Elysia accepted the task and, with the letter given to her by the Supreme Bishop, found Thoma.
"Deliver a letter to Sen'emon?"
Thoma looked surprised.
"Why would you think of sending a letter to Sen'emon?"
Lumine remained calm. "To solve the Kanjou Commission's problem, we need Sen'emon's help."
"Do you know Sen'emon?"
"No."
"Then why would you think she could help you?"
"Because only she can intervene in the Kanjou Commission's affairs."
"..."
Thoma fell silent.
A few seconds later, he nodded. "As expected of the famous Traveler. You've found the solution so quickly. You're right—only Sen'emon can intervene in the Kanjou Commission's matters. I understand. I'll help you deliver this letter."
The dialogue ended, and Thoma disappeared, leaving a new task.
『Talk to the Supreme Bishop』
Elysia immediately went to find the Supreme Bishop and entered the dialogue again.
"Can you explain now? Why is Sen'emon the only one who can handle the Kanjou Commission's affairs?"
Hearing Paimon's question, Ye glanced at her calmly and spoke in a steady tone. "Inazuma's governance system is structured under the Raiden Shogun, with the three Commissions managing all affairs."
"The Yashiro Commission oversees rituals and cultural arts. For example, all shrine-related personnel in Inazuma, except for the Grand Narukami Shrine's Guuji Yae, are managed by the Yashiro Commission. Additionally, industries like publishing and entertainment also fall under their jurisdiction. In short, the Yashiro Commission governs 'rituals' and 'culture.'"
"The Tenryou Commission is responsible for maintaining internal security and enforcing the Raiden Shogun's decrees. They control nearly all of Inazuma's military forces. Simply put, the Tenryou Commission governs 'military' and 'public order.'"
"As for the Kanjou Commission... the word 'finance' says it all."
"Together, these three Commissions form the 'Tri-Commission Council,' which is Inazuma's highest administrative body aside from the Raiden Shogun herself."
"The Raiden Shogun can't manage Inazuma's day-to-day affairs personally, so any matters or proposals must first pass through the Tri-Commission Council. If two of the three Commissions veto a proposal, it won't reach the Raiden Shogun's attention."
Paimon began to understand. "So, you're saying that to deal with the Kanjou Commission, we need the Raiden Shogun's direct order. But to get her order, the matter must first be reported to the Tri-Commission Council, which will definitely veto it? Why? Are the Yashiro and Tenryou Commissions also colluding with the Kanjou Commission?"
"Not exactly."
Ye spoke indifferently:
"The head of the Yashiro Commission, Kamisato Ayato, is a shrewd yet upright individual. His sister, Kamisato Ayaka, is even more renowned among the people, earning her the title of Shirasagi Himegimi.'Under their leadership, the Yashiro Commission hasn't strayed from its path. In fact, the current stability of Inazuma is largely thanks to the Yashiro Commission's efforts."
Lumine noticed the implication in Ye's words. "What about the Tenryou Commission?"
"As for the Tenryou Commission, its middle and lower ranks are also fine. Whether it's maintaining public order, investigating cases, hunting down Vision holders, or quelling rebellions, the Tenryou Commission has been fulfilling its duties well. Precisely because the Yashiro Commission remains uncorrupted and the Tenryou Commission's lower ranks are still clean, the Kanjou Commission, which is corrupt from top to bottom, hasn't dared to go too far. They only exploit foreigners and avoid targeting Inazuma's own citizens."
"So, the upper echelons of the Tenryou Commission are also corrupt?" Paimon finally understood completely.
"Yes. From what I know, the Yashiro Commission has submitted numerous proposals to the Raiden Shogun regarding Inazuma's current state, but they've all been vetoed by the Kanjou and Tenryou Commissions in the Tri-Commission Council. While the Tenryou Commission's lower ranks are still clean, its highest leadership has colluded with the Kanjou Commission. Under these circumstances, dealing with the Kanjou Commission is nearly impossible."
"So, the Sen'emon you asked us to deliver the letter to—can she handle this? What does the Asada family do? They're not part of the three Commissions, are they?"
"The Asada family is merely an executioner family directly under the Raiden Shogun. They're not governed by the three Commissions, but they're also not above them. In fact, in Inazuma, whether it's the Kamisato family of the Yashiro Commission, the Kujou family of the Tenryou Commission, or the Hiiragi family of the Kanjou Commission, they're all far more prominent noble families than the Asada family."
Lumine frowned slightly. "Then..."
"The person I asked you to deliver the letter to is the current head of the Asada family—Asada Sen'emon."
Ye spoke decisively:
"It's not the Asada family that can solve this problem. It's Sen'emon herself."
As these words were spoken, an animated cutscene suddenly played.
The woman who had appeared briefly in the previous version but had already become famous among players—Sen'emon—appeared on the screen.
Sen'emon sat at the head of the room, while Thoma stood below, bowing deeply.
"I'm only here to deliver a letter on someone's behalf. This letter has nothing to do with the Kamisato family, so I'll take my leave now. Please decide what to do with it, Lady Sen'emon."
Sen'emon looked at the letter in her hand and smiled. "Who asked you to deliver this letter?"
"Do you know the Traveler, Lady Sen'emon?"
"That famous Traveler who's known across nations? I've heard she's quite strong?"
Sen'emon's eyes lit up slightly.
"Lady Sen'emon, that's not the point here."
"Oh, right."
Sen'emon chuckled in a magnetic voice:
"The point is, I've also heard a lot about the Traveler's personality. So, this letter... it wasn't written by her, was it?"
Thoma couldn't help but look up at Sen'emon, slightly startled. "Why do you say that, Lady Sen'emon?"
"Do you know what the letter says?"
Thoma shook his head. "Isn't it about the Kanjou Commission's crimes in Ritou? Hoping you'll take action?"
Sen'emon smiled faintly and handed the letter to a young girl beside her.
"Sakura, read it out."
The girl named Sakura took the letter, glanced at it, and frowned.
However, she still began to read softly:
"Lady Sen'emon, I've heard you're the Raiden Shogun's blade? If so, would you be willing to strike down those within the Kanjou Commission who deceive their superiors and exploit their subordinates? If you're willing, please come to Ritou. I'd like to borrow your blade for a moment."
Thoma's expression turned shocked.
After Sakura finished reading, she said coldly, "Lady Sen'emon, this person is truly insolent."
"Insolent? How so?"
I'm actually the most gentle and kind-hearted person, you know?
Thinking this to himself, Ye—no, Sen'emon—of course didn't say it out loud.
Yes, at this moment, Ye had logged into his alternate account.
After all, this part of the story required some fine-tuning, so multitasking was unavoidable.
"Isn't what the letter says true? I am indeed the Raiden Shogun's blade, and I also can't tolerate those who dare to deceive their superiors and exploit their subordinates. I want to cut them all down."
Sen'emon smiled faintly.
"However, this blade of mine isn't something just anyone can wield. Aside from the Raiden Shogun, I have no interest in being held by anyone else."
Sakura fell silent for a moment. "...What will you do, Lady Sen'emon?"
"Of course, I'll go investigate personally. We can't just take one side's word for it. We need to see the truth for ourselves. As for the person who sent this letter... let me see who has the audacity to make such a bold request."
The animated cutscene ended, and the scene shifted back to the dialogue between Ye and Lumine.
"Why can Sen'emon solve this problem?"
Paimon asked, puzzled.
Ye looked at Lumine and asked her a question. "Traveler, do you know what's most important for a nation?"
"...Rules." Lumine thought for a moment before answering firmly. "Without rules, there's no order."
"Exactly. Rules."
Ye nodded approvingly.
"The foundation of any group or organization is the establishment of rules. For a nation, this is even more true."
"These rules aren't just the laws set by the state. They also include the unwritten rules that exist in people's hearts. Sometimes, these unwritten rules are even more binding than laws, because while someone might dare to break the law for personal gain, they might not dare to violate the unspoken rules that everyone implicitly agrees on."
"The Yashiro Commission has been working hard to change Inazuma's current state, but why can't they do anything about the Kanjou Commission's crimes? The reason is simple... because this isn't their jurisdiction."
"Not only does the Raiden Shogun see it this way, but so does everyone else. If the Yashiro Commission intervenes, it's considered overstepping their authority—no matter how justified their actions are, they'll instantly become a target."
"Without the ability to break the rules, one must operate within them."
"These rules aren't just laws. They're also the unwritten rules that everyone agrees on."
"Those who blatantly break the rules won't end well, because only by playing the same game within the same rules will others recognize you as part of their circle."
Paimon understood but grew even more confused. "If that's the case, why did you say Sen'emon can handle the Kanjou Commission's affairs? If even the Yashiro Commission can't intervene, doesn't she have even less authority?"
"That's why I said it earlier."
Ye spoke earnestly:
"—Only those who lack the ability to break the rules must operate within them."
"But in this world, there are people... who have that ability."