Captain Fengyan blinked for a moment, then seemed to recall something.
"Kujou Sara… you're the General of Inazuma, right?"
Sara was taken aback , she hadn't expected her name to be known this far from home.
Fengyan smiled and nodded.
"Liyue's intelligence division is led by Lady Yelan. After her recent reforms, that organization has grown far stronger.
We now have information on the internal affairs of all seven nations , at least, to some degree."
Sara paused in surprise.
An intelligence network… being discussed this openly?
Seeing her expression, Fengyan waved his hand with a grin.
"Lady Ningguang made it clear , Liyue isn't what it used to be. There's no need to act timid or secretive anymore.
The intelligence division may gather information, but since the reforms, it's also classified as a combat department.
As Lady Ningguang said:
'To gather intelligence, you don't always have to hide. If gold can't buy it , just fight for it!'"
Lumíne laughed, eyes glinting playfully.
"That sounds just like Ryen. He once said, 'A perfect infiltration is when no witnesses remain.'"
Fengyan froze for half a second, then forced a dry chuckle.
"W-Well… not quite that extreme, of course.
We don't go around killing people for information."
"Outside of Liyue, our agents operate under each nation's laws , standard reconnaissance and reports.
Only when dealing with hostile powers, like the Fatui, do we… apply force."
Sara pressed her lips together and let that comment pass.
Then she asked:
"I've heard that the Qianyan Army now consists of five major combat divisions. Is that true?"
Fengyan chuckled and waved his hand.
"There's no secret about that. The entire Liyue Harbor knows.
Lady Ningguang never told us to hide our strength."
"In her words:
'The most intimidating fist is the one raised , but not yet swung.'
So we don't conceal what we can do."
Sara's eyes brightened slightly at that line.
"A raised fist that hasn't struck yet… I like that logic."
Fengyan pointed back toward the now-distant harbor.
"Actually, the Qianyan Army now has seven main battle legions."
He began to explain with visible pride:
"Light Infantry , each soldier is equipped with a wolf pack, alchemical potions, enchanted armor, and weapons infused with elemental power.
They coordinate seamlessly with their wolves, capable of taking down high-class monsters single-handedly."
"Heavy Cavalry , every rider maintains three steeds. And these warhorses, strictly speaking, count as magical beasts.
They do not fear monsters, nor will they ever panic in battle.
Each cavalryman wears enchanted armor and uses refined alchemical boosters.
The Light Infantry handles melee sweeps ,
we, the Heavy Cavalry, handle the crushing charge."
"Even a horde of tens of thousands of monsters can't withstand our assault.
The General Affairs Office designates us as the Siege Corps ,
because even fortress walls can't endure our momentum."
Lifting his chin proudly, Fengyan tapped his warhorse and the massive plated armor covering them both.
"Don't be fooled by the look of it.
Each of our warhorses wears armor weighing nearly ten tons, and the riders themselves another dozen tons or more.
Without alchemical strengthening, we couldn't even move.
But with it… well, General Kujou, I'm sure you can imagine the impact of that kind of charge!"
Kujou Sara clicked her tongue softly, eyes widening in disbelief as she studied Fengyan and his troops.
She had clearly underestimated these so-called Heavy Cavalry.
Each of the five hundred before her carried strength that was practically unbreakable.
Even a single charge from them could devastate elite monsters , hundreds of such riders moving together was terrifying enough.
And from what she'd heard, there weren't merely hundreds… but thousands of them.
Fengyan continued proudly, his tone steady and sure.
"Next is the Firearms Division , you probably saw their bunkers earlier when we arrived at the harbor."
"Those fortifications house soldiers armed with all manner of hot weapons ,
cannons, repeating crossbows modified by alchemy, and even the rocket projectiles that once forced the god Osial to lower his head."
"The Firearms Division, after full militarization, has perhaps the highest combat potential of all units.
But because of that, their usage is tightly controlled.
No one is allowed to carry firearms outside of sanctioned operations."
"Even a Vision bearer would struggle to dodge or withstand such attacks.
That's why the General Affairs Office enforces extremely strict protocols on their deployment."
He paused for a breath, then went on.
"Then we have the Naval Division , though I don't know much about them myself.
They rarely train alongside us and are stationed in hidden bases, far from public view."
He stopped again, this time his gaze softening with a hint of reverent envy.
"And lastly… since you're from Inazuma, you might've heard of them recently ,
the strongest legion in all of Liyue, and the dream of every Qianyan soldier…"
His voice grew proud and distant, almost ceremonial.
"The Qianyan Dragonriders!"
"An elite corps composed entirely of true dragon knights ,
warriors who fight astride draconic beasts forged from alchemy and ancient contracts."
"They answer not to the General Affairs Office, but directly to the Geo Archon, Morax, and to Lady Ningguang herself."
"In Liyue's chain of command, the Dragonriders stand above the Adepti legions ,
second only to the Emperor of the Earth himself."
"They are the foundation of Liyue's might ,
an invincible army created to battle gods and demons alike!"
Fengyan's voice trembled with pride as he finished, and even Kujou Sara could feel it ,
that burning, unshakable faith in Liyue's strength.