Chapter 40: Kamisato Ayaka's Concern
"It seems the rebels' affairs are more urgent, so Ayato won't nag you any longer."
When Kamisato Ayato stood up, he glanced at Ayaka without leaving a trace. With his wisdom, it wasn't difficult for him to figure out why the rebels' military advisor made such a request.
It was clear that, while Ayaka was away, she had secretly contacted the rebels again and informed them in more detail about the dream. How else could they explain why the rebels chose to seek peace talks now?
Though the rebels were at a disadvantage, they still had the moral high ground. The Eye Hunting Order and the Closure Order they rebelled against were indeed terrible.
Ayaka immediately noticed her brother's look. The tacit understanding between them, formed since childhood, allowed her to grasp his meaning.
"Sara, what do you think about this matter?"
Kujo Sara frowned in thought. Since Su Ran asked for her opinion, it must mean this issue was more complicated than it appeared. She didn't think that Su Ran, who had the power to defeat General Raiden, would be unaware of the situation. So, his question probably wasn't about her thoughts, but rather a test.
"My Lord, I think there must be something unusual about this situation."
"Something unusual?" Su Ran fixed his gaze on Kujo Sara, wanting to probe further.
She hesitated. "I think... it's because the rebels have suffered heavy losses. If they continue fighting, they will only face greater losses. Haiji Island's material reserves won't last much longer, and they are no match for the shogunate."
While Kujo Sara considered the consequences of war, she hadn't yet thought about other potential factors, such as third-party involvement.
"Even though Haiji Island can't get more supplies from Inazuma's homeland, the Fatui might be secretly supporting the rebels to destabilize the region further," Su Ran interjected. "Without the Fatui's help, the rebels wouldn't have been able to stand against the shogunate army—even if they were losing more battles than they won."
"That's a good point." Su Ran nodded thoughtfully. "Since the ornamental fish wants to meet, let's meet her. Wait... she wants to meet General Raiden, doesn't she?"
"Yes," Kujo Sara replied. "The rebels' military advisor specifically asked to meet the current ruler of the shogunate."
But isn't the current ruler Su Ran himself?
Even Kujo Sara could see that General Raiden followed Su Ran's orders. When she reported to General Raiden yesterday, she had received a simple response: "Wait until Su Ran returns to discuss it."
"What's going on here?" Su Ran mused aloud. "It seems Xin Hai knows a lot of information. But how does she know so much?"
There were only a few people who knew about Su Ran's role, aside from General Raiden—the junior general, Yae Miko, and...
Kujo Sara glanced at Kamisato Ayaka, who was staring down with a guilty expression. It was most likely her.
Although Sara didn't know much about Yae Miko, she didn't think Yae, as a follower of Narukami, would turn against Narukami.
But Ayaka? She had many suspicions.
Given the situation, Sara didn't choose to expose it. This was probably part of their plan.
"Sara, go ahead and prepare. I want to see what the ornamental fish is up to."
"Yes, my Lord. I will obey the order!"
Just as Kujo Sara was about to leave, ready to leave Su Ran and Ayaka alone, she was stopped.
"My Lord... what is it?"
"Kujo Takayuki has been imprisoned for deceiving his superiors, colluding with foreign forces, and being disloyal to General Raiden. No matter what, he is your adoptive father. You should visit him when you can."
"Ah?" Kujo Sara froze in shock. "What? What happened?"
Only a few days ago, she had seen the head of the family trying to persuade the general to retract his orders. How could he now be imprisoned? And from such a reliable source?
"The head of the family... How could he be disloyal to the general?"
As the adopted daughter of the Kujo family, how could Sara not know that Kujo Takayuki was devoted to General Raiden? His loyalty was unquestionable.
"Maybe there's been some misunderstanding," Kamisato Ayaka suggested. "As far as I know, the head of the family has always been loyal to the general."
Sara nodded, though still shocked. "I can't believe it. But if this is really true, he's colluding with the Fatui...?"
"Yes. He was involved with the Fatui." Su Ran confirmed.
Kujo Sara was speechless. "But, sir, aren't you one of the Fatui's executive officers?"
An executive officer of the Fatui, taking down the general of Inazuma, and wielding the same divine power as General Raiden?
"Yes," Su Ran said calmly, "but the one who gave the order was General Raiden, not me."
Kujo Sara was taken aback. If this decision came from General Raiden, then perhaps there was no avoiding it.
"But don't worry," Su Ran continued, "though Kujo Takayuki was unfaithful, both the general and I still trust in your loyalty."
"Sara... will not let you or the general down," Kujo Sara said solemnly, saluting before she left the castle tower in despair.
"Su Ran, is it really okay for you to do this?" Kamisato Ayaka asked, struggling to understand his reasoning. "You're an executive officer of the Fatui—why undermine your own position?"
Su Ran smiled and lightly hooked his finger under Ayaka's chin, lifting her gaze. "Are you worried that I'll be blamed by the other executive officers? Or that the Ice Queen will punish me?"
"I'm glad you care, but don't worry," he said with a smirk. "The Ice Queen won't blame me. And honestly, I don't care what the other executives think. I have a big fist, after all."
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