Arataki Itto kept chattering away as he challenged Kujou Sara over and over. In the end, Sara was so fed up that she simply ordered the Tenryou Commission officers behind her to haul Arataki Itto off in shackles—earning himself a few days of a "jail combo meal."
As for the official charge, it was "disrupting public order in Inazuma City."
"Phew, finally quiet."
The moment Arataki Itto was gone, Kujou Sara felt as though her ears had finally been cleansed. That noisy oni really was a bit much.
"Kuki Shinobu, your boss is going to be staying in a cell for a few days again this time. Don't worry about him," Kujou Sara said with a small smile.
Kuki Shinobu nodded and replied helplessly, "I believe you."
She got along quite well with Kujou Sara and naturally trusted her character. In any case, there would be prison food—Arataki Itto wasn't going to starve.
"So Itto really is a regular in the cells, huh?" Koji asked with interest.
Kujou Sara gave a wry smile and said, "Pretty much. Arataki Itto does count as a frequent visitor to the jail, but it's always minor stuff. After a few days, Kuki Shinobu comes and signs him out again."
She couldn't even remember how many times Arataki Itto had been in and out of jail. Every time, the offense wasn't serious, so he just got locked up for a bit and then released.
"As for my boss… in three years, he can end up in jail several times," Kuki Shinobu added, sounding utterly tired.
Without her, the Arataki Gang really would have fallen apart.
The Arataki Gang was a tiny outfit that had basically nothing going for it to begin with—only a handful of people. Their boss refused to do anything proper and spent all day fooling around. All the real work landed on her shoulders.
Her family had tried to talk her into leaving the Arataki Gang more than once. Shrine maidens received a steady salary, but the Arataki Gang didn't pay wages at all.
"You've got it rough, Kuki Shinobu," Koji couldn't help saying.
Arataki Itto never needed to think too much about anything. Kuki Shinobu, on the other hand, had to think about everything. You could say she was playing the role of the gang's responsible "parent."
"It's alright. I'm used to it," Kuki Shinobu answered calmly.
There were a lot of things to handle, but at least it wasn't as mind-numbingly boring as sitting around on Narukami Island as a shrine maiden. Her boss might love getting carried away in hot-blooded fervor, but as an oni, he wasn't a bad person at all.
"I'll take my leave first."
Kujou Sara nodded to the little pink fox at Koji's side. She knew perfectly well this was Yae Miko—she could clearly feel the aura of the Hakushin clan.
Now that she was commanding the Tenryou Commission, she was busier than ever.
"Tsk, tsk… A descendant of Kujou Byakuyou, yet without Byakuyou's brains," the little fox shook her head.
Back in the day, tengu general Kujou Byakuyou had been both scholar and warrior—Raiden Shogun's right hand in governing the nation.
It wasn't that Kujou Sara was stupid, just excessively loyal. She followed the Raiden Shogun's orders to the letter, never voicing her own opinions.
Arataki Itto didn't have Chiyo's brains either. It really was flipped on its head.
…
"Dandelion Wine… I didn't expect you to have something this good."
Raiden Makoto looked at the bottle of Dandelion Wine and couldn't help sighing. This was no ordinary liquor—it was a fine vintage personally brewed by the Anemo Archon.
"I dug it up from the place where the Anemo Archon buried it," Koji said with a grin.
"You even know that, huh? Taking my wine and selling it for others to drink."
Following the rich aroma of alcohol, Venti arrived, riding on the wind.
Once Koji had stored the wine away in a special pocket space, Venti could no longer sense it. But the moment Koji took it out, the lingering divine aura of the Anemo Archon let him instantly feel it again.
"What I get my hands on is mine. Who told you not to hide it properly?" Koji replied, completely unabashed.
"Barbatos, your speed is still as ridiculous as ever," Raiden Makoto remarked.
In terms of mobility, the Anemo Archon's speed was astonishing. Thinking back to the Khaenri'ah war, Raiden Makoto couldn't help but smile. The Abyss offensive back then truly had been fierce, but Venti barely got injured—mostly because they just couldn't hit him. It was a completely different style from Morax's immovable bulwark.
"Hey, if I didn't run fast, I'd have been beaten to death ages ago. I don't have that kind of overwhelming power, you know," Venti said with a straight face. He really was "weak," okay?
"Barbatos, you're weak?"
At that moment, the Ruler of Death, Ronova, appeared, looking down at the drunkard with open disdain.
She knew perfectly well that this guy had used the powers of time and wind to blow a whole region—the Sea of Ashen Silence—right out of the timeline. Yet he insisted on putting on an act like this in daily life.
"The Ruler of Death?" Venti's expression froze.
Others might not realize it, but the Four Rulers certainly could see that he held a portion of the Ruler of Time's authority.
"Why did Istaroth hand over a share of her authority to you?"
"Time and wind… whatever. That's Istaroth's business. I don't feel like getting involved," Ronova muttered.
She glanced over at Raiden Makoto and said helplessly, "Another case of crossing the boundary between life and death. Still, at least you haven't abused this kind of power…"
If all the dead in the world were brought back, everything would descend into chaos. Reviving a select few was one thing.
"Honored Ruler of Death," Raiden Makoto greeted with a nod.
She had once struck a bargain with the Ruler of Time, Istaroth, but this was her first time meeting the Ruler of Death.
"Ronova, is an Undying Curse really something that can't be killed through?" Koji asked.
The Undying Curse on their captain had become his bargaining chip when negotiating with the Ruler of Death.
"Of course it can be killed through. Even I can die. So-called Undying Curses all have limits. Go beyond that limit, and even with the curse, you still die," Ronova said calmly.
However, for the native inhabitants of this world, that limit could not be broken. They had no way to shatter the Undying Curse and kill its bearer.
"Compared to the blessing on you, my Undying Curse is nothing," Ronova added. She was talking about the protection resting on Koji—that really was something you just couldn't kill.
"You mean the Undying Blessing. Even if I die, I can revive once, then gain a renewed Undying Blessing. Simply put, I can resurrect endlessly," Koji said.
"What a truly broken ability."
Even Ronova couldn't help complaining. This was not the sort of blessing a human should be allowed to have.
"Venti, have you been brewing any wine recently?" Koji looked at the wine-loving Anemo Archon, very clearly wanting to drink back every drop of the stock he'd taken.
"…What are you planning?"
Hearing that, Venti eyed Koji warily.
He had indeed brewed a new batch of wine. This time, he hadn't hidden it in the original spot, but in Dvalin's home instead.
With his familiar's aura as cover, no one should be able to find where the Dandelion Wine was stored.
But with Koji, normal logic didn't apply. For all Venti knew, the guy might really manage to track it down through Dvalin.
"Hahaha, don't be so nervous. I won't touch your fine wine this time," Koji said in an unusually serious tone.
He'd already raided it once; he wouldn't do it a second time. Besides, freshly brewed wine couldn't compare in flavor to a vintage that had mellowed over long years.
"I don't believe you. You're the one who took my wine and sold it to Grandpa Lu at a high price," Venti said evenly.
Koji shook his head. Couldn't people show a little more mutual trust?
(End of Chapter)
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