"Unified System?"
Kaeya and Albedo were hearing about this for the first time.
Zhongli and Venti, however, had some understanding of the Unified System.
For individuals, the Unified System wasn't particularly necessary.
The Unified System was designed for official organizations to use.
As long as an official faction wanted to maintain order and keep up with the times, they would inevitably need the Unified System!
The reason was simple:
Take this as an example.
Under the Palais Mermonia, there were many departments, and the primary source of income for the Palais Mermonia was taxes.
This was a massive sum of money.
As the outside world progressed, new opportunities emerged one after another.
If the Palais Mermonia wanted to continue maintaining order and ensuring everyone could live well, what should they do?
The only option was to enhance the Palais Mermonia's strength!
The resources of an official faction couldn't be concentrated on a single individual—they had to be distributed evenly.
This led to a critical question.
Palais Mermonia members received salaries. Should they be given millions of Mora each month to pull cards on their own, or should the Palais Mermonia manage everything collectively, allocating resources based on each person's traits and talents?
Both options had pros and cons.
But for sustainable development, the latter was undoubtedly the better choice.
Moreover, there was another crucial factor—[Usage Records].
Official personnel absolutely could not break the law while enforcing it. Maintaining purity was essential for upholding order.
The Unified System excelled in this regard.
It effectively prevented official personnel from using cards to bully the innocent.
There might still be loopholes, but under such "monitoring," such incidents would be rare, and periodic purges could handle them well.
As for whether people were willing to live under "surveillance," it boiled down to one thing:
Ordinary people didn't have enough Mora to pull cards but still wanted to grow stronger—what could they do?
The only option was to join an official faction!
Setting aside the desire for strength, didn't life also require Mora?
The Palais Mermonia even provided basic salaries, along with food and lodging—its benefits were top-tier!
It was worth noting that the Unified System also included a [Contribution Points] system.
In an official organization, rewards and punishments had to be clear.
If you performed well and contributed more, you earned more points, allowing you to exchange for the cards you wanted.
If you performed poorly or contributed little—without any objective difficulties—then you simply weren't cut out for the job.
With a fair promotion path laid out, few could refuse.
However, the Unified System had one flaw:
The decision-makers had to uphold their principles.
If the decision-makers failed to maintain their integrity, corruption would spread from the top down.
Everyone fell into thought.
Zhongli was considering Liyue's situation.
Liyue's official structure consisted of the Qixing and the Eight Trades.
The essence of the Liyue Qixing was that they were the seven major merchants of Liyue Harbor.
Here's an important distinction:
Personal wealth belonged to individuals, while official funds belonged to the state.
Every nation had a national treasury!
The Golden House was Liyue's treasury—essentially a massive warehouse and mint.
Liyue also urgently needed the Unified System. However, they were still auditing the treasury and settling international trade transactions in Mora.
Additionally, they were cutting outdated projects and drafting new budget plans.
Once the new budget was finalized, the Unified System would be implemented.
After all, while the Qixing were wealthy, their subordinates might not be!
Take the Millelith, for example.
In this era where power levels were rising rapidly, if the Millelith didn't keep up, the military would have to be disbanded.
But could that happen?
Absolutely not.
And the Qixing couldn't fund it with their own money.
This was Liyue's army—if you paid for it yourself, what were you trying to do?
Thus, personal funds could only be used on oneself, a few loyal subordinates, or one's family. Beyond that, touching anything else was unacceptable!
Public and private affairs had to remain separate.
So, Ningguang and Keqing had pulled cards in their personal capacities, but Liyue's official faction hadn't made a move yet.
It wasn't due to a lack of response—there was just too much to handle!
Every year around this time, preparations began for the Rite of Descending, which would take place in about half a year.
This period was always marked by large-scale tax audits, project fund settlements, and other tasks. Then, they would await the Geo Archon's divine decree for Liyue's development in the coming year and draft a financial budget accordingly.
They were already busy, and then—boom!—the Geo Archon "suddenly" retired.
Now things were even more chaotic.
The Geo Archon's retirement meant he would no longer produce Mora, and the authority to mint Mora was transferred to the Golden House.
But could Mora be minted freely?
Absolutely not.
Even with the card shop's existence and the knowledge that Mora could be exchanged for power, reckless minting was out of the question.
Doing so would violate the Mora contract signed by Morax and the other nations!
This wasn't just a contract signed by Morax alone—it was also endorsed by the other Archons.
It meant that regardless of whether minting authority lay with Morax or Liyue, Mora couldn't be mass-produced to devalue its worth.
This was an agreement established by Morax and the other six Archons (and their nations).
Some believed Morax's Mora became the universal currency solely due to his strength.
The primary reason was that Morax was the God of Contracts—once an agreement was signed, he honored it and never violated it.
Additionally, Mora was a fundamental alchemical material with a design well-suited for trade, making it the natural choice after the Archon War.
When the contract was signed, Egeria, Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, and Baal were still in power.
Egeria's stance was unclear, but Greater Lord Rukkhadevata and Baal were no fools—why would they leave such an economic vulnerability in their nations?
Thus, enforcing it through sheer force was impossible. Mora couldn't be minted freely, and the related clauses, if written on paper, could stack a meter high.
Zhongli was well aware of these details—his memory was impeccable.
But the departments handling the Golden House had to thoroughly digest these clauses.
So, everyone was overwhelmed. Only after a smooth transition of power could they spare the effort to improve.
Thanks to Zhongli, Ningguang, and Keqing holding the fort, there was no rush for official procurement.
Once everything was settled, that would be Liyue's moment to showcase its economic might!
"What are your thoughts, Mr. Venti?"
After some consideration, Kaeya turned to Venti.
Since the Anemo Archon was present, this matter was beyond his and Albedo's authority to decide.
Venti smiled. "It's definitely necessary."
"I hope the Knights' decision-makers are wise enough," Diluc remarked coolly.
There was a hint of sarcasm in his words.
But coming from Diluc, it was understandable.
From the day he decided to leave the Knights, he had no intention of returning.
The Knights protected Mondstadt, while he walked alone in the shadows, also protecting Mondstadt.
Though they were working toward the same goal, he no longer wanted anything to do with the Knights.
"Don't reject it so quickly."
"You wouldn't want to see the Unified System misused by the Knights, would you? You wouldn't want to see Mondstadt's official faction fall into corruption, would you?"
Venti looked at him with pitiful eyes.
Diluc: "..."
"Master Diluc, I know you. Given your personality and methods, you'd be perfect for a decision-making role!" Venti gave a thumbs-up, rubbing his hands together eagerly.
Diluc: "..."
"Besides, you're practically guaranteed to live over 3,000 years now, and your strength is unmatched! Mondstadt needs you, Dawn Knight! You're Mondstadt's last line of defense!" Venti's expression turned solemn, as if this heavy responsibility could only fall on Diluc's shoulders.
Diluc: "..."
"You're our only hope!" Venti said earnestly.
Was Mondstadt really so lacking in talent that its Archon had to beg like this?
But upon reflection…
Mondstadt really was short on people!
Varka had taken four-fifths of the elite forces on an expedition.
Those left behind—those unfit for the expedition—couldn't possibly be the best.
Was it possible Varka left them behind because they'd only hold the expedition back?
Viewed this way, Mondstadt was currently quite vulnerable.
As for Jean… She was a good person, but her flaws were obvious—she wasn't quite suited to be a ruler.
Lisa? She wasn't the right fit either.
Kaeya? Absolutely not. At least not until his allegiances were clear.
Albedo? He was more interested in research, busy uncovering the world's truths—he wouldn't bother with governance.
Eula? She wasn't suitable either. Whether due to Mondstadt's disdain for the Lawrence clan or other reasons, Eula was better suited as a warrior than a leader.
Amber? She was so innocent she could sit at the same table as Klee—she didn't understand power dynamics.
So, after careful consideration…
Diluc couldn't shake the feeling that he was the only viable candidate.
He was at a loss for words.
Had Mondstadt really reached this point?
"You should seriously consider it," Kaeya chimed in.
As a Knight, he knew the internal situation better than anyone.
Holding the line? Barely managing.
Expanding? Lacking the capability.
Unless the Anemo Archon personally took charge—but they couldn't rely on him for everything, could they?
If Diluc was willing to share the burden, Mondstadt could stride confidently into the new era!
Because Diluc had the courage to make any decision!
"I support this as well," Albedo added.
Diluc fell silent.
Venti winked at Klee.
Klee tilted her head, confused, then suddenly understood.
She blinked, clasped her hands together, and pleaded with Diluc, "Save Mondstadt, please, please, please~"
Diluc: "..."
Damn it.
He was well and truly cornered!
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T/N:
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