"Lady Yae Miko, I didn't expect to see you here," Kamisato Ayaka bowed elegantly and said respectfully.
Yae Miko gazed at Kamisato Ayaka, her eyes filled with admiration.
Most of Inazuma's nobles were dissolute individuals who indulged in pleasure all day long, but Kamisato Ayaka and her brother, Kamisato Ayato, were like dazzling stars, exceptionally talented and remarkable.
However, it was regrettable that they were in charge of only the Yashiro Commission and held almost no real power.
"Ayaka, let's talk somewhere else," Yae Miko softly extended the invitation.
So, the two slowly walked down the ship and strolled side by side along the beach.
The gentle sea breeze blew lightly, their beautiful hair fluttered in the wind, and the air was filled with the faint scent of the sea.
"Ayaka, what do you think of the Raiden Shogun?" Yae Miko asked directly.
Hearing this question, Kamisato Ayaka fell into a brief silence.
She seemed to be carefully considering how to give the most appropriate answer.
After a moment, she slowly spoke: "The Shogun is indeed a powerful deity. She bravely slew the great serpent Orobashi and led the people to successfully resist the invasion of the Cataclysm. However..."
Her words stopped abruptly, but the unspoken meaning was very clear - apart from her power, the Raiden Shogun seemed to have nothing else worth commending.
Yae Miko sighed with emotion: "Ayaka, you are truly a gentle person, always considerate of others' feelings. I can see that in your heart, the Raiden Shogun is probably already a foolish and incompetent deity."
Kamisato Ayaka remained silent, and this silence was undoubtedly an admission of Yae Miko's words.
Yae Miko's heart was filled with mixed emotions. Even the Kamisato family, who had always been loyal to the Raiden Shogun, had now given up their faith.
A moment later, she continued to ask, "What do you think of this person, Yide?"
Kamisato Ayaka thought for a moment and replied seriously, "He is decisive in killing, hates evil, is arrogant towards superiors but cannot bear to bully subordinates, and possesses extraordinary talent.
If I were to describe him with a simple word, I think 'Heaven-sent powerhouse' would be most appropriate."
As she said this, a fervent admiration showed in her eyes.
Yae Miko looked at him with a smile on her face, "Then, how does he compare to your brother?"
Kamisato Ayaka was slightly taken aback, then said, "If my brother could gain the trust and support of the deity, he might not be unable to achieve similar accomplishments to Yide.
Although the power of the Tenryou Commission and the Kanjou Commission is vast, our Kamisato family's swords are not necessarily dull!"
Her words made Yae Miko appreciate her even more. This brother and sister, Kamisato Ayato and Kamisato Ayaka, were like calm and deep water and tough and cold ice, respectively.
The future of Inazuma should lie with them.
Yae Miko took a deep breath of the fresh air carrying the sea breeze and smiled at Kamisato Ayaka. "Ayaka, do what you want to do. I will fully support you.
As for the one hundred million Mora annual rent proposed by Yide, I will have him send it directly to the Grand Narukami Shrine, and then your Yashiro Commission can use it."
Upon hearing this, Kamisato Ayaka's eyes immediately sparkled with bright light.
............
The next day at noon, the Three Commissions held a meeting in the same secluded room.
When Kamisato Ayato slowly revealed the terms proposed by Yide - leasing Yashiori Island for an annual rent of one hundred million Mora - Kujou Takayuki and Hiiragi Shinsuke's reactions were a mix of surprise and joy.
Kujou Takayuki and Hiiragi Shinsuke recalled how, in the past, the Tenryou Commission and the Kanjou Commission had to go to great lengths to barely collect one hundred million Mora in taxes on Yashiori Island each year.
And now, they could steadily receive this huge amount of rent without any effort. This was simply like a pie falling from the sky.
Amidst their joy, they couldn't help but feel a hint of contempt for Yide.
In their eyes, this West Factory Director, known as the "Butcher," seemed somewhat foolish and pedantic.
He could have occupied Yashiori Island without a single soldier and even had the opportunity to extort a large sum of Mora from them, yet he chose this seemingly generous approach.
Kujou Takayuki and Hiiragi Shinsuke eagerly expressed their agreement and quickly drafted the relevant documents.
They were impatient to sign and seal the documents, afraid that Lin Yide would change his mind if they delayed even for a moment.
Their eagerness and greed were fully exposed at this moment.
Kamisato Ayato observed their actions, his heart full of disdain.
These two high-ranking officials in Inazuma, second only to the Raiden Shogun and Yae Miko, had no sense of patriotism or concern for their country. All they thought about was their own and their families' private interests.
One day, he would be like Yide and completely clear out these vampires parasitic on Inazuma.
His eyes gradually turned cold, revealing a strong killing intent.
However, Kujou Takayuki and Hiiragi Shinsuke were completely oblivious to this, as the two of them were arguing fiercely over how to distribute the one hundred million Mora, almost coming to blows on the spot.
Finally, after half a day of quarreling, they reached an agreement: the Tenryou Commission would take fifty million Mora, the Kanjou Commission would take forty million Mora, and the Yashiro Commission would only receive a meager ten million Mora.
Kamisato Ayato smiled and did not express any opinion.