“…Ah?”
Lu Heng’s faint, squeaky gasp sounded exceptionally clear in the vast, empty hall.
He raised his head stiffly, trying to find even a trace of “I’m just joking” on the face of the deity upon the high dais.
Unfortunately, the Raiden Shogun’s stunningly beautiful face remained cold as frost.
The air in the grand hall seemed to fall silent once more.
On the dais, the Raiden Shogun lowered her eyes slightly, an imperceptible glimmer flashing deep within her purple pupils.
[Heart rate spiking, pupils dilating, muscles exhibiting involuntary tension and slight tremors…]
Meanwhile, in the Plane of Euthymia, a realm untouchable by mortals…
The true Raiden Ei, sitting cross-legged and floating in midair, was quietly observing the “shivering” Lu Heng below through the puppet’s vision.
“A mortal’s vessel is indeed fragile. Merely a surge of emotion is enough to make him tremble so.”
In Ei’s current perspective, which lacked mortal social experience after so long, the logic of the scene before her was extremely clear and reasonable.
This low-level scribe, who had no background to speak of, had risked his life to petition the deity and present a brilliant plan to govern the nation.
Now, upon hearing that he was not only spared from punishment but also exceptionally promoted by the deity to be her close aide…
he must be overjoyed, thrilled, and flattered to the absolute limit.
For five hundred years, ever since her sister passed away, she had grown accustomed to seeing the hypocritical faces of those old foxes from the Tri-Commission in court, looking terrified on the surface while scheming in their hearts.
A young man like the one before her, who had no pretense, wore his “sheer loyalty to the Shogunate” plainly on his face, and was so excited he couldn’t even control his own body, was truly a breath of fresh air in Inazuma’s officialdom.
A rare trace of genuine admiration flashed in Ei’s eyes.
“To still care for Inazuma’s future in such a perilous situation, and to possess such sincere loyalty… it is truly commendable.”
If Lu Heng knew what this supreme deity was actually thinking right now, he would probably cough up a pint of blood on the spot.
Inside Tenshukaku.
“Your breathing is erratic, and your body is trembling.”
The Raiden Shogun’s ethereal, flat voice rang out once more, carrying an unprecedented trace of inquiry.
“Do you… have a problem with this?”
Lu Heng shuddered violently.
Was there a problem?
A massive one!
But Lu Heng didn’t dare say a single “no.” To him, this icy inquiry was the precursor to a “physical layoff”!
His incredibly powerful workplace survival instincts from his previous life took over his vocal cords in 0.01 seconds.
“N-No problem at all!”
Lu Heng took a deep breath, forcing his facial muscles into a look of overwhelming gratitude—even making his eyes turn slightly red, like a loyal minister.
He bowed deeply and said in a loud voice:
“This subordinate… this subordinate is simply too excited!”
“To receive such favor from Your Almighty Shogun, this subordinate is deeply flattered! To be able to contribute to Your Excellency’s great cause of ‘Eternity,’ even if this subordinate has to be ground to dust and bones, I will spare no sacrifice!” Get faster updates on g.com.
Lu Heng delivered these words with powerful, heart-rending conviction.
Though his hands, hidden inside his sleeves, were still shaking from lingering terror, combined with his loyal-to-the-death speech, his “trembling” only made him seem more sincerely devoted—a loyalty that could move the heavens.
Atop the dais, the Raiden Shogun nodded slightly.
[Facial expression recognition: Loyal. Emotion recognition: Extremely excited.]
Within the Plane of Euthymia, Ei closed her eyes in satisfaction.
“Indeed, he is happy. What an easily satisfied and pure minister.”
“Very well. Raise your head. You have done well.”
The Raiden Shogun issued her subsequent instructions in a flat tone, even slowing down her speaking pace slightly, as if showing divine favor to a loyal subject.
“There is no need for you to return to the Tenryou Commission. I will have the Okuzumeshu handle the tedious handover procedures.”
“As for your residence…” The Shogun paused slightly, seemingly considering a mortal’s basic needs.
“There are vacant rooms in the side palace of Tenshukaku. I will have a servant arrange your lodging shortly. The account books and dossiers you need to review will also be sent there.”
“You are dismissed. Go and calm your ‘excitement.’ Starting tomorrow, you will officially take charge of coordinating the internal circulation strategy.”
With that, the faint divine pressure dissipated entirely.
The side door of the grand hall was respectfully pushed open by an Okuzumeshu samurai, gesturing for Lu Heng to leave.
“…Yes, this subordinate shall take his leave.”
In a daze, Lu Heng turned around and followed the samurai out of the hall, his footsteps light and floating as if he were walking on cotton.
It wasn’t until the heavy doors of Tenshukaku slowly shut behind him and the cool night breeze blew across his sweat-drenched forehead that he suddenly stopped, looking up at the cold, lonely moonlight in the night sky.
In his mind, countless thoughts were warring frantically.
“What… what did I come here for?”
“Oh, right. I came to save my life, and then prepare to run away to Rito.”
“But what am I doing now? Not only did I survive, but I somehow became the Shogun’s Sobayonin, and I was even given a salaried position in Tenshukaku with staff dorms?!”
Lu Heng looked down at the heavy sack of Mora in his arms, then glanced back at the majestic main hall of Tenshukaku.
His lips couldn’t stop twitching.
“What in the world is this…” He was completely lost in the wind.
“Lord Lu Heng, please follow me.”
Beside him, the Okuzumeshu samurai who had guided him earlier spoke up.
Lu Heng keenly noticed that this elite samurai’s form of address had changed, his back was bent slightly lower, and his tone was filled with the awe and sycophancy reserved for a “close aide of the deity.”
“The servants have been instructed to clean the room in the side palace. The residence arranged by the Shogun herself is guaranteed to be exceptionally peaceful.”
Since he was already here, he had to make the best of it.
He walked toward his “staff dorm” with heavy steps.
Crossing a quiet courtyard, the samurai pushed open an exquisite camphor wood sliding door.
The room was lined with premium Inazuman tatami mats and filled with a subtle, elegant fragrance.
Though the furnishings were simple, they exuded a unique, quiet luxury.
“At least my life is saved, and these nine hundred thousand Mora weren’t confiscated…”
Just as Lu Heng comforted himself, his gaze swept across the room and froze at the far end.
On the wide, solid wood desk sat a pile of documents, dossiers, and ledgers at least half a person tall.
Next to it, a dozen high-quality calligraphy brushes and a whole inkstone of freshly ground ink were thoughtfully prepared.
“Lord Lu Heng,” the samurai explained respectfully, “the Shogun has commanded that since you are to take over the coordination of the internal circulation strategy tomorrow, these documents regarding the Rito Chamber of Commerce and the Yashiori Island refugees be brought for your review first. If you need anything, the Okuzumeshu are at your service to trim the lamps and pour tea.”
As he spoke, a few other samurai behind him nimbly carried in another massive pile of documents.
“…”
Lu Heng stared at the mountain of paperwork that was about to bury him alive.
Today, he had gone through being scapegoated, threatened, racing in a carriage, and facing a god…
The string of his mind, which had been stretched to its absolute limit, finally snapped with a sharp clack the moment he laid eyes on this pile of ledgers.
“…Goddamn… capitalists…”
Lu Heng squeezed out those few words through trembling lips.
Then, his vision went black, and he collapsed straight backward, hitting the soft tatami with a dull thud.
Hearing the noise, the Okuzumeshu samurai, who hadn’t gone far, slammed the sliding door open.
Seeing Lu Heng lying motionless on the floor, he turned pale with fright:
“Lord Lu Heng?!
Lord Lu Heng, what’s wrong?!” “Quick!
Go report to the Shogun and the physician!
The Lord Sobayonin has fainted from sheer joy!!!”
And so, a dazed, cross-platform miscommunicated, and destined-to-be-extraordinary life as a Tenshukaku secretary raised its curtains amidst an absurd misunderstanding.
At the exact same time, inside a quiet room at the Grand Narukami Shrine.
“Pfft, hahahahaha—!” A completely unrefined fox-like laugh pierced through the paper sliding doors, startling several birds resting in the courtyard into flight.
Yae Miko reclined on her soft couch, shaking with laughter, her hand pinching a pink omamori that glimmered with a faint light.
When she heard the line “this subordinate is simply too excited” followed by the Shogun’s deadpan “go and calm your ‘excitement,'” Yae Miko laughed so hard she practically shed tears.
“My, my… One is trying his absolute hardest to act like a loyal minister, and the other actually fell for it. Oh, my dear Archon, with such a devious, slippery fellow around, Inazuma’s days ahead are bound to be lively.”
Miko narrowed her long, slender fox-like eyes, downed the sake on her table in one gulp, her eyes brimming with pure amusement.