A slight hiss was eeked out of Jean Gunhildr, and her sister Barbara was giggling as she gently pulled the blanket off her sister. "Come now Jean, normally I have to put you to bed with how you overwork yourself. But now after being bullied by a foreign god, you are sulking."
Jean gave her sister a dull look before she grunted out. "Morax punched me through a mountain... Not into a mountain, no, with several punches I was used as a drill to punch entirely through a mountain."
Barbara's lips twitched as she tried not to react to her sister's very uncustomary whining but Jean continued. "And when I get home to Mondtstadt, all of the overpriced metal we bought at great expense is properly moved between the noble families, the troops, and some of the people paid back."
Jean took a deep breath before her voice came back with heat. "And what are our gods doing? Barbatos, Decarabian, Andrius, and Croanoa are all just drinking!"
Barbara smiled wryly and said helplessly. "Jean... When is Barbatos not drinking? At least the drunken god isn't taking the form of notable women and doing weird things with slimes again."
There was a pause as Jean's exhausted expression paled at the memory of the drunken wind god's whimsical idea to drunkenly play around in the form of Cloud Retainer in the nude... And in a massive pit filled with Anemo slimes being used as a sort of super-sized childish ball pit.
Then of course the natural retribution that was the result of Cloud Retainer somehow learning that had happened and getting her revenge on the wind god and leader of Monstadt's divine pantheon via destroying several valuable vineyards.
"Do not speak of that please Barbara." Jean muttered with a sigh as she sat up with a hand going through her vibrant golden hair before she raised an eyebrow at her sister and spoke more firmly. "So, you wouldn't be in my house if you didn't need something specific. So what has happened?"
Although Jean and Barbara both loved each other as sisters and respected one another's choices in life. With Jean being the leader of the Knights of Favonius, and Barbara is a high-ranking member of the clergy of Mondtadt's divine pantheon with the worshippers feeding their faith energy to the gods of Mondtadt to make them stronger.
They were still slightly estranged due to how Jean and Barbara's childhoods featured them being torn apart via a messy divorce that consisted of the mother taking Jean and making her a warrior as befitted the Gunhildr clan.
And likewise, their father took Barbara and being a high-ranking member of the clergy, Barbara followed in her father's footsteps in joining the Mondstadt church.
So Barbara wouldn't just 'pop' into Jean's house without forewarning, let alone break into her personal bedroom.
Barbara at hearing the firm question lost her smile and she spoke quietly. "Inazuma was the one who kidnapped Jake after his wedding. Already the Wind Anemo spirits have been stirred up via the Raiden sister's attempts to obscure it. I have already reported a massive building following Jake's minimalist style of massive structures being built in only a week."
Jean absorbed that information before she snorted. "Those kitsune... Barbatos whispered they were just clones during the wedding, they must have snatched him away while the other sect's of Liyue made a mess with their own movements."
With Barbara adding on. "And that's when you, Arlechino and Yelan got into a fight with Morax beating you three up right?"
Jean gave her shameless sister who needed her own beating a dark look. But Barbara just smiled like a pretty innocent angel in response to the dark look.
And then Jean carefully folded her hands together in front of herself as she pondered what use that information was. Should she send the news to Liyue to build goodwill? Should she make a play at kidnapping Jake as well by encouraging Croanoa the goddess of time to sneak him away.
Or... Should she just ignore the news and remain neutral as despite how amazing it would be to have Jake build a fabrication factory here in Monstadt that exceeds or just matches the factory he made in Liyue.
She knew that being the second person to kidnap Jake was going to be a true slap to the face of Liyue who was assuredly going to perform some measure to take Jake back to Liyue.
"If it was Inazuma... They would have had Jake create some sort of production to mass produce food as that's Liyue's biggest issue due to their poor soil that's been tainted by rain that carries a bunch of salt in it due to abyssal monsters forcing violent rain storms with water directly from the ocean." Jean mused to herself.
She let her hands unfold as one hand went to her chin and the other arm rest under her prodigious bust as she continued thinking. 'We don't get anything from blackmailing Inazuma as it's assured that it will be but a few days at most till Liyue's Adepti, and Liyue Chixing find out.'
Jean looked to her sister and asked. "Has Barbatos and any of the other divines said anything of their own will?"
Barbara nodded and said quietly. "They have been busy with the eastern Abyss Gate, so they don't want to rock the boat too much and have actual conflict with either Liyue or Inazuma. So they want us to win something, but not cost us anything."
Jean sniffed at their divine will and she couldn't help a wry chuckle as she muttered. "How greedy of them... Well, I do have an idea in fact."
The leader of the Knight's of Favonius smiled with a cool chill in her eyes as she remarked. "Alice was talking about Klee needed an interesting target to practice making her latest explosives... It would be quite interesting if such explosives found themselves at Jake's newest factory in Inazuma."
There was a moment of silence before Barbara said slowly. "That is the very definition of making enemies in Inazuma sister."
To which Jean shrugged and said calmly. "Oh not that Klee's bombs would be used to destroy said factory. More like maybe destroy it's back yard to get everyone's attention and meanwhile Jake can be snatched away or be able to flee on his own."
Barbara considered the scenario and then asked slowly. "And what do we gain from this? I don't see it Jean."
Jean gave a slight hum as she stood up from her bed and then she tied her long blonde hair behind her head in it's signature ponytail before she said firmly.
"It certainly won't endear us to Inazuma. But frankly getting involved in general will not endear us to Inazuma. No the goal is to get a piece of Jake's genius in return for our aid... Better trade deals, a factory of our own, maybe even manage to invite him here for the Windbloom Festival."
There was a silence before Jean gave Barabara an almost smug smile and said. "Maybe you will get another chance to work your wiles on him again... And more importantly find out more of his information, if he didn't recognize you, myself, others, and know stuff only someone from Mondtstadt would know, I would think he was lying about his past."
That was by far the biggest pet peeve niggiling at Jean's mind at least once or twice a day. How in the hell did Mondtstadt manage to suppress Jake to the point where he a normal mortal without martial arts or any cultivation decided to flee and run all the way to Liyue.
And spies in the Liyue Harbor's guards and merchants collaborated the story with the merchants of the Lee Family happily telling the spies about how they picked up Jake on the side of the road and took him into the city.
Honestly ,it was the most infuriating thing... "Is Lisa at the library currently? I need to speak with her as well?" Jean asked her sister who shrugged helplessly.
"I have no ide,a Jean. I have been busy as you well know, though Lisa isn't exactly a very active person so it's likely that's the case."
With that confirmation made Jean waved her hand at Barbara and said with a wry smile. "Alright Barbara, thank you for the news, but excuse me I need to get changed and get to work."
-
A soft clinking noise rang out as Ningguang tapped her metal-tipped fingernails on a jade tablet that contained a recording of Jake working over several menial workers who were forced to stand there like fools as he built up another factory of his.
"Hmm... The Heavenly Mountain Sect, and the Cloud Refining Sect will be getting copies of this obviously."
Ningguang's lips twitched in cruel amusement as she muttered. "What, did they expect to hide a several mile mide massive factory under some strong illusions, kill a bunch of commoners who worked on it and try to sell the information and nothing come of it?"
The merchant queen of Liyue sniffed at the arrogance of the Inazuma gods and especially the smug kitsune who in hindsight obviously got off to the thought that with their clones being here, they got away with kidnapping Jake and Keqing to Inazuma.
Beyond kidnapping Jake to Inazuma when he had his own responsibility here and Liyue's people wanted his amazing technology for their own further enhancing prosperity there was the fact that in kidnapping Keqing.
Inazuma literally basically kidnapped the under-minister of Liyue Harbor's militant arm of the Millelith.
And that insult alone was going to lead to blood being spilled between Inazuma and Liyue. But also due to it being done obviously at the behest of Inazuma's gods themselves, that meant that Liyue's gods were going to get involved.
Ningguang's hands squeezed the jade recording stone with her mental energy copying the memory to another jade recording stone and then she took out a couple of messaging seals and slipped the recording stones into them.
Then the messaging seals glowed with golden light before taking on the form of a slightly glowing sparrow that flew out of the Jade Chamber's balcony Ningguang was working within.
The two sparrows turned slightly as they headed in their own different directions. Cloud Retainer's messager seal going towards Jake's alchemy factory that had been encroached upon by the Joyous Union sect but their intrusion had been violently rebuffed by Cloud Retainer's disciples.
But with Shenhe and Ganyu not being enough to keep the old monsters of the Joyous Union Sect suppressed, Cloud Retainer had to go there obviously, to send a very clear message.
Ningguang's lips twitched as she noted that in sending a message to the impure sect that loved its dual cultivation... It was likely that Cloud Retainer was obviously going to help herself to a sample of the elixers and pills, Jake's alchemy factory was putting out each week.
"Morax's messager seal... It's heading directly towards the abyss. There must be a divine demon or abyssal monster active." She muttered with a slight frown.
But she took a deep breath knowing that Morax especially was skilled in suppressing and killing even the strongest of the abyssal monsters and demons that invaded their world.
Then with the message sent her lips curled in amusement at the golden message that Dori had sent asking about when another shipment of 'Pelican's would be ready to be sold to the merchant queen of Sumeru.
"Sorry, little one. We need all the birds in the sky right now." Ningguang muttered with some amusement knowing that Dori would infer that the refusal was purely because Jake was 'on vacation' as many people in the Liyue Qixing and the neighboring clan's thought was the case.
A lie the Liyue Qixing would happily tell even if it held up to the truth as easily as water flowed through a sieve. But it kept things simple which was the most important fact even beyond the truth itself.
But beyond all this... Laid one crucial fact. "Hmm. The question is thus. Will Morax go to Inazuma, and give them a new island after he probably flattens part of Narukami island when he starts throwing mountains? Or will Cloud Retainer just snatch them up?" Ningguang mused in thought.
-
Across the world was two figures sitting standing at the edge of a large wooden balcony, with their view being the endless mountains and verdant rainforrests surrounding Sumeru City.
Both figures had long white hair with soft green tinges. But one figure had some light brown and red streaks in her hair as though showing how her lively hair was entering the Fall itself while the other's was a fresh and pure as Spring.
"Our saplings are in position, but it seems that Jake and Keqing wish to remain in Inazuma for a week longer." Nahida said with amusement as she looked at her 'mother' Rukkhadevata.
The elder goddess of wisdom chuckled with her own matching amusement before she spoke softly. "We snuck a Mist Seed marked by a Stalker beetle into Jake's shoes and we always knew he was in Inazuma to say nothing those foolish siblings thinking a powerful storm could block our dream walking."
Nahida gave a soft shrug and said plainly. "We have pretended to let other's think our dream jumping can be blocked more easily than it actually is. However, although Jake's own mind is... Too divergent for us to walk his dreams with the defenses he passively has."
"That dream defense he has however makes it abundantly clear where he is at all times as we do our own spiritual walk around the Inazuma area. Not to mention the fact that we can track that seed, to say nothing of our spies." Nahida finished with amusement as Rukkhadevata slowly nodded.
"Liyue will take back Jake Bariss, they have tasted the bounty his genius seemingly endlessly provides unless Inazuma does something extremely stupid like killing Jake to hide the secret."
A snort rang out as Rukkhadevata added. "Not that, it would work either. The massive food factory Jake made, screams of his direct attention and work... Hmm, though this will be a strong lesson to Liyue that they cannot monopolize Jake unless a divine is watching him directly."
Nahida gave a slight hum before asking rhetorically. "Hmm, the chances of Cloud Retainer or Morax directly taking Jake into their sects isn't low... However, therein lies the issue of how the Adepti would need to keep their disciples and elders from pulling their games with the golden goose."
A soft hum of thought escaped Rukkhadevata before she sighed and muttered. "Truly it is a misfortune to all that Jake didn't start his life here... The Akadamiya would have nurtured him to his best form, and with the knowledge we have collected over the millennia Jake would have had a much better starting point."
Nahida herself shrugged and said with some humor. "If it wasn't for how we both are needed to keep the Abyss in the desert and the splotchs of abyssal taint in the jungle contained. I would sneak over to Liyue myself to try to collect the designs he left behind."
Rukkhadevata's lips twitched and she said with a shake of her head. "His house has assuredly been flipped over to check for his notes already. And regardless of whether it's Cloud Retainer or Ningguang, neither would share them so easily."
With that, both goddesses remained silent as they took in their city built into a massive divine tree they and the other divines of Sumeru had fed and kept as strong as possible for the last two millennia since the War on Celestia.
-
Keqing and I on our little break were 'very' productive in our dual cultivation as we had little better to do as we were still nominally prisoners of a sort. So I also used my build gun to rebuild the cultivation tanks I made previously in my first factory so we could have an impromptu 'Holy Land'
Whenever we wanted to cultivate, which for Keqing was always. And I certainly wasn't going to say not to my beautiful purple-haired wife who wanted to snuggle up naked in a wet sauna to become stronger and live longer.
This was exactly what I was doing with her as Keqing had just returned from her little sparring session with one of the Raiden Sibling's generals who were at the Saint tier of martial arts like Keqing was.
While I had been practicing the Gold Element of the Martial Art of Golden Lightning Hands. Which complimented my martial art in the Golden Path, as I would enhance my body via treatments by absorbing pieces of spiritual gold to reinforce it.
First, my skin was enhanced which for me who was already in the first stage of Martial Arts/Body Cultivation. I already had a head start and my body refinement was going well.
And I loved the Golden Lightning Hands body refinement method because it was simply utterly fucking disgusting for me.
Sure it wasn't offensively the strongest martial art or body refinement method there was. But its cultivation method was dependent on me getting Spiritual Gold of high quantities and higher quality as I went higher with the body refinement method.
And for me who could literally take spiritual gold and use processes like Particle Accelerators to make higher density and spiritually rich spiritual gold alloys? From the moment I saw it in the stack of martial arts and cultivation methods Yae Miko gave us I was hooked.
Not to mention how the lightning aspect of the Gold element had a sort of 'holy' tinge to it which was often the bane of abyssal monsters.
So the last few day's were going well besides the pink-haired fox woman coming over to 'check' in on us every few hours to make sure I hadn't poisoned the water supply, or created a pox to wipe out the mortals. Or in other words, continue to be a menace.
We had spent the last four days basically just cultivating in my case, while Keqing also did some sparring with her seniors.
"So Keqing, are you ready?" I asked quietly as the Pelican inside my modified spatial ring was finally built with Keqing who was sitting in my lap stiffening before she said quietly.
"I have been tagged by the Raiden Siblings with their spiritual mark to say nothing of how you have the spiritual mark of Kitsune Saiguu and Yae Miko. We can't outrun them conventionally."
I nodded slowly with a cold smile before I spoke. "That is indeed the case, I realized that a plane in the air would be, too easy of a target to say nothing of the powerful storm the gods have conjured up around their borders."
"But there is one thing, they didn't account for. What is under the water itself. The Pelican has several large propellers and is already atmosphere-sealed so we can just go underwater!"
Keqing was silent for a moment before she spoke slowly. "Jake, what about the sea monsters?"
To which I squeezed Keqing around the waist and said. "The ship will already be moving fast underwater. And we can rise up out of the depths quickly and fly into the air if needed. It's our best bet in my mind unless you have a better plan?"
The goal was simple. Even if Yae Miko and the gods themselves could track us. The trick was that they couldn't get several hundred meters below the water, be that their spiritual senses or their bodies were incapable of taking the pressure.
But then Keqing sighed and said. "Jake, you underestimate a god. They can take the deep water pressure. Especially the gods of Inazuma as they regularly need to fight abyssal monsters and demons who try to hide in the deepest darkest depths."
I frowned before I took a deep breath and said. "Then our best bet is to just outrun them while flying straight towards Liyue... Or we do something crazy like leading them towards a great monster or something."
Taking a deep breath I exhaled and said. "Either way. Me and you can't break the spiritual imprints on ourselves... Myself especially I can't break them at all until we are leaving as feeling the imprints breaking they will rush towards us."
I was about to continue but then I paused as Keqing squeezed the hand around my waist before a soft clatter rang out as the 'doorbell' that consisted of several wood rattlers attached to a string leading to the front door made a loud noise.
"Well well... Let's go see who is at the front door," I muttered as I held in a grimace at the thought someone was listening in on our conversation even though I was using my white noise machine.
We walked outside of our cabin house and we headed over to the wooden gate that led to the exit of our small walled-in estate.
Keqing let go of my arm even as she stood beside me, but she was at the ready with her hand resting on her sword as we were well used to Yae Miko and Kitsune Saiguu not caring about privacy and just appearing directly on our front porch.
I opened up the door and as I saw who was on the other side of the door, I blinked in surprise as it was honestly the very last person I expected to see there.
"Hello? May I help you Lord Kamisato?" I asked curiously as I took in Ayato Kamisato who was the head of the Kamisato clan.
Ayato had light blue hair with purple eyes that showed a great deal of cunning and intelligence within his gaze that likewise was judging me and Keqing.
And after our shared moment of inspection, he gave a small smile and spoke quietly. "Hello Jake Bariss, and this must be your lovely wife Keqing."
Ayato bowed his head slightly towards Keqing in greeting before he looked me in the eye and said with that same smile that I realized was a mask for his cunning as he said calmly. "Jake, do you mind if I come in so we may speak man to man?"
I blinked at the way he put it. Because I started the conversation to begin with, by labeling him as Lord Kamisation, which was part of the Tri-Commission that ran a good bit of the day-to-day life here in Inazuma.
So after a moment of thought, I shrugged as I had nothing to lose from letting him in and listening to him... It wasn't like Ayato was a criminal of the state or anything.
"Sure come on in." I said with a shrug and brought Ayato into our estate with us walking ahead of him as we entered the cabin and as Keqing began making tea I sat down at the small table with Ayato elegantly sitting on his knee's before me on the other side.
After a moment of silence with the only sounds being the noices of Keqing making the tea, Ayato broke the silence. "So, Jake Bariss. Would you prefer to share pleasantries, or would you like to just get to why I came here, what I offer, and what I ask for in turn?"
I raised an eyebrow at his wording again before I nodded and said calmly. "Speak plainly then. Offer what you will, and we will see what I can do."
Ayato took a deep breath and spoke quietly. "Days have passed since your large food factory has been built. But the prices of food will not lower, the commoners will not receive a large influx of food even. All that Treasure Rice will instead fill the stomachs of the soldiers of Inazuma."
Giving Ayato a look I thought about it before I shrugged and said. "For one that's not my problem, the weak, whether in mind or body suffer in this world and that's just a fact."
Taking a breath I continued. "And also, wouldn't a large amount of soldiers being fed by the Treasure Rice make the common populace have more food to go around anyway?"
Soft clinking noises rang out as Keqing gently put two cups of Inazuma style tea between us with Keqing taking a seat away from the table but with her sword in her lap as an honestly rude warning towards Ayato.
But he had no visible reaction as he respectfully took a drink of the tea before he spoke quietly. "You forget human nature Jake, especially those born within nobility and believing they are owed more in life than what other's can receive with their own hard work."
Ayato put down the cup of tea and spoke coldly. "Corruption will see the families of the quartermasters glutted with food. Said food will be snuck out and sold for other things, not to mention the simple fact that with you here... Why should the Raiden siblings account for only a single food factory."
My lips curled at the truth in that as Ayato finished calmly. "They are already drawing up the next four lots for you to work upon. Two more food factories, along with a mining and fabrication factory like your first one in Liyue and lastly a dedicated alchemy factory."
I tilted my head to the side before I asked bluntly. "What do you want Ayato? What do you want from me?"
He gave me a long searching look before he smiled mirthlessly and said. "I have a seal that can you can wear. Its a special seal the Kamisato clan made millennia ago during the War of Celestia and was used by Inazuma ninja's to escape the gaze of Celestia so they could do their work."
He reached into his robe-like suit and he brought out a ceramic ofuda-like seal that was used here in Inazuma and he continued. "This seal will hide you from the senses and any forms of tracking from the gods of Inazuma... To say nothing of being a very potent boon for someone who hasn't had the time to properly cultivate."
I used my build gun to quickly scan the seal and my lips curled at the literally millions of runes, seals, glyphs and other things built into the seal from it's moment of forging and completion... So with how I recognized a few seals from the Adepti books of seals that Cloud Retainer gave me.
I believed that he was speaking the truth.
"This... Is a wonderful tool indeed. But what do you want Ayato?" I asked using his first name on purpose.
Ayato shifted slightly as he leaned forward and then he said bluntly. "Jake I want you to leave Inazuma... Right now. There is a chartered ship under the name of a powerful merchant of Fontainne I can have you smuggled out on. Or you can use whatever other measure you want."
I was quiet for a moment before I said flatly. "Why are you committing treason Ayato Kamisato?"
He snorted and then said flatly. "Jake I am not stupid, you are a molten rice ball for anyone to sample as Morax is still the strongest god. And despite the Raiden sibling's strength, should they come to blows with Morax and the Adepti... Inazuma will lose, and Inazuma doesn't have a lot of landmasses to lose to the ocean when such gods are fighting."
A giggle escaped Keqing at Ayato's words and we both looked over she was hurriedly putting away a smug smile behind her own cup of tea.
I coughed and said. "So you want me gone, so conflict doesn't come to Inazuma. Fair enough. Though that's not all you want for both the aid, and this treasure isn't it?"
Ayato's cool smile actually had a bit of respect in it as he slowly nodded. "Correct Jake. I am the Lord of the Kamisato clan, and thus the lord of the Yashiro Commission, due to the fact that the Yashiro Commission is in-charge of the land's more spiritual matters, shrines, and festivals. My commission doesn't have martial and economic might that the other two commissions have."
He took a breath before he continued. "When you get back to Liyue, or whatever aegis you decide to go under. I wish for you to use your influence to force trade deals with the force you are attached to that will allow us to buy food in bulk."
I blinked at the request/demand from Ayato in return for this treasure that would hide me from the senses of... Literally fucking everyone probably.
So I just looked at the treasure before shrugging and saying. "I agree, whether I force Ningguang to do this. Or when I finish making my own food factory in Liyue, I can promise within a couple months at most there will be food to be sold to the Kamisato Clan."
The way I put it was put very specifically... I wasn't selling to the Shogunate or even the Tri-Commission. I would be selling directly to the Kamisato clan who Ayato was the leader of and the Raiden Siblings couldn't bully him without a good reason to take anything I sold him.
There was a pause as Ayato himself considered my words before he said calmly. "And how will you keep this promise? Not to say your word isn't strong. But how will you prove your promise to me?" He asked more than anything.
My lips twitched at the cruel question as there normally wasn't an easy answer to that and he knew that. Instead, he looked to Keqing and spoke. "Lady Keqing, you are his wife yes?"
Keqing nodded calmly and said firmly. "I am indeed Jake's wife. And I know what you are thinking, to bind Jake to the Kamisato clan with a marriage."
I blinked in confusion as that literally was the last thing I expected to come out of Keqing's mouth.
But thinking about this situation. I knew that a political marriage was the 'perfect' solution in theory. It in-offensively tied me to Inazuma without Liyue being able to bitch about it. It also assured Ayato that I would continue this deal if only to keep this 'mystery' wife happy with me.
I looked at Keqing, who raised an eyebrow, and then she said coldly, "You are brave to ask a man's wife if it's alright for him to marry another woman for a political deal."
And Ayato replied calmly and coldly in turn, "The woman in question is my beloved younger sister, who is willing to make the sacrifice to guarantee the civilians of Inazuma do not go to bed starving every night."
Ayato gave me a glance before he shrugged and said plainly. "My sister is a good deal stronger than him as a Xiantian martial artist so he is no threat to her frankly. You however are and I don't want my sister to suffer with a head wife who refuses to accept her presence."
I raised up a hand and said with a wry smile. "Can we leave this conversation behind and just trust me to make this deal go through?"
Both Keqing and Ayato looked at me with disbelief with Keqing sighing and saying. "I am sorry Lord Kamisato, he is still hopeless when it comes to noble etiquette and practices... He prefers to just make technology and wonders that leave people in gaping in wonder to cover up for his lack of social graces
I took a deep breath and I said more firmly as I reached over and took Keqing's hand into my own. "Keqing, I love you... I love you completely and honestly. I don't need a second wife in this life."
Keqing smiled softly as she threaded her hand into mine and she said softly. "And I appreciate that Jake. I love you too, but love is the most potent binding of them all in this world."
With that Keqing with her still holding my hand, looked back to Ayato and said calmly. "I will not harm nor cause grief to your sister should she be wedded to my own husband."
I paused at that and then Keqing continued. "Ever since Ningguang, and Cloud Retainer approached me about this. I have considered this possibility long and hard before I came to the conclusion that we are both very busy people Jake. Not to mention that we need to expand our noble household."
"What noble household?" I almost snapped in confusion as I looked at Keqing with something getting close to irratation.
And Keqing gave me a long look before she took a deep breath and explained gently. "Jake, I rather not say this in front of... Guests, but as you gain the strength to properly protect your own factories, do you want to continue to send more than eighty percent of everything you make to the Liyue Qixing? Wouldn't you want to be more independent?"
I gave Keqing a literally dull look before I said flatly. "Keqing, the reason I pay tribute to Ningguang and Morax is that I literally need an army of high-level cultivators and martial artists to protect said factories due to them being minature holy lands with all the spirit stones they pull up and use in their production."
I shook my head and said with a wry smile. "Let's say I married Ganyu and Shenhe for example. Those two are both strong and very talented, but they still cannot protect a factory on their own and just making connections with other sects and noble families like the Kamisato's won't stop some crazy demonic cultivator from trying to steal everything from a factory."
Ayato coughed and my lips twitched as he said with amazement. "I see... He truly is ignorant of noble affairs. No Jake, in your own mind she means that marrying another noble scion, would bring that family into your affairs, and in giving them shares of the business the duty of shared bloodline will bind them, and profits to keep the shared business together."
I brushed a hand across my face as I actually understood what they meant especially in this world. For example, let's say there was a huge mining operation one noble family had, they couldn't hold said mine due to other hostile families, monsters, or otherwise.
So they would set up an heir with another family's child in marriage so that they could legitimately share the duty of keeping the mine going and providing a profit with the second family getting a smaller share of the mine in return for helping keep it open.
I understood what they were getting at... But I loved Keqing and this was real life, I highly doubted adding Kamisato Ayaka, a girl who was likely very different from what I knew of the game to be just married to myself directly would be good for our relationship.
But it seems that Keqing understood my dilemma as she squeezed my hand and said with a soft smile. "Jake, so long as you love and respect me. I won't give you any grief for this. This... This is honestly normal, and if it wasn't for how you married me, Ningguang would have set you up with a woman to tie you to the Liyue Qixing anyway."
And as I imagined Ningguang, and how she handled things... How she purged the Li family well in advance for coming after me at my factory. How she had a slightly flirty demeanor and she would do damn near anything to protect Liyue and its prosperity.
I knew Keqing was very right about Ningguang though. Ningguang would have taken one of her personal project orphans she raised to work in the Liyue Qixing and she would have sent her as a blushing bride into my bed chambers with no hesitation to tie me to the Liyue Qixing.
If I hadn't instantly locked onto Keqing when we were working together in either case.
"This is... Rather sudden to be honest." I said with an exhale before I decided to just man up. If Keqing was going to support this and this was very much the norm in both of the countries we belonged too.
"But I am willing to give this a try, Ayato. How about I bring your sister Ayaka with me to Liyue, and we see how things go? If we naturally fit together the marriage will go on without any issue. However, if we don't out we can just say she was with us to make sure the Kamisato clan's investment was made in good faith which saves her honor." I spoke.
It was a perfect middle ground in my mind with Ayato raising an eyebrow in interest before he shrugged with a small smile crossing his face. "I see... So an engagement of sorts to see if things work instead of the full marriage. Very well, I will accept that as the Lord of the Kamisato clan."
Ayato then stood up elegantly from his seat and said. "Well, my sister is just outside your compound, and while your minders are busy with some trouble with a nearby neighboring noble family next to your food factory. You will need to get a move on from Inazuma."
"Not giving us any time to do anything else are you?" I asked with some extra meaning in my words with Ayato giving a light hum and saying easily.
"Correct, I'd rather not see whatever going away gift you have in mind for my homeland. Better to end this vacation with you leaving hand in hand with your wife, and wife to be... Not leaving something unpleasant behind."
Ayato then walked ahead of us after we left our house with him walked to the front door and sitting at the front of our gate was a decent-sized purple carriage with the Kamisato clan's iconography with several electro symbols engraved and painted onto it.
And then I blinked as I recognized Kuki Shinobu of all people open up the door to the carriage while wearing her signature rather revealing outfit.
Kuki then stepped out of the carriage with her bowing her head towards Ayato and then myself before she stood up straight and said. "My lords, Lady Ayaka is ready."
Ayato gave me a small smile and said. "This young lady is Kuki Shinobu, she is a member of the Shuumatsuban, the Inazuma assassination and secret police force, and more importantly. She is my sister's dear friend from childhood after my family adopted her."
Although I knew a good bit about Shinobu's canon past in being a daughter of a line of priestesses/miko's in the Narukami Shrine, I had no idea what the Narukami Shrine was like in this world where monsters and the abyssal fiends and demons roamed the world.
For all I knew, instead of having a lot of drama with her mother about not wanting to be a miko/priestess and initially running off to Liyue to learn law like in canon. She could easily just be an orphan or something.
Either way, I nodded and said. "Hello miss Shinobu, my name is Jake Bariss, and this is my wife Keqing."
Both Keqing and Shinobu shared a look before Keqing smiled and said easily. "Having another wielder of an Electro Vision around in Liyue can be interesting. It's good to meet you."
Then came the moment of truth. With Kuki opening the door, it was Ayaka's turn to shine as she elegantly came out of the opened carriage door with her taking in my form and giving me a knowing awkward smile even as she then put on a calm expression.
Ayaka had a similar shorter and modest build like Keqing and longer hair. But they differed in how Ayaka's skin was a pale delicate tone, and her hair being longer and a silver blue with her eyes being a deep blue similar to my own.
Where Keqing instead had very noticeable purple hair and violet eyes.
"Hello Jake Bariss, my name is Ayaka, Kamisato Ayaka." She said bowing her head to me and for a moment I wanted to ask if she really wanted this.
But I could see the pride, and purpose in Ayaka's eyes as she stared me straight in the eye as though to say. 'I want this, this is my choice.' And besides my own feeling of how awkward having basically my own arranged marriage thrown into my lap.
This was a powerful step towards me gaining my own independence from the other forces the surrounded me constantly. To say nothing how Ayaka should we... Do the deed, would give me a powerful boost to my cultivation and body refinement just like how my honeymoon with Keqing boosted me greatly.
"Jake, you and Keqing are welcome to use the carriage if you need to, in order to make your escape." Ayato said calmly breaking the staring contest between me and Ayaka.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before I said. "No, it's alright we don't need to go anywhere. Ayaka, are you ready to go now?"
Ayaka's deep blue eyes shut as she likewise took a breath knowing that her life was going to irrevocably change at this moment. And she said firmly. "Yes, yes I am ready for this."
And she clearly meant more than just leaving Liyue so with a nice open road in front of me... I first held onto the shrouding artifact in hand, while I then took my Pelican out of my spatial ring that I had modified so it could be built while still in stasis.
A loud thud rang out as the small airship landed in front of us and I gave Ayato a look before I nodded to him and said. "Send your men to pick up the food, materials, and elixirs in two weeks. I hope to see you in Liyue with your men if you can to check in with your sister."
Ayato gave me a knowing look before he solemnly nodded and said with a depth of emotion within his voice. "I will be doing that Jake Bariss, so don't bully my sister."
With that Ayato remained silent as Ayaka Kamisato, Kuki Shinobu, Keqing and I climbed into the large Pelican with the engines coming to life with a loud roar and I then saw Ayato take his sword out and create a portal of swirling water that grew in size in front of the Pelican that led out into the ocean.
"He is giving us a head start," I stated as the anti-gravity glyphs and runes I had engraved into the Pelican started taking spiritual energy from the spiritual stone core, and with the Pelican's weight greatly reduced it easily flew up into the air on low power and shot forward through the water-based portal that Ayato opened up.
'Is Ayato Kamisato a divine-level cultivator? Only peak Saint's and Nascent Soul cultivators can fuck about with spatial energy?' I mused but I pushed the thought down as I got to work powering up the engines to send us off as fast as possible to the north towards the coastline of Liyue.