Every star-rated user was a precious asset to their nation.
By the second day after the screen appeared, once countless precious rewards had actually been handed out, the higher-ups of the Seven Nations had unanimously acknowledged this statement.
To safeguard their own star-rated users' rights and interests-and, at the very least, keep the shameless anonymous Fatui from a certain great northern nation from swindling them away-they first had to ensure these users had no grievances against their homeland.
The Shogunate, which did not treat its own citizens like people, deserved to be singled out here.
So Yae Miko was now considering how to secure the rewards her friend needed through trades while preserving the freedom and rights of Inazuma's star-rated users in the discussion section as much as possible.
Meanwhile, as though talking to herself, Raiden Ei was soothing the somewhat restless Raiden Shogun within her.
"Under the current circumstances, neither you nor I can think of a way to properly safeguard eternity, but my sister can. Only by reviving her can we better safeguard Inazuma's eternity."
After a moment's thought, Raiden Ei added, "Of course, if you have a way to deal with that screen in the sky, forget I said anything."
The Raiden Shogun really wanted to tell her to quit kidding.
Sure, I'm a puppet, but my memory banks were formed using your will and memories from back then as their foundation. Who doesn't know that the first Electro Archon, Raiden Makoto, believed in the beauty of transience? That's something completely different from eternity.
But the problem was that, just as Raiden Ei had said, neither of them was good at using her head in this situation. Using a blade was fine; using their heads was asking a bit much of these gods.
And that screen in the sky really was not something the Raiden Shogun could deal with.
So, to better safeguard Inazuma, they did indeed need more power and more wisdom.
Under these circumstances, reviving Raiden Makoto, Raiden Ei's elder twin god sister, was the most appropriate choice.
After all, adding Raiden Makoto would not simply give Inazuma another god-level powerhouse. It would give them Raiden Ei's twin sister. Twin gods were rare among gods, and putting these two together would produce more than a result of 1 + 1 = 2.
-Of course, it would not be 1 × 1 either.
It would be 1 + 1 > 2.
Sensing the Raiden Shogun's consciousness within her gradually settling down, evidently agreeing with her view, Raiden Ei breathed a sigh of relief. She had finally dealt with the biggest obstacle.
Tsk, what possessed me to make the programming so rigid back then?
It made changing the Raiden Shogun's rules of conduct and the like such a hassle now.
Ah, but then again, who could have imagined something as bizarre as this screen appearing? Without the screen, wouldn't I need a puppet unaffected by Erosion to watch me from the sidelines and stop me from doing anything uneternal if I suffered Erosion?
"Never mind, let's not dwell on that. Right now, we should think about finding Makoto a vessel to house her soul."
At this, Yae Miko's eyes lit up. "Oh, Ei, do you still remember the abandoned puppet in Shakkei Pavilion, near Tatarasuna back then?"
"Hmm? You mean that fragile failed creation?"
"Oh, he's no failed creation anymore. He's become troublesome enough that even I find him quite a handful."
Hearing Yae Miko say this, Raiden Ei's eyes lit up.
This was like being handed a pillow just as she was getting sleepy. Had some kind soul actually upgraded her old creation for free?
"Understood. I'll go bring him back myself."
Raiden Ei nodded, deciding Scaramouche's fate.
Of course, whether Scaramouche-who was involved in The Doctor's experiments, was himself a Fatui Harbinger, possessed power bestowed by the Cryo Archon Barnabas, and currently ranked among the very strongest below the gods-would simply be caught by Raiden Ei remained uncertain.
After all, Scaramouche dared to stir up trouble in Inazuma because he had some escape methods and contingency plans of his own. Catching the current Scaramouche really would not be as easy for Raiden Ei as it had been when she first created Kunikuzushi.
Perhaps it was a meeting of minds, or perhaps they sensed something. Just as the two tentatively decided to first try finding a solution to Raiden Makoto's revival through Scaramouche, and, if that failed, seek another way to find a vessel capable of holding a god's soul-
The title of today's fourth video appeared on the screen.
[System: Now playing the fourth video-Since when were you under the illusion that I wasn't using my authority over dreams?] [Yoimiya: Hmm? Judging by this video's title, it probably isn't one of those, what were they called-right, official videos.] [Lumine: That's right. This title's format is different from the official "Genshin Impact" video titles we've seen before. It should be a fan-made video.] [Faruzan: Hmm, I just wonder whether it's purely comedic, like that fan-made video of my junior Cyno yesterday, or actual gameplay footage, like Kazuha blocking the Electro Archon's strike.] [Tighnari: Please spare me. Going by today's video order, this fourth one should be about Sumeru unless something unexpected happens. Sumeru barely has any reputation left. Please don't give us another video of Cyno telling bad jokes.] [Cyno: Hmm, Tighnari, did you know-] [Tighnari: Shut up!] [Collei: Waaah! Master, Master, your tail's all puffed up!]
Sumeru, the Sacred Tree, inside the Grand Sage's office at the Akademiya.
The current Grand Sage, Azar, watched the jumble of remarks in the discussion section with disdain.
Making such a fuss over something so trivial. This generation of Sumeru's people is hopeless, the worst I've ever seen.
If I remember correctly, that Tighnari is a student of Nafis, Amurta's current sage.
Hmph. Like teacher, like student indeed.
That fellow Nafis disagreed with the great god-creation project, and his student is always fixating on these trivial things too. Neither has any wisdom at all.
As things stand, Sumeru truly needs a wise man like me, calm, rational, intelligent, and decisive, to keep it from falling into crisis because its god is too weak.
Hmph, let me see, then.
With that thought, Azar leaned back, resting his entire back against his comfortable chair. He was getting old. He could no longer sit upright day after day as he had in his youth, analyzing data, studying new knowledge, or writing papers through the night.
But that did not stop Azar's mind from growing ever more brilliant. As Sumeru's Grand Sage, he had a great plan, one that would make him the greatest Grand Sage of the past five hundred years and shock everyone across Teyvat.
So let me see why you only granted a great sage like me two-star user privileges after the fact.
What most aggrieved Azar now was that even an empty-headed dancing girl in Sumeru City who knew nothing but dancing was a so-called five-star user, while he, the great Grand Sage who represented the pinnacle of Sumeru's wisdom, was merely a two-star user.
-And that had only been fucking added later. Before that, he had been an ordinary spectator with no rights at all.
Amid Grand Sage Azar's indignant thoughts, the video finished buffering and began playing.
Unlike the previous three videos, however, this one gave every viewer a juicy revelation right from the start.
On the screen, the Fatui Harbinger Scaramouche, his entire body radiating dense Electro power, seemed to be speaking disdainfully to someone.
"What a god you are, so fond of being moved by your own actions-"
[Childe: Ahem.] [Lumine: ?] [Childe: Uh, I just saw the bill Mr. Zhongli sent me today and choked. Yes, that's all.] [Scaramouche: Hmph.] [The Doctor: Hmm, judging by this performance, it seems my adjustments succeeded in the end.] [Lumine: ??] [The Doctor: Ah, apologies, I forgot the introductions. The person in the video right now is our Harbinger, Scaramouche.] [Lumine: So this is another scene like La Signora stealing Venti's Gnosis?] [Scaramouche: Hmph, this power... I wasn't mistaken.] [Scaramouche: Hahahahaha! Beelzebul, I have ascended to godhood!] [Raiden Ei: ???] [Yae Miko: Although I already knew this boy had become troublesome, I never expected him to grow this troublesome.] [Nahida: Hmm, so is this a scene of a Fatui Harbinger stealing my Gnosis?] [Pantalone: Ahem, well, this is merely the screen's one-sided account. We Fatui are everyone's ideal partners. We even dispatch advance teams at our own expense to clear out monsters and other dangers within other nations.] [The Jester: Indeed, we bear you no ill will. The information this video reveals cannot be trusted.]
Despite their words, Scaramouche in the video showed absolutely no consideration for the weary Pantalone and The Jester, who were issuing official explanations.
"-Buer!"
As Scaramouche named the target of his attack, the shot pulled back.
Gathering highly concentrated Electro power that made many Vision holders involuntarily tremble even through the screen-or rather, Electro power that had already undergone a qualitative change-Scaramouche thrust a claw into poor, weak, innocent Nahida's chest, just like La Signora in the earlier video.
[Nahida: Yes, that's definitely me.] [Lumine: Wow, there's a god this cute? So tiny and soft. So adorable!] [Nahida: Uh, um, you flatter me?]
Faced with the Traveler's sudden, somewhat excessive friendliness and enthusiasm, Nahida, who had spent five hundred years confined to a room, able only to wander through children's dreams and learn all sorts of strange knowledge and common sense from the Akasha, suddenly found herself unable to handle it.
But seeing the fallen Traveler's anxious expression in the video after Scaramouche grabbed her, and how the Traveler tried to get up and save her despite being severely injured, their relationship in the future had to be very good, right?
Someone willing to be friends with a weak god like her had to be a very, very good person, right?
With that thought in mind, even when Lumine proceeded to go off the rails as usual, Nahida did not think anything negative of it.
[Lumine: Nahida, step on me!] [Nahida: Is this a custom for expressing affection where the Traveler comes from? I've learned something that isn't in the Akasha.] [Alice: No, she's just going off the rails.] [Alice: !!!] [Alice: Wait, Klee, my darling daughter, where are you?] [Klee: Hmm? Klee is out blast- ahem, fishing with big sister Traveler.] [Jean: !!!] [Jean: Traveler, weren't you supposed to be watching the videos with Lord Venti at Master Diluc's place?] [Jean: No, before that, Klee, when did you leave the city?]
Acting Grand Master Jean, who had only just left, felt exhausted. Why was the Traveler, who looked like the savior of Teyvat's Seven Nations, just as much of a handful as Klee?
And she's supposed to be the savior?
Somehow, picking up a wanted notice in every nation she visits feels more fitting for the Traveler.
Do all these people with power or talent far beyond ordinary people have one strange quirk or another?
[Traveler: Ah (sorry), well, how should I put this? I happened to run into little Klee when I went out for some air...] [Paimon: And then we brought Klee out to play with us.] [Alice: Exactly. Klee, that Traveler is the most dangerous one. If she does anything strange, just throw out the birthday present Mommy gave you last time.] [Klee: Hmm? Klee doesn't understand, but okay!] [Lumine: ...Just in case, let me ask: what was the birthday present Miss Alice gave Klee?] [Klee: It's Mommy's special Jumpy Dumpty. She said that if I throw it when I'm in danger, it'll let all the big bad guys see their great-great-grandmothers. Hmm, Klee doesn't really understand, but seeing family is a good thing, right?] [Lumine: ...Miss Alice, seriously, is it appropriate to give Klee such a dangerous birthday present?] [Jean: No (exhausted), before that, Traveler and Klee, please stay where you are. I'll have Kaeya bring you back to the Knights of Favonius.] [Lumine: Oh, all right.] [Nahida: So that wasn't a normal custom just now, was it?] [Alice: Out in the world, we generally call that hentai!] [Nahida: I-is that so.] [Kaveh: No, that's not the point, Lesser Lord Kusanali! You're in danger in the video. Aren't you worried?] [Nilou: Ah (realizing), Lesser Lord Kusanali, are you all right?!] [Dehya: Uh, Dunyarzad is pretty worried about you too.] [Nahida: Don't worry. After all, this is only footage of the future. We have plenty of time to think of a way to deal with him, so there's no need to panic.]
Azar sneered.
Just as I thought, a weak god without wisdom.
She was dealt with so easily.
He gazed with some fascination at the enormous armored machine behind Scaramouche on the screen.
Although something must have gone wrong afterward, causing them, the sages, to lose control of this newly created god without even noticing his delusions concerning the Gnosis.
That would not happen now. Now that he knew the future, he was invincible.