"G-General, please don't!"
Sangonomiya Kokomi's voice trembled, her face as pale as paper, and her pupils constricted sharply.
"Watatsumi Island will be destroyed!"
What would happen to a nation without a god?
Khaenri'ah five hundred years ago was the answer!
King glanced at the tottering Kokomi, who looked like she might faint at any moment, and sighed helplessly in his heart. What was this girl talking about?
"Hmph."
A clear, cold snort came from nearby.
Kujou Sara crossed her arms, looking at the undignified Sangonomiya Kokomi with cold eyes, her gaze filled with unabashed mockery.
What "strategist who plans for everything"?
What "calm as a deep-sea pearl"?
She really couldn't understand what this girl was so afraid of.
Did she really not even remember that she had already sought refuge with that lord?
To be so frightened and lose her composure like this.
Thinking back on her usual calmness and poise, one wondered how much of it was genuine.
Kujou Sara sneered inwardly; she couldn't muster much hostility toward her former "enemy" now, but rather felt a subtle sense of pity.
"Kokomi, calm down."
Lumine stepped forward and gently held Kokomi's cold, trembling hand, his amber eyes filled with reassurance. "Ei was just joking. Besides, King accepted your 'loyalty' and token."
"..."
That's right!
Lord King accepted the "proof of oathful sight"!
He didn't reject their "loyalty"!
This meant Watatsumi Island was not without support!
Kokomi suddenly snapped out of it, a trace of embarrassed blush quickly rising to her pale face.
She had truly been so worried that she lost her head, scared out of her wits by a mindless remark from Raiden Ei, completely forgetting the most crucial point.
She took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart, and gave Lumine a grateful yet slightly sheepish smile: "Th-thank you, Traveler. I lost my composure."
Even so, Sangonomiya Kokomi remained uneasy.
They had food and medicine; the immediate crisis seemed to be resolved.
But while Lord King had accepted the "proof of oathful sight," he hadn't agreed to take them in as his subjects.
He was powerful and benevolent, yet also elusive.
What exactly did Watatsumi Island mean to him?
A "trouble" to be dealt with, or a "responsibility" taken on a whim?
If he found it troublesome, or if he felt his responsibility was fulfilled, would he just leave at any time?
Unease was like fine vines, wrapping around her heart and tightening.
Watatsumi Island was too fragile to withstand any variables.
She had to grasp onto something; she had to make this protection more "tangible."
But Lord King seemed to lack nothing—power, authority, even wealth... What could Watatsumi Island offer?
Perhaps only loyalty, and... Kokomi's gaze swept over King's sharp profile and then quickly dropped.
Her fingertips unconsciously gripped the sleeves of her shrine maiden outfit, the skin beneath the fabric feeling slightly hot.
A bold and shameful thought emerged uncontrollably.
Wasn't it often written in those light novels?
A hero saves a beauty, and the beauty offers herself in return... It was a cliché, but perhaps it would work?
She took a deep breath, as if she had made a certain decision.
She trotted forward a few steps and approached King's side.
"Lord King, the wind on Watatsumi Island is strong. You've been standing for so long, are you tired?"
"Would you like to... come sit in Sangonomiya Shrine?"
As she spoke, she leaned in slightly as if by accident, and the overlapping collar of her shrine maiden outfit loosened a bit with the movement.
A glimpse of skin as smooth as jade was faintly visible, accompanied by a faint scent of sea salt that drifted through the air.
Her eyes were full of anxiety, along with a desperate determination to risk it all.
She didn't want to see Watatsumi Island experience such a disaster ever again.
If... if this body still had a bit of value... Just as she leaned against him—
A hand reached out and firmly gripped her head.
Making her unable to move.
"There's no need for this."
Kokomi's body froze.
King turned his head, his eyes showing no disgust, only calmness. "Govern Watatsumi Island well, so that the common people can also be well-fed and clothed, and live with dignity."
"That is my 'reward'."
He paused, his tone still flat, yet it made everyone around feel an inexplicable chill down their spines:
"Of course, if Watatsumi Island dares to use my name to act recklessly or oppress others..."
King did not say the rest.
But everyone present understood the unspoken meaning in that brief silence.
If Watatsumi Island dared to do evil, no one else would need to act.
King would personally come to erase Watatsumi Island.
"..."
The color drained from Sangonomiya Kokomi's cheeks instantly, only to be replaced by a sudden flush.
Shame, lingering fear, relief... various emotions intertwined, leaving her unable to speak for a moment. She could only lower her head deeply, her fingers tightly gripping her collar until her knuckles turned white.
"Yes... Kokomi understands."
Her voice was so soft it was almost inaudible.
Yae Miko took in the whole scene.
With a "shua" sound, the folding fan in her hand snapped open, covering the lower half of her face and revealing only a pair of fox-like eyes curved into crescents, filled with mischievous laughter.
Oh my, oh my... She was rolling around with joy in her heart.
Little Sangonomiya, oh little Sangonomiya, I, your big sister, was embarrassed enough when I made a fool of myself in front of that fierce god with my own "seductive offering" act. Looking back, I wanted to hide my head like an ostrich for the rest of my life.
I never expected that you, the "Divine Priestess" with those big eyes and a reputation for wisdom, would have a day like this too!
And in public, under everyone's watchful eyes!
That probing, that posture, that hesitation... tsk tsk, your level is slightly higher than mine was back then.
But the result? Having your head pinched and being rejected, hahahahaha!
The little fox in Yae Miko's heart was already doubled over with laughter, her tail wagging wildly.
People just need someone to be at the bottom with them!
She suddenly felt that her own previous embarrassment was nothing.
After all, in the face of pressure concerning survival, even the calmest person would lose their composure.
And try things they would never do under normal circumstances.
She thought happily and decided that tonight she would record this "bit of fun" in detail in her "Private Journal of the Beautiful Fox Immortal." Reading it when she was bored in the future would surely be delightful.
Of course, she would never voice these inner thoughts.
She was a considerate Lady Fox; seeing through things without speaking of them was a basic quality.
So, she merely covered her lips with her fan, her shoulders shaking slightly, before quickly returning to her dignified and slightly charming Guuji persona, as if she had just been tickled by the sea breeze.
King shook his head. Thinking of offering oneself whenever something happens—should he say it was typical of Inazuman women?
"Alright," King turned to Sangonomiya Kokomi. "The preliminary settlement of Watatsumi Island has come to an end, though you've received aid from Fontaine."
"But as I said before, Fontaine cannot provide blood transfusions forever."
"This land needs to find its own vitality."
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