In the following days, Venti hitched a ride on Lucian's "travel vehicle" back to Mondstadt. Truth be told, he had only tagged along to Fontaine with Lucian and the others because he heard they were going there for fun—figuring that wherever Lucian went, there'd be good entertainment.
Meanwhile, the impact of Zhongli's second story continued to spread. The people of Liyue began turning their attention to the issues surrounding The Chasm. Coincidentally, the Qixing were already considering whether to lift the restrictions on The Chasm, and this incident accelerated their deliberations.
Apart from the Liyue citizens, Venti was also deeply intrigued.
He traveled all the way back from Mondstadt to Liyue for no other reason than to chat with Zhongli.
"Though you've lost Azhdaha, you still have me, don't you?"
And as luck would have it, Lucian wasn't home—so Venti knew exactly where to find his hidden liquor stash. Heh.
Those were all premium wines and teas gifted by the Qixing as tokens of gratitude. Since Lucian didn't drink, it'd be a waste not to indulge.
While the plans to reopen The Chasm progressed step by step and Venti helped himself to Lucian's alcohol, Lucian released yet another new book.
Venti hadn't expected to arrive in Liyue just in time for the book's release. Now he could enjoy Lucian's wine, stay in Lucian's house, and read Lucian's book.
Surely Lucian, all the way in Inazuma, would forgive him—after all, they were friends! What's wrong with spending a little on his behalf?
This time, Lucian's new book covered Inazuma's third act—"Omnipresence Over Mortals."
After recounting the stories of Mondstadt and Liyue, it was finally Inazuma's turn. Quite the fair distribution.
This story was arguably the most anticipated by the people of Inazuma, as past experience suggested the third act would be the conclusion. They were eager to learn about Inazuma's future.
Even at the Kamisato Estate, not everyone had read the third act in advance. The only one who had was Yae Miko.
She had selfishly kept it all to herself, refusing to share with anyone else.
The third act began with the Traveler and Teppei sailing to Watatsumi Island.
Upon arrival, Teppei first introduced the Traveler to the military camp's layout, pointed out his own quarters, and told the Traveler they could find him there if needed.
Then, he escorted the Traveler to Sangonomiya Shrine to fulfill their appointment.
Lucian included an illustration of Sangonomiya Shrine—a fresh experience for the people of Inazuma.
Though they had coexisted for millennia, very few Inazumans had ever set foot on Watatsumi Island.
It had to be said, Sangonomiya Shrine was breathtakingly beautiful. If developed for tourism, it could have been a fantastic attraction—especially with Watatsumi Island's unique terrain, which would undoubtedly draw in countless anglers.
Unfortunately, Inazuma was currently under the Sakoku Decree, making tourism development nothing but a pipe dream.
The Sakoku Decree had hit Watatsumi Island hard, yet their resistance only began after the Vision Hunt Decree was enacted.
Struggling under the Sakoku Decree's constraints, Watatsumi Island's ability to oppose the Shogunate's forces relied partly on the Tenryou Commission's deliberate negligence and partly on external aid.
Recently, they had even received an unexpected windfall of assistance—truly timely relief that alleviated their most pressing needs.
Even if the benefactors had ulterior motives and weren't exactly "good," the Mora and provisions they provided were undeniably helpful.
Thanks to this aid, the soldiers on the frontlines could finally enjoy a decent meal.
Kokomi would discuss with the logistics team to see if they could improve the troops' rations.
However, Watatsumi Island's resources remained limited. Until victory was secured, they would have to endure a little longer.
[Paimon asked: "Then… when will the Vision Hunt Decree end?"]
This was a question all Inazumans desperately wanted answered. Currently, the two greatest plagues afflicting Inazuma were the "Sakoku Decree" and the "Vision Hunt Decree."
The problems brought by the Vision Hunt Decree were laid bare in Lucian's book for all Inazumans to see.
[Kokomi: "The Vision Hunt Decree's enactment was strange from the start. Whether it's the Tenryou Commission or the Shogun, their attitudes have been… peculiar."]
["The Tenryou Commission suddenly became fervent supporters of the Vision Hunt Decree, while the Shogun seems to turn a blind eye to the war it has sparked…"]
The Tenryou Commission's zeal for the Vision Hunt Decree was driven by their collaboration with the Fatui, seeking personal gain.
As for the Shogun—she was genuinely unaware of the war, not willfully ignoring it.
If Ei had known, she would have long since marched to Watatsumi Island, blade in hand. War was the pursuit of the Pyro Archon, not the Electro Archon.
Throughout Inazuma's history, whenever war loomed, Raiden Ei would personally take to the battlefield, charging at the forefront to cut down all threats and protect her people.
This was why, even now, as Ei made misguided decisions, the people of Inazuma remained fiercely loyal, steadfast in their faith in the Narukami Ogosho.
Just like Liyue, Inazuma had been safeguarded by its deity for millennia, walking side by side with its people through the ages.
In this nation of eternity, perhaps the only two constants were the Inazumans' unwavering belief in their god and Ei's unwavering resolve to protect them.
However, the readers in Inazuma were still unaware that the Shogun had been kept in the dark.
So they grew restless, scratching their heads in frustration—why would the Shogun ignore this? And why would the Tenryou Commission champion such an absurd decree?
To unravel these mysteries, they read on.
In the story, Kokomi bestowed upon the Traveler a new title and position—Captain of the Swordfish II Squad.
The Swordfish were a special forces unit within the resistance, and being appointed captain right off the bat was quite the high starting point.
Paimon, ever the "title chaser," and Teppei were both surprised, while Lumine remained indifferent.
Upon arriving at the Swordfish II Squad's location, the Traveler swiftly dealt with the ronin samurai troubling them, effortlessly earning the squad's respect.
But the Traveler cared little for their approval—she was more interested in whether there were more fights to be had.
[Traveler: "Are there any other ronin causing trouble?"]
In other words: "I'm not done yet. Point me to the next batch, and I'll handle them too."
Kakyuu informed the Traveler that another, larger group of ronin was causing trouble in the eastern part of the mainland—stronger and more numerous.
The Traveler decided to split forces, attacking both enemy camps simultaneously.
The Swordfish II Squad would handle one, while the Traveler took on the other alone—a one-woman army.
True to form, the Traveler proved capable of single-handedly decimating the ronin, leaving her only slightly fatigued and completely unscathed.
Readers couldn't help but marvel—the Traveler's combat prowess was truly exceptional. Even the entire special forces of the resistance combined couldn't match her.
===✧✦✧===
Character Voiceline · Venti: About Stealing Lucian's Alcohol
"Ah, don't even ask. He found out in the end. So strange—he never drinks, so why would he check the cellar? Is this part of a prophet's powers?
Luckily, I saw it coming and dragged Zhongli along. Hehehe… in the end, the bill was sent to the Northland Bank."