"I need to confirm if you two can become companions brave enough to face the lightning with us!"
"Thoma, why did you suddenly become so serious? Huh? By your logic, does that mean Yuto is already your companion?"
"Paimon, wasn't my original purpose for coming to Inazuma to lift the Vision Hunt Decree and the Sakoku Decree? Their goals are actually the same as mine, so there's naturally a premise for cooperation.
Your purpose for coming to Inazuma is merely to meet the Raiden Shogun and ask some questions. There's no need for you to get involved in our matter. Thoma's goal should be to win you over. This is something you should decide for yourselves.
Of course, if the recruitment isn't successful, it's fine. As the Yashiro Commission, we can still manage to arrange a meeting between you and the Raiden Shogun."
"Hey, Yuto, what does the Shirasagi Himegimi look like? Is she very noble and beautiful?"
"She's a great beauty, Thoma. I'll leave them to you to recruit. Whether you can successfully win them over depends on your handling of it."
"Yes, Lord Yuto. Traveler and Paimon, before I take you to meet the Shirasagi Himegimi, there's a place I hope you two can come with me to see."
"Hmm? What place?"
"Something that cannot be ignored by anyone living on Narukami Island, that colossal structure currently under construction—the Statue of the Omnipresent God!"
Thoma took Lumine and Paimon to the location of the statue, presumably intending to take them to meet Kamisato Ayaka afterward. Yuto did not choose to go with them. Given their status as two top-tier 'tools,' he estimated that with just a little trick, he could make them run all over Inazuma, and he would only need to wait for them to return to Inazuma City.
During this time, he had been hiding near the Tenshukaku. Whenever he saw the Raiden Shogun leave the Tenshukaku, he would quickly activate his divine power, enter her room, place desserts and an investigation report on her desk, and then quickly leave.
With the Raiden Shogun's stubbornness, it was unrealistic to expect her to change her mind based on a report whose authenticity was unknown to her. However, it could make her doubt her own rule, and in turn, doubt the actions of the Tri-Commission.
A monarch cannot make mistakes, so the ones who err can only be those who implement the policies below.
Sure enough, during the most recent regular meeting of the Tri-Commission, Kamisato Ayato, the head of the Kamisato Clan, Hiiragi Shinsuke, the head of the Hiiragi Clan, and Kujou Takayuki, the head of the Kujou Clan, were reviewing recently submitted official documents when the Raiden Shogun, uncharacteristically, attended.
This surprised the three powerful clan heads. In the past, the Raiden Shogun would never interfere in such matters. Kamisato Ayato had been informed beforehand about some of the actions taken by his sister and Yuto, but he only knew about them. He wasn't sure exactly how Yuto had done it, but at least he had some preparation.
The Raiden Shogun did not do anything else frightening. She merely sat in the main seat, told them to continue their deliberation, and then closed her eyes to rest.
The three looked at each other. Hiiragi Shinsuke and Kujou Takayuki, both with guilty consciences, felt immense pressure from such a strong deity as the Raiden Shogun sitting beside them and watching them work.
But fortunately, both of them were seasoned veterans who had navigated the political seas for decades. They quickly adjusted their state, began to ignore the Raiden Shogun sitting in the main seat, and continued with the review of the submitted official documents.
The review work was essentially a preliminary screening of the official documents that needed to be presented to the Raiden Shogun.
If two or more of the three approved an official document, it meant the document needed to be brought to the Raiden Shogun's attention. But if two or more disapproved of an official document, then there was no need for the Raiden Shogun to know about it.
As for documents that all three clan heads marked with an 'X,' those were considered trivial matters.
The review work lasted for about an hour. The three had already divided the official documents before them into two piles: one to be handed over to the Raiden Shogun, and the other to be immediately taken away and destroyed.
During this time, the Raiden Shogun had remained seated in the high position, resting with her eyes closed, without saying a word. When the review work concluded, the Raiden Shogun opened her eyes, looked at the pile of documents about to be destroyed, and interjected, "Wait! From this pile of documents, select those that received a single approval mark and hand them to me for inspection."
!!!
Kamisato Ayato's face immediately lit up with joy, because among that pile of documents about to be destroyed, there was precisely one of his own submissions: a proposal to abolish the Vision Hunt Decree.
Hiiragi Shinsuke and Kujou Takayuki's expressions, however, became extremely grim. This unexpected turn caught them off guard, especially Kujou Takayuki, who still tried to intervene: "General, this seems a bit out of order? Is there something inappropriate in this pile of documents?"
The Raiden Shogun gave him a cold glance, and Kujou Takayuki felt an unprecedented pressure that almost suffocated him. "Rules? Whose rules? I am giving an order! I am not consulting with you!"
Kujou Takayuki immediately knelt and kowtowed to apologize. The Raiden Shogun looked at this cowardly, obsequious old man and sternly rebuked him: "Stand up! The glory of the Kujou Clan began with courage, flourished with sincerity, and transcended life and death.
Back then, your Kujou Clan's ancestor proved his will to me with the sword in his hand, and only then did I bestow the position of the Tenryou Commission upon your Kujou Clan. But now, look at you, do you still have the courage to draw your sword against me? Can your blade still bear this weight?"
Kujou Takayuki stood up, but his body remained bowed, making his standing no different from kneeling. This greatly angered the Raiden Shogun, who wanted to simply abolish him.
However, she then considered that the Kujou Clan had served her for hundreds of years, with several generations of clan heads, always loyal and devoted. Even if not for their merits, their hard work should be acknowledged. Moreover, he hadn't committed any major offense, so abolishing a family for this reason seemed a bit unreasonable. She could only flick her sleeve and depart in a huff.
After the Raiden Shogun left, Kujou Takayuki slowly recovered. His back was drenched in cold sweat, looking quite disheveled. Hiiragi Shinsuke immediately stepped forward to help him. The two were political rivals who had weathered decades of storms, but also friends who admired each other. If he were to kick him while he was down at this moment, he would definitely not end up well.
But Kamisato Ayato, on the other hand, acted as if he had seen nothing. He walked to the pile of rejected official documents, carefully selected them, and then, along with the pile of approved documents, took them to the Tenshukaku. Out of their sight, a subtle, unreadable smile finally appeared on his face.
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