In Genshin Impact, I'm really not Muzan.

Ayaka Kamisato couldn't help but praise her, but Yui Suzumiya's expression didn't change.

"Then take your time eating. I'll bring the custom-made clothes back in two days. Remember to be prepared then."

"Wait a moment!"

Just as Suzumiya Yu was about to leave, Kamisato Ayaka suddenly called out to him.

"Where did you get these exotic dishes?"

Judging from the still-warm temperature of the food, it must have been freshly cooked not long ago. If Suzumiya Yu bought it from someone else, it would not have been able to maintain such freshness.

“I bought the recipe from a foreign businessman and then made it myself.”

Suzumiya Yui remained silent for a while before finally choosing to answer truthfully.

"Oh...I see. Thank you so much. I really like the taste of these dishes."

"I just did what I promised you."

With a brief answer and a cold tone, Suzumiya Yu left the room as soon as she finished speaking, as if she didn't want to stay a moment longer.

Ayaka Kamisato's expression was somewhat complicated. She had something she wanted to say, but Yuu Suzumiya's expression made her hesitate to speak.

The dimly lit room was filled with the aroma of food, and the occasional soft chewing sounds could be heard in the air.

......

Back in her room, Suzumiya Yu took out a piece of ore with a silvery and purplish hue from her pocket.

This is crystallized bone marrow obtained from the warehouse of the Kansei Magistrate. Today, he will investigate it to see what is so noteworthy about this crystallized bone marrow that the Fools would use it as a weapon against the Thunder General.

Crystallized marrow is a relatively rare mineral in Inazuma; it is a crystal containing the power of a "demon." Adding this substance during smelting can greatly increase the strength and toughness of steel products.

The power of the evil spirit originated during the War of the Demon Gods. It first appeared on the serpent god Orobas, who was killed by the Thunder General using the "Unthinking One Slash".

The remains of Orobas can still be seen on Hachiyū Island, and most of the crystallized bone marrow in Inazuma is collected from the surface of its remains.

This can be understood as follows: crystallized bone marrow is the essence of Orobas's body. One or two pieces may not have much effect, but if many pieces are gathered together, they can condense into a power that would make even demons tremble.

In the game's storyline, an excessive amount of crystallized bone marrow condensed into the resentment of a demon god. This resentment feeds on human anger, and even the protagonist, who can purify dragon blood, cannot resist it.

If Yae no Miko hadn't suddenly appeared and saved the protagonist by giving up his divine heart, he probably would have perished there.

The stragglers were not the kind of people who were merciful. In their eyes, an opponent of the protagonist's caliber could be dealt with in a matter of minutes.

Thinking of this, Ryouji Suzumi couldn't help but shudder. If he had chosen to fight the skirmishers to the death that night, would he have died a terrible death?

Fortunately, he was very rational at the time and chose to end the battle before the skirmishers used the powers of Thor and Ice God; otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

"We still need to improve our strength as soon as possible."

Liang Gong worriedly thought that unless he could upgrade the level of the combat system, it would be very difficult for him to fight against enemies of the skirmisher level.

If he can't even handle the stragglers, how can he possibly overthrow General Thunder? As someone who specializes in martial arts, she's not one to calm down and reason with herself.

......

Two days passed in the blink of an eye.

Suzumiya Yu took Kamisato Ayaka to the Oguraya to get the custom-made clothes. The quality seemed fine, but since he wasn't an expert in this area, he couldn't judge whether they were good or bad.

However, judging from Ayaka Kamisato's expression, there shouldn't be any major problems.

Where to go next?

The two walked side by side down the street, with Suzumiya Yui occasionally scanning her surroundings to prevent any organization like the Endgame from following her.

"There's a marker in the diary; it's located... directly below Inazuma Castle."

Ayaka Kamisato didn't tell Yui Suzumiya the specific reason for the matter, but only told him that she was going to find a friend of her mother's named "Tsubaki".

Tsubaki loves pretty clothes and exotic cuisine, which she mentioned in her diary. That's why Ayaka Kamisato brought these two things to see her.

Soon, they arrived directly below Inazuma Castle, where they found a cave that wasn't particularly well hidden.

The cave was very empty, with nothing particularly eye-catching, and most of the floor was covered by water, making it very difficult to walk inside.

"Tsubaki...does she really live in a place like this?"

Ayaka Kamisato's heart wavered a little, because this place was obviously uninhabitable. Even a divine messenger wouldn't live in such a shabby place, would he? Liu Yuxi would probably delete the "Ode to a Humble Abode" overnight if he saw it.

"Since we're already here, shouldn't we at least look for it?"

Ryou Suzumiya placed his hand on the hilt of the sword at his waist. He looked around and, although there were some differences, it was still very similar to the cave in his memory.

That would make things much easier.

Suzumiya Yuu had Ayaka Kamisato follow closely behind him, while he touched the stone walls of the cave as he made his way forward.

He didn't know how long he had walked, but he stopped in front of a stone wall and gently tapped it with his hand.

The feel and feedback when tapping were not much different from other places, except... this stone wall looked a bit softer than other places.

"This should be it."

Thinking to herself, Suzumiya Yu took a step back and then clenched her fists.

"Spell activation!"

"Destruction Kill - Void Style!"

A twelve-pointed blue snowflake array appeared beneath her feet, and Suzumiya Yu threw six punches into the air in succession, each punch generating a visible gust of wind.

As one bombardment after another rang out, the once seemingly solid stone wall instantly turned into a pile of stone dust, collapsing and raising a thick cloud of smoke.

Ayaka Kamisato was choked by the smoke and had some difficulty breathing. When she recovered, she discovered that a stone chamber had appeared where the stone wall had been.

Chapter Thirty-Six: Hidden Feelings

The stone chamber was not large, not even the size of a room, and there was no sign of anyone living inside, only a delicate little wooden box.

"this..."

Ayaka Kamisato was somewhat surprised; she had only approached it with a try-it-out mentality, but she had actually found something.

She stepped forward, opened the small wooden box, and found that it also contained a notebook.

"Could this be Chun's notebook?"

Ayaka Kamisato took out the notebook and looked at it for a while, but because the light in the cave was very dim, she couldn't see anything at all.

"Let's go outside and take a look."

Then, the two came outside the cave, where the light suddenly became bright.

Ayaka Kamisato was engrossed in reading her notes, while Yuu Suzumiya stood beside her, saying nothing and not disturbing her.

About ten minutes passed like this, and then Ayaka Kamisato suddenly put down her notebook. She closed her eyes slightly and looked up at the sky, it was unclear whether she had finished reading it or not.

"So that's how it is..."

She murmured softly, saying something unintelligible.

"What's written in the notebook? Are there any clues about Chun's whereabouts?"

Suzumiya Yu asked, knowing what was written in the notebook, but choosing to pretend not to know in order not to arouse suspicion.

"Tsubaki... is actually my mother."

Ayaka Kamisato handed the notebook to Yui Suzumiya.

"If you want to know exactly what happened, just look for yourself."

Suzumiya Yu didn't act coy. He took the notebook and carefully read through its contents, his expression remaining unchanged, without any subtle movements like frowning.

"So? What are your thoughts?" After reading the notes, Suzumiya Yu asked, "Your mother, who usually appears so dignified, actually has such a childlike side. Do you find it laughable, or rather, unbelievable?"

Ayaka Kamisato remained silent for a while.

“I think... I should be able to understand my mother’s thoughts, because I’m the same as her.”

"Really? I'm curious, why don't you tell me?"

"I love beautiful clothes, I want to try the food of every region, and I long for beautiful scenery that I have never seen before, but because of family matters, I have never had time to do these things. Even if I had the time, I would not easily do something that would damage the family image in front of others."

Every move she makes represents the Kamisato family, and people are always watching her. Kamisato Ayaka is troubled by this, a feeling that has been there for a long time.

Like her, the mother in the notes also felt, for some reason, that her inner thoughts were being read when she saw the contents of the notes.

They truly are mother and daughter; even their worries and desires are exactly the same.

"Isn't that normal?"

"Huh?"

Ayaka Kamisato looked up, staring at Yuu Suzumiya in disbelief.

Suzumiya Yu ignored her and continued speaking.

"Everyone has things they want to do, but these things often seem out of place with their usual selves. Because we are always concerned about what others think, we never put them into practice, and over time, another side of ourselves emerges."

"Like me, I don't usually say I enjoy killing, but I've definitely killed quite a few people. Someone like me would also like light novels and be easily moved by their stories, so it wouldn't be surprising if I shed tears because of them."

Ayaka Kamisato's mouth opened slightly, her face full of surprise, as if she had heard something incredible.

Most importantly, was Suzumiya Yu saying these things to comfort her?

"Don't look at me like that. I'm just stating the facts. Everyone has a side that others don't know about. That's normal. It's not strange or shameful."

"Is that so? I understand, thank you."

"Actually, I have another secret."

Suzumiya Yu paused for a moment.

"My name is not Muzan Kibutsuji, but Yuu Suzumiya. I use an alias to avoid people discovering my identity."

"Then...why did you tell me?"

Ayaka Kamisato was puzzled. If Yuu Suzumiya didn't want anyone to know his name, then why did he tell her?

“I wouldn’t tell this to just anyone, but it’s different for you. Do you understand what I mean? Ayaka, you are a special person to me.”

"A special...existence?"

Suzumiya Yu's words touched on a blind spot in Kamisato Ayaka's knowledge, so she had some difficulty understanding what the other person meant for a moment.