Room 201
At this moment, the atmosphere in the private room was incredibly strange. The one man and two women inside weren't doing anything that others might imagine; instead, each of them maintained an extremely solemn kneeling posture.
That posture is typically used by Inazumans when attending important events. Generally, such customs, which represent elaborate etiquette, all share one common characteristic: discomfort.
If one were to sit in this kneeling posture for half an hour, their legs would surely be numb and without feeling when they tried to stand up again.
Is it really necessary to use such a high-spec sitting posture in an izakaya? Isn't this just asking for discomfort?
In truth, Yuto was also cursing in his heart. The reason he was like this was entirely because Kujou Sara felt his punishment was too light, so she made him accept criticism and education in this manner.
Fortunately, Kujou Sara's criticism and education finally ended after an hour. Only then did Yuto feel that this woman was a bit stubborn. If she had been in any other profession, she likely wouldn't have survived, but she had truly chosen the right career for herself—a soldier—and had even risen to the rank of General.
After an hour of eavesdropping downstairs, the owner of Okazaki finally had a legitimate reason to deliver food to the guests in Room 201. To satisfy his gossip, he didn't let the waiter carry the dishes; instead, he, the owner, personally went to deliver them.
The moment he opened the door, the owner of Okazaki found the atmosphere in the private room incredibly strange. The young man was slumped to one side, constantly massaging his legs, with a look of exhaustion and helplessness on his face.
As for the other two women, Kujou Sara still had an awe-inspiring expression, kneeling to one side. Kuki Shinobu, on the other hand, leaned against the wall behind Kujou Sara, her face hidden by a mask, making her expression unreadable.
The owner of Okazaki looked at this combination of one man and two women. First, he sniffed the air in the private room. "Huh? I don't smell anything unusual."
Then he looked at their attire. The young man's clothes were still quite tidy. As for the two women's clothes... well, to be honest, even fully clothed, they were incredibly alluring.
One man and two women alone in a private room for over an hour late at night, then calling him to bring some food. The owner of Okazaki indicated, "If you didn't do anything, I'd actually look down on you a bit."
After placing the dishes down, the owner of Okazaki secretly gave Yuto a look that all men understand, and whispered, "Oysters, scallops, eel, for kidney replenishment. Please enjoy."
???
What was that? Yuto looked utterly confused, but the owner of Okazaki evidently didn't notice. After finishing his own words, he quickly left the private room.
"Alright, since the main business has been discussed, let's talk about personal matters. You wanted to find me through Kuki Shinobu, and now that I'm here, speak. I also want to know, as a native of Liyue and a great hero, what do you wish to tell me? But before that, please hand over your Vision."
Yuto casually pulled a Pyro Vision from his pocket and tossed it to Kujou Sara. Kujou Sara took it without even a glance, immediately putting it into her pouch.
"Kujou Sara, aren't you going to inspect it? I heard your department recently caught a Hanamizaka craftsman skilled in making fake Visions. Aren't you afraid this is a fake?"
This question, surprisingly, made Kuki Shinobu a bit astonished. "Can Visions also be faked?"
She suddenly felt that she had been too decisive when she surrendered her Vision. Although the Vision wasn't particularly important to her, not having it had indeed caused her some inconvenience.
Kuki Shinobu wasn't among those who obtained a Vision due to extremely strong desires, but rather one of those favored by destiny. Originally a shrine maiden meant to serve the gods, she gained the favor of a Vision by escaping the shrine, which she found incredibly ironic.
Moreover, in her view, a Vision was just one ordinary member among her many certificates and proofs. In life, most things could be handled without a Vision, and as for truly difficult problems, they couldn't be easily dismissed with a Vision either.
For example, how to eliminate generations of accumulated prejudice, how to pursue truly unrestrained words, and currently, what she most wanted to solve: how to persuade the Arataki Gang, who were rolling on the ground and constantly making noise, demanding that her Vision be won back along with theirs.
"Hmph! Your information is quite well-informed. The criminal who helped forge Visions was rescued from prison by a group of people today."
"You deliberately let them go, didn't you?"
Kujou Sara hesitated for a moment and said, "Those people in the detention center used private torture on that criminal, injuring him severely. If he couldn't receive timely treatment, his life might be in danger.
This was clearly something Raiden Shogun had explicitly forbidden. Since we were at fault first, letting him be rescued by others can be considered repayment. But only this once. Once his injuries are healed, I will definitely bring him back."
"To compensate for your subordinates' mistakes, you deliberately gave them a pass? It seems I didn't find the wrong person."
"I am not an entirely unreasonable person. Moreover, Inazuma has no regulations prohibiting craftsmen from making fake Visions. As artifacts, the things they make still have a certain value; it's just that some people with ulterior motives used them to resist Raiden Shogun's Vision Hunt Decree.
The fault lies with those people with ulterior motives, not so much with the craftsmen who made them. I still understand this principle. My subordinates simply need to pay more attention when confiscating Visions to avoid this matter."
"The Vision Hunt Decree has been in effect for so long, haven't you developed any other opinions on it?"
"The Vision Hunt Decree is a policy personally issued by Raiden Shogun, and I am both a soldier loyal to Raiden Shogun and an enforcer of the Vision Hunt Decree. There's no need to care so much; I just need to execute Raiden Shogun's orders."
As Kujou Sara said this, she involuntarily recalled the two investigation reports that Raiden Shogun had asked her to make. The contents of those reports deeply moved her.
"I heard that the Vision Hunt Decree was strongly pushed by the Kujou Clan Head. So I want to ask, are you loyal to Raiden Shogun, or to the Kujou Clan?"
"Naturally, to Raiden Shogun. However, what difference does it make? Everyone in the Tenryou Commission is absolutely loyal to Raiden Shogun, especially Kujou Clan Head. His admiration for the Musou no Hitotachi surpasses everyone else's; my reverence for Raiden Shogun is not even one ten-thousandth of his. How could such a Kujou Clan possibly do anything detrimental to Raiden Shogun?"
"Don't be so absolute with your words. Honestly, you won't find anyone in all of Inazuma more loyal to Raiden Shogun than you. Even your Clan Head is far from your level. If the Kujou Clan Head were you, Raiden Shogun wouldn't have been so easily misled."
"What do you mean by that? Are you trying to say that the Kujou Clan betrayed the Shogunate?" Kujou Sara's gaze towards Yuto turned fierce upon hearing this. She would not allow anyone to slander the Kujou Clan in such a way.
However, before she could react, Yuto pulled several photographs from his pocket, face down, and handed them to Kujou Sara.
Kujou Sara picked up the photographs and looked at them, immediately stunned and speechless, her entire body trembling uncontrollably.
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