When he saw the appointment letter sent by Shishilian, Hichugiskhan couldn't sit still. He thought Setsuna had given up on those strange methods, but to his surprise, she had another plan here.
Hichugiskhan immediately left his residence with the appointment letter and found Setsuna, seeking a reasonable explanation.
"Is there a problem? By the way, just call me by my name. I'm not used to you calling me like this, Uncle Hichugiskhan."
"It's not about how I'm addressing you, Duke, but can you explain why you appointed me as this so-called Governor!"
"Because you have the experience. If it were someone else, there would be too many things they wouldn't dare decide and they'd come to me for everything. Instead of that, I thought it would be better to find someone reliable, and after considering everyone, only you could do it."
"You can't do things like this! Though everyone in Zou respects you, aren't you afraid things might get chaotic this way?"
"Hardly. In the past, everyone resolved issues through discussion. Now, I've just clarified responsibilities. Besides, the ultimate authority over the Firearms Team and the Knights is still in the duke's hands, so what's there to worry about?"
Zou's situation is different, and external kingdoms find it hard to imagine how unique the governance of this group is.
Setsuna doesn't want to deal with daily trivial matters, like most civil issues; having a few experienced people manage those is enough.
One could say she's given up civil authority, but she still retains military, judicial, and priest powers.
So far, the duke of the Fur Race is still the strongest of the tribe, which is why she dared to try changing the management style.
"No, this won't work at all. I can trust your words, and our descendants too, but what about later? After you find a suitable successor and hand over the throne, if they can't control people, chaos is bound to happen.
With this division, there might be conflicts. You haven't issued a complete command yet, right..."
Halfway through his words, he suddenly felt something was amiss because Setsuna did not offer any rebuttal.
"Are you waiting for me here?"
"Not entirely; that's why I truly need your help, senior. I'm better at fighting; only Shishilian knows about the Governor business, and only you and I know about the council system, which hasn't been announced yet. If you think the problem is significant, then forget it."
"What are you really thinking..."
"I discussed with Zunesha; it's not interested in the surrounding seas for now, so it'll be moving or resting around Wano Kuni. It doesn't take long to come here from Wano Kuni; I'll handle most things.
For minor matters, let your assistants handle them. They've familiarized themselves with the procedures over the years.
Though at night I might return there for rest, and sometimes take a vacation, during which I'll trouble you, senior."
"You gave me a fright. I thought you would keep squeezing this old man. So, it's just about being a secretary handling some chores while idling. These tasks can still be done."
This was acceptable to him. He had gotten through his earlier years similarly. In recent years, Setsuna has remotely handled some affairs but never truly governed. Now that she's officially taken over, helping her is no problem.
Yet, for some reason, he still felt a bit strange, as if everything had been arranged by her.
Originally, a duke was a position of authority, but Setsuna turned it into a job with a stipulated working schedule.
The contentedly semi-retired Hichugiskhan was quite pleased.
"By the way, senior, have you thought about asking Master Arceus to bestow you some power as well? That way, you'd be Fur Race's third strongest officially."
Despite his age, apart from Zeraora and Setsuna, the young members of the Fur Race couldn't match this old senior. If granted power, a new transformation would definitely occur.
"No need; I'm not interested in that. With you and Zeraora, the Fur Race is sufficiently protected. I, old as I am, won't join in that bustle."
Now having to play a secretarial role, strengthening again would make him busier than ever.
Of course, it was just a remark on his part. If Fur Race encountered a real crisis, he'd be on the front lines. It's precisely due to this sense of responsibility that he's kept helping Setsuna with Zou's matters.
With their mother officially assuming the post of duke, Miaona and Wolf's lives remained unchanged, except for sometimes accompanying Setsuna to "work" in Zou in the mornings or sometimes staying in Zou, gaining them many peers among the Fur Race.
Hichugiskhan enjoyed a vacation for over half a month, feeling uneasy with the sudden leisure.
Coincidentally, Setsuna was about to take her first holiday, too, heading back to Wano Kuni to prepare a birthday party for the two children, temporarily leaving Hichugiskhan to handle trivial affairs.
...
It was supposed to be a simple birthday party, without any surprises, only the children typically learn and mimic what they see. In their perception, Hichugiskhan ultimately realized his goal by pitching a tent.
The method might have been convoluted, but he successfully transitioned the throne.
As the birthday party ended, the two did not leave but waited expectantly before Arceus.
"What's the matter? Is there anything else you need?"
"Um, Master Arceus, we're already seven years old."
"Yes, we've grown up. At seven, Fur Race members can sneak away from Zunesha to explore. So we want... to receive an ability as a gift."
Miaona and Wolf had always desired abilities; he was aware. Previously worried they'd cause disruptions, but currently, they seemed sensible, and Setsuna had smoothly ascended the throne, indicating some things ought to change.
However, the power within their bodies is somewhat complex.
"Here's the deal: I'll conduct a test to see how well you control the power within your bodies. If you do well, I'll grant your desires."
They haven't started Haki training yet, so Arceus would test just their Aura and Lightning. Their performance was decent, surpassing the average for their age, though Miaona excelled more at Aura, and Wolf at Lightning.
"Master Arceus, is this okay?"
"Quite well, but you're still a bit young. Giving you ultimate power directly won't fully align with your bodies, so gradually mastering evolution first is better. As for the ability... this will do."
The powers of Verdant and Dread Plate were channeled into Miaona's body, but as he prepared to transform Wolf, Wolf presented a particularly unique request...