The second story tells of a samurai who lost his Vision.
It wasn't just ordinary people—even soldiers of the Shogunate could have their Visions taken away.
By the time the Traveler arrived, the samurai was surrounded by civilians, seemingly embroiled in an argument.
Listening closely, it turned out to be about relief rations. It sounded like the samurai had been withholding this month's rations?
The people angrily accused the samurai, named Kurosawa, of embezzling the relief supplies, but Kurosawa insisted he had never even heard of any relief rations.
The civilians argued that a samurai like him, who had his Vision confiscated, must have done something shady—the Shogun had no need for such disloyal retainers.
Kurosawa, however, claimed that his Vision had been taken simply because he opposed the Vision Hunt Decree.
Besides, he was so poor he could barely make ends meet. If he really had relief rations to embezzle, he wouldn't be living in such a tiny shack.
He also mentioned that his home had just been ransacked by the Treasure Hoarders. If anyone wanted to know whether relief rations existed, they should go after those thieves.
But the people didn't believe a word Kurosawa said.
[Ōmori: "Stop lying! Hand over the food now!"]
[Yuya: "Waaah... How am I supposed to survive without the relief rations...?"]
Unsure whom to trust, the Traveler decided to investigate personally and chased down the fleeing Treasure Hoarders.
The Traveler, evidently well-versed in human nature, opted for a direct approach—first beating them senseless, then negotiating.
Unsurprisingly, the Treasure Hoarders became much more cooperative and spilled everything.
[Paimon asked: "What about Kurosawa's house? Was there a lot of food there?"]
[Tadao: "Food? Nah, nothing like that. The place was a mess, but... there was this fancy-looking box. I figured it had something valuable inside."]
When they opened the "treasure" stolen from Kurosawa's home, they found it was full of IOUs.
Dozens of them, all addressed to Miss Aoi, the owner of a general store.
The Traveler took these IOUs to Aoi, the proprietor of "Komore", to learn more.
[Aoi: "Are you here to repay Kurosawa's debts on his behalf?"]
The moment money was mentioned, Paimon immediately rejected the idea—her brain had never worked faster.
[Paimon: "No, no, no! We just want to know how these IOUs came to be."]
Miss Aoi explained the contents of the IOUs. In the past, Kurosawa would buy food with his monthly salary.
But recently, as food prices rose, his salary was no longer enough, so he resorted to buying the same amount of food on credit.
These were the so-called "relief rations" mentioned by the people of Inazuma—something that never actually existed.
This was why Kurosawa, a samurai, lived in such poverty—he had shared his own "wealth" with others.
The reason Kurosawa insisted on buying the same amount of food, even if it meant taking on debt, was that he knew the people relying on these "relief rations" were also struggling to make ends meet.
If the amount of "relief rations" decreased, they would surely suffer. To spare them that hardship, Kurosawa chose to bear the burden himself.
In fact, to secure credit for the food, Kurosawa even offered his most prized possession as collateral.
It was the sword his father had given him—the blade he carried with him at all times, a samurai's sword.
Perhaps this was why Kurosawa kept those IOUs in an ornate box, treating them like treasures.
Because those IOUs truly were bought with his "treasure."
The Traveler returned to Kurosawa and shared what they had learned.
[Kurosawa: "How could... I have been such a person in the past...?"]
He couldn't remember why he had done this, why he had sacrificed himself.
The only thing he recalled was that as a child, he had once stolen his father's sword to show off to his friends—only to be severely punished by his old man.
At the time, his father had told him something...
[Kurosawa: "...What was it again?... Strange, I can't remember."]
["All I know is that my father said this blade carried the creed he lived by—and before he left this world, he placed it in my hands himself."]
When he examined the sword, he found two characters engraved on the hilt—"Benevolence and Righteousness"—the principles his father had upheld his entire life.
And he, too, had inherited his father's will, acting in accordance with those ideals—even if it meant staking his own "wish" (his Vision) and his "treasure" (his sword).
Now, as Kurosawa stared at the blade in his hands, it seemed he had lived up to the words carved upon it.
But he felt nothing—no sorrow, no solace.
After reading this story, Arataki Itto was so furious he could barely contain himself.
The tale of Tejima had already angered him, but he had held back, curious about the next story.
Now, after Kurosawa's story, he could hold back no longer.
"A man's creed and convictions shouldn't be trampled on like this!" Itto was itching to storm into the Tenryou Commission's estate and have a "talk" with that damned Kujou turtle.
Fortunately, Kuki Shinobu had anticipated this. She had the Arataki Gang's trio—Genta, Akira, and Mamoru—each grab one of Itto's arms and waist to restrain him.
"Boss, at least finish the story first," Shinobu said calmly as she turned the page.
Unbeknownst to them, Kujou Sara had just stepped out of the clan head's quarters, her head lowered, her expression dark.
What's going on? How could the leader I respected so much become like this?
After a long moment of contemplation, Sara slowly raised her head and turned her gaze toward Tenshukaku.
Dark clouds gathered above it, lightning flickering within—as if reflecting the Raiden Shogun's will.
Your Excellency, what is your true judgment in this matter? Are you aware of what the Kujou Clan and the Kanjou Commission have done?
She didn't dare seek an audience rashly. After all, the Raiden Shogun had even refused to meet Yae Miko—let alone her. The elite samurai guarding Tenshukaku wouldn't allow her to see the Shogun.
Steeling herself, Sara chose to keep faith in the Shogun. If the clan head truly has acted against Your Excellency's will... then even if it means drawing my blade against you, I will uncover the truth.
"Hmph. Foolish," Scaramouche sneered, though it was unclear whether he was referring to Kurosawa and the others—or the Electro Archon herself.
Kurosawa's story was quite well-received in Liyue, as its people also valued "chivalry"—his "benevolence and righteousness" resonated with them.
However, Liyueans also believed in "virtue rewarded"—they were deeply dissatisfied with Kurosawa's fate and eagerly awaited the Traveler's clash with the Raiden Shogun.
As Xinyan aptly put it: "Sing for rebellion!"
Xingqiu, something of a "chivalry enthusiast" himself, greatly admired Kurosawa. If the Yashiro Commission won't cover his debts, the Feiyun Commerce Guild will. It's just spare change.
Doing so wouldn't just satisfy his admiration—it would also earn the guild goodwill in Inazuma. A win-win.
But he needn't have worried. The Kamisato Clan was already handling these matters.
Yet the core issue wasn't about money—it was about "wishes."
If repaying Kurosawa's debts could solve the problem, the Yashiro Commission would have done so long ago.
Now, there was just one last story left—and in this tale, a certain pink, universally adored fox would finally make her appearance.
===✧✦✧===
Character Voice: Arataki Itto — About Kurosawa
"I don't get all that big philosophical stuff. All I know is, a guy like him shouldn't have ended up like this. The Arataki Gang's got his back!"