Chapter 134: A Simple and Brutal Frame-Up

"Sir, why are we abandoning the plan?" "Hmm? Are you questioning my decision?" "No, it's just..." Scaramouche couldn't help but sneer. "Hmph. I know a lot of resources were spent on the preparations beforehand, and now even the Kanjou Commission connection has been cut off. But... back then, we didn't know that the Supreme Bishop of Fontaine was also in Inazuma, did we?" When Scaramouche, the Sixth Harbinger of the Fatui, learned that the Supreme Bishop of Fontaine was also in Inazuma and had even snatched the Traveler from the Raiden Shogun's hands in front of the Statue of the Omnipresent God, he immediately decided to abandon the original plan. "With the Supreme Bishop in Inazuma, things are already chaotic enough. There's no need for us to get involved further. We just need to wait for the right opportunity. In fact, we might as well help the Supreme Bishop and assist him in obtaining the Gnosis." "This... Sir, are you betraying the Tsaritsa?" "Fool." Scaramouche was at a loss for words with such idiots. "The Tsaritsa's goal isn't one or two Gnosis. That's meaningless. What she wants is all the Gnosis. Only by obtaining all of them will they hold true significance. But now, the Gnosis of the Anemo and Geo Archons are already in the hands of the Supreme Bishop. So, whether we or the Supreme Bishop obtain the Electro Gnosis doesn't make much of a difference. Understand?" "...Yes, I understand." "You still don't get it. Forget it, you don't need to understand. Just follow orders. Dismissed." Scaramouche turned around, narrowing his eyes as he pondered quietly. The Supreme Bishop of Fontaine—for the Fatui Harbingers, that name was so infamous that just hearing it would make their hearts tremble. Meeting him in person was akin to receiving a death sentence. Only the Jester would dare to challenge the Supreme Bishop, as he was a typical fool, losing every time but never giving up. As for the Doctor, he was a typical wise man. Whenever he encountered the Supreme Bishop, he would immediately surrender and make as many backup clones as possible. And Scaramouche? He was a typical Fatui Harbinger. On one hand, he wanted to show off in front of the Supreme Bishop to prove himself. On the other hand, he was too afraid to actually do it. In summary, he wanted to be a fool but was too scared, so he ended up being a wise man stuck in the middle. This time was no different. Scaramouche actually wanted to stir up some trouble, but after thinking it over, he decided that not causing trouble wouldn't kill him, while causing trouble had a 99% chance of leading to his death. So... better not do it. Harbingers like La Signora, who managed to escape unscathed multiple times in front of the Supreme Bishop, were truly miraculous. They were eternal legends within the Fatui, and Scaramouche hadn't seen many of them in his centuries of existence. So, it's better to stay calm. However, despite his calmness, Scaramouche was looking forward to one thing. That was the dogfight between the Raiden Shogun and the Supreme Bishop. No matter who came out on top, Scaramouche would be gleeful. Who would have thought that such a grand spectacle would unfold in Inazuma? Even if they didn't obtain the Gnosis, this trip wouldn't be a waste. "Sir, it's bad! The Tenryou Commission is storming in!" Hearing this shout, Scaramouche immediately turned around, his expression changing. "The Tenryou Commission? Why would the Tenryou Commission attack us? What reason do they have? Does Inazuma want to cause a diplomatic incident?" Apart from the Grand Cathedral of Fontaine, it was always the Fatui who initiated trouble with other nations. Scaramouche had never seen a country dare to provoke the Fatui. After all, why were the Fatui known as the most aggressive diplomatic corps? Because Snezhnaya was the most powerful nation in the world. The strength of Snezhnaya was the Fatui's greatest confidence. Who would dare to openly antagonize the Fatui, aside from the Supreme Bishop? Even the Supreme Bishop only set a limit on the number of Fatui members allowed into Fontaine. Any Fatui exceeding that number would be executed for illegal entry. Ahem, although this might not sound very impressive, at least no other country dared to impose such strict regulations on the Fatui's entry and activities, right? And since there were no such regulations, what grounds did the Tenryou Commission have to attack the Fatui? Did they really want to provoke Snezhnaya? Of course, if it were the Raiden Shogun, Scaramouche wouldn't doubt her courage to take action against the Fatui. She truly wasn't afraid of Snezhnaya. But the Raiden Shogun was the Raiden Shogun, and Inazuma was Inazuma. They might seem like the same thing, but in reality, they were two different concepts. Gods had their dignity, and nations had their rules of the game. Which god would lower themselves to treat the Fatui as an opponent? To put it simply, if a nation was being bullied diplomatically by the Fatui, and the god stepped in personally to deal with the Fatui... wouldn't that be embarrassing? Or rather, wouldn't that be embarrassing for the god? At the very least, Scaramouche was certain that the Raiden Shogun would never stoop so low. Unless some clueless Fatui member walked right into her blade, she wouldn't even bother with the Fatui. There were mortals who could be considered the Raiden Shogun's opponents, and that person was known as the Supreme Bishop of Fontaine. If it were the Supreme Bishop, no one would think it was embarrassing for the Raiden Shogun to step in personally but at least Scaramouche wasn't arrogant enough to compare himself to the Supreme Bishop. In fact, he was a bit distracted. Could it be that they're here to capture me because they found out about my existence? There was a reason for this thought. Although Scaramouche was nominally a diplomat of Snezhnaya as a Fatui Harbinger, after arriving in Inazuma, he didn't go to pay his respects to the Raiden Shogun. Instead, he hid in the shadows. There was a deep reason for this. To put it bluntly, Scaramouche was originally from Inazuma. Well, that might not be entirely accurate. Scaramouche was born in Inazuma, but he wasn't human. He was a puppet. Yes, the same kind of puppet as the Raiden Shogun, except he was the prototype. The Raiden Shogun currently sitting in Tenshukaku could, in a sense, be considered Scaramouche's younger sister. Scaramouche was discarded by the Raiden Shogun, who deemed him a failure. And for the Raiden Shogun, who in a sense could be considered his "mother," Scaramouche harbored intense resentment not because he was abandoned, but because of another incident that Scaramouche now completely refused to bring up. In any case, Scaramouche had no desire to meet the Raiden Shogun. It wasn't just resentment, the emotions were too complex to explain, even to himself. So, what kind of feelings did the Raiden Shogun have for him? Scaramouche suddenly couldn't help but sneer at himself. That lofty god had probably long forgotten about him. Back then, he had begged so desperately to see her, but he never got the chance. What kind of ridiculous expectations was he holding onto now? Yes, Scaramouche found it bitterly ironic that he was actually hoping the Raiden Shogun still remembered him, whether in a good or bad way. He was hoping she hadn't forgotten him. Even if these Tenryou Commission soldiers were indeed here on her orders to capture or even destroy him... Scaramouche quickly collected himself and coldly asked, "Tell me, what reason did the Tenryou Commission give for storming in without a word? Don't they know the concept of 'courtesy before force'?" "I-I don't know, sir!" The Fatui soldier reporting looked panicked. "The one leading them is that Sen'emon. She didn't even bother talking to us. She just sliced our gate open with one slash, and then the Tenryou Commission charged in." "Sen'emon?" Scaramouche frowned. But it was just a frown. Although Sen'emon was quite famous in Inazuma, she was still just a young woman in her early twenties. To Scaramouche, she wasn't particularly intimidating. Sen'emon was strong? So what? Scaramouche had no reason to fear anyone. As the prototype of the Raiden Shogun, Scaramouche's power might not match that of the Raiden Shogun in Tenshukaku, but it was only inferior to hers. When his powers were sealed, that was one thing. But now that the seal was lifted, Scaramouche had no reason to fear any enemy. The Fatui Harbingers were ranked by strength, but this didn't mean that a higher-ranked Harbinger was necessarily stronger than the one below them. The strength of the Fatui Harbingers was divided into tiers. The top three Harbingers were in one tier, possessing power comparable to that of gods. The fourth to sixth Harbingers were in another tier, surpassing human limits and being semi-divine. Even against gods, they weren't without a chance of victory. As for the seventh Harbinger and below, they were merely the pinnacle of humanity. As the prototype of the Raiden Shogun, after having his seal lifted, Scaramouche's power didn't skyrocket to the level of the top three Harbingers, who were godlike. However, he was still not weaker than the fourth and fifth Harbingers, solidly securing the sixth seat. To say his power was semi-divine was no exaggeration. With such power, how could Scaramouche possibly fear a mere twenty-year-old like Sen'emon? So, after frowning for a moment, he simply stood still, waiting to see what they intended to do. Soon enough, he saw the woman walking into the room with light, carefree steps. "Hello, are you Scaramouche, the Sixth Harbinger of the Fatui?" Scaramouche didn't bother answering such an obvious question. Instead, he calmly asked with a smile, "Asada Sen'emon, right? Can you tell me what this is all about? Is Inazuma declaring war on Snezhnaya? Or is this the Raiden Shogun provoking the Tsaritsa?" Sen'emon shook her head with a smile. "No, I simply received information that you're harboring a criminal designated by the Shogun, so I came to investigate." Scaramouche couldn't help but laugh. "A criminal? Which criminal are you talking about? And who gave you this information? I don't recall anything like this." This was just too ridiculous. Scaramouche never expected them to use such a flimsy excuse to pick a fight with the Fatui. The idea of being framed was something he never thought would happen to the Fatui. How could he not find it amusing? But the next second, he stopped laughing. "That information came from me." The woman who stepped out from behind Sen'emon made Scaramouche's expression instantly turn serious. He could no longer laugh. "Yae Miko." Compared to someone like Sen'emon, this woman was the one Scaramouche truly considered the most important figure in Inazuma. In terms of strength, this familiar of the Raiden Shogun was unfathomable. In terms of status, the Guuji of the Grand Narukami Shrine was undoubtedly the second most powerful person in Inazuma. In terms of cunning, even the Supreme Bishop of Fontaine had once described her in the newspapers as "as sly as a fox." This woman was truly inscrutable in every aspect. And now... what was she up to? "What a rude little brat." Scaramouche stopped laughing, but Yae Miko smiled gently at him. "Back then, Ei should have listened to me and disposed of you directly." "Hmph." Hearing this, Scaramouche couldn't help but snort. "Should I be grateful that she didn't dispose of me?" "Truly a rebellious child. You really need to be taught a lesson." Yae Miko shook her head. "Alright, you're harboring a criminal designated by the Raiden Shogun. The evidence is clear. Come with us now." "Nonsense. Where's this evidence you speak of?" Scaramouche sneered. "Show it to me. Otherwise, don't think the Fatui will let this go." "What a stubborn one." Yae Miko sighed with a smile, then suddenly raised her voice: "Won't you come out? Hiding is useless now! You've been discovered!" Sen'emon glanced at Yae Miko, her eyes narrowing slightly, then turned to look at the sliding door behind Scaramouche, her smile widening. Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap. The moment the sound of light applause rang out, Scaramouche's body stiffened, and his eyes widened in shock. He immediately turned around and stared intently at the slowly opening door. "As expected of the Guuji. You really can't hide anything from you." The man spoke these words as he walked into the room, praising Yae Miko: "How did you know I was here?" Before Yae Miko could answer, Scaramouche had already figured everything out. He couldn't help but grit his teeth. "THE SUPREME BISHOP OF FONTAINE!" In an instant, he turned back to glare at Yae Miko. "To think that the Raiden Shogun's familiar would collude with a criminal designated by the Shogun. This is truly shocking. Aren't you afraid the Raiden Shogun will hold you accountable?" Yae Miko completely ignored Scaramouche's words. She smiled at the Supreme Bishop of Fontaine and softly answered his question: "Hiding among the Fatui was your biggest mistake. After all, the Fatui have my informants among them."