That mischievous fox really was still the same old fox.
Even a diplomatic letter had to be stuffed full of unnecessary teasing and nonsense.
Was she really not worried that Idris might simply forward the entire letter straight to the Raiden Shogun?
As for Yae Miko's "eager anticipation" of receiving one of Idris's personally refined Beauty-Preserving Pills—he treated that as pure hot air.
Not because of favoritism.
But because there was simply no need.
Back when Idris had gifted such pills to people of Liyue, Mondstadt, and Fontaine, it had been for very clear reasons:
to promote the Alchemy Faction, raise its standing across Teyvat, and establish Sumeru's diplomatic position.
At the time, Sumeru had been rebuilding from the ground up—diplomatically, economically, culturally. It needed that kind of outreach.
But now?
Diplomatically, Sumeru was already among the top three nations of Teyvat.
The Alchemy Faction's status within both Sumeru and the Akademiya was unshakable—especially with Greater Lord Rukkhadevata as its elder sage.
Economically? Thriving.
Culturally? Flourishing.
With everything going so smoothly, there was no reason to keep handing out pills as favors.
In fact, Idris didn't even plan to attend the Inazuman diplomatic ceremony in full this time.
A brief appearance at key moments—some light conversation—would already be more than enough to satisfy formalities.
As for Yae Miko's note that the Raiden Shogun herself wouldn't be attending?
Idris couldn't care less.
Whether she came or not, he had ways to deal with it.
So, replying to Inazuma with a rather casual letter, Idris returned to work.
Over the following week, he remained entirely within Sumeru, handling domestic affairs.
Outside of work hours, he occasionally went on "dates" with a few Sumeru girls.
Strictly speaking, it wasn't Idris who initiated them.
Rather, his overly diligent secretary was terrified that her boss might remain a lifelong bachelor and thus actively arranged encounters—timing visits during his breaks, assigning tea service, shared meals, and so on.
The God of Wisdom, it seemed, had dedicated her intelligence to managing Idris's love life.
Still, Idris didn't stop her.
Having a secretary arrange a leader's personal life was still better than having that secretary meddle in state affairs.
During that week, a few developments caught his attention.
First—
the contract Idris had signed in Fontaine officially entered its execution phase.
Neuvillette had already mobilized port engineers to work alongside Sumeru's labor force to expand Bayda Harbor.
Before long, it would likely rival Port Ormos, becoming a full-scale harbor city.
That would also help absorb future population growth.
Construction wasn't instant—but with elemental abilities involved, progress was astonishingly fast.
Fontaine was clearly impatient, eager to begin trading for Bloodline Pills.
Idris gave the matter a cursory glance before delegating it.
Second—
Apep, the Dendro Dragon King, still hadn't responded.
Stubborn.
But Idris wasn't bothered.
Whether she became his mount or not, it was merely a bonus.
And if she ever dared speak out of turn in the future?
He wouldn't hesitate to kill her and feed her remains to his World Tree.
Speaking of which—the young World Tree he had planted was still slowly absorbing corruption from the greater World Tree.
Under normal circumstances, it would take one to two years to finish the process.
As long as nothing went wrong, all was well.
Third—
Idris's defeat of King Deshret had somehow spread beyond Sumeru.
Foreign scholars—especially those who studied gods and demon-gods—were stunned.
Deshret had been a legendary figure, wielding divine armaments and even faith-based power at full release.
Yet Idris had defeated him.
That meant Idris had surpassed ordinary gods—not only as a ruler, but as an individual combatant.
As a result…
He had gained some unexpected worshippers.
Idris chose not to think about it.
Meanwhile, aboard a large ship sailing toward Port Ormos—
The Inazuman delegation stood on deck, newspapers in hand, reading about recent events.
Naturally, Idris's exploits dominated the headlines.
Kamisato Ayaka toyed gently with her folding fan, her gaze distant.
"I heard the Traveler and Paimon have been adventuring in Sumeru for months now…"
"I wonder if we'll get to see her during this diplomatic visit."
Beside her, Yoimiya, bandaged as ever and brimming with energy, laughed.
"Seeing friends is important, sure—but Ayaka, remember, this trip is for diplomacy."
"If we're not staying long, the odds of running into the Traveler are pretty low."
"…That's true," Ayaka admitted.
Her gaze shifted toward the front of the deck.
There, reclining languidly on a deck chair, sat Yae Miko, all elegance and allure.
"But I'm not the diplomatic representative anyway," Ayaka said quietly.
"That would be Lady Guuji."
"I might not even get a chance to speak with Grand Sage Idris."
Yoimiya nodded.
"Then this trip might end up being more like a vacation for us."
Though they spoke softly, Yae Miko heard everything.
In a blink, she appeared beside them, smiling.
"That's not necessarily true, you know."
"Grand Sage Idris isn't much older than you two. Who knows—maybe his type is girls like you."
"A-Ahaha… Lady Guuji, please don't tease us," Ayaka said politely, waving her hands.
Yoimiya, however, grabbed a newspaper and scanned it, eyes sparkling.
"Still, that Grand Sage is incredible."
"Reviving a god, turning Sumeru's ruling deity into a princess, then taking full control of the nation…"
"And even defeating another demon god…"
"Are we sure he's only a little older than us?"
Ayaka nodded thoughtfully.
"Perhaps… this is what a true human miracle looks like."
Yae Miko chuckled.
"I'd say his actions truly deserve the phrase benefiting the nation and the people."
"And since it's a miracle created by a human, Ayaka…"
"Why not learn from him?"
"Maybe you could do something similar one day."
Ayaka immediately shook her head.
"N-No, no! Absolutely not!"
"Even my brother and I together couldn't compare to Grand Sage Idris!"
"What he did… doesn't mean I could do the same!"
She understood very well.
Call it reform if you wanted—but in another light?
What Idris had done was rebellion.
The difference was that he had succeeded—completely.
He solved national crises, won the people's reverence, and possessed power strong enough to protect the nation.
That was why he could reduce gods to princesses and seize authority.
But in Inazuma?
Rebelling against the Raiden Shogun would likely result in a blade descending immediately.
Seeing Ayaka's anxiety, Yae Miko merely smiled inwardly.
As Ei's closest friend, she knew the truth.
If someone truly capable appeared—someone like Idris—Ei might not reject them outright.
Gods did not cling to power for its own sake.
They loved their nation and its history.
And if someone better suited to rule emerged…
It wasn't impossible.
Ei's mindset had changed only because she had seen Idris's success—
just as she once hardened her resolve upon hearing of Morax's "death."
The fake governing child: Nahida.
The real governing child: Raiden Ei.
But Yae Miko, ever the fox, continued teasing.
"Ayaka, I really think you should at least entertain the idea of rebellion."
"After all…"
"The ships visiting Sumeru aren't limited to just one."
"There's also one from Watatsumi Island."
"…What?" Ayaka and Yoimiya both froze.
They hadn't known that.
They'd assumed only Narukami Island had sent a delegation.
"Well," Yae Miko added lightly,
"relations being what they are, they didn't want to travel with us."
"Or perhaps Lady Sangonomiya Kokomi intends to use this foreign visit…"
"…to learn something new from Grand Sage Idris."
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