Yae Miko suddenly became serious, completely unlike her usual self.
Normally, she always wore an expression that was three parts teasing, three parts disdainful, three parts noble, and one part detached from worldly affairs.
But today, she was extremely earnest.
Kujou Sara carefully recalled things.
Right now, among everyone, she was the one who had the most frequent contact with the Shogun.
With Yae Miko's reminder in mind, it really did seem to be the case.
Whether it was delivering manga or bringing snacks,
as long as it involved interests, the Shogun's eyes would become lively.
But in ordinary situations, she always had a cold expression that kept strangers at a distance.
"Could it be what you said is true?"
The more Kujou Sara thought about it, the more terrified she became. Sweat covered her forehead.
She was not questioning the Shogun.
Nor did she intend to betray her.
But if things were truly as Yae Miko said, then a Shogun bound by fixed thinking could very well be manipulated by others.
So what should she do now?
For the first time, Kujou Sara felt lost.
If she continued to obey the puppet's orders, it would harm Inazuma as a whole and might even turn her into an executioner for the enemy.
But if she disobeyed, it would go against her own beliefs.
Yae Miko looked at the conflicted Kujou Sara and suggested, "How about I give you a few pointers?"
"Please do."
Kujou Sara raised her head.
Her tone had already lost its usual sharpness.
"I'll give you a few leads. Go investigate them first. But you must promise me one thing, do not go looking for those two masterminds. Agreed?"
"What leads?"
"Make use of the parasites within the Shogun's own nation."
Yae Miko spoke each word clearly.
There was no way foreign forces alone could influence the Shogun.
So there had to be traitors within.
Thinking back to what Yae Miko had just said, Kujou Sara pondered for a moment and asked, "You want to lure the tiger away from the mountain?"
"Not at all. In fact, the information I'm giving you can be verified tonight. How about it?"
"And the price?"
Kujou Sara did not believe there were no conditions. This fox was far too cunning.
Yae Miko was momentarily stunned by her quick reaction, but soon smiled. "The price is exactly what I said earlier. Don't confront those two people."
"That simple?"
"That simple."
"Then I agree. Give me the information."
Kujou Sara extended her hand.
Soon, a stack of documents was handed over.
The moonlight was bright, almost like daylight.
So there was no need for a lamp to read the text.
The more Kujou Sara read, the more shocked she became. When she saw her adoptive father's name on it, her expression instantly turned extremely grim.
"So it's him!"
In the past, when carrying out orders, Kujou Sara had also harbored doubts.
But the information in her hands now connected everything together.
The list of his crimes filled an entire page.
Colluding with enemy spy organizations and provoking war between Watatsumi Island and the Shogunate.
Ignoring the losses of Inazuma's soldiers to amass enormous war profits.
Embezzling compensation for the fallen together with the Kanjou Commission.
All kinds of crimes.
They made Kujou Sara's anger surge, and she could not help but spit out one word, "Beast."
As a general, no one understood the cruelty of war better than she did.
Yet to sustain the war, her adoptive father had deliberately caused soldiers to die and even embezzled their compensation.
If that was not the act of a beast, what was?
Kujou Sara wanted to go confront him immediately, but Yae Miko's voice echoed in her ears.
"Calm down."
"How am I supposed to stay calm!"
Kujou Sara turned her head, her eyes bloodshot.
Her anger was obvious.
"That's why I say you're a foolish tengu."
"I'm not foolish!"
"Oh?" Yae Miko's eyes grew more amused as she teased, "If you're not foolish, why do you look like you're so angry?"
"I…"
Kujou Sara wanted to explain.
But Yae Miko interrupted her.
"Stop putting on that expression like you've only just learned the truth. The ones who should be angry are me and the victims, not you."
Kujou Sara froze upon hearing this and gradually fell silent.
But Yae Miko had no intention of letting her off. Instead, she began listing the mistakes this tengu had made.
"Do you remember when you sealed Yae Publishing House? Countless elderly and children were waiting for my relief funds."
"Do you remember the smuggling case at Ritou? In the middle of the night, you brought people to break into my shrine. Do you think those resources were for my personal use? Completely wrong. They were distributed to the common people."
"The forging of Visions was authorized by me. But before that, over a hundred people had already committed suicide because of it. Among them were even those with great military achievements. Do you feel no guilt at all?"
Kujou Sara's face turned pale, as if she had lost the ability to speak.
She had personally overseen all of these matters.
She remembered that at the time, her adoptive father had told her at home: So what if they are servants of the Electro Archon? Do not forget, you are the Shogun's trusted general!
The naive Kujou Sara had believed he was acting for her sake.
In the end, she had become an accomplice to evil.
At that moment, Kujou Sara recalled something.
Once, while patrolling, someone had thrown something at her.
At the time, she found it baffling, but seeing that it was just a child, she did not pursue the matter.
Now that she thought about it, that child was likely one of the victims.
"Did I do something wrong…"
Kujou Sara murmured, her body unconsciously kneeling to the ground.
Looking at the graves now,
she finally understood why Kamisato Ayaka had brought her here.
Because a large portion of these victims had died because of her.
Kamisato Ayaka's eyes were filled with sorrow, but she did not offer comfort, because this was something Kujou Sara had to bear.
Yae Miko then said, "Alright, what happens next is for this foolish tengu to decide. As long as you don't go looking for that old dog Kujou. It's getting late. I'm going back to rest."
"Please take care."
Kamisato Ayaka quickly bowed.
The fox yawned, waved her hand impatiently, and returned to Mount Yougou.
A full hour passed.
Only then did Kujou Sara gradually regain her senses. She looked at Kamisato Ayaka standing nearby and asked, "Since you already knew the truth, why didn't you tell me?"
"These pieces of evidence were collected by Su Han's people. At first, we only had suspicions but lacked proof. Even if we told you, what could it have changed?"
As fellow citizens of Inazuma,
Kamisato Ayaka also wished for peace in her nation.
But without evidence, it would have been nothing but slander.
The other party held a high status and was tied to another powerful family.
Even with the support of the Guuji, the Kamisato Clan could not act against the Shogun.
So they could only provide covert assistance.
After understanding everything,
Kujou Sara sighed. "It's all my fault. I harmed these people."
Blind loyalty.
She had thought it was enough to be loyal only to the Shogun.
But she had not expected that it would bring disaster to countless people.
She would not forget this sin. Once everything was settled, she would personally atone.
Kamisato Ayaka pursed her lips and asked, "What will you do next?"
Kujou Sara looked at the bright moon in the sky and stood up. "I will personally verify this information. At the very least, this time, I cannot blindly obey anymore."
As they were about to part,
Kamisato Ayaka suddenly thought of something and said, "Please wait, General Kujou. Mr. Su Han asked me to pass along a message."
Kujou Sara turned back. "What is it?"
"He said: What is loyalty? When the ruler makes a mistake, should we not, as retainers, have the courage to offer counsel? If we know something is wrong yet pretend not to hear or see, that is the true betrayal."
Kujou Sara had never heard such words before.
But upon careful reflection, she found Su Han's words very reasonable.
Before today, she had always believed that the duty of a retainer was loyalty.
No matter what the ruler did, a retainer only needed to obey.
But there was a misunderstanding here. If someone exploited that loyalty, the consequences would be extremely terrifying.
A gust of wind blew.
Kujou Sara regained her clarity. When she looked at Kamisato Ayaka again, there was a trace of apology in her eyes.
"In the past, I was wrong. But this time, I will walk the correct path. I'm truly sorry for everything before."
This would serve as a lesson.
"I swear, I will help Inazuma return to the right path. No matter the cost, I will not hesitate!"
The night road was long.
But the calm atmosphere gave Kujou Sara time to think.
The next day.
Tenshukaku.
The Shogun looked at her weary and injured general and asked, "You are wounded?"
"Yes. My strength was insufficient. I was injured while carrying out a mission."
"Who was the enemy?"
Although the Shogun lacked emotion, basic concern still remained.
Kujou Sara held her wound and replied, "The enemy was a swordsman."
"A swordsman? There are still such people in this era? How rare. By the way, what about the matter I asked you to investigate yesterday?"
Looking at the sweets on the table,
Raiden Ei switched consciousness.
In that instant,
Kujou Sara clearly noticed the change in the Shogun.
Exactly as the fox had described.
The Shogun was cold and emotionless.
But the true Electro Archon was different. She had her own preferences and interests. When she saw sweets, her emotions visibly fluctuated.
The truth had been revealed.
Kujou Sara now understood what she needed to do.
Facing the Shogun's question, she lied for the first time.
"Reporting to the Shogun, the target has not yet been found, but we already have clues."
"What is the situation?"
"I briefly intercepted a person who had lost their Vision, but they said, 'I only want to live. What is wrong with that?' I was momentarily stunned, and by the time I came to my senses, they had already escaped."
Kujou Sara's answer was flawless.
It even subtly hinted at something.
Raiden Ei paused upon hearing this. The dango milk in her hand suddenly lost its appeal.
She looked at Kujou Sara and asked, "How did they resonate with their Vision?"
The current Plane of Euthymia was like a low-quality karaoke room.
Inside, multicolored lights flickered endlessly day and night, making her unwilling to even enter it.
Facing the Shogun's question, Kujou Sara answered truthfully, "Their method is simple. They just train themselves, striving to become stronger. Perhaps their strong conviction caused the Vision to resonate."
"It's that simple?"
Raiden Ei was surprised.
She had thought it would be the fox's doing, but it turned out to be so simple.
Since when had mortals developed such strong willpower?
Kujou Sara nodded. "Yes. When I arrived, that person was merely swinging their weapon. There were no unusual phenomena, just ordinary training."
"I see."
Raiden Ei finally understood why that person had said those words.
Their Vision had been taken.
Now they only wanted to live. What was wrong with that?
First, they had committed no crime.
Second, they were only training themselves.
If even that was wrong, then they might as well be executed.
But when facing innocent citizens, Ei could not bring herself to do it.
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