"Long time no see, Sister Ganyu. A small token, please accept it," Reisen Riou said, offering a small gift box.
"Here's mine too, Sister Ganyu," Yae Miko added, presenting a larger box with a raised eyebrow at Reisen.
Ganyu, familiar with their dynamic, chuckled and accepted both gifts.
"Follow me, you two."
At Yujing Terrace, they met the Geo Archon, who appeared youthful.
"Greetings, Lord Morax," Reisen said, leading Yae Miko in a bow.
"Hmm, I recall you—the Narukami's record-keeper," Morax said, eyeing Reisen.
"Yes, Lord Morax. It's an honor you remember me. I'm Reisen Riou, Narukami's attendant," Reisen introduced himself.
Morax's gravelly voice recounted the deep ties between their nations.
Reisen chimed in with polite affirmations.
Such was the friendly banter of long-lived beings.
"Ganyu, look after them in the coming days. I've got matters to attend to," Morax said before leaving.
Clearly swamped, he'd still made time for them. Reisen had no complaints.
"Follow me," Ganyu said, leading them to the Foreign Affairs Office.
She assigned each a small courtyard for themselves and their retinues.
Later, they gathered in a private room at Liuli Pavilion.
While waiting for food, Ganyu handed Reisen and Miko each a small box. "Return gifts for you both. But Reisen, your gift's a bit too lavish."
"It's to thank you for your help back then, Sister Ganyu. That Heaven's Art was priceless," Reisen replied.
His gift was a custom-crafted Farming Serenitea Pot with acres of medicinal herb fields. Knowing Ganyu, like her future apprentice, loved munching herbs, he'd included a sea of Sweet Flowers for taste, hoping she wouldn't mind.
The Serenitea Pot was spacious. Reisen's unique crafting linked it to local ley lines.
In non-barren lands, its herbs grew fast—enough for Ganyu to feast in her Qilin form for several meals.
Small box, big impact.
No need to explain that to Miko.
"Your gift's great too, Miko. That spell's from Lady Saiguu, right?" Ganyu said, shifting to Miko.
"Hehe, took me ages to learn from Lady Saiguu," Miko grinned. "I improved it too. Now it works without earth or stone, though it's less potent and freer of material or timing limits."
Reisen half-listened, realizing Miko had the same idea as him.
He gifted a pot and herbs; Miko stuffed a fox burrow spell into her box.
They'd thought alike, but his method was a cut above.
Miko, learning from Ganyu what Reisen gave, smiled outwardly but cursed inwardly—a dimensional outclassing.
…
"General, the experiment's on track," Dottore reported.
Though Dottore led the Demigod Project, Reisen and Raiden Ei drove its progress.
With Reisen gone, Ei stepped in to assist.
"The soul and physical embryos have fully merged. Consciousness fluctuations are forming," Dottore said.
"The nutrient solution's ready. Full development won't take long—just three years."
Ei, arms crossed, eyed the embryo floating in the nutrient bath. "Too-rapid growth weakens the body, but there's a fix."
"Inazuma's Thunder Pellets can handle it. I'll leave an Active Thunder too."
Ei crafted a solid Thunder Pellet, linking it to the demigod embryo.
Then she unleashed a vibrant purple Active Thunder.
It coiled around the pellet, which began releasing its potency.
Done, Ei left to check on her sister. Raiden Makoto was active lately, tinkering with Saiguu on something. Ei needed to keep an eye out.
"So this is Inazuma's famed Thunder Pellet technique? The pinnacle of herbal alchemy and Electro mastery," Dottore marveled after Ei left.
He'd heard of Thunder Pellets since arriving in Inazuma—his ears practically calloused from the hype.
But he'd never seen one. In Inazuma, only the mighty or elite possessed them.
As a Vitalist scholar specializing in medicine, he was a master alchemist, even crafting potions to suppress Sumeru's unique Marana Scales disease.
Sumeru had other such potions, but his were better. Still, Thunder Pellets were the ultimate counter to Marana Scales.
Rumor had it a noble's only son survived forty years with Marana Scales thanks to a Thunder Pellet.
That was miraculous—most died in two or three years.
The man lived nearly thirty years with the disease, only dying when his pellet was stolen, with none available to buy.
Since then, Dottore was hooked on Thunder Pellets. But even as an elite scholar in Sumeru, he'd only heard the name.
Now, he could finally study one up close.
"Thunder Pellet—aptly named. But its energy pathways are insanely complex."
"Hmm, they're still multiplying in chaotic combinations."
"No wonder Inazuma calls them heirlooms. They're growth-capable."
"But they need constant Electro energy to evolve. So, it's not just for Electro Vision holders."
"No, any being wielding Electro could use it—even a Hilichurl, if it can channel Electro."