The Ashigaru rolled his eyes, but just then, a clear, cold female voice came from behind him: "Oh? The Kanjou Commission's laws? Does that mean the Tenryou Commission's authority can override that of the Shogun?"
The Ashigaru's face turned sour upon hearing this, clearly uncomfortable with such a big accusation thrust upon him.
"Who's there?"
The Ashigaru turned his head and saw a girl of ethereal beauty standing before him. Her appearance felt very familiar.
'It's like she stepped out of a painting.'
Thinking this, the Ashigaru's expression relaxed slightly. The girl had a katana at her waist and was dressed elegantly. She seemed to be a native of Inazuma.
"I am merely a passing swordswoman," the girl said softly.
"Speaking of which, has Hiiragi Shinsuke's authority already surpassed that of the Shogun? The latest policies have never included a tax increase."
An uneducated Ashigaru clearly didn't know how to refute the girl's words, so he could only resort to the banner of etiquette:
"How dare you! How can you directly address the Commissioner by name?"
"Why can't I? He's not a god, just an old man," Shiki said coldly.
"Or is Hiiragi Shinsuke already considering himself on par with the Shogun?"
"You... Damn it! Just you wait!"
"Did I say you could leave?" The Ashigaru turned to leave after speaking, but the girl's words, like a cold blade, pressed against his back, stopping his movements.
"Go back and tell that old man Hiiragi Shinsuke that I know all about his dirty dealings. He'd best rein it in if he doesn't want it reaching the Shogun's ears."
After speaking, Shiki resumed her overlooking stance, and the Ashigaru, feeling the chilling sensation on his back disappear, stumbled away in a hurry.
"Thank you for your assistance, young lady. I am Kurisu, president of the International Trade Association. May I know your esteemed name?" Kurisu thanked the girl.
'Look, as expected of a cultured person, his words are much more pleasant than that Ashigaru's.' Shiki sighed inwardly, then gave her name.
"No need for 'esteemed name,' I am Shiki."
"Oh, so it's Miss Ryougi. If I'm not mistaken, you must be a native of Inazuma, right? Why would you come to Ritou?" Kurisu was a bit puzzled.
In his impression, Ritou was already blockaded; no one could enter from outside, and no one could leave from inside. How did she get in?
"Matters related to the Grand Narukami Shrine. The specifics are inconvenient to disclose."
"If it's inconvenient, then I won't ask. But the Kanjou Commission's taxes are still a problem. Even if they're driven away once, they'll come back."
At this, Kurisu began to look worried again. Why did they have to issue such a sakoku decree!
"If that Ashigaru relays my words to Hiiragi Shinsuke, he shouldn't be so presumptuous for a while." Facing Kurisu's complaints, Shiki didn't know how to comfort him.
She could only rely on her foreknowledge of the plot to give Hiiragi Shinsuke a warning. If she had evidence, she would have reported it to the Raiden Shogun and had Hiiragi Shinsuke dismissed long ago.
Colluding with the Fatui, to put it broadly, could be treated as treason. It would be fortunate if he didn't face the death penalty.
However, Hiiragi Shinsuke was very secretive. Without concrete evidence, Shiki could only give warnings. She couldn't just sneak over at night, cut off a lock of his hair, and hang it on his front door, could she?
"I see... Speaking of which, I have an impolite request. After the Ritou blockade, all my goods are stuck in the warehouse and can't be sold. I see that Miss Ryougi can enter and exit Ritou, so could you introduce me to a buyer?"
"Introduce a buyer? Then I'd have to see what kind of goods you have first."
"Actually, it's nothing too complicated. My goods are mainly silk and luxury items from Liyue. Akizuki's are mostly minerals. Vahid deals in new fertilizers, and Caprilia sells Mondstadt wine."
"Hmm... Now that you mention it, I do have some channels here," Shiki said after thinking for a moment.
"For silk, I can introduce you to Ogura Shop in Inazuma City. I know the owner of this shop, and she mentioned needing silk before."
"As for fertilizer, Konda Village, which is responsible for producing grain, might be a possibility, but only a small amount can be tried first. After all, if the effect isn't good, the villagers won't buy it."
"Of course! I'll go tell Vahid!" Kurisu was overjoyed at the news. He had only tried on a whim, never expecting there to actually be a channel.
"As for the others... I'm sorry, I don't know anyone for those."
"It's alright, it's alright. These two are already enough. As long as the channels are opened, there will be no shortage of buyers."
"Then just wait for my news. Since I have other matters to attend to right now, it might be a few days later," Shiki said.
Unconsciously, the things she needed to do piled up, even though she was just annoyed with that old man Hiiragi Shinsuke.
After leaving, Shiki and her companions boarded a boat to the fourth ritual spot, while Kurisu eagerly shared the good news with the members of the International Trade Association.
"Everyone, our goods don't have to be stuck in the warehouse anymore!" Kurisu said excitedly.
"I just found a public official from the Grand Narukami Shrine, and she can introduce us to buyer channels."
"Really?"
"Of course it's true, but currently only Vahid and I have channels. The others will have to wait a while."
"But please rest assured, when transporting goods, I will also include some of your products. Who knows, it might just catch the attention of other buyers!"
Afterward, Kurisu rambled on for a long time. With a channel for selling their goods, the gloom on everyone's faces lightened considerably.
At the same time, the Ashigaru, who had been trembling with fear after being intimidated by Shiki, ran back to the Kanjou Commission and explained what had just happened to Hiiragi Shinsuke.
Actually, someone of his rank usually wouldn't have access to Hiiragi Shinsuke, but who knew he was so scared silly? He wouldn't tell anyone else either, so Hiiragi Shinsuke had no choice but to come and understand the situation.
"Hmm..." Hiiragi Shinsuke slowly sipped his tea, and as he recalled what the Ashigaru had said, his brows furrowed deeply.
'Who could it be? Is she trying to scare me, or does she really know about my collusion with the Fatui?'
Just as Shiki had no evidence against Hiiragi Shinsuke, Hiiragi Shinsuke was also uncertain whether the other party had any evidence. If not, it was fine, but if she did have evidence, wouldn't he be finished?
'In that case, let's temporarily maintain the current tax rate. And I'll conduct a thorough investigation. I want to see who dares to threaten me!'
Hiiragi Shinsuke's eyes instantly sharpened. Though he was old, he wasn't useless yet!
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