The first few days of the voyage were calm and peaceful.
The "justice" was a hybrid battleship that combined Fontaine's cutting-edge technology with some of Snezhnaya's military designs.
Its speed far exceeded that of ordinary merchant ships, and its voyage was smooth.
Aside from his scheduled patrols, Clorinde spent most of his time practicing his swordsmanship on the deck or staring out at the sea in contemplation, his gaze becoming increasingly resolute.
Lumine would occasionally spar with him; their sword styles were vastly different, but both were extremely sharp, drawing many crew members to watch from a distance.
Lynette, the maid, had a terrifyingly high work efficiency.
He completely adapted to life at sea within a single day.
Furthermore, he kept Mr. King's private cabin spotless, even turning the simple ingredients on board into various sumptuous and delicious meals.
Paimon, on the other hand, fully played his role as the "sea mascot (trouble)," either nearly starting a fire while trying to "help" in the kitchen or almost falling into the sea while chasing seagulls—he was overflowing with energy.
King spent most of his time in his room, and everyone assumed he was considering the various possibilities of the Inazuma trip.
In reality, King was just being a shut-in.
The journey from Fontaine to Inazuma was extremely long, spanning almost the entire eastern sea of the Teyvat continent, and they had to pass through Liyue Harbor.
According to Neuvillette's prior estimation, the "justice," with its obvious military nature, might face some diplomatic obstacles and inspections when passing through Liyue, and might even need to pay a certain price.
However, things turned out unexpectedly smooth.
When the massive silhouette of the "justice" appeared in the waters off Liyue Harbor, the Liyue Ministry of Civil Affairs, which had been notified in advance, did not send warships to intercept or inspect them. Instead, they sent a pilot boat to lead the "justice" to a luxurious pier reserved for high-profile foreign vessels.
Beside the pier, dozens of personnel in Liyue official uniforms were already waiting, their attitude respectful yet retaining the dignity of a great nation.
Leading them was a female official with an elegant temperament and proper manners.
"I am Baiwen, here to welcome everyone from Fontaine by order of the Tianquan, Lord Ningguang."
Baiwen's voice was clear and melodious as he bowed and smiled.
"Liyue and Fontaine have always been on good terms. Hearing that your country's 'justice' is on a long voyage, we have specifically granted passage and will provide all necessary supplies free of charge. We only wish for the friendship between our two nations to endure and for harmony among the nations of Teyvat."
This statement was so generous it was almost absurd.
Even the well-traveled captain of the "justice" was a bit dazed and instinctively looked at King beside him.
The captain had thought there would be at least some negotiation, or even a possible refusal.
After all, although the "justice" did not fly a war flag,
anyone with eyes could see it was a battleship armed to the teeth.
It also carried the "fontaines strongest man" who was now famous throughout Teyvat.
Allowing such a ship to pass through required great courage for any nation.
King nodded calmly, but a thought flashed through his mind: The Liyue Qixing are giving this much face?
I'm afraid it's not as simple as "friendship."
Sure enough, Baiwen paused, a hint of imperceptible awe and curiosity flashing in his eyes as they landed on King, and continued:
"Furthermore, Lord Ningguang has a small request."
"Liyue has a knowledgeable archaeologist who wishes to travel to Inazuma for research recently."
"Hearing that your ship is also heading to Inazuma, I wonder if you could give him a ride along the way?"
"That gentleman is very learned and well-versed in the etiquette and stories of various countries; he may be of some assistance to your journey."
Who?
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