While Ryen and the others were still spending their final hours briefing Ei's group on the fundantals of the Minecraft world, the preparations for the Twilight Forest expedition were well underway.
Though most participants now understood the terrain and dangers, newcors like Ei and Kujou Sara needed more ti to adapt. Even with their sharper minds, there were certain laws of this world that simply had to be morized , especially the lethal ones.
"Fall damage," Ryen warned, half amused. "You may be Archons back ho, but here, gravity doesn't negotiate."
Across the ocean, Teyvat itself was thriving in ways unseen for centuries.
Mondstadt was basking in a golden age. The constant stream of resources flowing from the alliance had filled the city with wealth. Even ordinary Knights of Favonius were now ard with alchemical potions, enchanted gear, and enhanced supplies.
Since Mondstadt had formally declared its pact of "life and death unity" with Liyue, the two nations had entered what locals jokingly called their honeymoon period.
Liyue rchants and tourists filled Mondstadt's streets. Cultural exchange was everywhere , and because Jean and Ningguang were close friends, as were Zhongli and Venti, the cooperation between upper circles naturally inspired harmony among the citizens.
For most Mondstadters, friendship with Liyue was no longer just convenient , it was sothing to be proud of.
And how could it not be?
Their lives had visibly improved.
The Fatui's influence had been driven out of the city, cri had dropped, trade bood, and prosperity could be felt in every tavern and marketplace.
Although the people of Mondstadt still lacked the total material abundance that Liyue now enjoyed, the difference was shrinking fast.
The city's spirit , bright, lively, full of song , had returned.
Ask any passerby, and they'd tell you with confidence:
"The future of Mondstadt has never looked better."
Even the once-notorious laziness , the so-called "infantile complacency" , was slowly being erased under Jean's reforms and Liyue's quiet cultural influence.
The people had matured. And most importantly, they trusted their leaders.
No one panicked when word spread that Jean and several top knights were stationed long-term in Liyue.
Mondstadt, once fragile, now stood strong.
The only one truly suffering from this success… was Kaeya.
As the sole senior officer left to manage daily affairs, his workload had tripled.
"If I'd known it would co to this," he grumbled while buried under piles of paperwork, "I'd have let the city collapse instead."
Not even wine could lure him from his desk anymore.
anwhile, Liyue was the uncontested heart of the alliance , rich, disciplined, and unstoppable.
No other nation on the continent radiated such confidence.
Its military reforms had reached a mature stage. The Millelith legions frequently paraded through the streets, not for war, but to maintain readiness , and to entertain the proud citizens who never tired of watching them.
The greatest fascination of all, however, was reserved for the Dragonrider Corps.
They had appeared only once, yet that single display , dragons soaring under Liyue's banners , had burned itself into every citizen's mory.
"To ride dragons, to command the skies…!"
The very dream that once belonged to the ancient immortals who fought beside the Geo Archon had returned in living form.
For the people, it beca the ultimate symbol of glory.
To serve in the Millelith was honorable , but to beco a Dragonrider was divine.
Unfortunately, no one knew how.
No matter how often they asked the Ministry of Civil Affairs or even the Liyue Qixing, the answer was always the sa:
"The Dragonriders are not under our jurisdiction. They answer only to the Tianquan and the Geo Archon."
A mystery , and the only regret in an otherwise perfect nation.
As for the Millelith, their "problem" was of a different sort: too few monsters left to fight.
Their daily monster hunts , once a way to train and relieve stress , had grown dull. With fewer threats remaining, the troops worried that demobilization might soon follow.
So, they redoubled their discipline. The less there was to fight, the harder they trained , each afraid that one mistake might give the Ministry an excuse to downsize.
Ironically, that fear had made the Millelith stronger than ever.
Inazuma, under Makoto's leadership, was stabilizing fast.
With Ayato and Kokomi managing balance and reform, and strong trade ties to Liyue and Mondstadt, the islands were once again alive with hope.
Only Snezhnaya remained sowhat uncertain.
Though its internal reforms were underway, whispers of unrest lingered.
The Jester, it seed, had discovered sothing unsettling , and his movents had grown oddly restrained.
anwhile, The Rooster and others had begun auditing and purging the Fatui ranks, cutting away the rot.
Still, it was a ti of acceleration.
For the first ti in history, four nations were advancing together, faster than any could alone.
And at the center of it all stood one question:
What would Ryen's next module bring?
The Twilight Forest was nearly subdued, half its secrets already unearthed by Liyue and Mondstadt's joint forces.
Now all eyes turned to Albedo, whose research on the strange creatures and bios there might open the door to the next phase.
As for Snezhnaya and Inazuma , they had yet to enter.
For now, their operations were confined to the main world.
anwhile, in Suru
Far to the south, in the Nation of Wisdom, the air of academic calm masked a quiet conspiracy.
Ever since Ryen's brief visit weeks ago, Tighnari, Alhaitham, and Cyno had kept in contact, exchanging ssages under the guise of collaboration.
Publicly, they claid to have ford an Academic Household , a common Suru institution in which scholars banded together like family to pursue a single research the.
In such groups, familial terms , "brother," "sister," even "spouse" , often held no literal aning.
They were bound by shared curiosity, not blood or romance.
To the outside world, it all seed ordinary enough.
But this particular household drew attention , because its mbers were all too prominent.
Three of the Akademiya's brightest minds working together in secret inevitably stirred speculation.
Still, most Suru scholars had little ti for gossip. Each was buried in their own research.
Even the Sages of the Akademiya rely logged the new household into the Akasha's database and moved on.
Thus, under this veneer of legitimacy, their covert investigation proceeded smoothly.
Of course, not without difficulty , the Grand Sage, though debilitated by the "zombie virus," still commanded the Akasha's gaze.
But as Alhaitham once said:
"Every pattern can be traced, but the Akasha is not infallible. No system can comprehend human will."
And so, after weeks of careful subterfuge, the trio gathered once more at Gandharva Ville.
When Cyno and Alhaitham arrived at Tighnari's ho, they found him seated on a stool, his expression tight with worry , eyes fixed on Collei, who sat pale and trembling before him.
"Master! I'm fine now!" Collei's eyes shone with eager determination. "I can help clear the Withering Zones! Please, let go this ti!"
Tighnari looked at her, torn between relief and exasperation.
"The Withering is no child's ga, Collei," he said softly. "Even if your Eleazar is cured, you must never underestimate it."
The word cured caught Cyno's attention like a spark to dry tinder. His golden eyes narrowed.
"Wait," he said, his usually steady tone carrying a trace of disbelief. "You an… Collei's Eleazar is gone?"
At that, Collei flinched and turned toward the two n who had just entered.
"G–Grand Acting Sage… and General Mahamatra…" she stamred, bowing slightly.
Alhaitham gave a curt nod and approached, his gaze analytical. "Let see."
Collei obediently rolled up her sleeve. The pale sunlight from Tighnari's study fell over her arm , smooth, fair, unblemished. The dense, ashen scales that had once crawled across her skin were gone. Not even the faintest scar remained.
For a long mont, Alhaitham said nothing. Then, activating his Elental Sight, he examined her again.
The result left even him montarily stunned.
Her body was pure , no traces of corruption, no signs of residual toxins. Her elental flow was steady, bright, untainted.
"It's true," he murmured finally, his brow furrowing. "The disease is gone… completely. But how?"
Tighnari sighed, rubbing at his temples. "Collei," he said gently, "go and record today's herb samples. I need to speak privately with Cyno and Alhaitham. As for the Withering , we'll discuss it later. I'll take you myself when the ti is right."
Collei hesitated for a heartbeat, then nodded. She wasn't foolish; she understood her teacher's tone. She simply wanted to help lighten his burden , but if Tighnari was serious, she would wait.
"Alright, Master! I'll get to work!" she said brightly, heading for the door.
"Wait."
Cyno's low voice stopped her mid-step. She froze, shoulders tense.
Despite knowing that the General Mahamatra was kind at heart, his reputation , and those dreadful jokes , still made her nervous.
Please don't tell one now… please don't tell one now…
Thankfully, Cyno seed in no mood for humor today.
Instead, he said gravely:
"Do not speak of your recovery to anyone. Do not show it. Not yet."
Collei blinked. "Why?"
Cyno's gaze was sharp. "Eleazar is considered an incurable affliction. And far too many still suffer from it. If word spreads that yours was cured, the Akademiya will co for you. Curiosity can be crueller than disease."
His aning was clear. Desperation drives people beyond reason , and the thought of exploiting the girl's recovery could lead to tragedy.
Collei's eyes widened slightly, then she nodded firmly. "Understood."
Without another word, she rewrapped her arm in clean bandages , concealing the truth , and slipped quietly out.
As the door shut, Cyno seated himself across from Tighnari.
"Her Eleazar," he said quietly, "is truly gone?"
Tighnari nodded. "Completely. I've checked her symptoms and elental flow repeatedly. There's no mistake."
Cyno's tone deepened. "Then tell us , when did it happen? And how?"
Tighnari hesitated, lips pressed thin.
"I'll be honest," he said finally, "I can scarcely believe it myself."
He glanced between the two n, then continued:
"A few days ago, a Millelith soldier arrived here in Gandharva Ville. He said he ca under orders from Senior Lisa of Mondstadt , to deliver sothing."
At that, Alhaitham and Cyno exchanged a brief, knowing look. Neither seed surprised.
Tighnari raised an eyebrow. "You know sothing? Why would the Millelith obey Lisa's orders?"
Alhaitham leaned back, folding his arms.
"In recent investigations, we discovered that Liyue and Mondstadt have entered a strategic life-and-death alliance. Under such cooperation, it's not strange that the Millelith would assist her."
He paused, his erald eyes narrowing slightly.
"And if I had to guess… it may also have sothing to do with that man , Ryen."
Tighnari frowned. "A strategic alliance… between nations?"
Cyno nodded once. "It fits their pattern. But what did the Millelith bring? And why would it cure a disease that's baffled Suru's scholars for centuries?"
Tighnari sighed, looking almost embarrassed. "If I tell you, you'll think I've lost my mind. But I swear, by all my years of study, what I'm about to say is entirely true."
The two n leaned forward.
After a long pause, Tighnari spoke slowly.
"The Millelith soldier said Senior Lisa sent him here specifically to deliver sothing that would cure Collei's Eleazar."
"That 'sothing' was…" , he hesitated, then grimaced , "a bucket of ordinary milk."
For a heartbeat, silence filled the room.
Cyno blinked. "…A bucket of what?"
Tighnari nodded solemnly. "Milk."
Alhaitham stared at him, completely expressionless. "You an dairy. The kind from cows."
"Yes."
Cyno's jaw tightened slightly. "…You're joking."
"I wish I were."
The three scholars sat there, in utter disbelief , the hum of the forest beyond the window the only sound between them.
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