Chapter 289: A hundred fleeting dreams, yet also eternity

Luo De just knew.

Yae Miko called me over, surely no good.

Indeed it is exactly that.

Looks like.

She summoned me, likely there was a disagreement over the Watatsumi Island issue with the Raiden Shogun or someone else.

Don't look at her just now saying all that about how she also bears responsibility, claiming she shouldn't be too harsh on Watatsumi Island.

Actually she's dark-hearted.

Regarding Luo De's suggestions of forcibly incorporating Watatsumi Island into Inazuma, she actually agrees; otherwise she wouldn't have so decisively sent that harshly worded, tough-attitude negotiation terms to Kujo Sara, who was negotiating with Watatsumi Island on the front lines.

If Luo De hasn't mistaken.

The one who's been agonizing over these matters is actually the Raiden Shogun.

Speaking of which, it's also strange.

Clearly a war god who crawled out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, during the Archon War she would slay gods without blinking.

Moreover, she can calmly permit the issuance of the Vision Hunt Decree and the Sakoku Order, these heaven-defying laws, while watching the populace suffer yet still insisting her actions are for their good.

But when facing how to deal with the Watatsumi Island rebels and the Kujou and Sangonomiya families who committed treason, she shows mercy and hesitation completely contrary to her own actions.

This made Luo De inwardly lash out in criticism.

What the heck is going on.

First, not talking about Watatsumi Island.

Just Kujou Takayuki and Sangonomiya Shinju, these two bastards, it's utterly unjust that they aren't dead.

As two of the Three Commissions that hold most of Inazuma's worldly authority and whose power departments span all industries in Inazuma.

They don't think about how to assist the nation back on track while the Raiden Shogun ignores worldly affairs; instead they exploit her gullibility to propose many strategies that appear to be for the country and people but are actually just for lining their own pockets.

Moreover, during their tenure they constantly change orders, deceive superiors and hide from subordinates, indulge their underlings in ruthlessly exploiting merchants and civilians, causing the whole of Inazuma to be filled with lamentations, even sparking a strong will to rebel against the Electro Archon.

If this were placed in another country.

Even in Sumeru, where bloodshed is least, these two would be publicly tried and then sentenced to death.

By contrast, in Inazuma.

After all this, the Raiden Shogun actually still wants to spare their lives, and to maintain the system of the Three Commissions, continues to let the Kujou and Sangonomiya families retain their original posts in the Tenryou Commission and the Kanjou Commission.

"Truly a god full of contradictions."

Gazing at the still-agonizing Raiden Shogun, Luo De lightly shook his head, not uttering these thoughts.

After all, it's Inazuma's internal affair.

As an outsider, I ultimately have no right to point fingers here.

However, Yae Miko seems not to let Luo De's idea go.

She doesn't know Luo De already complained about this once at the Kamisato household, or she seriously asked about the Sangonomiya and Kujou families: "Regarding the Tenryou Commission and the Kanjou Commission, what do you think?"

Luo De's first reaction was to want to refuse discussing this topic.

But after a moment's hesitation.

He still honestly laid out what he had said at the Kamisato household about how to handle the Kujou and Sangonomiya families.

No way.

The Raiden Shogun is sitting right here.

No matter how much one tries to avoid discussing these topics, she can bring it back with a single sentence.

Luo De cannot compare to Yae Miko's standing in her heart.

What Yae Miko wants to know.

The Raiden Shogun will surely help her.

And this time.

Yae Miko also finally is no longer just going along with Luo De's words as she did with the Watatsumi Island issue; for the first time she clearly voiced opposition: "Inazuma cannot withstand such turmoil."

"Do you mean the balance among the Three Commissions?"

Luo De stroked his chin and said: "Under the Tenryou and Kanjou Commissions there should be other families that could replace them, right? Inazuma surely isn't limited to just these three great clans?"

"Indeed there are."

"But those are ultimately minor clans, lacking the ability to win over the populace."

"If it's as you say."

"Directly killing Kujou Takayuki and Sangonomiya Shinju would feel satisfying, but their direct descendants are too immature; relying solely on Kujou Kamaji and Sangonomiya Chihiri, these pure novices, would likewise lack the ability to win over the populace."

Yae Miko helplessly shook her head and said: "When the direct superiors cannot suppress those below, the situation will only be made more chaotic by those who only want to seize power."

"Oh, I see."

Luo De understood her meaning.

Simply put.

It's that the Kujou and Sangonomiya families, these two founding clans, are overwhelmingly strong compared to other families; even if the main lines of Kujou Takayuki and Sangonomiya Shinju are taken down, their clans still have the ability to suppress other families into silence.

Moreover, the successors as heads of the two families can't even suppress internal family conflicts; without an elder behind them, they'd be even less able to handle the affairs of the commissions.

"I was thinking too simply."

Luo De ought to admit this.

He indeed began spouting off opinions without properly understanding Inazuma's power structure.

"However, little guy, you said something quite right."

"They've been causing trouble for so long, even trying more than once to break Inazuma's Three Commissions balance; they indeed deserve heavier punishment."

Yae Miko propped her chin, gestured at Luo De with a finger, and said: "Little guy, any ideas?"

Why do you keep asking me this kind of question, ah? Luo De wore a bitter face, thought for a moment, then shook his head and said: 'There's nothing we can do. According to what you say, the balance of the Three Commissions cannot be broken; to prevent deeper internal strife we must also maintain the Kujo and Hiiragi families' status. With all these points together, unless you abolish the Three Commissions' system, don't even think about severely punishing the Kujo and Hiiragi families.'

Pfft—

Luo De finished speaking, and Yae Miko immediately burst out laughing with a 'pfft' sound, looking triumphantly at Raiden Ei and said: 'See, I told you—this little guy's thoughts are definitely the same as mine.'

Ha—?

Luo De was stunned again by these words.

Yae Miko already brought this up? This means I've been dragged into another pit by her again.

Inazuma hasn't changed in several hundred years.

Yae Miko spread her hands: 'A blacksmith's child can only be a blacksmith, a farmer's child will only be a farmer, a shrine maiden's child will surely enter the shrine, an official's child will surely inherit their elders' positions. Shadow, it's time to make some changes.'

But.

As expected.

Whenever change is mentioned, Raiden Ei's face shows difficulty.

Luo De sat aside, watching the two discuss this, choosing not to interject but instead listening quietly.

Class solidification.

This is Inazuma's problem.

This is also the inevitable result of Raiden Ei's pursuit of static eternity.

As for what static eternity is.

The Electro Archon is a deity that pursues eternity, whether the previous Electro Archon Raiden Makoto or the current Electro Archon Raiden Ei.

The only difference.

It is that their definitions of eternity are completely different.

In Raiden Ei's thinking: whether human or divine, as long as one moves forward, one will lose something.

Regarding this.

She believes this is an iron law that acts upon the whole world with time as its carrier, and someday Inazuma will lose the gods' protection.

As the shadow warrior protecting Inazuma, she guards against any opponent that could threaten her; even if the enemy is a void-like crisis like time, she must find a counterweapon before Inazuma is consumed by time.

This weapon.

It is eternity!

Eternal unchanging eternity! Only by remaining unchanging can all things be halted, allowing Inazuma to be immortal.

Under this belief.

During Raiden Ei's rule over Inazuma, she not only retreated into the Pure Heart Sanctum herself, letting her physically pursue an eternal existence, but also established for Inazuma a rigid division of rights that has never changed, so that people from birth can only do fixed tasks, depriving them of the path forward, destroying their desire to change, and stripping the people of Inazuma of the right to dream, thereby letting them completely part with the idea of 'loss'.

Including the Vision Hunt Decree, which deprives people of their wishes, and the Sakoku Decree, which forbids interaction with the outside world.

These decrees were enacted with Raiden Ei's permission.

By adopting a harsher means, she forced the people of Inazuma to obey only her static eternity system.

With a melon‑eating attitude.

Luo De's hand unconsciously moved toward the snack plate beside him.

But that grasp came up empty.

Only then did Luo De realize.

Not only here, but Yae Miko's snacks over there had also been eaten by Raiden Ei at some point, and even the tea and sweet drinks were drunk dry.

Tsk.

Luo De withdrew his hand and continued listening as Yae Miko used the phrase 'shrinking‑shell turtle' to describe how Raiden Ei had withdrawn into the Pure Heart Sanctum.

The original words were:

"To escape reality, you're like a shrinking‑shell turtle hiding in the Pure Heart Sanctum, but the result is that the whole country has become a giant shrinking‑shell turtle."

Even after being lectured by Yae Miko, Raiden Ei did not get angry.

Instead, she optimistically defended herself: 'Turtles are naturally symbols of longevity; perhaps pursuing eternity will turn one into such a form.'

Heh—

Yae Miko laughed angrily and asked sharply: 'Then why did you lose? If your shrinking‑shell turtle eternity is correct, why did you lose to the people's myriad wishes?'

This sentence can be called a finishing blow.

Raiden Ei, who had just been ready to defend her eternal path, was suddenly speechless.

What Yae Miko said was correct.

If Raiden Ei's eternal path had no flaw, then no matter how strong the people's wishes, they could not shake her in the slightest.

But the fact is, she was defeated by Luo De and Ying, who had gathered the myriad wishes of Inazuma.

"If you truly have an empty and bright mind, reaching the realm of self‑eternity,"

"then why would you halt your steps merely because of the people's cries?"

Yae Miko's words were sharp, and she didn't care about Raiden Ei's expression: 'Shadow, stop deceiving yourself—you already have the answer in your heart, right?'

Again there was a long silence.

What Yae Miko said was correct.

From the moment of her defeat, Raiden Ei began to doubt herself.

Such doubt.

Ultimately this doubt fed into reality: Raiden Ei is now utterly confused, unable to see or understand where her eternity went wrong.

After Yae Miko offered this maxim.

She fell even deeper into confusion, unable to extricate herself.

Such a suddenly shifting atmosphere.

It also made Luo De instinctively shrink his neck, and he quietly shifted his body back a bit, trying to avoid being dragged into the topic again.

However.

He had just moved a little when he felt someone again lightly poke him with a finger.

He looked over.

It was Yae Miko, who had quietly come over.

She came up to Luo De's ear, mouth opening and closing as she silently said, "Little guy, go say a couple of words."

"Me?"

Luo De pointed at himself.

"Yes——"

Like performing mime, Yae Miko gestured, sometimes pointing at Luo De, sometimes at Raiden Ei; in short, she meant for Luo De, this outsider, to definitely speak up.

"Reward!"

Unable to argue with her, Luo De simply gave up being stubborn and instead started demanding compensation.

After Yae Miko made a gesture indicating no problem,

Only then did Luo De reluctantly say, "Your eternal path is actually not wrong; the problem lies in your identity as the god of Inazuma."

A novel statement.

Soon it attracted Raiden Ei's attention.

After exchanging a brief glance with her doubtful eyes, Luo De stated his reason: "As the god of Inazuma, you bear the countless gazes of the people turned toward the heavenly light; this thus determines that your every move cannot be separated from those myriad gazes. In other words, you must consider not only your own eternity, but also the eternal path of these myriad people."

"What I do is precisely for their eternity."

Raiden Ei furrowed her brows.

"But this is not the eternity they need."

Luo De spread his hands and said: "You should know, a fleeting glimmer is also a kind of eternity; the eternal unchanging you can pursue—yet because you can exist forever while humans cannot, humans only occupy a tiny end in the river of time, so eternal unchanging for such a fleeting moment is nothing but empty talk."

"Empty talk?"

"Eternal unchanging. Fleeting glimmer?"

Raiden Ei's expression grew more confused, her mouth constantly repeating Luo De's words.

"Yes."

"I am just a human, my lifespan is so short; then what eternity do I want? Nothing more than in this brief life, letting my thoughts and wishes be put into practice, or letting my name be remembered for ages, rather than spending a lifetime seeing no hope at all, only mechanically repeating the seniors' lives generation after generation."

Luo De used himself as an example to explain mortal thinking to Raiden Ei, and then said: "A human life is very short; they are not afraid to move forward, because moving forward brings not only loss but also better encounters; this is the dream mortals pursue in their short lives. In other words, as long as humanity still has wishes, as long as humanity still strives for a beautiful future without regrets, then this generation-after-generation pursuit of dreams—how could it not be another kind of eternity?"

"A hundred fleeting dreams, is that also eternity?"

"Zhen also once said such words."

Raiden Ei sighed, she already fully understood Luo De's meaning, and also realized that while Luo De's earlier static eternity was not wrong, the dynamic eternity that respects the people's will is most fitting for Inazuma's eternity.

And this.

Would make her fall into a dilemma once again.

Just that.

This time's dilemma.

No longer a psychological factor, but coming from a bodily problem.

(End of chapter)