The morning light of the next day shone brightly, illuminating the majestic Tenshukaku.
The Tengu General walked with steady steps, her back straight and her posture impeccable.
A gentle breeze ruffled the stray hairs at her temples.
She narrowed her eyes slightly, making no move to tuck them away, letting the strands flutter in the cool morning air as she felt the wind brush against her face.
*Click, clack, click.*
Her geta clicked against the white jade steps.
Just as she rounded the corner of the side palace, Kujou Sara’s steps faltered for a fraction of a second, and a minuscule smile tugged at the corner of her lips.
Ahead, Lu Heng stood in profile to her.
She could see his lips curved in a faint smile, humming an unfamiliar little tune.
But when her gaze drifted past the young man’s figure, she froze dead in her tracks.
The very Okuzumeshu samurai who usually yelled the loudest about loyalty while standing guard were now working together to lift a massive solid wood plaque.
“Ah, yes, yes. A little to the left! Perfect, right there. Start nailing!”
Sara’s lips, usually pursed into a thin, stern line, parted slightly in sheer disbelief.
The elite samurai, whose sole duty was to guard the Ogosho herself, were now raising iron hammers in perfect unison.
*Clang!
Clang!*
They were driving nails straight into the pillars of the gorgeous, solemn palace.
“Lu Heng!”
Coming to her senses, the Tengu General instinctively clenched her fists, the words squeezing out from between her teeth.
The humming stopped instantly.
Lu Heng turned his head, blinked in surprise, and then broke into an incredibly bright smile, waving his hand.
“Yo! Sara!”
*Stomp, stomp, stomp—*
Striding forward with her long legs, Kujou Sara kicked up a gust of wind as she stormed over in a murderous huff.
She grabbed him by the collar with one hand and pointed accusingly at the plaque with the other.
“What on earth are you doing now?! This is Tenshukaku! Such insolence—”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, easy, easy! You’re going to give me a work-related injury!” Grinning, Lu Heng pulled a document from his robes and slapped it directly onto the back of her hand.
Sara’s fingers trembled slightly.
As her eyes swept over the Raiden triple-tomoe crest seal, her voice immediately caught in her throat.
“Specially appointed Sobayonin Lu Heng is to establish the Eternal Paradise Construction Bureau… and is permitted to convert the main hall of the side palace into a temporary office?!”
“Why the long face? The Shogun approved it. We have an office now!” Lu Heng chuckled, seizing the opportunity to slip out of her grasp.
Staring at the paper bearing the deity’s official seal, Sara’s lips twitched violently.
*Whatever, the Shogun herself approved it…*
She was utterly out of moves.
Taking a deep breath, she crossed her arms and stepped aside to watch coldly.
But as each hammer blow struck the pillar, she couldn’t help but look toward the main hall.
*Almighty Shogun… is this truly your will as well?*
Leaving aside Sara, who was currently undergoing a massive worldview crisis—
Once the nails were secured, Lu Heng strode forward and tore away the red cloth covering the plaque.
“The [Eternal Paradise Construction Bureau] is officially open for business!”
Lu Heng clapped his hands in satisfaction and sidled up to Sara with a grin.
“From now on, we won’t have to walk on eggshells around the Tri-Commission.”
“What are your plans next?” Sara maintained her frosty expression.
She didn’t spare him a glance, nor did she take his bait.
“First step!” Lu Heng’s expression turned solemn, and he pointed his thumb at himself.
“Starting today, I am the Chief Executive Officer of the Eternal Paradise Construction Bureau!”
Then, he spun his finger around and pointed straight at Sara.
“And you are the Second Seat—Tengu—Kujou Sara!”
The surrounding air fell into a bizarrely quiet hush for a second.
Without changing her expression, Sara’s thumb flicked the tsuba of her tachi open with a sharp *click*.
“Lu Heng, are you a spy for the Fatui?”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Deputy Director! Don’t draw your sword!” Lu Heng quickly pressed his hand over hers, forcing the blade back into its scabbard.
Then, he placed his other hand over his heart with a righteous look.
“My goal has only ever been one thing: to dedicate my entire being to serving the Shogun!”
“Tch.” Sara brushed his hand off and let out a cold snort, but she did indeed refrain from drawing her sword again.
“If I ever discover you harbor any disloyalty toward Her Almighty Authority, I will strike you down myself.”
Lu Heng gave a sheepish laugh and quickly got down to business.
“Jokes aside, let’s talk shop. Right now, we need to attract investment and raise capital for the next phase of construction.”
“How do you propose we do that? We are practically penniless right now.” Sara looked around the empty Construction Bureau.
Even this plaque had likely been paid for out of Lu Heng’s own pocket.
“We won’t use the Bakufu’s funds. We’ll take a private route. For example… the Yae Publishing House.” Lu Heng flashed a mysterious smile.
“Guuji Yae? Unless there is substantial profit involved, she will never lift a finger to help. In fact, she’s more likely to play pranks on you instead.” Sara frowned.
Having been teased by the elusive and mercurial Yae Miko more times than she cared to count, experience told her that without an incredibly tempting bargaining chip, the Guuji would never agree to help.
“Hello, hello, Lady Guuji… It’s Xiao Heng. Are you there?”
*Bzz…* After a brief crackle of static…
“My, my, little one. You finally decided to contact me? This Guuji waited for you all last night, you know~” A sweet, lazy voice drifted from the omamori.
Hearing the teasing of this grand fox, the young Lu Heng tensed up and instantly switched to flatterer mode.
“What are you saying, Lady Guuji? You are occupied with a myriad of daily affairs. How could I dare disturb your leisure?”
“Hehe. If you hadn’t claimed yesterday that I act capriciously, and practically tripped over yourself to distance yourself from me in front of the Shogun, I might have actually believed you~”
Beside him, Kujou Sara perked up her ears to listen.
He gave a cheeky chuckle, his tone utterly shameless.
“Ah, Lady Guuji, let’s not beat around the bush. If I hadn’t shifted the blame to you back then, the Big Boss wouldn’t have even given me a chance to speak!”
“But don’t worry! I don’t just want to borrow your reputation—I also plan to use your venue and staff!”
Sara’s pupils dilated in shock.
*How can anyone in this world talk about burning bridges and pulling off a scam with such immense pride?!*
On the other end of the omamori, Yae Miko was amused to the point of laughter.
“Heh… You want to play me for a fool with nothing to offer?”
“How can you say I have nothing to offer? I’m bringing you the most lucrative business in all of Inazuma—selling vanity!” Lu Heng’s eyes shone with a greedy light, looking for all the world like a shady merchant peddling contraband.
“I already have the Shogun’s official approval to crowdfund road construction from the public. Once those wealthy merchants invest their money, I’ll have Yae Publishing House publish biographies for them!”
“We’ll title them ‘From Commoner to Partner of Eternity’! You won’t just make money off book sales; you can also charge astronomical writing fees. Isn’t that a faster way to rake in Mora than selling light novels? And the subsequent construction phases will serve as perfect, ongoing hot topics for publicity!”
“And I have a whole series of follow-up plans guaranteed to satisfy you!”
After a brief silence, the omamori erupted in a highly amused, melodious giggle.
“Hehehehe… Using the Ogosho’s prestige as an endorsement to fleece merchants. Lu Heng, you really are a bad egg.”
“I can provide the venue, but I want a twenty percent ‘financial management fee.'”
“Twenty percent?! Why don’t you just rob the Golden House instead?!” Lu Heng jumped up in protest.
“Two percent, max!”
“Eight percent. Plus, once the road is built, a section of it must be named ‘Lady Miko’s Most Beautiful Boulevard in All of Inazuma.'”
“That name is too long to fit on a road sign! Flat rate, five percent! We’ll call it ‘Fox Envoy Guuji Boulevard’! Not a single percent more!”
“Deal~ Once you’re ready, bring your proposal to the Yae Publishing House and find me.” The connection cut off with a lazy chuckle.
Lu Heng let out a long sigh of relief.
But the moment he turned his head, he met Kujou Sara’s disgusted face, looking at him as if he were absolute scum.
It startled him so badly that a cold sweat broke out.
The Tengu General gripped her sword hilt tightly, her cold voice slipping through her thin lips in a quiet whisper.
“Lu Heng… Not only are you using the Almighty Shogun’s reputation as a tool to amass wealth, but you’re also divvying up the spoils with that fox in broad daylight?”
“You really are a spy…”