"General, please enjoy your meal."
Lately, Raiden Ei's day began with a serving of Tricolor Dango.
It was supposed to be Reisen's heartfelt breakfast dessert, but with him swamped, Ei switched to Inazuma's timeless sweet, Tricolor Dango.
After savoring the dango, Ei started her Blade Zen.
Unlike her sister Raiden Makoto, a natural at governance, Ei's knack for ruling was lackluster. She couldn't spot issues in reports and documents as sharply. Problems Makoto solved effortlessly took Ei careful thought and deliberation to reach near-identical decisions.
Thankfully, these were minor matters.
Even so, during Blade Zen, Ei reviewed yesterday's decisions and documents, checking for slip-ups.
Blade Zen lasted half an hour—enough to comb through everything.
Afterward, Ei practiced with her naginata or katana.
These were new sword techniques crafted by recent swordmasters. She absorbed their best elements to refine her Origin Flow Naginata and Sword Arts.
Even mortal wisdom, however slight, had value for her.
An hour of sword practice later, the sky brightened, and her training wrapped up.
Then came the part Ei dreaded most: handling official duties.
Reisen's spot was still filled by a One System, Ten Thousand Minds Machine, handling his core task—recording the Narukami's words and deeds.
Paperwork was a headache, but Ei tackled it diligently.
By 10 a.m., she met the Tenryou Commission's head, listening to his direct report on Inazuma's military operations.
Next, the Yashiro Commission's proxy reported on shrine activities and key regional intelligence.
Finally, the Kanjou Commission's chief presented today's foreign affairs.
For the first two, Ei usually just marked "Reviewed," signaling she'd noted them.
Foreign affairs required decisions. Ei typically rejected most visitors, delegating to the Kanjou Commission, and personally handled only a few.
After the Three Commissions, if time allowed, Ei met local town magistrates' envoys, probing local conditions to tweak policies.
Lunchtime brought a hefty dessert, often something foreign like Sumeru's Candied Ajilenakh Nut.
Afterward, Ei used Makoto's Narukami Mirror to check Inazuma's regions.
When idle, she'd peek at the busy Reisen.
Post-lunch, Ei resumed afternoon paperwork or handled foreign receptions.
After a numbing afternoon of documents, Ei sought the Bathhouse Magistrate.
Honestly, every visit stirred memories of wild times past.
Those days were fun, but now? Impossible. Makoto's body wasn't ready yet.
Having her sister appear as a slime? That'd tank Narukami's dignity.
Celestia might even send assassins.
Ei soaked in the bath, lost in thought.
Evening freed her up to find Reisen.
Using Revival to locate him, she learned he was at the Demigod Project lab.
The lab, simply called Lab No. 7, was run by Revival, highly automated. Ei reached the testing area without fuss.
"Hmm, the body's too active—no room for independent consciousness," Reisen mused, rubbing his chin. "Dottore, thoughts?"
"Haha, my lord, you jest. The consciousness stream's there, just locked by this demigod body's strength," Dottore said, wiping sweat. "By the way, 'Ever-Distant Wisdom,' what'd you just use?"
"Soul Essence and energized information," Reisen replied. "Not precious. With the right tech, you can extract it from so-called Sacred Relics."
The real trick wasn't extraction but purification.
Unpurified, it's residue. Purified, it's Soul Essence.
Both Reisen and Ei used Annihilation Laws to purify, but Reisen's lower-tier work yielded Soul Essence, while Ei's stronger, higher-tier purification produced Archon Essence.
"Try this," Ei offered, handing over some.
"General!?" Dottore yelped, legs wobbling. "I'm not dying young, am I?"
"Hey, Ei, you're here! Your purification's better—check this embryo," Reisen said, grabbing her hand to inspect it.
"Hmm, this guy's diagnosis is close. Instincts are too strong. But this body's toughness, Reisen, are you serious?" Ei teased, examining it.
The tiny embryo's physical strength rivaled a LV50+ Hilichurl Geoarm King.
Not that it equaled one outright—just its health, quantified, matched.
"Only this qualifies as a demigod," Reisen grinned, adding Archon Essence to the embryo. "It's working, but not enough. Still a ways off."
"I'll hunt more when I'm free," Ei said. Archon Essence was scarce; that batch was leftover from the old-timers' surgeries.
Dottore sensed danger. His boss and the Raiden Shogun were this close? Should he start planning his escape?
Knowing this felt like a death sentence.