SailorStar9: After getting Chapter 83 out, this is Chapter 84 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 84: Teyvat Arc: True Tales of the Violet Garden, Part Six
The next day...
"Today's the final stage of the Irodori Festival." Paimon chirped. "Not only will there be Xingqiu's signing event, but Albedo's painting of Kuronushi will also be unveiled. Let's take a stroll through the festival venue, maybe we'll find everyone there. Isn't that Sucrose over there?"
"Hello Traveler, Paimon." Albedo greeted.
"Albedo, why is the portrait of Kuronushi all covered up?" Paimon asked." Paimon wants to see what your Kuronushi portrait looks like."
"Don't worry, the unveiling ceremony will be starting shortly." Albedo replied. "You'll see what it looks like then. I will say that I'm most satisfied with this particular work. I even made a special trip to see someone in order to complete it. They gave me some very valuable suggestions."
"Things are starting to sound pretty mysterious." the Traveler twitched.
"Is that so?" Albedo chuckled. "Anyway, there is still time before the ceremony, you may have a look around the venue first."
"I told you they'll say that." Sucrose giggled after the Traveler was out of earshot.
"Hello everyone." Yae looked up from her conversation with Venti.
"What are you two doing together!?" Paimon demanded. "Don't think we didn't see you two chatting up a storm just now. The moment we came over, you stopped talking."
"Is that so?" Yae feigned ignorance. "I'm afraid you're just overthinking things."
"We were merely discussing wine and food." Venti added. "I'm sure you two wouldn't be interested."
"Speaking of good sides with sake, I personally prefer fried tofu." Yae spoke.
"Forget it." Paimon fumed. "Even if those two are plotting something, they'd still never let us know."
"Kazuha, Mitsuko, what are you two doing here?" Paimon found the couple at Ryouko's stall. "Why aren't you at the festival?"
"The bustling atmosphere is never really to my liking." Kazuha picked at his half-eaten 'Dry-Braised Salted Fish'.
"Are you really alright, Kazuha?" the Traveler asked.
"I knew you were still worried about me." Kazuha swallowed the fish in his mouth. "Thank you, but please don't worry. The things I said in front of everyone weren't just pretty-sounding excuses. See the vast sea in front of us? Before, your eyes can stretch across the endless ocean with no end in sight. Instead, all you would see were soldiers from the Kanjou Commission guarding against possible intruders. But now, Ritou's become a bustling place. Not only are foreigners coming to Inazuma again, but traffic between here and Watatsumi Island has also been picking up. I was thinking... in some ways, each and every one of us are similar to this country. It might take a different amount of time for different people, but there will inevitably come a day when each person can let go of their burdens. And when they finally let go, they are free to follow the wind as they please."
"Greetings Traveler, Paimon." Ayato turned to the approaching Traveler.
"Ayato!" Paimon beamed. "We finally get to see the busiest person of all."
"There were many things which required my attention these past few days." Ayato nodded. "Fortunately, the Irodori Festival is proceeding smoothly. The Tri-Commission cooperated closely to prepare this festival, so at long last, I can take a break today."
"Brother and I are very grateful for your help." Ayaka supplied.
"Thoma sure is taking his sweet time." Ayato noted.
"Today is one of the rare occasions when brother isn't busy." Ayaka explained. "I was going to buy some books but he said he wanted to come along: his treat. However, he forgot his wallet at home, so he asked Thoma to go back and fetch it for him."
"Paimon didn't think Ayato could ever be forgetful like that." Paimon blinked.
"Brother always works diligently, and it's rare for him to ever put his duties to the side and relax." Ayaka giggled. "So, Thoma and I really cherish such moments when he's forgetful."
"Traveler, Paimon, it's a pleasure to see you!" Xingqiu looked up from his book-signing.
"Did today's signing go as planned?" the Traveler asked.
"Indeed, it did." Xingqiu nodded. "Thanks to you, the signing event went off without a hitch! And I must say, the readers seemed most satisfied."
"Xingqiu, is it just Paimon, or are you on the lookout for something?" Paimon pondered.
"You aren't mistaken." Xingqiu admitted. "Though I'm ashamed to admit it, but in fact, I have been on the watch for tourists from Liyue. After all, I came to Inazuma under the pretext of evaluating a potential investment. If an acquaintance were to see me sitting here, then there would be no way to hide the truth from my father. Fortunately, the crowds of readers that came flocking over have kept the usual tourists at bay. I should mention, Xu is also unaware of the real purpose of my trip. If you happen to meet him, please, remember to keep it secret. I'll see you later at the unveiling ceremony for Kuronushi's portrait."
"It's time for the portrait's unveiling ceremony, let's head over to The Five Kasen Plaza." Paimon suggested.
"Everyone, welcome to the Magnificent Irodori Festival!" Hirayama called out to the arriving crowd. ": Today, we have ushered in the final stage of our festival. And now, we will reveal the final portrait of The Five Kasen — Kuronushi, which was done by none other than our guest artist from Mondstadt, Calx."
"Paimon has no idea what Albedo's portrait looks like." Paimon muttered amidst the crowd's applause. "This is so nerve-racking!"
"Let's all count down together!" Hirayama encouraged. "Three, two, one!"
"Heh, what do you know..." Mitsuko noted amusedly once Hirayama pulled over the cover.
"What's this?" one of the audience gasped. "This piece depicts nothing but a background!"
"I suppose Calx must have forgotten to include the character." the person next to him noted.
"Sato-imōto..." Kazuha glanced at the younger Nekomata.
"I have no idea what you're implying, Kazu-nii." Sucrose giggled.
"Let's hear some words from Calx himself regarding the creative process behind this piece." Hirayama looked at Albedo.
"Hello everyone." Albedo addressed the audience. "First, I would like to say that it was an honor to be invited to create the portraits of The Five Kasen. The Five Kasen are legendary figures from ancient Inazuma, famous for their works of poetry. As time passed, poems were composed about them, and they became the subjects of many stories. I learned from existing sources about those stories that the character of Kuronushi is the deepest and most differing of The Five Kasen. Moreover, Kuronushi lacks a dedicated chapter among the stories. It's as if he is a 'behind-the-scenes role' of The Five Kasen. Perhaps we can assume that every creator had a different understanding of Kuronushi. So, after much discussion with my beloved partner, I also wanted to leave this character to everyone's own imagination. After all, the Irodori Festival is a place for everyone to express their minds through creative works."
"That's Albedo for ya!" Paimon nodded sagely. "His super logical explanation is sure to win everyone's approval. It seems that our adventures at the Irodori Festival have come to a close."
"Aren't you forgetting something, Paimon?" the Traveler reminded.
"Oh right." Paimon nodded. "We still haven't figured out who left those stories of The Five Kasen for us to find."
"But, I have an inkling of who it might be." the Traveler revealed.
"Who is it?" Paimon urged. "Tell Paimon!"
"First, it's someone that knows every one of us." the Traveler answered. "Also, they are connected with the Kaedehara Clan."
"Paimon gets it now!" Paimon exclaimed. "At least Paimon thinks she knows. Let's go! We'll get to the bottom of this! Ayato! You're the one behind the stories of The Five Kasen!" she finally narrowed down the suspects. "Don't you think you overdid it a little, leading all your friends on a wild hunt like that!"
"As it just so happens, one of the reasons I'm here today is to explain the details behind this 'wild hunt'." Ayato laughed. "First of all, the start of this whole incident was due to mere happenstance. You see, Lady Yae happened to catch sight of Xingqiu and the editor carrying the books away one night. She thought it was interesting, so she asked me to tease them a bit. But using the story of The Five Kasen to guide you to the Kaedehara family's secrets was my personal touch. As for my roundabout approach... well, that was something which I had no choice but to do."
"You had no choice?" the Traveler echoed.
"Due to a certain incident that occurred earlier, I happened to notice the bonsai plants left behind by Kaedehara Yoshinori, as well as the blank papers hidden inside." Ayato explained. "I knew there was more than meets the eye regarding those papers, but it took me some time to figure out the secret behind the ink, the kind that would only appear when exposed to water. What Kaedehara Yoshinori said in the letter is very important for both the Kamisato Clan and the descendants of the Kaedehara Clan, especially Kazuha. The Kaedehara Clan used to be subordinates of the Kamisato Clan. It was my ancestors who were unable to protect them all those years ago. So now, this obligation fell on my shoulders. Although he has the right to know the truth, the closer he draws to things hidden out of sight, the closer he also draws to danger. I had to confirm whether Kazuha has both the will and ability to be privy to the truth. Of course, I could outright tell him the truth that I had discovered, but maybe he doesn't have the will that's required. In that case, the truth would only become a burden to him. If he lacks the ability, then he wouldn't be able to find the truth in the first place. In which case, it would be better to keep him away from danger altogether. Kaedehara Yoshinori left his message in a roundabout way precisely for this reason. For a long time, I yearned for a suitable opportunity to convey this matter, right up until the night when 'A Legend of Sword' was smuggled away."
"But why was everyone else involved, too?" the Traveler was confused.
"I figured you would ask this question eventually." Ayato chuckled. "I merely saw that this matter would be of value to you. And more importantly, I hoped that while Kazuha and Ayaka were looking for the answers together, they would have some reliable friends by their side: reliable friends who would be willing to protect them and make measured decisions. Friends who would spare no effort to lend a helping hand in times of trouble. Because it is also very likely that you will face the same enemy together in the future."
"So, who is Kunikuzushi?" the Traveler pressed.
"You already know the answer deep down inside, don't you?" Ayato gave the Traveler a conspiratorial look. "The answer is actually hidden in the portrait of Kuronushi. When there is no one else near the portrait, you can confirm with your own eyes. As for the means of revealing that answer... well, you have used it many times before."
Later that evening...
"It's getting pretty late, so nobody else is around now." Paimon looked around for passers-by. "So, Ayato must have been telling us to splash water on the portrait, right? It's the Balladeer!" she gasped when the image of Scaramouche's back appeared. "So, he was the one behind the trouble all those years ago!"
"Also, there's one last thing that we must discuss." the Traveler recalled what Ayato told them earlier. "I mentioned earlier that the occurrence of 'a certain incident' made me notice the bonsai plants. I wish to tell you of that incident now. It was just after the Shogun announced the abolition of the Sakoku Decree. I heard that something had happened at the Tenryou Commission. They had discovered signs that someone had entered the warehouse storing the commission's articles of evidence and confiscated items. But nothing was stolen. I felt something unusual about that incident, so I told Kujou Sara of the Tenryou Commission to treat it as if nothing happened. She was not to increase the guard or relocate the warehouse contents. In the meantime, I sent Sayu to keep watch over the warehouse since it most probably concerned her Kazu-papa. And sure enough, someone was sneaking in and rummaging through the belongings of the Kaedehara Clan. I let him search for a while, but in the end, he found nothing. Soon after, he had to leave Inazuma by boat."
"Why didn't you send someone to catch him?" Paimon had demanded.
"The best way to protect a secret is to treat it as if it doesn't exist, is it not?' Ayato winked. "Besides, the identity of this person is not hard to guess. After he left Inazuma, I carefully checked the Kaedehara Clan's belongings one by one, and eventually discovered the papers in the hidden compartment of the flowerpot. I am certain that the papers are the secret which the infiltrator sought to find, though he couldn't confirm whether this secret existed at all. So, now on to my final question: which part of Kaedehara Yoshinori's experiences was the secret that needed to be protected?"
"That Kaedehara Yoshinori knew that the family was framed?" the Traveler guessed.
"I don't have an answer to this question at present, so I'll leave it to your future self." Ayato noted. "As for now, please enjoy yourselves at the Irodori Festival."
SailorStar9: Any OOC-ness is regretted. *Grins* Don't you just love plot bunnies sometimes? Reviews are much appreciated.