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So after two days of raucous waves and dull company, Keqing was more than relieved to see Narukami Island come into view on the misty horizon. Ritou Harbor was the hub and register point for any visiting foreigners, the main gate into Inazuma, as it were. The sun was hanging high in the sky as Keqing stepped off the gangplank and her legs wobbled under her own weight. If she had closed her eyes, she could've sworn she was still on that jostling ship in the middle of the sea with no land in sight. It took a good minute or two before her equilibrium rebalanced and she regained her land legs. This was the Yuheng's first time in Inazuma and she took a moment to take in the small port town. Pastel pink leaves danced wistfully on the breeze and Keqing found her eyes tracing their path, in awe of the hue foreign to Liyue. She had seen pictures of yumemiru trees, but never in person and she took a mental note to capture a few leaves to take home with her. She then made her way to a man that was sitting at a table dressed in armor with the electro sigil on his chest plate.
"Where are you visiting from?" The man's voice was gruff and he didn't bother to look up when he spoke.
"I'm the Yuheng, from Liyue." Keqing answered as she planted her hands on her hips.
"Reason for your visit?"
"Diplomatic communication." Her reply was short, as was her patience. He scrawled on a piece of paper and handed it to the Yuheng, who snatched it with a raised eyebrow.
"Take this to the Kanjou Commission Headquarters to get your travel pass."
"Travel pass?" What sort of nonsense was this? Were visitors not allowed to travel freely in Inazuma? "I'm supposed to be meeting with the Shogun." Keqing continued as she flipped the paper over and back again. "Where can I find her?"
"You'll want to speak to Kujou Kamaji, the Tenryou commissioner, for that." He finally looked up at the young woman and frowned. "But I doubt you'll get an audience with the Shogun."
"Does she not take meetings with political visitors?" She asked, tilting her head a bit and folding her arms over her chest. Another exasperated groan escaped the man as he shook his head and set his pen on the table.
"Her Excellency is very busy with the Vision Hunt Decree." His eyes narrowed and Keqing met his gaze. It wasn't easy to intimidate the Yuheng, and certainly not a low level soldier with a chip on his shoulder. "You should be careful here, miss. No one is exempt from the Shogun's judgment. Just a warning."
"Tsk." Keqing turned, flipping her hair over her shoulder and left the man to his grumbling. Though, for some reason, she did become more cognizant of the vision that rested between her shoulder blades. Surely she would be exempt from the hunt.
The air in Inazuma was crisp, but warm, a hint of salt on the air that reminded the lavender haired woman of Liyue Harbor. A heavy sigh released some tension as the muted tap of her heels on the dock set her tempo. The hem of her skirt ruffling gently as she walked with determination towards the interior of Ritou, where the Tri-Commission Headquarters resided. She was relentless when it came to her work, and she definitely wasn't going to let anything get in the way of her objective. An audience with the almighty Shogun was a necessity in order to get back home as quickly as possible. So she followed the grumpy soldier's directions and headed to the Kanjou Commission's headquarters first to obtain her travel pass. She was a firm believer in protocol, after all. Then on to the Tenryou headquarters.
"Her Excellency isn't taking visitors at this time."
"Excuse me?" Keqing was perplexed as she spoke to Kujou Kamaji, the Tenryou commissioner. "I was under the impression she would be willing to speak with a visiting dignitary."
"And why would you think that?" Kamaji's brow furrowed as an ugly grimace formed on his face. Keqing opened her mouth to speak before he continued. "I don't know what it's like in the archonless land of Liyue, but here we have set rules. We are in the middle of a reformation and the Shogun doesn't have time for insignificant foreign matters."
Amethyst eyes narrowed dangerously as she glared up at the commissioner. A deep inhale as she closed her eyes, trying to calm her frustration before swallowing the venom that she threatened to spit. Now was not the time to be snide with the local military. What was the point of continuing this conversation anyway? She had her travel pass, she could just go to Inazuma City and figure out how to meet with the Shogun herself.
"Forgive my arrogance." That was arduous. "Of course the eternal archon wouldn't have time to meet with a dignitary from Liyue. I will just gather what my Tianquan requested and be on my way."
Keqing forced as polite a smile as she could muster before turning on her heel and descending the stone steps. She heard him mumble something, but didn't bother to acknowledge it as she started toward the path to Inazuma City. She hastily flashed her travel pass to the guards on her way out of Ritou, lifting her nose in the air and not bothering to stop since she technically wasn't breaking any rules. The Yuheng paused for a moment to take in the scenery when she stepped onto the sandy shoal. Inazuma was undoubtedly beautiful, she wouldn't even try to argue that. The azure water was so clear you could see right to the bottom and the lush greenery in the distance painted a lovely picture. She wondered, only for a moment, if the Traveler had made her way to Inazuma yet.
Of course that wasn't a main concern. What the Traveler did on her adventures or where she was as the time wasn't entirely important. On the other hand, she could be helpful if Keqing did need to confront the electro archon. The Yuheng shook her head slightly before beginning her sandy trek to the main body of Narukami Island, brainstorming about how she would gain a meeting with the Shogun. True enough, the blather and chatter of Inazuma's ruler had primarily been about how cruel she could be and how unrelenting her ideals of justice were, especially when it came to vision users. In Keqing's mind, that meant she needed to try and rationalize with the utmost caution. Perhaps the Shogun would listen to her if she approached with more supplicatory logic than confidence. Either way she was determined to fulfill her duty by any means necessary. Any means within the law, of course.
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