The Abyss Order's arrival caught everyone off guard.
Ayato and Gorou were on their feet immediately, weapons drawn, watching the newcomers with sharp attention.
Leading the group was Endis, flanked by a team of Abyss Lectors. Alongside the familiar face of Endis were two additional Abyss Lectors and two Abyss Heralds.
Seeing Ayato and Gorou tense up, hands ready to call for backup, Endis said quietly:
"Please be at ease. We mean no harm."
The five of them turned their gaze toward Ryen with expressions of genuine reverence and gave a respectful bow.
"Our greetings, Ryen."
"You came looking for me? Does Aether know?"
Ryen watched Endis with an expression of mild amusement.
Endis gave a nod.
"We informed His Highness before we left. Though we are not here specifically to find Ryen."
He exchanged a glance with the others.
The Brown-Nosing Initiative.
A truly masterful practitioner of the art did not go straight for the target.
You worked on the people around the target. You made them shine by comparison. Only then did the target take genuine notice.
With that in mind, Endis turned his most sincere expression toward Makoto.
"Forgive us. We happened to overhear something of Inazuma's situation just now, though we were not attempting to eavesdrop."
"We came to begin building a cooperative relationship, and what we heard suggests there may be a way we can help."
Ayato looked at Makoto with a puzzled expression. She waved a hand.
"Put your weapons away. The Abyss Order are not enemies. They have joined Ryen's world and will shortly be citizens of it."
Bewildered but obedient, Ayato and Gorou sheathed their weapons and stood to one side.
Endis made every effort to project goodwill.
"My Lady Makoto, the Abyss Order is a thing of the past. We are Khaenri'ahn people now, working toward the restoration of our nation."
Makoto gave a thoughtful nod.
"So you have come as representatives of Khaenri'ah? To discuss cooperation?"
"Not cooperation, precisely. We are here to express goodwill toward a fellow power within Ryen's world."
Endis kept his voice measured.
"Liyue and Mondstadt have no need of us yet. Snezhnaya's situation is complicated and we have no wish to involve ourselves there. Sumeru has only just begun settling in, so there are no tensions to speak of."
"When we considered all of that, it seemed that Inazuma was the one most likely to benefit from Khaenri'ah's assistance."
"Please do not read too much into this. We come in genuine goodwill. Our situations are different, of course: you are veterans of that world, and we will be its native life. But we are all developing under Ryen's guidance. It stands to reason we should help one another."
"Going forward, once Khaenri'ah has restored its nation over there, we will likely need considerable support and assistance from your nation as well."
Makoto's expression cleared.
"I see. Since Ryen has accepted you, we have no objection. You said just now that you have a way to help with Inazuma's situation. What specifically did you have in mind?"
Endis spoke plainly.
"Inazuma's difficulty is simply a shortage of people. You cannot transfer all your available manpower into Ryen's world and leave nothing here."
"Khaenri'ah does not have this problem. We have over thirty thousand people, all ready to move at any time for the restoration of the nation and the development of the world."
"So long as Ryen agrees, the Khaenri'ahn people will not hesitate for a single moment."
Having said that, Endis slipped in a gentle compliment directed at Ryen.
The four Khaenri'ahn people behind him were quietly impressed.
Endis, it turned out, was extraordinarily skilled at this once he had his human form back.
"Regarding your current situation, we have two possible solutions."
Endis paused, then continued at an unhurried pace.
"First: Khaenri'ah can assign three thousand people, or more if needed, to supplement Inazuma's forces inside the MC World. We would help with development."
"We ask for no resources in return. All we want is for more of our people to become familiar with that world as quickly as possible, so they are prepared when the time comes for the restoration and development."
"For you, that world is a place to extract resources. For us, it will be the home we must come to cherish. Our needs do not conflict: you gain resources, we gain knowledge."
Ryen rolled his eyes.
"Say what you mean. Stop the fawning."
Endis scratched the back of his head with a slightly embarrassed expression and looked at Makoto.
"My Lady Makoto, what do you think?"
Makoto pressed her lips together in a small smile.
"Very well argued. Our needs genuinely do not conflict, and your numbers are sufficient. But I am going to decline."
Endis blinked, startled.
"My Lady Makoto, please consider further. Every Khaenri'ahn person possesses extraordinary ability. They are capable fighters. They would be a competent force."
"I can also guarantee they will follow your direction completely, whether it is resource extraction or territorial exploration."
"All we ask is the chance to let more of our people get to know the place that will be their future home. We truly do not need a single resource in return."
This was not an exaggeration. They genuinely did not need those resources.
Yes, the resources were valuable. But they were going to be living there. What the seven nations urgently needed to collect would simply be part of daily life for the Khaenri'ahn people.
And they had more than enough people. Deploying manpower cost them nothing.
In fact, the first-batch quota of fifteen hundred felt woefully inadequate given their total numbers. The real purpose of this visit was to see if there was any way, by any path, to get more people through sooner.
Endis had not said a single dishonest word from start to finish. This was genuinely the full extent of what he was after.
The more urgent motivation, admittedly, was the pressure being applied by the Order's members.
Fifteen hundred slots against thirty-six thousand people burning with eagerness.
That was genuinely an impossible position to be in.
Makoto shook her head gently.
"With Ryen here watching, and with your people about to enter his world, I understand you would not dare do anything untoward in front of him."
"But this concerns the foundation of our nation. Regardless of the circumstances, our territory in that world should not be developed by non-Inazuma people in Inazuma's place."
"This is a matter of principle. Even forces from within the Alliance would not be appropriate."
"You can think of it this way: they are not our own people, so we would not feel at ease relying on them."
Endis looked mildly disappointed and exhaled.
"I see. That is a shame."
"But I have a second proposal."
He turned to look at Gorou and Ayato.
"You are free to deploy your entire military force into the MC World and focus on development there. As for Inazuma's monsters, leave them to us Khaenri'ahn people."
"If you have any doubts, we can sign a Morax contract in Ryen's presence."
That caught Makoto's attention.
She studied Endis thoughtfully.
The Abyss Order had been accepted into Ryen's world as immigrants. That meant they would not dare do anything against the five nations while Ryen was watching. Especially not against the Alliance.
If they did, even without Ryen intervening, the five nations could collectively make their restoration impossible.
That much Makoto was quite confident about.
Letting the Abyss Order handle Inazuma's monsters would free up Inazuma's military for the MC World.
The Order had the numbers and the strength. Dealing with monsters would not strain them.
It sounded like a solution that worked for everyone.
Still, Makoto had the feeling they were calculating something further.
"Be direct," she said simply.
Endis gave a wry smile.
"We have no intention of hiding anything."
"First: that world still carries real dangers. I have been there myself. The strength our Khaenri'ahn people can bring to bear is considerably limited without proper preparation."
"Whether in the early stages of the restoration or later, working alone carries risk."
"So we would like, through that world as a shared foundation, to sign a mutual assistance contract with the Five-Nation Alliance. At minimum, we want assurance that in the event of serious danger in that world, you and we can watch each other's backs."
Makoto gave a small nod and waited for him to continue.
"Second..."
Endis paused. His expression shifted to something faintly awkward.
"His Highness has said that a few tens of thousands of people is not sufficient to constitute a proper nation. A true civilization needs far greater numbers."
"His Highness has asked us to increase our population. That is what a proper nation looks like."
"But everyone here will understand: growing a population is not something that happens quickly."
"So we intend to begin gathering our people who were cursed by the Heavenly Principles into the Hilichurl tribes."
"Across all of Teyvat, if we can gather them all, we could potentially bring in over a hundred thousand people at minimum."
"These would form the deep foundations of Khaenri'ah's future."
"For Teyvat, the Heavenly Principles' curse cannot simply be undone. But in that world, the curse is not an unsolvable problem."
"So helping you deal with monsters is, for us, something that benefits both sides at once."
"We would handle all the monsters apart from the Hilichurls. We would guarantee Inazuma's stability."
"The same applies to the Hilichurls in Mondstadt, Liyue, Sumeru, and Snezhnaya."
"They are, after all, our people from Khaenri'ah's past. We ask for your understanding on this point."
Ningguang waved a hand with an air of mild boredom.
"Since Ryen told us about half a year ago that Hilichurls were the people of an ancient nation destroyed by the Heavenly Principles, we stopped targeting them aggressively."
"Unless Hilichurls directly threaten our citizens, our policy has been to leave them alone."
"That said, the ones belonging to the so-called Black Sun Tribe remain a target we will not spare."
"Those Hilichurls hold extreme hostility toward humans. There are even reports of them eating people."
"Those ones, you cannot protect."
Endis gave an immediate, firm nod.
"Of course. Even among our own people, that is something we cannot condone. We are on the verge of reclaiming our human identities. Those who have lost their humanity are no longer truly people. Cannibalism is a line no human being should ever accept."
"As for other Hilichurls who attack your citizens unprovoked, that falls within the realm of legitimate defense. We will not take issue with the outcome. Life and death have their own logic."
Ryen raised an eyebrow.
"You are remarkably reasonable."
Endis allowed himself a quiet smile.
"Khaenri'ah was once a human nation, with laws and principles rooted in human nature."
"The Ruin Guards and others like them are, at their core, farming machines. They reflect Khaenri'ah's national character."
"Territory is something you take through iron and blood."
"The Khaenri'ahn people have always prized that spirit. We are known for it."
"In ordinary conflict, casualties happen. We do not expect otherwise. Every person must answer for their own choices."
"So, My Lady Makoto: what do you think of this proposal?"
Makoto sat with her eyes lowered, turning it over. After a long pause, she gave a small nod.
"I find myself without a reason to refuse. You have the numbers, and dealing with monsters is something you do well."
"That said, even if we accept your help in suppressing monsters and maintaining order, a contract must be signed first."
Endis exhaled with quiet relief.
"Of course. In Ryen's presence, we will sign a Morax contract."
"The Khaenri'ahn people we dispatch will follow the direction of Inazuma's commanders. We only ask for a degree of autonomy regarding the gathering of Hilichurls."
Makoto had no objection to that. She nodded.
"Agreed. Let us sign the contract."