"We've failed…" a hoarse voice echoed in the meeting room. "Or rather, we never succeeded."
"Since His Highness the Prince died, have you thought about where we go from here?"
The old prince was the last pillar of Khaenri'ah's mech-alchemy faction in the upper echelons, especially after Pierro and "Gold" lost the sage contest.
Unlike bio-alchemy experts, mech-alchemists weren't adept at body modification or life extension, leading to frequent turnover and unstable influence.
In their prime, like decades ago, they produced genius after genius. Back then, bio-alchemy was just a branch under them, and even Sage Rhinedottir was one of theirs.
But when geniuses aged, burned out, or betrayed, their power shrank.
Now, bio-alchemy had split off and surpassed them.
Bio-alchemy extended the king's life, bolstered the royal family, and benefited all Khaenri'ahns. Though the Learning Device was mech-alchemy's creation, its upgrades needed bio-alchemy's input.
Rhinedottir had secured the Learning Device's original data.
Unlike Reisen's One System, Ten Thousand Minds Machine, Khaenri'ah's Learning Device required host compatibility, demanding bio-alchemy's expertise.
The old prince's question stunned the room.
He was mech-alchemy's staunchest supporter, a traditional knight-lord trained rigorously from youth, meticulous in all things. He'd undergone only three alchemical enhancements, each to break life limits, peaking at LV80+. Now 77, his vitality held at LV74+, still among Khaenri'ah's top knights.
Only the king outranked him in vitality.
But the king, with hundreds of bio-alchemical tweaks, was barely human inside, a monstrous enigma beneath a human shell.
"How's Pierro?" someone asked.
"Cut him some slack. Still working him? Losing to 'Gold' hit him hard. Hope he bounces back soon," another said.
"Let's hope."
"Bio-alchemy's gone crazier lately."
"No idea what's up. We're shut out."
…
In a lab, Khaenri'ah's king, fresh off his tantrum, eagerly eyed Rhinedottir's latest work.
"Great 'Gold,' tell me—what is this?" he urged.
"The Abyss, Your Majesty," Rhinedottir said coolly.
"I feel power—power to rival the gods."
Rhinedottir, ever detached, was immune to the Abyss's allure. The king, Teyvat's most desire-driven human, was hooked the moment he saw it.
His eyes couldn't tear away, Abyss power filling his vision.
…
"Lord Reisen, welcome back," Raiden Makoto said.
Reisen returned to find Makoto and familiar faces at Tenshukaku, throwing him a welcome feast.
Makoto opened her arms for a hug, but Reisen dodged into Raiden Ei's embrace instead. Makoto's face froze as she lowered her arms. "You two are shameless."
"Ei's hugs are comfier," Reisen quipped.
Amid laughter, they returned to the Shogunate. Makoto was visibly happy, her lips curling into smiles. Solving Watatsumi's thousand-year thorn clearly thrilled her.
Ei asked about the Khaenri'ahn affair. Reisen spilled every detail.
Everyone listened, rapt.
"Pity," Yae Saiguu sighed. "If Khaenri'ah weren't so mad, Inazuma might've worked with them."
"Pointless now," Reisen said, plucking a sneaky Yae Miko off his shoulder. "Khaenri'ah's gone off the deep end, especially the top dogs. My intel says they've touched taboos and plan to crack the eggshell."
"Eggshell?" Kagei Tengu asked.
"Legend says the Primordial One used an eggshell to seal Teyvat from chaos. It's the world's barrier," Reisen explained.
"Those hound-like beasts in the Dark Sea's monster tides?" Miyushi Chiyo gasped.
"Not so dumb, Chiyo," Reisen teased.
"Damn you, Reisen!" Chiyo lunged, only to be held back by Saiguu, Kagei Tengu, and Reisen Anko.
"Easy, Lord Reisen, don't bully Chiyo," Makoto said. "We made tons of food to celebrate your return."
"Even Ei cooked you some rice."
Reisen: I'm not ready to die.
Ei had made rice under a dozen chefs' guidance.
The grains exploded on bite—Overload, Electro-Charged, Vaporize—half-cooked, too. Still, Reisen ate the whole bowl with a smile.
Good grief, he got Ei's cooking talent now. Not quite negative, but zero-point-a-dozen-zeros-then-one.
With her unique constitution, cooking was hopeless. A thousand years of practice wouldn't beat a random person's three-day effort.
"Ei, the rice is great, but please, never cook again. I'm begging you."
"…" Everyone eyed Reisen, scorched and sooty from the rice, barely holding in laughs. Not that they didn't dare.
Little Yae Miko had laughed earlier, got a mouthful of Ei's rice, and passed out from the blast.
It showed Ei's cooking power. Miko, young but LV60+, was knocked out by one bite.
Poor Reisen. Everyone shot him pitying looks.