The first act of Inazuma's story can be said to be packed with information—a major narrative containing several smaller stories.
While people from other nations empathized deeply, Inazuma remained under the Sakoku Decree, leaving them only able to offer moral support.
In the end, Inazuma's future still depends on its own people—oh, and of course, the Traveler.
Many eagerly anticipated the continuation of Inazuma's story, as this was the first time a nation had openly rebelled against its deity. The question of whether they would succeed remained unknown.
Mondstadt faced trials alongside its god, Liyue endured trials created by its god, and Inazuma? Inazuma's god was the trial itself.
See how the difficulty has escalated? Who's to say the next version won't even force the gods themselves to suffer through trials?
A few days after Lucian's book was released, Inazuma was in an uproar, with many protesting.
Unlike the stories set in Mondstadt and Liyue, the release of Lucian's book this time had pushed Inazuma to the brink of chaos.
Apart from Inazuma City, which was under the direct control of the Shogun, resistance groups had sprung up in other towns and villages.
These groups differed from the Sangonomiya Resistance—they had no intention of rebellion in essence. They simply wished for the Shogun to hear their voices.
Thus, while they protested, they continued to live and work within Inazuma, with no intention of joining the resistance on Watatsumi Island.
In Ritou, Inazumans surrounded the Hiiragi Estate, with the clan's samurai blocking them from storming the courtyard.
The leader of the resistance group remained rational, refraining from leading a charge. Instead, he directed the crowd to chant outside, pressuring the Hiiragi Clan.
The reason for such restraint? This leader was actually a member of the Shuumatsuban, covertly placed there by Ayato. His mission was not to escalate the situation into violence.
It must be said that this pressure was effective. Hiiragi Shinsuke could shamelessly pretend not to hear, but the minor clans under the Hiiragi would not ignore it—their ambitions had been stirred.
What a perfect opportunity this was! If Hiiragi Shinsuke were forced to resign in disgrace, could Hiiragi Chisato really inherit the Hiiragi Clan and the position of the Kanjou Commissioner?
She was just a young lady—did she have the capability? The resolve?
Even if she did, without their support, how could she possibly oppose them? At best, she'd be a puppet.
And thus, wouldn't the Kanjou Commission fall into their hands? Wouldn't they become the main house?
They eagerly hoped the resistance would escalate into "violence," forcing Hiiragi Shinsuke out of his passive stance.
Before violence erupted, the Tenryou Commission could suppress it—but if lives were lost, the Shogun herself would intervene.
Unfortunately for them, Ayato had never intended to escalate things into "violence." Their schemes were doomed from the start.
Ayato's goal wasn't to use public opinion to overthrow the Kanjou Commission, but to exploit these protests to incite the "greed" of the minor clans beneath it.
As it turned out, this step had already achieved its purpose.
Once their ambitions were stirred, they would no longer stand united behind the Hiiragi Clan. They might even propose reckless ideas, engaging in infighting and keeping Hiiragi Shinsuke too busy to act.
Thus, the Yashiro Commission's original "one versus two" predicament was reduced to "one versus one."
Next, Ayato planned to have the Shuumatsuban members he'd planted earlier approach Kujou Sara, presenting her with evidence of the Kujou Clan head's "betrayal" of the Shogun.
Based on Ayato's understanding of Kujou Sara, she would undoubtedly side with the Shogun. With that, the two Commissions would crumble without a fight.
Now, there was even better news—Ayato didn't even need to reach out to Kujou Sara. Lucian's book alone had prompted her to take the initiative in approaching him.
Active contact versus passive contact influenced trust. The fact that Kujou Sara sought Ayato out first was, in itself, a subconscious display of "trust." This saved him considerable effort in winning her over.
However, dealing with the two Commissions had never been Ayato's primary concern—he had long since prepared for that.
What troubled him was how to persuade the Shogun. Even he had no clear solution for this step.
He had already placed agents in Tenshukaku, but these were merely "clever moves." What was missing was the decisive "winning move."
"We'll still have to wait for the Traveler..." Ayato sighed. This was a problem that truly couldn't be resolved by Inazumans alone.
Whether they could win was one thing—the real issue was that few Inazumans were willing to raise a hand against the Shogun.
That was the Shogun! How many Inazumans would dare strike her?
But if they didn't fight her, her stubbornness would make persuasion impossible. In the end, it would still fall to the Traveler.
Traveler: "I've observed long enough... So I'll take action now."
Meanwhile, in Konda Village, where Tejima resided, an unusual calm persisted—there were no voices of resistance.
This was because, despite its small size, Konda Village was a vital transportation hub. Ayato had no intention of stirring trouble there. Instead, he had the Shuumatsuban reassure the villagers.
Currently, aside from the Shuumatsuban, Fatui agents were also present in Konda Village, monitoring when the Traveler would arrive.
Unbeknownst to Lumine, still playing "Pirate King" at sea, two "old friends" were already prepared for her arrival.
Back at the Kamisato Estate, Kujou Sara sat quietly indoors, awaiting the head of the Kamisato Clan.
Arataki Itto and Kuki Shinobu were absent, currently being hosted by Kamisato Ayaka in the guest room.
Ayaka was more than happy to converse with them. With few friends to begin with, she saw this as an opportunity to befriend them.
Though Arataki Itto's overly familiar demeanor proved somewhat overwhelming for her.
Fortunately, Kuki Shinobu bridged the gap, gradually helping the two find common ground.
Returning to Kujou Sara—after a short period of meditation, Kamisato Ayato arrived.
"Commissioner Kamisato." Sara's tone was calm, but her words carried respect.
In terms of status, as one of the Tri-Commission heads, Ayato held a higher position. However, the only ones who could command both Kujou Sara's tone and words were the Shogun and the head of the Kujou Clan.
Now that Kujou Takayuki stood accused of betraying the Shogun, Sara's respect for him had vanished.
"General Kujou, I've already sent people to gather the information you seek." Ayato smiled.
"However, as you know, the Kujou Estate is heavily guarded. This won't be easy. Why not stay at the Kamisato Estate for the time being?"
Sara nodded without refusal. In truth, she was aware of some of the Yashiro Commission's methods—she had long noticed the Shuumatsuban tailing her but hadn't exposed them, as she had intended to seek out the Commissioner anyway.
Kamisato Ayato continued to smile. With this, the Shogunate's general had also been secured.
The only ones remaining outside Ayato's "control" were the Shogun herself and Guuji Yae.
What Ayato didn't yet know was that the Guuji also planned to descend the mountain and visit the Kamisato Estate—to communicate with her "ally," the Yashiro Commissioner.
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Character Voice – Kamisato Ayato: On Inazuma's First Act
"What an excellent book. Of course, such a fine opportunity must be put to good use."