"There's a hole in the storm, I'm telling you. We can sail to Liyue with no issue!" A young sailor tried to convince a more veteran seaman. "Didn't you hear the Alcor crew? An angel opened up a path through the storm! It had to be Barbatos!"
"Shut the hell up already. Don't you realise what that means? We can now be invaded! And the Kanjou Commission still hasn't approved our license to import goods anyways! May the Shogun protect us…" The veteran man grumbled some more as they both turned away from the main docks and into a small vessel.
Mona had been hearing such stories through the past few days. What should have been met with rejoicing by the merchants and people of Ritou, only heightened the tension in the air. Whatever had been going on in their isolation was unknown, but one thing was clear. Anyone from Mondstadt was perceived as the enemy.
She had been lucky in that regard. Her attire made her seem much more exotic than she truly was. Other sailors of the Alcor, not so much.
Walking away from the briny smell of the Ritou docks, she headed into the main square of Ritou. Though the town was designed to be a trading post, the square was tranquil and cosy. It was surrounded by small shops, and an old tree stood vigilant in the middle of it. In the first few days, she had grown accustomed to performing scrying below its shade. At least it was until people realised what she was doing.
The people of Ritou suddenly realised that she was an astrologer, so they did what they could to get a reading from her. She had been naïve, so accepting a few requests was acceptable until a queue started to form in front of her. What should have been a quick foretelling quickly turned into counselling and therapy, both of which she had no experience doing.
"Witch of the Seas!" A lanky man ran up to her. "Thank you for finding my brother! To know that the drunkard got lured by some Mondstadt harlot…! Now, could you tell me what to do to triumph in life?"
Mona held back the urge to cry from repeating the same sentence. "It's Mona. And as I've explained before, that is not how astrology works. I don't give advice."
She scurried away from the man, before bumping into a woman.
"Witch of the Seas! I admitted the fate you gave me, but the Kanjou commission keeps denying my pass! What do the stars say I should do?!"
"I... The stars don't give those answers!"
Mona backed away and marched off in the opposite direction. The moment she saw another two people approaching her, she stormed off into the docks once again.
"Witch of the Seas!" A high-pitched voice suddenly called out to her, followed by small steps. Mona managed to not snap at the nickname, noticing that it was a small girl with a runny nose. Either five or six years old. "I'm looking for someone!"
"I… I'm not…" Mona sighed and gave up. "Fine, who are you looking for?"
"Big brother!" The kid's voice seemed about to break into a wail.
"Okay, and uhh…" She wasn't really sure how to deal with kids. "What's your name?"
"Hmm… Aiko!"
"Aiko, very well. Where did you last see him?"
"On top of a tree. We were on an adventure!"
Mona sighed more deeply. "And where's this tree?"
"I dunno."
"I… Do you know where your parents are?" At this point, Mona wasn't even sure if she was being pranked.
"Yes! But they don't want me to be with Kazemaru." Aiko meekly answered. "They say he's a bad person, but he's not! He just looks different."
"Ka-ze what? That's his name?" Mona flicked away her twintails. "You should listen to your parents. If they don't like him then it must be for a reason. Bad people feign being nice to kids."
"But he's not a bad person. He just looks different… He's tall like a tree and has a weird mask! But that's all! We went on adventures and we had fun for a few days. He brings me mountains of paper and paint, and we draw figures! He told me that somebody stole his wings, so he can't fly much at the moment. But he'll show me Inazuma from above someday!"
"Alas, if you…" From all the unbelievable claims she heard, Mona focused on the odd one out. "Mountains of paper?"
"Yeah, he eats leaves and spits out paper. Then we paint! And he taught me how to write my name. He's very nice!" Her expression quickly dimmed. "But my mom saw him and got very scared. And now he's not showing up anymore…"
"Are you sure you didn't imagine him being so tall and weird?" Mona asked, disappointing the kid further.
"No, look!" Aiko reached inside her kimono and pulled out a weathered feather. "He gave me this."
"Right, a random feather. I'm sure that—"
The girl blew away the feather, becoming airborne and orbiting her head. It did a few laps before it fell to the ground.
"…Okay, this Kazemaru is the real deal." Mona summoned her scryglass but stopped short. "It will take me a while to find him, so I'll take you with your parents."
Though Mona had no clue about how to find this emblematic figure, she knew one thing. If it could fly, it could bypass all checkpoints set up by the Shogunate. There would be no need to waste any more time in Ritou.
With those thoughts circling through her mind, Mona took the kid in hand and ambled through Ritou's streets aimlessly. Soldiers warily gazed at her vision, but overall paid her and the kid no mind. If she wished to enter Inazuma proper, however, the vision would have to go. Not even temporarily, it would be forever lost in the Shogun's shadow.
It didn't take too much to find the girl's parents. The moment they reached the central square, a visibly worried man approached them.
"What did I tell you about running away on your own?" The man's voice was barely restrained but quickly mellowed down at the sight of her saddened daughter. "Come on, just promise to not do it again."
Mona awkwardly watched the reunion, wondering if she should just step away. The father, however, soon noticed her.
"Ah, Witch of the Seas. Thank you for taking care of my daughter. Actually, I'm sorry that you had to take care of my daughter."
"It's Mona Megistus." She clarified while showing as little contempt as possible. "I don't need any gratitude or apology, it's what anyone would have done. Let's not have a next time, shall we?"
"Eh, right." The man picked up his daughter and heaved a sigh. "You're getting too big for me… Ah, Moona of the Seas, would you mind helping me with something?"
"It's… It's Mona."
"Right. I've been thinking about switching careers. Nowadays the trip to Kannazuka is getting too dangerous with the war. And though bone marrow is profitable, it's not worth dying over it." The father quickly explained. "Could you check the stars and tell me if my life will change much?"
"Finally a reasonable request. I don't offer advice, so beware of my readings." With a jerk of her hand, she summoned her scryglass. With a few quick measurements, she deciphered his fate. "Whichever path you choose, war will consume it. I cannot foresee a scenario that ends in your demise, but it will not be without pain."
"Does that mean war will arrive to Ritou? Should we go to the countryside?" The man asked, though obtained no answer from Mona. "Yeah, sorry. That's not good, moving out of Ritou will be hell."
"Even people from Inazuma have it hard to leave Ritou?"
"For merchants like me, yes it is. Ritou is legally Inazuma, but customs begins at the exit checkpoint. The Kanjou Commission requires us to have a special pass and documents, as well as a hefty sum of money for their troubles."
Mona dispelled her scryglass and crossed her arms. "No wonder we're having trouble. Why don't you guys make a complaint? They'll listen to their fellow countrymen, right?
"Complain? Why?" The merchant cocked his head. "Well, the Sakoku decree is made by the Shogun, so it has to have some purpose we're too dumb to understand. The Kanjou Commission only acts with the Shogun's interests in mind. Or that's what I thought before that Traitor Kujou got his head chopped off."
"Well, but the Shogun can be wrong too."
Mona didn't expect the sudden shock from both Aiko and her father.
"I'm sure it's hard for a foreigner to understand. But Her Excellency has protected us since Inazuma's conception. She always does things right. It was only Kujou's earthly ambitions who dared to defy her will."
"She's also friends with Kazemaru!" The girl added, pointing at Mona.
"Again with that? Your mother is going to freak out if that thing shows up again."
Mona chimed in. "May I ask something? Is this Kazemaru some type of Adepti of Inazuma?"
"Adepti? I don't know what's that. Whatever it is, the thing that Aiko saw… that thing was terrifying. Tall, slim and covered it dirty leaves, it smelled of blood and rot. We're lucky it ran away instead of doing something worse." The man seemed uncomfortable, tightening his grip on his daughter. "The real Kazemaru is a calm, westerly wind that brings rains in times of famine."
"Ah, I suppose someone might be disguising themselves as this being. I'll try to find it, just in case." Mona adjusted her hat as Aiko smiled in response. "Do you know anyone willing to share information about this Kazemaru?"
The man didn't think much about it. "Try checking the local shrine. Shrine maidens normally know these things."
"Thank you," Mona awkwardly shifted around, glancing at the family. "Stay safe."
"May the Shogun bless you!" The father kindly bid farewell, walking away.
"And Kazemaru too!" The kid added.
The search for the shrine didn't go as smoothly as she hoped. Though the town was small, she was looking for a completely different type of shrine. The big and spacious shrines of Liyue were eye-catching, but what she ended up finding was a small wooden shrine wedged between two bigger buildings. It had two foxes looking over it, with some sort of figurine on a podium.
It had some lit candles and offerings in the form of flowers, so she supposed somebody was maintaining it. She asked the few bystanders around, and it seemed to be a neighbourhood effort to maintain it. So no shrine maiden around.
Showing mild frustration at this time waster, she returned to the central square of the town and started to ask around about sightings of the strange tall being.
And after probing around, she realised that this would be way harder than thought. People were worried about a boogeyman, yes, but not this mythical creature. Saboteurs, assassins and spies from Watatsumi and Mondstadt were everywhere… or so they said. If it wasn't that, they were irritated by the exploitative taxes and tariffs set up by the Kanjou Commission. Either way, it didn't help her journey.
When the sun started setting on the horizon, she gave up for the day and made her way to the docks defeated.
"Hey, if it isn't the Astrologer!" She recognised the annoying voice immediately. It was that merchant from Mondstadt who Venti had met on his journey. Ignatz.
She barely acknowledged the greeting, preferring to not make her nerves worse. Until she noticed something from the corner of her eye. Besides the annoying merchant, there was a shrine maiden.
Mona quickly excused herself for not answering sooner and approached the duo.
"Are you going to check up on the bard?" The merchant immediately asked. "He's currently signing all the bureaucratic crap the customs lady gave me. You're never making it out of here at this rate."
"Right, Venti. Yes, I was going to check on him," She lied and gestured to the shrine maiden. "And who is this?"
"Oh, I'm Inami. I was asking Ignatz for help with his fellow compatriots." Inami meekly explained. "Our Eternal Shogun has issued their immediate exile from Narukami Island and the… Miracle that has opened up a safe path to the mainland could be used."
"And I'm telling her that I'm not being an accomplice of whatever crap the Shogun's pulling. Did you even see where they're at, astrologer? On tents outside the town. I didn't even know until she told me."
"Those are the orders of the Kanjou Commission, who control Inazuma's border. Regardless, the Alcor could easily fit these one hundred souls with no issue. That would lessen everybody's pain."
"Lessen everybody's pain? My ass! This is why Barbatos is so fed up with your Archon. She does horrible shit and then says some hocus-pocus about eternity. You don't need to follow your Archon if she's being a bit-"
Mona bumped her elbow hard on Ignatz's ribs. "You're going to get us in jail if you insult the Shogun."
"I'll insult whoever I want to!"
Their brief altercation didn't seem to bother the shrine maiden. However, a pair of soldiers seemed to take notice and approached them.
"The one with the hat," A burly soldier started. "The Kanjou Commissioner wishes to hire your services. Please accompany us."
Mona and Ignatz stopped bickering, turning to the soldiers. She crossed her arms, analysed the two guards and shook her head.
"I am not for hire. If the Commissioner wishes his fate to be revealed to him, then he better come here and ask."
The bold answer didn't sit well with the soldiers. Nevertheless, they insisted again. "We would prefer it if you came with us willingly."
"She already said no," Ignatz answered, his nervousness palpable.
"Again, we are allowed to use force to bring you with him." The soldier's voice became more grave. "And that pretty vision will go to the Almighty Shogun's hands."
The standoff was a mere formality. Mona knew that they couldn't jeopardise their stay in Ritou for mere pride. However, it was the shrine maiden who broke the tide.
"The Witch of the Seas is currently employed by the Grand Narukami Shrine. The Commissioner will have to wait until our contract expires." Inami lied with such ease that even Mona had a hard time seeing through her façade. "If you so wish, I could go and explain it to Mister Hiiragi myself."
The soldiers looked at each other. One of them shrugged while the remaining one sighed. "Very well, come with us."
A strong wind dominated the central square for a few long seconds. Debris, leaves and the sheer strength of the wind forced the soldiers, citizens and even Mona to stop and shield their eyes. Once the wind ceased, she looked back at the guards. But her eyes were drawn towards the tree in the middle of the plaza.
There, on top of the biggest branch, a bird-like figure was perching on it. Its size only increased as it stood up, becoming almost three metres tall. The figure was clad in a coat made up of all types of leaves, completely covering its body. Its head was covered in a white mask resembling an owl, with a beak that reached down to its neck. The mask was decorated with Inazuma's Mitsudomoe, with depictions of wind surrounding it. The rest of his head was covered by a hood made of brown feathers.
"FEAR AND PARANOIA HAS GRIPPED THE LAND OF ETERNITY," The owl's voice was deep and ever reaching, "WAR AND DEATH WILL ENCYST YOUR PAIN."
Nobody moved as the figure talked down to everyone in the square. There couldn't be more than thirty people in it. Yet everyone was engrossed in the figure of the owl, entranced by his voice.
"FIVE HUNDRED YEARS AGO, I APPEARED ON BEHALF OF THE NARUKAMI OGOSHO TO PROTECT INAZUMA. NOW, I AM HERE TO REPEAT THAT ENDEAVOUR." The figure rose even further, a long arm appearing out of his coat. The bandaged limb pointed to the Hiiragi Estate deep in the town. "KANJOU COMMISSIONER, HIIRAGI SHINSUKE. BRING IT TO ME. THAT IS THE WILL OF THE SHOGUN."
A breeze snapped everybody's trance out. Some citizens ran away in panic. Some soldiers surrounded the tree, completely scared, while others ran to fetch the commissioner. The trickle of people fleeing paled in comparison to the rush of people flooding the square. As if attracted by the voice, which seemed to be projected into everybody's head.
"It's Kazemaru!" Mona recognised the girl suddenly greeting the figure. Her parents quickly restrained her before she could rush out.
Then, Inami, the Shrine maiden, rushed the soldiers surrounding the tree. "Don't antagonise Boofuu no Kazemaru! It's a benevolent spirit!"
Mona could only observe as the fear of the citizens suddenly melted and turned into scepticism. The Kazemaru stood in the tree, unmoving, before pulling back his arm into his coat. His head turned to Mona and stood still like a cat observing its prey. Intimidated by the odd figure, she took a step back and bumped into the frozen Ignatz.
"What the fuck is that thing?" The merchant muttered, eyes glued to the figure. "Looks… kind of imposing and regal. Do you smell mint as well?"
Mona blocked her mouth and nose to stop the nauseating smell of death and rot from reaching her further. Nothing she saw on that figure had any positive traits. The abnormal proportions of its whole body structure unsettled her further, creating a nauseating feeling in the pit of her stomach.
Yet, as she looked around, nobody else had her very same reaction. Within the crowd, she was the only one sick and completely frightened by the figure. And the only thing separating her from the people was the vision on her back. Her enhanced senses were detecting something the rest of the crowd couldn't.
Kazemaru maintained his posture, looking at her for a few long seconds. Then, air started to move again, somewhat alleviating her nose. Satisfied, its head turned and continued to look towards the Hiiragi Estate.
More people flooded the square as seconds turned into minutes, waiting for the Commissioner to arrive. The square was packed by the end of it. It took fifteen minutes of silence for Hiiragi Shinsuke to arrive, escorted by a dozen soldiers. He too stood with his eyes wide as the imposing figure on the tree stared him down. After choking on his own spit, he managed to talk.
"What are you buffoons doing? Capture him!" He yelled to the soldiers, who hesitantly moved towards the tree.
"WHY SHOULD THEY FOLLOW A TRAITOR?" The Kazemaru spoke again, wind rustling the leaves of the tree. "YOU, WHO HAS PLACED HIMSELF ABOVE HIS BRETHREN AND KIN."
"That thing has come with those saboteurs of the Alcor, they're trying to spread dissent in the name of Mondstadt!" The Commissioner shouted back, observed by all spectators."The Shogun herself would have appeared otherwise!"
"Hold on!" The voice of the Shrine maiden echoed through the square. "If anyone can discern the truth, that's the Witch of the Seas!"
The people around Mona turned towards her, all nodding and agreeing with each other.
"Yes! Ask the stars, Witch!"
"The Shogun will guide you!"
Those were the only voices she managed to hear before they turned into a flood of white noise. Without being able to say anything, people opened a path for her. Between the shouts of the people, the peer pressure forced her to walk through it until she reached the Commissioner's retinue.
Mona swallowed hard, her hands shaking as she summoned her scryglass. All eyes. All noise. All directed at her. The pressure seemed unbearable.
"SILENCE."
Kazemaru's voice immediately silenced the crowd. A small gesture that allowed Mona the breather she needed to act. Her hands moved swiftly, glancing at the angry Commissioner once before continuing her work. She had seldomly seen a tragic fate, but today it seemed to be one of those days.
"Your…" Mona's voice was too quiet, so she repeated it loudly. "Your fate is tied to the God of Thunder's will. The gold and riches you've stolen will not save you from sharing the fate of your fellow Commissioner. Fate is written in stone, unchanging and unavoidable. Soon, for sullying your hand and the Shogun's domain, your death will come."
The crowd's reaction was mixed. Some whispered among themselves, while others observed the reaction of the Commissioner.
"It's quite obvious that you're mistaken," Hiiragi answered, his voice well-measured. "It's clear you're just some hustler trying to earn money."
A man from the crowd answered. "She doesn't ask for payments!"
"And you asked for my services as well, Mister Hiiragi." Mona added.
"All a lie to further destabilize Inazuma." The commissioner continued as if he hadn't heard the answers, before gesturing towards Kazemaru. "And this… puppet you've created, I assume it took some time to build. Quite the spectacle, but your lies end here."
In response, the Kazemaru moved his arms, revealing wide wings as big as the tree. Thunder and lightning suddenly raged in the square, all around the Kazemaru. People flinched in shock, before realising what this meant.
"FACED WITH YOUR FATE, YOU CHOSE TO BE A COWARD. YET YOU CAN NOT RUN FROM HER EXCELLENCY'S FATE. MY WORDS ARE BACKED BY HER ETERNAL THUNDER. CAN YOU SAY THE SAME?" The figure hid his wings. "YOU LET THE ATTACK IN MAIN GATE OCCUR. YOU ARE LETTING THE FROZEN NORTH ACT UNABATED THROUGH THIS LAND. IF THE TENRYOU COMMISSIONER WAS GUILTY OF THE WAR, YOU ARE GUILTY OF THE SABOTAGE INFLICTED ON YOUR PEOPLE."
The thunder and lightning settled the crowd's doubt. This being, this kami, was sent by the Almighty Shogun. The mood in the square immediately shifted. What once were fearful and worried eyes were turning into glares, all directed at the Commissioner.
"I've been stuck on this godforsaken island because of your stupid rules!" A woman suddenly shouted. "Why must I pay with crystal marrow?!"
"I worked in the Fontanian Embassy until we were expelled weeks ago. But Snezhnaya can stay and move wherever they wish!" Another man joined in.
"Smugglers are making my job go to hell, and you still refuse to give me a trading license!" A merchant from Inazuma said.
The soldiers surrounding Hiiragi Shinsuke glanced at each as a mob was starting to form around them. Mona slowly backed away, struggling to move through the
"Enough!" The Commissioner yelled. "He has no proof! My words are backed by the Shogun, not his! Criticizing me is the same as criticizing the Almighty Shogun!"
The Kazemaru spread his wings again, a flurry of papers falling to the ground. One of them landed on Mona's feet. She immediately recognised the lingo. They were similar to the cryptic orders of the Fatui soldiers who attacked her. She scrambled for another note. This one she didn't recognise, but it was a written note about a 'gift' for the Commissioner in exchange for giving a blind eye to the explosives the Fatui wished to move.
"The explosives that killed so many in Inazuma City!" A woman yelled, holding up a copy of the paper.
That seemed to be the last straw in the crowd of people in the main square.
"ETERNITY MEANS PRESERVING THAT WHICH IS GOOD. AND EXTIRPATE ANYTHING THAT ISN'T. ETERNITY FOR THE PEOPLE, DAMNATION FOR THE GREEDY ELITE. ALL YOUR RULES AND ENACTED POLICIES, ARE NOW FORFEIT. THAT IS THE WILL OF THE RAIDEN SHOGUN."
The mob surrounding the Commissioner became aggressive, chanting 'Traitor' and 'Liar' while throwing anything that wasn't stuck to the ground. Branches and pebbles gave way to wooden boards and loose pavement, bouncing off the soldiers' helmets and armour. One of them unluckily fell on the Commissioner's head, making him stagger and bleed.
The soldiers decided they had enough and started to slowly escort the injured Hiiragi out of the square. But that didn't stop the mob from lurching and throwing objects. Seeing the retreat of the Shogunate soldiers, some decided to carry on with the Shogun's will and started to lit torches. With them, they bypassed the soldiers and ran towards Hiiragi Estate.
Ignatz managed to pull Mona away from the mob of seventy and more people surrounding Hiiragi and his soldiers.
"You heard the owl. That means we can enter Inazuma."
"They're… they're going to kill him and burn everything," Mona answered in a state of disbelief, pointing at the mob.
"Better for you, the checkpoint will be unmanned!" Ignatz's mood seemed to be soaring high as if he had been waiting for this very moment.
"You two!" Inami the shrine maiden approached them, clearly shaken. "The Kazemaru… we must direct him to Grand Narukami Shrine! Please, I need your help!"
"Okay, uh, I'll go get the bard!" Ignatz yelled, being pushed by rushing people. "Astrologer, you help the maiden!"
"O-Okay!" Mona turned towards Inami, who looked up at the empty tree. "Where is he?"
"With his message delivered, perhaps he returned to the Shogun. But we must look around! It's been ages since he made his last appearance, this is historical!"
Mona and the shrine maiden went on their separate ways to find Kazemaru. But it wasn't easy.
Chaos had suddenly sprouted out of nowhere in Ritou. People were running away, others joined the mob while chanting. Even the proud soldiers of the Shogunate either joined the mob or ran towards Hiiragi Estate. As if the mere words of the owl creature were sufficient to reproduce violence.
Chants of "Glory to the Shogun and her Everlasting Reign!" accompanied the riots, as if the violence was justified as long as it was in her name.
Smoke started rising deep in the town as night started to fall. Mona was completely lost in the maze that was Ritou. Between avoiding soldiers and rioters, she began to wonder if the search was a folly. The smell of smoke was becoming more severe, almost asphyxiating.
"A BAD PEACE IS EVEN WORSE THAN A WAR." Mona's neck almost snapped when she looked at the tall figure in front of her. Kazemaru's whole body smelled of rot and dead leaves, its imposing figure sending chills down her spine. The figure creaked as it spoke once again. "A LIGHTNING FLAME, A SHEARING SWORD, A STORM TO OVERTHROW. THAT IS THE HOST THAT BEARS THE WORD."
Out of instinct, Mona slapped the figure and summoned her catalyst. Unexpectedly, Kazemaru fell to the ground with a feeble thud.
"Remind me to never scare you again." Out of the coat of leaves, Kazemaru's full body suddenly appeared. With a stump in one of his arms, he removed the mask. A wide and kind smile appeared behind it.
"V-Venti? What the hell! You're Kazemaru?!"
Bandages covered Venti's body with the leaves of the coat becoming stuck here and there. He rustled his hair, the plumes falling off before he fixed the old kimono he was wearing.
"Yup. How do you like my acting?" The bard rustled through the coat of leaves, pulling out a crutch. "Kazemaru is a little fake cover-up story Baal made up five hundred years ago. Long story short, we had a little sparring session that got out of hand, and she gave me that pseudonym. Kazemaru literally means Child of the Wind, another name for Barbatos."
"How in the world did you do all that? The completely different voice and reverb… the height, the wings and… The lightning and thunder!" Mona barely managed to contain her amazement. "How did you even get all those confidential documents?!"
"Ah, let's go one by one." Venti grabbed his throat and pulled down as if ripping it away. "COME HITHER, LADS, AND HEARKEN, FOR A TALE THERE IS TO TELL." He coughed, the tone in his voice shifting. "Oh god. I need to rest my voice. A voice is created by vibration in your throat. And being the God of Wind lets me change the properties of the sound. I just need to put a normal deep voice and amplify it."
He stood up with the help of the crutch and took his mask in hand.
"The height, well, I just stood in the crutch with my good leg. I'd float, but my powers are too weak at the moment." He showed the crutch's bottom, which resembled a bird's scaly foot. "I got a bit of help making this. It's just paper mache. And the lightning… well, I'm sure you can figure that one on your own."
Mona took a second to solve it. "The Fontainian device. You must have charged it with electro while we passed through the storms… That explains the lightning, but what about the thunder? It didn't make any noise when we used it in Liyue."
"Captain Beidou helped me with that. A canon's blast sounds quite different depending on what load you use. Overall, the timing was just luck." Venti leaned against the crutch even harder. "Sorry, I'm a bit tired. What was the last thing you asked?"
"The documents," She answered before getting a bit worried. "What are we doing with the disguise? People are wild at the moment, if they see you…"
Venti summoned his travel bag. "Put it inside, it'll fit." He moved away, leaning against a building's wall to catch his breath. "Right, the documents. I just faked them. No clue if I hit any bullseyes with them."
"You what?" Mona had started to gather the leaf coat but stopped immediately. "People are going to assault the Hiiragi Estate because of what you said!"
"I never told them to do that. They only believed Kazemaru because it's a religious icon closely tied with the Raiden Shogun. Their blind trust in the Shogun makes them malleable and easy to control." The clear manipulation being told in such a casual tone tipped off Mona. "Besides, it was your reputation that really turned the ties."
"What do you mean…?"
"You've stayed in this town for a while. Everywhere you went, people assaulted you with their grievances and distaste for the current situation. But you helped these people when the Commission would not, Witch of the Seas. Like the Shogun herself was resolving their issues. With you vouching for me and against the Commissioner, it added the down-to-earth ingredient I lacked. And that allowed me to shatter their views of reality. The only reason they didn't try to change their current situation was that the Kanjou Commission supposedly follows the Shogun's will. I simply took that away, and suddenly all that anger was justified. They had become the sword of the Shogun, not the Tri-Commission. If this small settlement is a powderkeg, I'm afraid of what the rest of the island looks like."
Mona stared wide-eyed at his explanation. "But… you lied to them. When they find out you're not sent by the Shogun…"
"Their trust in the Shogun has become a shackle. By the time they find out, either the Shogun's killed me or I got my way." He observed Mona's shocked expression. "What did you think I was going to do? My dear nephew made me lose a hand and a foot. I can't be the bard at the moment, so an astrologer would do."
"I… I don't know." She whispered. "You just told me to prevent enemies from finding you. Not that you would incite riots and endanger people. What if they die?"
"People are already dying because of the Shogun. Either they stop relying on her, or the Watatsumi rebellion won't be the last one. A small price to pay in the long run." Venti pushed the rest of the coat into the bag and placed it on his back. "I saw your face throughout the whole debacle. You're simply too good-hearted for what I will do. So that changes things a bit."
"…Huh?"
Venti held back the urge to scratch his missing hand. "Stay in Ritou as long as possible. I will come back."
"What? This wasn't our deal." Mona reminded him. "How will I learn anything from you if you keep second-guessing yourself?" Her voice rose a few notches. "You ask for help and then do everything on your own. First with getting a ship to Inazuma, then by fighting that Harbinger on your own, and now once again, you change your mind?"
"A bad plan can't be altered. But Kunikuzushi told me some aggravating news, and I need you to stay in Ritou to deal with them. People here trust you, and the Fatui run amock in the shadows."
"I didn't come here to deal with the Fatui… you're the one who is supposed to save Inazuma! I just want to learn from your abilities."
There wasn't an ounce of desire in Venti to argue. He leaned into the clutch, fixed his posture and rubbed the ring on his only hand. "Wisdom, in company with strength, is, indeed, an advantage, but without strength, it harms more than it helps its possessors. I gave you the constellation of a God, you can choose to take it and leave with Captain Beidou back to Liyue. Then, you will become the greatest astrologer of this millennium. But if you do me this favour, then fame will not be your reward."
"You're an awful negotiator. I can defend myself, Venti. But I'm not going to fight Fatui because you ask me to. This isn't Kunikuzushi."
"Who said anything about fighting? You just need to stay here until I return. Just continue doing what you're doing." Venti calmly explained.
Mona thought back on her conversation with Scaramouche in Liyue. About how Barbatos only wished to hurt the Shogun. She didn't believe it back then. But now she wasn't so sure.
"I thought you were different, Venti. You seem like a good and kind person, but I don't know anymore. How do I know you're not manipulating me like you're doing those people?"
Venti tried to rub his eyes with his missing hand. He clicked his tongue after realising his folly. He opened his mouth to answer and snapped it shut. With a heavy sigh, he averted his eyes. "I suppose I can't really say anything if you don't trust me. However, distrusting somebody more powerful than you is a nice lesson to learn."
Placing his weight on the clutch, Venti turned around and started to walk away. "I won't force you to do anything. Give my thanks to Beidou and Ignatz."
"After all we've endured, that's it?" A faint breeze stopped Mona from approaching him. "Venti! You can barely move! Are you seriously going to Inazuma City like that?! If you can make it out of Ritou, that is!" Her shouting didn't have any effect. "Venti, please, you're suicidal!"
"Daring, I'd say! Chance rules our lives, and the future is all unknown. Best live as we may, from day to day." Venti snickered, a fit of coughing stopping it shortly. "Ah, burning wood, voices yelling in anger! Your people cry out for you, accept their pleas, Shogun!"
Venti's figure disappeared in the smoke, leaving Mona alone and conflicted. As riots engulfed the island of Ritou, she didn't feel like she was helping Inazuma at all.