Zhongli gently shook his head.
"Morax has already abdicated. From now on, just call me Zhongli."
"As for your request to meet Ryen... I'm afraid he's not here."
The Tsaritsa was briefly taken aback, her brows slightly furrowing.
"He's gone to that world? Seems I've come at the wrong time."
"No, Ryen has gone to Sumeru," Zhongli replied softly.
"To Sumeru?"
The Tsaritsa looked somewhat puzzled. Why would he suddenly go to Sumeru?
"Let's return to the main topic."
Zhongli didn't offer further explanation. His tone was steady as he continued:
"We understand your purpose in coming here, but you should also know—
whether it is Liyue or Mondstadt, neither will cooperate with the Fatui."
"Ryen would never allow a faction so internally chaotic and filled with ulterior motives to set foot in his world."
"What he needs is a stable and unified force to explore that world alongside him."
"Clearly, the Fatui are neither stable within nor trustworthy to those without.
Your past entanglements with Liyue and Mondstadt would only deepen the conflict."
"This matter is of great importance. Ryen would never agree to it."
The Tsaritsa didn't seem too disappointed by Zhongli's judgment—
she had already anticipated this outcome.
Still, she asked one question:
"Are these Ryen's own intentions?"
Zhongli answered candidly:
"No. Ryen does not hold a particular grudge against any faction from our world—
with the exception of the Akademiya."
"However, Ryen first chose to cooperate with Liyue and Mondstadt.
Based on that foundation, considering everything as a whole,
the Fatui are simply not a suitable partner."
"You should also understand what the Fatui did to Mondstadt—
or rather, what the Doctor did to Mondstadt."
At that mention, Jean's eyes grew cold, and even Venti dropped his usual smile,
his gaze icy as he stared at the three from Snezhnaya.
The Tsaritsa sighed.
"I understand… This was my fault. Back then, I was still recovering in the palace.
By the time I learned of it, everything had already happened. Regret came far too late."
"In the end, I failed to properly manage those under me."
"What the Doctor did to Mondstadt was indeed utterly inhumane—
the Fatui sought to overturn the entire global economy."
"For this… I owe you all an apology."
Though she claimed she could no longer love, she was still one of the Seven—
a god nonetheless.
And as long as one is a god, they are not without care for humankind.
Seeing the Tsaritsa so disheartened, Rosalyne pursed her lips, then quietly said:
"Mr. Zhongli, those actions were not by Her Majesty's will."
"The Tsaritsa was severely wounded and unable to leave the palace.
In the Fatui, both the Jester and the Doctor possess tremendous strength—
they are hard to restrain."
"Moreover, these two are not truly loyal to Her Majesty.
They are merely using her to pursue their own goals…"
Zhongli slowly raised a hand to interrupt Rosalyne.
"We're aware of this. Otherwise, Venti and I would have already set off for Snezhnaya to hold them accountable."
"But what's done is done. The Fatui… ultimately are not trustworthy allies."
Rosalyne seemed like she wanted to say something more, but the Tsaritsa raised her hand slightly, signaling her to fall silent.
"As for the Fatui's matters, I can no longer help you with them," she said.
"The Jester was once a court mage of Khaenri'ah five hundred years ago. His power remains a mystery and poses a serious threat to me."
"The Doctor, on the other hand, has delved into countless inhumane experiments and is immensely powerful."
"These two have already taken control of most of the Fatui. There's little I can do about it now."
"I won't insist on making the Fatui cooperate with you anymore… but there is something I wish to know."
The Tsaritsa paused, her gaze turning solemn.
"Do you possess the power to suppress Celestia?"
Zhongli shook his head without hesitation.
"Celestia's strength is immense. Even if Liyue and Mondstadt were to mobilize their entire forces, it would still be difficult to contend with her alone."
The Tsaritsa didn't respond. She simply looked at Zhongli quietly.
After a moment of silence, she asked again:
"Then… what about Mr. Ryen?"
"He cannot suppress Celestia either," Zhongli replied, still shaking his head.
"What he possesses is pure strength and the power of destruction.
As for Celestia—he may be able to kill her, but not suppress her."
A faint smile appeared at the corner of the Tsaritsa's lips.
In the past five hundred years, this was the happiest moment she had felt.
"So… he governs a world, exists above the laws of Teyvat itself, and holds the power to destroy everything…"
"That's the source of your confidence, isn't it? The reason you dare to develop your nations so freely?"
Zhongli did not deny it.
"I understand."
The Tsaritsa gave a slight nod, took a deep breath, and spoke with sincerity:
"Then… cancel any proposals of cooperation with the Fatui.
I wish to know—if I sever ties with the Fatui, can I cooperate with you instead?"
"Zhongli… we're old friends, aren't we? You should understand me."
"In this world, I can ignore anything—except Celestia. I have my reasons for opposing her."
"No matter what, I must be part of this."
Zhongli was silent for a moment. He exchanged a glance with Venti, and their expressions softened.
"Tell us your plan," he said.
The Tsaritsa let out a breath of relief.
Everything was unfolding exactly as she had hoped.
Liyue and Mondstadt would never cooperate with the Fatui—but…
if it was just her alone, things were different.
Zhongli and the others didn't mind offering her a helping hand.
The Tsaritsa understood her own position very clearly.
Indeed, they were extending a hand to her.
Collecting the Gnoses and working with the Abyss—
even so, the Tsaritsa had never truly believed it would be enough to challenge Celestia.
Her chances of victory were slim—barely even ten percent, perhaps less.
But now, with the development paths Liyue and Mondstadt were on…
Who knew what they might become in one or two years?
Just think—
Liyue had gone from relying on Morax alone to fight off Demon Gods,
to now being able to slay a Demon God without divine aid.
And that transformation… had only taken a little over two months.
As for Celestia—
as long as no laws governing the essence of Teyvat were disturbed,
she would not awaken for at least a few years.
This… was an opportunity.
~~----------------------
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