Chapter 27: Commissioned Task

Raiden Makoto nodded in satisfaction as Kujou Sara left.

Kujou Sara is indeed a talented person, but she's a bit rigid. No, not rigid, more like very serious.

But that's fine. The Tenryou Commission needs a strict and serious leader right now.

Back to Liam, who went straight to the market specializing in fresh produce after leaving Tenshukaku.

However, Liam did not expect to run into acquaintances here.

"Yo! Itto! Shinobu! I didn't expect to see you here!"

Seeing Arataki Itto and Kuki Shinobu also wandering around the market, Liam couldn't help but step forward to greet them.

"Huh! Brother Liam! It's you! Hahaha!" Itto, seeing Liam, laughed heartily and walked quickly towards him, then hooked an arm around Liam's neck.

Indeed, Itto is Itto, overly enthusiastic, but Liam didn't mind and responded with a smile.

"Heh, Itto, you haven't changed at all!"

"Boss, if you keep doing that, you'll trouble Liam!"

At this time, Kuki Shinobu walked up to Itto and spoke to him with a bit of helplessness.

"Haha! It's okay, Shinobu. I don't mind. In fact, I'm quite happy to see Itto like this!"

Liam smiled at Kuki Shinobu.

To be honest, sometimes Liam really envies Itto. Itto seems to have no worries, always cheerful, and never backs down from anything. Although he can be a bit childish at times, isn't that also a form of pure innocence?

"Hahaha! Did you hear that, Shinobu? Brother Liam has no complaints! You shouldn't worry so much!"

Itto, hearing Liam's words, proudly spoke to Kuki Shinobu, as if a child proving something to his parents. Then, Arataki Itto looked at Liam again, laughing and saying:

"Heh heh, Brother Liam, have you reconsidered my offer to join the Arataki Gang?"

It seems Itto still hasn't given up on recruiting Liam. Actually, Itto's thoughts are simple. He feels that Liam is trustworthy and seems very capable, so he wants to recruit him.

Hearing Itto's words, Liam didn't refuse directly like last time. He suddenly felt that joining the Arataki Gang might not be a bad idea.

Although the Arataki Gang looks and sounds like a gang, Liam knows that's just a misunderstanding. Under Kuki Shinobu's leadership, the Arataki Gang is essentially a legal and compliant community organization.

Moreover, the key point is that Liam doesn't dislike Itto and Shinobu. He even wants to build a good relationship with them.

Thinking of this, Liam smiled and nodded, then said to Itto, who was hooking his arm around him:

"Heh heh, alright, I'll join the Arataki Gang!"

"Really! Hahaha! Brother Liam, I knew you were different! You can see the uniqueness of our Arataki Gang! Hahaha! As we agreed before, you join as the third-in-command!"

Hearing Liam agree to join the Arataki Gang, Itto jumped up in joy, laughing and continuously patting Liam.

Shinobu: "..."

Kuki Shinobu initially thought Liam would refuse the boss's invitation like last time, but she never expected him to agree so readily this time.

"Liam, do you really want to join the Arataki Gang? Can you tell me why?"

Kuki Shinobu asked seriously, curious about why someone as influential as Liam in Inazuma would want to join a gang that is essentially made up of street thugs.

"Hahaha! What other reason is there? Brother Liam must be attracted by my noble character!"

Before Liam could answer, Itto interrupted.

"Boss, please don't interrupt!"

Kuki Shinobu gave Itto a look, causing him to awkwardly smile and stop talking.

Seeing this, Liam couldn't help but laugh out loud, then Itto and Shinobu both looked at him.

"Haha, sorry, I couldn't hold it in!" Liam said, trying to contain his laughter.

"Itto isn't wrong. One of the reasons I agreed to join is that I think Itto is a good person. The other reason is that I find it interesting!"

"Brother Liam! I knew you understood me! If Shinobu weren't the second-in-command, I would have given you that position!"

Itto felt he had found a kindred spirit and couldn't wait to formally become sworn brothers with Liam.

"Haha! Although we haven't known each other for long, I can tell that Itto is someone worth befriending!"

Liam also hooked his arm around Itto's neck, showing a strong bond. Sometimes, men's friendships can be quite strange.

Shinobu: "..."

Kuki Shinobu didn't know what to say seeing them act like old friends. She never thought someone would join the Arataki Gang just because they liked the boss. Today, she saw another side of Liam.

She remembered Liam's intimidating presence when facing Kujou Sara and his approachable demeanor when talking to them. She didn't expect he had a goofy side like their boss.

"Ahem! Itto, even though I joined the Arataki Gang, you know my status. I can't always be with you. Consider me a nominal member!

Of course, since I've joined, I'll definitely be of help. If the Arataki Gang encounters any unsolvable problems, just go to Tenshukaku or the Grand Narukami Shrine and use my name! It will work!"

Liam said to Itto.

"Ah—! Alright!"

Itto was a bit disappointed, understanding that someone as important as Liam wouldn't always be available. But he wasn't naive; he knew Liam had many responsibilities.

However, Itto didn't know that Liam's so-called daily tasks mainly involved feeding and storytelling to Ei and the Shogun.

"By the way, Liam, why are you here at the market?"

Although still shocked by Liam's sudden decision to join the gang, Kuki Shinobu quickly adjusted. She was curious why someone of Liam's status would be at the market.

Liam, Raiden Shogun's direct disciple (though he was soon expelled), was granted great power by Raiden Shogun. Kuki Shinobu couldn't understand why such a person would be at the market.

"Ah... well..."

Liam was momentarily stumped by the question. He couldn't possibly say he was just bored and decided to come buy groceries himself! He had just told Itto he was very busy! After thinking for a moment, he said,

"It's not a big deal. I know a bit about cooking, so I wanted to make something personally for the Shogun. But I was worried the ingredients chosen by others wouldn't be good enough, so I came to pick them myself!"

This reason was a bit awkward but plausible, since he indeed came here to choose ingredients for the Shogun and Ei.

"Wow! So even the Raiden Shogun eats regular food?"

Itto asked curiously, as if discovering something fascinating.

"Of course. Even though the Shogun, being a god, doesn't need to eat, gods also have cravings. Eating something is not that strange."

Liam nodded. In his view, the gods of Teyvat, though seemingly lofty, were surprisingly down-to-earth. Venti often hung out in taverns, Zhongli enjoyed free meals and drinks, and Ei even considered having the Shogunate soldiers deliver dango milk to every household.

"I see!"

Itto nodded, half understanding. Liam just smiled and nodded back.

"By the way, why are you two here? I thought the Arataki Gang usually operated around Hanamizaka?"

Liam asked about why Itto and Kuki Shinobu were at this market, as Hanamizaka also had a market, so he was a bit surprised to see them here.

"Usually, the Arataki Gang does stick around Hanamizaka, but we took a commission that brought us here."

Kuki Shinobu explained.

"A commission?"

Liam asked, curious.

"Yes, I still know some people in Inazuma, so I occasionally help the Arataki Gang get some commissions to keep them from starving."

Kuki Shinobu said with a hint of helplessness in her voice.

"Uh..."

Liam had known about Shinobu's comprehensive care for the Arataki Gang, but seeing it firsthand made him realize how lucky Itto was to have her. Without her, the Arataki Gang might have disbanded long ago.

"Can I ask what the task is?"

Liam asked Kuki Shinobu. He knew some commissions involved the employer's privacy, so he asked politely, indicating it was fine if she didn't want to tell him.

"It's nothing major, just delivering a batch of ingredients to the Kanjou Commission."

Kuki Shinobu replied.

"The Kanjou Commission?"

Hearing this name, a glint flashed in Liam's eyes.

"What's up with the Kanjou Commission?"

Kuki Shinobu keenly noticed Liam's reaction. This sharpness was why she was a genius capable of earning so many certificates. Her keen observation skills set her apart from ordinary people.

Liam didn't expect his slight reaction to be caught by Kuki Shinobu, so he pondered for a moment.

After thinking for a while, he let go of Itto and said,

"Itto, I need to discuss something private with Shinobu. Let's step aside for a bit."

Liam planned to take Kuki Shinobu to a quieter place to talk.

"Hey!!! Wait! What's so secret that I can't hear? I'm the boss of the Arataki Gang!"

Itto protested, curious about the secret conversation between Liam and Kuki Shinobu.

"Alright, boss. If Liam says it's confidential, it must be important. Don't meddle."

Kuki Shinobu said, realizing from Liam's expression that it was related to the Kanjou Commission, so it wasn't wise for Itto to get involved.

Seeing this, Liam admired Shinobu's intelligence. She was indeed one of Inazuma's top talents, with sharp intellect. Despite being around Shinobu for so long, Itto still didn't seem to have picked up much intelligence from her.

Kuki Shinobu followed Liam to a secluded spot under a large tree outside the market.

Once there, Kuki Shinobu asked,

"Liam, can you tell me now? Judging from your reaction, it must be related to the Kanjou Commission, right?"

Liam didn't deny it and nodded.

"Yes, it's related to the Kanjou Commission. You know about the recent events with the Tenryou Commission, right?"

Kuki Shinobu nodded. As one of the three major commissions, the Tenryou Commission held significant power and influence in Inazuma, responsible for most of its military forces. However, it was recently exposed for colluding with the Fatui.

Suddenly, Kuki Shinobu's expression changed as she looked at Liam.

"Was the Tenryou Commission's scandal your doing? Was the assassination attempt on the Shogun's disciple part of your plan?"

It should be no surprise that Kuki Shinobu figured it out. Inazuma didn't lack talent, but they often went unused, which was a shame.

"Yes, I deliberately gave them an opportunity to trouble me because I knew the Tenryou Commission was corrupt and needed a complete overhaul. But for Inazuma's stability, even a god needs a justifiable reason."

"So, since you mentioned this, the Kanjou Commission must not be much better, right?"

Kuki Shinobu nodded. She had thought the Shogun might have targeted the Tenryou Commission, but she didn't realize the assassination was just a pretext, and the Tenryou Commission fell for it.

"So you're planning to deal with the Kanjou Commission next?"

Kuki Shinobu asked, knowing Liam wouldn't call her over just to chat.

"You really are smart, Shinobu! Yes, I originally planned to wait for some information and then deal with the Kanjou Commission like I did with the Tenryou Commission. But I ran into you today, and since you're heading to the Kanjou Commission, I thought you could subtly gather some intel for me."

Liam didn't beat around the bush and directly shared his plan, confident in Shinobu's ability to extract information.

"Do you trust me that much?"