A god's true name wasn't exactly a secret.
But it depended on who knew it.
On the surface, Rowan went by "Arthur B. Pendragon." Under normal circumstances, anyone would assume "Arthur" was his real name. Yet to Ningguang—ever the Liyue pragmatist—the "B." mattered most.
The man might well be surnamed Bai. What the rest of his name was, she couldn't say.
Faced with Rowan's teasing question, Ningguang's expression never wavered.
"Simple," she said evenly. "I don't yet know what, exactly, caused today's… commotion. But I can promise you my personal support."
"As long as a problem can be solved with Mora, it isn't a problem at all."
Ningguang was no fool. Rowan had made such a spectacle precisely to draw Liyue's upper echelons. She didn't yet know his purpose—Baiwen had only just been dispatched and hadn't returned with a report—but some truths were obvious: as a head of state, Rowan would be strapped for cash.
If Mora could fix it, then before Ningguang it was no issue.
Of course, she would never sell out Liyue's national interests.
Of course… if Rowan chose to "accept" her, she didn't mind either.
Call it selling herself if you wanted; in truth, it would be for Liyue's sake—to put herself on the bargaining table. The support of a godlike being outweighed even the value of Teyvat's richest woman. With Rowan at her back, so long as she made no grave mistakes, her seat as Tianquan of the Liyue Qixing could not be taken—unless she chose to step down.
Not just for Liyue. For herself as well.
It was a sure-win trade. Compared to "chastity," the payoff was obvious.
That thought softened her gaze; an unspoken allure flowed from her, eyes fixed on Rowan as if he alone existed. It was a look she'd learned under the tutelage of Ying'er at the Springvale House—skills weigh nothing until the day they save you.
No ordinary man could resist such eyes. Rowan, however, simply lowered his head, avoiding her gaze. He admired Ningguang's figure; he was no libertine.
But to act without the foundation of feeling? That wasn't him.
He had no idea he'd already—without realizing—claimed a certain knight's chastity.
"Forgive me," Rowan said mildly. "I am, indeed, interested in you. But we've only just met. I don't care for relations without feelings."
"You want my true name? Easy."
"The works below are repaving the roadways with a material from my homeland. Roads built with it are a hundred times better than those of brick and stone, and they'll greatly promote trade between our nations."
"If you agree to cooperate when the time comes, I'll tell you my name."
Ningguang blinked, as if to say: Did I hear that right?
So simple?
If the material was as good as he claimed, then it was a boon to both sides.
Wouldn't that make his true name… free? Had all her coquettish glances just been thrown to the dogs?
Free wasn't good enough—he wanted a trade?
Sensing her puzzlement, Rowan continued.
"Not quite that simple," he said. "Once we work together, all paving materials on our side will be furnished by Liyue."
"When we finish Mondstadt's roads, we'll help Liyue pave as well—as long as you cover board, lodging, and materials."
"How about it?"
Ningguang nodded on instinct. "Agreed."
Why refuse a deal like that? Liyue lacked many things—but not stone or ore.
Those were exactly the things Liyue disdained to count. Never mind footing the materials bill—Liyue could gift Mondstadt hundreds of millions of tons without blinking.
Such was the confidence of the Nation of Stone.
"Of course, there's more," Rowan added. "You'll also pay five hundred billion Mora."
"Well? Still want my name?"
He had read the gleam in her eyes. He didn't really care whether Ningguang paid "benefits" for a name. This wasn't some Fate-verse where a true name bound one's fate; even if she knew it, so what?
But since Ningguang so clearly wanted to know, he might as well let the favor flow with the current. Her eyes told him that if he named something too "precious," she'd think him a fool.
Mondstadt lacked almost nothing—save Mora.
So, a clean five hundred billion to make a point.
Even so, Ningguang's face did not change. Calm as still water, she drew five silver notes from a drawer.
"Good. Then it's a deal. These are five notes from the Northland Bank, each for one hundred billion Mora."
Rowan didn't reach for them.
"Apologies. Mondstadt's Northland Bank has closed."
"We now have only the Mondstadt Bank—state-run."
At that, Ningguang's gaze finally shifted. She put the notes away and clapped.
Bai Shi entered at once. "Lady Ningguang?"
"Fetch five hundred billion Mora from the accounts for Lord Knight-King."
"At once!"
Bai Shi asked no questions and departed at a brisk clip. For Teyvat's wealthiest woman, extracting tens or hundreds of billions at a whim was trivial. A mere five hundred billion? Hardly worth a frown.
Half an hour later, Bai Shi returned with two Millelith bearing a massive coffer.
"Lady Ningguang, five hundred billion Mora!"
"Please, Lord Knight-King," Ningguang said, eyes flicking toward the chest. "Take it."
She very much wanted to see how the vaunted Knight-King—who governed Mondstadt with such immaculate order—would remove five hundred billion Mora from her Jade Chamber.
"Heh."
Rowan chuckled, shaking his head. His thoughts stirred.
Golden ripples bloomed. The immense chest of Mora slowly sank and vanished into a field of shimmering gold.
Four pairs of eyes went wide. Rowan only smiled.
"A little secret art. Nothing worthy of the hall. Pardon the rustic display."
"…"
Listening to such Versailles talk, Ningguang nearly rolled her eyes to heaven.
Listen to him. Is that even human language?
(End of Chapter)
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