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Chapter 111: The Humble Ye
🕑 Added 2025-04-22 06:00:10 +0000 UTCAfter listening to Thoma’s words, Paimon asked curiously, "What place?"
Thoma replied with an extremely serious expression, "The massive structure currently under construction that no one living on Narukami Island can ignore—the 'Statue of the Omnipresent God.'"
Although the appearance of the Supreme Bishop was unsettling, Thoma hadn’t forgotten their primary goal.
Kamisato Ayaka had been waiting for a variable, something that could change Inazuma’s current state and make the Raiden Shogun reconsider her decrees.
And the Traveler was the variable Ayaka had been hoping for.
In other words, Ayaka hoped that the Traveler, who had already stirred up storms in two nations, could become that variable.
Therefore, it was necessary to show the Traveler the shocking state of Inazuma, hoping to move her and convince her to stand on the side opposing the Raiden Shogun.
As for why the Supreme Bishop of Fontaine wasn’t considered a variable for Inazuma... that wasn’t a variable—it was a disaster.
In any case, Thoma led Lumine and Paimon to the Statue of the Omnipresent God.
Paimon gulped. "There’s a solemn, almost oppressive atmosphere around this statue... Ordinary people wouldn’t come here, right?"
As she spoke, she suddenly paused. "Huh? If you look closely... what’s embedded on it...?"
Thoma answered, "Visions."
"Visions? So the Visions confiscated by the Vision Hunt Decree are being embedded into this statue?"
"So you’ve already heard about the Vision Hunt Decree."
Lumine asked, "Why did the Shogun issue the Vision Hunt Decree?"
"Before explaining that, you should know that just as Mondstadt is the city of 'Freedom,' and Liyue is the city of 'Contracts,' Inazuma... is the nation of 'Eternity.'"
Thoma looked up at the Statue of the Omnipresent God, his expression and tone both complex:
"The Raiden Shogun is not only Inazuma’s supreme ruler but also its deity... The unchanging, eternal will of 'her' is what governs this nation."
"To this end, she relies on the Tri-Commission to stabilize the government and the Sakoku Decree to halt the flow of people—the Shogun wants Inazuma to remain static, allowing the river of time to flow past while Inazuma remains unmoving, until 'Eternity.'"
Paimon couldn’t help but shrug. "Every Archon has their own ideas, huh?"
"Of course, this is just my understanding." Thoma shook his head. "As for the recent issuance of the Vision Hunt Decree, the reason... might be that the Shogun believes Visions grant people the power of 'change,' and the 'Eternity' she envisions cannot tolerate such 'instability.'"
"Thus, the Raiden Shogun ordered the Tenryou Commission to confiscate Visions one by one and embed them into this statue."
"So, this 'Statue of the Omnipresent God' can also be seen as a symbol of Inazuma’s eternity."
Paimon nodded thoughtfully. "If that’s the case, then the Raiden Shogun is being a bit selfish, isn’t she?"
"Haha, only outsiders like you would dare to criticize the Raiden Shogun so bluntly." Thoma couldn’t help but laugh. "But I agree. The Vision Hunt Decree shouldn’t exist. Lady Ayaka has been determined to resist it since the day it was issued."
Indeed, even when the Sakoku Decree was issued, Ayaka hadn’t opposed it.
For the people of Inazuma, it was common sense that the Raiden Shogun’s decisions were always correct.
The Raiden Shogun’s divine authority in Inazuma was absolute. The Sakoku Decree was just that—a decree to close the borders. It wasn’t a decree to destroy the nation. Life could still go on, even if the economy became more difficult. No one would rebel against the Raiden Shogun over something like this—only those on Watatsumi Island, who didn’t worship the Raiden Shogun and instead saw her as an enemy, would raise a rebellion over such a minor issue.
And as the young lady of the Kamisato Clan, which oversaw the Yashiro Commission, Ayaka naturally wouldn’t rebel against the Raiden Shogun over this.
—But the Vision Hunt Decree was different.
The Raiden Shogun was trampling on the wishes of her people—the Vision Hunt Decree symbolized this.
Although few people possessed Visions, that didn’t mean they weren’t part of the populace.
What the Raiden Shogun saw was that as long as those with Visions didn’t resist, no one would get hurt, and no one would lose anything.
But what Ayaka saw was that the people of Inazuma were losing something even more important than their lives—their 'wishes,' which were as lofty as the heavens.
Because Ayaka herself was a Vision holder, she deeply understood that losing one’s 'wish' was worse than death.
Thus, she chose to resist.
Of course, while she chose to resist, Ayaka was also self-aware. Changing Inazuma’s current state was not something she could achieve alone, and the current conditions in Inazuma didn’t allow for it. Therefore, she had to wait for a variable.
Was the Traveler that variable?
No one knew, but Ayaka had no other choice.
...After all, she couldn’t really choose the Supreme Bishop of Fontaine, could she?
If she did, she might accidentally become a full-blown traitor.
Ayaka simply didn’t have the courage to engage in a battle of wits with the legendary Supreme Bishop.
However...
—Well, Ayaka didn’t, but Yae Miko did.
Just as Lumine and Paimon were being taken by Thoma to meet Ayaka, Yae Miko had also summoned Ye for... a manuscript deadline.
"The deadline is here. How’s the writing going?"
Shortly after Lumine, Paimon, and Thoma left the Komore Teahouse, Yae Miko and Ye arrived at the teahouse one after the other.
Then, the moment she saw Ye, Yae Miko went straight for the jugular and started pressuring him about the manuscript.
Ye couldn’t help but twitch his eyebrows, wanting to shout, "Will you people ever give me a break?!"
Last night, he had returned to Fontaine to rest, only to be hounded by Charlotte for a manuscript. Now, in Inazuma, he was being pressured again. Was there no justice in this world?
Oh right, the Heavenly Principles were asleep... They were just asleep, not dead. If they were already this unjust while asleep, what would happen if they died?
No, it seemed he’d have to lend the Heavenly Principles a hand. Otherwise, if they were gone, it would truly be the end.
Though he thought this, the Heavenly Principles were still asleep, so Ye had to face this injustice. Under Yae Miko’s relentless pressure, he put on a pained expression and humbly pleaded:
"Not a single word written."
