Reisen Riou rubbed his chin, lost in thought. Sending scholars to Watatsumi Island felt like a gamble. The locals had short memories—calmed pirates could turn restless again, raiding at any moment. Yet, not sending them wasn't an option. Watatsumi was Inazuma's territory; snubbing it would seem petty and fuel rebel fervor. But dispatching scholars risked their safety—the Shogunate's thin foothold and shaky local support couldn't guarantee protection. Unlike Tsurumi Island, where the Shogunate's strong base and subsidies for high-quality Narukami Grass and Amakumo Grass had curbed piracy by boosting local wealth, Watatsumi was a powder keg. Its people, unlike Tsurumi's, hadn't traded piracy for prosperity; they teetered on chaos.
Tsurumi's drug crops, used as tax in lieu of grain, enriched both locals and the Shogunate, slashing pirate numbers. This, plus Watatsumi's subdued raiders, had made Inazuma's sea routes thrive. But Watatsumi's volatility—starvation, factional strife—remained a headache. Reisen Riou half-joked to himself about wiping out the troublemakers, but sighed. "The original plan won't work. Who could've predicted Watatsumi's mess?"
After debate, they settled on a compromise: shrink the scholar dispatch and ally with Watatsumi's Coral Palace, leveraging the Divine Priestess's forces to guard them. Six elite scholar teams—thirty total—would focus on optimizing fisheries, as Watatsumi's agriculture barely benefited from tweaks. The Sangonomiya Shrine's rituals mattered more.
A month later, on Ritou, cold sea breezes couldn't dim the port's bustle. Kanzaburou Commission samurai patrolled, collecting taxes as morning fog clung to the docks. Massive ships emerged from the mist, gliding into harbor. A Shogunate team strode from the port office to greet them.
"Bona, my friend! It's been ages!" Reisen Riou laughed, embracing the former Grand Sage.
"You old relic, you look ancient," he teased, eyeing Bona's weathered frame.
"I envy you long-lived types," Bona chuckled, though his eyes showed he'd made peace with mortality. Retirement had aged him further, his once-sharp presence softened.
Reisen Riou had once offered to transmute him into an elemental being, but Bona declined. As the scholar delegation mingled, Reisen Riou waved off Bona's attempt to speak. "We're making them nervous," he said, nodding at the hushed samurai and scholars. "Let's catch up. I've got a Ritou mushroom feast ready."
"That feast's fame reached Sumeru," Bona said, eyes lighting up.
"It's evolved from that fried mushroom dish we shared way back," Reisen Riou grinned. "After the old chef died, I bought the shop. Decades later, it's Inazuma's finest."
"Gotta taste that," Bona said, then hesitated. "My body's not what it was…"
A spark of Electro flickered in Reisen Riou's eyes. "Here." He channeled a temporary vitality boost, careful not to overtax Bona's frail frame.
"Whoa! That's the stuff!" Bona exclaimed, invigorated.
"Let's go!" They strode off, leaving bewildered samurai and scholars. Winding through Ritou's alleys, they reached a courtyard where a dozen Ritou-born chefs bustled, preparing the feast. Raiden Makoto, Raiden Ei, Yae Saiguu, Reisen Anko, Torachiyo, and a yipping Yae Miko lounged nearby, their divine auras veiled by illusion spells to keep the chefs at ease. "Greetings, Lord Riou, Scholar Bona," the chefs bowed.
Bona, oblivious to the gods' true identities, nodded to Anko, recognizing her. "Bona, meet my wife, Ei, her sister Makoto, and my colleagues," Reisen Riou said. "You know Anko."
The feast began, mushrooms sizzling with sublime aromas. Reisen Riou probed Bona on Sumeru's political landscape, ensuring his plans held. Bona confirmed stability—the new Vitalist sage continued his policies, cementing Inazuma's alliance. He thanked Reisen Riou for inspiring his son's stealth research, now used by his grandson, a disciplinary officer. "Fate's funny," he chuckled, handing over papers on the "smart drug" Leando developed from Reisen Riou's idea.
"Talented guy," Reisen Riou said, scanning the thesis. "So, the issue's not targeting specific brain regions?"
"Right," Bona said, savoring a mushroom. "And side effects, though Leando didn't write that. I know."
"The brain's too complex," Reisen Riou sighed. "I'd focus on gradual, full-brain development, not pinpointing. I'll jot some rough suggestions."