Tragedy! The Abyss Lost the 50/50 to the Prince Again
Under the Kanjou Commission's administration, no one could enter or leave Ritou at will.
This restriction applied not only to foreign merchants but also to the people of Inazuma.
After all, since the Sakoku Decree was enacted, Ritou had become Inazuma's sole port for foreign trade. Anyone with eyes could see that scarcity increased value. As long as they controlled Ritou, even saying they earned a fortune every day wouldn't be enough to describe their profits.
How could the Kanjou Commission possibly relinquish such overwhelming wealth? If local Inazuman merchants were also allowed to enter and leave Ritou freely, the Commission would lose control over the pricing of these highly sought-after foreign goods. How could they allow that?
Xia Yu had originally planned to sneak in, but with Thoma accompanying her, she entered Ritou without issue under the Kamisato Clan's name.
The two then went their separate ways. They had only met by chance, and Kamisato Ayaka had merely lent Xia Yu a hand in accordance with the Kamisato Clan's philosophy of befriending people from all walks of life. Thoma also knew that the mysterious woman before him undoubtedly had her own business to attend to, so he tactfully left.
At the same time, two visitors from a foreign land set foot on Inazuman soil for the first time.
"Wow, so this is Inazuma?"
Floating in the air, Paimon curiously examined their surroundings. "At first glance, it looks pretty similar, but when you look more closely, its style is completely different from Liyue's."
"Hahaha!" Beidou laughed heartily upon hearing that. "That's true. A lot of people say Inazuman and Liyue architecture look quite similar since they're both primarily made of wood."
"You've finally arrived, Big Sis from Liyue." Thoma, who had been waiting at the docks for quite some time, approached them. "You certainly kept me waiting. And these two stowaways... Oh, no, honored guests."
Beidou scratched her head. "We were delayed quite a bit along the way, all thanks to your Shogun. The thunderstorms over the open sea were much fiercer than in previous years."
"Right, let me introduce you." Beidou looked at the Traveler and pointed toward Thoma. "This is Thoma, a friend I recently made. He's very well-connected on Ritou. Thoma, these two are the Traveler and Paimon."
"There's no need for a special introduction." Thoma wore a perfectly measured, friendly smile. "The fame of the foreign Traveler reached Inazuma long ago."
Paimon's eyes lit up. "Wow, you've actually heard of us?"
"The famous Honorary Knight, of course." Thoma spread his hands. "I may live in Inazuma, but I'm actually from Mondstadt."
"Thoma is something of a local boss on Ritou. If you run into any trouble here, just go to him." Beidou patted Thoma on the shoulder. "If he gives you a hard time, I'll back you up the next time I come to Inazuma."
Feeling the strength behind her hand, Thoma grimaced slightly. "Don't worry, don't worry. I have a feeling we'll get along wonderfully."
"Unfortunately, I can't stay long. There's still a wanted passenger aboard my ship." Beidou sighed. "This is where we part, Traveler. May you weather every storm Inazuma throws at you!"
It wasn't only because of Kaedehara Kazuha. The Crux Fleet was also carrying supplies to be sold to Watatsumi Island, so they had to hurry over and complete the delivery.
Otherwise, people on Watatsumi Island really could starve to death.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Beidou boarded the Alcor once again and sailed out of the harbor.
"All right, business comes first." Thoma turned toward the Traveler. "Under the Sakoku Decree, foreigners are strictly regulated. First, we'll visit the border inspection station to register your arrival. Afterward, we'll need to go to the Kanjou Commission's Foreign Affairs Agency to complete your residency procedures."
"There are procedures too?" Lumine sighed. She was already exhausted after spending so long aboard the ship, yet now she had to run around doing paperwork. She complained, "It wasn't this troublesome in Mondstadt or Liyue."
"Please try to understand." Thoma also looked somewhat helpless. Inazuma hadn't been this troublesome in the past either. "After all, these are Inazuma's 'new' regulations."
"We'll just... Uh..." Before Thoma could finish speaking, he saw the mysterious woman who had traveled with him standing behind the Traveler.
"Miss." Lumine turned around and immediately saw the conspicuous figure. Her eyes lit up. Her instincts told her that this had to be a beautiful woman. "Is there something you need?"
Xia Yu said nothing. She merely stepped forward, gently patted Lumine's head, and ruffled her hair.
'Mm, it feels pretty nice.'
'Sigh, the Abyss lost the 50/50 and got the Prince again. Still, that's a good thing. After all, the Princess is mine now.'
'Hehe.'
"Hey, you!" Lumine froze at her actions. She hadn't expected this woman to be so direct. As the Traveler's external organ and divine mouthpiece, Paimon immediately protested. "Why are you getting all touchy the moment we meet?! We don't even know who you are!"
However, the moment she spoke, the woman turned directly toward her. Although a veil concealed her face, Paimon would bet anything that the woman was staring at her.
"Wh-What are you looking at?" Paimon immediately lost her nerve. "Never seen someone like Paimon befo—Mmph, mmph..."
Before she could finish speaking, the figure before her vanished in an instant. When she reappeared, she was already directly in front of Paimon. She reached out, pinched Paimon's cheeks, and gently kneaded them.
"Mmmph!" Paimon was completely dumbfounded. She had never encountered anyone who acted so familiar with strangers. She hurriedly broke free from the woman's hands and hid behind the Traveler.
"Lumine, say something!" She tugged at Lumine's hair and demanded, "Why are you just standing there watching?!"
"Ahem." Only then did Lumine react. Feeling slightly guilty, she averted her gaze. "This miss, I don't think we're acquainted."
"We really aren't very familiar with each other," Xia Yu replied with a trace of amusement in her voice. "But that's fine. We'll become close soon enough."
"My dear Princess."
"Huh? Princess?" Paimon immediately forgot what had just happened and turned toward Lumine curiously. "We've been traveling together for so long, but I never knew you were a princess, Lumine!"
"Forget you—I didn't even know that myself." Lumine tilted her head. "Maybe it's some kind of... polite compliment?"
"It's not." Xia Yu chuckled. "Have more confidence. You truly are a genuine Princess, although that status doesn't come from your parents."
"How could..." Lumine was about to refute her, but then her expression froze.
If it wasn't inherited from her parents, then the only family she had left was...
"My brother?!" Lumine immediately felt terrible. What did that mean? Had her brother gone somewhere and become a prince without her knowing?
"Huh? Your brother?" Paimon covered her mouth in surprise. "This has something to do with your brother?"
"Um, this... somewhat impolite lady." She turned toward Xia Yu. "Do you know her brother?"
"I know such a person exists," Xia Yu said with her arms crossed. "But I'm not familiar with him."
"Is he doing well?" Lumine abruptly stepped forward, grabbed Xia Yu's hand, and asked anxiously, "I haven't been able to find him anywhere..."
"It's difficult to say whether he's doing well or not." Xia Yu thought for a moment before continuing, "All I can say is that he chose his own path."
"Then where is he now?" Lumine continued asking.
"I don't know." Xia Yu shook her head. "After all, I merely know that such a person exists."
"I mainly came to see you this time because I was curious."
As she spoke, she glanced at Paimon again, then gently tapped the eye-shaped ornament at her waist.
The latter was still pretending to be dead.
However, Xia Yu believed Ronova was undoubtedly watching everything happening here at every moment.
"See? I told you Mondstadt's Honorary Knight was famous." Thoma hurriedly interjected. "I'm sure this lady thinks so too."
"Speaking of which, although we traveled together, I still don't know your name."
"My name?" Xia Yu gave him a meaningful look. "Just call me Raiden Mei."
"Oh, so you're Raiden Me—" Thoma instinctively began exchanging pleasantries, but abruptly stopped halfway through.
"Hm? What's wrong, Thoma?" Paimon asked curiously. "Is there something strange about that name?"
Something strange?
Everything about it was strange.
In Inazuma, Raiden wasn't a surname just anyone could use...
Looking at the hat atop the woman's head and the veil concealing her face, Thoma suddenly began sweating profusely.
Only the heavens knew who was hiding beneath that veil.
Furthermore, she had specifically come looking for the famous Traveler. Could she have learned of milady's plans?
Yet if she were a member of the Shogunate, she couldn't possibly be bold enough to claim the surname Raiden. She herself would be unable to explain such behavior. Offending the dignity of a god was a serious crime, and a Shogunate official knowingly breaking the law would only face even harsher punishment.
That left only one possibility.
She genuinely possessed the confidence to use that name.
"Weren't we going to the Foreign Affairs Agency?" Xia Yu gently tapped the scabbard at her waist. "Let's go, everyone. Let's finish this quickly. Trust me, there will be plenty more procedures in the future."
"Ha... Haha." Thoma laughed awkwardly twice before leading the way. "This way."
Lumine still wanted to ask something, but the other woman clearly didn't wish to continue speaking, so she silently closed her mouth.
The woman was right here and couldn't run away. At worst, Lumine could keep pestering her after finishing their business.
"Are you here to apply for residency?"
Yurika, the clerk at the Foreign Affairs Agency, spoke indifferently without even raising her head. "How many people?"
"Just these two." Thoma pointed at Lumine and Paimon.
"Understood." Yurika maintained a strictly businesslike expression. "The residency processing fee comes to two million Mora in total."
"T-Two million Mora?" Paimon's entire expression collapsed. "Does completing some paperwork really cost that much?"
That was two million Mora! How many enormous meals could she enjoy at Xinyue Kiosk with that much money?
"One million per person, for a total of two million." Yurika ignored her and looked at Thoma. "I haven't miscalculated."
"The problem isn't whether you miscalculated!" Paimon stamped her feet anxiously. "The price itself is completely ridiculous!"
Lumine's smile also disappeared as she began considering the possibility of sneaking in illegally.
"Miss Yurika, these two are my friends." Seeing this, Thoma knew it was time for him to intervene. "We've known each other for quite some time, haven't we?"
"Oh, it's Mr. Thoma." Yurika seemed to have prepared her response long ago. "In that case, out of respect for you, I'll reduce it to four hundred thousand Mora."
"Thank you, but in my opinion, six hundred Mora should be enough to handle this paperwork." Thoma pressed his hands together and smiled cheerfully. "I'll pay the fee on their behalf and treat you to a meal as well. How does that sound?"
Yurika hesitated. "Mr. Thoma, the way you bargain is as ruthless as ever..."
Thoma continued smiling. "That price isn't unreasonable, is it?"
In the end, Yurika compromised. "Sigh, fine, fine. We'll do as you say, Mr. Thoma. I'll register them now."
Even after leaving the Foreign Affairs Agency with two documents in hand, Lumine and Paimon were still bewildered.
"Y-You're that good at bargaining, Thoma?" Paimon looked at him in admiration. "You reduced it all the way from two million to six hundred!"
He was practically the God of Bargaining!
"Oh, it was nothing, nothing." Thoma waved his hand, then glanced from the corner of his eye at the silent Raiden Mei beside them.
However, she displayed no emotion whatsoever.
"But I should warn you first: these permits can only be used on Ritou," Thoma continued. "If you want to travel to Narukami Island, you'll need to apply separately for travel permits."
"What? There's more paperwork?" Paimon immediately wilted.
"Inazuma has so many rules," Lumine complained as well.
"Sigh, there's nothing we can do about it." Thoma sighed. "Although it's also under the Kanjou Commission's jurisdiction, the procedure is much more troublesome. Without the right connections, it's nearly impossible to obtain one."
Lumine frowned. "Is there really no other way?"
"Ritou is the only port open to the outside world under the Sakoku Decree, and the Kanjou Commission controls every route connecting Inazuma to foreign nations." Thoma spread his hands. "All foreigners entering or leaving Ritou are subject to their control. Most foreign merchants have been trapped here for so long precisely because they can't obtain travel permits."
"Actually, it would be strange if they were easy to obtain," Xia Yu said. "Other people see Ritou as an island, but in the Kanjou Commission's eyes, it's a mountain of gold and silver."
"How could they possibly allow foreign merchants to escape their control and travel to mainland Inazuma? You saw it yourselves just now. Every person is worth one million Mora."
She said with a smile, "If they let people leave and freely trade throughout Inazuma, how would they continue exploiting them?"
"So forget about those so-called travel permits."
At this point, she glanced at Thoma. "And don't place your hopes on the International Trade Association established by foreign merchants either. If they were truly that capable, they wouldn't have been forced to huddle together merely to survive."
"Those in the same trade are normally bitter rivals. The fact that the Kanjou Commission managed to force all those competitors to unite should tell you just how thoroughly it drains them dry."
"Uh, Rai... Mm, Miss Mei, you seem to know Ritou quite well." Thoma cautiously probed her.
"Oh, I came here from Yashiori Island," Xia Yu replied. "I'm investigating a business involving the sale of Crystal Marrow."
"The final destination of that business is right here. The Kanjou Commission demands Crystal Marrow, a mineral unique to Inazuma, as tax payments from the various foreign merchant associations."
"Then they have someone release their stockpiles at exorbitant prices, indirectly plundering the wealth of foreign merchants. Once the taxes are collected, they return the Crystal Marrow to the warehouse and sell it again the next time. What a wonderfully profitable business with virtually no cost."
Xia Yu looked at Thoma.
"They truly have no shame when it comes to feeding themselves."
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