Chapter 31: Welcoming the Shogun

The location for the duel before the Shogun was set at the training grounds of Tenshukaku.

Contrary to Bai Luo's expectations, this duel only allowed a select few high-ranking officials of Inazuma to attend, with no civilians permitted to join the spectacle.

This prevent Bai Luo's initial plan to stir up trouble amidst the chaos.

However, the Raiden Shogun herself would be present.

Although Bai Luo had come to Inazuma as a Snezhnaya envoy, he had yet to meet the Raiden Shogun.

He had no desire to meet her, and it seemed she also had no interest in meeting him.

She had delegated the task of receiving him to her three commissioners.

Normally, the Yashiro Commission would be the most suitable for receiving an envoy, but Kujou Takayuki of the Tenryou Commission had volunteered for the task.

This was mainly because the Yashiro Commission hadn't been infiltrated by the Fatui, and there was a fear of potential mishaps.

As a Fatui envoy, Bai Luo also received an invitation from Inazuma.

The invitation was to let him witness Inazuma's grandest duel, but in reality, it was likely an attempt to showcase Inazuma's power.

However, Bai Luo declined the invitation, because he said he was not feeling well.

If he intended to cause trouble, he couldn't appear at the scene directly, or else the trouble would be directed at him instead.

To be on the safe side, he even prepared a set of traditional Inazuman attire and a cat-faced mask bought from a street vendor.

He could rely on his skill to conceal himself when not attacking, but in this situation... there was no guarantee of what might happen.

What if the Raiden Shogun could see through his invisibility?

Being fully prepared was essential.

The duel before the Shogun was scheduled to start at noon, but the young man arrived at Tenshukaku before dawn.

He sat on the steps beside the training grounds, playing with his cat and eating a cold rice ball.

The Shogunate soldiers preparing for the duel noticed him. Perhaps considering his unique status, they didn't chase him away.

"Young man, the duel before the Shogun doesn't start until noon. You're too eager."

Shima Masaoki, the General's Hatamoto samurai in charge of the scene's security, brought him a bowl of hot tea.

"This might be my only chance in this lifetime to enter Tenshukaku. Of course, I want to take a good look."

Taking the tea, the young man thanked him and replied in a half-joking tone.

"I've guarded Tenshukaku for decades. To be honest... it's just okay."

Sitting beside the young man, Shima Masaoki looked at the Tenshukaku he had guarded all his life and sighed.

As the most prestigious place in Inazuma, Tenshukaku's sheer size was almost as large as the entire market district of Inazuma.

Or rather, nearly half of Inazuma City was occupied by Tenshukaku.

The tiles adorned with thunder patterns and the golden sculptures on the roof gave Tenshukaku an aura of both magnificence and severity.

It was the most yearned place for the people of Inazuma and also the most feared.

"I know why you initiated the duel before the Shogun, but young man, your thoughts are a bit extreme."

"Uncle, you seem to misunderstand. The reason I initiated the duel is simply to witness the Shogun's Musou no Hitotachi."

Numerous versions of why he initiated the duel had circulated in just one night.

Some said he and Kujou Sara were childhood friends, but she had found a new love, prompting him to challenge her out of anger.

Others said his relatives had been killed because of the Vision Hunt Decree, and he sought revenge against Kujou Sara.

But at some point, a third version began to spread among the people.

He had initiated the duel to resist the Vision Hunt Decree.

This was the most widely accepted explanation.

Even many among the three commissions found this explanation credible.

"Sigh, if you need any help, come find me. You still have half a day."

Shima Masaoki didn't take his words seriously. He patted the young man's shoulder, stood up, and continued his security duties.

No one believed he would survive the duel before the Shogun.

That's right, survive.

He might win, but regardless, he wouldn't survive.

Even if the Shogun spared him, the three commissions wouldn't allow him to leave Inazuma City alive.

"Half a day?"

With a blade of grass in his mouth, the young man looked at the blue sky.

"It's still a long time..."

The white cat in his arms didn't sense anything amiss with its owner.

It continued to paw at the blade of grass, trying to catch it.

As time passed, representatives of the three commissions began to arrive.

Hiiragi Shinsuke of the Kanjou Commission, Kujou Takayuki of the Tenryou Commission, and Kamisato Ayato of the Yashiro Commission all arrived at the scene.

Thoma was still on Ritou and hadn't returned, so he was accompanied by a regular servant.

Watching the young man playing with his cat on the steps, Kamisato Ayato maintained a faint smile.

Unlike the other two heads of the commissions, he didn't approach with harsh words but instead took his seat, waiting for the duel to begin.

After some time, the gates of Tenshukaku opened, and the Okuzumeshuu came out one after another.

The previously chatty heads of the three commissions stood up simultaneously.

The Okuzumeshuu were the personal guards of the Raiden Shogun. They only followed direct orders from the Shogun to ensure there were always trustworthy forces around her.

However, it's worth noting that although they were personal guards, the Raiden Shogun, who pursued ultimate martial arts, didn't need mortal protection. The Okuzumeshuu mainly prevented the public from trespassing into forbidden areas, avoiding unnecessary trouble.

But where the Okuzumeshuu were present, it signified the imminent arrival of the Raiden Shogun.

"Tap... tap..."

Everyone looked at the gates of Tenshukaku, not daring to make a sound.

In the quiet training grounds, besides the wind, only the footsteps from inside Tenshukaku could be heard.

The sound was faint yet had a subtle rhythm.

This rhythm seemed to resonate with the heartbeat of everyone present.

One step, two steps...

The footsteps felt as if they were pressing on everyone's hearts, causing some new recruits to turn pale and their legs to tremble.

Such was the Raiden Shogun's presence; she could command submission even before appearing.

The first to emerge from Tenshukaku wasn't the Raiden Shogun.

It was Kujou Sara, who had been waiting in Tenshukaku since last night.

She had changed into combat attire and held a katana.

Though she was famous in Inazuma for her archery, her swordsmanship was also exceptional.

Besides training in the military camp, the Raiden Shogun had personally instructed her.

This was Teyvat, not some game.

Here, anything was possible.

For example, Klee wielding the Wolf's Gravestone, Kamisato Ayaka wielding the Unforged, or Diluc carrying Kaeya.

So Kujou Sara wielding a katana wasn't surprising.

After stepping out, Kujou Sara made way and bowed respectfully.

"Welcome, Shogun-sama!"