Yes, Lady Funina!

"Oh, right, I also have some clothes that Kage wore..." Yae no Miko casually mentioned.

Kujo Sara's eyes narrowed, and she said in a deep voice, "As a subordinate, how can you have any intention of overstepping your bounds?"

She then chose a samurai outfit that she was familiar with and went into the dressing room.

Yae no Miko waited outside the door with a smile, adjusting the phonograph machine imported from Fontainebleau. It has to be said that this thing is indeed much more useful than drawing by hand.

Before the invention of the phonograph, even the most outstanding painter could only produce two or three sets of clothes a day. But with the phonograph, producing more than a dozen sets a day is no longer a dream!

"Sara, are you ready?" Yae no Miko asked, urging Kujo Sara to come out of the changing room after such a long time.

"H-Hurry up..." Kujo Sara's panicked voice came from inside the house.

Shortly after, the door opened, and Kujo Sara walked out. Yae no Miko's eyes lit up immediately.

"W-Is this really a samurai outfit?" Kujo Sara pulled her skirt down tightly with her hands, trying to cover more of her skin with the short piece of fabric.

She wore pure black soft armor on her upper body, but the design of this soft armor was a bit special. It could only cover the southern hemisphere and a little bit of the northern hemisphere. The upper part was covered by a semi-transparent pure white silk shawl, and her flesh color was faintly visible.

As for her back, it was completely exposed to the air, straight and upright, with symmetrical lines and fair skin. It was a rare and beautiful back. From the side, one could also glimpse a corner of her round face, which was fair and perky.

This made Kujo Sara wonder: how could a samurai outfit be called with so many vulnerable areas, especially the most important back, exposed to the air without any cover?

Especially the lower body; what should have been trousers for easy movement has been replaced with a mini-skirt, the kind that's tight and forms around the hips, which could easily expose the wearer if not careful.

Of course, children of the battlefield wouldn't care about these things, but the problem is that it's inconvenient to move around like this!

The quality wasn't very good either; Kujo Sara felt that if she moved even slightly, she might tear the skirt.

The guy who designed this samurai outfit, if he were one of her subordinates, would definitely be dragged out and publicly executed.

"Not bad, not bad, you look much better dressed than Ying." Yae no Miko said with a smile, while the phonograph in her hand never stopped.

"S-General?!" Kujo Sara looked astonished. Could it be that the clothes she was wearing had once been worn by the General?!

This is utterly outrageous! Such an overstepping of boundaries...

"Just kidding, how could Shadow possibly agree to change into such strange clothes?" Yae no Miko sighed. How could she trick that guy into wearing the clothes when she couldn't even see him?

So you were aware of how bizarre these clothing designs were! Disgusting.

Kujo Sara's pretty face flushed red; she didn't know how to react.

"Come on, don't just stand there, there are still several outfits to shoot." After Yae no Miko finished shooting the samurai outfit, she urged Kujo Sara to change into other clothes. (Akatsuki)

After much fuss and thoroughly satisfying Yae no Miko's desire for a costume change, Kujo Sara was finally released, leaving behind a large number of photos that could be considered a lifelong stain on the reputation of the Heavenly Territory Enforcer. (Saku)

Even though none of the photos were explicit, Kujo Sara felt that each one was more shameful than actual nudity.

"Lord Yae no Kami, you promise you won't show it to anyone else, right?" Kujo Sara asked, her beautiful eyes fixed on Yae no Kamiko.

“Of course, I will absolutely not show it to outsiders,” Yae no Miko said firmly.

Kujo Sara secretly breathed a sigh of relief after receiving the assurance, but she suddenly realized a problem: Did the Shogun count as an outsider among the Yae no Miko?

Upon hearing this question, Yae no Miko's lips curled into a charming smile, and she parted her lips slightly, saying, "That depends on your performance."

Kujo Sara felt as if she had fallen into an ice cave. She regretted making the bet with Yae no Miko, but alas, there's no going back.

Kujo Sara left, her figure looking utterly pathetic; she had lost miserably.

Cherish life, stay away from gambling and drugs.

Yae no Miko carefully put away the photo, lazily stretched, and looked in the direction of Futabasa. She muttered to herself, "Is the seal about to give way? I should go to Fontaine..."

Volume 1: Chapter 7 Yae no Miko's Visit

"Inazuma Yaegami will soon visit Fontaine, intending to discuss important matters with the water god Fucarus," "Inazuma's 'Tamagan' prototype successfully completed; intends to hire a Fontaine scientific advisor to design mass-production equipment," "Inazuma attracts large-scale investment; the isolationist policy appears to be abolished"... Ling

Recently, a wave of interest in Inazuma seems to have swept through Fontainebleau, as if an unseen hand is pulling Fontainebleau residents to turn their attention to the distant island nation in the East. (Ling)

Meanwhile, the Inazuma Embassy in Fontaine formally submitted a working visit application to the Fontaine government. After several transfers, the application finally reached the desk of the Minister of Administration, Furina.

"Richard, do you think this Yae no Kami is here to settle scores with me?" Funina asked somewhat guiltily.

Richard looked at the water goddess who looked uneasy, and asked with a frown, "Lady Funina, did you offend that Yae no Kami without my knowledge?"

“No, how could that be? We’ve never even seen him before,” Funina denied three times in a row.

"If that's the case, why do you believe that the other party must have come with malicious intent?"

"Isn't that so?" Funina's eyes were clear yet foolish.

"Lady Funina, have you been paying attention to public opinion in Fontaine lately?" Richard decided to change the subject and asked.

"The recent public opinion? You mean the Grey River murder case? I didn't expect you to be paying attention to this too. Richard, let me tell you, according to my reliable information, the murderer must be that..." When Funina talked about this, she was no longer sleepy and looked radiant.

"I've never seen her so energetic when she's working," Richard complained.

"That's not what I meant, Lady Funina. Haven't you noticed that there's been a lot more talk about Inazuma in Fontaine lately?"

"Inazuma? It's probably because Yae no Miko is going to visit Fontaine soon. I heard that Yae no Miko is a rare beauty, so it's normal for everyone to pay attention to her, right?" Funina said subconsciously, then quickly realized what she meant.

"Wait, you mean the recent surge in Inatsuma news is related to Yae no Miko?"

Funina recalled the newspaper that had previously used sensational rumors to manipulate public opinion in Fontaine, seemingly doing so for money and intending to put her in a disadvantageous position.

Could it be that Yae no Miko is also using this method to create momentum in Fontainebleau in order to achieve her goals?

“That’s right, Lady Funina. This fox demon is a master at manipulating people’s hearts, so you must be careful,” Richard advised earnestly.

Upon hearing this, Funina suddenly had a flash of inspiration; she seemed to have caught a whiff of gossip.

"From what you're saying, it seems you know that Yae no Kami?"

“We’ve only crossed paths before. As you know, although my father is from Fontaine, I only recently returned to Fontaine. Before that, I traveled through the seven kingdoms of Teyvat and got to know quite a few people,” Richard replied without changing his expression.

"Well, actually I'm not very clear about your situation either," Funina replied apologetically.

She suddenly realized that her secretary-general was no ordinary person; she had never really gotten to know him before.

Richard's face immediately showed a look of 'shock,' as if he was saddened that his superior had not taken him seriously.

But Richard was secretly overjoyed. He thought, "It's good that you don't know. That's exactly what I want."

Richard would be worried if Funina knew too much.

Furina, believing Richard's performance, quickly added, "I just haven't had much time lately..."

She paused here, her pretty face blushing slightly. She knew her own situation best. She had time to go to the Opiclie Opera House to have fun, so how could she not have time to look at Richard's file? It was just that she hadn't thought about it that way.

"Let's talk about Yae no Miko first. Richard, do you have any clue about her purpose in coming to Fontaine?" These days, Funina may not have learned much else, but she has certainly learned a lot about changing the subject.

Richard was pleased, as it proved that his training had begun to bear fruit and that Funina was not a hopeless case.

"Yae no Miko's propaganda campaign is for three reasons: First, Inazuma needs a team of consultants who are proficient in mechanics. Second, Inazuma's finances are not ideal and it needs Fontaine's funds. Third, there are problems within Inazuma."

“I can understand the first and second reasons, but how did you come to the third one?” Funina asked, puzzled.

After all, the first two reasons were mentioned in the formal visit application, but the third reason was a bit puzzling to her, and she didn't know how Richard had deduced it.

Richard didn't keep them in suspense. He said with certainty, "If a country is functioning normally, a policy like a national isolation order would not exist, especially given the current trend of integration and exchange among the countries of Teyvat. Inazuma's national isolation order is as abrupt as a civil servant voluntarily working overtime!"

"The only reason Inazuma did this was obviously because there was a problem within the organization. If we think about it in a bolder direction, the problem is most likely that it is Narukami."

"But the Inazuma seclusion policy has been in effect for some time now, so why did Yae no Miko choose to come to Fontaine at this time?" Funina asked again.

Richard shook his head and said, "I'm not too sure about that, but in any case, Yae no Miko's visit must have had her motives, and these motives are very likely to have happened recently, or are very likely to happen in the future."

"It's like how you may appear to be doing nothing, but secretly you've been working tirelessly on the prophecy of the end of the world."

"Who?" Funina's eyes showed confusion, which did not seem fake.

Richard didn't say anything more; some probing was enough.

"In short, all we need to do now is remain unchanged and wait patiently for the fox's tail to be revealed eventually," he said, his words carrying a double meaning.

Fu Ningna understood what she meant; it meant that everything was fine now!

Then let's keep playing music and dancing.

Funina doesn't need to think about what Yae no Miko's purpose is, because even if she did, she probably wouldn't be able to guess it; she doesn't have that ability, you know?

However, Richard couldn't help but think about it. He was now the permanent secretary-general of the Fontaine City Hall, and as the person in charge, he had to fulfill his duties. His strong sense of responsibility meant he couldn't ignore any factors that might be detrimental to Fontaine.

It wasn't because Yae no Kamiko knew too much that he was worried about things going wrong and needed to make some preparations in advance.

There's a saying that goes something like this: when someone has something on you, you'd better have something on them too.

Although Yae no Miko didn't have any substantial evidence like photos or a notebook containing his dark history, she did know quite a bit about him, since they had worked together for a period of time.

If Yae no Miko lets Funina know things she shouldn't know at this stage, it could really cause Richard some trouble.

Fortunately, Richard has a special box for storing incriminating material, which he calls the 'Black Box'. It contains a lot of incriminating material about Yae no Miko, so Richard hasn't been too worried so far.

Incidentally, photos of Funina crying were also included in this collection.

Volume 1: Chapter 8 The Story of Inazuma

A century after the Cataclysm of Kanria, Inazuma suffered numerous disasters, both large and small. In this year of rebuilding, a half-elf set foot on this land shrouded in thunder.

The half-elf first lived in Inazuma for several years, learning about the local customs and gaining a clear understanding of the political situation at the time. Then, he challenged Narukami to a duel before the emperor.

Unlike normal duels before the emperor, the duel proposed by the half-elf revolved around the development of Inazuma.

At that time, the poorest village was Hishiki Village, located on Hachiyū Island. The half-elf said he could develop Hishiki Village into the richest village in Inazuma, and asked Narukami to teach him the ultimate martial arts as a wager.

Narukami agreed to the duel with the half-elf, and her familiars were also very interested in it, so they decided to request to participate in this imperial duel. The duel was to develop a poor village, and whoever developed it better would win the imperial duel. The loser would grant the winner one condition.

Compared to a life-or-death duel, this unique showdown was more in line with the anti-war sentiment in Inazuma at the time, and soon topics surrounding Narukami, Narukami's familiars, and half-elves became popular in Inazuma.

The two chosen villages developed rapidly under the leadership of the two duelists.

As a local and a member of Narukami's family, she had the advantage of timing, location, and support. However, surprisingly, despite her huge advantage, she was defeated in this duel.

Because the half-elf first created a steelmaking method called 'Tamasteel' with genius, which won a lot of orders from the Shogunate military, boosted employment for the villagers, and brought back young people to the village.

With the acquisition of more advanced weaponry, the military quickly quelled the conflict on Ba Yun Island and suppressed the forces on Hai O Island.

Subsequently, the half-elf keenly sensed the war-weariness of Sea Island. Through his mediation, Sea Island abandoned its rebellion and began to have economic ties with Narukami Island.

Hikimura, caught in the middle, became the biggest beneficiary of the transactions between the two forces.

It's quite ironic that Hikimura's development has been hampered by internal strife between Umi-no-Island and Narukami-no-Island, yet Hikimura has now reaped enormous benefits from it.

This situation was no coincidence. Everyone was aware of the enormous role played by the half-elves. Even someone as proud as Narukami's familiar had to admit that she had lost.

He quelled the Inazuma rebellion, boosted the Inazuma economy, and won the duel before the emperor, making the half-elf a legendary figure in the eyes of the people.

As promised, Narukami imparted all her martial arts skills to Narukami, and Narukami's retinue also stated that she would grant any request the half-elf might make, including herself.

Narukami's family members are among the best in the world in terms of both appearance and status. As a fox spirit, she has countless suitors, but she has never shown any favor to anyone except him.

Just when everyone thought the half-elf would win the heart of the beauty, he made a perplexing request: he wanted to become an assistant to the Narukami Familia and participate in the management of the entire Inazuma territory.

Narukami's Familia agreed, and from then on, the two were inseparable, both at work and in life. The half-elf, who was her assistant, was more like a learned teacher. While teasing the fox spirit, she also taught her how to manage Inazuma and govern her subordinates.

Working by day and practicing martial arts by night, the half-elf moves between Narukami and his retinue. Some speculate that this exceptionally talented individual harbors greater ambitions, wanting to enjoy the blessings of having multiple wives.

In fact, he could indeed succeed, as both Narukami and his family held a high degree of goodwill towards him.

Everyone was speculating about this outstanding person's thoughts, assuming that life would continue like this for a long time.

After a day and a half, the elf learned all of Narukami's martial arts and bid farewell to Narukami's family.

He said: He was born in Fontaine, grew up in Mondstadt, studied in Liyue, and finally put his skills into practice in Inazuma. Now it has been proven that what he has learned is not in vain, and it is time for him to say goodbye.

Narukami's servant was furious that the half-elf was using separation as a threat, which she saw as a means to make her and Narukami submit to him.

Narukami's retinue said they would tell Narukami his true colors unless he never mentioned leaving again, in which case she might be able to help him achieve his wish of having two wives.

Unfortunately, the half-elf was not the kind of person who would use parting as a bargaining chip. He was determined to leave, and he had a more lofty ideal. The little Inazuma could not fulfill all his ambitions, and his free will drove him to leave.

After leaving a letter and finishing all his business, the half-elf left Inazuma.

Narukami found the letter she had left behind, the contents of which plunged her into a long silence. Finally, she sighed and, after successfully creating the eternal doll, devoted herself to that pure land of no thought and no desire.

Narukami's family did not see the letter. She was shocked by the half-elf's departure without saying goodbye, angry at the half-elf's indifference, and annoyed by her own indecisiveness, which ultimately caused her friends to leave, leaving her alone to support the entire Inazuma family.

If I had set aside all my pride and self-respect and kept him, and agreed to share this relationship with Narukami, would the outcome have been different?

After much thought, Narukami's family came to a conclusion: that heartless man would not stay for anyone. Only then did she realize that the man had never expressed any feelings for her or Narukami; it was all just wishful thinking on her part.

Perhaps when she told the man she would help him, he was probably laughing at her for being delusional.

She began to hate men and everything related to them. She started to make sweeping reforms, but after erasing all traces of the man from Inazuma, she regretted it.

But it was too late. The portrait she had left behind in the past had been torn to shreds in her rage, and all the furniture she had ever touched had sunk to the bottom of the sea in the Boundless Blade Rift. The only possible trace left behind was in Narukami's Pure Land, which she could not go there.