Aiden bore no ill will. By Raiden Shogun's standard, she had shown him mercy, sparing him despite being an unstable factor. Yae miko, enigmatic as she was, had acted with care, even enlisting the Shogun to guide his swordsmanship.
Understanding this, however, didn't make the confinement feel any less oppressive. No one could remain cheerful under such restrictions, especially without knowing how long they would last.
Aiden sighed quietly.
Then—
"Still don't understand? From today onward, you are free."
"…What?"
Yae miko's calm words struck Aiden like thunder. Rarely did he show such loss of composure, eyes wide as he stared at her.
"You know my concerns. From the beginning, I feared you might, out of a moment's pity, become Inazuma's curse, adding another enemy to the nation. There's precedent for this." Yae miko stood beside him.
Aiden remained silent, about to explain, when a slender finger pressed gently to his lips.
Yae miko shook her head softly. "But over the years, I've reflected. Although it was because Katsuragi and the others accidentally lifted the Banqueting Hall seal that he was awakened, as Grand Priestess of the shrine, whether I destroyed him secretly or took him to teach… it shouldn't have added another operative—another Scattered Soldier—to the world."
A sigh escaped her. Long ago, the Fox Hermitage had warned her: indecision was the greatest flaw.
Since she had chosen to trust Aiden before, she should continue without reservation, with no need to hold him back.
"I…"
"That's one reason." Yae miko interrupted, stepping closer. Her palms cupped his face as if examining her proudest creation.
Unconsciously, he's grown up, she thought, gazing at his handsome features, a mixture of pride and reluctance, like a mother seeing her child about to leave home.
Aiden blushed, tense as her cherry-colored hair brushed his face.
Perhaps sensing his embarrassment, Yae miko's lips curved in a satisfied smile. She withdrew a few steps, leaving only a faint, lingering fragrance.
She didn't speak of the other reasons, instead deftly changing the subject. "By the way, what do you want to do next?"
"What do I want to do next?"
Aiden froze, unexpectedly caught off guard.
Although he constantly admired the view outside, he had no concrete plan.
Before transmigration, he could vent through his computer. But Teyvat was real—favorability didn't increase by tossing items into a virtual pot.
Shouting, I am Kamisato Ayaka's dog! or I'm Stepan, I worship Nilou! would only earn disdainful looks.
…Though apparently some liked that sort of thing.
Aiden cleared his mind, shaking his head. "I haven't thought about it yet."
"No rush. I'm not kicking you out of the shrine," Yae miko said, gesturing around the room. "You can keep staying here. Besides, you and Sayu are close. The Shuumatsu squad has been busy lately—you could join her if you like."
The Shuumatsu squad was the shrine's secret unit, like the Anbu of Inazuma—handling intelligence, and occasionally assassination.
Aiden wasn't part of the squad, but he and Sayu trained together often and were practically childhood friends.
He had always been intrigued by such 'dark ops' and had even joked about asking Yae miko to let him lead a Root division. So he readily agreed.
Then a brow quirked.
"Wait… am I being set up? You already planned to send me to the Shuumatsu squad, didn't you?"
No one knew this sly fox's scheming better than him.
Yae miko frowned slightly, pinching his cheek.
"Hmph. If I really planned it, would you even notice? You'd probably be slaving away for a villa, nodding and thanking me all the while."
"Ugh…"
Aiden rubbed his cheek silently as she withdrew her hand.
His feelings for Yae miko were complicated—both romantic admiration and respect for a senior.
Seeing him subdued, Yae miko snorted. She was used to disciplining younger ones; Aiden was still just a boy in her eyes.
"But you did do one thing right," she said, tucking her hair behind her fox ear.
"What?"
"You didn't immediately think of leaving Inazuma once freed."
Aiden blinked, then straightened. "Inazuma's situation is dire—war stalemates, the divine wrath on Yae Island, the revival of the Black Calamity's corruption. But this is my home in Teyvat. When disaster strikes, one must contribute."
He felt a sense of belonging in Inazuma. To flee when trouble arose, despite Yae miko's care, would be selfish.
He needed balance in life. Living purely for oneself had no meaning.
Hearing this, Yae miko nodded. "That's more like it. I was thinking of giving you a final dose of Inazuma patriotism before you left."
Aiden drew a sharp breath. Wait, that's a thing?
"Hmph. Inazuma is the Land of Lightning. And by 'patriotism,' I mean… you could use a shock," she teased, playful as ever.
Hey! Even if we're both lightning-themed, that's my line!
"Alright, enough teasing. From here, you decide. The shrine has many paths."
"Want to interact more with people? Go to the shrine officials—they manage civil affairs and festivals. Want to hone your swordsmanship in battle? Go to the Tenryou Commission; I'll give them a heads-up."
Yae miko's tone was casual. Assigning work wasn't a burden for her, even with Inazuma's three commissioners, whose power was immense.
After all, no matter their influence, they were still shogun's servants. Yae miko, as a deity's ward and friend, outweighed them all in her own right.
Yet…
"Even I cannot see you now. When will the right opportunity come?" Yae miko sighed quietly, her violet eyes dim.
But she wouldn't show weakness. Leaving Aiden, she strode away with long, elegant legs, leaving only the faint scent of her presence behind.
---
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