[The Yanguo Supervisory Office is an institution under the jurisdiction of the Kanjou Commission.]
[Anyone coming to Ritou Island for business, events, deliveries, or shipping goods must first register at the Yanguo Supervisory Office.]
[It's basically the entry procedure for the island.]
[This procedure was originally free, but under the Sakoku Decree, the Kanjou Commission imposed a registration fee on outlanders.]
[However, all the locals know that this fee is just a scheme cooked up by the Kanjou Commission itself.]
[There's not even any standardization to it.]
[The collected fees don't go into Inazuma's national treasury; they're all divided up among the people at the Yanguo Supervisory Office and the Kanjou Commission.]
[The registration fees are outrageously inflated.]
[If they encounter foreign merchants stranded in Inazuma who are honest and submissive, they straight-up demand millions of Mora in registration fees.]
[If the outlander has a local acquaintance with them, it's at most a few hundred Mora, or even free.]
[Anyway, the Yanguo Supervisory Office's income isn't legitimate revenue that affects Inazuma's civilians, so I just raided the place outright and treated it as travel funds.]
[Too bad this operation only netted a million or so Mora.]
[It was only from the documents in their treasury that I learned the Yanguo Supervisory Office tallies the day's earnings before closing and sends the bulk off to the Kanjou Commission.]
[Fits the standard corrupt hierarchy, I suppose.]
[No matter. A million or so Mora will last me a while. Next chance I get, I'll raid the Kanjou Commission directly.]
The women: "!?"
The women scattered across the other nations were utterly dumbfounded by Su Xuan's actions.
Especially high-ranking figures in their own countries like Acting Grand Master Jean, Tianquan Ningguang, and the big star Furina.
They all felt an inexplicable stuffiness in their chests.
To think, all the Mora Su Xuan raided from the Yanguo Supervisory Office came from the pockets of their own nations' people.
"I've long heard that Inazuma is enforcing the Sakoku Decree, not banning outlanders from entering Inazuma, but forbidding Inazumans from leaving."
"So this is just luring outsiders in to fleece them."
"With the Kanjou Commission engaging in such blatant corruption, doesn't Inazuma's Archon care?"
"If these guys fell into my hands, I'd ship them off to the Fortress of Meropide to rot away with the inmates for life."
Even through the diary, Furina could feel the grievances of the outlanders stranded in Inazuma.
It was just registering some info, yet the Yanguo Supervisory Office demanded a million Mora. That was more than what she, the Hydro Archon, charged for a performance debut.
Utterly arrogant. Unforgivable.
Naganohara Fireworks.
Yoimiya stared blankly at the thick stack of Mora in front of her. A rough glance told her it was at least a few hundred thousand.
She figured Su Xuan had split the loot from the Yanguo Supervisory Office with her fifty-fifty out of gratitude.
"Eek!" Yoimiya shivered all over. "Doesn't that make me an accomplice?"
"No wonder he never revealed my identity in the diary, always calling me 'the kind girl.'"
"He must've been afraid of exposing me."
"Does he know his diary can be seen by others?"
"Wait, something about this just doesn't add up."
Naganohara Fireworks was in Inazuma City, while the Yanguo Supervisory Office was on Ritou Island.
Getting from Inazuma City to Ritou Island meant passing through the Byakko Wilds and Konda Village.
Su Xuan had set out in the dead of night, crossed the Byakko Wilds and Konda Village to reach Ritou Island, then hit the Yanguo Supervisory Office.
Half the night wasn't even enough to traverse the Byakko Wilds, let alone make a round trip between Inazuma City and Ritou Island.
And raid the place in the middle.
"Even if he unlocked some kind of power, that's impossible, right?"
"If he really did that, just how strong is he..."
Yoimiya felt her head swelling.
Now that she thought about it, her good deed last night might have led her to befriend someone extraordinary.
A flash of golden light streaked by.
Yoimiya snapped back to attention and swept a glance at the gleaming pile of Mora on the table before hurriedly storing it all in her Vision's inventory space.
"No one else can know about this Mora."
"If I get the chance to see Su Xuan again someday, I'll return it to him."
"But..."
Thinking of Su Xuan about to set off on his journey, Yoimiya sighed wistfully. "Fate is like fireworks, blooming brilliantly but gone in a flash. Who knows if we'll meet again."
"At least with this diary, I can keep track of his every move."
"I hope his future travels bring him good moods every single day."
Yoimiya lingered in uncharacteristic sentimentality for a moment. When her gaze fell back on the diary, her eyes suddenly widened.
[That about covers last night.]
[Today's a new day.]
[I was originally planning to leave Inazuma straight away, but while gazing at Tenshukaku in Inazuma City, a immature little idea suddenly popped into my head.]
[I recalled a saying that's long circulated across Inazuma's lands.]
[There are always mortals who dare to face the Almighty Shogun's thunderous wrath.]
[Perfect timing. Before setting off, I want to test my unlocked power with the Musou no Hitotachi.]
[So...]
[You big-braided girl hiding in the Plane of Euthymia, come out here all purified and ready.]
[Let me try my sword on you!]
[....]
Yoimiya: "!?"