"Long time no see, Ei."
"Long time no see, Mo. What brings you to the Grand Narukami Shrine?"
Their first exchange was a casual greeting. Then, Li Mo smirked mischievously. "Well, I heard from the fox that you were overwhelmed with work."
"Eh? That Kitsune… The Shogun said she could handle it, so…" Ei's expression turned slightly embarrassed.
After the Shogun roused Ei from her meditation in the Plane of Euthymia, she explained the situation. Ei had been confident she could handle the documents alone, but in the end, she'd still ended up troubling Li Mo.
Looking at the fully processed paperwork, Ei couldn't help but admire Li Mo's efficiency.
"Mo, how do you review documents so quickly? Did you do similar work in another world?"
"I've done comparable work, but many of these issues are new to me," Li Mo answered honestly.
"Eh? Then why don't you deliberate more?" Ei asked, surprised.
When faced with unfamiliar problems, the Shogun needed time to consider, weigh possibilities, and organize her thoughts before making a decision. But Li Mo seemed to skip that process entirely.
Li Mo explained, "How should I put it? My only criterion is whether it aligns with the broader direction I've set, and then I check if it's reasonable and feasible. Plans must be implemented—you can't anticipate every problem beforehand. It's better to tackle issues as they arise. Have some faith in the Tri-Commission's frontline workers!"
The Tri-Commission's system was robust enough. The people of Inazuma held unwavering faith in the Raiden Shogun, and that conviction ensured their dedication to their duties.
Ei understood—Li Mo didn't overthink things. He assessed feasibility and impact, and if something seemed workable, he pushed it forward. If problems emerged, they'd be handled by subordinates. If the subordinates couldn't resolve them, they'd report back.
"That's a sound approach. I'll take note of it."
"Then let's discuss the Tri-Commission system. How do you plan to reform it?"
Li Mo cut straight to the point.
Having the Shogun work overtime indefinitely wasn't sustainable. For now, they could manage, but as responsibilities expanded, she'd eventually be unable to oversee everything.
Ei outlined her ideas—primarily splitting the Tenryou Commission and establishing a supervisory body to monitor the Tri-Commission's actions.
But questions arose immediately. What structure should this body take? Who would lead it? How would oversight be conducted? And how could they ensure this body wouldn't become corrupt?
A flood of concerns followed.
"As for the supervisory body, isn't there already one right here?" Li Mo pointed at the ground beneath them.
Beneath the Sacred Sakura's protection stood the Grand Narukami Shrine.
Ei glanced at the floor, then out the window at the Sacred Sakura, and immediately grasped Li Mo's meaning—to have the Grand Narukami Shrine oversee all of Inazuma. Thinking back, this wasn't without precedent. During Makoto's reign, Lady Saiguu's leadership had made the shrine a pivotal institution.
"But… is Yae Miko capable?" Ei voiced the critical question.
Was the current Head Shrine Maiden, Yae Miko, truly up to the task?
Li Mo countered, "Do you really have so little faith in your only familiar?"
"Not long ago, I also made Ioroi my familiar."
"That's not the point, Ei. Have you picked up Miko's bad habits?" Li Mo sighed. "The real issue is your lack of trust in her, isn't it?"
"Given her recent laziness, it's hard to place much confidence in her," Ei admitted. "Sometimes, I really want to slash her with my sword—though she'd probably dodge it anyway."
Ei genuinely didn't know how to handle someone like Yae Miko, especially when that someone was her own familiar.
Li Mo could sense Ei's exasperation.
Miko's behavior was misleading. She was indolent, even neglecting her duties as Head Shrine Maiden—once suggesting that she'd hand the position to Hanachirusato and urging Li Mo to bring Hanachirusato back quickly. During their time on Yashiori Island, she'd even used Fatui ships to maintain her comfort. Yet, she was undeniably capable. Over five hundred years, she'd rebuilt the Grand Narukami Shrine from near dissolution into an institution spanning all of Inazuma.
When it came to national affairs, Yae Miko did what needed to be done.
"Honestly, if you hadn't locked yourself away in the Plane of Euthymia, the mess with the Sakoku Decree and the Vision Hunt Decree wouldn't have needed me to step in."
"Let's not bring that up again."
"Fine, fine, Your Excellency. But give Miko some credit. That fox might seem lazy, but she excels at her actual responsibilities. Sure, she likes delegating work—but isn't that just a sign of her ability to recognize talent?"
Ei conceded the point.
Laziness was one of the driving forces of progress. Miko's knack for identifying capable people could be attributed to her desire to avoid work.
"But can the Grand Narukami Shrine truly shoulder this responsibility?" Ei voiced her doubts again. "The shrine today is different from what it once was."
Under Lady Saiguu, the shrine had also been a gathering place for youkai. Back then, the Tri-Commission had no authority over those unruly creatures, who only obeyed orders from the Shogun and Lady Saiguu. Now, aside from Yae Miko herself, the shrine was staffed mostly by ordinary shrine maidens.
Li Mo shook his head. "Have faith in Miko's abilities."
After a moment of contemplation, the Raiden Shogun nodded in agreement.
Next came the matter of splitting the Tenryou Commission—a move Li Mo fully supported. The Tenryou Commission wielded excessive power, combining military and law enforcement under one umbrella. It was a true behemoth, restrained only by logistical constraints and the authority of the Shogun. During the Sakoku Decree, the Tenryou and Kanjou Commissions had colluded with the Fatui to bypass logistical issues, while the Shogun—the embodiment of authority—had been kept in the dark. Wasn't that the very definition of unchecked dominance?
The proposed restructuring involved transferring part of the armed forces directly under the Shogun's command. These elite warriors, like the Shogun's personal guard, the Tenryou Commission's high-ranking samurai, and the elite troops known as the "Ochimusha," would answer solely to the Shogun.
—Though nominally part of the Tenryou Commission, these warriors held special status due to their direct service to the Shogun.
Meanwhile, the Tenryou Commission would focus primarily on maintaining public order.
With the broad strokes of the reorganization settled, Li Mo raised another critical issue: the dissemination of decrees.
"Ei, I have to ask—why did you previously rely solely on the Tenryou Commission to relay your orders? A single channel is too easily obstructed." Once again, Li Mo was critiquing Ei's past decisions.
During the Sakoku and Vision Hunt Decrees, all the Shogun's directives had to pass through the Tenryou Commission, and all information from the populace had to go through them before reaching the Shogun.
How could that not lead to problems?
"I know, I know. Do you have a solution?" Ei asked bluntly.
Li Mo stroked his chin, then proposed, "Let's establish a new position—call it the 'Rōjū.'"