.
"I suppose it couldn't hurt..." Lucas mused. "But can we switch up the location? Last few simulators were either in Liyue or Mondstadt."
[Sure thing! Such a small request is no problem for . How about a Khaenri'ah start?]
"Absolutely not!" Lucas shook his head, chuckling. "If it's five hundred years ago, I'd get wiped out right at the start."
[Just kidding. This ti, the simulator will randomly pick a different region among the nations.]
"All right, let's begin."
The recent battle between Scaramouche and Venti had given him a lot to think about. While he could handle ordinary foes, he was still a step behind when it ca to facing powerful enemies like the Harbingers or even Archons.
His priority was clear: he needed to get stronger.
[Command received. Starting the Life Simulator now.]
[Please choose three talents from the following options. One random talent will be retained permanently after the simulation.]
[Depression (White): You are easily saddened and prone to depression.]
[Outlaw (Blue): You start with interdiate proficiency in all firearms and advanced proficiency with shotguns.]
[Great Onmyoji (Gold): You possess an extraordinary talent in onmyōdō, and your skills in onmyōdō will increase with age.]
[Childhood Friend (Green): You have a childhood friend who holds strong feelings for you.]
[Demon Affinity (Blue): Most demonfolk naturally harbor a liking for you.]
---
Author's note: Simulation in Inazuma! Also one of my fav one.
Sorry for late chap, I forgor
Anyways get to 1600 p.s for extra chap!
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