Unlike nations governed by divine archons, Khaenri'ah was an absolute human domain, bearing all the distinct hallmarks of mankind. The endless pursuit of power and the insatiable thirst for glory. Within Khaenri'ah, raw human nature flourished without restraint.
The position of governor over the second city following their nation's revival carried a weight that needed no further explanation. Not a single Khaenri'ahn present could turn a blind eye to such monumental honor.
Noting the feverish tension vibrating through the Abyss Order, Aether withheld any further words. He instructed Endis to secure the final roster before the night concluded, then summoned a portal and stepped straight back into Liyue Harbor.
After spending so much time breathing the fresh air of the Teyvat continent, the stagnant, oppressive atmosphere of the Abyss felt physically repulsive. He could not even manage to close his eyes for a proper rest down there.
The Abyss Order officially entered a sleepless frenzy. How they would ultimately select the final candidates was a brutal problem left entirely to Endis and her commanders.
Today marked the opening match of the Bedwars tournament. Long after the final blow was struck, the electric, high-stakes atmosphere of the arena continued to hang heavy in the air. Ningguang and her associates, however, refrained from organizing any premature celebrations. It was merely an exhibition match; there was no need to lose their composure over a preliminary victory.
Over in the Sumeru camp, intense post-match tactical reviews were underway. Compared to the other allied nations, their performance in the arena revealed the most significant disadvantages.
Alhaitham's proposed solution was characteristically straightforward: drafting comprehensive tactical dissertations. While academic theory often paled in comparison to raw combat experience, having written guidelines established a necessary foundation.
Ryen, having finished categorizing the tournament rewards, made his way back to his estate. What followed was a thoroughly sleepless night with Ganyu.
The opening days of the Lantern Rite proceeded flawlessly. With such a solid beginning, the remaining duration of the festival promised similar stability.
As the Lantern Rite festivities unfolded, an unprecedented wave of energy washed over the entirety of Teyvat. Liyue's transformation over the past year was staggering, fueled by the monumental influence of the Five-Nation Alliance.
Although Fontaine and Natlan remained entangled in their own internal political turmoil, they were far from blind to the shifts occurring in the east. In fact, if not physically bound by their respective national crises, the Hydro and Pyro Archons would have undoubtedly arranged personal visits to inspect the phenomenon.
Yet, even missing the final two pieces of the continental puzzle, the current iteration of the alliance elevated the Lantern Rite's grandeur to unimaginable heights.
Unlike previous years, the revenue generated during this Lantern Rite easily quadrupled previous records. With the year drawing to a close, citizens naturally sought to furnish their homes. The furniture districts experienced an endless tide of foot traffic, with Liyue's residents busily securing new household additions.
Various novel commodities engineered from Minecraft resources flew off the shelves at blistering speeds. Adapted milk teas utilizing dimensional milk and derivative products born from advanced alchemical potions dominated the markets.
While the economic influx was staggering, the Ministry of Civil Affairs did not break out into celebratory cheers. Accumulating vast wealth introduced a new dilemma. Where exactly should it be injected back into the economy? Stagnant capital guaranteed catastrophic inflation and skyrocketing prices for the coming year.
These minor logistical headaches, however, did not warrant Ningguang's personal attention. Rex Lapis had stepped down, and she had subsequently delegated much of her absolute authority. It was impossible to believe that a nation as vast as Liyue lacked capable administrators to keep the gears turning in her absence.
It was the Lantern Rite. She fully intended to recline and enjoy a proper rest.
Progress across the allied nations advanced smoothly. Mondstadt's development required little elaboration; having joined the initiative shortly after Liyue, their expansion rate remained unmatched.
In Inazuma, Khaenri'ahn forces systematically suppressed rogue monster populations, allowing the Shogunate to focus entirely on restoring civilian infrastructure and livelihood.
Sumeru mirrored this exact dynamic. Freed from the burden of monster suppression, the Akademiya poured their absolute focus into the ecological terraforming of the desert.
According to a missive sent by Candace a few days prior, Aaru Village was now surrounded by lush greenery and flowing water, boasting a landscape nearly indistinguishable from the rainforests. The villagers no longer struggled for basic survival necessities; instead, they had begun seeking finer architectural and societal refinements.
For instance, proposals were being drafted to excavate an artificial canal flowing directly through Aaru Village and connecting to Sumeru's primary river network. Such a project would drastically optimize trade logistics.
This initiative extended far beyond mere conceptualization. The Akademiya recognized the canal's potential to bridge the cultural divide. Approval was granted swiftly, dispatching numerous engineering corps to the region, and excavation had already commenced.
The Wall of Samiel had been completely dismantled. Contrary to the Akademiya's initial projections regarding early-stage sandstorm vulnerability, the newly manifested oases proved remarkably resilient. The dense, interwoven canopy of massive trees acted as an impenetrable barrier. Violent sandstorms crashed against the foliage, entirely unable to breach the newly established rainforest borders.
This revelation fundamentally shifted the academic paradigm within the Akademiya, proving that natural laws could not always be rigidly defined by existing literature. The scholars abandoned their stagnant libraries. A massive cultural shift swept through the institution, pushing academics to conduct extensive field research, plunging themselves into practical application and hands-on observation. It was a mass migration to the rural frontiers.
Furthermore, the Akademiya drafted plans to construct a formalized branch within Aaru Village, eliminating the need for desert dwellers to undertake the arduous trek to Sumeru City for education.
This gesture single-handedly healed the lingering fractures between the desert and the rainforest populations. Sumeru now stood unified.
The terraforming efforts pushed steadily westward, establishing a perimeter one hundred kilometers past Aaru Village. Viewed from the sky, the once boundless sea of golden sand was being methodically devoured by sprawling patches of vibrant green.
The standard of living in the desert skyrocketed. The scattered mercenary bands of the Eremites no longer needed to survive on the blade's edge. Many chose to wash their hands of their bloody pasts. Those burdened with criminal histories were deployed to the front lines of the terraforming projects to earn their redemption. Those with cleaner slates threw themselves into the rigorous selection trials for the new Sumeru military divisions.
Much like in Liyue, enlisting in the armed forces represented the ultimate path to prestige and stability in Sumeru. Setting aside the lucrative salaries, the promise of wielding supernatural power was simply too enticing to refuse.
Candace's letter spanned several pages, her flowing handwriting radiating an undeniable sense of lightness. She repeatedly expressed her profound gratitude to Ryen and Lumine. She even noted that once the desert's ecological stability was permanently secured, she intended to travel to Liyue and assist Sumeru's forces in the ongoing dimensional development.
As for Snezhnaya...
The Tsaritsa found her brow uncreasing far more often these days, her usual icy demeanor occasionally softening.
The Abyss Order operated with terrifying efficiency. While the Tsaritsa remained unaware of Aether's precise methods, Pulcinella's latest intelligence report confirmed the results. Pierro, Dottore, and Pantalone were currently trapped in an endless cycle of logistical nightmares orchestrated by the Abyss, leaving them with absolutely zero bandwidth to meddle in external affairs. The three Harbingers could not even spare the time to return to the Snezhnayan capital.
Pulcinella seized this golden opening, aggressively consolidating military assets. He had successfully secured a fighting force of three thousand soldiers bearing absolute, unquestionable loyalty to the Tsaritsa. The projection indicated that following the Lantern Rite, Arlecchino would personally lead this battalion to Liyue Harbor. That massive influx of manpower would drastically alleviate Snezhnaya's operational bottlenecks.
The Tsaritsa had explicitly mentioned authorizing Columbina to accompany the deployment. The Damselette drifted through the world in a state of eerie detachment. She held no true allegiance to the Fatui, no particular reverence for the Tsaritsa, and certainly no loyalty toward Pierro's faction.
Given the opportunity, the Tsaritsa aimed to keep the Damselette close, utilizing subtle influence to securely anchor the girl's chaotic neutrality to her side. Columbina's combat prowess indisputably operated on the level of a demon god.
Khaenri'ah's preparations proceeded without a hitch.
Aether marshaled his freshly drafted roster of two hundred elites and formally occupied their designated sector in the Minecraft world. Their daily routine was razor-focused: when not critically analyzing the exhibition matches of the other nations, they engaged in relentless, brutal internal Bedwars scrimmages.
While their overarching comprehension of the dimensional mechanics remained rudimentary, their tactical grasp of the Bedwars format evolved at a terrifying velocity. When it came to the art of war, Khaenri'ah maintained a standard of absolute, uncompromising perfection.
The selected two hundred possessed staggering martial foundations. Even stripped of the abyssal leylines' dark empowerment, their raw combat metrics barely fell short of Liyue's adepti. In fact, a significant portion of their vanguard completely outclassed the immortal beasts.
Khaenri'ah's baseline military supremacy was a historical fact. Without such terrifying martial might, they never would have inflicted such grievous wounds upon the Seven Archons, nor forced the Sustainer and the Heavenly Principles into their current dormant states.
Ryen carved out a few spare hours to aggressively clear a path through the Twilight Forest, successfully extracting a Master-level Necromancer's Staff alongside a complete set of Necromancer's Robes. These artifacts were securely vaulted to serve as the grand prizes for the Bedwars finals.
Regarding the magical output... it possessed the standard, devastating baseline expected of a Master-level staff. It was undeniably absurd in its destructive capacity, though perhaps lacking the reality-warping invincibility of Zhongli's healing variant.
With these minor administrative tasks resolved, Ryen fully embraced a state of absolute leisure. His days melted into long, affectionate hours spent lounging with Ganyu and the others, occasionally wandering into the Minecraft world to observe a match or hijack the commentator's booth whenever the mood struck him.
However, this idyllic existence met its abrupt end today.
The Lantern Rite was scheduled to conclude the following day, aligning perfectly with the end of the Bedwars preliminaries. Tomorrow marked the official grand finals. Consequently, Liyue Harbor was currently engulfed in the explosive, frantic energy of a festival reaching its absolute climax.
Unfortunately, Ryen possessed zero innate desire to immerse himself in the chaotic crowds. Unless absolutely mandatory, he preferred to remain securely anchored within his estate.
Hu Tao and Guizhong, however, had violently provided that mandate.
For reasons known only to them, the pair stormed directly into Ryen's courtyard. Completely disregarding his quiet, romantic conversation with Yae Miko, they latched onto his arms, hauling him bodily out the front gate.
"Miko! Apologies! Ryen can keep you company in a few days. We are taking this shut-in out for a proper stroll!" Hu Tao's energetic shout echoed back from the street.
By the time Miko processed the sudden kidnapping and moved to intervene, Ryen's presence had already vanished into the city.
"Tch..." Miko clicked her tongue, a subtle scowl marring her delicate features.
The conversation had just reached its peak, and she was fully prepared to drag Ryen back to her quarters to conduct a thorough, practical experiment on some highly classified maneuvers. Being left hanging so abruptly was deeply aggravating.
Still, Ryen had spent an exorbitant amount of time hiding indoors; a walk through the city was arguably necessary. Miko stretched her arms elegantly above her head, her annoyance fading as she turned her steps toward Ei's residence.
If she could not monopolize Ryen's time, she would simply go harass the Raiden Shogun. Judging by the hour, Ei was likely sitting stiffly on a tatami mat, thoroughly miserable as Makoto drilled state management protocols into her head.
That sounded highly entertaining. It was definitely worth witnessing.
Dragged through the streets by the combined force of Hu Tao and Guizhong, Ryen barely had time to process the sudden acceleration. By the time he fully regained his bearings, he was firmly anchored within the heart of Liyue Harbor.
Peace and quiet were violently replaced by the deafening clamor of a thousand merchant stalls. Flanked by Hu Tao on his left and Guizhong on his right, he instantly became the absolute focal point of the crowded street.
A significant portion of the populace recognized him. While his true identity as a dimensional sovereign remained heavily classified, it was an open secret that the miraculous golden age sweeping across Liyue was directly tied to his presence. Ningguang had meticulously engineered the local gossip network to ensure her partner's reputation was bathed in profound respect.
Seeing Ryen finally emerge into the public eye, merchants and citizens alike paused to offer warm, deferential bows and bright greetings.
Ryen let out a long breath. "What exactly are you two doing?"
"Do you seriously need to ask?" Guizhong turned her head, fixing him with a look of utter disbelief. "It is a date! Rotting inside Mt. Tianheng every single day is completely devoid of joy. The Lantern Rite is finally here, you absolutely cannot refuse to accompany us through the markets!"
Ryen shook his head, a helpless smile breaking through. "You could have simply asked. I would not have refused. I am not completely averse to the outside world."
"You basically are!" Hu Tao giggled, tightening her grip on his arm and attempting to drag him faster. "You are either in the other dimension or glued to Mt. Tianheng. If we actually gave you the option to say no, you probably would have found an excuse! Hurry up! We are buying clothes first, then grabbing milk tea! After that, we are touring the docks! There are countless festival games waiting for us!"
Yielding to the inevitable, Ryen allowed himself to be dragged through a dizzying maze of vibrant streets and alleyways by the two energetic women.
However, the moment they rounded a particularly festive corner, his boots suddenly locked into the pavement. An immense, brilliant light flared in his eyes. He stared unblinkingly at the two tiny figures ambling along a short distance away.
"Qiqi! Yaoyao! It is my two precious daughters!!!"