Hearing Beidou speak, Kokomi began to piece things together.
Beidou had brought the Traveler , clearly the sudden end of the Vision Hunt Decree had something to do with one of the Travelers.
Moreover, the arrival of Liyue's Dragon Riders, though ostensibly to address the oppression of Liyue merchants, had nevertheless helped Inazuma in a larger sense.
That was worth thinking over.
"Captain Beidou, what's your take?"
Beidou smiled and replied quietly,
"You saw the Liyue Dragon Riders, right? They're the strongest of the five main divisions of the Qianyan forces."
"They represent a real part of Liyue's military foundation."
"And with the Conqueror of Demons himself here in Inazuma as well, if I'm right, your Raiden Shogun is about to sign a pact with our Adeptus."
"Specifically , a pact with Liyue, Mondstadt, and Snezhnaya."
"If I'm guessing correctly, she's already seen the Tri-Nation alliance, and from now on she'll follow their lead to develop Inazuma."
"A full-scale war between the Resistance and the Shogunate obviously doesn't fit that plan."
"With the Tenryou and Kanjou Commissions all arrested, Inazuma now has a huge shortage of capable officials."
"If I'm right, Kujou Sara will soon lead a contingent back to Liyue, leaving Inazuma short of high-ranking commanders."
"Tomorrow, Gorou will probably be absorbed under the Shogun's command, and you'll temporarily take over Kujou Sara's duties here."
"As for you, Kokomi , she won't punish you. She knows your abilities."
"Since that's the case, pacifying Inazuma's chaos will need your help."
"You and Gorou will certainly be brought into the Shogun's fold."
"As for the rest of the Resistance… I can only say this: Inazuma will have so many positions to fill in the future that even combining the Shogunate and the Resistance might still leave manpower short."
"So long as the Shogun isn't foolish, she'll treat the Resistance well. You have little to fear."
Kokomi exhaled, relieved, but a question still lingered on her lips.
"But… Watatsumi Island has always been, "
"I know," Beidou said with a shrug, adding gravely,
"But if you want to cooperate with the three nations, Inazuma must be united as one."
"Otherwise, you'll never keep pace or achieve the intended results."
"That's exactly what Snezhnaya learned the hard way , the Abyss Order's chaos even affected that nation itself."
"The Cryo Archon is currently in a state where she has very few usable people; among the three nations, she's the slowest to progress."
"If Inazuma doesn't want to end up like them, it must consolidate all its power."
"The appearance of the Dragon Riders only confirms my guess: your Raiden Shogun intends to join the alliance."
"So you must be on your guard."
Beidou set down her cup and looked at Kokomi seriously.
"At this rate, tomorrow's negotiations will have only two possible outcomes."
"Either the Resistance surrenders and is fully integrated and rewarded by the Shogun , everyone's happy."
"Or someone among the Resistance stirs trouble; the Shogun, mindful of the alliance, takes decisive action and wipes the whole Resistance out."
"The Tri-Nation Alliance cannot afford another unstable force within it," Beidou said firmly.
"Even if your negotiations end peacefully, you still need to reorganize the Resistance and make sure they serve Inazuma properly."
"Once the Raiden Shogun signs the pact with the three nations , if anyone in the Resistance still harbors divided loyalties…"
"Then the people you'll be facing won't just be the Raiden Shogun."
Beidou paused for a moment, her eyes gleaming with meaning.
"Mondstadt, Liyue, Snezhnaya , the Anemo Archon, the Geo Archon, the Cryo Archon…"
"They would, for the sake of the alliance's unity, personally intervene to bring order to Inazuma."
"The alliance cannot allow anything that threatens its development."
"The greater cause , its direction and stance , cannot be shaken."
Kokomi nodded thoughtfully, then asked, somewhat uncertainly,
"So… the key now is that the unrest between the Resistance and the Shogunate mustn't affect Inazuma's entry into the alliance."
"And after joining, internal strife within the nation must never occur."
"If anything undermines the alliance's purpose… then that purpose, it must be to stand against a powerful enemy, right?"
Beidou nodded, not bothering to hide the truth.
"The Tri-Nation Alliance's goal is to resist Celestia."
"Celestia?" Gorou frowned, confused.
Kokomi, however, seemed to recall something , the name "Celestia" had appeared in a few ancient texts she'd once studied.
"Five hundred years ago, the fall of Khaenri'ah , that was by Celestia's decree, ordering the Seven Archons to strike."
"Thousands of years before that, the ancient kingdom buried beneath Mondstadt's snowy mountains was destroyed by Celestia's Skyfrost Nail."
"The hilichurls are what remain of that nation's cursed citizens , once human, now twisted and immortal."
"Even the Archon War itself began because of Celestia's will. Celestia is the supreme authority above the Seven Archons."
"It rules over Sky Island , the throne of Teyvat."
"Celestia is even mightier than Morax, commanding a host of divine servants beneath it."
"That," Beidou said gravely, "is our true enemy. For the sake of our nations and civilizations , and for vengeance , we must overthrow Celestia."
"And if a force intends to face such an enemy, internal instability cannot be tolerated. That's why the alliance cannot afford disunity."
This was the first time Kokomi and Gorou had ever heard such secrets.
For a moment, fear flickered in their hearts , followed by a heavy bitterness.
No wonder the Raiden Shogun had been in such a rush.
Against an enemy like that, the conflict between the Resistance and the Shogunate was nothing more than a childish quarrel.
It might be fine to bicker during peacetime , but if they kept doing so now, others would have to come in and discipline Inazuma's "unruly children."
"It seems we've only ever had one path to walk," Kokomi sighed softly, then added,
"But I'm still confused. If the alliance is meant to stand against such an enemy, then why is Snezhnaya so unstable internally…?"
Beidou waved her hand dismissively.
"The Cryo Archon's entire will is to resist Celestia. The Fatui, too, were created for that purpose."
"The turmoil in Snezhnaya comes from a power struggle , between the Cryo Archon and the Jester, between the nation's officials and the Fatui."
"But overall, the Fatui still stand on the side opposing Celestia."
"Their goals remain aligned, so you needn't worry about them sabotaging the alliance."
"Besides, the Cryo Archon is already working to unify Snezhnaya."
Kokomi nodded slowly, lost deep in thought.