And so, Yucheng's trip to Sumeru finally came to a close. Though it had taken a great deal of time, he had reaped a tremendous haul.
Not only had he successfully established diplomatic relations with Sumeru on extremely favorable terms, but during the unrest there, he had also signed Summoning Contracts with Nahida and Apep, two of Sumeru's strongest combatants.
With that connection in place, Sumeru could already be called a vassal state of Inazuma. All that remained was to slowly reshape Sumeru to his liking through Nahida. There was no rushing that.
Originally, after completing his diplomatic mission to Sumeru, Yucheng had wanted to visit Fontaine along the way. However, someone's arrival made him immediately abandon his plan to continue on to Fontaine and decide to return to Inazuma at once.
The newcomer was none other than Sayu, a member of the Yashiro Commission's Shuumatsuban whose direct superior was Ayaka. Like Yucheng, she was a ninja, though most of her ninja career had consisted of slacking off and shirking work.
For a ninja as fond of slacking off as Sayu to cross the sea from Inazuma to Sumeru just to deliver a message, Yucheng, Ayaka, and Kokomi all wondered upon hearing of her arrival whether something major had happened in Inazuma.
Had the long-range missile Klee and Yoimiya were jointly developing blown one of Inazuma's large islands off the map? Or had Zhongli, who was touring Inazuma, clashed with the Raiden Shogun and sparked an Archon War? Or had the Electro Dragon King, long absent from Inazuma, resurfaced?
The moment the sleepy-eyed Sayu entered the gates of the Inazuma delegation's quarters, dozens of eyes fixed on her. She jolted in fright and nearly let out a cry, turned into a Yumemiru Wind Wheel, and rolled straight back out.
When