Matsuura framed the matter as an "emotional issue," a "private matter," focusing on the two individuals while deliberately ignoring their political identities.
Now, Ayato and Shinnojou were the villains destroying a couple's "sincere love."
In such a situation, if that woman were debating him, she'd be so angry she'd say, "How dare you, a mere mortal, speak so insolently, presuming to fathom the thoughts of immortals!"
Can't outtalk you? Then I'll just blast you with magic!
At this moment, readers just wanted the Traveler to go straight to the Raiden Shogun and see who really called the shots in Inazuma's Commissions.
But Ayato had already said he wouldn't trouble the Shogun, ruling out the option of relying on her authority. Let's see how Ayato handles this.
Fortunately, Ayato was also skilled at verbal sparring. With a squinting smile, he opened and closed his mouth, telling a story.
He mentioned a rare bird with a tongue so long it could be pulled out and tied into two knots, asking Matsuura to guess what the bird was used for.
This stumped Matsuura, who couldn't figure out why Ayato was bringing up something irrelevant.
But due to the gap in their statuses, Matsuura couldn't ignore Ayato's question, as that would be rude, so he tried to answer.
[Matsuura said: "This… um… a pet for viewing?"]
[Ayato laughed: "Hehe, amusingly, this bird can't be a pet, nor does it have any use. Even if caught, you'd just cut off its tongue and throw it out the window."]
["Because everyone says: 'With a tongue so long, always making specious arguments, chirping noisily, but in reality… it's just bluster.'"]
Well scolded! Matsuura understood—Ayato was using a fictional bird to mock him.
Some readers, like Itto, didn't catch the sarcasm, thinking his bro seemed to be struggling and that the great Arataki Itto should step in.
But Furina, the fool, watched with relish, understanding it all.
She might not excel in other areas, but when it came to conversational tactics, whether kind or cutting, she could read them clearly.
Over the past five hundred years, she'd had plenty of chats. If she couldn't understand the subtext, how could she play the role of a god?
[Matsuura: "You…! Lord Yashiro Commission, did you come here just to mock our Kanjou Commission?"]
He was clever, disadvantaged by status, so he elevated himself, equating himself with the Kanjou Commission.
This way, if Ayato criticized him, it would be like criticizing the Kanjou Commission.
It also somewhat leveled their statuses, with Matsuura "representing" the Kanjou Commission.
[Ayato laughed: "How could that be? In my heart, the Kanjou Commission's members have always been upright, dutiful, and virtuous."]
["Such people shouldn't, like you, resort to obfuscation, dodging the serious for the trivial, just to find an excuse to pull Miss Hiiragi from her position as head of the Kanjou Commission."]
With this, Ayato separated Matsuura from the Kanjou Commission again, even openly calling out his wrongs.
[Matsuura retorted: "Lord Yashiro Commission, you need evidence to make such claims."]
Ayato smiled at Shinnojou— wasn't the evidence right here?
["Oh my, the esteemed Matsuura Clan, a prominent family, yet in terms of loyalty, they can't even compare to an ordinary retainer."]
Ayato's words weren't entirely fair. The Matsuura Clan, educated and in office, craved advancement precisely because of their ambition.
If Matsuura were an ordinary person, he'd at most be a pawn. How could he be "playing chess" with Ayato here?
The Kamisato Clan had never fallen, and Ayato was the one who propped up the tottering edifice. In historical terms, if the "Eastern Kamisato" nearly collapsed, he rebuilt a "Western Kamisato."
What could Matsuura compare to him? His methods were far inferior. Even Wang Mang at least succeeded in usurping the Han— Matsuura hadn't even succeeded yet.
Ayato's barrage of mocking remarks left Matsuura rattled, resorting to defiance.
[Matsuura: "…Hahaha! Is that so? Then what can a clever person like you do to me?"]
It was practically a taunt of "Hit me, I dare you!"
In the illustration, the two stood extremely close—close enough for either a fight or a kiss.
["You just don't want the Kanjou Commission and Tenryou Commission to unite, upsetting the balance of the three and threatening the Yashiro Commission's position."]
["So you found a shiny excuse to sabotage our two clans' marriage!"]
This was indeed what most readers thought the issue was, and why Ayato's status made it hard for him to intervene.
Matsuura had already sent his men to spread word of the marriage. If Ayato interfered now, he'd indeed become the "villain, the antagonist."
After all, the narrative power was in Matsuura's hands—the power of journalism.
[Ayato, helpless: "I originally thought you were at least smarter than the average person, but I was gravely mistaken."]
[Matsuura, furious: "Kamisato Ayato, you…! How dare you!"]
Matsuura hadn't expected that, even at this point, Ayato would still mock him.
He was about to seize regency over the Kanjou Commission, yet Ayato gave him no face!
[Ayato laughed: "Do you truly believe this marriage will unite the Kanjou and Tenryou Commissions?"]
["Could it be that the one isolated would actually be the Kanjou Commission?"]
With that, Ayato ignored the enraged Matsuura and turned to leave.
Matsuura was so angry his chest ached, but he could do nothing to Ayato. He could only wait until he seized the Kanjou Commission to settle the score.
At this point, Ayato only had a plan, not arrangements, but his words planted a seed of doubt in Matsuura, facilitating his future moves.
Their argument, roughly translated, went like this:
Ayato: "I thought, as a veteran minister of Inazuma, coming here to face the officials of two Commissions, you'd have profound insights. Yet you utter such vulgar words!"
"What has the Matsuura Clan done during this family crisis? I know all about your life, Matsuura."
"You, born and raised in Inazuma, entered the Commission as an official. You should have supported the Shogun and strengthened Inazuma and the Raiden Shogunate. Yet you dare to commit treason and conspire to usurp power! Your crimes are heinous, unforgivable by heaven and earth!"
Matsuura: "You… Kamisato Ayato, how dare you!"
Ayato: "Silence, you shameless old thief! Don't you know the people of the world all wish to tear your flesh apart? How dare you prattle here!"
"White-haired scoundrel! Gray-bearded old thief! Your life will soon end in the underworld—what face will you have to meet the twenty-four generations of Kanjou Commissioners?!"
"You've never achieved a shred of merit in your life, only wagging your tongue!"
"I've never seen such a brazenly shameless person!!!"