"What are you all arguing about!?"
Just as several guards were worked up into a righteous furor, wanting to solve Sangonomiya's troubles for her, a voice of reprimand cut through the air.
"General!?"
"Greetings, General!"
"Reporting to the General! Lady Sangonomiya just received a letter from Lord Ye Xi and started crying! We suspect Lord Ye Xi has been threatened at Tenshukaku, and we were just discussing how to launch a rescue mission!"
The newcomer was the Great General of the Resistance, Gorou.
He was a yokai possessing the bloodline of a Shiba Inu.
Gorou was slightly startled by the news.
How was that possible?
Why would Lady Sangonomiya cry?
After calming his initial shock, Gorou spoke. "Rest assured. If Lord Ye Xi were truly imprisoned, Lady Sangonomiya would have already risked everything to lead the army against Tenshukaku."
"In my opinion, her tears must be for another reason."
The guards suddenly saw the light.
"You're right! Lady Sangonomiya is so attached to Lord Ye Xi; if something had actually happened, she wouldn't be this calm!"
"The General is right!"
"We almost made a terrible mistake! Thank goodness the General stopped us!"
"Now that I think about it, Lord Ye Xi is highly respected even in Tenshukaku. The Raiden Shogun wouldn't move against him so easily!"
Reminded by Gorou, the men all came to their senses.
When Lady Sangonomiya had first brought Ye Xi back with her, she had personally instructed them.
Ye Xi's relationship with the Raiden Shogun was extraordinary, and he was inseparable from the Guuji of the Grand Narukami Shrine.
He was the most important person in all of Inazuma.
How could someone like that run into trouble?
Gorou nodded, but his mind was already racing, wondering what could possibly make Sangonomiya weep.
Kamisato Estate.
The headquarters of the Yashiro Commission.
In a spacious room, the Kamisato siblings sat opposite each other.
"Ayaka, now that you have reached marriageable age, is there anyone who has caught your eye?"
Ayato asked while studying the scrolls on his desk.
As the one in power within the Yashiro Commission and the Head of the Kamisato Clan, the daily grind of his duties had him utterly overwhelmed.
To be honest, he desperately needed an assistant someone who could help him handle the clan's internal and external affairs.
Otherwise, he was truly going to work himself to death.
A flush of crimson appeared on Ayaka's face. "Ye Xi..."
Ayato was not surprised by this answer.
He knew Ye Xi; in fact, their relationship was quite good.
He remembered when his sister first brought Ye Xi home. Their mother had not yet passed away, but Ayato was already so entangled in work that he could hardly pull himself away.
It was thanks to Ye Xi's presence that his sister had someone to keep her company.
Initially, he hadn't thought much of it, simply treating Ye Xi as his sister's playmate.
However, everything changed when he witnessed Ye Xi effortlessly destroy a Ruin Guard with his own eyes. Only then did he realize that this man was anything but ordinary.
He had immediately sent people to investigate Ye Xi's background, only to discover that he actually lived within the barrier of the Sacred Sakura!
The Yashiro Commission was primarily responsible for shrines and cultural arts, so he understood the Grand Narukami Shrine very well.
The Sacred Sakura contained the power of Narukami!
And that Narukami was not the current Raiden Shogun, but the previous one Raiden Makoto!
During the Archon War five hundred years ago, Raiden Makoto had fallen while protecting Inazuma.
Her power and will had attached themselves to the Sacred Sakura.
To be recognized by the previous Raiden Shogun was proof enough of Ye Xi's extraordinary nature!
As they spent more time together, Ayato realized he couldn't see through Ye Xi at all, while the distance between his sister and the man grew shorter and shorter.
He eventually told his bedridden mother about the situation.
On her deathbed, she had delivered one final decree.
She wished for Kamisato Ayaka to be betrothed to Ye Xi.
It was an event he would never forget for the rest of his life.
Hearing his sister's answer now, Ayato offered a gaze of approval.
"So it really is him?"
"With Brother Ye Xi helping the Kamisato Clan, we will surely achieve our clan's restoration!"
"Ayaka, you have excellent taste. I will have the preparations started immediately, and tomorrow I will personally go speak with him!"
Seeing Ayato's delighted expression, a hint of sorrow crossed Ayaka's face.
Though she was happy her brother didn't oppose her being with Ye Xi, the man was leaving Inazuma tomorrow.
"Xi... he is leaving Inazuma for a while tomorrow..."
"What? He's leaving!?"
Ayato felt as if his world had just come crashing down.
One second, he thought he had finally found a helper!
The next, he received this devastating news.
"No! He can't leave! He is the savior of the Kamisato Clan."
"Did you not try to make him stay?"
"What does he want? Mora? Power?"
"As long as he's willing to stay, I'll give him as much Mora as it takes!"
"Or better yet, let him become the Head of the Kamisato Clan!"
If it weren't for the fact that the position of the Yashiro Commission was personally appointed by the Raiden Shogun, he would have loved to hand that over to Ye Xi as well.
He didn't want to miss out on such a hard-to-find assistant.
Who knew when Ye Xi would ever return!
Ayaka let out a sigh.
In front of the retainers, her older brother was always incredibly serious, but the moment Ye Xi was mentioned, he became a completely different person.
That reliable image of his had instantly collapsed.
"I tried to make him stay, but Xi has reasons why he must go."
Hearing this, Ayato could sense that there was some secret between his sister and Ye Xi.
Furthermore, it was a secret that couldn't be told to him, the older brother. It gave him the unpleasant feeling of being an outsider.
He occasionally lamented that even before his sister was married off, her heart was already favoring an outsider.
"This is going to be difficult..."
Ayato turned serious. "You have reached the age for marriage. If a betrothal isn't settled soon, I fear other families will take this opportunity to stir up trouble."
It was the classic case of an innocent person getting into trouble for possessing a treasure.
The eldest daughter of the Kamisato Clan was beloved by the people, and her suitors were as numerous as the hairs on a cow.
Once Ayaka reached the proper age, many would come to propose.
They would seek to enter the Kamisato Clan to pursue their own interests.
Originally, Ayato had planned to arrange the marriage between his sister and Ye Xi. With Ye Xi's influence added to the mix, no one would dare harbor any ulterior motives.
Now, he feared there wasn't enough time!
What should they do?
Ayaka also fell into deep thought.
Her brother was right. Currently, she was the weakness of the Kamisato Clan.
If she didn't exist, others wouldn't have an opportunity, but since she did, someone would always be targeting her.
Suddenly, Ayato's eyes lit up. "Ayaka, do you still have the dance fan Mother left for you?"
"I do!"
Ayato pondered for a moment before saying, "Good. I have a plan."
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