Chapter 291

On Inazuma's side, after Ei resumed control, everything began to change.

The Vision Hunt Decree was repealed.

At the same time, the Kamisato Clan temporarily took on the responsibilities of the Tri-Commission.

All powers of the Kujou Clan and the Hiiragi Clan were abolished.

Initially, Ei was prepared to execute them all.

These traitorous officials had taken advantage of her absence, and she saw no reason to spare them.

However, Ayato Kamisato intervened.

Rather than executing them outright, he proposed a different solution.

Instead of wasting them, they could be put to use.

They would be forced to work, and if they failed, then they could be eliminated.

All the wealth they had embezzled would be confiscated and used to rebuild Inazuma.

After all, much of Inazuma was in dire straits, with many people struggling to afford food.

If all those officials were executed, there would be a power vacuum, making it difficult to restructure the Tri-Commission.

So rather than completely disposing of them, Ayato suggested keeping them in place while preparing replacements.

If they did not perform their duties well, they would be removed.

Faced with Ayato's proposal, Ei thought for a moment and agreed.

It made sense.

Forcing these corrupt officials to work hard for the betterment of Inazuma was a fitting punishment.

If they failed to perform, she would deal with them personally.

Some of the more unpleasant tasks still needed to be handled.

And weren't these criminals the perfect labor force?

Dealing with the filth of Inazuma, rogue samurai, and lawless rōnin—

That was a job someone had to do.

Would it be wise to use the Shogunate's soldiers for this?

That would be a waste.

Let these traitorous officials handle it instead.

The Kujou and Hiiragi Clans had truly fallen from grace.

Who would have thought that Ei would personally take over Inazuma's governance again?

Fortunately, Kujou Sara remained unaffected.

Though a member of the Kujou Clan, her unwavering loyalty to the Shogun remained unquestioned.

When she learned of her family's crimes, she wanted to punish them herself.

This sudden shift in Inazuma left many people confused.

They had no idea what was happening.

Only Ayato understood the truth.

Ever since the Shogun received that phone call from Yae Miko, she had been issuing one directive after another.

Ayato officially took over the Tri-Commission.

With Ei's support, he cracked down on the Kujou and Hiiragi Clans.

With overwhelming evidence of corruption, many officials were arrested.

Additionally, Ayato seized their stolen wealth and redirected it toward rebuilding Inazuma.

Not only that, but the perpetual thunderstorms over the seas of Inazuma finally dissipated.

Trade was reopened.

The nation was no longer locked down.

Everything was beginning to return to normal.

Takumi and Yae Miko, however, were unaware of these developments.

While they continued their discussion, Ganyu arrived.

Seeing Ganyu, Yae Miko beamed with delight.

"Sister Ganyu, long time no see."

An older woman addressing a teenage-looking girl as "sister" was certainly an amusing sight.

"Miko."

"It's been a long time!"

Ganyu greeted Yae Miko warmly.

It was rare to see old friends, and both of them were in high spirits.

Seeing that it was about time, Takumi spoke up.

"Alright, let's go eat."

With that, he got up and walked out.

The others nodded in agreement.

It was indeed lunchtime.

Takumi, Ganyu, Yae Miko, and Kamisato Ayaka headed straight to Xiangling's restaurant.

By the time they arrived, Beidou was already there.

"Ah, there you are."

"I've seen my ship. When will it be ready?"

"Goodness, it's massive!"

Beidou grinned ear to ear.

She was clearly satisfied with the ship Takumi had designed for her.

But she was curious about the progress.

Things seemed to be moving slowly.

It was said that building these ships was different from building warships.

So it would take some time.

Even the shipyard workers were unsure of the exact timeline.

After all, Takumi was handling the primary construction himself.

Even after assembly, the ship would need to undergo rigorous testing.

This was why, as soon as she saw Takumi, she immediately asked about it.

"Your ship will be ready in about half a month."

"I'll make sure it's finished after the Rite of Descension."

"Don't worry."

"Just look forward to it."

"In the meantime, you should make an announcement."

"Your fleet will be using containers for cargo transportation."

"If anyone wants to ship goods, they'll need to rent a container."

"Set a fixed price per container, and let them pay accordingly."

"Renting out containers will be a lucrative business. You should start preparing for it."

Hearing Takumi's suggestion, Beidou raised an eyebrow.

That actually made a lot of sense.

"Containers? You mean like those big metal boxes I saw being hauled at Dawn Winery?"

"That does seem like a profitable business."

She had seen large trucks delivering boxes of wine and beverages at the Dawn Winery headquarters.

Those vehicles carried a significant amount of goods.

And her ship would be able to transport entire container loads at sea.

This was definitely a solid idea.

Was Takumi trying to help her double her earnings?

Renting out containers would be another revenue stream.

Just thinking about it, she could already tell this venture would be highly profitable.

"Alright!"

"I'll discuss it with Ningguang."

"Give me the container schematics."

Beidou had no objections.

Soon, the way goods were transported across the seas would change entirely.

Businesses would be able to ship entire containers without complications.

They could even sell standardized containers.

The two didn't dwell on the topic for too long.

Instead, they entered the restaurant.

Ayaka had already placed their order beforehand.

She had even asked Xiangling to prepare a special serving of fried tofu—

One of Yae Miko's favorite dishes.

Kamisato Ayaka was well aware of Yae Miko's preferences.

There were also several light dishes for Ganyu.

After they had eaten their fill, Ganyu spoke up.

"Miko."

"You can stay at my residence from now on."

"Takumi, could you speed up the final touches on the renovations?"

"I'd rather not have Miko stay at an inn."

Takumi's manor was already full of residents.

So Ganyu had no intention of having Yae Miko stay there.

Her own manor was nearly finished.

Takumi just needed to put the final touches on it.

Hearing Ganyu's request, Takumi nodded.

There were already too many people staying at his manor.

If Yae Miko stayed at Ganyu's, it would be much more convenient.

After all, it was just next door.