Although Ei's account was halting and full of gaps,
Makoto still pieced the entire story together in short order.
From beginning to end, she could already reconstruct eight or nine parts out of ten.
As one of the Seven who ruled the mortal world, having reigned for two thousand years and personally governed for two thousand years,
her depth of experience, breadth of vision, even the level of her thinking, was in no way inferior to Morax.
What situation had she not seen before?
Given the current state of Inazuma, the tricks hidden within the Three Commissions were obvious at a glance.
Did she even need to analyze it?
"Idiot. The Shogun has been completely sidelined!"
"And you, the Raiden who's hiding inside the inner realm of Musou Isshin, have been turned into a lucky charm and a whetstone."
"And this is what you call 'helping uphold eternity'?"
"They're treating you like a monkey to toy with."
After she finished sorting through everything, Makoto felt a pounding in her head.
Power blinds people's eyes.
Greed is never satisfied, like a snake trying to swallow an elephant.
They entice foreign powers to carve up the country's interests, grind the people into the dust, and leave the citizens in misery.
Inazuma as it was now—
already a rotting tree, its trunk riddled with worms.
Makoto could easily imagine what would happen if things went on.
It was outrageous.
"T-They…"
"They've been using me and the Shogun… as their playthings?"
Hearing her elder sister's final conclusion, Ei felt as if struck by a bolt from a clear sky.
She was completely stunned.
She could doubt anyone else.
But she could never doubt her sister.
If her sister said so,
then this had to be the truth.
"Outrageous."
"I'll kill them."
Once the shock passed, her temper surged straight to her head.
A terrifying killing intent burst out from Musou Isshin's inner realm, spreading across all of Inazuma City almost instantly.
Black thunderclouds thickened high above;
lightning writhed and flashed madly.
She was the Narukami.
Supreme and revered.
And a few mortals blinded by greed dared to play her like a monkey?
Did they really think she could no longer lift a blade?
"What do you think you're doing?"
"Sit. Quiet."
Makoto clamped her hand down on the sword that was straining to surge out.
If she let Ei ride Musou Isshin out right now, what would happen?
With her sister's bloodlust in this state, the streets would run with blood.
She could not allow that.
"But, Sis…"
Pinned in place by her sister, not daring to move, Ei's face twisted in aggrieved frustration.
"Sigh…"
Makoto rubbed her temples.
"We can't rush this."
"I haven't even grasped the true situation in Inazuma as it stands."
"How can I let you charge out and cut people down at random?"
"At the very least, we need to separate out who's a parasite, who's blinded by greed, who's lying to their superiors and cheating their subordinates."
"We have to pick out those who can work, who want to work, who have ability and are truly good people."
"If you swing your sword in one big sweep, the old problems might be solved—"
"—but new problems will pop up immediately."
"Punishment by slaughter has to be paired with strict law. It's not something you can just throw around."
A grand purge was certainly the fastest way to "solve" things,
but far from the best way.
Whether Inazuma, in its current brittle state, could even withstand a "fast knife cutting tangled threads"—that was still a question.
At the very least, she had to understand everything first.
"Don't worry. I'll help you vent this anger."
"Absolutely."
Her own little sister had been bullied—how could this elder sister endure it?
She couldn't endure it at all.
Yes, she would investigate patiently.
Those who had made mistakes would have to make amends, and even be punished.
But one thing had nothing to do with another.
She could scold Ei as a sister.
That didn't mean anyone was allowed to.
Let alone this group of schemers who lied upward and oppressed downward, eyes full of nothing but profit.
"Ei, how many people are loyal to you?"
"Can you tell who's loyal and who's treacherous?"
Half-squinting as she gazed through Tenshukaku's doors at the gloomy sky outside,
Makoto asked softly.
"The Tengu clan… Kujou Sara can be trusted."
"And Miko too."
"The rest… maybe the Okuzome Guard inside Tenshukaku?"
And… that was about it?
Ei froze.
From five hundred years ago, apart from the youkai, the rest of her old subordinates had long since passed away.
Could their descendants still be trusted?
The Three Commissions clearly could not.
Ei fell into heavy silence.
Wonderful.
She was Inazuma's god, yet among all the officials presently in office, she could barely find a handful she trusted.
If that wasn't being completely sidelined, what was?
"So aside from that little fox and the Tengu clan's Kujou Sara—"
"Only the Okuzome Guard remains?"
Makoto was not the least bit surprised.
Being sidelined was a fact; there was no arguing with it.
"Sis, let's go to Grand Narukami Shrine."
Ei suddenly looked up.
"Before I left Inazuma, I ordered the youkai clans to assemble at Grand Narukami Shrine."
"Kujou Sara is overseeing things there."
Humans were unreliable.
Could youkai still be trusted?
The powerful youkai still alive now were almost all her former subordinates.
With Sara and Miko holding the line…
Wait. Miko?
"Sis, Miko was… left behind in Liyue."
"Previously, when the Shogun and I were arguing over the right to use the godly body…"
"I sent Miko to Liyue first."
"She probably still doesn't know you've revived."
She hadn't told Miko when she left,
and forgot to notify her when she came back.
(Miko: Have you no manners?)
"The little fox is still in Liyue?"
Makoto raised a brow.
"Then don't rush to call her back."
"I still have plenty of usable people under my command."
"Let me observe things for two days."
"Come on, let's head to Grand Narukami Shrine first."
"…"
Liyue.
Yuehai Pavilion.
A pink-haired fox paced back and forth downstairs, clearly restless.
Soft footsteps sounded from within the building.
Miko's eyes lit up. She hurried to greet the newcomer.
"Ganyu-nee~"
"Miko."
Seeing her approach, Ganyu smiled and nodded.
"I've kept you waiting. Work has been… rather busy."
"It's fine, it's fine~"
Miko shook her head with a smile.
"Ganyu-nee has her duties. Of course it's tiring."
"It was rude of your little sister to barge in like this. I hope you won't hold it against me."
When you needed someone's help, naturally you had to pile on the compliments.
Ei was still trapped back in Inazuma; who knew when she'd be able to come out?
For now, the urgent task was to find a breakthrough—
and that meant meeting that Mr. Taro as soon as possible.
"Alright, that's enough flattery~"
Ganyu shook her head gently.
"I've already asked Fanan about it."
"Mr. Taro happens to be free today."
"Miko, come with me."
"But remember: no matter how urgent the matter, you must proceed slowly and carefully."
"You absolutely must not anger Mr. Taro. Otherwise, everything will be over."
Here in Liyue, there was only one rule: proceed steadily and cautiously.
The one thing you absolutely could not do was incur Taro's displeasure.
If you did, it hardly mattered whether Mr. Taro chose to act personally—
everyone in Liyue's upper echelons would line up to deal with the idiot who had angered him.
"Don't worry, I understand."
Miko let out a breath of relief.
"I'm here to beg a favor of Mr. Taro—how would I dare offend him?"
"I'll be careful. Extremely careful."
"Mm."
Ganyu nodded softly.
"Come with me, then."
"Mr. Taro is still at Yaoguang Shoal."
"If we leave now, we can still catch him."
"Thank you, sister."
"Let's go at once!"
As soon as she finished speaking, Ganyu and Miko did not linger.
Two streaks of light shot across the sky together, heading straight for Yaoguang Shoal.
(End of Chapter)
[100 Power Stones = 1 Extra Chapter]
[Check out my Patreon to read more!]
[[email protected]/Zukooo]
[Thanks for your support!]