Early the next morning, Akio and Raiden Ei quickly flew to Tenshukaku.
Soon, the two arrived at Tenshukaku. On duty today was Kujou Sara once again.
"Lord Akio! Shogun… huh?" Kujou Sara was about to greet them when she saw Raiden Ei standing beside Akio. Her eyes widened in shock.
Wait, what was she seeing? A second Shogun?
"What? Surprised?" Akio asked with a smile.
"How is there a second Shogun?" Kujou Sara asked, curious.
"Not just that, there are actually three Shoguns," Akio said, leaning closer to Kujou Sara.
"Th… three?" Kujou Sara was completely dumbfounded. Three Shoguns? Are you kidding me?
"Follow me," Akio said, leading Raiden Ei and Kujou Sara into Tenshukaku.
As soon as they entered, Kujou Sara froze. She saw two Shoguns kneeling inside Tenshukaku, and with the one beside Akio, that made three. Kujou Sara rubbed her eyes, but the three Shoguns were still there.
"What… what's going on?" Kujou Sara asked, stunned.
Akio explained the situation to Kujou Sara, and she finally understood. The Raiden Shogun was actually a twin! And the Shogun she often saw was just a puppet created by the true Shogun? Although now, that puppet had also become a true Shogun.
"Good heavens…" Kujou Sara walked out of Tenshukaku in a daze, her mind in a fog. Suddenly, her eyes lit up!
Three Shoguns! That meant she could now buy three times as many Shogun figurines! Oh my! This was too good to be true!
Inside Tenshukaku, as the two approached, Raiden Makoto and the Raiden Shogun stood up to greet them. "Ei, Akio, you're here?"
"Yes," Akio nodded. Raiden Makoto glanced curiously at Raiden Ei. As her sister, she could sense Akio's presence within her. It seemed they had…
The four of them sat down, and Raiden Makoto said, "Yesterday, the Shogun and I discussed it and decided to first lift the Vision Hunt Decree and return the Visions on the Statue of the Omnipresent God to their owners."
"That's a good move," Akio nodded. "What about the Sakoku Decree? Any plans for that?"
"The Vision Hunt Decree only affected a small group of people, but the Sakoku Decree has had a real impact on Inazuma's livelihood," Akio said seriously.
"The Sakoku Decree is of no benefit to the nation, so it will naturally be lifted as well," Raiden Makoto nodded. "But I'll delay the lifting of the Sakoku Decree for a short while. It won't be long. I need to first address Inazuma's internal affairs."
Akio nodded. To secure the outside, one must first stabilize the inside. Currently, Inazuma was plagued with internal issues—corrupt officials colluding with bandits, causing the people to suffer. These problems couldn't be ignored.
If they were left unchecked and the Sakoku Decree was lifted, wouldn't Inazuma become a laughingstock among the seven nations?
"By the way, Akio, the Kanjou Commission sent a letter saying you severely injured the Kanjou Commissioner?" Raiden Makoto looked at Akio curiously.
"Oh? That guy's quite the tattletale," Akio laughed. Did that old fool still think the Raiden Shogun was in charge? Did he think a letter would be enough to punish him?
"Take a look. This is their petition," Raiden Makoto nodded, handing the letter to Akio.
Akio took it, glanced over it, and almost burst out laughing at the contents.
The letter accused Akio of maliciously injuring a high-ranking official of the Kanjou Commission, deliberately slandering the Kanjou Commission, and so on. It was a litany of complaints, urging the Shogun to reconsider the divine ceremony, implying that Akio was unworthy of the position of god.
"Interesting, interesting. This Hiiragi Shinsuke is quite the master of shifting blame," Akio said with a smile.
"What exactly happened?" Raiden Makoto asked. She wasn't blaming Akio. As Inazuma's god, Akio could have killed the Kanjou Commissioner without consequence.
Although Raiden Makoto hadn't known Akio for long, she could tell he wasn't a bloodthirsty god. There must have been a reason.
Akio explained to Raiden Makoto what Hiiragi Shinsuke had done, and her expression darkened.
"Such a person deserves to be cut down with a single stroke!" the Raiden Shogun said coldly.
"Akio crippling him was lenient. I should go and finish him off," Raiden Ei said indifferently.
"Let's gather some evidence first. Executing him without cause might panic the people of Inazuma," Raiden Makoto shook her head. She wanted to find evidence first.
"I think Hiiragi Shinsuke is already finished. Having a cripple as the Kanjou Commissioner is a joke," Akio suddenly spoke up.
"Not to mention all the disgusting things he's done, just his disrespect for the gods makes him unworthy of continuing as Commissioner," Raiden Ei nodded in agreement.
"Then who do you think should take over the Kanjou Commission?" Raiden Makoto asked. Unfortunately, she hadn't been around for centuries and didn't know who would be suitable.
"In my opinion, Hiiragi Shinsuke has a daughter named Hiiragi Chisato. Although she's never been involved in the Kanjou Commission's affairs, she's helped Hiiragi Shinsuke with many economic issues. I know her—she's kind-hearted and pure. Why not let her temporarily take over the Kanjou Commission?" Akio suggested.
"Once everything is settled, we can re-elect the leaders of the Tri-Commission," Akio said.
"Since Akio recommends her, it's fine. But can a young girl manage the Kanjou Commission and Inazuma's economic affairs?" Raiden Makoto was a bit skeptical.
A pure-hearted person might not be able to handle the weight of national authority, Raiden Makoto thought to herself.
"I think she has potential," Akio said, stroking his chin. "How about I go issue the order and bring her to Tenshukaku for you to meet?"
"Since you're taking over governance, starting with the economic side would be good. If she has talent, she can learn by your side," Akio said.
"That's a good idea," Raiden Makoto nodded in agreement. "In that case, I'll issue the Narukami Decree. It'll be up to you to make the trip."
"No problem," Akio nodded. He just wanted to see Hiiragi Shinsuke's miserable state and bring Hiiragi Chisato over.
Although it was now widely known that Akio was the new god, the Divine Coronation Ceremony hadn't yet taken place. Official appointments and dismissals still had to be issued through the Narukami Decree, stamped with the Narukami Seal. Besides, Akio wasn't particularly keen on drafting official documents every day.
He wasn't without decision-making power, but with Raiden Makoto handling it, he wasn't about to get involved in drafting official documents.
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