As for the Kanjou Commission's affairs, the people of Watatsumi Island had little reaction.
They had never held much reverence for the Raiden Shogun to begin with, so they merely scoffed at how unreliable the Shogunate's forces were.
Kokomi, however, was puzzled. "Did the Kanjou Commission ever send us goods? Our dealings were actually with the Yashiro Commission..."
Now that Lucian had just begun writing about Inazuma, chaos was already brewing.
Was it because Lucian's book held immense power? Or had the people of Inazuma been nursing grievances for too long? Or perhaps the Kanjou Commission's actions were simply too outrageous?
In any case, aside from the people of Inazuma, those from other nations felt little impact. They continued reading the story, where they encountered the bittersweet tale of a pure-hearted man's unrequited love.
Before departure:
[Shinnojou: "Very well, my lady. I—I am deeply honored to accompany you… I will protect you with my life."]
When encountering monsters:
[Shinnojou: "Protect the young lady at all costs! Lady Chisato, please stay close to me!"]
After learning who Hiiragi Chisato's letter was for:
[Shinnojou: "No… that can't be. My lady must have another purpose, right? And… who is this Kamaji you mentioned?"]
[Hiiragi Chisato: "To be honest… he is the one I love."]
Shinnojou froze. After a long silence, he set the book down. "I should have known..."
"Kujou Kamaji… I hope you will not fail her..." he lamented.
This story was witnessed by all of Teyvat—yet his love remained unspoken.
Because, of all people, the one he loved would never see this tale. Perhaps his feelings would forever remain hidden in his heart, becoming an "open secret."
"How bold..." Ayaka covered her mouth with her hand.
As the young lady of another of the Tri-Commission clans, she wondered if she would ever have such courage.
This small interlude resonated with those who had experienced similar emotions, but most readers were more interested in what came next.
In the story, the Traveler arrived at Komore Teahouse—the place Thoma had directed her to.
But inside, Thoma was nowhere to be seen. Instead, a dog sat atop the counter.
[Paimon: "Did that Thama guy just bail on us?"]
[???: "Who said I bailed? I'm actually hurt you forgot about me."]
[Paimon: "Wh-what?! Did that dog just talk?!"
[???: "Hahaha… no need to be so surprised. Is this your first time seeing me like this?"]
[???: "Hmm… haven't you seen something similar in Liyue?"]
The people of Liyue were stunned. "Is Thoma some kind of adeptus?" But his description didn't match—he didn't even look Liyuen.
"Wait, don't Inazuman yokai sometimes take animal forms? But… no, he doesn't look Inazuman either..."
Soon, Thoma revealed the truth—he had simply been hiding behind the counter, throwing his voice for a prank.
The audience sighed in disappointment. "We thought there was some deeper lore about you, but you were just messing around..."
Thoma then led the Traveler to the Statue of the Omnipresent God, explaining Inazuma's current situation—from the Sakoku Decree to the Vision Hunt Decree.
[Thoma: "As for why the Vision Hunt Decree was enacted…"]
[Thoma: "Perhaps the Shogun believes Visions grant people the power of 'change'—and in her pursuit of 'eternity,' such 'instability' cannot be allowed."]
[Thoma: "So she ordered the Tenryou Commission to confiscate them, embedding each Vision into this statue, one by one."]
This baffled those from other nations. "Change isn't necessarily bad, is it? Why would an Archon fear it?"
Mondstadt, the City of Freedom, had a god who barely governed—people could change as they pleased.
Liyue was even more extreme—its people hadn't even considered change before their god led the revolution.
Sumeru? The Akademiya had secretly tried to create a god.
Fontaine had advanced rapidly since the introduction of Pneuma-Ousia energy.
"The Electro Archon's ideals… are this extreme?" Guizhong frowned.
As a goddess who advocated sharing knowledge with her people, she was one who embraced change.
Nahida shared a similar view. "This mindset… feels too rigid."
"How can she do this without fair judgment?!" Furina also frowned.
Meanwhile, Zhongli sipped tea and Venti drank wine—both old-timers refrained from commenting.
Only Yae Miko knew the truth:
The Narukami Ogosho was never afraid of the "power of change"—because she trusted in her own martial prowess.
She simply couldn't comprehend that the "eternity" she sought did not exist.
Time flows. A "static eternity" is impossible.
No matter how hard she tried, time would never truly "stand still." In truth, the "eternity" Ei pursued was nothing but a fleeting moment—because the "present" she clung to was constantly changing.
"If only my god weren't so stubborn… I'd love to give her a good spanking!" Yae Miko thought irritably.
Fortunately, Makoto had understood her sister well—she had created time for Ei to reflect.
But Makoto had been too gentle, guiding her sister with patience.
If it were Lucian? Given all the suffering Ei had caused her people, he'd have whipped her with a slipper at least twice by now.
Compared to her, even Hu Tao was a well-behaved child who never caused trouble.
"Though, realistically, who could actually spank her?" Not only was her strength overwhelming, but her figure alone made the idea… inappropriate. (Hu Tao was fair game, though.)
But here's the thing—unless you proved your strength, Ei wouldn't even bother listening to reason. She was that stubborn. Even the Shogun puppet she created inherited this trait. "Truly her through and through."
Back to the story.
Before anyone could mourn the Statue of the Omnipresent God, the scene shifted to—the Kamisato Estate.
Ayaka realized: "It's my turn to appear."
As the Shirasagi Himegimi of the Yashiro Commission, she was no stranger to the public eye. She wasn't the type to blush just from being written about.
Still, she worried—would her portrayal be proper? Would readers like her? Would it tarnish the Kamisato Clan's image?
While Ayaka fretted over these details, Ayato was laser-focused—but not for the same reasons.
Since starting the prophecy book, he had never been this serious.
"Of course, I'm not worried about the clan's image," he thought. "I'm just… waiting for the illustrations."
In the story, the Traveler spoke with Ayaka at the Kamisato Estate.
Unfortunately, Ayaka remained hidden behind a screen, her face unseen.
"She won't appear until the Traveler fulfills three wishes," the book explained.
Ayato's shoulders slumped. "I was so focused, hoping to see my sister's illustration…"
The rest of the chapter detailed how Ayaka requested the Traveler's help—only to be refused.
She then compromised, asking the Traveler to fulfill "three small wishes" instead—which the Traveler accepted.
"Ah, the art of negotiation," Ayato mused. "Even the Traveler prefers a middle ground."
"Well, I've read enough. Time to take care of business." He closed the book.
He had no interest in reading further—he already knew what those three "wishes" entailed.
"The agents I planted in the Kanjou Commission… it's time for them to move."
===✧✦✧===
Character Voice-Over · Kamisato Ayaka: About Hiiragi Chisato's Letter
"She was truly brave in expressing herself… I hope one day I can do the same."