"Ohoho~ well, well… look who's finally come back?"
The moment Raiden Ei stepped into the Tenshukaku, a familiar sing-song voice, dripping with sarcasm, floated through the air.
Yae Miko, the ever-smiling Guuji of Narukami Shrine, was clearly in a mood.
"Here I am, working myself to death," she said, her tone sugar-sweet but words razor-sharp.
"Meanwhile, our esteemed god of eternity goes off to enjoy a lovely vacation with her sweetheart.
Must be nice~ Not a thought spared for her poor, overworked attendants."
Liyue had just finished its Rite of Parting.
With Morax absent, who knew what sort of chaos had ensued?
Since Inazuma's dreamscape was sealed off from the outside world, Yae Miko had received almost no foreign news for weeks.
How many juicy scandals had she missed?
"Mm. There won't be a 'next time,'"
Ei replied, her voice calm but faintly weary.
A single trip was enough— every time she left, she feared Su Ran might never come back.
"Next time?"
Yae's ears perked up instantly.
Oh no, she'd heard that right.
"Listen to you!" she snapped. "You go gallivanting around with your lover, and now you're already talking about next time?
While we—me, the real Raiden, and even Ayaka—have been stuck here bored out of our minds!"
Inazuma had been far too peaceful lately.
No festivals, no excitement— and worst of all, no gossip.
To make matters worse, Yae Publishing House had hit a slump.
Inazuman light novels couldn't sell abroad anymore, and her authors were losing motivation.
Business had plummeted.
And while money had never been her real goal— she had founded Yae Publishing for the sake of finding interesting ideas— even a kitsune priestess couldn't deny:
When authors stop making money, they stop writing.
And if that continued… the House might soon collapse.
"There won't be a next time," Ei corrected quickly.
"And where is your beloved?"
Seeing Ei return alone, Yae Miko raised a brow.
No sign of Su Ran.
For all her teasing, she couldn't deny— everything that had happened in Inazuma lately was thanks to that man.
Even if she still held grudges, she was grateful that he had brought back the true Raiden Shogun.
It was complicated.
Dreams could mend regrets, but had no future.
Reality held the future, but also pain.
There was no such thing as having both.
"He said the dreamscape needs a few upgrades," Ei replied softly.
"He stayed behind to… make some improvements."
"Improvements?" Yae's eyes widened.
"Wait, hold on—did you just agree when I called him your lover?!"
She circled around Ei in disbelief, her tails swishing.
"What in Narukami's name happened out there?
You—you—just accepted that so calmly?!"
Usually, that sort of teasing would've earned her a blade to the face.
But now… Ei simply nodded, serene as a monk.
"Is that so strange?" Ei asked.
"He is the cornerstone of Eternity—the foundation upon which my path now rests.
Offering myself to him… what's wrong with that?"
Yae's jaw nearly hit the floor.
Offering… herself?!
Had she gone completely feral?!
This woman who once locked herself away for centuries— now talking like a docile little housewife!
"You're going to tell me everything,"
Yae demanded. "What exactly happened in Liyue?"
Her curiosity burned brighter than any shrine fire.
"Nothing much," Ei said.
"I just had a fight with the Winter Queen, that's all."
Yae Miko froze.
Then, in a rush of delighted horror:
"You WHAT?! You and the Tsaritsa FOUGHT?!"
A Harbinger and a god in the same place— and Ei picked a fight?!
"Details. Now."
Under the fox's relentless badgering,
Ei eventually gave in and recounted the entire story.
Meanwhile, in Liyue, Ningguang was quietly reviewing documents in her study atop the Jade Chamber.
Suddenly, a faint shimmer appeared before her.
"Can you see me? Can you hear me? Testing—one, two, three—ahhh~!"
Ningguang froze mid-stroke of her pen.
"Su Ran?" she said slowly.
"Weren't you supposed to be back in Inazuma?"
"I am~" he grinned. "But this is a virtual projection! So appearing before you like this is perfectly normal, isn't it?"
"…No," Ningguang replied flatly.
"No, it isn't."
"What is this?" she asked, eyes narrowing.
"Magic? Or technology made manifest?"
She felt no energy from the image—no divine aura, no elemental flow.
It was as though she were staring at… air.
"Technology, of course!" Su Ran said, proudly puffing his chest.
"I'm a scientist, remember? Abusing power just isn't on brand for me.
Genius means invention, innovation—intellect!"
He sighed dramatically, hand to his forehead.
"Honestly, I'm clearly defined by my wisdom, yet everyone insists on talking about my power!
Sure, it's strong, but still—priorities, people!"
Ningguang's lips twitched.
And what did you use to kill Osial, hmm?
She didn't say it aloud, but the thought hung in her mind.
Yes, his intellect was incredible— but his strength was what defied comprehension.
Still, that was only because her perspective was limited.
Once she saw what lay beyond Teyvat, perhaps she'd finally understand why the seat of The Aeon of Wisdom focused on knowledge above all else.
"Can this technology be made public?" she asked suddenly.
Ah, ever the merchant— Ningguang's first instinct was profit.
If such real-time projection communication became widespread, it would revolutionize intelligence gathering.
What could be faster or clearer than speaking face-to-face across nations?
"In theory, yes," Su Ran said, smirking.
"But the cost is huge. For personal use, though? Much cheaper~"
He winked at her meaningfully.
She understood immediately.
Mass production meant loss of control— but monopoly meant power.
A sly smile curved Ningguang's lips.
"What do you need me to do?"
"Heh~ we'll discuss that later," Su Ran replied.
"Right now, my Sentinel Array has been exploring deep space.
We've already located several interesting places… and one of them might just be the Herta Space Station.
Once I finish deciphering their language, it'll be time to pay them a visit."
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