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Chapter 40: Sole of the Deep

Leaving aside the missing Kaedehara Kazuha, Bai Luo was living an increasingly comfortable life.

With the release of the second volume of My Electro Archon Can't Be This Cute, the somewhat heavy atmosphere in Inazuma City due to the Battousai incident was once again ignited.

No one expected that this masterpiece would have a second volume.

And with the introduction of new characters, like Miss Shirasagi who hides her identity as a noble lady and shows a different side of herself, and the mysterious beautiful girl who befriends others through writing under the pen name "Sole of the Deep," the book became even more exciting.

Some people started to notice certain clues.

For instance...

Gorou.

As the general of the Watatsumi Army, Gorou had an innate beast-like combat intuition and a strong will.

Watatsumi Army was able to stand toe-to-toe with the Shogunate’s forces, despite not having an advantage in resources and equipment. 

Apart from Sangonomiya Kokomi's strategies, Gorou's contributions were paramount.

If the current general of the Tenryou Commission, Kujou Sara, was a fierce and impartial figure, then Gorou was her opposite.

Outsiders might find it hard to believe, but Gorou, who was invincible on the battlefield, was like a caring older brother in private, able to get along with every subordinate.

If he had any flaw... it would be his somewhat unstable temperament.

War is cruel, and compared to those veterans who have been through decades of battles, Gorou's experience in the field was slightly lacking. 

Sometimes, he would get overly passionate and make some irrational decisions.

However, in his battles with the Shogunate forces, he was gradually overcoming this flaw.

Having hurried back from the front lines, Gorou's expression wasn't good.

This was because a key figure in their army had gone missing.

There were many rumors about Kaedehara Kazuha in the outside world, and some of them were actually true.

During the battle at Nazuchi Beach, the ship Kaedehara Kazuha was on received special attention and was eventually sunk.

Although Gorou had specifically sent skilled swimmers to rescue him after the battle, the results suggested that Kazuha had likely drifted out to sea with the ship's wreckage.

Inazuma's territory is surrounded by endless thunderstorms.

If he drifted into those storms, there's no way he could have survived.

Due to the impact of the duel before the Shogun, Kaedehara Kazuha held special significance, and Gorou felt it necessary to report this matter to Lady Sangonomiya.

However...

Seeing Sangonomiya Kokomi sitting at her desk in a daze, Gorou hesitated about whether he should disturb her.

His eyes casually glanced over and noticed the book on her desk.

Unlike the military strategy books she usually loved, this book looked more like a light novel published by Yae Publishing House.

"This is..."

That casual glance was enough for him to recognize the book.

Unlike Inazuma City, since they were opposing forces, even though there were occasionally daring individuals from Inazuma who traded with them, these trades were limited to groceries and food supplies.

Light novels weren’t part of the trade.

So this book was the only genuine copy on Watatsumi Island.

However, Watatsumi Island had found a solution.

Though Yae Publishing House strictly prohibited the production of unauthorized handwritten copies, Inazuma’s laws obviously didn’t apply to Watatsumi Island.

As a result, handwritten copies of this book were extremely popular on the island.

Even the paper vendors were making a fortune.

If Sangonomiya Kokomi hadn’t ordered that prices couldn’t be raised arbitrarily, the world would have learned what it truly meant for paper to be as precious as gold.

"Gorou has returned."

Sangonomiya Kokomi's words brought Gorou back from his daze. 

She discreetly put away the light novel and resumed her usual confident and graceful demeanor.

"Lady Sangonomiya, I regret to inform you that I was unable to rescue Mr. Kaedehara," Gorou said, his ears drooping slightly as he spoke.

He deeply respected Kaedehara Kazuha. 

Everyone in the resistance knew how much Kazuha had contributed, and his disappearance was a significant blow to Gorou.

"You don’t need to worry about Mr. Kaedehara. He has already been rescued."

In fact, after Beidou's fleet rescued Kazuha, they managed to contact Watatsumi Island through special means. 

Sangonomiya Kokomi had intended to send someone to inform Gorou, but he returned before she could do so.

"Where is he now?"

This was one of the few good pieces of news Gorou had received lately. 

The previous gloom on his face disappeared instantly. 

He vowed not to place Kazuha in such a dangerous situation again.

"He's in a very safe place."

Kokomi looked toward Liyue as she spoke. 

She had already discussed it with Kazuha, and since he preferred to stay with Beidou’s fleet, she didn’t force him to remain with the resistance.

As she had once promised him, the resistance would always welcome him, but if he wanted to leave, they wouldn’t stop him.

"…I understand."

Gorou knew better than anyone that the resistance couldn't hold onto Kazuha. 

He was like a free wind, able to linger with a falling leaf but never tied down by any forest.

"Alright, parting is for the sake of the next meeting. His roots are in Inazuma, and as long as the Sakoku Decree and Vision Hunt Decree remain in place, he will inevitably return."

As Kokomi comforted Gorou, she casually picked up a small box from the table. 

She had prepared many of these, each containing some strategic advice she had carefully written down. 

Gorou would know how to use them.

After sending Gorou on his way, Kokomi’s gaze returned to the light novel beside her. 

As a fan of light novels, she had immediately labeled this one a masterpiece upon reading it. In her eyes, it even surpassed A Legend of Sword.

But more importantly, she had sensed something extraordinary about it.

The seemingly fictional events subtly tied into real-life occurrences. 

She had gleaned quite a bit of useful information from the novel, and much of it had been confirmed as true.

When the second volume was released, she had ordered her subordinates to risk their lives to purchase a copy from Yae Publishing House. 

And what she found in it shocked her.

"Sole of the Deep..."

That was her pen name!

As the Divine Priestess of Sangonomiya and the current leader of Watatsumi Island, Kokomi had a secret. 

She enjoyed reading light novels. 

Occasionally, she would even submit manuscripts to Yae Publishing House or correspond with fellow enthusiasts.

Naturally, the name Sangonomiya Kokomi couldn’t appear on those letters, so she used the pen name Sole of the Deep instead.

But this was a secret that no one else on Watatsumi Island—or perhaps in all of Inazuma—should know.

So how did this person know her pen name and seem so familiar with her?