"The Doctor" maintained a dark and uncertain expression, though his mask concealed it well, making it imperceptible to others.
Over in Suru, their experints had stalled due to the lack of divine-level energy to conduct tests. The creation of an "artificial god" had co to a complete halt.
No matter what, the Gnosis needed to be secured as soon as possible!
Of course, they couldn't afford to be reckless and resort to force. A direct conflict would cause too much commotion, and the Raiden Shogun in Inazuma City would imdiately take notice.
Moreover, Narukami Shrine wasn't too far from Inazuma City—not for a god, at least.
If the Raiden Shogun were to arrive, they would all be dood. That ant using force was only a last resort, one they would take only if absolutely necessary.
Even then, they would need a way to keep the Raiden Shogun occupied.
A full-power segnt of himself was already making preparations for that scenario. If negotiations failed and they had no choice but to seize the Gnosis by force, he would do everything in his power to hold off the Raiden Shogun.
At the sa ti, the group at Narukami Shrine had to act quickly to secure the Gnosis.
If only Yae Miko were present, they would still have a good chance. After all, the full-power segnt had prepared special tools that might work against her.
But now, with the unexpected presence of Nolan, a formidable fighter in his own right, their confidence was shaken.
Even though they had backup plans in case negotiations broke down, they were hesitant to act rashly.
If a battle erupted, they would undoubtedly be at a disadvantage.
But why was this traveler here? And why was he so unnaturally strong?
The Doctor felt frustrated.
With no better option, they had to abandon their more aggressive plans and proceed with a standard negotiation. If it failed, they'd have to find another opportunity.
The segnt of "The Doctor" present here was one of his more cautious and composed versions—closer to his pri self.
That ant he wouldn't gamble on an uncertain outco.
Yae Miko crossed her arms and let out a chuckle.
"Three Fatui Harbingers coming all the way to my little shrine? That doesn't sound like a trade to ."
"This is rely a show of sincerity."
The Doctor spread his hands in a gesture of openness, then continued with a sly smile:
"To be frank, Lady Yae, we have co to negotiate for the Gnosis in your possession.
"As it stands, it's little more than a collector's item to you, is it not? Why not entrust it to us, where it can serve a greater purpose?"
"Heh, so the Fatui are as arrogant as ever when it cos to these things."
Yae Miko's expression turned cold.
While the Gnosis held no real power for either her or Ei, it was still an item of imnse significance. There was no way she'd hand it over so easily.
"And what if we offer a deal you can't refuse?"
The Doctor smirked.
"A deal I can't refuse? You an if I say no, Snezhnaya will declare war on Inazuma?"
Yae Miko smiled faintly, tilting her head.
"Ah... Haha, Lady Yae, you must be joking. We Fatui would never resort to coercion."
The Doctor was briefly caught off guard by her remark but quickly recovered.
He sighed inwardly.
Foxes truly are cunning.
Since there was no point in stalling, he got straight to the point:
"Surely, with your abilities, you must already be aware that the Fatui have been collecting the Gnosis under Her Majesty the Tsaritsa's command.
"The Archons of Mondstadt and Liyue have already agreed to lend their Gnosis to Her Majesty in support of her grand ambition.
"If you learn of Her Majesty's plan, I believe you will also see its rit and offer your cooperation."
"Oh? From what I heard, Mondstadt's Gnosis was stolen, was it not?"
Yae Miko's gaze shifted toward La Signora.
The very idea of the Anemo Archon having his Gnosis stolen was bizarre.
And the fact that he hadn't retaliated against the Fatui spoke volus.
Yae Miko was, indeed, curious about what exactly the Tsaritsa was planning.
She thought for a mont before saying:
"Alright, tell about it."
Standing behind Yae Miko, Nolan also turned his gaze to The Doctor.
He had a sneaking suspicion—this guy wasn't about to share anything new.
If The Doctor simply regurgitated what La Signora had already revealed, this deal would be far too one-sided.
The Tsaritsa's plan to challenge Celestia, break the false sky, and reestablish contact with the stars beyond Teyvat was, admittedly, an ambitious and admirable goal.
But The Doctor and Scaramouche?
They weren't interested in any of that. They just wanted to use the Gnosis for their own twisted experints.
While Nolan was more than happy to let them take the Gnosis, he couldn't let them walk away without leaving sothing behind.
However, since Yae Miko was unaware that he already knew about the Tsaritsa's plan, he couldn't just blurt it out.
If he did, La Signora's cover would be blown.
Sigh… There's no other way.
Nolan decided that when they eventually went to Suru to retrieve the Gnosis, he would find a way to take so extra things as compensation for Yae Miko.
For instance, stealing their so-called God of Righteous Machinery wouldn't be a bad idea…
I wonder how much it would expand my Wonderland space if I added a giant chanical god to my collection…
Little did The Doctor know, soone was already scheming to take his artificial god.
He gave a brief explanation of how Teyvat had been shrouded by a false sky, severing its connection to the vast sea of stars beyond.
And how the Tsaritsa was gathering the seven Gnosis to resolve this issue.
"Hard to believe... The infamous Fatui are secretly carrying out such a grand plan."
A flicker of intrigue appeared in Yae Miko's violet eyes, but she had no intention of handing over the Gnosis so easily.
Crossing her arms, she voiced her doubts:
"And how am I supposed to know if what you're saying is true?
"Besides, the false sky may not have been created simply to cut off Teyvat's connection to the stars.
"What if it was a defensive asure? A way for Celestia to hide this world because sothing out there is watching us?"
It wasn't an unreasonable thought.
After all, Abyssal Power—a force completely at odds with the elents of Teyvat—existed here.
It might not be native to Teyvat. It could be an invading force from beyond this world.
Could the false sky actually be a barrier ant to keep sothing like the Abyss from entering Teyvat?
Only Celestia would know the truth.
"The possibility you raise is not without rit," The Doctor nodded slightly.
"That is precisely why Her Majesty seeks to verify it.
"But conducting such a verification requires power—at least power equal to Celestia's."
'Tch. Just hand over the Gnosis already.'
Scaramouche had clearly lost his patience.
Listening to this fox woman ramble on for so long was exhausting.
"If you don't, don't be surprised when your little shrine is reduced to rubble one day."
"Hah. Kunikuzushi, you're still as foolish and arrogant as ever."
Yae Miko's gaze darkened as she shot a glare at Scaramouche.
Then, turning back to The Doctor, she said coldly:
"I'm not going to hand over the Gnosis just because of a few flowery words.
"How do I know you won't use it for sothing terrible?
"You may all leave now."
The Doctor and La Signora both glared at Scaramouche, cursing him in their minds for being an idiot who ruins everything.
If they didn't need his combat strength, they wouldn't have brought him at all!
"Hmph. Lady Yae, refusing to hand over the Gnosis despite receiving such crucial information…
"Wouldn't that be damaging to your reputation?"
The Doctor turned his gaze to Nolan and continued:
"And since we have this traveler as a witness…
"In addition to what I've already told you, the Fatui are willing to invest a massive sum into Inazuma's economic developnt.
"And we will also provide technological assistance—completely free of charge.
"How about that?"
This was the last bargaining chip The Doctor could offer before resorting to outright theft.
If Yae Miko refused again, he would have to regroup with his pri segnt and plan another opportunity to seize it by force.
He was already considering the possibilities.
"Hmm…"
Yae Miko understood the situation clearly.
If she refused outright, the Fatui—who had already set their sights on the Gnosis—would not give up.
They would keep scheming, stirring trouble, and making life miserable for the people of Inazuma.
Since the Gnosis was useless to her anyway, why not trade it for resources that would actually benefit Inazuma?
However, even if she were to trade it, she wouldn't just sell it outright.
After thinking for a mont, she smiled slightly and said:
"If the Tsaritsa truly seeks to challenge Celestia and uncover the truth of Teyvat's world…
"Then as soone who belongs to this world, I should naturally support her cause.
"However… the Gnosis is far too valuable to simply sell to you.
"I can, however, lend it to you for a period of ti.
"Once your Tsaritsa has finished using it, it must be returned to us."
Of course, Yae Miko knew that once it was given, the Fatui would never return it willingly.
But by framing it as a loan, she could raise the price and gain greater leverage.
The Doctor had no objections.
As long as they obtained the Gnosis, everything else was negotiable.
Since Yae Miko had her own considerations, Nolan was more than happy to see her trade away the Gnosis—a burdenso hot potato.
This also ant he had to speed up his own plans. If The Doctor and Scaramouche managed to complete the God of Righteous Machinery, it would be much harder to get his hands on it.
"Well then, let's discuss the specifics."
As Nolan was deep in thought, Yae Miko spoke up, signaling the start of negotiations.
What followed was a discussion on how many resources the Fatui would need to provide in exchange for renting the Gnosis.
When it ca to negotiations, Yae Miko was a professional. Nolan simply sat back and watched.
In the end, the agreent was as follows:
- The Fatui would pay an annual base rent of hundreds of billions of Mora.
- They would introduce policies to encourage Snezhnayan rchants to invest in Inazuma's economy.
- They would transfer advanced technology to Inazuma free of charge.
- If the Fatui failed to fulfill these terms, Inazuma had the right to seize their assets within the region—including Northland Bank.
The entire negotiation process lasted from morning to late afternoon.
Only when night was approaching did the Fatui Executives finally leave, taking the Gnosis with them.
Nolan felt that trading a Gnosis—which was completely useless to Inazuma—for so many resources was more than worth it.
---
Inside the Shrine
Yae Miko brewed a cup of sakura tea, handing it to Nolan with a soft smile.
"Ah~ Little one, today I really must thank you for being here. If it weren't for you keeping them in check, things might've turned into a fight."
"I an, three Fatui Executives ca knocking—does that sound like they just wanted a friendly chat?"
Nolan accepted the tea and shook his head.
"Miko, you must be joking. Even if all three of them joined forces, they still wouldn't be a match for you. So whether I was here or not wouldn't have changed a thing."
"Hehe, that may be true. But thanks to you, I have the strength to handle them so easily."
Yae Miko chuckled slyly and placed a plate of handmade sakura mochi in front of him.
[Yae Miko Has Developed Good Feelings Toward You. Obtained 300 Affection Points. Current Affection Level: Lv.6 (450/600)]
"Thanks."
Nolan took a sip of tea and glanced at the Affection notification on his character panel.
He felt that coming here to warn her had definitely been worth it.
"By the way, Miss Miko, what do you think about what the Fatui said about the false sky and Celestia?
"Aren't you worried about handing over Ei's Gnosis?"
Nolan took a bite of the sakura mochi, his curiosity piqued.
"Oh my, I'm still so young. How would I know about ancient mysteries that have existed since who-knows-when?"
Yae Miko smiled playfully before continuing:
"The reason I lent them the Gnosis was simply to prevent Inazuma from getting dragged into the chaos the Fatui might stir up in secret.
"And you don't need to worry about Ei blaming .
"After all, when she entrusted the Gnosis to , she explicitly said that if necessary, I could trade it away."
Seeing the doubt in Nolan's eyes, she reassured him with a light laugh.
"I see… That's good to know."
Nolan nodded.
He casually chatted with Yae Miko for a while as he enjoyed the snacks.
Once the ti was right, he left the shrine and headed to Tenshukaku to escort Raiden Ei outside.
---
## The Next Day – Early Morning
Today's training was complete.
Lumine had mastered the Source-Flow Swordsmanship to the point where she could now start learning Musou no Hitotachi.
Tomorrow, she would officially begin training in the Raiden Shogun's ultimate technique.
However, since this technique was extrely profound, teaching even just two people would take a lot of ti.
And since the Shogun had to stay in Inazuma to maintain order, she couldn't personally oversee the training every day.
Thus, the responsibility of teaching Musou no Hitotachi was handed over to Raiden Ei.
Since she and Makoto's Consciousness both resided in the Wonderland, she had plenty of ti to study ti manipulation while also sparing so ti to teach Nolan and Lumine.
After bidding farewell to the Shogun, Nolan returned to the Wonderland.
He found Raiden Ei in Lumine's newly constructed ditation Room on the second floor of the research area.
There, he inford her about the Gnosis being traded to the Fatui.
Since Ei was the rightful owner of the Gnosis, it was only proper to let her know.
However, Ei simply let out a soft "Mm."
Then, without much concern, she added:
"Just don't get involved in the Tsaritsa's affairs."
That was all.
She truly didn't care about the Gnosis.
As for why Ei had specifically warned him not to ddle in the Tsaritsa's matters—
She was probably worried that he would end up provoking the Queen of Snezhnaya.
---
The Next Morning
Raiden Ei wasted no ti.
Before Nolan and Lumine could even crawl out of bed, she dragged them straight into the Plane of Euthymia for training.
(End of Chapter)
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