Jean held her silence beneath Lisa's firm, decisive gaze.
Her thoughts drifted back,
to the first time she met Ryen,
to the first time Mondstadt finally saw a path toward real change because of his world.
Whenever she was with him, she felt that no matter what happened,
there would always be someone capable of resolving it.
Every question that had once left her confused or overwhelmed found a listener,
someone who would help shoulder the weight.
Back then, Jean had simply thought
I've found another trustworthy friend.
But after the incident with Naga…
Jean suddenly realized that something inside her had shifted.
Quietly. Gradually. Almost without her noticing.
She began paying attention to Ryen's every movement,
every gesture, every moment.
She began dreaming about him.
At first, she comforted herself with rationalizations.
Mondstadt was thriving; her burdens were lighter.
She had read Maiden Vela too many times.
She watched Ryen interact with Lisa and the others.
Daytime thoughts become dreams, dreams don't mean love, she told herself.
But as time passed…
Jean could no longer convince herself of that.
After a long silence, she looked toward Lisa and said softly:
"…I do like him. But, "
"No 'but.'"
Lisa smiled and shook her head, cutting off the excuse before it formed.
"That answer is all I needed. The rest, I'll help you decide."
She held Jean's gaze for a moment, then changed the subject with practiced ease.
Soon the two were chatting again as if their earlier conversation had never occurred,
about Mondstadt, about Barbara, about Ryen's world…
Yet even as Jean tried to focus elsewhere,
Lisa's final sentence lingered in her mind,
sharp, insistent, impossible to ignore.
Somewhere within that uncertainty,
Jean felt a faint, dangerous spark of anticipation.
Meanwhile, unlike Jean's group, already settled in the courtyard next to Ryen,
the Inazuma delegation was still housed in Liyue's guest lodgings for foreign dignitaries.
Night had deepened.
Though Liyue's prosperity had greatly enriched its evening life,
most citizens were already asleep.
Only the patrols of the Millelith walked the streets.
Inside a quiet reception room, Ei sat in seiza at the head of the table,
calmly studying the Draw Blade Sword resting before her.
Kujou Sara and Ayaka sat below her, speaking in hushed tones,
sorting through their three days of exploration in the Twilight Forest.
Yae Miko, by contrast, lounged at the windowsill,
cheek propped on her palm, eyes drifting toward Tianheng Mountain,
lost in thoughts no one could guess.
Time passed quietly until Kujou Sara finally nodded to Ayaka
and broke the silence.
"Lady Shogun, the inventory from this expedition has been organized."
Ei gave a slight nod, indicating for her to proceed.
"This time, Inazuma entered Ryen's world with four personnel.
Aside from the Draw Blade Sword, our new acquisitions include three Advanced-grade Magic Staves."
"Seven stacks of wood,
twelve stacks of assorted ores,
and ten stacks of monster materials."
"Beyond that, we gained nothing else."
She paused, exhaling softly.
"Ryen's world is extraordinary.
Even with instruction from veterans, our understanding is still far too limited."
"Especially since almost all three days were spent inside the Twilight Forest.
Our knowledge of the Overworld, the Nether, and the End is still minimal."
"Our collection of Overworld mineral resources is essentially zero."
She lifted her notebook.
"I consulted the Liyue, Mondstadt, and Snezhnaya teams regarding their development procedures.
Based on their experience, I've drafted an outline for Inazuma's own exploration plan."
"First, considering Inazuma's needs, food is paramount.
With bone meal, that world's farmland, and the unique traits of its villagers,
our top priority should be constructing large-scale automated farms and ranches."
"Second, we require large quantities of ores, especially diamonds and iron.
Beyond mining, Lucky Blocks are a high-priority option."
"Lucky Blocks can also yield Totems of Undying and other precious resources."
"Of course, everything depends on selecting a suitable location to establish Inazuma's first base…"
Sara showed signs of continuing at length.
Ei frowned slightly and raised a hand, stopping her.
These logistical matters, Makoto would have managed them effortlessly.
But Ei herself understood little of such things.
In her mind, the greatest achievement of this expedition
was the Draw Blade Sword.
Upon returning to Teyvat and allowing her divine power to resonate with the blade,
she immediately sensed its strength.
Holding it increased her combat ability,
by perhaps twenty percent.
For someone at Ei's level,
a twenty-percent improvement was monumental.
Resource management could be handled by others.
Ei needed only to grow stronger,
to protect her people.
"Just tell me the conclusion."
Sara sighed inwardly at Ei's light, indifferent tone.
She truly was Makoto's opposite.
If Makoto were here, she would already be diving into logistics and planning.
But Ei's disinterest did grant Sara greater freedom.
"The conclusion is…"
Sara paused, frustration flickering across her expression.
"Exploration of the Twilight Forest is currently the cutting edge of that world's progress.
But our ability is insufficient to keep up with Ryen and the others."
"What we need is to begin from the Overworld,
progress step by step into the Nether and the End,
and only then earn the right to explore the Twilight Forest."
"We require a stable, resource-rich base,
and must study Liyue, Mondstadt, and Snezhnaya's methods for building efficient technological settlements."
"Early stages should focus on mining, gathering civilian resources,
then assembling a trained army to enter the Nether and craft alchemical potions."
"Next, we must breed villagers and develop villager-based technology."
"Establish mass production of enchanted weapons,
use iron resources to fully arm our troops."
"Afterward, explore the End and the firearms mod,
forming a dragon-rider corps and a modern weapons division."
"Once all of this is complete,
only then will we be qualified, like the others,
to conduct large-scale expeditions into the Twilight Forest."
"The containment of Wither Storm–class threats is also top priority. We need Totems of Undying and Beacons, and we must repay the revival-debt we owe the Geo Archon as soon as possible."
At Sara's report, Ei's brow tightened.
"How long will this take? And how many people?"
Sara exhaled helplessly.
"At minimum: three thousand personnel, and at least two months just to reach the stage where all branches of development can begin simultaneously."
"To reach a state comparable to Liyue's current progress… we will need no less than four months."
Ei fell silent. After a while, she said softly:
"Four months is too long."
"But, my Shogun… that is already the shortest realistic timeframe."
Sara gave a tired smile.
"Liyue's development took five months.
We have far fewer people, and our citizens require extensive training. Otherwise, they cannot adapt to the peculiarities of Ryen's world."
"Taking all factors into account, four months is the limit."
"And right now, we only have a thousand troops stationed here in Liyue. General Kujou's situation back home is stable, but…"
"Inazuma has only just regained stability. The General still needs manpower to clear out roaming monsters and secure the land."
"Our national strength is weakened, our people's livelihoods not fully restored. We cannot extract more troops in the short term."
Ei rubbed her temples. Headache rising.
She increasingly felt that her past rigidity, the centuries of isolation, had harmed not only Makoto, but the entirety of Inazuma.
If not for that mistake, Inazuma would not be lagging behind. Mobilizing troops would not be this difficult.
Sara continued gently, wary of triggering another impulsive decision:
"Our best option is to proceed step by step.
First stabilize civilian life, regain the trust of the people,
then recruit soldiers and enter that world."
She genuinely feared that Ei might, in a moment of frustration, forcefully conscript the populace. Ei absolutely could do such a thing.
If Makoto were here, she would absolutely scold Ei into stopping.
Ei exhaled, irritated, weary.
"So what you're telling me is that while Liyue advances at the front, testing the newest mods and resources…"
"…we will only ever engage with their leftovers, whatever has already been fully researched?"
"You do realize that Ryen's world shifts constantly, yes? New biomes, new threats, new mechanics emerging one after another?"
"If no one from Inazuma stays at the forefront, we will forever remain behind."
Sara lowered her eyes.
"My Shogun… that cannot be helped.
We began too late…"
Ei's voice cooled.
"What do you mean 'cannot be helped'? Do you think Makoto would accept such an answer?"
Sara immediately fell silent.
From the windowsill, Yae Miko finally rolled her eyes hard enough to be heard.
"Stop making things difficult for General Sara. Whose fault do you think it is that Inazuma started late?"
"If you hadn't shut yourself away in isolation and thrown the entire nation into chaos, we'd have manpower to spare."
Sara shot Miko a grateful glance.
Only Miko, and Makoto, dared speak to Ei like that.
Ei scowled.
"I know I made mistakes. You don't need to keep stabbing the wound! Miko, you're supposed to be helping me think of solutions!"
"Not sitting there acting indifferent and daydreaming about men!"
Miko froze.
Ei had grabbed her by the tail, figuratively and emotionally.
"What's wrong with thinking about men!? I'm over a thousand years old! And with Makoto back, you don't even need me to babysit Inazuma every day!"
"Why shouldn't I think about my future happiness!?"
Ei sighed helplessly, staring at her.
Miko snorted.
"Honestly… what a boring woman."
"But fine. You're all missing the most important point."
Miko hopped off the windowsill and sauntered back to her seat.
"Snezhnaya joined late, far later than Liyue and Mondstadt.
Their exploration of the End and the Nether hasn't even started."
"But the Cryo Archon is still exploring the Twilight Forest right now, isn't she?"
Sara blinked.
Her mind began connecting ideas.
But Ei was still stuck on the literal meaning.
"Separate… from the military?
How could that be allowed?
This is the new Inazuman army, it is the heart of our strength. We must remain aligned with the army, aligned with Makoto's will!"
Miko rolled her eyes so sharply she nearly saw her brain.
"Sister-complexes are not allowed to speak! Now hush and let me finish!"
Ei froze.
Then glared at Miko indignantly,
but said nothing.
~~----------------------
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