A fully armored Qianyan Army soldier rode out from the formation, his warhorse equally impressive , plated from head to hoof in gleaming metal.
At a glance, Kujou Sara couldn't help but feel astonished.
There were at least five hundred soldiers gathered here, and every single one was outfitted the same way.
Their bows were peculiar , one end crackled with flames, while the other shimmered with frost.
Sara's sharp eyes widened slightly.
"The Qianyan Army… all of them have Elemental Power?"
What kind of madness was this?
Even more unsettling was the sense of danger she felt from each soldier present.
And she wasn't easily intimidated , she was Inazuma's Tengu General, commander of the Tenryou Commission's forces, her strength unmatched among mortals.
Yet these soldiers... every single one radiated an aura that screamed battle-hardened power.
"How in Celestia's name," she thought, "did Liyue find so many people strong enough to fill an entire army?"
The air grew tense.
Just then, Lumine blinked and waved cheerfully past Ei.
"Captain Fengyan, is that you?"
The Qianyan captain, momentarily taken aback, blinked , and upon recognizing Lumine, he sighed in relief.
He gestured for his soldiers to lower their weapons and guided his warhorse forward.
Sliding down from the saddle, Fengyan removed his helmet, revealing a wry smile.
"Miss Lumine… what's going on here? Lady Ningguang has issued countless warnings , flying within the boundaries of Liyue Harbor is strictly prohibited. You're putting us in a difficult position."
Lumine placed her hands on her hips, grinning mischievously.
"Relax! We were just in a hurry. It won't happen again, promise. I'll explain everything personally to Sister Ningguang later."
"We've brought the General of Inazuma herself , she's here to discuss an alliance. She wasn't aware of Liyue's new rules."
Fengyan paused for a moment, clearly torn, before nodding with resignation.
"Very well… I understand. But even so, we'll still need to file a report."
"Still, since your visit concerns matters of state, we won't make things difficult. We'll write the report for you , you'll just need to sign it later at the Ministry of Civil Affairs."
Since he was already trying to make things easier, Lumine wasn't about to push her luck.
She knew these soldiers couldn't afford to break protocol , otherwise, they'd be the ones facing Civil Affairs penalties.
"Understood," Lumine said lightly. "I'll speak with Sister Ningguang after this. Once that's done, we'll head to the Ministry and sign whatever's needed."
Fengyan exhaled in relief, his tone softening into a chuckle.
"Then I'll trouble you, Miss Lumine."
"You're headed toward the base of Mt. Tianheng, correct? Coincidentally, I'm leading my troops back to change shifts , I can escort you there."
Lumine's eyes brightened. She certainly wouldn't refuse , Liyue Harbor was massive, and without the use of flight or teleportation, traveling on foot would take ages.
"Then we'll gratefully accept! Thank you!"
"No trouble at all," Fengyan replied with a smile, signaling for a few soldiers to bring forward spare warhorses.
The Qianyan Army's heavy cavalry each maintained three horses per soldier ,
one for long-distance pursuit, one for short-range combat, and one as a reserve mount.
All three were trained and conditioned to equal strength; how they were used depended entirely on each rider's preferences.
As for Captain Fengyan himself, he always favored his jet-black stallion, whose hooves struck sparks like thunder whenever it charged.
Of course, it wasn't as though Captain Fengyan's other two steeds were any weaker.
The reason every cavalryman had so many horses was simple,
In the Minecraft world, breeding horses was ridiculously easy!
Nowadays, both Liyue and Mondstadt had no shortage of mounts at all , their only real problem was finding enough trained riders.
Though, truth be told, that issue plagued Mondstadt far more than Liyue.
To Ningguang and the Liyue Qixing, their Heavy Cavalry Division, already expanded several times, had reached sufficient strength. There was no need to increase their numbers any further.
Because of that, Fengyan's repeated requests for more troops had been denied four or five times in a row.
Still, he wasn't one to give up easily , even now, he was mulling over new justifications for another proposal to expand his forces.
If raising horses was simple…
then raising wolves was even simpler.
Liyue's patrol units and light infantry divisions were largely accompanied by wolf packs ,
ten wolves per soldier on average.
Even a Geo Hypostasis wouldn't last long against a swarm like that.
Still, the light infantry seldom unleashed their wolves carelessly , casualties, even among beasts, were losses they hated to bear.
When facing stronger monsters, they'd call for reinforcements and gulp down alchemical potions before charging in as a coordinated unit.
These days, though, such powerful creatures were rare within Liyue's borders.
If someone did find one and tried to "solo it," they'd get publicly scolded for hogging all the loot.
Mounted on their steeds, the group rode toward the base of Mt. Tianheng.
The heavy cavalry marched in perfect formation , backs straight, eyes forward, silence absolute.
The solemn discipline and pride of the army stirred something in Kujou Sara's chest.
As a general of Inazuma, commander of its entire military, she could instantly tell what kind of troops these were ,
and her judgment was clear.
"Even without a single Dragonrider unit," she thought, "a mere thousand of these heavy cavalry could sweep across all of Inazuma."
And truthfully, even "a thousand" might be an exaggeration.
As they traveled, the beauty of Liyue unfolded around her eyes.
Everywhere she looked, its people lived in peace and harmony , faces lit with genuine smiles, joy radiating from deep within their hearts.
This was a nation overflowing with happiness.
Whenever the Qianyan Army's cavalry thundered down the streets, citizens would stop and watch, their eyes full of awe and admiration.
That admiration was real , the kind that couldn't be faked.
It was the perfect image of unity between army and people.
Sara's expression softened, but soon grew wistful.
In contrast, Inazuma , though calmer now , still carried scars.
Even today, when Inazuma's soldiers marched through the streets, its citizens would flinch or hide.
She knew well that the Vision Hunt Decree and the tyranny of the Tenryou Commission had left wounds too deep to heal overnight.
But she believed , no, knew , that with Makoto leading, Inazuma would one day become just like Liyue.
"A nation where people and soldiers share one heart , united and unbreakable."
Her gaze lingered on the faces of the Qianyan soldiers ,
each one brimming with pride, not arrogance, but genuine honor in being a protector of their homeland.
By comparison, Inazuma's new army still had a long way to go.
Too many among them didn't even understand why they fought.
Sara sighed quietly.
"Watching Liyue like this… it feels like the road ahead of us is still so very long."
Ayaka offered her a gentle smile.
"Take it one step at a time. With Lady Raiden leading, Inazuma will grow stronger. It will get better."
Sara nodded, letting the melancholy fade from her eyes.
After a moment, she turned toward Captain Fengyan, her tone calm but earnest.
"Captain Fengyan, I'm Kujou Sara. May I ask you a few things… about the Qianyan Army?"