Ritou.
Inazuma's foreign trade port, under the jurisdiction of the Kanjou Commission, one of the Three Commissions. Entry and exit were strictly regulated, requiring various permits. At the waterfront, where vessels from far and near were docked, a standoff was unfolding.
On one side, ten soldiers stood in formation, protecting a man lying on the ground. He was dressed in fine robes and clearly a person of means.
Opposite them stood two young men, shielding two others behind them. These two wore simpler clothes, but their design was distinct from typical Inazuman attire, marked with coral-like emblems.
"Damn it! Who are you?! How dare you lay hands on a member of the Kanjou Commission?! What are you waiting for! Captain Tamada—my back! I can barely stand! Arrest them at once!" The fallen man clutched his waist, groaning in pain as he struggled upright.
A crowd had gathered—locals and foreign merchants alike. They pointed at the two parties, whispering among themselves. Some recognized the figures involved.
"Isn't that Mitsuda—the commissioner in charge of Ritou's entry permits and taxes?"
"The very same. And those two young men opposite him… I recognize one as Kaedehara Kazuha."
"Kaedehara Kazuha? Who's that?"
"You see the one in red maple leaves? The strikingly handsome young man."
"Oh, that one. So he's Kaedehara Kazuha. Is he famous?"
"You've heard of the Kamisato Clan?"
"Of course. One of the Three Commissions, the Yashiro Commission."
"Right. Kazuha belongs to the Kaedehara family—vassals to the Kamisato."
"Ah, that explains why he dares to act so boldly."
The crowd buzzed with talk, but the tension between the two sides only thickened.
"So what if you're from the Kanjou Commission? That doesn't give you the right to bully foreign merchants." The white-haired young man fixed Mitsuda with a piercing gaze, his dark red eyes burning.
Kazuha showed no fear of the soldiers or their backer. His fingers rested on the hilt of his sword, ready to draw at any moment. The young man beside Kazuha stood ready as well. As Kazuha's closest companion, he would fight alongside him no matter what.
"You— Hah! I didn't expect you to be that brat from the Kaedehara Clan! Hmph! They teach you in Inazuma that the two behind you are from Watatsumi Island? Or does your beloved Kaedehara Clan intend to join them in rebellion?"
Mitsuda, the Kanjou Commission official, clutched his aching back as he rose to his feet. Hearing the crowd identify Kazuha, he immediately began leveling accusations against him.
Kazuha was taken aback. Though he was a Kaedehara, he had left Inazuma a year ago under the pretext of honing his skills. He had traveled the nations of Teyvat, made many friends, and found a steadfast companion in the one beside him.
He had returned home only to visit his aging father. He never expected that upon arrival, he would witness Mitsuda harassing people from Watatsumi Island.
Driven by a strong sense of justice, he could not stand by. During the argument, he had shoved Mitsuda—and now this.
"What are you implying?" Kazuha's brow furrowed.
"Implying? Ask the ungrateful wretches behind you! Our Shogun, in her compassion, refused to punish these islanders for the sins of their serpent god. She welcomed them into Inazuma, extended them sanctuary, allowed them to coexist with us. And how do they repay her? Now, blessed by the gods, every one of them with a Vision, they dare revive the serpent's legacy! They plan another eastern invasion!"
Mitsuda pointed at him and shouted. "And you, Kaedehara Kazuha! As a vassal of the Kamisato Clan, you dare raise your hand against your own countrymen for the sake of outsiders! Well done, oh, well done indeed!"
His words turned many of the watching Inazumans hostile. They glared at Kazuha, and at the two Watatsumi islanders behind him.
"That's a lie! We've never plotted rebellion! That's right! We only came to trade, and he's been extorting us, charging dozens of times the normal fees!" The two Watatsumi merchants quickly denied the rumors and exposed Mitsuda's extortion.
Though Mitsuda's harassment of them had been excessive, many in the crowd saw it as justified. They had come to believe the rumors—and that today's attacks were the work of Watatsumi.
The foreign merchants, meanwhile, simply watched the spectacle unfold, offering no opinions either way.
"Is that true?" Kazuha hesitated. A year away from home, and so much had changed.
"Hah! You think they'd admit it? Ask around, Kaedehara boy. Find out what's happened here today. Then see if you still want to defend these Watatsumi dogs." Mitsuda sneered.
"I..."
Kazuha was still wavering when the crowd parted and a squad of soldiers marched in, escorting Kujou Sara.
"What's this commotion about? Disturbances in Ritou carry severe consequences." Kujou Sara stepped forward, her expression stern.
The Kanjou Commission official visibly relaxed at her arrival. He had truly feared that Kaedehara Kazuha might actually attack him—and then his life would be in real danger. But with the Shogunate's leading general here, his safety was assured.
"Lady Kujou! Your timing couldn't be better! This boy from the Kaedehara Clan interfered with my duties—and even injured me! My back, ah! It's agony! I think it might be broken!" Mitsuda rushed to Sara's side, immediately lodging his complaint.
Sara glanced at his waist. He claimed to be injured, but given how briskly he had just approached her, he didn't seem hurt at all. Losing interest, she turned her attention to Kazuha and the others. She had heard of the Kaedehara Clan, if only by name.
"Explain what happened. Tell it exactly as it occurred."
Though Sara had already heard the soldiers' account on her way here, she wanted to hear directly from those involved. Soon, under her questioning, the crowd, Mitsuda, Kazuha, and the two Watatsumi islanders told their sides of the story—truthfully, for the most part.