Upon hearing Thoma's words, the Kamisato guards quickly sheathed their weapons and bowed to Akio.
"I've been sent by Lady Ayaka to invite the Great Divine Official as a guest," Thoma said, leading Akio inside.
"Lord Akio, this way," Thoma guided Akio toward the Kamisato family's reception hall.
"As expected of the Yashiro Commission, it's quite impressive," Akio remarked, admiring the architecture of the Kamisato Estate. The estate was vast, with numerous pavilions and towers, and the front garden alone covered a significant area.
In terms of size, the Kamisato Estate was even larger than the Grand Narukami Shrine, though it also housed many people.
"We're here, Lord Akio. Lady Ayaka is waiting for you inside," Thoma said, opening the door and stepping aside.
"Hmm," Akio nodded and walked in.
It had to be said, the Kamisato family's reception room was truly beautiful, designed in a traditional Inazuman style. The curtains bore the Kamisato family crest, and the room was adorned with exquisite pastries. A graceful figure knelt in the center.
Hearing the door open, the young lady quickly looked up, and Akio got a full view of her.
She was the epitome of elegance, the kind of noble lady who could make most players lose their minds with just a single phrase like "Your Highness" in the game.
Kamisato Ayaka wasn't wearing the outfit from the game but instead a long, snow-white dress.
"You must be Lord Akio?" Ayaka was slightly taken aback when she saw him, quickly rising to greet him.
She hadn't expected the Great Divine Official to be so young. He looked even younger than her brother.
"What? Doesn't seem like it?" Akio smiled.
"I… I didn't mean it that way," Ayaka hurriedly explained, worried that Akio might misunderstand.
"Lord Akio, please take a seat," Ayaka said, scolding herself internally but still guiding Akio over.
Akio sat cross-legged, as he disliked the traditional kneeling style.
"I don't like kneeling," Akio explained calmly, noticing Ayaka's surprised expression.
"My apologies, Lord Akio. I didn't consider that," Ayaka said softly.
"It's fine. Sit," Akio replied indifferently. They'd never met before, so how could she know his preferences?
Hearing Akio's words, Ayaka carefully knelt down. She looked at Akio's handsome face, momentarily at a loss for words.
Kamisato Ayaka! What's wrong with you today? Don't let Lord Akio form a bad impression of the Kamisato family! Ayaka didn't know why her mind seemed to short-circuit whenever she faced Akio.
But as the Shirasagi Himegimi, Ayaka quickly composed herself and poured Akio a cup of freshly brewed tea.
"Lord Akio, please enjoy."
"I've heard from Miko that the Kamisato family's young lady is elegant, talented, and accomplished. Seeing you today, you truly live up to the title of the Shirasagi Himegimi, widely known across Inazuma," Akio said after taking a sip of the tea. He had to admit, Ayaka's tea ceremony skills far surpassed Yae Miko's.
"You flatter me, Lord Akio," Ayaka said, her cheeks slightly red. "You may call me Ayaka."
"In that case, I'll be direct. Ayaka, why did you invite me here today?" Akio asked bluntly.
"…" Ayaka was caught off guard by Akio's straightforwardness. All the carefully prepared opening lines she had in mind were now useless.
"I… I heard that Lady Yae has reinstated the position of the Great Divine Official. Since the Yashiro Commission's duties overlap with yours, I thought it would be good to meet and get to know you," Ayaka explained, unsure of how else to phrase it.
"I see," Akio nodded. Compared to Ayaka's nervousness, he was much more relaxed, as if he were the host.
He picked up a pastry and took a bite. He hadn't had breakfast yet and had been dragged here by Thoma.
Ayaka watched Akio silently eating the pastries, her anxiety growing. She wondered if she had said something wrong. Being so direct might have made Akio uncomfortable.
Clearly, Ayaka was still somewhat inexperienced in these matters, far less composed than her brother.
"You don't need to worry about that," Akio said after finishing a few pastries, noticing Ayaka's restlessness. He smiled.
"Although I'm the Great Divine Official, I don't want to get too involved in ceremonial matters. I'm not familiar with them."
"The Yashiro Commission can continue as before. You don't need to submit decisions to me for approval. Just handle things as you used to and report directly to Miko," Akio said. He had decided to be a slacker. The idea of personally overseeing ceremonies? No way!
The only things that brought him joy were lazing around, collecting his salary, and spending time with beautiful women.
"Huh?" Ayaka was stunned. He didn't want to take charge? So he was just going to be a figurehead?
"What's wrong?" Akio said calmly. "Isn't this what you wanted? From the moment Miko gave me the position of Great Divine Official, isn't this what you were hoping for?"
"Lord Akio…" Ayaka trembled slightly. She hadn't expected Akio to speak so plainly about such a sensitive matter—the distribution of power.
"I'm well aware that the position of Great Divine Official has been vacant for a hundred years, and all its authority has been fully delegated to the Yashiro Commission," Akio said, taking a sip of tea.
"Now that the position has been suddenly reinstated, forcing you to hand over your authority, you're naturally reluctant. And I happen to dislike trouble, so leaving it to you is fine by me."
"Among the Tri-Commission, the Yashiro Commission is responsible for ceremonial and cultural affairs, with the Grand Narukami Shrine above you. Compared to the other two commissions, your position isn't particularly high, is it?" Akio continued. "If you were to give up most of your authority, you'd fall far behind the other two commissions. That's why you're so eager to understand my intentions, right?"
"I'm sorry, Lord Akio, we…" Ayaka bit her lip. Indeed, that was exactly what they were thinking. No one wanted to give up their authority, and with Inazuma's current turmoil, the Yashiro Commission was in a precarious position. One misstep could lead to disaster.
"I've said it before—I don't care about these things," Akio waved his hand dismissively. "But I have one request: tell your brother to rein in his schemes."
"He's young but has managed to uphold the Kamisato family. He's resourceful and capable. Now that we've laid everything out, he should keep me out of his calculations," Akio's eyes glimmered with a faint golden light.
"At the very least, he should withdraw all the ninjas he's stationed near Chinju Forest and the Grand Narukami Shrine."
A/n - as promised I have uploaded one extra chapter now our next target is 100 power stonessssss