Chapter 40: Chapter 40: Sole of the deep
While the whereabouts of Kaedehara Kazuha remained unknown, Bai Luo was living quite comfortably. As the second volume of My Raiden Shogun Can't Be This Cute was released, the previously somber atmosphere in Inazuma City, brought about by the Battousai incident, was once again ignited with excitement.
No one expected that this masterpiece would have a second volume. With the introduction of new characters—like the elegant Miss Shirasagi who hides her true identity and the mysterious beautiful girl who befriends others with her writing under the pen name Sole of the deep—the story became even more captivating.
And some people began to notice something curious.
For instance...
Gorou.
As the general of the Watatsumi Army, Gorou possessed a natural beast-like combat intuition and an indomitable will. The fact that the Watatsumi Army could hold their own against the Shogunate, despite being at a disadvantage in terms of resources and equipment, was largely due to Gorou's efforts, in addition to Kokomi's strategies.
If the Tenryou Commission's current general, Kujou Sara, was a stern and ruthless figure, Gorou was her complete opposite.
To outsiders, it might be hard to imagine that Gorou, who displayed unparalleled bravery on the battlefield, was, in private, more like a caring older brother who got along well with all his subordinates. If he had any weakness, it would be his somewhat unstable temperament. War is harsh, and compared to seasoned veterans, Gorou's battlefield experience was still lacking. Sometimes, his passionate spirit led him to make less than-rational decisions. However, through continued battles with the Shogunate, he was gradually overcoming this flaw.
Gorou, having just rushed back from the frontlines, was in a foul mood because an important figure in their ranks had gone missing.
There were many rumors about Kaedehara Kazuha's fate, and some of them were disturbingly accurate. During the battle at Nazuchi Beach, the ship Kazuha was aboard had been heavily targeted and eventually sunk. Although Gorou had sent skilled swimmers to rescue him after the battle, all indications were that Kazuha had been swept into the open sea with the wreckage.
Inazuma was surrounded by endless thunderstorms. If Kazuha had been pulled into the storm by the waves, there was no way he could have survived.
Due to the impact of the duel, Kazuha held a special significance, Gorou felt it was necessary to report the situation to Kokomi.
However...
Seeing Sangonomiya Kokomi sitting at her desk, lost in thought, Gorou hesitated to disturb her. His eyes wandered, and he noticed the book on her desk. Unlike the military texts she usually read, this looked more like a light novel published by Yae Publishing House.
"Isn't that...?"
With just a casual glance, Gorou recognized the book. Unlike Inazuma City, where such things were more common, Watatsumi Island, being an enemy territory, had limited access to Inazuman goods. Even when daring traders came to do business with them, the exchanges were restricted to essentials like food and supplies—light novels were never part of the deal.
Thus, this book was the only genuine light novel on Watatsumi Island.
However, Watatsumi Island had its own solutions.
Although Yae Publishing House strictly prohibited the homemade copies of light novels, Inazuma's laws didn't apply to Watatsumi Island.
Therefore, the handwritten copies of this book were incredibly popular on Watatsumi Island.
Even the paper vendors made a fortune.
If not for Kokomi's order to keep prices fair, the paper's value would have skyrocketed.
"Gorou, you're back."
Gorou's reaction snapped Kokomi out of her daze. She quickly and discreetly put away the light novel, regaining her usual confident and elegant demeanor.
"Lady Sangonomiya, I'm sorry, but we weren't able to rescue Mr. Kaedehara," Gorou said, his ears drooping slightly. He had great respect for Kazuha, whose contributions to the resistance were well known. His disappearance was a heavy blow for Gorou as well.
"You needn't worry about Mr. Kaedehara. He has been rescued," Kokomi said. In fact, Beidou's fleet had successfully rescued Kazuha and had managed to communicate this to Watatsumi Island through special means. Kokomi had intended to send someone to inform Gorou, but he had returned sooner than expected.
"Where is he now?" Gorou's earlier gloom vanished, replaced by a surge of relief. This was one of the few pieces of good news he had received recently. Next time, he wouldn't recklessly send Kazuha to dangerous places.
"He's in a very safe place," Kokomi replied, glancing toward the direction of Liyue.
She had already spoken with Kazuha. Since he preferred to stay with the fleet, she didn't force him.
As she had promised, the resistance would always welcome him, but they wouldn't force him to stay.
"...I understand," Gorou said, acknowledging the situation. He knew better than anyone that the resistance couldn't hold onto Kazuha forever. Kazuha was like a free wind—he might be drawn to a place, but he would never stay for long.
"Alright, separations are for future reunions, His roots are in Inazuma. As long as the Sakoku Decree and Vision Hunt Decree remain in place, he will return one day," Kokomi reassured him, while casually handing him a small box from her desk. She had prepared several of these, filled with strategies she had written herself. Gorou would know how to make the best use of them.
After dismissing Gorou, Kokomi's gaze returned to the light novel she had placed nearby. As a fan of light novels, she had labeled this book a masterpiece from the moment she first read it, even ranking it above The Legend of Sword.
Moreover... she had noticed something extraordinary about the novel. The seemingly fictional events in the story are vaguely related to reality. Kokomi had managed to extract a lot of useful information from the book's pages, and this information had later been confirmed as accurate.
When the second volume was released, she had specifically ordered one of her subordinates to risk their life to obtain a copy from Yae Publishing House.
But what she found in the second volume had shocked her deeply.
Sole of the deep...
That was her pen name!
As the current Divine Priestess of Watatsumi Island and its supreme leader, Kokomi had a few secrets. One of them was her fondness for reading light novels. Occasionally, she even submitted her own works to Yae Publishing House or corresponded with fellow enthusiasts. Naturally, she couldn't use her real name in those letters, so she adopted the pen name Sole of the deep.
But this was a secret known to no one else on Watatsumi Island—or anywhere in Inazuma.
So how did the author of this novel know her pen name, and how were they so familiar with her?
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