Chapter 17
Irregular situation

That same afternoon, while Ayaka and Thoma were asking on the streets of Inazuma for information about Katsumoto, some important meetings were taking place at the Tenryou Commission headquarters. The first one was between Commissioner Tenryou, Kujou Takayuki, and his three children, heads of the Shogun's army and the criminal investigation bureau. The issue that had brought them together was the growing crisis in Watatsumi and Yashiori, the most recent being a fishermen's strike in the latter.

The four members of the Kujou Clan were alone in a room of the quarters. Takayuki sat firm and stoic on one side, and his three children, Masahito, Kamaji, and Sara, faced him side by side. Masahito, General of the Army and the eldest of the three siblings, had spread out on the ground a large map of Yashiori Island, which had marked with red crosses the points where the strike was taking place. The main departure points for the fishing boats, or the movement of merchandise between the other islands, were evident. In essence, they had almost wholly immobilized Yashiori in just a few days.

"The fishermen have been refusing to go out to sea for three days now," Masahito reported seriously as he ran his finger across the map, "and have taken over all the land and sea trade routes to the island's east. So far, there have been no physical confrontations, only some verbal ones. The local guard maintains its vigilant position, currently awaiting further instructions."

Takayuki let out a distinct groan of annoyance as he silently stared at the map. Although Commissioner Tenryou was known for always keeping his true feelings to himself, it was evident to his three children that he was quite angry, not to say "furious." As insignificant as they looked on that map, each of those little red crosses represented a real problem; economic and security.

"And what are their demands?" Takayuki questioned sharply, crossing his arms.

"The same as always," Masahito replied. "That the Sakoku Decree be withdrawn and that they could be allowed to free trade with Liyue from the local ports, not only from Ritou and all the bureaucracy and paperwork that implies."

"And?" Takayuki muttered impatiently. "What else?"

General Tenryou lowered his eyes a little, but as firmly as possible he replied:

"They also demand for the abolition of the Vision Hunt Decree…"

"Of course," the Commissioner blurted out, accompanied by a satirical laugh.

"They're just another group of workers and merchants discontented with the new measures," Kamaji, the second son and current head of the criminal investigation bureau, intervened at that point. "We should consider asking the Yashiro Commission to intercede so that we can hear what they have to say."

"What would they have to say?" Takayuki snapped; his tone was almost aggressive. "They have made it very clear: they refuse to accept the decrees established by the Almighty Shogun, hiding their disloyalty in the form of these… discontent."

"It's a bit rash to call them disloyal just to express their disagreement, father..."

"Don't be naive, Kamaji. Everyone here knows that Sangonomiya rioters are hiding behind these incidents."

"We have no proof that Sangonomiya's people are involved…" Masahito tried to explain, but at that moment, his father quickly stood up, conspicuously imposing his presence over his three children and silencing them.

"I don't need any more proof than I already have!" exclaimed the Commissioner, raising his voice noticeably. "The reports about the movements of Sangonomiya's followers fully coincide with this. If we enter into their game of sending mediators and trying to negotiate, we will do just what they want: waste more time, distract us, and that the commercial repercussions become greater and greater."

Takayuki paused briefly, breathed in slowly through his nose, and in a slightly calmer voice added:

"Everyone knows what we have to do: send troops to deploy these insurrectionists and show the Sangonomiya rebels that we are not playing games and will not give in to their tricks."

That stern statement, delivered so lightly, had visibly alarmed Masahito and Kamaji, especially the latter.

"But, father… Doing that would be… pretty drastic and might even make things worse."

Kamaji then turned to his right, towards the third of the Kujou siblings sitting next to him.

"Sara, please, tell us your point of view," he murmured cautiously, although unable to hide all his anxiety.

General Kujou Sara, adopted daughter of the Kujou clan and head of the Inazuma City local guard, had been silent ever since they started discussing such a touchy subject. Her cold golden eyes had been on the map on the ground, analyzing it from end to end and perhaps planning in her head the multiple routes this matter could take.

Despite not being a Kujou by birth, since she was little, she had always shown an outstanding ability to remain calm in difficult situations, analyze everything from different angles, and see things from her father's perspective and from that of her two older brothers. This last quality was what Masahito and Kamaji appreciated the most in her. That had helped to function as a middle ground between them on more than one occasion. They hoped that this case would not be the exception.

Sara slowly closed her eyes and brought a hand to her chin, adopting a thoughtful stance. After meditating a few more seconds, she began to give her point of view in a calm and clear voice, just as it had been asked.

"In effect, I believe that sending troops against simple civilians could cause the situation to escalate to the point that we do not want to reach. If this is just a peaceful revolt for now, it could turn into a real conflict if they are threatened in that way. And that would only affect our image in the eyes of the people. However…" She opened her eyes again, focusing them back on the map on the ground. "What father says is also true. All this is an example of a pattern of behavior that the followers of Sangonomiya have been showing in recent months; stirring people up, telling them lies, and promising things they can't keep, all to pull them to their unjust cause. This is something we just can't let go of."

Kamaji lowered his gaze at that moment, defeated. That was not precisely what he expected to hear. Takayuki, for his part, smirked.

"And what do you think should be done then?" asked the Commissioner more calmly, retaking his seat.

"I think we should deploy troops to Yashiori," Sara answered without hesitation, causing Kamaji to jump in alarm again. "But not to attack the fishermen," the general hurried to clarify, "but to further protect the island's security, establish more significant control of the trade routes and, most importantly, nip in the bud any negative influence that Sangonomiya is having between people. That should be our highest priority."

"Although our intentions are noble," Masahito pronounced, "it will be difficult for the people of Yashiori to see it that way if they see so many of our men arriving on the island."

"Then we have to make an effort to make them clear who their protectors are," Sara said firmly, placing a hand on her chest as if reciting a solemn oath. "The people of Inazuma must believe and trust the Tenryou Commission, as loyal and close servants of the Almighty Shogun that we are. Our sword is the sword of Her Excellency, and it exists for the sole purpose of protecting people from anyone who wants to harm them. And that includes those who try to trick them with lies into turning their back on our Goddess."

"Wise words, Sara," Takayuki muttered, overflowing with pride, "as always. Masahito," he exclaimed more severely, turning to his eldest son. "Take charge of preparing the men; take all you consider necessary from the reserves. And leave as soon as possible to Yashiori."

"Yes, father," replied the general, bowing his head forward.

The eldest Kujou sibling then took his helmet, which he had placed on the ground next to him, and stood up, ready to immediately fulfill his new task.

"Do you require my support in the field, brother?" Sara asked from her post.

"No, you must stay here and continue to protect the city. If things get out of hand in Yashiori… we don't know what our enemies might plan."

Sarah nodded slowly.

"You can trust me. Go without worry."

Masahito offered a final farewell bow to his father and siblings and walked to the room's door without further ado. As he was leaving, a guard was entering, and he quickly stepped aside to make way for the general.

"Lord Kujou," the guard commented once he could enter the room. "Commissioner Hiiragi has arrived."

"Commissioner Hiiragi?" Sara asked, looking over her shoulder at the guard. She had not been informed that Commissioner Kanjou would be coming to town that day. She turned to her father and Kamaji expecting to see the same confusion on their faces. However, neither seemed to share it; it seemed as if they were indeed already looking forward to that news.

"Let him in," Takayuki said. "Sara, you can leave too. Kamaji, you stay."

"Yes, father," replied the second son, bowing his head.

Sara seemed to hesitate for a few moments, but finally she stood up and headed for the exit just as she had been told. After all, a loyal soldier never disobeyed an order.

Stepping out into the hallway, she found herself almost face to face with Shinsuke Hiiragi, Commissioner Kanjou, being escorted by a couple of men from his guard. Seeing her, a broad smile spread across his lips.

"Sara, pretty Sara," exclaimed the Commissioner, extending his arms to her in a hug position. "Every time I see you, you are more beautiful, little one."

Sara once more hesitated, but again she did just what was expected of her. He was one of the heads of the Tri-Commission, and she couldn't be rude to him. So she approached him, receiving his uncomfortable and robust hug.

"I… appreciate your words, Commissioner," Sara murmured slowly, relieved once he released her.

"Chisato is drinking tea downstairs. Why don't you say hi to her and catch up? You know, to talk about girl stuff."

"Girl stuff?" Sara muttered, a little confused. "Yeah... I'll come by to say hello... Thank you."

Shinsuke nodded pleased and then walked past her, heading into the room. Sara took a slow breath, immediately regaining her composure, and walked steadily away.

Shinsuke entered the room, but his guards remained outside, guarding the door.

"Takayuki," he exclaimed enthusiastically upon seeing his fellow commissioner. However, all that emotion vanished almost completely when his gaze fell on the other person present in the room. "Kamaji … Good evening," he said with just the necessary dose of courtesy.

Kamaji smiled nervously, suddenly feeling a lot more uncomfortable than he already was. Commissioner Kanjou had never been entirely discreet about his dislike for him… or his motives either.

"Shinsuke, come in," Takayuki said, and he did, sliding the door behind him. "Thanks for coming on such short notice. I know it's not a short trip from Ritou."

"Don't worry, I already needed to stretch my legs a bit," Shinsuke replied jokingly, sitting in front of the two Kujous. "But since the trip was so long, let's get straight to business, shall we? So, what am I useful for? What topic did you want to talk to me about? If it involves Kamaji, it can't be so important."

That comment didn't help in relieving young Kujou's discomfort, which was most likely his intention.

Takayuki went ahead to explain himself.

"Kamaji is here precisely because he was recently assigned to investigate an irregular situation detected in recent weeks. And his findings have hit upon something worrying, which occupies our immediate attention. I'll let him explain the details to you."

"Yes, Kamaji," Commissioner Kanjou muttered, his tone markedly bored. "Explain those details to me..."

Kamaji sighed heavily, a little more resigned than concerned. Since his father told him that this meeting would happen and that he would have to present the situation to Mr. Hiiragi, he knew that it would be an unpleasant experience. He thought he had had enough anticipation to get used to the idea, but apparently not completely.

Either way, he couldn't let that get in the way of his work.

"Well," he murmured more calmly, raising his gaze to the Commissioner. "First of all, I have to clarify that the investigation is still ongoing. Much of the evidence has yet to be substantiated, and it is my opinion that it would be very premature to take any action at this time..."

"Kamaji," Takayuki pronounced sternly, bordering on a scolding.

The second of the Kujou breathed slowly through his nose and then continued. He took an object wrapped in a white scarf from inside his suit and placed it on the floor between the three of them. He began to open the scarf right after to reveal what was hidden in front of the two commissioners.

"We have recently become aware of an unusual type of false vision circulating among the people. Like this."

Opening the handkerchief fully, what was revealed to Shinsuke was, indeed, what was clearly an Anemo Vision, with its golden rim and glowing turquoise orb.

"False visions?" Commissioner Kanjou exclaimed, extremely confused. Then he took that object between his fingers and raised it, bringing it closer to his face to see it more closely. "Are you telling me this is not a vision?"

"No, it's not," Kamaji pointed out. "At first glance, they are totally indistinguishable from a real vision. Everything matches its appearance, color, brightness, and even weight. Only by examining them more exhaustively one can realize the truth. Leaving aside the irregularity behind them, they are pretty complex and detailed pieces of craftsmanship, practically little more than a luxurious accessory. The problem is that some real vision holders seem to have been using them to mislead our guards. At least five recent cases have already been detected where captured visions turned out to be just copies like this one. And we fear there could be more, and…"

He paused for a moment, clearing his throat a little. However, it was evident to Shinsuke that he was actually having difficulty saying the next thing.

"And… that even some of these might have already been placed in the Statue of the Omnipresent God without us knowing."

Commissioner Kanjou was not discreet with his immediate reaction after hearing that. It was entirely externalized by a loud and almost raucous laugh of derision.

"It can't be true! I'm sure Her Excellency would be delighted to hear about it," he murmured between laughs, even rubbing a few small traces of tears on his right eye.

"We haven't informed her of the situation yet," Takayuki muttered quietly, apparently unaffected. "We hoped to have more information before doing so, for obvious reasons."

"Sure, sure," Shinsuke muttered skeptically. He placed the false vision back on the ground in front of Kamaji, slowly calming down enough that he could speak normally again. "It certainly is an embarrassing situation, and I don't want to be in the shoes of the one who has to notify the Shogun about it. But I'm still unclear why this required me to come here in person."

Looking again at the faces of Commissioner Tenryou and his son, there was deep seriousness in both of them. It wasn't really unusual in the first one, but Kamaji seemed almost in anguish.

"Is there more, perhaps?" Shinsuke asked, although he knew beforehand that the answer to that question was obvious.

Kamaji cleared his throat again and sat up straight, trying to somehow convey the security he didn't really feel.

"Well… we figured out that only a highly-skilled craftsman would be able to do this kind of work, so we've been questioning several suspects. However, so far, no one has said anything about this person. We believe they have earned the loyalty of many people thanks to their work. Our second approach then was to try and trace the materials used, as the metal and glass required are very specific. On the other hand, it was concluded that the mere elaboration of one of these visions would be relatively expensive, so in addition to the craftsman, there must also be a benefactor of money who is financing the operation..."

"Yes, very clever," Commissioner Kanjou interrupted somewhat sharply. "You went to track down the materials and the money; I already got it. Can you get to the point? Did you find something yes or no?"

"Something... like that," Kamaji muttered doubtfully. "After extensively investigating for the past two weeks... We have obtained a possible suspect's name who could be the benefactor we seek."

"Excellent," Shinsuke muttered hopefully. "Who is?"

There was a moment of silence in which Kamaji was clearly reluctant to say the name. He looked askance at his father, and he, quite impatiently, showed that he had far fewer qualms than his son. Without any hesitation, he pronounced the name of the suspect:

"Kamisato Ayaka."

Kanjou Commissioner's smirk and nonchalance vanished utterly, leaving only a puzzled expression in its place.

Shinsuke looked at both men in front of him consecutively, hoping that something would reveal that they were joking or perhaps something that would indicate that he had misheard. But their eyes were still so severe and unchanging that little by little, he realized that there was no mistake.

"Kamisato Ayaka?" he repeated slowly, hoping that saying it out loud would make more sense; it did not. "What are you talking about?"

"As was I explaining," Kamaji intervened again, "even though we don't have the same scope as the Kanjou Commission on these issues, we've been tracking purchases of these materials as best we can and trying to compare them to suspicious money movements by high-status individuals who have shown, greater or lesser, dissatisfaction with the latest decrees, especially the Vision Hunt Decree."

"And Kamisato Ayaka is on that list?"

"She has not made any public statement," Takayuki said quickly. "But she has frequently been requesting an audience with the Shogun to discuss with her precisely the impact these measures are having on the people."

"Well, since she is a representative of the Yashiro Commission, that doesn't seem unusual to me," Shinsuke commented, shrugging.

"She has also deliberately and personally intervened in the work of our men on at least three reported occasions," Commissioner Tenryou added sternly. "Just yesterday, she got in the way while Sara and her men subdued a man who refused to give up his vision."

"But it's worth mentioning that according to the witnesses, she did it only because the man had been injured," Kamaji commented hastily, almost jumping between the two commissioners.

That comment, however, clearly upset his father.

"And that changes the facts somewhat?" snapped Takayuki forcefully, causing Kamaji to back up a bit on his spot. "Either way, these behaviors have caused her to, in effect, be placed on our watch list."

"A secret watch list, I guess," Shinsuke muttered wryly. He wondered who more might be on that list. "And I have to intuit that all this is derived from the fact that you have detected strange movements of money linked in some way to Lady Kamisato, correct?"

"Suspicious moras withdrawals, to be exact," Kamaji explained. "With dates and amounts that seem to agree with purchases of materials that could be linked, or not, to the elaboration of false visions."

At that moment, he passed Commissioner Kanjou a report that he had brought with him, listing the latest movements of money in the name of Kamisato Ayaka, pointing out especially with red those that stood out.

Shinsuke took it and began to go through it carefully, line by line.

"Withdrawals from Yashiro Commission funds?"

"No," Kamaji denied. "It's all been from her personal savings coming from her parent's inheritance, her fair share of the Kamisato clan's business profits, and her salary as a Yashiro Commission representative."

"Any suspicious deposits that might indicate she's earning extra from the sale of these things?"

"None. They're all clean and checked."

"But that doesn't indicate anything," Takayuki added sharply. "Money could easily be the last of her motivations."

"Indeed, it doesn't indicate anything. Neither for nor against your investigation," Shinsuke answered with some apathy, dropping the report back to the floor in front of him in the same way. "All you have is an adult woman who occasionally disposes of her own money as she sees fit. Maybe she's just buying dresses."

"I agree," Kamaji was quick to comment, though that earned him a look of clear disapproval from his father. "But… it is precisely the latest movement, the one that took place a few days ago, that caught our attention and convinced my fa… the Commissioner that we should consult with you on this."

Shinsuke's attention came back to the report, so he picked it up again and immediately went to the last page and the last red-marked retreat.

"It's a substantially larger quantity than before," Kamaji explained. "And the amount, and the times in which it happened, is consistent with a rumor that we have been following for the last few days."

"What rumor?"

"That there's about to be a large purchase of these false visions by an important buyer."

Shinsuke quickly rechecked the report. The last withdrawal was indeed greater than the previous ones, at least four or five times larger than the next largest.

"And you believe that this last withdrawal is precisely to pay for the elaboration of the said merchandise, right?"

"It's our theory…" Kamaji answered, not sounding too convinced, though. From the beginning of that conversation, he had clarified his uncertainty in all this. Something that, at the same time, his father had shown not to share.

"And it's not just that," Takayuki added. "We firmly believe that the buyers of these false visions are the Sangonomiya rebels."

"The ones that have paralyzed all our trade routes with Watatsumi and Yashiori?" Mr. Hiiragi exclaimed with marked disdain, even letting out a whimper of annoyance. "Don't mention them to me. You guys are already taking too long to fix that, by the way. But what would a bunch of angry priestesses and fishermen want with these false visions?"

Takayuki's gaze turned even harder than it already was, and his tone of voice at the same time turned wary as if he was hesitating whether to give that piece of information or not.

"We suspect they will try to use them as incentives to attract people to their cause."

"What for?" Shinsuke muttered, clearly confused. "Assemble an army, perhaps?" He muttered just after with a mocking tone. However, the expressions of his two companions made it clear to him that it was not fun for them. "Wait, is that what you think they want to do? For what purpose?"

"Make Watatsumi independent of Inazuma, abolish the Vision Hunt Decree, overthrow the Almighty Shogun; I don't know," Takayuki listed, exasperated. "But whatever they are planning, they are a threat to Inazuma's safety. And if all our suspicions are confirmed, Kamisato Ayaka is supporting them."

"And if so, what are you going to do?" Shinsuke questioned seriously. "Are you going to accuse Commissioner Yashiro's younger sister of... treason?"

There was no answer, at least not in words. But on-air, it was perceived that, indeed, that was the intention...

Shinsuke sighed heavily; the tiredness that hadn't hit him during the entire trip began to fall hard on his shoulders right at that moment.

"Your case is very weak," he concluded lazily, placing the report back on the floor. "You have nothing to link Kamisato Ayaka with any of this, except for a few suspicious little coincidences. You need some solid evidence, or at least someone's testimony that points directly to her as the benefactor of all this and that she was fully aware of what the money was being used for."

"We'll have it," Takayuki stated firmly. "We have our sights set on this big purchase that we mentioned to you. If we find the people behind it, we will find the crafter, the intermediaries, and even the buyers. And someone will have to speak and bind Sangonomiya and Kamisato Ayaka with all this. But for that, we require the support of the Kanjou Commission to inspect more thoroughly the movements of this girl's money, especially that last withdrawal, as well as the materials that could have been purchased with that money."

"And all this entirely behind the back of the Yashiro Commission, and especially Kamisato Ayato, right?" murmured Shinsuke with some sarcasm, turning away. "Now I understand why you wanted to talk to me about this in person and in secret..."

He then took a few moments to reflect, perhaps to better digest all the information that had just been transmitted to him. And, especially, think about all the implications this could have in the short, medium, and long term.

"Kamaji," commissioner Kanjou suddenly pronounced, making the one mentioned startled by how suddenly the silence had been broken. "Leave us alone," he ordered sharply, without even looking at him.

Young Kujou turned to his father, seeking some instruction from him. He simply nodded, indicating to do just what he was asking with that single gesture. He wasn't sure why he had to leave since the whole thing was actually supposed to be in his hands. However, just like his siblings, Kamaji had been raised to always obey.

"With your permission," he murmured slowly, once he had collected the report and the false vision, and stood up.

Kamaji then walked to the door to leave. The two commissioners stood still and silent, looking at each other until the young Kujou left the room, and both of them were indeed alone.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Takayuki?" Shinsuke asked in a careful voice. "Don't you think stirring up the hornet's nest right now could somehow affect… our future plans?"

Takayuki was silent for a while longer. From the moment he had asked Kamaji to leave, he had known it was because he wanted to talk more freely about these other issues that only concerned them. Although, of course, they had to be careful with their words even under these circumstances.

"If Kamisato Ayaka is involved in all of this, you know very well that her brother is unlikely to be unaware, or even he could be involved as well. And if we can prove it to the Shogun..."

"The position of the Kamisato clan would be compromised," Shinsuke interrupted him, completing his idea, "and could even trigger his dismissal from the Yashiro Commission. That's the ultimate end of all this, right? Is that what our contact wants to happen?"

That mention caused an undisguised gesture of annoyance in Takayuki.

"Regardless of what he wants, I do this because it's my duty as the head of the Tenryou Commission and protector of Inazuma's peace..."

"I'll take that as a yes," Shinsuke interrupted again, causing an appreciable blush of anger on his companion's cheeks. However, that didn't seem to bother him too much.

All that plot was already beginning to seem to Shinsuke that all had in some way the personal mark of that person, directing them to do what he required, disguising it as something that came from themselves. If Kamaji had come up with Kamisato Ayaka's name during his investigation, very sure it had not been by coincidence, much less because of that boy's abilities. All was because he had been guided by their dark friend's hand, even if he didn't realize it.

Takayuki might be too blinded by his duty to notice, but he wasn't. Shinsuke knew better where he was and how much more he wanted to be.

"Well, all of that may be possible," he commented as a final conclusion, "if indeed we can prove that Kamisato Ayaka gave that money to these people with full knowledge of what, and who, it would be used for, and that Ayato knew as well; or even that she did it on his orders. But these two things will not be easy to prove. But we can start tracking the money and the materials as you said."

And with that said, Shinsuke stood up with the explicit intention of leaving. Perhaps he would get some rest and then send a few letters to his people in Ritou and another to his local representatives. All to set the whole thing in motion, albeit in the most discreet way possible.

"And by the way, Takayuki," he murmured slowly as he reached the door, discreetly turning to look at him over his shoulder. "If this somehow goes wrong and is turned on us, you will understand that I will feign complete ignorance of this matter."

"I expected no less from you," Commissioner Tenryou answered, evidently indifferent or surprised by his warning.

"With your permission then, partner," Shinsuke muttered before finally leaving.

Author's Notes:

A chapter with so much "blah blah" that almost seemed like a quest from the game don't you think? I know it was maybe a pretty heavy chapter, and I even considered splitting it into two. But in the end, I decided to do it all in one and finish this quickly and move on to what follows. But as you can see, it was necessary to tell all this because it is the basis of what will happen later. And as you can guess, some trouble is coming for Ayaka. Will she get away with them? We'll see…