But before she could act, a spear, a sharp sword, and a great scythe were placed against her neck. If she showed even a hint of non-cooperation, a slight mark would appear on her fair neck.
"Wait... wait a minute, My Lady! This isn't what we agreed upon. Didn't you say you wouldn't harm Lady Sangonomiya?"
Teppei said, somewhat surprised. Hadn't they agreed not to harm Sangonomiya Kokomi? Why did it look like they were about to kill her now?
"I remember my promise, Teppei. But if she doesn't cooperate and lets the situation worsen, then I can't guarantee I'll keep it."
Durandal glanced at Teppei, then ignored him, fixing her gaze on the outwardly calm Sangonomiya Kokomi.
"We just want to have a good talk with you this time; we have no other intentions. If you want to resist, it's fine to call in the soldiers outside. Just be aware that if all those people die, and it might even affect the ordinary people living in Sangonomiya Shrine, then you can do that."
Sangonomiya Kokomi's pupils constricted. This was a threat to her, it must be a threat to her! Damn it, it was too despicable. She had already said so much; what else could she say?
To catch the bandit, first catch the king. To sneak up to her, the leader, when no one was paying attention, was truly a good scheme, a good method.
She looked at the uneasy Teppei. Judging from her words just now, Teppei should also be an accomplice. His address to Durandal as 'My Lady' suggested... Teppei had defected to the other side?
But why? Although Teppei had only recently shown outstanding performance, she remembered that Teppei was also a resident of Watatsumi Island. He would never become a Shogunate soldier. What exactly made him choose to betray?
"...I hope you keep your word." Sangonomiya Kokomi took a deep breath and sat back down.
There were too many unknowns. It was better to first see what these people had to say, gather clues during the conversation, and observe the situation.
Seeing her cooperate so readily, everyone put away their weapons, ready to begin the conversation.
"I came to see you this time to ask why the Rebel Army is still fighting the Shogunate."
Durandal said sternly, "The Vision Hunt Decree has been abolished, and the Shogunate is undergoing reforms. If there are no surprises, the Tenryou Commission and Raiden Shogun will soon be ready to stop fighting. But you on Watatsumi Island have no such intention. Why is this? Are you planning to commit treason?"
"...I know the Vision Hunt Decree has been abolished, and many within the Rebel Army also know. Those who had fled here because of the Vision Hunt Decree and were part of the Rebel Army have left after learning this, returning to Narukami Island."
Sangonomiya Kokomi sighed wearily, "If this continues, the situation on Watatsumi Island will only get worse. But... the demand for continued fighting within the Rebel Army is too strong, and other factions in Sangonomiya Shrine are not prepared to stop either. With such strong public sentiment, it's impossible to stop."
"Factions in Sangonomiya Shrine? Aren't you the leader of Watatsumi Island? Your orders aren't listened to by those below?"
Lumine asked, puzzled. Along the way, most of what she heard was related to Sangonomiya Kokomi; her reputation within the Rebel Army should be considerable.
Take Teppei, for example. He was very willing to listen to Sangonomiya Kokomi. Although he was somewhat dissatisfied with a ceasefire, he was still willing to accept such an outcome to prevent more casualties.
"Normally, they would listen, but with the ongoing battle between the Rebel Army and the Shogunate forces, the soldiers' anger towards the Shogunate has become irreconcilable. Even if I wanted to negotiate peace with the Shogunate, there would be people here who wouldn't agree. The most obvious are those factions within Sangonomiya Shrine. To prevent my decision, they might send people to attack me, disguised as Shogunate assassinations, to incite the Rebel Army's anger and make the war even more unstoppable."
She was not like the Raiden Shogun; she didn't possess great power. The reason she became the leader of Sangonomiya Shrine was solely her identity as the Divine Priestess, and also because those factions needed someone to lead Watatsumi Island. If she didn't do well, those people would also have ways to deal with her.
In such an environment, Sangonomiya Kokomi could only continue the war, trying to find other ways to end this war that no longer needed to continue.
"Factions in Sangonomiya Shrine, I see. Then, next question: Do you know about the recent situation within the resistance? The Rebel Army, which was originally suppressed by the Shogunate samurai, suddenly gained significant strength, causing the Shogunate samurai to retreat repeatedly. Are you aware of this?"
"Yes, I am. This situation is very obvious, and Teppei is one of those people."
As the leader, Sangonomiya Kokomi naturally knew about this. She was quite happy about the soldiers' growth. Why? Could there be other unknown reasons for this?
Durandal placed the Delusion she got from Teppei in front of Sangonomiya Kokomi and said, "This is the reason for the soldiers' significant increase in strength. According to Teppei, it was given by your Rebel Army's benefactor. Its name is Delusion, an item used by consuming life force."
"What did you say?"
"You don't have to believe what I say. You can send someone to investigate whether the Rebel Army soldiers are showing signs of aging. Those who are aging are doing so because of excessive use of this item. If this continues, the vast majority of the Rebel Army soldiers will die due to excessive consumption of their life force."
Looking at Sangonomiya Kokomi, who was completely unable to remain calm, Durandal continued, "The benefactor who provided you with the Delusions should be the Fatui. According to my speculation, the reason Sangonomiya's forces are unwilling to give up fighting is because they are instigating it from behind."
"What are you going to do next, Sangonomiya Kokomi?"
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