The days in Inazuma settled into a comfortable, if slightly surreal, routine. Ren's life was a quiet tapestry of reading, thoughtful observation, and the occasional, thrilling flight on his hoverboard through the scenic, purple-hued landscapes.
One bright, clear morning, their peaceful rhythm diverged. "I believe I will visit the Liyue trade delegation in Ritou today," Ganyu announced, a hint of professional duty in her voice. "I should check on their progress and ensure they have everything they need."
Yae Miko, who had been sipping her morning tea with a foxy, contemplative smile, saw a perfect opportunity. "An excellent idea, my dear," she purred. "And while you are attending to your official duties, I shall take our little Ren on a small diplomatic mission of my own. There are some people I believe he should meet."
And so, while Ganyu headed to the bustling, controlled chaos of the outlander's port, Ren found himself accompanying Yae Miko on a journey to the heart of Inazuma's political and cultural landscape: the Kamisato Estate.
The estate, nestled on a serene, beautiful bluff overlooking the sea, was a masterpiece of Inazuman architecture and garden design. It was a place of quiet, understated elegance, a world away from the divine grandeur of the Narukami Shrine or the imposing, military might of the Tenshukaku.
They were greeted at the entrance by Thoma, his usual cheerful, affable smile in place, though his eyes widened slightly in surprise at the sight of the Guuji of the Grand Narukami Shrine arriving with a small, unknown, and incredibly beautiful child.
He led them through the pristine, raked-sand gardens and into a large, airy, and beautifully appointed receiving room. There, two figures were waiting.
One was a young woman of breathtaking, refined beauty. Her long, pale silver-blue hair was styled in an elegant, noble fashion, and she wore a magnificent, intricately detailed kimono. Her bearing was one of perfect, graceful poise, and her gentle, intelligent eyes held a deep, profound sense of duty. This was Kamisato Ayaka, the Shirasagi Himegimi, the beloved princess of the Yashiro Commission.
The other was a young man, her brother, whose handsome, refined features were a mirror of her own. He had the same pale blue hair, and a calm, almost unnervingly serene, smile was on his face. His eyes, however, held a sharp, cunning, and deeply analytical light. This was Kamisato Ayato, the Yashiro Commissioner, the silent, brilliant, and deeply formidable head of the clan.
Yae Miko made the introductions with her usual, playful flair. "Ayato, my dear Ayaka," she began, a mischievous twinkle in her violet eyes. "Allow me to introduce you to the most interesting person to have graced our shores in a very long time. This is Ren. You may know of him by his unofficial, but far more exciting, title: the creator of the man-made Visions."
The reaction was immediate and profound. Both Ayaka and Ayato, who were the picture of noble, unshakable composure, stared at the small, polite boy, their eyes wide with a stunned, profound disbelief. They had, of course, heard the rumors, the incredible, world-shaking whispers from Liyue. To be faced with the reality, with the small, quiet, and impossibly young architect of this new age, was a shock that momentarily shattered their perfect poise.
"It is… an honor to meet you," Ayaka said, her voice a soft, slightly breathless whisper as she gave a graceful, formal bow.
Ayato's reaction was quieter, but no less intense. His serene smile remained, but his sharp, analytical eyes were scanning Ren, his mind clearly racing, processing the immense, strategic implications of this child's existence.
The conversation that followed was a delicate, polite dance of diplomacy. But the most significant revelation came when Miko, with a casual, almost offhand, comment, mentioned Ren's recent activities.
"...and of course, the Shogun was so taken with him," she purred, "that she insisted on a private audience at the Tenshukaku."
This new piece of information hit the Kamisato siblings with the force of a physical blow. A private audience with the Raiden Shogun? The reclusive, unapproachable, and utterly terrifying god who had not granted such a meeting to anyone, not even to the heads of the Tri-Commission, in decades?
It was then that their eyes fell upon the magnificent, glowing Electro-pendant hanging around Ren's neck. They recognized the emblem instantly. It was the Shogun's personal sigil, a symbol of direct, undeniable authority, an item of legendary, almost mythical, status. Ayaka's hand unconsciously went to her own Cryo Vision, a gift she had earned through her own ambition, but it paled in comparison to the sheer, absolute weight of the favor that the small boy before her now possessed.
The entire dynamic of the meeting shifted. Ren was no longer just a brilliant inventor; he was a person of immense, almost incomprehensible, political and divine standing in their nation.
Throughout the meeting, Ayaka found her gaze repeatedly drawn to Ren. She was utterly, completely, and hopelessly charmed. He was just so… cute. The way he sat so politely, the way his glowing azure eyes would widen with curiosity, the way his messy hair fell across his forehead. A powerful, almost overwhelming, urge rose within her, a desperate, primal need to scoop him up, to hug him, to cuddle him and pinch his soft cheeks.
She had to physically clench her hands in the sleeves of her kimono to restrain herself, maintaining her perfect, noble composure through a sheer, heroic act of will.
They did not know, of course, the true, secret nature of his meeting. They did not know of Ei, of the Plane of Euthymia. To them, he had simply met with the Raiden Shogun, the divine, unfeeling puppet on the throne. But even that was a feat so incredible, so world-shaking, that it had just placed this small, quiet boy from Liyue at the very center of the intricate, dangerous, and shifting chessboard of Inazuman politics.