A truly intelligent person never takes others' words at face value—she only trusts her own judgment.
Sangonomiya Kokomi was such a person.
When all the clues and evidence converged, she naturally came to view Bai Luo as an "eccentric."
And her attitude toward him gradually underwent a subtle shift.
For instance, when faced with certain matters, she even began seeking his opinion.
Though she might not necessarily follow his advice, she at least trusted him more than before.
Like now—regarding the issue of spies infiltrating Watatsumi Island, she proactively invited Bai Luo to discuss the matter.
"Lady Sangonomiya."
Bai Luo met her inside Sangonomiya Shrine. At this moment, she wasn't in the best state. Despite having just replenished her energy, she looked utterly exhausted, propping up her forehead with one hand as if on the verge of dozing off.
"My apologies, I was lost in thought."
Realizing Bai Luo had arrived, Kokomi straightened her posture, and the weariness on her face faded almost instantly.
Over time, she had grown accustomed to maintaining an image of composure and confidence in front of others—no matter how exhausted she truly was.
Just as Bai Luo had predicted, she had indeed indulged in a rare day of truancy, escaping to the sea for a brief respite. But the moment she resumed her duties as the Divine Priestess, all her troubles came flooding back.
The Liyue delegation needed appeasing, the families of fallen soldiers required condolences, the Shogunate spies demanded attention...
Even her usually impressive stamina had been drained in a single day.
Not even her copy of My Raiden Shogun Can't Be This Cute could replenish the energy she had lost.
"How may I be of service, Lady Sangonomiya? If it is within my power, I will spare no effort."
Bai Luo made no mention of Igor or the three billion Mora, acting as though he knew nothing of Old Li's tip-off.
He remained as he always was—wearing that gentle smile that made people instinctively want to trust him.
"It's still about the Shogunate spies."
Speaking of this, Kokomi's expression turned grave.
She had initially assumed it was mere reconnaissance, but the events on Yashiori Island had taken an unexpected turn.
She had a premonition—this matter would inevitably lead to some grand conspiracy.
"If it's about catching spies, I can certainly try."
Bai Luo knew full well that the so-called "spy" was none other than Scaramouche.
He had simply come to confirm whether the "mysterious Harbinger" in Bourou Village was indeed Bai Luo. Once confirmed, he likely wouldn't return.
Even if he did, he would surely send word first.
Thus, this was a cushy job that also boosted his reputation—how could he pass it up?
Besides, opportunities to roam Watatsumi Island under legitimate pretexts were rare.
He might even get a chance to visit Enkanomiya.
"Actually, what I wish to ask of you is far more important than the spies."
As she spoke, Kokomi stood and walked to the window, gazing toward the direction of Narukami Island.
"Have you heard of Orobashi no Mikoto?"
"Of course. Isn't that the god of Watatsumi Island?"
Orobashi no Mikoto, also known as the Great Serpent God.
During the Archon War, he bore another name—Orobashi.
He was a loser of the Archon War.
Having lost everything, Orobashi fled toward the Dark Sea, where he encountered the abandoned people of the abyss—those who had nothing. So he chose to stay, becoming their Orobashi no Mikoto, their Great Serpent God.
Legends say the serpent god once broke off all the coral branches from its body, giving the children huddled in darkness light to see their surroundings.
Another tale claims it used the broken coral branches to build a towering staircase, allowing its children to return to the surface and see the sunlight once more.
Even today, standing on Watatsumi Island and looking toward Sangonomiya, the massive corals and shells resemble a spiraling staircase.
All the stories confirm one thing—the ancestors of the Watatsumi people were the abandoned ones saved by Orobashi from the abyss.
Without the Great Serpent God, the Watatsumi people might still be struggling in the depths of the sea.
"Originally, Orobashi no Mikoto and the Narukami Ogosho maintained peace, divided by the western border. But then war broke out without warning, and Orobashi launched an eastern campaign.
The war was brutal, bringing untold suffering to the people. The two sides clashed fiercely on what is now Yashiori Island, with heavy casualties on both sides. Even the Shogun's beloved tengu general, Sasayuri, fell in battle.
In the end, Orobashi no Mikoto perished under the Shogun's Musou no Hitotachi, dying on Yashiori Island.
From then on, Sangonomiya sent envoys to surrender, acknowledging the Inazuma Shogunate as their sovereign."
Kokomi's hands, clasped before her, tightened slightly as she recounted the ancient war.
Though they had once bowed to the Inazuma Shogunate, in their hearts, the Great Serpent God would always be their true lord.
They simply no longer dared to openly worship him. Even the Mouun Shrine was abandoned, and the place where the Great Serpent God rose from the abyss became the present-day Sangonomiya—a memorial to him.
"Lady Sangonomiya, though I wounded the Raiden Shogun, that doesn't mean I can kill her. If you're asking me to strike her again for Orobashi's sake, I'm afraid I must decline."
For all his talk of "sparing no effort," if Kokomi wanted him to slay the Raiden Shogun to avenge Orobashi, he would refuse without hesitation.
He wasn't stupid.
Never mind whether his Heavenly White Dragon Slash from all three classes could one-shot the Raiden Shogun—even if it could, Yae Miko and Ei would immediately take her place.
Ei knew the timing of his quantum state—making her one of the few gods currently capable of killing him.
He wasn't about to court death.
"You misunderstand, Mr. Himura. These are all matters of the past. Were it not for the Vision Hunt Decree, Watatsumi Island would never have formed the resistance. What I need from you is something else entirely."
Kokomi claimed it was about opposing the Vision Hunt Decree, but the true motives behind the resistance were known only to Watatsumi Island.
After all, in war, as long as you have a righteous-sounding excuse, you can paint yourself as the just side.
But as long as she wasn't asking him to fight the Raiden Shogun, other tasks... weren't entirely out of the question.
Raising fish required occasional water changes—only a clear tank could properly showcase their beauty.
"After the Great Serpent God's death, his divine body remains on Yashiori Island to this day. The fall of a god naturally brings profound effects to the surrounding area, so the Shogunate erected wards to suppress Orobashi's lingering resentment. But just before the spies infiltrated Bourou Village, these wards were destroyed by unidentified individuals."
The timing of these two events was too coincidental, and Kokomi immediately sensed the scent of conspiracy.
According to Gorou's investigations, the mysterious individuals who destroyed the wards were likely members of the resistance.
And, as fate would have it, a group of resistance soldiers had coincidentally gone missing.
Yet neither she nor Gorou had ever issued such orders.
This raised many troubling questions.