Chapter 476: Serei Island (Part 2)

Seirai Island had undergone tremendous changes. Comparing her current observations with memories of the past, Lumine found the differences between then and now too vast to measure. 

During her last visit, she had explored Seirai Island extensively, even ascending to the distant skies by chance to battle the Thunder Manifestation. Back then, all she saw were ruins and remnants of the past. 

Now, the island flourished with vitality and promise. 

At first glance, there were no grand structures yet, but temporary tents and shelters dotted the landscape. Construction sites bustled in various areas, laying the foundations for future buildings. 

The temporary camp was located quite close to Asase Shrine—if Lumine remembered correctly, this was where the wreck of the *Seiraimaru* had sunk. 

Watatsumi Island's camp occupied a corner of the temporary settlement, the farthest point from Asase Shrine. 

Following Teppei inside, Lumine was quickly ushered toward the camp center—one benefit of fame was that everyone recognized her, sparing her unnecessary questioning. 

"Traveler and Paimon, you've arrived! Please, come in." 

It was Kokomi who greeted them. 

"Kokomi, where is everyone else?" Paimon flitted into the tent, glancing around but finding no one else present. 

"Everyone is busy working. What would they gain from sitting here with me?" Kokomi smiled. "Honestly, the workload here is light—I can handle it alone." 

Paimon eyed the modest stack of documents and nodded. "Yeah, it doesn't look like much." 

Having traveled far and wide, Paimon had seen her share of workaholic administrators—from Mondstadt's Acting Grand Master Jean to Liyue's Ganyu. Even during their visits to the Grand Narukami Shrine, they'd seen the Shinkan and the Shogun buried under towering stacks of paperwork. 

After exchanging pleasantries, they reminisced about old times. In the eyes of the Shogunate, Lumine might just be a friend to the Tri-Commission leaders or the Shinkan's younger sister. But to Watatsumi, she was a genuine comrade-in-arms, even earning the rank of company captain. 

"Teppei is quite capable. I initially considered training him as a squad leader, but now I think he'd excel more in commerce," Kokomi mused, then elaborated to her friend: "Watatsumi no longer lacks warriors—what we need now are talents in other fields." 

Lumine nodded. "I understand." 

An organization relying on one person to manage everything—from civil affairs to economics to military matters—couldn't last. During wartime, Kokomi had no choice but to shoulder Watatsumi's burdens alone. But in peacetime, that wasn't sustainable. 

"Kokomi, have you achieved your goals here? Is there anything Paimon and I can help with?" Lumine asked. 

In Inazuma, her connections ran deep—the Tri-Commission, the Grand Narukami Shrine... she had friends in nearly every faction. 

Kokomi shook her head. "The tensions between us and the Shogunate stem from cultural differences—something even you, Traveler, can't easily resolve." 

Inazuma worshipped the Narukami Ogosho, while Watatsumi revered the great Orobashi. Such deeply rooted conflicts weren't easily overcome. 

Yet, these differences became manageable when mutual interests aligned. Kokomi's prestige and Watatsumi's economic motivations kept her people cooperative, while the Shogunate's top-down orders ensured discipline on their side. With both factions exercising restraint, the situation had improved significantly. 

Kokomi didn't linger in the tent long, soon leading Lumine out to tour the camp. 

"In the beginning, I came here personally. With Gorou overseeing matters in Narukami, and the area around Asase Shrine being the only monster-free zone, we gradually expanded our operations from there, forming the current layout," Kokomi explained. "Now, our camp and the Shogunate's stand in mutual support, aiding each other against monster attacks." 

The initial development of Seirai had required Kokomi's direct involvement. Transitioning from bitter enemies to reluctant allies wasn't something everyone could accept overnight. 

The Shogunate forces, reorganized under the Shogun's decree and led by her elite guards, obeyed without question. Watatsumi, however, needed Kokomi's personal presence to ensure cooperation. 

"Kokomi, is this the planned layout for Seirai?" From their vantage point, the entire camp stretched before them—a network of bustling construction sites hinting at a city's embryonic form. 

"Yes. According to the Tri-Commission's plans, this will eventually become a portside urban center," Kokomi said cheerfully. "This section is allocated to us as residential land. Much of the materials we're importing now are for housing. Beyond that, we've secured plots in the planned commercial district for a trading company and... a bank." 

"A bank?" Lumine blinked. "Why a bank?" 

The only bank Lumine knew was Snezhnaya's Northland Bank—a multinational institution. Inazuma didn't even have local money houses, let alone banks. 

"I learned that Inazuma intends to promote banking. And Watatsumi needs one too," Kokomi replied. 

What she didn't mention was that this initiative had come from the Shinkan himself—who'd even dispatched students to Liyue to study finance and shipbuilding. 

After researching banking, Kokomi recognized its advantages: facilitating financial transactions between Seirai and Watatsumi, while pooled funds could fuel business growth through loans. Commerce, she'd decided, would be Watatsumi's future focus. 

—Given Watatsumi's limitations, they had few viable development paths. 

Lumine nodded, not fully grasping the details but trusting Kokomi's judgment. 

Kokomi might not excel in every field, but she was competent across the board. 

Their conversation drifted to lighter topics before Kokomi, learning of Lumine's plans for Tsurumi Island, offered her blessings: "Then I wish you success in your mission." 

"Of course! The Traveler is super capable!" Paimon interjected. 

Lumine teased, "Paimon, are you just upset we ignored you?" 

"That's not it at all!" 

No matter Paimon's protests, Lumine and Kokomi only laughed, leaving the floating companion stomping in frustration. 

After resting overnight, Lumine and Paimon visited Asase Shrine, where they encountered shrine maidens dispatched from the Grand Narukami Shrine. 

With the Shogun determined to develop Seirai, the shrine naturally sent assistance. Asase Shrine had once been part of the Narukami network, so the maidens' presence made perfect sense. 

From them, Lumine learned the assignments had been arranged by the Shinkan himself, with Kuki Miyuki—Kuki Shinobu's elder sister—leading the group. 

After chatting with Miyuki and catching up with Neko (who, though still missing her beloved Aoi, was delighted by the shrine's revival), Lumine departed. 

Standing on her Waverider, she looked back at Seirai Island—now pulsing with life. 

And all of this... seemed connected to one person.