Chapitre 28: Chapter 28: The Problem of National Isolation
Shinobu Kuki looked at Liam with a curious expression, wondering how someone she had just met for such a short time could trust her so much. Had he already seen right through her?
If Liam knew what Shinobu was thinking, he would probably have to admire her ability to imagine things. He was just an ordinary person, not someone who could see through others after just a few meetings. He simply had the advantage of a bit of foresight.
When Liam heard Shinobu's question, a smile appeared on his face as he calmly replied, "Although we haven't known each other for long, I like to think I have a bit of a knack for reading people. I can tell, Shinobu, that you're a person with a strong sense of justice. Besides, I trust Itto's judgment. Though he might seem simple-minded on the surface, he has an extraordinary sense for reading people!"
Shinobu Kuki: "..."
Shinobu never expected that one day she would be seen as a good person because of her boss, but she nodded and said, "No problem, I agree. But consider this your request."
Shinobu answered calmly.
"Alright, no problem!"
Seeing that Shinobu agreed so readily, Liam was quite pleased.
"So, since it's a request, how should we settle the payment? Just so you know, this task isn't exactly easy!"
Shinobu looked at Liam with a businesslike demeanor. Although they had a good relationship, it was still best to be clear about the terms.
"Let me think..."
Liam pondered for a moment. During this time, he had roughly figured out the purchasing power of Mora and then said to Shinobu, "How about 50 million Mora?"
Fifty million Mora, if converted into his old world's currency, would be about fifty thousand. Not a small amount for a reward.
"Fifty million Mora..."
Shinobu thought for a moment and then nodded. "Alright, no problem!"
"Do we need to write up a contract?" Liam asked.
"No need!" Shinobu shook her head. As a prominent figure in Inazuma, fifty million Mora wasn't enough for Liam to renege on a deal. And given Liam's current status, if he really wanted to default, no one would believe that a contract could bind him. This was Inazuma, not Liyue. However, Shinobu also believed that Liam wouldn't go back on his word.
"By the way, were you really not looking for me specifically this time?"
Suddenly, Shinobu looked at Liam and asked, feeling that everything seemed a bit too coincidental.
"Uh... Haha, no, I wasn't. I really just came out to buy some ingredients to cook for the Shogun! Asking you to do this was a spur-of-the-moment decision."
Liam scratched his head and laughed.
Shinobu Kuki: "...So casual..."
After briefly discussing a few more details, Liam and Shinobu returned to the market. At this point, Itto was sitting there bored, his expression clearly showing his impatience from waiting too long.
"Yo~! Itto, sorry to keep you waiting!"
Liam walked over and patted Itto on the shoulder, smiling.
"Shinobu, Liam, did you finish talking?" Arataki Itto asked, quickly standing up with a big grin on his face.
"Yes, we're done, boss! Let's get back to our business!"
Shinobu replied naturally to Itto.
"Oh, right! Hey, Liam, want to come with us? You can experience the daily life of the Arataki Gang! I'm telling you, the Arataki Gang is going to be famous all over Inazuma someday!"
Hearing Shinobu's words, Itto suddenly remembered they had a job to do, but he quickly invited Liam to join them.
"Haha! I'll have to pass this time. I need to get back and cook for the Shogun soon. Maybe next time!"
Although joining the Arataki Gang on a mission sounded interesting, unfortunately, they were heading to the Tenryou Commission. Liam had also asked Shinobu to gather information, so if he went along, it might raise suspicion, which wouldn't be good.
"Ah—! Is that so! Alright then! Dang it, the Raiden Shogun has so many people at her disposal, but she just has to make you do all the work!"
Itto's disappointment was clear, and then he started grumbling about the Raiden Shogun.
"Boss! Didn't I tell you before? Don't talk badly about the Shogun so casually!"
Shinobu looked helplessly at her reckless boss. The Shogun's disciple was standing right in front of them, and he was criticizing her mentor. What was he thinking?
"Hehe, Shinobu, I'm sorry! I'm sorry! But I'm just speaking the truth, you know? Look at Liam, he's busy all the time, and yet the Raiden Shogun makes him cook for her. Isn't that just exploiting him?"
The more Itto spoke, the more justified he felt, and his voice grew louder with confidence.
Seeing Itto standing up for him, Liam scratched his head, feeling a bit embarrassed. Come on, Itto, stop it! I'm starting to feel ashamed...
"Sorry about that, Liam. The boss is just like that, please don't take it to heart."
Shinobu apologized, looking a bit troubled.
"It's fine. The Shogun isn't as petty as you might think. I'm okay, really. The Shogun takes good care of me, so cooking for her is just a small token of my appreciation."
Liam responded nonchalantly. He wasn't trying to deceive Shinobu; both the Shogun and the Raiden Shogun (Ei) were actually quite lenient with Inazuma's people, as long as you didn't get in her way.
Besides, the Shogun really did treat him well. Nowadays, whenever they met, she'd greet him with a soft smile, and she'd even sneak up on him sometimes, almost catching him off guard.
Seeing that Liam didn't seem to be lying, Shinobu felt a bit more at ease. Then she grabbed Itto by the ear and tugged hard.
"The Shogun may be magnanimous, but you still need to watch your words, boss. Let's go!"
"Ow, ow, ow! It hurts, Shinobu, I'm sorry! I won't slip up again!"
Itto immediately pleaded for mercy, but it was no use. Knowing Itto's nature, Shinobu didn't say much more and just called out to Liam.
"Alright then, Liam, see you around!"
With that, she dragged Itto away, his ear still in her grip, while he continued to cry out in pain.
Liam watched as Itto and Shinobu left, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"My, my~! Itto and Shinobu have such a peculiar relationship, don't they?"
At that moment, a sly-sounding voice came from behind Liam. Without even looking, he knew who it was.
"Yae Miko, why are you everywhere?"
"Why have you become so idle lately? I seem to run into you everywhere I go!"
Liam looked suspiciously at Yae Miko, who had appeared out of nowhere. It felt as though she had placed a tracker on him; she always seemed to pop up unexpectedly in various situations.
"Oh my! Doesn't this just mean we're fated to meet? But why are you here at the market yourself, little Liam?"
Yae Miko smiled mischievously at Liam, her face always wearing that sly, cheerful expression.
"Rather than wondering if we're really 'fated,' I'm more curious about why someone as esteemed as you, the high priestess of Narukami Shrine, is here. If you told me you were personally cooking, I wouldn't believe it for a second!"
Liam rolled his eyes, looking at Yae Miko with a face full of disbelief.
"I told you, it's just a coincidence. Why don't you believe me, Liam? You're going to make me so sad!"
Yae Miko put on an exaggeratedly tearful expression, as if she might cry at any moment.
Liam: "..."
Though Liam knew Yae Miko had a troublesome personality, he couldn't help but twitch his mouth in exasperation. When it came to shamelessness, he knew he couldn't compete with her. Unsure of what to say, Liam decided it was best to ignore her. After all, unlike the more straightforward General and Ei, Yae Miko was anything but simple.
So, without saying a word, Liam left and entered the market, beginning to select some good ingredients.
Seeing that Liam was ignoring her, Yae Miko didn't seem bothered. Her expression returned to its usual cheerful demeanor, and she quickly followed behind him, her thick-skinned persistence on full display.
"Oh dear! Wait for me, little Liam!"
Liam: "..."
To be honest, Liam found it difficult to deal with someone as cunning as Yae Miko. Who knew when she might lead him into a trap? So he decided to continue ignoring her and focused on choosing fresh ingredients.
"How much are these watermelons per pound?"
Liam stopped at a small stall selling watermelons and pointed at the melons on the rack. He planned to buy some to make watermelon jelly.
"1,250 Mora per pound!"
The stall owner, reclining on a lounge chair, answered without even lifting his head.
"What's up!"
Liam was so shocked by the price that he swore aloud.
"Are these watermelon rinds made of gold, or are the seeds golden?"
"Hey, young man, these are Liyue watermelons! If you think they're expensive, so do I!"
The owner, displeased, sat up straight, looking ready to argue with Liam. But when he saw Liam's face, the owner suddenly fell silent.
"Ah... It's you, Lord Liam!"
Recognizing Liam, the stall owner's expression changed to an awkward smile. Liam had become almost a household name in Inazuma recently, especially in Inazuma City, where nearly everyone knew of the general's prominent disciple. The stall owner quickly realized who he was dealing with.
"I remember watermelons weren't this expensive not too long ago, right?"
Liam looked at the owner with a questioning expression, clearly wanting an explanation. The owner's face fell, and he let out a bitter laugh.
"Alright, Liam, the price he quoted is actually reasonable!"
At this moment, Yae Miko's soft, seductive voice chimed in. She gracefully approached the stall, turning to the owner.
"Tell him exactly what's going on."
"Oh! Of course, Lady High Priestess!"
The owner, now respectful, responded promptly before explaining with some frustration.
"This is unavoidable. Inazuma has always had a shortage of homegrown watermelons. Most of the melons we sell are imported from Liyue. So while they're usually expensive, they're not usually this outrageous. But, Lord Liam, you know how it is—Inazuma's Sakoku Decree has made it almost impossible to bring in goods from Liyue. Even when we do get some, the Kanjou Commission imposes extremely high taxes, which has driven the prices up several times over. We merchants have no choice but to sell at these prices!"
Hearing the owner's explanation, Liam didn't know what to say. Having experienced Inazuma's storyline, he knew that the harm caused by the Sakoku Decree was on par with, if not worse than, the Vision Hunt Decree. The Vision Hunt Decree primarily affected Vision bearers, who, while numerous, still made up only a small portion of Inazuma's population.
The Sakoku Decree, however, impacted all of Inazuma's citizens. The suffering inflicted by the Kanjou Commission during Inazuma's recent unrest likely caused as much harm to the general populace as the Tenryou Commission did.
Thinking about it made Liam even more certain that Kujou Takayuki and Hiiragi Shinsuke deserved severe punishment. These men already wielded unparalleled power in Inazuma, yet they still conspired with foreign enemies for personal gain, wreaking havoc on their country. In Liam's view, they deserved nothing less than execution by a thousand cuts.
It seems I need to deal with the Kanjou Commission's issues sooner than later, Liam thought.
Previously, Liam had felt he had enough time to slowly handle the Kanjou Commission. But what he witnessed today made him realize something important—he could afford to wait, but the ordinary citizens suffering under these circumstances could not.
"Ha ha, have you figured something out, little one?"
Yae Miko noticed the change in Liam's expression as he pondered, and couldn't help but laugh.
"Yes, I've come to understand a few things. I was a bit short-sighted before. My way of thinking wasn't comprehensive enough."
Liam wasn't embarrassed to admit it. After all, he wasn't born a saint with perfect insight. It was normal to have limitations in his perspective—what mattered was realizing it in time.
"Two watermelons, please. Send the bill to Tenshukaku in my name."
Liam carefully selected the two best watermelons and instructed the owner.
After that, Liam visited other stalls to buy more ingredients. He noticed that while some prices were reasonable, others were exorbitantly high compared to what they used to be. Without worrying about the cost, Liam selected the best items, sending all the bills to Tenshukaku.
Once he was done, Liam stored everything in the storage space he had created and walked away from the street with Yae Miko.
"What's your plan, little Liam?"
Yae Miko asked, watching Liam, who had been deep in thought the entire time.
"I want to resolve the Kanjou Commission's problems quickly. If this continues, the people of Inazuma won't be able to bear it much longer."
Liam shook his head as he spoke, realizing for the first time just how heavy the burden of power truly was. One casual decision from those above could have a profound impact on countless ordinary lives.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone