The air between Reisen Riou and Raiden Ei was heavy with unspoken thoughts as they walked to his residence. Sensing the risk of exposing his Plan A, Reisen Riou broke the silence, probing Ei about technical challenges in Thunderous Yougou Divine Machine. Ei answered cautiously. At his home, he fetched Liyue-style desserts requiring slow savoring and freshly made treats, crafted himself, before rejoining her.
Over sweets and tech talk, he ventured, "Lady Ei, I've read Lady Narukami isn't skilled in martial arts. Is that true?"
"True," Ei said. "But I'm her shield—no one will harm her. And her spellcraft is formidable."
"Ever consider boosting her martial skills?"
"Sister handles state affairs and public visits. Where's the time for crude combat?" Ei replied instinctively, revealing her blind spot: confidence in her own prowess but ignorance of governance's broader needs.
Ei caught herself, realizing Reisen Riou's question was a subtle probe, safe from triggering the memory-erasing force. Was Makoto in danger? She suppressed the urge to read his mind, maintaining a calm facade.
Reisen Riou pressed on. "A perfect ruler should have no weaknesses, like Morax—martial champion and state stabilizer. Gods need goals too. Aim to be Morax's equal."
Ei laughed. "Morax's equal? Watch out for his copyright fees." But she knew: Reisen Riou had seen a future where Makoto faced peril her current skills couldn't counter, and Ei might not be there.
Going for broke, he said, "Thunderous Yougou Divine Machine could bridge her gaps with a top-tier database. My One System, Ten Thousand Minds does well too—like my apprentice, Anko Renrei. Her archery's at LV7, and even her neglected spellcraft hits LV6."
"I should see that," Ei said, unmoving. "Next year's Narukami Festival—invite her back." She was desperate to uncover the memory manipulator but hid it, knowing the danger was distant per his Plan B.
"By the way, Lady Ei, I got Red King tech from Sumeru. Their levitation and cloaking tech are tempting. Shall we study them?"
"I'm curious too. Let's dive in."
They analyzed: "Cloaking bends light via a field generator here." "This laser's potent." "Power system's fried—overloaded." "So precise, unlike modern alchemy." "Levitation module's here." "Mass-produced with common materials—Red King was a genius." "Ley line usage is clever but caused their downfall. Study, don't scale."
"Yes, Lady Ei!"
…
Makoto, alone, mused. Is Ei serious about him? Imagining them together, she blushed. Enough! She rested.
Ten days later, Reisen Riou and Ei returned to work, glowing—him from Plan A's progress and tech gains, her from rare, fulfilling research. Her Teyvat-topping intellect rarely found peers, but Reisen Riou's supercomputer-backed, otherworldly perspective kept pace, sparking insights. His mention of small-scale supercomputers inspired Thunderous Yougou Divine Machine 3.0, capable of hosting a clone with 70-80% of her strength for Makoto's elemental support. Version 2.0, a weaker upgrade, felt redundant.
Reisen Riou resumed duties, puzzled by odd looks from Okuzume and Makoto. Asking yielded nothing, so he let it go.
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