I opened a shop on the Astral Train-Chapter 101

It's better to strike first!

The servant took out her sickle and lunged at the four Lancelot knights.

The knights moved in perfect synchronization, blocking the attack and swiftly countering. The clash of metal rang out, sparks flying as their weapons met.

Though the servant was slightly stronger, the difference was marginal. She had not yet reached the level of a demon god.

For a time, neither side could gain the upper hand, the battle locked in a dead heat.

Then, reinforcements arrived—thirty-two more Lancelot knights.

The servant stood amidst them, gripping her weapon tightly. Her expression darkened. She hadn't expected this level of strength. Thirty-one of them were as powerful as the demon's followers.

And the last one...

The last one radiated something beyond that. A force akin to a demon god itself.

Lancelot, the leader of the Knights of Lancelot, stepped forward, his presence suffocating.

"You are strong. I will grant you a fair duel. You and I—one on one."

At his command, the knights stepped back, forming a circle around them.

The servant understood—her only chance of survival was to defeat the man before her.

Without hesitation, she surged forward, appearing before Lancelot in an instant, her sickle arcing through the air.

Lancelot barely moved as he raised his rapier, effortlessly parrying her attack.

With a flick of his wrist, he deflected her weapon and countered with a precise thrust.

She dodged, but not quickly enough—a thin crimson line appeared on her arm. The pain barely registered, but the realization did.

Too fast.

They exchanged blows, the servant growing more desperate with each passing moment. More wounds marred her body. Blood dripped onto the ground, staining the cobblestone beneath them.

Then, in the briefest of moments, she saw it—the inevitable. There was no path to victory here.

She closed her eyes in despair.

And then—

"Wait a minute, Lancelot."

A voice rang out, cutting through the tension.

Lancelot halted, his blade inches from her throat. He turned toward the speaker.

It was Neuvillette.

"That's Villette, this person has bad intentions toward my master."

Neuvillette's voice was calm, yet carried the weight of authority.

"This person is an important figure in another nation. If she dies here in Fontaine, it will bring great trouble upon us."

Lancelot barely reacted. His devotion lay with Furina, not Fontaine.

If Fontaine fell, he would rebuild it for her.

Seeing his indifference, Neuvillette's expression grew tense. He knew these knights well.

A servant's life was expendable. But not here. Not now.

Then, a sleepy voice drifted through the night air.

"Lancelot... get me some water. I'm thirsty."

Furina.

She had been woken by the noise and, oblivious to the situation outside, simply wanted a drink.

Neuvillette seized the opportunity.

"Lancelot, Furina requires you. Leave this person to me. I promise she will not act against us again."

There was a pause. Then, Lancelot gave a single nod, signaling for his knights to stand down.

The tension dissipated. The knights dispersed.

Lancelot himself stepped away, taking a glass of warm water into Furina's quarters.

Neuvillette exhaled slowly. He had come to understand these knights well over the past few days. Their devotion was absolute.

To Furina, they were chivalrous and unwavering in their pursuit of justice.

To the world, they were terrifying.

They had aided Fontaine's people, helped with even the smallest troubles—finding lost pets, escorting merchants through dangerous areas.

But when Furina was involved, they would become ruthless.

No hesitation. No mercy.

The servant took a moment to steady herself before standing.

"Thank you," she said.

Neuvillette turned to her. "Your queen has ordered you to cease your actions."

She nodded and spoke honestly.

Neuvillette listened, then replied, "Furina and I will handle this. We do not need your assistance."

The servant sighed. She had expected as much.

"Understood. But I will remain in Fontaine. If you ever need help, call for me. Consider it my way of repaying you."

Liyue, inside the Wangsheng Hall Internet Café.

Asmodeus had locked himself in her e-sports room for days.

Ever since the end of the Sea Lantern Festival, she hadn't left.

Every day, she relied on Nahida to run errands for her, fetching meals from the food stalls below.

Nahida, exasperated, had long since lost patience.

Every time she went out to buy food, she was reminded of something from Sumeru—

A mother cooking at home, sending her child out to fetch soy sauce.

And she? She was that child.

She was that little kid!

Stomping down the street, she muttered complaints under her breath before stopping at a vendor.

"Two grilled gobies and a bowl of fried noodles," she ordered.

The vendor swiftly packed her food, and she paid before heading back.

As she walked into the café, whispers floated around her.

"Didn't Lady Tianquan issue a decree? No minors allowed online. What's this little girl doing here?"

"Oh, her? She's with Wangsheng Hall. She's friends with Master Hu Tao."

"Ah, that makes sense. I thought Master Hu Tao was breaking the law."

"No way. We watched Master Hu Tao grow up. She's got good character."

Nahida clenched her teeth.

The moment the door swung open, Asmodeus leaped from her seat, snatching the lunch box from her hands like a starving beast.

She tore it open, grabbed a grilled goby, and took a bite, sighing in pure bliss.

Then, mid-chew, she noticed Nahida's expression.

"What's wrong? You were fine earlier. Why do you look like that now?"

Nahida let out a long-suffering sigh and recounted the ordeal.

Asmodeus listened, utterly unfazed.

"Well, you're only 500 years old. Among the gods, you're not an adult yet. We don't reach adulthood until 1,800. Did you know that?"

Nahida froze.

"WHAT?!"

Asmodeus shrugged. "That's just how it is."

Nahida clenched her fists. "No! I want to grow taller!"

Asmodeus chuckled. "No rush. But if you want, I can teach you a trick to change how people see you."

Her eyes lit up. "Really?! Please teach me!"

She waved a hand dismissively. "Relax, relax. Let me finish eating first. I'm starving."

Nahida sighed but relented, grabbing a book from the shelf and flipping it open.

She would get her answer soon enough.

Inazuma Castle.

Raiden, who had just stepped off the boat, gave a direct order for everyone to obey the instructions of the Guuji, Yae Miko.

With that, she disappeared into the Plane of Euthymia, carrying a pile of snacks and comic books.

Meanwhile, Yae Miko called for an emergency meeting with Inazuma's senior officials.

Kamisato Ayaka and Kamisato Ayato, accompanied by Thoma, arrived at Narukami Shrine.

As soon as they stepped into the main hall, Yae Miko's teasing voice greeted them.

"Aiya~ Xiao Linghua, Xiao Lingren, it seems you two are the fastest."

Kamisato Ayato smiled and bowed. "Our Kamisato estate is right at the foot of Mt. Narukami, so it was an easy trip."

Yae Miko chuckled, covering her mouth with her sleeve. "Why doesn't Xiao Lingren visit my shrine more often? Look at Xiao Linghua—she comes frequently."

She waved at Ayaka, gesturing for her to sit beside her.

Ayaka smiled awkwardly as she took a seat, a bead of cold sweat forming on her forehead.

Everyone in Inazuma knew about Yae Miko's fondness for mischief. Even the dogs at the city gates had been victims of her pranks—she once tied their hard-earned bones to tree branches just for fun.

Ayato, ever the strategist, responded smoothly, "I usually have family affairs to tend to, so I can't visit often. Please forgive me. But doesn't my sister visit frequently? We are family, so when she comes, it's as if I do too."

Yae Miko grinned. "Smooth talker. Fine, I won't tease you—for now. Have a seat. We'll start once everyone arrives."

Ayato sat beside Ayaka, and Miko had servants bring out an assortment of snacks from Liyue, setting them on the table.

"I doubt the others will arrive anytime soon. Let's eat first. These are Liyue specialties—I brought them back myself. Try them."

Ayaka clasped her hands politely. "Thank you, Guuji-sama, for sharing such precious treats with us."

Miko waved dismissively. "Precious? Not really. I brought them back myself."

Ayato raised an eyebrow. "Guuji-sama brought them back personally? Did you go to Liyue? I've heard detained Liyue merchants on Ritou talking about the Lantern Rite Festival."

Yae Miko smirked. "Yes, Raiden and I attended the Lantern Rite together. But enough of that—try the snacks."

Ayato picked up a sugar-coated dumpling, placing it in his mouth as he processed the implications.

In other words, the General had left Inazuma and attended the Lantern Rite with Miko.

And upon returning, the General had issued a decree placing the three great clans under Miko's command.

This meeting... would not be a simple one.

Not long after, the heads of the Kujou and Hiiragi clans, Kujou Takayuki and Hiiragi Toushiko, arrived and stepped into the main hall.

Unlike her lighthearted banter with the Kamisato siblings, Yae Miko's expression darkened at the sight of them.

The two men moved to take their seats—but her sharp voice stopped them in their tracks.

"Did I give you permission to sit?"

They hesitated, and Hiiragi Toushiko forced a polite smile. "Guuji-sama, please forgive me. I am old, and the climb up the mountain was tiring. I sat out of habit. May I take a seat?"

Yae Miko sneered. "If you can't even stand through a single meeting, how can you serve the General? Resign now and preserve what little dignity you have left."

A cold sweat broke out on Toushiko's forehead. He could tell—this meeting was a reckoning.

He knew what he had done.

Colluding with foreign forces...

Kujou Takayuki spoke carefully. "Guuji-sama, while we may not be as young as Lord Kamisato, our devotion to the General remains unwavering."

Yae Miko laughed. "Do you hear yourself? Have you checked your conscience before saying such things? The General knows everything. And so do I.

This meeting is not a discussion.

It is an execution."

Guards entered the hall at her command, stepping toward the two clan heads.

Their faces turned pale.

"No! You can't do this! You have no right! We serve the General—only she can order our punishment!"

Yae Miko's gaze was icy. "Are you still clinging to delusions? Or have you failed to see the reality before you?"

She gestured, and the soldiers seized them, dragging them away.

Kamisato Ayato and Ayaka remained silent, though tension lingered in the air.

Ayato had expected repercussions, but to see it executed so swiftly was something else entirely.

Miko turned to the Kamisato siblings, her tone shifting back to its usual playfulness. "Your family is quite reliable, Xiao Lingren. Now that these two old relics are gone, I'll be counting on you for a while."

Ayato chuckled. "It's no trouble. Inazuma is finally returning to order."

Yae Miko smirked. "Yes. The two clan heads deceived the shogunate, colluded with outsiders, and nearly tore Inazuma apart."

Her eyes gleamed with meaning as she looked at Ayato.

Ayato understood immediately.

"Indeed. They deceived the throne. They deceived the General. When the people learn of this betrayal, their fury will be righteous."

Ayaka, still processing, furrowed her brows. "Brother, does the General not already know what they've done? Why phrase it like that?"

Ayato smiled knowingly. "The General's authority cannot be questioned. If the people lose trust in her, Inazuma will only spiral further into chaos.

Someone must take the fall. And who better than two men who will never speak again?"

He exhaled, feeling an unseen burden lift from his shoulders. "Finally... after all this time, Inazuma is on the path to recovery."

As they walked down the mountain, the golden light of sunset bathed the land in warmth.

The storms had cleared. The sky was no longer shrouded in dark clouds and lightning.

Ayaka looked at her brother and finally understood.

"So that's how it is."

Ayato gave her a small smile. "Yes. Now, let's go home. There will be much to do in the coming days."

Ayaka covered her mouth and giggled. "I think my brother enjoys being busy."

Ayato glanced at her, amusement flickering in his eyes.

They shared a quiet smile, the first of many in a newly restored Inazuma.