"A bed warmer? Hmph. If I confirm with the Patriarch that this is true, I... I will not go back on my word..."
Kujou Sara looked at Feng Yi with a complex expression. If she truly became a traitor to the General, she would not hesitate to die, let alone be a servant.
"Then let's go. Let's see what the Kujou Patriarch has to say."
Feng Yi smiled, liking Kujou Sara's serious demeanor.
"Let's go. I'll ensure your safety in the meantime!"
Kujou Sara nodded and then led the way towards the Kujou Patriarch's residence.
"Lord Kujou Sara, the Patriarch has ordered that no one may enter this area!"
As they stepped into the front courtyard, several Tenryou Commission soldiers immediately blocked their path with their spears.
"Move aside. I need to see the Patriarch, or don't blame me for being impolite!"
Kujou Sara looked at the soldiers blocking her, her suspicion growing that something was amiss. In normal times, no one would dare speak to her this way.
*Fzzt!*
Brilliant purple lightning flashed behind Kujou Sara. She drew her bow and fired rapidly. Eager to confront the Kujou Patriarch, she had no patience to reason with these soldiers.
"Attack! Stop them!"
"Overestimating yourselves!"
Kujou Sara's tengu wings unfurled behind her, allowing her to dodge and weave through the crowd. The soldiers were unable to harm her in the slightest. Without Feng Yi needing to intervene, Kujou Sara alone managed to subdue an entire squad of fully armed Tenryou Commission soldiers.
"Stop! Sara, have you gone mad? How dare you defy my orders?!"
Hearing the commotion, Kujou Takayuki came out and, seeing the ground littered with injured soldiers, angrily questioned Kujou Sara.
"Patriarch..."
Seeing the Patriarch's furious face, Kujou Sara's imposing aura was momentarily suppressed.
"Sara, don't let his aura intimidate you. Ask bravely!"
Feng Yi, who was observing from the side, gave Kujou Sara a thumbs-up to encourage her.
"Insolent! Who are you? Who allowed you in? Guards, quickly apprehend him!"
Kujou Takayuki, seeing a stranger daring to meddle in their family affairs, was enraged and immediately called for the soldiers to arrest Feng Yi. However, the guards on patrol had just been defeated by Kujou Sara, leaving no one to carry out his orders.
"Um... Lord Takayuki, Feng Yi is with me. That's not important... I've seen the official reports submitted to the Commission and the letters written to the Fatui. Please... give me an explanation!"
Kujou Sara nodded at Feng Yi, then took a deep breath and looked directly into Kujou Takayuki's eyes, demanding an answer.
"So, you're the one who took the lost official reports and letters? Hmph..."
Kujou Takayuki snorted. In addition to those documents, a very secretive book was also missing, which must have been taken by Kujou Sara. Outrageous! If his colleagues found out he was reading such things, how could he possibly continue in politics? Since an outsider was present, it was inconvenient to demand it back, but he would make Kujou Sara return it as soon as possible in private.
"Your words, can I take them to mean... that they were indeed your doing, and not forged? Please tell me, Patriarch, tell me if the Tenryou Commission... has truly betrayed the Shogunate?!"
A deep sense of disappointment flashed in Kujou Sara's eyes. She stepped forward, her last shred of hope gone.
"Hmph, I do have dealings with the Fatui, and the documents you saw were indeed written by me. But Sara, if you think this constitutes betrayal of the General, then your understanding is too narrow. By merely assisting in the issuance and implementation of the Vision Hunt Decree, we can obtain the benefits promised by the envoys of Snezhnaya..."
Kujou Takayuki retorted righteously to Kujou Sara's questioning.
"There have always been so many people coveting the Kujou clan's status, and countless lineages wanting to bring us down. By gaining strong support from foreign powers and weakening the strength of our enemies through the Vision Hunt Decree... I believe it's a worthwhile transaction. Sara, if you can't even grasp this, it's clear you have a long way to go to become a qualified politician..."
"Politician? In my heart, a politician doesn't just focus on their own interests, but benefits the entire nation. Patriarch, you... you always respected the General so much, why... why speak of betrayal so lightly and righteously?!"
Kujou Sara did not agree with the Patriarch's viewpoint.
"Betrayal? Can this be called betrayal? I'm merely using those Fatui to my advantage. What can they achieve? On Inazuman soil, once the heavenly lightning strikes, they are nothing but ants trembling in fear, daring not to act rashly! After all, we have the unparalleled Raiden Shogun, the 'Musou Isshin'!"
Kujou Takayuki asserted that everything was under his control. With the Raiden Shogun present, the Fatui would not dare to be reckless. Feng Yi sat aside, watching the unfolding drama. In his opinion, Kujou Takayuki's worship of the Raiden Shogun was close to a distorted blindness. This fanaticism spurred Kujou Takayuki into wickedness. For a subordinate to scheme against the Raiden Shogun and use her as a thug was truly overstepping boundaries and contrary to the way of a subject. Kujou Sara, the outsider, saw things more clearly.
"But what about your loyalty, Patriarch... Ever since I was adopted by the Kujou family, you were the one who taught me the way of loyalty as a subject. It seems you only want me to be loyal to the Kujou family, fearing I might betray you someday, doesn't it? Those grand principles are merely tools you use to conceal your ugliness and selfishness!"
Kujou Sara was deeply disappointed, feeling as though she had been deceived all these years. The beliefs she had held steadfast for so long were rapidly collapsing.
"Selfishness? I am also protecting the eternity that belongs to the Kujou clan! I believe the General will understand me, and the previous Patriarch... he will surely understand me too!"
Kujou Takayuki claimed that everything he did was for the future of the Kujou clan, and what did it matter if his methods were a bit dirty? As long as the outcome was good, wasn't that enough? He now felt that his decision not to let Kujou Sara enter politics was undoubtedly the wisest one. Kujou Sara was simply too pure and naive. The world of politics was not a child's game, but one of darkness and bloodshed!
"I've also had doubts in my heart. Is implementing the Vision Hunt Decree truly the right thing to do? Am I willing to go against my own moral principles..."
Kujou Sara decided to take a deep breath and make a decision that went against her ancestors.