Chapter 411: The Wind Rises

"It's raining."

These were the first words Li Mo spoke upon entering the Komore Teahouse. At that moment, Kamisato Ayaka had just come in from outside, still processing his explanation of the Shogun's current state.

Following him to the entrance, Ayaka looked out at the raindrops. The light drizzle fell steadily, the sky overcast with dark clouds, casting the world in a dim, gloomy light.

"Your Excellency, do you need an umbrella?"

"No need."

Li Mo declined Ayaka's offer and instead asked, "Are you sure you want to follow me on this path? I don't even know what I'll do once we enter."

"Yes, Kamisato Ayaka is willing to go."

She wanted to see what method this shrine priest would use to change the current state of Inazuma.

"Then let's go. Make sure to hold your umbrella properly so you don't catch a cold."

With those words, Li Mo stepped out from under the eaves of the Komore Teahouse and into the rain.

The raindrops falling from the sky landed on his shoulders but couldn't stay, sliding off his clothes as if they were repelled. His priestly robes remained completely dry.

His expression was calm, neither happy nor sad. He resembled a stone statue, standing there, close yet giving the illusion of being far away.

Ayaka followed behind him, holding a paper umbrella.

She recalled the moment earlier when he had spoken those words. For a brief instant, she had the strange feeling that this shrine priest was the Raiden Shogun of Inazuma.

Even though she knew the real Shogun was sitting in Tenshukaku, some instinct told her this erroneous information.

Walking through the rain, the streets were empty. When the rain began, people had sought shelter. Occasionally, someone with an umbrella could be seen strolling through the streets.

The street vendors, of course, had prepared large umbrellas to shield themselves from the rain. If it were just a light drizzle, they wouldn't pack up, but the rain was growing heavier.

In just a few steps, the rain had intensified.

Fortunately, there was no wind.

As they walked, Ayaka nodded and greeted several vendors and passersby. Each time, the shrine priest would pause slightly, waiting for her to catch up.

What was strange was that none of the passersby greeted the shrine priest or even looked at him. Their gazes swept over him as if he were nothing more than air.

He walked through the busiest streets, yet his presence was as thin as air.

Why was that?

The closer they got to Tenshukaku, the fewer people they encountered. Instead, they began to see more officers from the Tenryou Commission.

Ahead was the Tenryou Commission headquarters, the place responsible for maintaining order in the city, as well as housing the commission's prison.

Between Tenshukaku and Inazuma City was a wooden bridge. Ayaka remembered how much she had loved walking across it as a child, listening to the sound of her footsteps on the planks. It had been comforting.

"Your Excellency, are we just going to enter Tenshukaku like this?" Ayaka asked, quickening her pace to catch up with Li Mo.

"No, we're going to the Tenryou Commission headquarters first."

"Just like that? Walking in unnoticed?"

Ayaka was surprised. Ever since she had started walking with the shrine priest, it seemed the officers hadn't paid her any attention. They would glance at her once but never look a second time.

Why was that?

If that were the case, couldn't they just walk in without any trouble?

"You're mistaken. We can't just walk in unnoticed. What we're going to do is storm in," Li Mo said casually. "When we don't interact with them, they won't notice us. But once we intrude into their duties, they'll see us."

Ayaka didn't understand. She knew he was explaining the current situation, but while she understood each word individually, when put together, they didn't make sense to her.

What was he saying?

"Would you notice the wildflowers over there?" Li Mo pointed to some wildflowers by the roadside.

He didn't wait for Ayaka to answer but continued, "Most of the time, we don't notice those wildflowers. People only pay attention to what they value. Their perception of the world is limited by their own understanding. Wildflowers and weeds have no value worth noticing.

But, suppose those wildflowers emitted a fragrance, and you happened to be someone who loved floral scents. Then you would notice them."

Ayaka said, "I understand, Your Excellency."

The reason the shrine priest hadn't been noticed by the vendors earlier was that he was an unrelated stranger. But if he were to buy something from a vendor, he would no longer be an unnoticed passerby.

Understanding this, Ayaka couldn't help but wonder how he had achieved this. Was it through Onmyodo? Or some other kind of magic?

And...

"Your Excellency, what did you do last night? You seem very different from yesterday."

"I was just... contemplating the same questions the Shogun contemplates."

Eternity.

In truth, after returning from the Statue of the Omnipresent God, Li Mo had completed his original goal. He could now unleash the "Musou no Hitotachi." But... he felt like something was missing.

It was like putting together a puzzle, only to realize at the end that one piece was still missing.

That feeling of being so close to the finish line, yet still a step away, was quite frustrating. Fortunately, he hadn't exerted all his strength at the time.

Later, Li Mo realized what was missing.

Using the Gnosis to construct the elements of the Raiden Shogun was no problem. By last night, he had achieved his original goal. But after contemplating the concept of eternity, Li Mo had come even closer to embodying the Raiden Shogun.

In other words, his resemblance to her had grown stronger, and he could now mimic more of her power.

Earlier, Ayaka and Thoma's conversation had struck a chord with Li Mo. Yes, in a way, his aura was now mimicking the Raiden Shogun's.

Ayaka didn't fully understand why the shrine priest was pondering the Shogun's questions, but she didn't have time to dwell on it.

They had arrived at the Tenryou Commission headquarters.

This was the Shogun's residence, next to Tenshukaku.

The proximity alone spoke volumes about the Tenryou Commission's current standing in Inazuma.

Li Mo and Ayaka stood at the entrance, no longer unnoticed passersby. The officers guarding the door noticed them and spoke up, "This is the Tenryou Commission's restricted area. Even you, the White Heron Princess, cannot enter without permission."

The White Heron Princess was a household name in Inazuma. Everyone knew she was the young lady of the Kamisato Clan, kind and approachable.

But the Tenryou Commission officers had no reason to show deference to the Yashiro Commission.

The rain continued to fall, the light drizzle now a downpour, pouring from the dark sky above. The sound of the rain hitting the oil-paper umbrella was loud.

Ayaka didn't respond to the officer's question.

She was wondering why the two officers were focusing their attention on her and not the shrine priest standing in front of her.

Wasn't it strange that someone walking in the rain remained completely dry?

A moment later.

She saw the shrine priest make his move, his actions fluid and natural, as if the rain itself were responding to him.

He stepped under the eaves, passing by the two officers who slumped against the wall.

Ayaka looked out at the rain.

Though there was no wind, she felt as if a storm was beginning to stir across all of Inazuma.