Chapter 299

Did the Takeguchi family go and file a complaint?

Did they also list nine crimes committed by the Kujou family, totaling twenty major offenses?

Did they even make their young son sign a confession?

Pfft—

Luo De, who was drinking with Ayato Kamisato, couldn't help but burst out laughing with a puff.

After Raiden Ei took his Geo Archon Crown and the Electro Sigil that should have been his payment, Luo De took the opportunity to wander around Inazuma.

Ayato Kamisato, who had been startled by Raiden Ei's sudden appearance earlier, came by again.

This time, however, he was much more honest.

No longer approaching with an intent to curry favor, he genuinely came with the intention of making friends.

Luo De naturally accepted his friendly overtures with pleasure.

The two drank, chatted, and incidentally discussed some cooperative matters.

The Inazuma Bugyō oversees affairs related to shrine culture.

As the actual controller of the Bugyō, Ayato Kamisato is well-versed in these matters Luo De is not skilled in; just a few sentences of conversation can dispel some of Luo De's original confusion.

For example, how to make the populace more reverent toward the gods.

Having handled countless festivals, Ayato Kamisato can immediately provide at least ten methods when Luo De raises a question.

It must be said.

In Inazuma, a nation where the gods have long been absent yet the Raiden Shogun's majesty still weighs upon people's hearts, their methods of promoting the gods are truly unmatched—other nations cannot even hope to compare.

Having gained much, Luo De also exchanged opinions with Ayato Kamisato on other aspects.

Like the current topic: after the Kujou family was punished, the Takeguchi family of the Tenryū Bugyō immediately launched a full-scale attack on the Kujou family.

Originally, Ayato Kamisato was the only one saying these things.

But when he mentioned that the head of the Takeguchi family, like a madman, was admonishing the Raiden Shogun, trying to ensure the Kujou family could never recover, Luo De still couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Let's not mention that Luo De knows Raiden Ei's attitude.

That is, the Kujou family cannot fall—at least not now; otherwise, in the struggle for the Tenryū Bugyō position, Inazuma would surely fall into internal chaos brought about by these aristocratic factions.

Let's just say the Takeguchi family is now wildly attacking the Kujou family using Kujou Kamaji's confession letter and the Kujou family's criminal evidence.

"How can these idiots not understand?"

"The Raiden Shogun will not be wrong, and absolutely cannot be wrong!"

"Everything the Kujou family did during the Vision Hunt Decree was carried out under the Shogun's orders or tacit approval."

"Now the Takeguchi family prepares to use these to accuse the Kujou family—this isn't just slapping the Shogun in the face?"

"And even if the Kujou family made mistakes, only the Raiden Shogun can punish them—when will it be the Takeguchi family's turn to point fingers? Do they think their heads are too big? Or are they tired of living too long?"

Luo De openly expressed his mockery of the Takeguchi family: "Especially that confession letter—seeking death doesn't require going this far? If this gets out, wouldn't it just mean the Raiden Shogun indirectly admits she made mistakes in the Vision Hunt Decree and the Sakoku Decree?"

"Hehe—"

Ayato Kamisato, listening to Luo De's lengthy mockery, smiled and said: "Sounds like you, Luo De brother, think the Takeguchi family has no chance of obtaining the Tenryū Bugyō position, huh?"

"Needless to say."

Knowing Ayato Kamisato was probing for information, Luo De showed no displeasure; instead, he voiced Raiden Ei and the Raiden Shogun's words in his own way: "Even an outsider like me can see clearly: given Inazuma's current state, even if change is desired, it won't happen now—only a gradual transition can occur, and not just the Tenryū Bugyō, but the equally guilty Kōtei Bugyō will surely suffer as well; your Bugyō need only attend to your own duties, and avoid provoking the Raiden Shogun on this precarious juncture."

Having said that.

Luo De seemed to recall something, paused briefly, then pointedly said: "Besides your duties, you must remember not to extend the Bugyō's reach into the Tenryū Bugyō and Kōtei Bugyō; otherwise, if you overreach, the Shogun herself is now personally in charge, she may take offense, and might well cut off your hands."

After carefully listening to Luo De's words.

Ayato Kamisato fell silent for a moment, then smiled gratefully: "Thank you for your advice, Luo De brother."

Luo De's words, especially the last part, are utterly unambiguous.

Ayato Kamisato is no fool; naturally, he understood this very likely reflects the Raiden Shogun's current stance.

After this frank exchange.

Their relationship has grown much closer than before, and the smiles on their faces are now more sincere.

After three rounds of drinks.

Ayato Kamisato then brought up another matter Luo De cared about: "The investigation you entrusted me with regarding Yashiori Island—I've looked into it, and the Traveler is indeed there, and has already begun resealing the divine resentment of the gods."

"She really went there."

Luo De nodded without surprise.

After the battle in the Chasm of Blessings against Raiden Ei, Lumine and Paimon only stayed briefly in Inazuma City for two days before leaving.

Moreover, Luo De has since been immersed in researching the consciousness space, so he hasn't paid much attention to where they went.

Now he finally has time.

He recalled the Yashiori Island he once destroyed.

Originally, he wanted to go see it.

But then he thought.

Yae Miko said Yashiori Island would definitely be rebuilt, so whether official or the Adventurers' Guild, Inazuma would surely issue a commission to repair Yashiori Island's seal.

Others might hesitate.

But given Lumine and Paimon's personalities, they would definitely go.

Indeed.

I guessed correctly.

"How is the situation there now? Has the seal been repaired?"

Luo De still cares about Yashiori Island's condition.

Although after the rebel army destroyed the seal and released the divine resentment, the locals either died or fled, and the once bustling island is now deserted.

But aside from the problem of the Archon's resentment.

My own battle with the Doctor back then, and later when the Raiden Shogun personally came and slashed with those few strikes—especially the Raiden Shogun's Musou no Hitotsuchi—when that strike landed, it didn't just split Yashiori Island open; it also left behind an extremely concentrated residue of elemental energy at the point of impact, so much so that it can be said that the original grain-producing island of Yashiori was destroyed once again on a physical level.

Luo De is not the kind of heartless person.

In the end, I still feel somewhat guilty.

"What did the rebel army say? Do you know any news?"

Luo De originally said to let the people of Watatsumi Island go to Yashiori Island to do hard labor—this wasn't just talk; he truly meant it.

The relationship between Watatsumi Island and Inazuma.

It's somewhat similar to the relationship between Sumeru's desert and rainforest.

Likewise, it's the faith in different gods; likewise, it's the past occurrence of divine division; likewise, there is the fact or legend of one god causing the death of another god; likewise, it's the eventual subjugation under the same god.

But the difference is.

In Sumeru's case, their attitude toward the desert was actually best when the god was present; after the god's death, the rainforest region began its endless oppression of the desert, continually spreading and letting false legends of opposition between the two persist.

It can be said that the rainforest region has always owed something to the desert region from the very beginning.

Therefore, the strategy Luo De formulated, although it involves many and strict punitive measures, overall still leans toward appeasement and welfare as the main approach. In contrast, Inazuma here.

After the Raiden Shogun slew Orobas, who was wantonly slaughtering Inazuma's citizens, the then Electro Archon, Raiden Ei, granted Watatsumi Island autonomy and the right to self-govern its faith; and even after Raiden Ei's passing, the Raiden Shogun continued to follow this policy, without implementing any major directive of discrimination or bullying against Watatsumi Island.

Even if later the Magistrate of the Tenryou Commission intentionally targeted Watatsumi Island's trade.

That was also done by the Magistrate of the Tenryou Commission's own personnel; in reality, it was not a national policy formulated by Inazuma.

So, Watatsumi Island, which has enjoyed over a thousand years of peace—these people can be said to be the islanders after the rebellion—yet in their covetousness toward Yashiori Island, they once again chose rebellion.

Even if this rebellion has the factor of Yae Miko fanning the flames.

But it is an indisputable fact that they destroyed Yashiori Island.

Such behavior makes them unworthy of lenient measures.

Ayato Kamisato knows Luo De's stance.

But he can only helplessly say: "I heard the negotiations there are not going well; after General Kujou Sara proposed terms, conflict nearly broke out again, and the representative of Watatsumi Island, that living god shrine maiden, also expressed inability to accept the shogunate's terms."

"Oh? Then what do they mean? Do they still want to keep fighting?"

Luo De had long anticipated that Watatsumi Island could not possibly accept those harsh terms, so he propped his chin with his right hand, adopting a mocking tone: "General Kujou Sara's negotiation skills are inadequate; even this situation could be stalled by her?"

This topic once again plunged the banquet into an awkward atmosphere.

Ayato Kamisato feels uncomfortable evaluating Luo De's words.

No matter how one says it.

Back when Watatsumi Island rebelled, the three commissions all contributed to some extent—either by funding Watatsumi Island, or secretly aiding it, or opening backdoors for its people.

Therefore, the deadlock in General Kujou Sara's negotiations is closely related to the three commissions.

Ayato Kamisato himself once advised the Raiden Shogun, believing the current negotiation terms for Watatsumi Island are too harsh and detrimental to future peace on Yashiori Island.

However, that advice ultimately sank like a stone in the sea, receiving no response whatsoever.

The same thing was done by the Kujou clan and the Hiiragi clan.

Ayato Kamisato has not been in contact with them, but he can also affirm that their advice, like his own, received no response from the shogun.

Luo De can actually guess some of the hidden tensions here.

Otherwise.

Kujou Sara is backed by the Raiden Shogun, receiving directives and talking points straight from Yae Miko, the direct lineage of the shogun's direct line—there's no way she would drag them out this long.

Put more simply.

If you people of Watatsumi Island still refuse to submit, then keep fighting.

Let's see whether you, backed by the wild lands, are fiercer, or the Inazuma shogunate army, backed by the Electro Archon, is fiercer.

Either obey the order, or die.

Once this attitude is displayed, how could it possibly be dragged out this long?

Unless there is some special resistance preventing Kujou Sara's negotiations from proceeding smoothly.

After much thought.

The only entities capable of becoming a resistance in this matter are the three commissions.

But Luo De sees through it without saying so.

Anyway, Watatsumi Island submitting to Inazuma's terms is inevitable, and it has nothing to do with him as an outsider—it's merely that he cares about the reconstruction of Watatsumi Island being delayed a bit.

That's all.

In this awkward atmosphere, Luo De and Ayato Kamisato concluded this information-heavy private gathering.

The Kamisato estate, Kamisato House, lies at the foot of Mount Yougou.

Stepping out the door and going straight up the mountain leads to Narukami Shrine.

However, Luo De, who has been staying there recently, did not rush back, but instead leisurely wandered toward Inazuma City.

He has been here for a long time, yet he hasn't really visited Inazuma City much, spending all his days idling at Narukami Shrine, and honestly, he's grown a bit tired of it.

From Kamisato House to Inazuma City.

The fastest method is by boat.

Departing from the Kamisato family's private ferry dock, arriving at the dock outside Inazuma City.

Otherwise, relying solely on two legs, one would still need to pass through the vast Tatarasuna and the White Fox's Plains before reaching Inazuma City.

Although this route is not troublesome.

But considering that during the initial Sakura Purification in Tatarasuna, Luo De and that tanuki named Itsuhiro had a minor altercation, Luo De, unwilling to argue with him, simply chose to take the boat.

Besides, he has the token given by Ayato Kamisato.

Having this item not only allows him to freely eat and take anything from the Kamisato family's properties, but throughout Inazuma he can consume freely, with Ayato Kamisato covering the expenses.

Soon.

Luo De then boarded the Kamisato Clan's ship.

Toward this stranger, the people on the ship showed no particular reaction, including the Kamisato clansmen sitting in the cabin; they merely cast a curious glance before turning their heads back to their own business.

According to the timetable at the dock.

The ship would depart in a few minutes.

Just then.

A pink figure boarded the ship carrying a breeze scented with cherry blossoms, then walked straight toward Luo De and plopped down beside him without ceremony.

"."

Luo De frowned slightly: "The esteemed Guuji of the Grand Narukami Shrine also needs to freeload on the Kamisato Clan's ship?"

"Hehe."

Yae Miko, appearing from who knows where, said with a grin: "My, my, little guy, it's been so long since we last met, how come you're so fired up the moment we see each other?"

This was the truth.

After leaving Raiden Ei's consciousness space earlier, Raiden Ei and Luo De had met a few more times, yet Yae Miko alone had vanished as if evaporated from the world, nowhere to be seen.

"Because every time I see you, nothing good happens."

Luo De said expressionlessly.

This was also the truth.

Every time he ran into Yae Miko, he would be coaxed by her through various means into doing all sorts of things.

"Tch."

"How can you put it like that?"

"When have I not given you sufficient compensation? Ei said you were quite satisfied too."

"Are you implying Ei is lying, that you actually have grievances against her, against all of us?"

Seeing Luo De rendered speechless by her retort, Yae Miko continued with an unchanging complexion: "However, there is one point you got right, little guy. This time I came looking for you, I really do have a matter where I need your help with a small favor."

(End of Chapter)