While Ryen and the others were still spending their final hours briefing Ei's group on the fundamentals of the Minecraft world, the preparations for the Twilight Forest expedition were well underway.
Though most participants now understood the terrain and dangers, newcomers like Ei and Kujou Sara needed more time to adapt. Even with their sharper minds, there were certain laws of this world that simply had to be memorized , especially the lethal ones.
"Fall damage," Ryen warned, half amused. "You may be Archons back home, 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 armed 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 merchants 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 something 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, crime had dropped, trade boomed, 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 come 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.
Meanwhile, 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 memory.
"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 became the ultimate symbol of glory.
To serve in the Millelith was honorable , but to become 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 same:
"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 somewhat uncertain.
Though its internal reforms were underway, whispers of unrest lingered.
The Jester, it seemed, had discovered something unsettling , and his movements had grown oddly restrained.
Meanwhile, The Rooster and others had begun auditing and purging the Fatui ranks, cutting away the rot.
Still, it was a time of acceleration.
For the first time 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 biomes 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.
Meanwhile, in Sumeru
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 messages under the guise of collaboration.
Publicly, they claimed to have formed an Academic Household , a common Sumeru institution in which scholars banded together like family to pursue a single research theme.
In such groups, familial terms , "brother," "sister," even "spouse" , often held no literal meaning.
They were bound by shared curiosity, not blood or romance.
To the outside world, it all seemed ordinary enough.
But this particular household drew attention , because its members were all too prominent.
Three of the Akademiya's brightest minds working together in secret inevitably stirred speculation.
Still, most Sumeru scholars had little time for gossip. Each was buried in their own research.
Even the Sages of the Akademiya merely 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 home, 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 me go this time!"
Tighnari looked at her, torn between relief and exasperation.
"The Withering is no child's game, 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 mean… Collei's Eleazar is gone?"
At that, Collei flinched and turned toward the two men who had just entered.
"G–Grand Acting Sage… and General Mahamatra…" she stammered, bowing slightly.
Alhaitham gave a curt nod and approached, his gaze analytical. "Let me 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 moment, Alhaitham said nothing. Then, activating his Elemental Sight, he examined her again.
The result left even him momentarily stunned.
Her body was pure , no traces of corruption, no signs of residual toxins. Her elemental 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 time 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 seemed 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 come for you. Curiosity can be crueller than disease."
His meaning 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 elemental 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 men, then continued:
"A few days ago, a Millelith soldier arrived here in Gandharva Ville. He said he came under orders from Senior Lisa of Mondstadt , to deliver something."
At that, Alhaitham and Cyno exchanged a brief, knowing look. Neither seemed surprised.
Tighnari raised an eyebrow. "You know something? 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 emerald eyes narrowing slightly.
"And if I had to guess… it may also have something 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 Sumeru'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 men leaned forward.
After a long pause, Tighnari spoke slowly.
"The Millelith soldier said Senior Lisa sent him here specifically to deliver something that would cure Collei's Eleazar."
"That 'something' 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 mean 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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