Time flew by, and soon it was the day of departure.
Today was the day Yuuko was scheduled to go to Watatsumi Island for investigation.
Of course, the official reason was simply to travel to Watatsumi Island.
Accompanying Yuuko today were the chief priestess of the Grand Narukami Shrine, Yae Xiezi.
And the Demoiselle of the Kamisato Clan, Kamisato Ayaka.
Yae Miko was no different from usual, still wearing her usual revealing shrine maiden attire, exuding an aura of scummy mischief.
Just by looking at her appearance, one could tell she was a bad woman.
As for Kamisato Ayaka, she looked quite different from usual.
Today, she was no longer wearing her usual armor.
Instead, she wore a relatively thin, casual Japanese-style outfit, with the hemline only reaching her knees, and her arms and sides slightly exposed.
This fresh yet slightly revealing outfit further highlighted her youthful charm and hinted at a subtle mature beauty.
Seeing this, Yuuko was slightly surprised:
"Miss Kamisato, your clothes..."
Kamisato Ayaka said helplessly:
"My elder brother forced me to wear this. He said that if I'm going out to travel, I should relax completely and not wear that drab armor, and that my previous outfit had 'too low a chance of success'..."
"Sometimes, I really don't understand what my brother is thinking..."
Hearing this, Yuuko smiled:
"In any case, let's get going."
And so, the trio set off in the direction of Watatsumi Island.
To reach Watatsumi Island, they would have to pass Kannazuka Island and Yashiori Island along the way.
Yuuko was no stranger to these places.
After all, during the Vision Hunt Decree period, he had spent a lot of time wandering around these areas.
Later, he and Sayu simply lived a carefree and relaxed life in Higi Village on Yashiori Island.
"I wonder how Higi Village is doing now. After the Vision Hunt Decree passed, the food shortage should have been resolved, and they shouldn't have to rely on pirates anymore."
Thinking this, Yuuko decided that on the way to Watatsumi Island, they should stop by Higi Village to see how things were there... Along the way, Yuuko, Yae Miko, and Kamisato Ayaka—a combination of one man and two women—walked leisurely.
Probably because of Yae Miko and Kamisato Ayaka, they constantly attracted a significant amount of attention along the way.
This was normal.
Setting aside ordinary people like Yuuko who lacked celebrity status.
Yae Miko was, after all, the chief priestess of the Grand Narukami Shrine, and her fame in Inazuma was perhaps not much less than that of the Raiden Shogun.
Almost all Inazuman people recognized Yae Miko.
And Kamisato Ayaka was the Demoiselle of the Kamisato Clan of the Shuumatsuban, also possessing a noble status.
Therefore, passersby were very surprised when they saw the two women walking together.
Not to mention that they had a man sandwiched between them.
Regarding this situation, Yuuko couldn't help but complain:
"As expected, bringing you two along makes us quite the spectacle..."
Kamisato Ayaka was honest, immediately lowering her head to apologize: "I apologize, Yuuko-sensei, for causing you trouble because of me."
In contrast, Yae Miko was completely unrepentant, even gloating:
"Isn't this great? Actually, I want more people to know that I have a close relationship with Emma~"
Seeing this, Yuuko was too lazy to complain and steered the conversation back to the main topic:
"Never mind. Let's hurry up. For today, we'll first go to Higi Village on Yashiori Island to rest for a while, and then continue towards Watatsumi Island tomorrow."
Watatsumi Island is quite a distance from Inazuma, which would be fine if Yuuko was alone.
He could arrive in no time, but if he brought Yae Miko and Kamisato Ayaka, they would have to walk slowly.
Therefore, they needed to rest for a night elsewhere before proceeding.
Only then could they reach their destination on the second day.
Hearing Yuuko's plan, Kamisato Ayaka rested her hand on her chin and said softly:
"Higi Village, huh? I heard that village was greatly affected during the Vision Hunt Decree. Many people who fled Inazuma went there to live. I wonder how it is now."
At this moment, Yae Miko shrugged and said:
"After the Vision Hunt Decree, that village actually resumed normal supplies, and there is no longer any issue with food shortages."
"However... I heard that because the Village Chief accepted too many refugees from Inazuma at the time, it eventually led to food scarcity and caused considerable resentment."
"So, after the Vision Hunt Decree ended, in order to avoid public anger, the village stopped accepting outsiders."
After speaking, Yae Miko looked worriedly at Yuuko: "Emma, is it really okay to go there?"
It was normal for Yae Miko to worry.
After all, no one wants to sleep rough outdoors.
She herself would be fine, but she worried that a white-collar worker like Yuuko might not be able to handle sleeping rough.
However, Yuuko laughed confidently:
"Don't worry. Since we've come all this way, the village won't have the heart to drive us away. If worst comes to worst, we can just pay some Mora."
Yae Miko originally wanted to persuade Yuuko to change the itinerary.
But seeing Yuuko's confident expression, she decided against it... After traveling for a while, the trio finally crossed Kannazuka Island and arrived at Yashiori Island.
Finally, just before dusk arrived, the three of them reached the outskirts of Higi Village.
Coincidentally, just as the trio arrived.
They saw several burly men walking out from the village entrance, their faces full of anger.
Judging by their clothing, they were likely not locals of the village, but people from Inazuma.
And now, they were probably being driven away by Higi Village?
To confirm this, Yae Miko stepped forward and asked:
"Excuse me, what happened to you?"
"Ah! It's Guuji-sama!" The burly men instantly recognized Yae Miko's identity.
"So what happened to you? Did something unpleasant occur with this village?"
The burly men exchanged glances and said helplessly:
"We need to stay in this area for a period due to work, but the Village Chief absolutely refuses to let us stay, even if we offer money. What are we supposed to do? We can't just sleep rough outside!"
Hearing this, Yae Miko frowned slightly: "What did the Village Chief say?"
The burly men said angrily:
"The Village Chief explicitly said he doesn't welcome Inazuman people! How infuriating! Fine, we'll just camp outside then. Who cares about staying in their village anyway!"
After speaking, the burly men angrily walked away.
Seeing this, Yae Miko helplessly waved her hand and looked at Yuuko:
"So, Emma, what should we do now? This village really doesn't welcome outsiders, just like the rumors say."
Yuuko rested his hand on his chin, pondered for a moment, and then smiled:
"Miko, Miss Kamisato, leave this place to me. I'll go inside and negotiate with the Village Chief."
Yae Miko raised an eyebrow:
"Emma, you're going in alone? Is that wise? What if they bear ill will toward you? You saw those people just now; this village clearly doesn't welcome Inazuman people."
Kamisato Ayaka also showed a worried expression:
"Exactly. Judging by what happened to those men just now, this village definitely doesn't welcome people from Inazuma. Yuuko-sensei, if you go in alone, you might encounter danger."
It was clear that they were genuinely worried that something might happen to Yuuko during the negotiation.
"If we go in together, we can look out for each other if anything happens."
However, Yuuko shook his head:
"What danger could there be? Besides, your identities are quite special. If you go in too, it will make the villagers even more sensitive, and the negotiation difficulty will increase significantly."
After speaking, Yuuko smiled again: "Just leave this matter to me. I will persuade the Village Chief."
Kamisato Ayaka and Yae Miko exchanged glances, and finally had no choice but to agree.
However, they also made a decision.
If there was any commotion inside, they would immediately rush in to rescue Yuuko.
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