Reisen Riou suddenly remembered—later, Chiyo became Miyushi Chiyo, married to a charioteer.
He'd once searched for that family, but found no trace of a Miyushi clan. Even now, none of Narukami's chariot-driving families bore that name.
"So, what's Chiyo's deal now?" Reisen asked, curious.
"Hiding in the Shogunate, too scared to leave," Yae Saiguu said. "What else?"
"No wonder she hasn't left the Tenshukaku since the tournament. Dodging the quiet life, huh?" Raiden Ei said, feigning a lightbulb moment.
"But seriously, tensions with Khaenri'ah are high. They're tied to otherworldly forces—not the best time for weddings and kids. That might convince the elder," Saiguu mused.
"Nah, the elder's too old to stress him out. Let's just shelve it. What a headache," she added.
"Saiguu, Ei, Reisen—what're you all talking about?" Raiden Makoto poked her head in.
"Chiyo's marriage woes. The oni elder's pushing hard," Saiguu said.
"Why're you here, Big Sis? Done with work?" Ei asked.
"All handled," Makoto said.
"Being Narukami's tough," Reisen teased. "Didn't you used to delegate to clones?"
"I'm trying to be like Morax—hands-on," Makoto said. "I'll never match him, but half or a third's doable."
"Using clones for easy work feels like I'm letting you all down," she sighed. "You're all working day and night for Inazuma. This is the least I can do."
"By the way, Reisen, I hear you're in touch with Liyue's Ganyu?" Makoto asked.
"Yeah, since I asked about immortal arts. Why?" Reisen replied.
"With the Great Forging, Inazuma's short on rare ores. I'd like to source some through private, discreet channels," Makoto said.
The pre-tournament Great Forging wasn't famous, but it was a blacksmiths' festival. It still hadn't ended.
It started with Ei forging blades. Her divine weapons were every smith's dream, and she'd recorded the process with the One System, Ten Thousand Minds Machine, even explaining techniques in person.
It was like the grandmaster preaching. The Shogunate's smiths went wild.
Their zeal overwhelmed the Tatarasuna Mikage Furnace.
Ei's forging wave birthed two smiths with Craftsman's Heart.
"Honestly, I didn't expect my offhand comment to be taken seriously—or mastered," Reisen, the instigator, said.
He'd mentioned that if swordsmanship had Sword Heart and archery had Bow Heart, forging should have Craftsman's Heart. And during the Great Forging, Kaedehara Kazuha of the Isshin lineage actually achieved it.
Back to the ore shortage—rare ores were the issue. Even Reisen, who could craft them, took a full day to produce less than half a pound.
Smiths used them freely, aiming for near-divine weapons, so supplies were stretched thin.
Among Inazuma's Geo Vision holders, only Chiyo outranked Reisen in strength, but she wasn't skilled at creation. In raw ore crafting, Reisen was top-tier.
They'd need to buy Liyue's rare ore exports in bulk.
"I can write to Ganyu for a batch, but her ties with Liyue's Shenglu Hall are shaky. Strategic resources like these—they might not sell, no matter the price," Reisen said.
"If there's a chance, that's enough," Makoto said, unbothered. To smiths, ore shortages were critical; to her, it was a passing thought.
Reisen didn't care much either. If it was urgent, Makoto wouldn't mention it on a rest day.
Leisure time flew by.
Reisen and the others dove back into work.
While handling daily tasks, Reisen kept tabs on Khaenri'ah. Their resources were converging on key spots.
One was Watatsumi Island, which he'd been watching closely.
Northern intelligence reports showed Khaenri'ah amassing staggering forces there.
Without Sangonomiya's overpowered Divine Priestess, Khaenri'ah's troops could steamroll Watatsumi's battered forces.
The priestess, remaining nobles, and Shogunate samurai stood no chance against Khaenri'ah's war machines.
The northern intelligence group's current head was the third Reisen knew.
The first retired from old age.
The second was a mess—loan-sharking, threatening Tatarasuna smiths to smuggle jade steel, even aiding Khaenri'ahn spies. Kagei Tengu tossed him in prison. No one bailed him out; he got the death penalty.
Reisen was baffled. Even the secretive, efficient northern group had idiots who couldn't read the room.
The third—seventh, to them—took over. He cleaned up the sixth's mess, reconnected with fifth-era contacts, and resumed low-key intelligence work.
Occasional small-scale smuggling? Everyone turned a blind eye.