If the evidence were handed to Hiiragi Shinsuke, he might simply ignore it because of his position.
He might even question whether the evidence was real.
Once the head of the Kanjou Commission denied it, Lumine would have no way to fight back.
"Colluding with the Fatui…"
Lumine looked nervously at Mitsuyo, afraid of hearing bad news.
After all, Hiiragi Shinsuke controlled one of the three major powers in Inazuma under the Raiden Shogun. If he truly wanted to deal with someone, there were countless ways to do so—let alone simply delaying someone from leaving Ritou.
Seeing the anxious expression on the blonde traveler's face, Mitsuyo pretended to think for a moment before suddenly laughing.
"It's fine. My methods can easily bypass the Kanjou Commission."
If she had to directly deal with Hiiragi Shinsuke, it might be troublesome. But getting a few travel permits was very easy.
Kujou Sara was her junior and now served as a general of the Shogunate under the Tenryou Commission.
Sara was extremely loyal. She might refuse if Mitsuyo asked her to do something harmful to Inazuma, but arranging two or three travel permits did not violate the Shogun's rules.
"That's great!" Lumine said with relief.
Paimon, however, stared at Mitsuyo resentfully. These master and disciple really enjoyed teasing people.
"How long will the permits take?" Luo Li asked.
"About one day should be enough."
Lumine's eyes lit up.
"Mr. Luo Li, are you coming with us to Narukami Island?"
"Perhaps. I also want to visit an old friend."
His answer was vague, without explaining exactly what he intended to do.
Lumine felt a little disappointed. If Luo Li were with them, she would feel safer when facing problems.
She did not fully trust Thoma, after all he was still a stranger. And she knew nothing about the famous Shirasagi Princess either.
Even the seemingly kind Hiiragi Shinsuke had secretly collaborated with the Fatui. Who knew if the Yashiro Commission was also hiding something?
It seemed that from now on she would have to rely mostly on herself.
With a sigh, Lumine asked:
"Then what about you, Miss Mitsuyo?"
"I'll return to the Thousand Gates Void Ship afterward."
Mitsuyo felt somewhat reluctant when she said this. She had originally wanted to follow Luo Li, but after being… persuaded by him a few days earlier, she had no choice but to stay.
In return, Luo Li promised to visit her at least once every seven days.
Luo Li had no choice but to make this arrangement. Mitsuyo attracted too much attention, which could easily expose him.
Besides, he planned to visit Seirai Island later to check the seal that Asase Hibiki had once placed there. Rather than giving Mitsuyo hope only to disappoint her later, he preferred to confirm things first.
On the other hand, Lumine completely gave up hope of relying on powerful allies.
Neither Luo Li nor the Great Tengu would help further. This situation was truly a loss for her.
The Next Day
Mitsuyo proved to be very reliable. For Kujou Sara, arranging three travel permits was a trivial matter.
By noon, the three permits had already reached Luo Li and the others.
Luo Li couldn't help but smile bitterly. He never expected that returning to Narukami Island would require something like this.
Time truly changed many things. Even the most respected figures would slowly disappear from people's memories once they vanished.
It was similar to the adepti of Liyue. People might know that immortals existed in Jueyun Karst, but almost no one could say their names or describe their appearances.
"Well then, Paimon and I will head out first!"
As soon as Lumine received the permit, she immediately decided to depart.
Since this was a test, she believed the time taken to complete it probably mattered as well.
The shorter the time, the higher the evaluation.
She and Paimon wanted to move quickly to secure a better result.
Passing through the entire town of Ritou, they eventually arrived at a checkpoint.
Several officials of the Kanjou Commission and soldiers stood guard there.
When they saw strangers approaching, one of them shouted:
"Stop! Do you have travel permits?"
Lumine calmly handed over the permits for herself and Paimon.
After checking them repeatedly and confirming they were valid, the official finally relaxed.
"Is this your first time visiting Narukami Island?" he asked.
"Yes. Is there a problem?" Lumine asked cautiously.
"No, I just wanted to remind you. If you go straight ahead from here, you'll reach a village called Konda Village. After leaving the village and following the main road, it takes about an hour and a half to reach Inazuma City."
The friendly advice made Lumine relax.
"Thank you."
Taking back the permits, Lumine and Paimon eagerly crossed the checkpoint and stepped onto the road leading to Narukami Island.
Although they had encountered some unpleasant things earlier, the thought of seeing a completely new culture—different from Mondstadt and Liyue—filled them with excitement.
Following the directions of the official, they walked along a wet road until they reached a vast plain where the wind moved the grass.
"Wow! There are so many foxes and shrines here!" Paimon exclaimed while flying higher to look around.
Foxes could be seen running everywhere across the plain. Even when they saw strangers, they showed no fear. Instead, they stopped and watched the two travelers curiously.
"Why aren't they afraid of being caught?" Paimon wondered.
"In Mondstadt and Liyue, fox fur is very valuable."
An old man passing by nearby heard her words and burst into laughter.
"You must be outsiders."
Lumine looked puzzled.
"Why do you say that, sir?"
The old man finally stopped laughing and explained:
"Don't underestimate those foxes. They're not ordinary animals. They are Celestial Foxes and Earth Foxes that serve the Lady of the Hakushin Clan."
"If someone dared to harm them, it would be the same as opposing the Grand Narukami Shrine. Anyone who wishes to live in Inazuma would never dare to touch them."
"And although they look like foxes, many of them possess magical abilities. Some powerful ones can even transform into human form."
"Since you look unfamiliar, I'm kindly reminding you—don't make a mistake."
After hearing this explanation, Lumine and Paimon finally understood.
No wonder these foxes were not afraid of humans. They were actually yokai capable of cultivation.
Paimon quietly abandoned her little plan of making money and said awkwardly:
"Hehe… I see."
Lumine glanced at her suspiciously, feeling that Paimon had just been thinking about something very dangerous.