<h4>Chapter 132: Viin Simtor, Ch 131</h4>


    "Isn''t this a little... undignified?" Lucas sighed, exasperated. "You''re a girl now, you know!"


    "I don''t even have a real gender," Scaramouche muttered, a slight blush still lingering on her face. "As soon as I get back, I''m dismantling all of these... parts!"


    "No way!" Lucas interjected. "That''s an order—you''re not allowed to remove anything."


    For reasons she couldn''t exin, a powerful urge settled over Scaramouche, suppressing her impulse to tear off the new "armor." It was his mand," not just affecting her actions, butpelling her very thoughts.


    "What did you do to me?" she demanded, grinding her teeth. "Why am I following your orders?"


    "It''s just a little safety measure," Lucas replied, relieved that it worked. "You looked dangerous, so when I repaired you, I added amand to your core."


    "And whatmand was that?"


    "To obey my orders," Lucas admitted. "Rx—it''s only for my own safety. I have no intention of threatening you."


    "That''s absurd," she muttered, her voice dripping with skepticism. "I don''t believe it."


    "Fine," Lucas grinned mischievously, "I order you to roll on the floor and meow like a cat."


    "There''s no way I''d— <i>Meow~</i>"


    To her utter horror, Scaramouche obeyed themand, rolling on the floor and letting out a string of cute "meows." Her face turned beet red from embarrassment, yet she couldn''t stop.


    "Good girl," Lucas chuckled, scratching under her chin. "Want a little fish treat too?"


    Damn him...


    Strangely enough, she even found herself purring, unable to resist the pleasant sensation.


    "That''s enough," Lucas said finally. At hismand, Scaramouche stopped her humiliating actions. "Now do you believe me?"


    Scaramouche scowled, nodding reluctantly. "Fine, say what you really want from me."


    "Huh?" Lucas raised an eyebrow.


    "You put this control in ce to ckmail me, right?" she sneered. "Tell me what you want in exchange for lifting themand."


    Of course. Just like before, you still don''t trust anyone.


    "I already told you—it''s just for my own protection," Lucas replied, smoothly continuing the lie. "Themand only works if you''re within a hundred meters of me. Beyond that, you''re free."


    "Really?" She still seemed skeptical.


    "Believe it or not," Lucas shrugged. "But, since you brought it up, I''ll make one request: don''t cause trouble in Mondstadt."


    He was careful not to mention anything about the Gnosis, lest his connection to Venti was exposed.


    "Fine," she agreed reluctantly. "I won''t."


    Afterst night''s fight, she realized the power gap between herself and an Archon. Continuing her mission here wouldn''t bring her any closer to sess.


    "Deal." Lucas smiled. "Oh, by the way, I''m Lucas. And you are...?"


    "I''m Scara—" She paused and corrected herself, "The name''s Kabukimono."


    So, that''s the name she''s giving me.


    After all, if she wanted to hide her identity, she could have just made up any name.


    "Right," Lucas added, as if remembering something, "if you ever get damaged again, feel free toe to me for repairs."


    "There won''t be a next time." Scaramouche turned away coolly. "I won''t make the same mistake twice."


    Watching her walk away, Lucas felt a mix of emotions well up within him.


    Two women he had grown close to in the simtor were now, in reality, distancing themselves just as swiftly.


    But he knew there was little hope of anything further. Both Scaramouche and La Signora were Harbingers, and their paths would never intersect with his in this lifetime.


    ---


    <i>Goth Grand Hotel</i>


    <i>In the Doctor''s Room</i>


    "What? You''re telling me it didn''t work?" The Doctor stroked her chin, puzzled. "Impossible. Based on all the intelligence we''ve gathered, my method should be effective."


    "Twice." La Signora folded her arms, her voice ice-cold. "Twice, and not the slightest sign of progress. Your intel must be wed!"


    "Oh, twice?" The Doctor''s eyes gleamed with amusement. "And how would you know so precisely? Don''t tell me you personally... hehe."


    Of course, La Signora wasn''t about to divulge what had happenedst night. "It was... someone from the Maple Guild."


    "Then what''s got you so upset?" the Doctor raised an eyebrow. "You didn''t lose anything."


    "It wasted my time." She scowled. "And I even had to bribe the cavalry captain of the Knights of Favonius. You''re covering that expense."


    "No problem," she replied, unfazed. "This information is valuable, after all." Then she added, "But, La Signora, shouldn''t you be a little more focused on your actual mission?"


    "I know what I''m doing," she replied, frowning. "Acquiring the Gnosis is no simple task."


    "Then you''d best pick up the pace." The Doctor''s expression shifted to a knowing smile. "Because Scaramouche made his movest night."


    "What?"


    La Signora''s eyes widened. But just then, the door opened, and Scaramouche walked in.


    Both the Doctor and La Signora immediately noticed the change.


    Even the usuallyposed La Signora was momentarily taken aback. "You... what happened to you?"


    "Oh, nothing," Scaramouche replied nonchntly. "Just upgraded my core defenses a bit. What, jealous that I''ve outdone you?"


    "Jealous of you?" La Signora spat, clenching her jaw. "Besides, I''m still ahead—size isn''t everything, you know."


    "Tsk, tsk," the Doctor shook her head in mock disappointment. "A procedure this amusing... what a shame you didn''t let me handle it."


    In a way, the "surgery" could indeed be credited to "The Doctor"—though not the one currently present.


    "So, what''s the result?" La Signora got straight to the point. "Did you obtain the Gnosis?"


    "Mission failed," Scaramouche replied calmly, her usual pride reced with surprising frankness. "Furthermore, I''ve decided to withdraw from this mission."


    "Why give up?" La Signora asked coldly. "That''s not like you at all."


    "I don''t owe you an exnation, Eighth Harbinger," she sneered. "Besides, isn''t this exactly what you wanted? Without mypetition, your chances of sess just improved."


    "You—!"


    La Signora clenched her fists, fuming, but held back. Though Harbinger ranks weren''t strictly based onbat prowess, she knew she would struggle to defeat Scaramouche in a direct fight.


    Although she couldn''t understand her sudden decision to drop out, her withdrawal certainly eased the pressure on herself.


    "Fine, whatever." Scaramouche waved dismissively. "I''m heading back to my room to rest."


    ---


    Once in her room, Scaramouche flopped onto the bed, only to feel a slight twinge from the "armor" pressing against her.


    "Ugh, all because of that idiot..." she muttered, rolling onto her back and staring up at the ceiling. But the face that appeared in her mind wasn''t just any idiot—it was Lucas.


    Memories of the bizarre encounter flooded her thoughts, particrly the... embarrassing parison." The image of Lucas''s expression lingered stubbornly in her mind.


    Suddenly inspired, Scaramouche reached for an intricately carved mahogany chair in the room. With a swift snap, she broke off one of its cylindrical legs. Using her finger as a makeshift knife, she quickly whittled the chair leg down into a shape based on her vivid recollection.


    Exactly like the "Doctor" in her dreams.


    "If it were really you..." Scaramouche whispered, closing her eyes. "You could return me to that perfect dream."


    ---


    By midday, two maids approached Scaramouche''s door, each carrying a tray with his lunch.


    "Ah, we''re finally seeing Master Scaramouche again," the first maid whispered, a blush coloring her cheeks. "It''s the best part of my day, really."


    With his fair, refined looks, Scaramouche was undeniably appealing, especially to those with a taste for youthful features.


    "But he scares me sometimes," admitted the second maid, her tone nervous. "Rememberst time when he red at me for putting pepper on his steak?"


    As they neared the door, both maids paused, their faces growing red as they caught faint soundsing from within the room.


    "W-what''s that noise?" the second maid stammered, blushing.


    "It''s probably just... self-discovery," the first maid replied, slightly moreposed. "I have a younger brother who I once caught doing that. You''d think having an older sister would be enough, but there he was..."


    "Wait... something feels off about this." The second maid hesitated. "Maybe we should just leave. If he catches us—"


    Before she could finish, the door swung open, and Scaramouche stood before them, looking rather disconcerted.


    "Did you two... hear anything just now?" she asked, her expression unreadable.


    The two maids paled, shaking their heads frantically.


    "Not a word of this to anyone, understand?" Scaramouche''s voice was icy, but just as she finished speaking, a loud <i>thunk</i> echoed in the hallway.


    The improvised "artwork" she''d crafted from the chair leg had slipped from her grasp and rolled right to the maids'' feet.


    "Damn it... humiliated like this..." she seethed internally, her thoughts darkening. "Just wait, Lucas. I''m not letting you off the hook that easily."


    ---


    "Achoo!"


    Lucas, oblivious to Scaramouche''s vengeful thoughts, suddenly sneezed.


    He had spent a few uneventful days in Mondstadt by now. Although Zhang Luo had mentioned he could take his time, he felt it might be about time to head back to Liyue, where he felt most at home.


    After finishing some takeout from Good Hunter, Lucasy on his bed, lost in thought. With everything that had happened recently, the sudden calm felt almost surreal.


    And, as always...


    [Ta-da-da-dah! Since you''re free, why not start a simtor round?]


    Of course...


    Even when Lucas wanted a break, Little Xi wasn''t about to let him have one.


    "I suppose it couldn''t hurt..." Lucas mused. "But can we switch up the location? Last few simtors were either in Liyue or Mondstadt."


    [Sure thing! Such a small request is no problem for me. How about a Khaenri''ah start?]


    "Absolutely not!" Lucas shook his head, chuckling. "If it''s five hundred years ago, I''d get wiped out right at the start."


    [Just kidding. This time, the simtor will randomly pick a different region among the nations.]


    "All right, let''s begin."


    The recent battle between Scaramouche and Venti had given him a lot to think about. While he could handle ordinary foes, he was still a step behind when it came to facing powerful enemies like the Harbingers or even Archons.


    His priority was clear: he needed to get stronger.


    [Command received. Starting the Life Simtor now.]


    [Please choose three talents from the following options. One random talent will be retained permanently after the simtion.]


    [Depression (White): You are easily saddened and prone to depression.]


    [Ouw (Blue): You start with intermediate proficiency in all firearms and advanced proficiency with shotguns.]


    [Great Onmyoji (Gold): You possess an extraordinary talent in onmyōdō, and your skills in onmyōdō will increase with age.]


    [Childhood Friend (Green): You have a childhood friend who holds strong feelings for you.]


    [Demon Affinity (Blue): Most demonfolk naturally harbor a liking for you.]


    ---


    Author''s note: Simtion in Inazuma! Also one of my fav one.


    Sorry forte chap, I forgor


    Anyways get to 1600 p.s for extra chap!