"A… mount?"
The moment those words left Idris's mouth, a brief silence fell over Sumeru City.
Many people froze on the spot.
But when they clearly saw who was speaking—when they recognized the man descending from the sky—
Their hearts immediately settled.
After all, that was Idris, their Grand Sage.
If it was him, then there was nothing to fear.
The most perfect Grand Sage in all of Sumeru… how could he ever harm his own people?
And once that reassurance set in, something else followed just as quickly—
A wave of pure admiration.
Especially among the young women of the city, whose gazes toward Idris practically shimmered with stars.
"So cool…! As expected of the Grand Sage!"
"Even a dragon like that can be subdued… Lord Idris is truly unmatched."
"I heard that Mondstadt has a sky dragon that protects them. People there are proud of it."
"And now—Sumeru has its own dragon too!"
"And it's even the Grand Sage's mount… ahhh… the way he looks sitting on its back is just unfairly handsome!"
"What, got your heart stolen already, you little flirt?"
"Falling for the Grand Sage is only a matter of time, isn't it?"
Listening to the cheers echoing throughout the city, Apep glanced sideways at Idris and let out a soft chuckle.
"You humans really do admire your king," she said.
"Your reputation in Sumeru is… impressive."
Before Idris could reply, Nahida answered for him with a small smile.
"Of course. Grand Sage Idris isn't just the greatest sage Sumeru has seen in five hundred years."
"He may well be the most outstanding human in all of Teyvat for tens of thousands of years."
Apep nodded slightly.
Her vigilance toward Idris eased—just a little.
After all, as he had said:
the greater the master, the less disgrace there was in being his mount.
How far will this human go, in the end…?
As that thought crossed her mind, Apep's gaze shifted toward the Divine Construct nearby.
"I sense the Sage's aura on that great machine," she said in surprise.
"Did you create it as well?"
Though the Divine Construct lacked true godhood, even Apep had to admit that among pseudo-gods, it was exceptional.
Nahida nodded instinctively—
But Idris shook his head.
"That construct was not my work alone," he said calmly.
"It was the result of five hundred years of effort by countless scholars of the Akademiya."
"Little Lucky Lord, I don't need extra praise or applause."
"I take only what is mine."
"And what I want—
I take it myself."
Nahida flushed slightly and nodded, embarrassed.
Apep looked at Idris again, more closely this time.
"Then… how do you intend to arrange things for me?" she asked.
"Your fragile human city is hardly suitable for my true form."
Idris turned to her.
"Can you shrink yourself further?"
"I can," Apep replied after a moment.
"If I wished, I could even take human form."
"But I'm currently exhausted. I only just recovered, and then you scattered my power again."
"I'll need time to recuperate before I can shrink further or transform."
She shot him an annoyed look.
Clearly, while she had accepted the outcome, she still wasn't happy about how it happened.
Idris ignored her complaints and pointed toward a wide grassy field outside the city.
"Then lie down there for now."
"There's plenty of space."
"If you want, we can have workers set up a large canopy for you."
"The rainforest nights have plenty of insects—unless you don't mind being bitten."
Apep stared at him.
The look in her eyes clearly said:
Do you really think a Dragon Sovereign cares about mosquitoes?
Idris laughed.
Then, holding Nahida with one arm, he descended and landed atop the Sacred Tree of the Akademiya.
"Alright. You're free to move about."
"If I need you, I'll call."
"If you don't," Apep snorted,
"that would suit me just fine."
She then flew toward the open grasslands near the city, clearly intending to reshape the area into a lair of her own.
Idris felt no need to restrain her further.
Apep was proud—but she kept her word.
Having lost, and having handed over her Dragon Seal, she would fulfill her role.
Afterward, Idris descended from the Sacred Tree and returned to the Akademiya.
Along the way, countless students stared at him with open curiosity.
After all, it wasn't every day that someone watched the Grand Sage ride a Dragon Sovereign back to work.
Among them were Faruzan and Layla, both staring wide-eyed, cheeks faintly flushed.
Only after Idris disappeared into his office did Faruzan sigh softly.
"…Sometimes, I really hate my status as a student."
"Wouldn't it be better if I weren't one at all?"
Layla—who looked far more rested than she had months ago thanks to Idris's medicine—tilted her head in confusion.
"Senior Faruzan… why do you dislike being a student?"
Faruzan lowered her voice dramatically.
"Because as a student… I can't overstep my bounds."
"I heard that recently, Nilou has been quietly entering the Sacred Tree at night and only leaving the next day."
"She doesn't even hold an Akademiya position."
"So tell me—how do you think she manages that?"
Layla's face instantly turned red.
"I… I don't know…"
Faruzan waved her hand.
"Silly girl… obviously that means she and the Grand Sage are—"
"…Ah! I can't even say it out loud!"
"All I'm saying is—being just a student makes it impossible to 'cross the line' with the Grand Sage."
Layla hesitated, then whispered:
"Senior… do you also… like the Grand Sage?"
"Of course I do," Faruzan admitted frankly.
"But he's always so busy."
"When will he ever notice students like us?"
"We performed so well during the Akademiya Championship… and still—nothing…"
She sighed, cheeks warm with embarrassment.
As for Idris—
He didn't care in the slightest about the gossip behind him.
But Nahida, who followed him around like a personal secretary?
She heard everything.
And several mischievous ideas quietly took root in her mind.
Idris returned to his office and resumed work.
He was leaving for Liyue in a few days—
and he intended to clear everything beforehand so he could enjoy a proper holiday.
Fontaine was nearly ready to produce Bloodline Pills independently.
Which meant—before that happened—
He would definitely squeeze them for one last big profit.
Somewhere across the sea, Furina probably felt a chill.
He also began organizing the newly acquired military blueprints:
Fighter jets.
Attack helicopters.
Tanks.
Rocket artillery.
Battleships.
Even if they couldn't be built immediately, the smelting technologies had to be distributed to factories as soon as possible.
Road construction was also progressing smoothly thanks to machines and Vision holders assisting with environmental control.
Vision users really are perfect labor units, Idris thought idly.
Night soon fell.
After a quick dinner, Idris glanced at the bed behind him.
No Nahida.
She had apparently vanished again.
He shrugged and began tidying his documents—
Just as a knock sounded at the door.
Before he could answer, the door opened.
A figure stepped inside.
Eyes closed.
Movements slow and unsteady.
Like a sleepwalker.
Idris looked up—
And saw Layla, blindly feeling her way into his room.
To read advanced Chapters, head over to p@treon:
patreon.com/nani_kaito