Thanks to Jean sharing intel, Lisa's attitude toward Saphir hadn't changed much. She'd already concluded that Saphir wasn't a bloodthirsty person—after all, Diluc had come out of their encounter alive and well. Now that she knew more of the inside story, she felt even more at ease.
Collei was currently studying and receiving treatment under Tighnari, who had studied at Amurta. Lisa, on the other hand, was from the Spantamad Darshan under the Sumeru Akademiya. Though the two didn't share an academic lineage, Lisa's junior—Saino, also a Spantamad graduate—was a close friend of Tighnari. Thanks to that connection, Tighnari often updated Lisa via letters about Collei's condition.
Frequent communication had deepened her empathy, so among Mondstadt's higher-ups, Lisa had become the most accepting of Saphir. Learning Saphir had avenged Collei fully dissolved the last of her reservations.
When Lisa learned that Saphir's team was working on a divine weapon prototype, she let out a small gasp of amazement. The idea had long existed in theory, but since no known craftsman could forge such a prototype into an actual weapon, the research had stagnated. After all, you couldn't exactly take an unfinished prototype into battle.
But now there was Kunfeng—someone who could forge divine weapons. His arrival gave the project real value.
Lisa didn't hesitate to join their efforts. After all, she had entertained similar ideas during her own time at the Akademiya. Seeing Sucrose and Kunfeng working with such passion made her nostalgic for her student days.
As for whom the weapon would be for—well, that went without saying. It was clearly for Saphir. Lisa still remembered the battle between Saphir and Lin Yi: the suffocating force of their clash, and the shattering of Saphir's cross weapon—an image that still lingered vividly in her mind.
Yae Miko casually glanced at their failed prototypes, then looked at Sucrose and Kunfeng with mild surprise.
"You two trying to build a cross weapon?"
She knew about cross-shaped weapons—after all, Saphir's previous one was made using Dreambloom Wood from Inazuma, something Miko herself had helped procure. So if these two were making a weapon for Saphir, that meant…
"Dreambloom Wood isn't exactly rare," she continued, "but it does come from the same divine lineage as the Sacred Sakura. Crosses made from it have natural purification properties. When imbued with radiance-type magic, they're nearly divine weapons themselves. You're telling me that thing got destroyed?"
Miko's expression was one of disbelief. It was hard to imagine what kind of force could have broken a weapon she was so confident in.
Saphir shrugged.
"It was something called the 'Sovereign Flame.' Pretty strange fire. You guys from the Hakushin clan dabble in kotodama, right? Ever heard of it?"
Miko frowned in thought, then shook her head. Inazuman kotodama had little offensive capability. It was implausible that such an attack could destroy the weapon she'd made.
Saphir wasn't surprised. Despite sharing the name, Lin Yi's kotodama was of draconic origin—closer to primordial language—while Inazuma's was still in the realm of folklore and yokai tricks. The two couldn't be compared.
"Forget it," she said. "Since you're here, help out. I've lost that weapon, and now my strength's basically halved."
She picked up one of the botched prototypes and frowned again before tossing it back down. Still no good. Far too weak.
But Miko crossed her arms, unimpressed.
"And what if I say no?"
Saphir narrowed her eyes. She knew this fox was up to something. Sure, she was capable, but she was also the definition of a pain in the ass.
With a sigh, Saphir asked,
"So what do you want? And don't say your body, I don't swing that way."
That shut Miko up for a second. She coughed, then glared in mild embarrassment.
"The manuscript for Slime Volume 4."
Now it clicked. No wonder Miko had called her "Teacher Sujin" the moment they met—she was here for the next installment of her novel. But the manuscript was with Albedo, who was still up in Dragonspine. Saphir herself didn't want to make the trip… maybe she could send someone else instead? Definitely not the fox. Better to send a subordinate.
Having made up her mind, Saphir played dumb.
"Oh, that? I've been meaning to give it to you. Actually, I've written five volumes. With the three previous ones, that's eight total. Pretty generous of me, right?"
Miko's expression clearly brightened, so Saphir pushed it further.
"The manuscripts are with Master Albedo. I'll send someone to pick them up later."
"Master Albedo?" Miko caught the name instantly. "That Albedo? He's in Mondstadt?"
"Mhm~" Saphir lifted her chin proudly, fishing for praise.
Miko nodded.
"Fine, I'll help you—just this once."
With the fox now onboard, Saphir finally turned her attention back to Jean and Lisa. Jean still looked a little stiff, while Lisa greeted her with a warm smile.
"You two interested in our little project?" Saphir glanced at them, then at Sucrose, still buried in her sketches.
Lisa nodded.
"It's a rare opportunity to witness the birth of a divine weapon. It's an experience worth having."
Jean shook her head.
"I'm afraid I don't know much about alchemy, so I can't really help. I can only wish you the best of luck."
Saphir replied with a smile,
"Everyone has their area of expertise. I don't know much either—that's why I need help from all of you. Honestly, I'm the one getting the better end of the deal."
Jean responded with a dignified smile.
"For the sake of our alliance, it's the least we can do."
With that, she bid farewell and headed back to the Knights' headquarters. Her work was never-ending—she didn't have the luxury to loiter.
Once Jean left, everyone returned to their respective tasks—except for Saphir and Miko, who sat idly, unsure what to do. Miko, having agreed to help, wasn't going to slack off. Saphir, for her part, didn't see waiting as "slacking"—this was a crucial stage in weapon forging.
Watching Miko idly twirl a chunk of Crimson Agate in her hand gave Saphir an idea. She called over a Fatui subordinate, whispered a few instructions, and sent them off.
At the Adventurers' Guild, Katheryne was working diligently as always. A creation of Snezhnaya, she was a humanoid puppet made by Sandrone.
Lumine and Paimon were browsing the posted commissions, frowning in thought. Money was tight—especially at the start of their journey. They survived by taking daily tasks and missions, earning just enough Mora to get by. Thanks to their connection with Saphir, they were allowed to stay at the Goth Grand Hotel for free, easing their burden. Sometimes, Paimon would jokingly suggest joining the Fatui. Lumine had considered it—but ultimately refused. She didn't want to be dependent on anyone. Becoming part of the Fatui would feel like becoming Saphir's subordinate, and that was unacceptable.
Besides, the Fatui's reputation was awful—and both Lin Yi and Jean had confirmed that firsthand. Thinking of Lin Yi, Lumine glanced toward the Good Hunter. Ever since his return to Mondstadt, Lin Yi had sold the place and left for Liyue. The decor inside hadn't changed, and Sara was still the server, but something about it felt different now—emptier.
"Lumine, check this one out!" Paimon's voice snapped her out of her thoughts.
"Retrieve a manuscript and illustrations from Albedo on Dragonspine. Reward: one Crimson Agate!"
Paimon's eyes sparkled.
Lumine blinked. It wasn't a hard mission in theory, but the environment in Dragonspine was deadly for average adventurers. For her, though? She could just teleport—easy in and out. More importantly, that reward… a Crimson Agate.
Most people didn't understand how useful those were. But she knew.
At the end of Snow-Covered Path stood the Frostbearing Tree, capable of triggering leyline resonance and yielding rare materials. Whether others could use it or not, she could. She'd tried before. It worked.
The problem was, Crimson Agate was incredibly rare. Even she struggled to collect them. And the Fatui had been gathering it too—though thanks to her connection with Saphir, they hadn't gotten in her way.
This commission was a golden opportunity.
"I'm taking it!" Lumine declared. "Paimon, let's go!"
With a flash of teleportation, they vanished—drawing surprised gasps from nearby adventurers.
With Lumine fetching the manuscript, Saphir could finally relax… or so she told herself. After all, she wasn't slacking—this was a crucial part of the forging process. A little waiting was perfectly reasonable.
Back in the lab, Sucrose and Kunfeng were growing discouraged after yet another failure. Lisa reviewed the data and found no issues with the material ratios. The problem seemed to lie in forming the core—it was as if some unknown force was sabotaging their work.
That's when the fox finally spoke.
"If you can't forge a cross-shaped prototype directly, why keep banging your heads against the wall?" Miko said lazily. "Sometimes a different angle leads to breakthroughs."
Lisa glanced at her.
"Sounds like you've thought of something, Shrine Maiden. Care to explain?"
Miko stretched and stood, her voice dripping with playful charm.
"For starters, I want fried tofu for lunch."
Saphir's face twitched, but she nodded anyway.
Satisfied, Miko walked over to the alchemy bench. She pulled out a few prepared materials—crystal ore, white iron chunks, a few glowing sap drops, and two crystal cores. Then she activated the platform.
"Alright, little ones," she said, turning to Sucrose and Kunfeng, "you're in charge of the rest. Oh—and don't try making another cross. Try a claymore prototype instead."
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