SailorStar9: After getting Chapter 82 out, this is Chapter 83 of this fic. (Sighs) Guys and girls, is it too hard for you to leave a review, instead of just putting this fic up on your favorited list and story alerts?
Pairings: Albedo/Sucrose, Zhongli/Mitsuko/Kazuha, One-sided Diluc/Mitsuko, One-sided Diluc/Jean
Disclaimers: Genshin Impact and Sailor Moon belong to miHoYo and Takeuchi Naoko-sensei respectively. Me, on the other hand, own absolutely nothing, except the plot, I hope.
Chapter 83: Teyvat Arc: True Tales of the Violet Garden, Part Five
The next day...
"You're here." Kazuha spotted the arriving Traveler. "It appears everyone has arrived."
"How did your investigation go, Kazuha?" the Traveler inquired.
"Last night, I visited a former servant who once worked for my family." Kazuha revealed. "I was able to learn the entirety of what happened all those years ago. In my great-grandfather's generation, the Isshin Art was tasked with forging an important Goshintou according to an ancient forging diagram. Though all the craftsmen involved were very experienced, the process was still unsuccessful. Every blade that was forged was defective. When the deadline came, the blade still wasn't finished, so the craftsmen all fled and hid for fear of punishment. The Kaedehara Clan and Yashiro Commission then conducted an investigation. My great-grandfather and the head of the Kamisato Clan eventually tracked down the craftsmen near the seaside. However, they met fierce resistance from the craftsmen, and in the end, they were unable to prevent them from escaping by sea. The Kaedehara Clan was severely punished for the swordsmiths that had escaped, and the family gradually fell into decline. Moreover, I heard that the head of the Kamisato Clan was injured by the fleeing swordsmiths, which, combined with his advanced age, caused him to pass away shortly thereafter."
"The sudden passing of the family head left the Kamisato Clan leaderless." Ayaka confirmed. "Treacherous people took advantage of the situation and put the family's status in the Yashiro Commission at jeopardy. This single incident had profound effects. Even after the position as head of the clan was passed to my father, the Kamisato Clan still wasn't able to regain its prior reputation. But, thanks to my brother, everything is getting better now."
"The failure to forge the blade was ultimately attributed to a lack of required skill and finesse." Kazuha added. "The Kaedehara Clan and the Yashiro Commission always believed that was the case. However, the story of The Five Kasen seems to imply that the failure didn't stem from a lack of skill, but rather, the diagram had been tampered with by someone. Kamisato-dono, I heard yesterday that the Yashiro Commission has still kept the diagram ever since the failed forging all those years ago. Might I ask you to do me a favor?"
"I understand." Ayaka nodded. "I will go back and search for the diagram. Please come meet me at the Kamisato Estate later."
At the Kamisato Estate later...
"Everyone, I've managed to find the old diagram." Ayaka dug up the old records.
"Though the diagram is well-preserved, you can still tell that it's seen at least three or four centuries of history." Venti gave the aged papers a vigilant look-over.
"That's pretty old!" Paimon gawked. "Is it still possible to find any evidence of tampering?"
"At this point, we can only try our luck and see how we fare." Venti shrugged.
"Although the effect is not too obvious, you can still see that some words have now started to smudge." Albedo noted after the diagram was soaked in a basin of water. "Kazuha, this is clear evidence that this chart was indeed tampered with. Someone framed the Kaedehara Clan all those years ago."
"I see, but I fear that I've discovered this secret too late." Kazuha sighed. "When my grandfather was young, he proposed reviving the Isshin Art many times to my great-grandfather. But my grandfather was only scolded for being too foolhardy. Yesterday, the former family servant said that my great-grandfather even went to the Yashiro Commission to request that diagram from the head of the Kamisato Clan. He then showed that diagram to my grandfather and asked him and his subordinates to try to forge the sword. Sure enough, my grandfather also failed. My great-grandfather then told him, 'If you can't find the secret within, then the Isshin Art deserves to fade from the world.' My grandfather left Inazuma in a rage after hearing those words. He didn't ever see my great-grandfather again, even till the day of his passing. Looking back at it now, the argument between the two of them was simply... meaningless."
"I heard that your great-grandfather was very industrious when he was young." Ayaka supplied. "But later in life, he no longer bothered with the forging arts. It appears that his failure took quite a toll on him."
"Kazuha, did your great-grandfather really say, 'if you can't find the secret within'?" Albedo frowned. "Did he use those exact words?"
"The servant said that he personally heard those words and still remembers them very clearly." Kazuha confirmed. "My grandfather was so angry at the time that he smashed my great-grandfather's cherished bonsai tree."
"Wait, Albedo." the Traveler realized what the Chalk Prince was implying. "Are you trying to say..."
"It appears that you understand my meaning, Traveler." said homunculus nodded. "Kazuha, if your great-grandfather thought that the Isshin Art lacked finesse, then after witnessing his son's failure, wouldn't he have said something more along the lines of 'your skills aren't sufficient'? But instead, he said, 'If you can't find the secret within'. Don't you find that a little strange?"
"Oh!" Kazuha gasped. "So, you're saying my great-grandfather may have very well known that the failure was due to someone's tampering?"
"The current evidence suggests that it is highly likely." Albedo nodded.
"I apologize, but would you all please accompany me to the Tenryou Commission?" Kazuha requested. "After I became a wanted criminal, the Tenryou Commission seized my family's last remaining estate, which contained all of my family's old belongings. I want to inquire about the whereabouts of those belongings. If I can find them, we might be able to get some clues."
At the Tenryou Commission headquarters...
"What are you all doing here?" Sara saw the group approach. "Did something happen on Ritou?"
Nothing's happened, Sara." the Traveler assured.
"Kujou Sara, perhaps you still remember me?" Kazuha stepped forward.
"I do." Sara nodded. "You're Kaedehara Kazuha, a wanted criminal during the Vision Hunt Decree. However, your arrest warrant has since been repealed."
"Sara, we'd like to ask about the Kaedehara Clan's property that was seized by the Tenryou Commission." Paimon requested. "Do you know where all their belongings are now?"
"The items seized at that time are currently stored in the warehouse next to the Police Station." Sara answered. "Since Kaedehara has come back to Inazuma, those items should be returned to their rightful owner."
"I'm not here to reclaim those belongings." Kazuha explained. "I just want to investigate them for a personal matter."
"I'll inform the Police Station." Sara nodded. "They'll take you into the warehouse. Kaedehara, about the Vision Hunt Decree..."
"That's all in the past now, Kujou Sara." Kazuha soothed her worries. "There's no need to mention it again. I know you've also had your own convictions and struggles. However, may I ask something of you? After our investigation is over, I'd like to ask you to send those belongings to the Agate Hills."
At the warehouse...
"You must be here to investigate the Kaedehara Clan's belongings." Asakawa greeted the group. "Madam Kujou has already informed me of the situation. Please, come this way. The Kaedehara Clan's belongings are stored in this warehouse. Unfortunately, the items are scattered throughout in order to save space. My deepest apologies. However, I have clearly marked the corresponding items, so they shouldn't be too difficult to find. I'll be waiting for you at the door, please come see me if you require any assistance."
"Kazuha, since the items are scattered throughout the building, I propose we split up and look for clues." Xingqiu suggested.
"Sounds like a plan." Kazuha nodded. "Thanks for your help, everyone. I'll be checking around here." he stopped in front of some coiled rope and crates. "You and the others can start looking elsewhere."
"Ayaka, how's it going for you?" the Traveler ran over to Ayaka who was studying a sword rack.
"I'm currently investigating this sword rack." Ayaka looked up.
"Since the Kaedehara Clan was a family of renowned swordsmiths, then this blade should be super valuable, right?" Paimon gushed. "Maybe it's a treasure of the Isshin Art!?"
"I'm afraid not." Ayaka sighed. "Although the sword rack is made of fine wood, the swords placed here appear to be quite ordinary. Due to the dire financial situation of the late Kaedehara Clan, everything of value has probably been sold off already. The blade on this sword hasn't been sharpened, but there are many signs of use on the hilt. Perhaps Kaedehara used it for training as a child."
"Let Paimon see." Paimon peered closer. There seems to be a couple uneven characters etched into the scabbard! 'Kazu'... 'ha'. So, it really was Kazuha's! Paimon can imagine what Kazuha was like as a kid." she giggled.
"I will continue investigating here and call you if I find anything interesting." Ayaka spoke.
"What did you find, Xingqiu?" Paimon asked, locating Xingqiu in the compartment next to Ayaka.
"I've found quite the pile of old books." Xingqiu looked up. "These books here are all related to smelting steel, and these are about the process of forging blades. This pile over here is all about plants and flowers."
"The books about plants and flowers must have belonged to Kazuha's great-grandfather." Paimon concluded.
"Could there be any clues in the books?" the Traveler wondered.
"I skimmed through them just now, but I didn't find anything particularly worth noting." Xingqiu shook his head. "I shall take a closer look and let you know if I find anything."
"There must be some around here somewhere..." Venti complained in the room next to Xingqiu.
"What are you looking for, Venti?" the Traveler asked the Anemo Archon.
"Do you see all these pots here?" Venti gestured. "Some of them are bound to have liquor inside, right?"
"Everyone else is trying hard to help and you're over here looking for a drink!?" Paimon fumed.
"I merely jest, of course." Venti chuckled. "C'mon, we're close to uncovering the truth now, why do you look so worried?"
"Paimon doesn't really get why Kazuha told Sara send all these belongings to the Agate Estate." Paimon complained. "What if we don't end up finding anything today? Then wouldn't Kazuha lose the chance of finding out what really happened all those years ago?"
"I know you are worried about Kazuha, but if you ask me, he is stronger than you think." Venti soothed. "He's already made his choice; whether we find out the truth or not today, or whatever it turns out to be, he's ready to accept it."
"Is this your Archon's intuition speaking?" the Traveler teased.
"Not intuition." Venti smiled. "Rather, I've lived for a long time now, so you could say I have some experience in reading people. Leave the things here to me, you two can look around elsewhere."
"It's you." in the room opposite from Venti, Albedo looked up from the folding screen he was examining. "Unfortunately, I have yet to find anything of value here."
"This folding screen looks pretty old, though." Paimon noted.
"Perhaps if it were better maintained, then it could fetch a decent price." Albedo reasoned. "However, I doubt it could be sold in its current condition. I was taking a closer look just now and noticed a large piece of dirt caught in the fabric fibers on the backside. The soil is deeply embedded into the cloth. That means a great deal of force was used when the dirt was lodged into the cloth. It's likely that this patch of dirt is from the very flowerpot thrown by Kazuha's grandfather."
"Why don't you think this is of any value?" the Traveler was puzzled.
"Because this is not what we are looking for now." Albedo reasoned. "Let me think: if I wanted to leave a message behind, I would probably choose to leave it on something a little more special."
"Everyone, I've found something that you should all have a look at." Kazuha informed, standing in front of a bonsai pot tucked in the corner of the warehouse. "This flowerpot was in my house for a long time. I heard that it was left behind by my great-grandfather."
"The plants seem to have been dead for a while now." Paimon noticed the wilted tree.
"After my great-grandfather stopped studying the forging arts, he picked up the hobby of keeping bonsai plants." Kazuha explained. "Most of his prized plants were given to others once he became seriously ill. But he specifically left behind this dead plant at the time, and even instructed my grandfather not to throw it away in his will. My grandfather deeply regretted that he never managed to reconcile with my great-grandfather, so he left the plant exactly as it was. But now that I think about it, my great-grandfather could very well have left it behind for other reasons."
"Now that you mention it, this flowerpot is kinda suspicious." Paimon pondered. "We finally found something!" she exclaimed, Kazuha removing the hidden compartment underneath the flowerpot. "It's only a bunch of blank paper. Do you think someone already discovered the compartment and swapped the contents?"
"No, I do not think that is the case here." Albedo refuted. "See the paper? It's quite yellowed, which means it's very old."
"Maybe we need to try using water again." the Traveler suggested.
"You mean to say that these sheets have been written with special ink, like that which Kamisato-dono found before?" Kazuha pondered. "There is a pond outside the Police Station. I'll use the water there."
Outside the Police Station...
"How did it go?" Paimon pressed after Kazuha submerged the papers in water. "Those weren't just plain old sheets of paper, were they?"
"Just as everyone guessed, after I sprinkled some water onto the paper, writing did indeed begin to appear on it." Kazuha admitted. "It is a letter written by my great-grandfather. I'll tell you what my great-grandfather knew at the time. But before that, I wish to take you somewhere."
By the beach west of Byakko Plain...
"Kaedehara, why did you lead us to this beach?" Ayaka was confused.
"Is this place related to the contents of the letter?" the Traveler asked.
"It is." Kazuha nodded. "In fact, my great-grandfather and the head of the Kamisato Clan tracked the fleeing swordsmiths to this very location. Our hypothesis was correct. My great-grandfather was well aware of the truth behind the defective blades. And it was right here where they encountered the culprit who framed the Kaedehara Clan and the Raiden Gokaden. It reads: To whoever reads this letter: I, Kaedehara Yoshinori, have been held to a certain secret throughout my entire life. I don't have much longer in this world, and after much consideration, I've finally decided to disclose the matter. All those years ago, when I was pursuing the swordsmiths alongside Commissioner Kamisato of the Yashiro Commission, I was not injured by one of the fleeing smiths. Rather..."
"It was night, and after the clues led us down to shore, I waited for the culprits to show themselves." Yoshinori narrated in the flashback. "However, there were no swordsmiths in sight, only a single eccentric stranger. This stranger claimed to be the one behind the failed forgings and said that he had been patiently waiting for us. He then threatened to destroy the Raiden Gokaden. That person was of able body, and in a blink of an eye, myself and the accompanying samurai had been defeated. Commissioner Kamisato was severely wounded, and I barely escaped death myself. My hat had fortunately blunted a blow to my head. The unusual stranger was about to claim my life at that moment when the Clan Heiress of the Nekomata, Lady Noriko, parried the stranger away. I could only watch as they fought, Lady Noriko managing to wound the stranger with her sharp claws. It was then Lady Noriko revealed the 'White Token' and announced, 'As the Left Hand of Ei-sama, I, Noriko of the Nekomata, as judge and jury, charge you, Kunikuzushi, of high treason and I hereby sentence you to banishment from Inazuma for the rest of your life.' The stranger then paused and left, as if accepting the punishment. Lady Noriko then turned and said 'Niwa Yoshinori, you and Commissioner Kamisato are to wash your hands of this affair from henceforth. This... no longer concerns any of you. I will inform Guuji Yae of this... unfortunate development.'"
"So, that's what really happened!" Paimon gushed.
"My great-grandfather and the head of the Kamisato Clan escaped from death thanks to Noriko-baa-san and learned that the forging diagram had been tampered with by Kunikuzushi." Kazuha nodded. "Because the perpetrator said he would destroy the Raiden Gokaden, my great-grandfather worried that the perpetrator would still return for vengeance. So, to protect his loved ones, he closed the family business. He said: As the leader of the Kaedehara Clan, I am deeply ashamed to witness the decline of the Isshin Art. But, as a father, it is my priority to ensure the safety of my children and grandchildren. If my grandpa had somehow discovered the secret behind the tampered diagram all those years ago, perhaps my great-grandfather would've told him the truth. Unfortunately, he failed to catch any of the hints in my great-grandfather's words. Kamisato-dono, it appears you were unaware of the happenings that my great-grandfather described here. What are your thoughts?"
"I suppose the reason the head of the Kamisato House never spoke of this to the family was due to similar safety concerns." Ayaka pondered. "If the perpetrator was capable of tampering with even the Shogun's diagrams, and could single-handedly defeat many men, then he is not an ordinary enemy. I will discuss this matter with brother and Noriko-baa-san shortly and investigate the identity behind the one called 'Kunikuzushi'. Rest assured, we will act cautiously."
"How are you feeling, Kazuha?" the Traveler asked.
"To be honest, as I read the letter, I felt much turbulence in my heart." Kazuha admitted. "But now, I've managed to calm myself. My great-grandfather said in the letter that he did not wish his descendants to blindly seek revenge and be deceived by things of the past. Though he was in a tight situation when he wrote these words, I feel like they are still valid, nonetheless. I think what's most important for each person is not the past, but the present. Even though we must carry the burdens from the past, there are also things we wish to strive for. Therefore, knowing the truth behind what happened is enough for me. I will live on just as my great-grandfather had hoped. That being said, if the enemy from all those years ago is still lurking and plotting to stir up more trouble, then I definitely won't turn a blind eye."
"That's Kazuha, always sensible." the Traveler grinned.
"These are simply insights I've gathered from all that I've experienced." Kazuha related.
"Now that we're done here, let's head back to Ritou." Paimon cheered.
SailorStar9: Any OOC-ness is regretted. *Grins* Don't you just love plot bunnies sometimes? Reviews are much appreciated.