When everything finally settled, the most conflicted person was Raiden Ei.
Not a single person she wanted to kill had actually been killed.
She hated them so much her teeth itched— she had wanted nothing more than to skin them alive.
And yet, in the end… they were all just recruited instead?
The Traveler working under Yae Miko was at least understandable.
Even if Ei was furious, once she realized Yae Miko had acted with her in mind, she could accept it.
But Watatsumi Island?
That was something she truly couldn't understand.
Why would Su Ran spare them?
At most, he should have kept the Divine Priestess and eliminated the rest.
Such a force—one capable of stirring rebellion— how could it just be left in Inazuma without consequence?
What if they rebelled again and again?
Were her people supposed to live in constant turmoil?
Unfortunately, anger or not, Raiden Ei still had to learn how to cook.
She held a large ladle, stirring a massive pot—and then casually dumped an entire bottle of salt into it.
Yae Miko, supervising from the side, could no longer even smile.
She stared in horror at the pot of indescribable sludge before her.
If she drank that soup, she might not see tomorrow's sun.
As the designated taste-tester, she was genuinely trembling.
"I'm saying, Ei… why are you putting so much stuff in there?"
Even for a non-human, this amount of seasoning was absurd.
Having a heavy hand was one thing—but dumping in an entire bottle?!
"Isn't this what people normally add when cooking?"
"Yes—but not the whole bottle at once!"
Salt. Vinegar. Sugar.
All poured in without hesitation.
What kind of chemical reaction this would cause was something Yae Miko didn't even dare imagine.
And she was supposed to taste it afterward?!
"Don't worry. They're all edible ingredients. The taste might be a bit off, but it should still be edible."
It was only at this moment that Ei learned from Yae Miko that seasonings couldn't be added in such large quantities at once.
But still—
Edible things mixed together should remain edible, right?
"…Why don't you taste it first?"
No matter what, Yae Miko had absolutely no courage to be the first victim.
Since Ei made it, Ei should be the one to try it first.
"..."
Staring at the pitch-black purple soup, Ei also lacked the courage.
She knew she couldn't cook.
If she made something, it would almost certainly taste terrible.
So naturally— she had never once planned to eat her own cooking.
"See? Even you can't do it. How can you expect me to taste it?"
Yae Miko tried to push the responsibility away.
If she really had to taste it, at the very least the dish should look edible.
With this appearance, it was obviously dangerous.
Who would dare take a bite?
"It's still important to know the taste. Otherwise, how can I improve?"
Ei looked at Yae Miko expectantly.
After all, foxes were known for being tough.
Surely she wouldn't die.
"You want me—your only remaining friend—to die from poison you cooked yourself?"
Faced with Ei's hopeful gaze, Yae Miko internally screamed no ten thousand times.
Anything else would be fine.
Even walking into fire wouldn't be an issue.
But this?
This was suffering that could be completely avoided.
This was eating bitterness for no reason.
Hadn't she suffered enough over the past five hundred years?
At least those hardships had been unavoidable.
This pot?
Entirely optional.
Why was Ei's brain so useless at times?!
"It's fine! Even if you get poisoned, there's still Su Ran. He can cure you."
No matter how big the problem—
just go to Su Ran.
He could solve it.
As for not being able to cook?
Ei had no solution.
Because that was precisely the trial Su Ran had set for her.
She couldn't ask him for help.
"Have you really started treating him like some kind of all-purpose wishing machine?"
Even wishing machines shouldn't be abused like this.
At this rate, she'd become nothing more than a parasite dependent on him.
"Isn't he all-powerful, though?"
Ei tilted her head innocently.
What couldn't Su Ran do?
He even brought Makoto—dead for centuries—back to meet her again.
Was that not proof enough?
"Yes, yes, you're right."
Yae Miko gave up arguing.
Needing help was normal.
But blind reliance?
That wasn't healthy.
What if one day Ei was seen as useless—just dead weight?
At the very least, she needed to prove her worth.
But clearly, Ei wasn't listening.
Yae could only hope that once Makoto and Kitsune Saiguu returned, they would all lecture Ei together.
"Welcome back to Liyue, Beidou, Yelan…"
Ningguang looked at Zhongli with visible surprise.
"And… Rex Lapis."
"I hope you can all keep this confidential. Perhaps the future Liyue will no longer require the governance of a god."
Zhongli's appearance this time wasn't just to fulfill his promise to Su Ran.
He also intended to retire.
The earlier complications had cost him his chance to fake his death cleanly.
Restarting that plan would take another year.
So he might as well step down now.
"I understand your intentions, Your Grace. As long as you loosen some restrictions, I can guarantee that within the next few years, Liyue will achieve development surpassing the past thousand years."
Ningguang made this declaration without hesitation.
To most people, it would sound like outrageous bragging.
Even Zhongli, who had seen everything, was momentarily stunned by her courage.
Using a few short years to surpass a millennium of his rule—
That sounded unrealistic, to say the least.
"Uh… Ningguang, maybe don't exaggerate in front of the Geo Archon?"
Even Beidou couldn't listen anymore.
Boasting to friends was one thing.
But boasting directly to Rex Lapis?
That was something else entirely.
"You really are bold."
Zhongli smiled faintly.
He knew where Ningguang's confidence came from.
From Su Ran.
And from that terrifying insect.
That overwhelming pressure had given him pause—and perhaps, for the first time, he found himself believing Ningguang's words.
Maybe surpassing a thousand years of progress…
was no longer an impossible dream.
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