On the open sea, aboard a ship.
"Is it really okay... not to bring any soldiers?" Kujou Sara looked at Raiden Makoto in confusion. "Lord of the Watatsumi, the resistance on Watatsumi Island... their numbers are not small."
"But what they're truly rebelling against is the Vision Hunt Decree, isn't it? Those with rebellious intent are only the original inhabitants of Watatsumi Island and some upper management in the Sangonomiya Shrine."
Raiden Makoto had already completely assigned the tasks. She, Lumine, and Kujou Sara would head to Watatsumi Island together. Since Gorou had written to her for help, she had to go.
As for Yoimiya, Thoma, and Sayu, they would continue to investigate the Two Commissions, gathering evidence of their crimes while remaining still for the time being.
They couldn't alert the enemy just yet.
She, Kujou Sara, and Lumine were now on the route to Watatsumi Island. Raiden Makoto gazed quietly at the deep blue surface of the sea.
"Lord of the Watatsumi... were Visions really granted by the Lord of the Watatsumi?" A question had always lingered in Kujou Sara's mind: were Visions actually distributed by the Gods?
She once thought her Vision was granted by the Raiden Shogun, and from then on, she had been completely determined to follow in the Raiden Shogun's footsteps.
"Do you think a puppet that is already running according to a completely set program could grant a Vision?" Raiden Makoto smiled faintly; she roughly understood why Kujou Sara was asking that question.
"Visions are born from the intense desires of humans; they are not granted by the Seven at all. Because of this, so many people resist the Vision Hunt Decree. Stripping away a Vision is equivalent to stripping away their desires."
"How cruel."
"I understand." Kujou Sara's gaze toward Raiden Makoto became even more firm and respectful. She was now thoroughly willing to follow in Raiden Makoto's footsteps.
They were both the Electro Archon; wouldn't following either be the same? She wasn't betraying her faith, nor was she being disloyal or unrighteous.
"Inazuma is a nation born from carrying the dreams of humanity. Long ago, after Ei and I won the Archon War together, we co-founded the Inazuma Shogunate for that very reason." Raiden Makoto spoke with a very calm tone, but to Kujou Sara's ears, those words were incredibly grand.
"Wielding the great power of the world, promising the subjects a dream."
"Sister Zhen is quite different from the Geo Archon and the Anemo Archon." Paimon and Lumine glanced at each other, both seeing agreement and recognition in the other's eyes.
"The Bard has always been hiding in corners. If it weren't for the Knights of Favonius and Master Diluc, Mondstadt would have already fallen."
"Zhongli isn't Rex Lapis anymore either; he left everything to the Liyue Seven Stars." Paimon said thoughtfully, "But Sister Zhen really is quite different from them."
Paimon's words gave Raiden Makoto a hint. The Anemo Archon Barbatos had never governed Mondstadt since ancient times, allowing humans to develop on their own. Rex Lapis had now stepped down and was no longer one of the Seven Sovereigns of the World. Their goals were all to allow humanity to develop independently.
Should she do the same in the future? After setting everything right, she could take Ei and travel the world together.
Ei had sealed herself away for too long; she really should take a good look at the world.
"You met Gods in both Mondstadt and Liyue?" Kujou Sara was somewhat shocked. Lumine and Paimon had actually met Gods in the two nations across the sea.
"Rumor has it that the Anemo Archon of Mondstadt disappeared long ago, and the Geo Archon of Liyue passed away not long ago as well?" As a Shogunate General, Kujou Sara was naturally well-informed.
"Not at all! That guy in the mask—Venti—has just been slacking off, playing his part as a Bard. Once he's earned enough money, he just drinks at Master Diluc's tavern."
"As for Zhongli, he only did that to... retire, so he chose to fake his death. Aren't they both still around now?"
Kujou Sara knew that the Venti Paimon mentioned referred to the Anemo Archon Barbatos, and Zhongli must refer to the Geo Archon Morax.
"Then the Anemo Archon and Geo Archon are truly unreliable..."
"Venti is indeed a bit unreliable... Ei told me very directly back then that she and Venti definitely don't get along." Raiden Makoto smiled. She had memories of the two gatherings of the Seven, and she had quite a few impressions of Venti.
"As for Morax... you can't really say that about him. He is the longest-living God; you can't really blame him for wanting to retire now, can you?"
"He has reached retirement age."
"Besides, erosion is a very serious problem. He must be afraid too—afraid that erosion will lead him to..."
In Raiden Makoto's memory, Morax was likely the most reliable among the Seven, and he was also the one she got along with best at the time.
"Then do you know the unknown deity who took my brother away?" Wasn't she looking for the Raiden Shogun precisely to find the answer to that question? Neither Zhongli nor Venti had told her.
She looked at Raiden Makoto expectantly, hoping to get an answer from her.
"You mean the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles? She should be the God who took your brother; she isn't any of the Seven."
"Your journey is destined to take you through all Seven Nations; you and your brother will be reunited in the end."
"The Sustainer of Heavenly Principles?" Lumine's eyes lit up. She had traveled through Mondstadt and Liyue, and she had finally gotten an answer in Inazuma.
Venti must have known, but he didn't say. Zhongli must have also known, but he didn't say either.
But now Raiden Makoto had told her. Gratitude appeared in Lumine's eyes.
"Brother leading the Abyss is also to resist the Heavenly Principles... He must know something, but he just won't tell me," Lumine murmured to herself.
Paimon, who was beside her, had remained silent, quietly watching Raiden Makoto and Lumine.
"Once the matters in Inazuma are resolved, you can head to the next nation. It's easiest to get to Sumeru from Inazuma."
"Yeah."
Raiden Makoto actually knew why both Zhongli and Venti hadn't told Lumine about the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles. On one hand, telling Lumine wouldn't help matters, and on the other hand, both Venti and Zhongli actually had a common intention.
To resist the Heavenly Principles.
And Lumine and Aether would be the key people in that journey.
Otherwise, their Gnosis would not have been so easily obtained by the Fatui. The Fatui don't possess the power to slay Gods at all. The Cryo Archon of Snezhnaya is at the forefront of resisting the Heavenly Principles.
She and Ei had once witnessed a nation running at full speed be annihilated under the Heavenly Principles.
And she had passed away during that very war for that reason.
At that time, she didn't know why the Heavenly Principles wanted to destroy a nation running at full speed. Was it simply because Khaenri'ah was a godless nation?
Now she understood clearly.
Kujou Sara, listening from the side, was a bit lost. She couldn't understand anything Raiden Makoto and Lumine were discussing.
"Watatsumi Island is almost here."
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