Hearing Ningguang's generous words, everyone exchanged knowing smiles.
Even Rosalyne, rare in showing kindness, handed Lumine a token and said softly:
"In Inazuma, there are still many Fatui forces. Most of them were once my direct subordinates. If you run into problems, you can turn to those Fatui."
Lumine nodded. After spending more time with Rosalyne, she gradually realized that the other woman wasn't such a terrible person after all.
She was simply prideful—but under the crushing weight of Ryen's world, that pride had already been worn down.
It seemed that she had almost reverted to the pure-hearted witch she had been five hundred years ago.
She could get along peacefully with others—everyone except Venti. Toward him, Rosalyne still held visible disdain.
Every now and then, she would mock him with a sharp remark or two.
Venti himself never felt awkward about it, and so Jean and the others naturally wouldn't say much either.
After all, five hundred years ago, it had been Rosalyne who burned her very life away to save all of Mondstadt.
And before becoming the Crimson Witch of Flames, she had once been a devout priestess who placed her faith in Barbatos above all.
Her god never came to save the nation. She had watched her family and loved ones perish, and witnessed her homeland reduced to ruin.
For a priestess with pure faith, was that not a form of betrayal?
Chances were, Rosalyne would never speak kindly to Venti for the rest of her life.
That was their private matter, and Jean and the others would not interfere.
Even Diluc, who had once felt only irritation at Rosalyne's arrogance in Mondstadt, had to relent upon learning the truth of her past. His only complaints now were directed at Venti for shirking responsibility, not at her.
Frankly speaking, every person alive in Mondstadt today likely owed their lives to her sacrifice.
"Ugh… I don't want to go!"
Paimon pouted resentfully at Lumine, grumbling while perched on Ryen's shoulder:
"If we go to Inazuma, when Paimon overeats, there won't be anyone left to rub my tummy!"
Lumine rolled her eyes.
"Then don't overeat!"
"How could that be possible?! My three stomachs exist precisely so I can enjoy even more delicious food!"
Too tired to argue, Lumine plucked Paimon off Ryen's shoulder in one swift motion.
Ryen chuckled, reaching out to ruffle Lumine's hair.
"Safe travels. Come back whenever you want. During this time, we'll continue exploring the Duskwood Forest. Our next target is the Snow Queen."
"After that, we'll be climbing the magical beanstalk up into the skies to seek out the giants."
"If you miss all that, you'll definitely regret it."
Lumine nodded seriously.
"I know. Unless something unexpected happens, I'll come back every evening! You guys better not progress too fast without me!"
"Otherwise, if I can't catch up, I'll be really mad!"
Ryen laughed softly.
"Then off you go. The sooner you leave, the sooner you'll return. If you can resolve Inazuma's turmoil, we'll hold a grand celebration banquet for you."
Lumine grinned.
"Then I want a celebration gift too!"
"No problem!"
As they chatted, the Alcor finally sailed into view.
Ever since Beidou officially joined the group in exploring the otherworld, the Alcor had finally received Ningguang's nod of approval for some small-scale modifications.
Mounted at the prow was an automated machine-gun turret—one of the most powerful weapons in the entire firearms module.
On either side stood four Redstone cannons, and not just single-shot ones—they were rapid-fire.
The hull beneath had been reinforced with obsidian plating.
Taken out to sea, one could easily believe this was a true warship capable of dominating the oceans.
In addition, every crew member assigned to combat duty carried a pair of alchemical potions by default. Nearly everyone also had an enchanted weapon strapped at their side.
Since Beidou's arrival, the Alcor's very nature had changed dramatically.
Once, it had been a Liyue-registered vessel, but ultimately still personal in nature. Now, however, the Alcor had become Beidou's ship in full—the flagship she commanded, backed by Liyue's investment. It belonged both to her and to Liyue.
All trade conducted by the ship was now carried out under the official name of Liyue. Naturally, it was expected to be properly armed.
Even so, hot weapons remained strictly limited. Outfitting the vessel with them en masse would raise… complications.
At most, Ningguang allowed Beidou to bring two or three hot weapons when setting sail, and even then, their use required a written report.
Beidou had no patience for such restrictions, and quickly gave up on the idea.
The goods Ningguang prepared were all stored inside Adeptal realm treasures, so there was no need to pile cargo onto the ship in bulk—it would only be cumbersome.
Now that Madame Ping's wear and tear had been restored and Narukami had been revived, the two of them had taken on major responsibilities in Liyue.
One specialized in Adeptal space arts, crafting storage artifacts.
The other specialized in producing Levitation Stones, and was currently camped out at Liyue Harbor, working daily on creating enough stones to launch the Orbital Dragon-Slaying Cannon.
Tragic, really—Sea Gazer, freshly resurrected, was immediately drafted into hard labor.
He had barely visited Ryen's world two or three times before being buried in endless work. Among the Adepti who had more or less entered retirement, he was the only one still laboring at such a critical post.
If nothing else, it was a testament to his craftsmanship.
After securing the Adeptal treasures laden with supplies, Beidou waved for Ayaka and Lumine to board the Alcor.
She waved her hand and laughed:
"Alright then, I'll be back in a few days. Don't you lot get too far ahead of me!"
Ryen smiled and nodded. Paimon, however, pouted miserably.
"Ryen, Ganyu! I'll be back tonight, okay? You guys have to wait for Paimon!"
Lumine sighed, pressing her hand to her forehead.
"It's already afternoon. By the time we get there it'll be evening. If you're just going to come back at night, what's even the point of going?"
"Really?!"
Paimon's eyes lit up as she looked at Lumine expectantly.
"So that means I don't have to go?!"
Before she could finish, Lumine clapped a hand over Paimon's mouth and turned to wave at Ryen and the others.
"See you all in a few days!"
The Alcor cut through the waves, scattering the sea, charging forward like a colossal beast of the ocean—unmatched and unstoppable.
Before long, it shrank into a tiny black dot on the horizon and vanished beneath the line of the sea.
Ryen raised an eyebrow and quipped with a grin:
"Seems like Teyvat doesn't follow the flat-earth theory after all."