As expected, Lumine and Paimon, after being arranged by Ayaka to see the current state of three people whose Visions had been confiscated, decisively chose to join the movement to abolish the Vision Hunt Decree.
Visions represent a person's wishes and obsessions. Confiscating their Visions not only means they can no longer use elemental power, but also that their long-pursued wishes and obsessions have been taken away, leaving them muddled and even suffering from mental disorders.
Due to the many eyes and ears at the Kamisato Estate, which was too conspicuous, Kamisato Ayaka led the group to Komore Teahouse in Inazuma City, a quiet and secluded place, to discuss the matter in detail, so as not to implicate others in the Yashiro Commission.
That place was a fief granted by the Raiden Shogun to the Yashiro Commission. Only the Kamisato Clan of the Yashiro Commission could plan, build, renovate, and even manage who entered and exited. The purpose, of course, was to maintain the mystique of the sacrificial affairs. However, nowadays, with fewer sacrificial affairs in the city, it had become the Kamisato Clan's secret base.
Upon entering, everyone smelled a strong hotpot aroma, and a spicy one at that. Cooking such a strongly flavored hotpot in a quiet and serene teahouse—who was so bold?
Just as Thoma was about to step forward to demand an explanation, he opened the door and saw Yuto sitting at the table, blanching ingredients. The table was already filled with hotpot dishes, forcing Thoma to swallow the words that were already on the tip of his tongue.
"Why are you so late? Come, take a seat. The hotpot is all ready," Yuto said, without turning his head, as he greeted everyone.
"Wow! So much delicious food, Yuto, did you prepare all these dishes because you anticipated we would return?"
"Didn't I say I'd treat you to a meal before? Besides, with your knack for attracting trouble, it would be hard to miscalculate. Since Demoiselle Ayaka is here, it means you've made up your minds, right? Then let's eat and talk."
"Then we thank Mr. Yuto," Ayaka's eyes sparkled. She had actually wanted to enjoy a hotpot with her friends, chatting and laughing, for a long time. Normally, as the Demoiselle of the Kamisato Clan, the aristocratic education she received from a young age would not permit talking while eating. 'Eat not, speak not; sleep not, speak not'—these were rules from childhood.
If she were at home, someone would surely stop her, but here at Komore Teahouse, there were no such rigid people around, so she didn't have to worry so much.
"Demoiselle, I'll go keep watch outside first," Thoma said, then left the room, leaving it to the others.
"Mr. Yuto, thank you for your help. My brother told me that the Raiden Shogun suddenly demanded that even the documents that only had one circle marked on them be submitted, and she severely reprimanded Kujou Takayuki. Thanks to this unexpected turn of events, the Yashiro Commission's document regarding the abolition of the Vision Hunt Decree has finally been brought to the Raiden Shogun's attention."
Ayaka seemed a bit excited. This was something even her brother hadn't been able to achieve before, yet this ordinary commoner from Liyue had managed it.
However, Yuto didn't spare her a glance after hearing this, continuing to focus on blanching his meat, then said unenthusiastically, "Oh, and then? Did the Raiden Shogun make any new decisions after seeing it?"
This question immediately stifled Ayaka's rising excitement. She shook her head and said, "No, the Raiden Shogun didn't give any instructions; everything remains as before. Even Kujou Takayuki, who was severely reprimanded at the time, immediately dispatched Kujou Sara to inquire about it afterward, and the matter was considered closed."
"Eh! How can that be? Does this Raiden Shogun not see the suffering of the people? What kind of god is she, anyway? She's far worse than Lord Rex Lapis."
"Although I've only seen the Raiden Shogun a few times, mostly at various sacrificial ceremonies, what impressed me most in my memory, besides her majesty, nobility, and unparalleled oppressive presence, was that her emotions seemed very faint.
She is perhaps more like a ruthless enforcer than a ruler, pursuing the sole goal of eternity in various forms."
"That's natural. In her understanding, although the current situation is a bit chaotic, it's just a temporary pain. Once this period passes, Inazuma will enter a stagnant period under the dual policies of the Vision Hunt Decree and the Sakoku Decree.
And this is the static eternity that the Raiden Shogun currently pursues. If time cannot be stopped, then the development level of Inazuma will forever remain at one point in time."
"Static... eternity? So, the eternity she pursues means this? It sounds a bit terrifying, doesn't it? This interpretation sounds wrong from the start, how could she have such an understanding?"
"This is actually related to what happened to the Raiden Shogun. In the war of eastern invasion on Watatsumi Island, the Raiden Shogun lost her great general, Sasayuri; five hundred years ago, in the Khaenri'ah war, she lost her elder sister, Miko Chiyo, and Kitsune Saiguu, three close friends and relatives in one go.
Although she possessed extraordinary martial arts, she couldn't protect any of them. Therefore, her mindset changed, and coupled with her being a god who pursues eternity, she naturally wanted to stop time."
"So... so much has happened. Although I've dabbled in these names in Inazuma's historical records, I didn't expect them to have such a profound impact."
"For us short-lived humans, it's hard to imagine, isn't it? The historical figures we know well were all people and things the Raiden Shogun personally experienced in the past."
"However, the Vision Hunt Decree is indeed a mistaken policy. Regarding this, I became even more convinced after helping Mr. Yuto with those investigation reports. But speaking of which, did the Raiden Shogun's sudden decision to issue the Vision Hunt Decree have any origin?"
Paimon: "I have a question, have you figured out how to resist the Vision Hunt Decree?"
"To be honest... no. After all, to resist the Vision Hunt Decree is equivalent to resisting a god. Just making such a resolution is already very difficult. So, for now, all we can do is try to reduce the losses from the Vision Hunt Decree, such as hiding Vision holders or creating fake Visions for emergencies."
Ayaka's last sentence made Yuto, who had been engrossed in hotpot, pause for a moment, but he quickly returned to normal.
Paimon, however, was very surprised about making fake Visions, "Visions, they can actually be faked!"
"Heh heh, don't underestimate the craftsmanship of those artisans on Hanamizaka. They can create Vision replicas that are indistinguishable to the naked eye."
"Wow! Could Venti's Vision also have come this way? I want one too."
Yuto, nearby, secretly sensed the pile of Visions that Lord Rex Lapis had made for him in his Kamui Dimension, and unhurriedly took a sip of tea.
"But the problem now is that Master Masaru, who has been helping us forge Visions, was arrested by the Tenryou Commission a few days ago. We know this isn't a long-term solution; exposure is unavoidable, but we absolutely cannot abandon Master Masaru."
"He has saved many people, so he must be saved."
Upon hearing Lumine's words, Yuto, who was drinking tea, involuntarily twitched his eye, and secretly sighed, 'Ai, this girl, she's fallen for it again.'
-------------------------
Hey everyone! I've got 40-50 awesome chapters already up on my Patreon. If you enjoy this story, drop by my Patreon to support me. Thanks a lot!!!
👉 patreon.com/TripleCrown07