Inazuma.
On a small island below Kanjou Island.
A small tent was set up amidst the perpetual heavy rain.
All around, the Alcor's crew were resting, but their gazes were sharp, tightly monitoring everything around them.
Inside the tent, a highly unusual conversation was taking place.
Inside the tent, Beidou, Sangonomiya Kokomi, and Kamisato Ayaka sat opposite each other.
If Kujou Sara were to see this, she would definitely be furious.
Not to mention that Kamisato Ayaka, the young lady of the Yashiro Commission, and Sangonomiya Kokomi were sitting peacefully together.
And how had Sangonomiya Kokomi even gotten so close to the rear of Narukami Island?
Of course, if Kujou Sara were to ask, Beidou wouldn't mind explaining with a chuckle.
The Alcor sailed the seas freely and had some special skills.
Coupled with the cooperation of the Yashiro Commission...
It wouldn't be a problem to send Sangonomiya Kokomi directly to Inazuma City.
However, the three of them were clearly not very happy at the moment.
Beidou was somewhat depressed, drinking heavily.
Kamisato Ayaka and Sangonomiya Kokomi looked at her worriedly.
"Miss Beidou, what is the situation? On Liyue's side..."
Kamisato Ayaka couldn't help but ask. Although Beidou's expression hinted at something amiss, she still held a glimmer of hope.
Beidou slammed the wine bottle on the table and said in a deep voice:
"Ningguang refused..."
"Refused!"
Kamisato Ayaka exclaimed in shock.
"Miss Beidou, I understand that we don't have much leverage to trade with Liyue right now, but we have Ley Line materials. Can't we really exchange them for what we need?"
"Even if Liyue raises the price, we can accept it!"
Sangonomiya Kokomi seemed to have realized something and sighed softly, looking down without speaking.
Beidou rubbed her temples, annoyed.
"It's not about the price..."
"Ningguang will not allow Liyue to openly interfere in the internal affairs of other nations."
"Alchemy Potions will also not be sold."
Kamisato Ayaka still wanted to try and persuade her.
Liyue's supplies were simply too important for the Resistance.
Their previous great victory had pushed the front line a hundred kilometers, and the Resistance's situation was excellent, but now Liyue wouldn't agree?
Moreover, if it weren't for Beidou secretly smuggling food resources and the Yashiro Commission quietly supporting the people's livelihoods, the people of Inazuma would be suffering even more now.
"Miss Beidou, could you please negotiate again? Inazuma really needs these things... If the Vision Hunt Decree continues, all of Inazuma will be ruined!"
Hearing this, Beidou said nothing, but Sangonomiya Kokomi spoke softly:
"Ayaka, there's no need to say more..."
Sangonomiya Kokomi sighed and said softly:
"If I'm not mistaken, the Tianquan is unwilling to intervene on Rex Lapis's orders, right?"
Beidou slowly nodded, and Sangonomiya Kokomi said with a bitter smile:
"I guessed it... For Rex Lapis, who adheres strictly to contracts, interfering in the internal affairs of other nations is absolutely forbidden."
"Regardless, we still owe you a lot for your help, Miss Beidou. If not for you, we truly wouldn't have been able to keep going..."
Sangonomiya Kokomi bowed slightly, saying no more.
Seeing this, Beidou also thought of the people still suffering from the war, and she clenched her fists.
"Ningguang is keeping a tight watch on Alchemy Potions and other such treasures. I can't help you with that."
"However, for things like iron ore and food, she'll turn a blind eye."
"So you don't need to worry; trade for these materials will continue as normal."
"The price will also remain the same; it won't increase."
To be honest, Beidou didn't make much profit doing business in Inazuma.
She only made a shipping fee, just enough to give her crew on the Alcor an explanation.
Ultimately, Beidou couldn't stand by and watch the innocent people suffer.
They reminded her of her own childhood...
"That's enough then."
Sangonomiya Kokomi adjusted her mood and said softly:
"It's just that our Resistance doesn't have much Mora, so we can only trade with you using materials..."
"It's fine."
Beidou shook her head, unwilling to say more.
Suddenly, Beidou recalled meeting Jean and the others that day.
A thought stirred within her, and she said:
"Before I left, I saw Jean, the Acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius. She seemed to have been invited to the Jade Chamber by Ningguang for a trade..."
"If you..."
As she spoke, Beidou suddenly paused, thinking of Inazuma's situation, and shook her head, saying no more.
She could freely enter and exit Inazuma's waters because the Alcor was strong enough and held Rex Lapis's Divine Power. Even if the Raiden Shogun was merely a puppet operating by program, she would still show Rex Lapis some respect.
But Sangonomiya Kokomi and the others couldn't.
Even if they boarded the Alcor, it wouldn't work.
The Raiden Shogun's Divine Power barrier was not easily bypassed.
"Forget it, let's drink."
Beidou sighed, then said softly:
"Later, you can go count the supplies and take them. As for the Mora, I'll collect it when I leave. No rush."
"Also, I specifically brought a lot of Lapis Lazuli this time. It's an ore that can resonate with Elemental Power."
"If you study it, perhaps you can craft new weapons."
Kamisato Ayaka and Sangonomiya Kokomi put aside their previous thoughts and chatted with Beidou.
Listening to her describe Liyue's current changes, they felt as if they were in a different world.
It turned out that Liyue, across the sea from war-torn Inazuma, had become so powerful, and its people's lives could be so rich and joyful.
This, undoubtedly, was one of Sangonomiya Kokomi's greatest motivations to continue persevering.
She also wanted Inazuma to return to its former state.
To enjoy a peaceful and prosperous life, just like Liyue.
...
Liyue Harbor.
The Jade Chamber's banquet had ended.
Or rather, it had ended after they had observed the TNT Duplicator.
Jean and the others were speechless with shock, and the banquet naturally came to an end.
After informing Jean that the courtyard on their side would be ready in a few days, Ningguang had them escorted back to their temporary lodgings.
But Jean and the others didn't go straight to bed like Ningguang and her companions. Instead, they unanimously went to the conference room.
They sat in silence, unsure what to say.
After a long while, Lisa finally spoke softly.
"I originally thought that TNT was just about dropping gunpowder barrels from the air to explode, but I never expected..."
The power of TNT far exceeded Lisa's imagination.
One cubic meter of TNT could cause an explosion that affected an area of hundreds of meters.
Within forty meters, it was considered the blast center, and any creature would die instantly upon contact.
Even the Geovishap Hatchlings, which were high-level monsters, only slightly weaker than Stonehide Lawachurls, were instantly killed with such ease.
This was something gunpowder barrels could not achieve.
Moreover...
The sheer quantity of TNT far surpassed Lisa's imagination.
"Indeed..."
Diluc sighed, gazing out the window at the Jade Chamber.
His eyes were filled with yearning and fervor.
"You just need to place a lever, pull it, and TNT will be continuously deployed."
"It's something that requires absolutely no operating difficulty, which means that this kind of war fortress only needs a dozen people to easily control it?"
"Even, it doesn't require any experience; even ordinary people can use it at any time..."
"Redstone Technology, as Ningguang and her people said, is indeed terrifyingly powerful..."
"If only we could also have such a war fortress..."
Imagining himself piloting a war fortress to bomb a Fatui base, Diluc felt his blood boil.
Could Alice's great feat of bombing Stormterror's Lair now be re-enacted?
"That little rascal Klee would definitely love the Jade Chamber."
Lumine said playfully with a giggle.
While finding the Jade Chamber outlandish, Lumine could strangely accept it.
Although many of her memories were unclear, she vaguely felt that she had seen such things before.
In other worlds...
There seemed to be similar machines that could perform aerial bombardment.
It's just that none were as peculiar as the Jade Chamber.
"I wonder how much the Floating Stone costs, and how long it would take to build..."
Jean shook her head, sighing somewhat helplessly.
There was no point in thinking about things like Alchemy Potions or enchantments to improve basic strength now.
If Mondstadt had a Jade Chamber, it could drive the Fatui out of its territory.
However, such a thing probably wasn't easily made.
Ultimately, Liyue itself had a profound foundation, and many things were easier for them to assimilate.
Moreover, their already formidable power also gave them enough time to master even more power.
They didn't have to consider as much as Mondstadt did.
"Let's put the Jade Chamber aside for now. In the short term, neither Redstone Technology nor the Jade Chamber are within our grasp."
Recalling Ningguang's words to her earlier, Jean collected herself, preparing to proceed step by step.
"The immediate priority is for us to quickly familiarize ourselves with the unique aspects of this world and acquire sufficient knowledge."
"That way, we can bring in members of the Knights of Favonius... Tonight, I will copy Keqing's notebook."
Lisa, who was flipping through a notebook nearby, nodded with some emotion.
"Indeed, this notebook needs to be taken seriously. It records many crafting recipes for tools, and even the TNT crafting table."
"In addition, there are notes on some simple technologies. As long as we master this notebook, our progress will be much faster."
"It seems I'll have to conduct many experiments tomorrow."
With that, Lisa closed her notebook and handed it to Jean, smiling:
"So, what are your thoughts now, Acting Grand Master Jean?"
Jean's eyes flickered for a moment, and she said softly:
"Of course, we'll take it one step at a time. First, master this knowledge, then bring Klee to open Lucky Blocks, mobilize the Knights of Favonius to address Mondstadt's livelihood issues."
"After that, we'll expand. Liyue has already provided us with a viable route; we just need to follow it."
Her well-organized plan earned approving nods from Lisa and the others.
However...
This wasn't the answer Lisa wanted to hear.
It wasn't even the core of Lisa's question; Jean was deliberately avoiding that topic.
Lisa waved her hand, looked at Venti, and said softly:
"Lord Barbatos, what do you think? Is this the answer you wanted to hear?"
Venti blinked, giggling:
"Ehe! Actually..."
Before he could finish, a fierce gust of wind swept outside the window.
Xiao, with a calm expression, floated outside and nodded to everyone, then focused his gaze on Venti.
"Your Eminence Barbatos, Rex Lapis requests your presence."
Venti's expression stiffened.
Oh no.
It looked like that petty dragon Zhongli wanted to have a chat with him about the "slap your ancestor" comment.
Tsk!
He should have known not to laugh so happily back then!
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