It should have been a very quiet night, but little Ayato clearly remembered his father's laughter that evening.
His father, who had always been extremely busy and stern due to the Kamisato Clan's precarious position—surrounded by wolves on all sides—let out a heartfelt, joyful laugh.
"Father, what happened?"
Little Ayato, who was receiving education as the family heir, asked curiously.
"Take a look at this, Ayato. The ronin around Foxshade Hill, Kageuchi Mountain, and Konda Village have all been wiped out. Let me test you—what do you think this means?"
Foxshade Hill? Kageuchi Mountain? Near Konda Village?
Weren't the ronin in those areas deliberately kept alive by the neighboring Tenryou Commission and Kanjou Commission?
The Kujou family of the Tenryou Commission, in order to show the people of Inazuma that they were being protected and to display their political achievements, deliberately allowed bandits to thrive so they could weigh themselves down with self-importance...
The Hiiragi family of the Kanjou Commission, in turn, allowed ronin to emerge so that Inazuma's domestic goods could become rare and valuable, profiting greatly from war wealth in the process.
And at this feast where they were carving up the people of Inazuma, who was the one not getting any meat?
Oh~
There was one called the Yashiro Commission that was nearly starved to death~
Why was that?
Because the Kujou family of the Tenryou Commission controlled military power, and the Hiiragi family of the Kanjou Commission controlled the economy.
War was a great boon for their families.
But the poor Yashiro Commission managed culture.
Things like culture usually only hold high status in times of peace.
Only the soil of peace and prosperity can bloom with doves of peace and flowers.
It's completely normal for harsh mountains and bad waters to breed unruly folk—when people are starving even if they don't turn unruly, who would listen to your teachings or stories?
But no one cared about that.
The greatest role of culture is to enrich everyone's spiritual world and make the world a better place.
If the Yashiro Commission failed to do that, then it was their fault.
Don't blame me, and don't look at me. We're all part of the Three Commissions—why are the other two commissions living so well while yours is doing so poorly?
It must be your problem! It couldn't possibly be mine, could it? My life is so comfortable! My achievements look so good!
You should reflect on yourself more, okay? Don't blame every problem on the other commissions! Make yourself stronger, okay?
Moreover, the Yashiro Commission had failed to protect the five kasen poems back in the day, which counted as damage to Inazuma's cultural heritage—an oversight in supervision.
The great black pot of the era, combined with the fact that their ancestors had failed in protection, was right there for people to grab onto...
Naturally, the Kamisato Clan, which managed the Yashiro Commission, had to carry this black pot.
Even if it wasn't their fault in war, even if they had truly tried hard, no one cared whether they tried or not.
When there's a problem, someone has to take the blame.
There always has to be someone to scold so the people can vent their emotions and avoid a complete collapse.
But even if it collapsed, it wouldn't really matter.
Because the Raiden Shogun is above us! Our merits and achievements are all seen by the Raiden Shogun!
The divine lord will naturally uphold justice for us!
You may rebel, but in the future, the ones managing your livelihoods will still be our Tenryou Commission and Kanjou Commission families!
Because our loyalty and achievements are visible to the divine lord!
So the ones with problems must be the people from the Yashiro Commission!
We work so hard to earn money for Inazuma (our families) and protect (harm) the people!
Could we possibly have problems? Can't you see our damage share, growth score, and output score?
Enough said. But now, the happiness of those two families is gone.
Some hot-headed adventurer chopped up their achievements and exchanged them for commission rewards.
Bro? How much could the Adventurers' Guild—those lowly commoners—possibly pay in rewards?
If you're short on money, we could have given you some!
Wouldn't it be nice for everyone to make money peacefully together? After all, the Raiden Shogun is backing us up!