"Is it because of that iron bucket that this endless water source exists?"
"Or is it due to the special placement of those wooden blocks? I saw it clearly, when the wooden cubes were placed together, they instantly bonded into a single structure."
"Taking everything into account, perhaps only the combination of three factors, the iron bucket, the wooden blocks, and the water itself, can produce an inexhaustible water source."
"But… these properties don't seem like something ordinary objects could possess."
"Even if the Akademiya never deliberately conducted such experiments, over thousands of years, countless people must have accidentally built similar structures."
"Yet no records of such phenomena exist."
"That means this capability never truly existed in this world."
"Considering Miss Lumine's identity as an otherworldly traveler, and eliminating all impossible explanations…"
"Then the conclusion becomes obvious, it must originate from another world, doesn't it?"
Alhaitham spoke calmly, laying out his reasoning step by step.
Yet from time to time, a faint glimmer flashed in his eyes, clearly, he was deeply fascinated by this inexhaustible water source.
Lumine looked at him with a trace of surprise.
Strictly speaking, there were still flaws in the finer details of his reasoning, but overall… he was astonishingly close.
Indeed, this was not something from Teyvat.
And pouring out a single bucket of water alone would never produce such an effect.
Alhaitham's analysis was impressively accurate.
"No wonder Ryen keeps calling you a smart one…"
Lumine muttered softly, deliberately avoiding a direct answer.
Alhaitham chuckled lightly and continued thoughtfully:
"You've reminded me of something, Miss Lumine."
"The common enemy of the Four-Nation Alliance is now clear, Celestia."
"By my reasoning, the conflict between Celestia and the nations must date back a very long time."
"So why, over the past centuries or even millennia, did the four nations never form an alliance?"
"The only explanation is that Celestia was once an enemy far too powerful to confront."
"But now, an alliance has become possible."
"That suggests more than a shared enemy, there must also be shared interests."
"Interests significant enough to give the four nations hope of victory."
He paused briefly, then continued:
"And then there's what that Abyss Herald specifically mentioned earlier, about enchanted weapons."
"My guess is that these, too, came from Mr. Ryen, didn't they?"
"More precisely, not just enchanted weapons."
"Mr. Ryen showed Rex Lapis and the others something far more important, hope."
"Hope that Celestia can be defeated."
"You mentioned earlier that even Liyue alone now possesses multiple gods."
"After meeting Mr. Ryen, I investigated Liyue's history and its current state."
"Historically, Liyue did indeed have multiple gods bound by contract to the Geo Archon."
"If I'm not mistaken…"
Alhaitham's eyes suddenly shone brightly, as if countless threads of logic had snapped into place.
The haze clouding his thoughts dispersed, revealing a conclusion that should have been impossible, yet fit perfectly.
Fixing his gaze on Lumine, he spoke with controlled disbelief:
"Liyue, or rather, Mr. Ryen, has resurrected the ancient gods of Liyue, hasn't he?"
"Guizhong? Marchosius?"
"Or even the embodiment of the earth itself, Azhdaha?"
"Or… all three?"
At once, the atmosphere grew heavy.
Everyone stared at Lumine, scarcely daring to breathe.
Lumine's smile didn't fade, but a flicker of complexity passed through her eyes.
After a moment of silence, she spoke softly:
"This is why smart people are such a pain."
"If this were earlier, and you reached such a conclusion, especially without a contract…"
"I'd have to send word to Liyue immediately."
"At that point, Zhongli would personally arrive with the adepti."
"Even Nahida wouldn't be able to protect you."
Alhaitham smiled faintly.
"That's why you said earlier."
"You're that confident?"
Lumine looked at him with curiosity.
Alhaitham nodded slightly.
"Objectively speaking, my personal strength is respectable, but against the adepti, death would be inevitable, let alone facing the Geo Archon."
"As you said, before absolute power, all intelligence is meaningless."
"But if I dare to say this, it's because I'm confident in my judgment."
He took a sip of water. The sweet, refreshing taste helped steady his racing thoughts.
"As you described, Liyue now has gods gathered together, countless adepti, powerful armies, and an economic foundation whose depth no one truly understands."
"Liyue alone is capable of suppressing all of Teyvat."
"And now, with Liyue integrating a Four-Nation Alliance…"
"Outside of Sumeru, Fontaine, and Natlan…"
"Virtually all of Teyvat has already entered the alliance's sphere of control."
"Furthermore, from your words, I can tell how dearly the Little Lord Kusanali is cherished."
"Her relationship with the other archons must be excellent."
"In that case, Sumeru's future path is already decided, joining the alliance."
"With that in mind, speaking openly now carries no real risk."
Lumine studied Alhaitham carefully, then asked quietly:
"That's all?"
Alhaitham shook his head with a soft laugh.
"Value."
"An alliance requires value. And those who wish to join it must demonstrate their own."
"The Little Lord Kusanali will inevitably lead Sumeru into the alliance."
"But those who become true signatories of its core contracts will be far fewer."
"Frankly speaking, I don't want to miss this era of unknown variables."
"I need to demonstrate my worth."
"You don't lack raw power, gods and divine retainers are likely countless within your alliance."
"So strength alone won't impress you."
"That's why…"
"I'll show you my intellect."
"To display my value, and gain entry into the alliance's deepest secrets, that is my true goal."
"No scholar can resist a field filled with the unknown and infinite possibilities for exploration."
"And I am no exception."
Lumine watched him closely and saw no trace of deceit, only frank ambition.
She nodded slightly.
"You really are smart."
"And as you said…"
"Now that the Four-Nation Alliance stands united, in all of Teyvat, only Celestia remains our enemy."
"Ryen dotes on Nahida as if she were his own daughter, and Morax and the others cherish her deeply as well."
"Sumeru is destined to join the Alliance, but those who truly gain access to the Alliance's inner secrets alongside Nahida are bound to be very few."
"Just like the intelligence you gathered about Liyue, what was revealed was merely a fraction, selectively shown by Lady Ningguang."
"The true mysteries are powerful enough to drive the entire world mad."
Alhaitham understood at once.
The most implausible conjecture he had entertained had now been fully confirmed.
He had grasped the true linchpin holding the Alliance together.
Without speaking aloud, he transmitted his thoughts to Lumine:
"Mr. Ryen controls an unknown world."
This was not a question, it was a conclusion reached with complete certainty.
Lumine immediately broke into a grin.
"So many people, and you're the only one who reached this conclusion purely through deduction."
"That's right!"
The smile on Alhaitham's face grew even more genuine, his eyes alight with a kind of excitement and anticipation that had never appeared before.
He was the Akademiya's Scribe, but before that, he was a scholar.
And not just any scholar, but one of the very best.
For a scholar, what could possibly be more irresistible than an entirely unknown world?
Not just him, even Tighnari, if he knew, would rush over without hesitation.
The Alliance…
He was all in.
After a brief moment of thought, Alhaitham asked softly:
"Then may I ask, does my value, in Miss Lumine's eyes, meet the threshold?"
Lumine considered the question carefully.
Alhaitham possessed strength, though compared to the Alliance's true front-line combat power, it was negligible.
But his greatest asset was his intellect.
A truly intelligent mind would be an immense asset for developing a new world.
Ryen's future plans might very well require someone like him.
Perhaps he could even help Guizhong shoulder part of the Redstone technology workload.
As for whether Alhaitham might overestimate himself and cause trouble,
A smart person's greatest virtue is knowing what not to do.
He wouldn't dare.
And he didn't have the means to.
Still, to be safe, Lumine asked patiently:
"Can you do city planning?"
The anticipation in Alhaitham's heart surged.
Once Ryen's control over another world was confirmed, and Lumine followed up by asking about city construction…
It didn't take a genius to realize that they were already building civilizations in that world.
A deed that would echo through history.
Alhaitham nodded decisively.
"I've studied city planning as well. Whether it proves directly useful remains to be seen, but I do have experience."
"Excellent!"
Lumine slapped the table and produced a contract, clearly pleased with herself.
"I knew it, I guessed this would come up!"
"Sign it. This is a contract jointly endorsed by four gods."
"Break it, and you'll be hunted by four nations and four gods alike. No one in all of Teyvat will be able to protect you."
"So, will you sign?"
Alhaitham chuckled softly, took the contract, and signed his name without even reading it.
"So decisive? That doesn't quite match your usual style," Lumine muttered.
Alhaitham shook his head slightly.
"On matters like this, I don't believe I'd entertain any ulterior thoughts."
"And besides… I don't possess the power to do otherwise."
Lumine scratched her cheek.
"That's… fair enough. Never mind."
She put the contract away and gave Alhaitham an approving look.
She had just recruited a highly capable intellectual for Ryen, he was bound to be pleased.
Nearby, Dehya and the others were completely bewildered.
From beginning to end, Alhaitham and Lumine had spoken in riddles.
Yet even without understanding the details, their instincts told them one thing clearly:
This contract was extremely important.
Their gazes inevitably grew more eager.
Alhaitham noticed immediately.
His thoughts raced.
Even if Sumeru joined the Alliance, it would likely be late in the process.
Though Nahida was dearly loved, national matters could not rely solely on favor.
Sumeru needed to demonstrate greater value, by contributing capable individuals.
Everyone present was already among Sumeru's finest.
And due to the artificial god project, they were already bound together on the same boat.
For his own sake, and for Sumeru's future, they were ideal candidates.
After a moment's thought, Alhaitham asked quietly:
"Miss Lumine, what do you think of Cyno and the others?"
"So now you're recruiting people yourself?"
Lumine pouted slightly, then casually produced several more contracts.
The three looked confused, but seeing Alhaitham's urging gaze, they signed without hesitation.
"All done!"
Lumine nodded with a bright smile.
"This makes things much easier to talk about now."
"From this moment on, you're members of the Alliance."
"And since you've joined, you should receive the Alliance's newcomer starter pack."
"Paimon, go!"