The reason Ei had spoken up and ordered the guards to let them through was, of course, because Yuki had called out to her in the chat group, letting her know that he and Yae Miko had returned and were right outside the main hall's entrance. Only then did Ei instruct the guards to grant them passage.
Upon entering the main hall, the two of them quickly caught sight of Ei seated upon the elevated dais.
Aside from her, however, there was now another figure present below the dais.
Judging by the graceful, curvaceous silhouette, it was a young woman, likely between seventeen and twenty years of age.
Her flowing locks transitioned from pink at the crown to a gradient blue at the tips, while she wore a deep-sea-blue garment that draped over her figure, making her resemble a fish gliding through the ocean.
Below, a pair of slender, long legs were wrapped in white stockings. Her skin was like cream, her forehead gently curved, and her brows delicate—without a doubt, a peerless beauty.
Yuki carefully and earnestly observed the young woman, and she, in turn, turned her head and noticed him.
The very instant she laid eyes on him, it was as if something deep within her heart had been struck. It quivered faintly, and her heart began to race uncontrollably.
So handsome! Never in her life had she imagined such a flawlessly beautiful man could exist in this world.
The young woman's fair, jade-like face revealed a pair of bright eyes, a gradient of blue and pink like twin gems, now filled with an expression of infatuation.
In the reflection of her eyes, the figure of Yuki occupied everything, her gaze fixed upon him without the slightest movement.
Yuki, observing the young woman before him, had already recognized who she was. In all of Teyvat, throughout the entirety of Inazuma, only one young woman could be so distinctive—the Divine Priestess of Watatsumi Island, the energy-conserving homebody strategist, Sangonomiya Kokomi.
Yuki was not surprised by her presence here. After all, the incident at Watatsumi Island had only just settled down.
Sangonomiya Kokomi, as the supreme leader of Watatsumi Island, naturally had to make the journey to Narukami Island to meet with Ei, the ruler of Inazuma.
Although Watatsumi Island was self-governed by its residents, it still ultimately fell under the jurisdiction of Inazuma and was subject to Ei's rule.
"You're back," Ei said calmly to the two of them. "Yuki-kun, I imagine you already know who this is before me, so there's no need for a lengthy introduction from me, is there?"
Ei understood Yuki's capabilities, so she knew that without needing any introduction from her, he would already be aware of the identity of her guest. Yuki gave a slight nod, then shifted his gaze to Kokomi.
When Kokomi met his eyes, it felt as though an invisible electric current surged through her heart, spreading a numbing, tingling sensation throughout her body and sapping her strength.
A faint blush quickly rose on her cheeks, and she bashfully averted her eyes, unable to maintain eye contact with him.
"Hello, Miss Sangonomiya Kokomi. My name is Rin Yuki," he said. "As you can see, I'm a friend of your Shogun." He took the initiative to introduce himself, a gentle, mild-mannered smile gracing his face.
Seeing Yuki's refined, gentle demeanor and extraordinary bearing, ripples of emotion could not help but stir once more in Kokomi's heart.
"Mr. Rin Yuki, hello," she said. "I am Sangonomiya Kokomi, the Divine Priestess of Watatsumi Island."
She kept her gaze lowered, her eyes downcast and her voice as faint as a mosquito's as she responded with shy embarrassment, very much like a bashful young girl meeting someone she admired.
Seeing this from the side, Yae Miko couldn't help but grow alert, her eyes narrowing as she fixed a dead stare on Sangonomiya Kokomi.
Kokomi, for her part, had not yet noticed that Yae Miko had locked onto her. Her restless little hands stirred quietly beneath the hem of her clothing as she nervously hesitated, as though struggling to find words.
After pondering for a long moment, she finally spoke, her voice tinged with timid shyness.
"P-please, if Mr. Rin Yuki doesn't mind... just call me Kokomi. There's no need to address me as 'miss.'" Her tone was soft and tentative.
Hearing this, Yuki gently nodded. "Of course. In that case, Kokomi can simply call me Yuki as well."
"Mm, mm! Alright, Yuki-kun! Ehehe~~~" Kokomi hurriedly nodded and accepted, the corners of her lips unconsciously curling up ever so slightly as she let out a quiet, bashful giggle.
When Yae Miko saw Kokomi's expression, a dangerous glint immediately flickered through her eyes. It wasn't hard for her to see that Sangonomiya Kokomi harbored other intentions toward Yuki.
After all, that demeanor she had displayed right from the very start—Yae Miko would absolutely never mistake it.
At this moment, Yae Miko had already silently filed Sangonomiya Kokomi away into her mental list of rivals and had begun to quietly guard against her.
After Yuki and Kokomi briefly introduced themselves, they returned to the matters Kokomi had previously been discussing with Ei.
Yuki and Yae Miko stood at the side and listened in, quietly observing the conversation between the two leaders. Throughout the discussion, Kokomi occasionally stole little glances at Yuki with the corner of her eye.
When caught, she would immediately shift her gaze away in a fluster, her reaction utterly adorable.
The content of their conversation was mainly about the earlier rumors. Watatsumi Island had already received word and learned that Narukami Island had discovered the true culprit, clearing the name of Watatsumi's residents.
Kokomi had made a special visit to pay her respects to Ei, both to express her gratitude and to make it clear that the people of Watatsumi Island had absolutely never harmed a single resident of Narukami.
Ei, of course, was well aware of this fact. However, this was not the primary purpose of Kokomi's visit. The real, most important reason concerned those residents of Watatsumi Island who had been deceived.
These particular people had completely bought into the Fatui's manipulations and genuinely believed that their god, Orobashi, had not abandoned them.
They believed that He had granted them what they called Visions, and that they were to attack Narukami Island to usher in the return of Watatsumi Omikami.
It was these very people who were the source of Kokomi's greatest headache. No matter how she tried to counsel them or reveal the truth of the matter, they still insisted on pressing forward with their attack.
And now, even her words as the Divine Priestess had lost their effectiveness. They simply refused to heed her counsel. Stubbornly set on their course, they had already formed an army, calling themselves an organization to welcome their god, in one part of Watatsumi Island.
For such a thing to occur, she, as the ruler of Watatsumi, bore an inescapable responsibility. That was why she needed to meet with Ei and present herself to beg forgiveness.
More importantly, however, she hoped that the Shogunate would not intervene—that no Shogunate army would be sent to suppress them. The reason was that if the Shogunate were to get involved, the matter would become far more complicated.
Thus, she wished for Ei to hold her forces still and allow the people of Watatsumi Island to handle this matter themselves.
After hearing her out, Ei fell into thought. She was weighing whether or not to dispatch troops. After all, Watatsumi Island was also a part of Inazuma and fell under her rule.
At the same time, she could understand Kokomi's approach—if there were internal problems among the people of Inazuma, she too would not wish for people from another nation to meddle.
Then, in Ei's silence, Yae Miko suddenly spoke up. "Priestess of Sangonomiya, are you certain that the internal affairs of Watatsumi Island can be resolved properly?" she asked.
"You must realize, those people are all residents of your island. Those rebels have families and friends among the island's populace."
The implication behind Yae Miko's words was clear: she was asking whether Sangonomiya Kokomi could truly bring herself to go through with it—to face former family and friends on the battlefield, crossing swords.
And even if they ultimately won, how would she face the loved ones and friends of those rebels?
Weighed down by such a question from Yae Miko, Sangonomiya Kokomi's heart grew heavy.