Evening.
Raiden Makoto returned to Tenshukaku with a light smile on her face and a spring in her step, her mood clearly joyful.
Seeing her sister's smile, Raiden Ei couldn't help but smile as well and ask, "Sister, did something good happen today?"
"Ei?"
Makoto was slightly taken aback, her expression shifting almost imperceptibly before returning to normal. She asked with a smile, "No training in seclusion today?"
"I've been here since noon. I've had some insights recently and will probably make a breakthrough in my training in a few days."
Ei didn't notice anything unusual about her sister. She said quite happily, "Once I've mastered that technique, I'll be able to do even more for you, Sister!"
Makoto's heart ached at these words.
Thinking of all the hardships and loss her sister would endure after her own passing, she felt even more pained and guilty.
But she couldn't say anything.
She couldn't even properly say goodbye to Ei. Though she had time now, she didn't dare risk the potential consequences of altering the timeline.
All she could do was say gently, "Ei, you should get out and see more of the world in your free time. There are so many beautiful things out there. It helps to lift your spirits when you're feeling down."
"But my spirits are fine?"
Why was her sister suddenly saying this? Ei was puzzled, but she didn't dwell on it. Instead, she asked, "Have you eaten yet, Sister?"
"I have," Makoto nodded, then asked in return, "How about you?"
"Not yet," Ei replied. "I was planning to wait for you to come back so we could eat together. But it's fine, I'm not very hungry anyway."
"Ah!" Makoto said, "Since you're not in a hurry, wait a moment. I'll make you some sweet treats."
"Wonderful!" Ei nodded eagerly like a chick pecking at rice. "I'll help too! I can definitely assist you!"
"Alright~"
Ei felt there was something different about her sister today.
But she couldn't quite put her finger on what exactly it was.
She could clearly sense that her sister was being even kinder to her than usual.
It wasn't that her sister had been unkind before, but this was a level of care beyond that, almost as if she were soothing a child.
Why was that?
Ei couldn't figure it out, simply attributing it to her sister being in a particularly good mood today.
After enjoying the sweets, Ei rested close to her sister.
Ei fell asleep quickly, but Makoto lay awake.
Watching her sleeping sister, Makoto finally allowed a pained expression to show on her face.
Her sister possessed extraordinary martial prowess, but she was rather simple and straightforward, her nature a bit blunt.
Handing over such a vast nation to her must have caused many headaches, right?
Government affairs were nothing to Makoto, but for Ei, they were undoubtedly a challenge.
Makoto lay powerlessly on the bed, staring at the ceiling.
Her fate had now taken a turn for the better; she was already very fortunate.
These five hundred years would just have to be hard on Ei.
The next morning, early.
Sparrows flew onto the branches, chirping noisily.
As she gathered up her Mora, Makoto asked, "There's a festival today. Would you like to go see it, Ei?"
"I'll pass," Ei shook her head. "I need to go into seclusion for training! Becoming stronger is truly addictive!"
Makoto could only smile wryly at this.
A trace of sadness flashed in her eyes.
She had wanted to spend more time with Ei before her long sleep, but her sister was such a martial arts fanatic.
"Go on, then. Become powerful and protect Inazuma," Makoto said with a smile.
"Protect you and Inazuma!" Ei emphasized.
"Alright, alright, protect me and Inazuma," Makoto said, reaching out to pat her head.
"Sister! I'm not a child!" Ei pretended to be displeased, though she was secretly pleased.
Makoto smiled without replying.
"Sister, you should head out. I'm off to my training!" The sisters parted ways.
After watching her leave, Makoto let out a barely audible sigh.
This was their last meeting before she would awaken five hundred years later.
Makoto stepped out.
Not long after leaving Tenshukaku, she spotted Lu Heng squatting by the roadside, feeding cats.
Noticing Makoto's arrival, Lu Heng tossed the remaining food to the cats and turned to ask, "You seem down?"
"A little," Makoto nodded. "Ei has gone into seclusion. She probably doesn't realize this morning was our farewell."
"I understand now," Lu Heng nodded.
It was likely only during Ei's seclusion that Makoto could successfully leave for Khaenri'ah without her knowledge.
"Would you like a few more days?" Lu Heng offered.
Makoto was tempted for a moment but then shook her head. "No need. We'll see each other again after five hundred years, won't we?"
"It's good you think that way," Lu Heng said with a slight nod. "Though, these five hundred years might feel very long to her."
"I can only apologize to her for that," Makoto said, having no better solution.
"Come on, lift your spirits. The festival you like is about to start. If you're in a bad mood, it won't be as enjoyable, you know?"
"Pfft." Makoto couldn't help but laugh. "I'm not that emotionally fragile. But you're right, I should cheer up."
"Did you bring Mora?" Lu Heng asked.
"Of course!" Makoto nodded.
" Mora is ready, mood is better..." Lu Heng grinned. "Aren't you going to lead the way? I'll eat my fill of Mora in this era first, then get Ei to reimburse me in the future. Profit!"
Makoto was slightly stunned, then amused.
She led Lu Heng to where the festival was held.
Just as Makoto had described yesterday, it was a small-scale festival.
Lu Heng was curious about its events, but Makoto said it wasn't necessary.
"This festival will probably fade into history. No need to pay it too much mind. Eating well, drinking well, and having fun—that's the real purpose of this celebration," Makoto said.
"Looked at that way, it's like it's happening within people every day," Lu Heng remarked.
"Mhm, that's not a bad way to put it," Makoto agreed.
Lu Heng realized this so-called festival was somewhat like a food fair.
There were no specific clothes to wear, no rules to follow—it was just about eating, drinking, and having fun.
"Here." Makoto handed Lu Heng two skewers of grilled fish.
"Thanks." Lu Heng took them and tasted one. "Not bad."
"I picked them carefully," Makoto said, her mood clearly excellent.
Sometimes, people lived for certain moments.
Makoto felt there were many such moments.
Every instance that brought genuine joy was the meaning of life.
"Though one skewer is enough. There's more to come later. If you eat too much, you won't have room for other things."
"Then you underestimate my appetite," Lu Heng said with a grin.
"But I didn't bring that much Mora..." Makoto said quietly.
"Then I'll eat less," Lu Heng said, his expression turning serious.
"Come on, let's go further ahead."
Just as she was about to introduce Lu Heng to a novel way of eating something, Makoto's gaze fell on a figure approaching in the distance.
A woman dressed in a white kimono with red hakama, the robes of a shrine maiden, was walking slowly towards them. She held a food box in her left hand and a long-stemmed smoking pipe in her right. A pair of white fox ears twitched amidst her long white hair.
"Lady Saiguu! Over here!" Makoto waved to her.
"Your Excellency?" Yae Miko raised an eyebrow slightly.
It wasn't surprising to find Makoto here.
She walked over, smiling. "I was just thinking earlier, and I actually ran into you, Your Excellency."
"I didn't expect you to come either," Makoto said, controlling her emotions, her face a mask of pleasant surprise.
"I wasn't planning to originally," Miko shook her head. "But the little fox has been doing well with her studies lately. I thought since there's a festival today, I'd buy some fried tofu to take back as a reward for her hard work."
Here, Miko rubbed her temples and said, "Who knows when that little fox will grow up. Once she becomes the Head Shrine Maiden, I can come out to play every day."
The little fox becoming Head Shrine Maiden?
It would be soon. But she, too, would be forced into it, and she would suffer greatly.
The thought pained Makoto.
Miko was clever. Makoto controlled her emotions极力, not wanting to be detected. She said with a smile, "Is this love for fried tofu a hereditary trait among you foxes?"
"Perhaps it's a racial preference?" Miko chuckled, then looked at Lu Heng beside Makoto and asked with a smile, "And who might this be?"
Makoto turned to look at Lu Heng.
How to explain?
After a moment's thought, Makoto said, "Him? He's a very good friend of mine!"
"Oh?" Miko was somewhat surprised.
Having followed Makoto for many years, she had never seen Lu Heng before, nor had she ever heard Makoto mention him.
"He's from Liyue. We met just yesterday and hit it off immediately, so he's a newly made good friend!" Makoto said with complete sincerity.
"I see, so that's how it is," Miko said, understanding dawning. She smiled at Lu Heng. "Hello. I am one of Her Excellency's followers, the Head Shrine Maiden of the Grand Narukami Shrine, Yae Miko."
"Hello. Lu Heng, from Liyue." Lu Heng picked up a plate of fried tofu from a nearby stall. "You like this? My treat."
"Thank you!" Miko accepted it, then lifted her food box slightly. "There's a greedy little fox back at the shrine to look after. I should be heading back soon and must take my leave. I hope you two enjoy your stroll and have a pleasant day."
"Alright," Lu Heng nodded.
Miko walked away.
Makoto watched her retreating figure with reluctance.
If she could see Ei again after five hundred years of slumber, what about Miko... Makoto didn't know when she would see her again.
The thought caused a trace of sorrow to appear on her face, which usually radiated warmth and joy.
"Don't let her see," Lu Heng reminded her.
Hearing this, Makoto took a step.
In the distance, Miko seemed to remember something and turned to look back in their direction.
Lu Heng's back blocked Makoto from view; the two seemed to be selecting food.
After a moment's thought, Miko withdrew her gaze and continued on her way.
Back where they stood, Makoto said softly, "Am I being too sentimental?"
"Not at all," Lu Heng shook his head.
A woman's heart was naturally细腻, more attuned to细节 than a man's.
Emotionally, women often experienced feelings more deeply and extensively than men.
Facing a parting of unknown duration, it was understandable that Makoto found it hard to control her emotions.
"We're on a public street. If the Narukami Ogoshō were to shed tears, it would cause a commotion," Lu Heng said.
"I won't!" Makoto shook her head.
Though her heart was heavy, she wasn't fragile enough to break down crying.
"Let's find a less crowded place to relax for a bit after we stroll around," Lu Heng suggested.
After a moment's silence, Makoto said, "Alright."
They wandered until noon, when Lu Heng led Makoto outside Inazuma City.
The city in this era wasn't small, but the Hanamizaka area was completely undeveloped.
Passing through Hanamizaka, they came to the Byakko Plain.
This area was currently a small plain.
Under the sunlight, the gentle breeze swept across the grassland, creating soft, wave-like ripples.
Lu Heng sat down on the ground.
Makoto sat down beside him, hugging her knees, and said softly, "Actually, my mood is much better than it was yesterday morning."
"Yesterday morning?" Lu Heng raised an eyebrow.
"Yes," Makoto nodded. "Yesterday morning, I received the summon from the Heavenly Principles. I must depart for Khaenri'ah in two days..."
Her voice grew low. "I am weak in combat. Winning the Archon War relied on Ei's exceptional martial prowess. Going to Khaenri'ah... the situation there will be perilous. I cannot take Ei into that danger, so I decided to go alone. And this time, I won't be returning."
"In my initial plan, I didn't even have time to see everyone properly before preparing to leave. But now, even though I still haven't been able to say goodbye properly, I feel much better inside."
Lu Heng pulled out some candy he had bought at the market and offered it to her.
Makoto was momentarily dazed by the hand suddenly holding out candy in her line of sight.
She took it, unwrapped it, put it in her mouth, and said softly, "Thank you."
"It's good not to be too sad," Lu Heng said, propping his chin on his hand as he gazed into the distance. "At least, Miko will have a chance like yours in the future."
"Yes!" A smile appeared on Makoto's face. "It's precisely that thought that has eased my heart a great deal."
"So, we can relax and enjoy ourselves properly these next two days?" Lu Heng asked with a smile.
"If you don't find me troublesome..."
"During my time in this era, my only purpose is you. Feel free to do as you wish," Lu Heng said with a smile. "Anyway, you'll remember to bring Mora. You're treating, I'm just along for the food and drink. I'm all for it."
"Is that so?" A bright smile spread across Makoto's face. "Then I'll bring more Mora tomorrow!"
"Sounds good. I'll buy some souvenirs then," Lu Heng laughed.
"Let's go flower viewing!" Makoto suddenly suggested. "And this scenery too... we probably won't get to see it after the disaster, right?"
"True," Lu Heng nodded, then produced a camera. "But we can take a picture. The moment it's captured, this scenery and that feeling become eternal."
Makoto looked surprised, then nodded with delight. She asked, "Can you take one of everyone too? If it might affect the future..."
Before she could finish, Lu Heng said gently, "Of course."
"Don't worry. When we leave, I'll erase anything that might cause unexpected events or memories."
"I'm really causing you too much trouble," Makoto thanked him.
"Don't mention it," Lu Heng shook his head. He raised the camera. "Alright, strike a nice pose. I'm a bit of a photography master myself."
Cyber Divination, activate!
In an instant, Lu Heng grasped the infinite possibilities of the next half minute.
From the most satisfactory possibility, Lu Heng replicated his own actions from it exactly.
Click.
A photo was instantly developed.
"Want to see?" Lu Heng asked with a smile.
Makoto hurried over quickly and leaned in to look.
The photo captured the beautiful wilderness in summer. On the right, far in the distance, a small stretch of beach was visible. Not far away, a red fox sat on a stone post, gazing into the distance.
Makoto stood in the gentle breeze, her hand brushing aside the hair near her ear. The sunlight falling on her soft features and the angle of the lens made her facial features strikingly three-dimensional. The entire photo exuded a sense of gentle grace and dignified beauty.
"So beautiful," Makoto exclaimed in admiration after looking. "You made me look so good."
"The technique is secondary. The main thing is the subject is beautiful," Lu Heng said with a laugh.
"It's clearly your skill," Makoto said with a light laugh. "Can... can I ask you to take a few more?"
"Of course," Lu Heng helped her put the photo away safely.
Then, he waved the camera and smiled. "Lead the way."
"This way!" Makoto raised her hand and pointed in a direction.
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T/N:
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