"Who is the mastermind?"
"I... I don't know!"
The little pink fox jumped in fright, shaking its head like a rattle, tears almost flying out.
"I really don't know! Please believe me, Lord!"
"Inazuma's current administrative system is as rotten as a pile of..."
"Uh, it's like a tangled mess that can't be unraveled!"
"Although the heads of the Three Commissions are loyal to Inazuma."
"The officials beneath them are deeply entrenched, and each family has its own shady business."
"With the Sakoku Decree just lifted, foreign trade is an immense profit-maker, and too many people are involved."
"It could be led by a high-ranking official, a merchant guild, or several families working together..."
Her voice grew quieter, her ears drooping, looking frustrated and powerless.
Governing a country, especially one with deep-seated problems like Inazuma, requires more than just power and wisdom.
Many times, even when you know where the problem lies, it's like facing a giant pile of sludge with no place to start.
If you reach in, there are too many problems to manage.
If you don't, the stench becomes unbearable.
King stopped tapping his finger and stood up.
"Then the previous reply from Inazuma said this matter was entirely the personal doing of Hiiragi Senri, the head of the Kanjou Commission,"
"Was that a lie?"
"That..." The pink fox's ears twitched, a hint of helplessness flashing in her lavender eyes, "It's true, but not entirely true."
She scratched her face with a small paw, organizing her thoughts: "That child, Hiiragi Senri... sigh, she's a good person, but she's too clean and too naive. She's not suited for that position at all. This time, she was tricked so badly she didn't know which way was up, and that's why she did such a thing."
"The Hiiragi Clan has been rotten to the core for a long time."
"The newly appointed acting head is a distant relative of the Hiiragi Clan, named Hiiragi Danzo..."
"He's a ruthless, profit-driven fellow."
"The events this time likely have everything to do with him."
"I locked Hiiragi Senri up, partly to protect her."
"And partly to see which parasites would be eager to jump out and grab a share of the spoils once she was moved out of the way."
"I just didn't expect Fontaine's reaction to be so intense."
"I didn't have time to..."
King understood everything.
This was a part of Inazuma's internal political struggle, and Hiiragi Senri had become the bait.
The method wasn't exactly honorable, but it was the most pragmatic choice.
"Then," King leaned forward slightly, his gaze piercing, "who authorized that threatening and strongly-worded reply? It couldn't have been Raiden Ei, could it?"
"..." The little pink fox's body visibly stiffened, her head buried even lower, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz, "It... it was me."
King raised an eyebrow.
What kind of trick was this sly fox trying to pull?
"The reason?"
The little pink fox's eyes darted around, her paws scratching the floor restlessly: "I actually wanted to suppress this matter quickly."
"Inazuma has just lifted the Sakoku Decree. It's a critical time to re-establish diplomatic relations and a good image with other nations."
"And then this shocking scandal of international smuggling of 'gods resentment' broke out."
"Helpless, I had to cut the Gordian knot to minimize the impact."
"Externally, I insisted it was an individual act to quickly cut ties, and then privately gave Fontaine compensation far exceeding the actual loss for 'public relations'."
"Adopting a tough stance was also to gain more leverage at the negotiating table, making it easier to bargain later and 'push down' this matter quickly..."
"After all, there hasn't been time to cause any harm to the people of Fontaine. As long as Inazuma provides enough compensation, Fontaine should..."
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