The group pondered Ryen's words, quickly realizing the undeniable truth in them.
Hiding was pointless. Venti had deduced the existence of another world just by looking at an alchemical potion. Could they truly hide it from the Heavenly Principles?
Furthermore, the Five-Nation Alliance possessed thousands of Dragon Riders. They had double-digit God-level combatants. With a Master-tier Healing Staff, Zhongli could rapidly revitalize an entire army of gods. Add in the Master-tier staves held by Ningguang and the others... it was genuinely unclear who should be fearing whom.
The Alliance was unrivaled. If the Heavenly Principles awoke and sought them out, it would simply be the perfect time to deal with her. As for sealing her, Ryen had dozens of stacks of Bedrock. He had plenty of methods.
Understanding this, the group exchanged knowing smiles. The topic was dropped.
Ningguang, however, was not thinking about gods or battles. She remained entirely submerged in the warmth radiating from the ring on her finger.
"Let us head back and rest. We will watch the fireworks together tonight." Ryen waved his hand, leading the group toward the portal.
They soon arrived near the courtyard. The Millelith had not yet returned. It seemed they were biding their time, waiting for the perfect moment to make an entrance.
Ryen chuckled softly. The desire to show off was universal. Returning in glory without an audience was a waste of a perfect moment.
Shortly after, a dense, thunderous rumble echoed from the portal's direction. Woven within the noise were the unmistakable roars of dragons. Ryen withdrew his gaze and led the group into the courtyard.
...
Liyue Harbor was already boiling with the Lantern Rite festivities. However, as the afternoon wore on, a series of deafening roars split the sky, injecting an unprecedented fervor into the city.
Massive dragons blanketed the sky above Liyue Harbor. The sheer volume defied imagination. A conservative estimate put the number at several thousand.
"Rex Lapis preserve us..."
Iron Tongue Tian stumbled out of his storytelling booth, his hands trembling so violently he knocked over his own table. He stared up at the harbor, now entirely engulfed by the shadows of dragons, his jaw slack.
"I knew we had a Dragon Rider corps, but... how can there be this many?! Heavens... is there anyone left in this world who could possibly stand against us?"
Pedestrians stopped dead in their tracks. Patrolling Millelith tilted their heads back, their breathing turning ragged and heavy as they stared at the beasts circling above. That was the absolute pinnacle of the Millelith ranks. The dream of every soldier.
The Liyue Dragon Riders.
"It's magnificent! Magnificent!"
"Exactly! This is the true foundation of Liyue!"
Hanxue, a scholar usually obsessed with decorum and etiquette, rushed out of his house with his robes disheveled. He hopped around his courtyard barefoot, waving his arms. "This is how strong Liyue should be! A thousand dragons sweeping across the sky, an unstoppable force!"
The Dragon Riders circled the harbor for several minutes before dispersing. Some angled toward Qingce Village; others dove straight into Liyue Harbor.
Soon, families across the city found their sons and daughters, who had been missing for over six months, standing before them.
And they had arrived on dragons.
Gongs and drums erupted across Liyue Harbor, the celebrations reaching a fever pitch.
...
Qingce Village.
Though far from the harbor, Qingce had benefited greatly from Liyue's recent surge in prosperity. It had been renovated into a thriving, peaceful sanctuary. While most of the youth worked in the harbor, they returned home for the Lantern Rite.
The village was bustling.
Dashi rode his dragon through the sky. Flanking him were a soldier from Inazuma, a Knight of Favonius from Mondstadt, a Snezhnayan, and a mercenary from Sumeru. All four were Dragon Riders. All four were commanders.
With the other nations having nowhere specific to go for the holiday, the Millelith had extended invitations to their foreign comrades. They were, after all, brothers who had bled together in another world.
"Brother Dashi, your hometown is beautiful," Rahman muttered, looking around with genuine curiosity.
Dashi nodded, a soft smile on his lips. "Qingce Village is different from the harbor. It's mostly the older generation here. It used to be poor, but under the guidance of the Qixing, it's flourished. It's peaceful, like a hidden paradise. There aren't many wild celebrations here. If you want, I can take you to Liyue Harbor later. With the dragons, the trip is nothing."
Dashi looked down at the village, a knot tightening in his chest. He had not been home in over half a year. How was his family? His mother's health should have improved. His wife and child should be living comfortably on the Mora he sent back.
As the Commander of the Dragon Riders, his salary far exceeded that of a wealthy merchant. A single month's pay was enough to buy an estate in Liyue Harbor. But his family had written, saying they preferred the quiet of Qingce. He had not forced them to move.
"In Liyue, you have a saying for this... 'growing timid as one nears home,' correct?" Rahman nudged Dashi playfully, noticing his tense posture.
The others chuckled. Dashi rubbed the back of his neck, his smile turning sheepish.
"Come on. I'll show you my son. I'm telling you, the boy is sharp. Strong, too. I plan to have him join the Millelith and serve Liyue."
He pulled the reins. His dragon tucked its wings and dove straight toward his family's home. The other four commanders exchanged a glance and followed.
The moment their dragons hit the ground, a rush of footsteps echoed from all directions. Dashi looked back. The young and old of Qingce Village had gathered, interspersed with several local Millelith guards. The villagers stared at him, their eyes wide and burning with intensity. They knew the dragons belonged to Liyue, so there was no fear, only awe.
The local Millelith guards recognized Dashi's face. They froze, then snapped into crisp salutes, their voices ringing out. "Commander Dashi!"
Dashi nodded in acknowledgment.
"Dashi? You're a Dragon Rider?!" A young man gaped at him, pointing a shaking finger.
Six months ago, Dashi was a standard guard stationed at the Chasm. They had heard he was transferred to a special unit, but a Dragon Rider? And according to the guards, a Commander?
One of the Millelith guards lifted his chin proudly. "Commander Dashi isn't just a Dragon Rider. He is the Supreme Commander of all Liyue Dragon Riders! He leads over a thousand men and reports directly to Lady Ningguang and Rex Lapis!"
"He is the absolute pride of the Millelith born in Qingce Village!"
The villagers stared at Dashi, a collective gasp rippling through the crowd. A Supreme Commander born in their village. It was a glory that would be carved into their ancestral tablets.
In that moment, Dashi finally understood the intoxicating rush of returning home in triumph. It felt incredible.
He offered a warm smile and lowered his voice. "I am here to visit my family. Lord Ryen granted us half a day of leave. These are the Dragon Rider Commanders of the other four nations. Rahman of Sumeru, Anders of Mondstadt, Inoue of Inazuma, and Skarnovsky of Snezhnaya."
The villagers swallowed hard, hurriedly bowing and offering greetings. The entire high command of the Five-Nation Alliance's dragon cavalry was standing in their village.
"Uncle Dashi! Uncle Dashi! Your dragon is so cool!" A little boy jumped up and down, pointing at the massive beast. "Are there really that many dragon knights in Liyue? I want to be a Dragon Rider like you when I grow up!"
"I want to join the Millelith too!"
The chorus of shouting children momentarily overwhelmed Dashi. He raised his hands. "Everyone, I know you have questions. I will explain everything tonight. But please, let me see my family first."
The villagers immediately hushed, parting to form a wide path.
The commotion had already drawn his family out. His wife supported his elderly mother, while his son clutched his mother's skirt, staring wide-eyed at Dashi.
For six months, they only knew he was doing classified work for the Millelith. Never in their wildest dreams did they imagine he had become a legend. The Supreme Commander. Their chests swelled, their posture straightening instinctively.
The villagers murmured excitedly, throwing final glances at the imposing dragons before slowly dispersing.
Dashi stepped forward rapidly. Looking at his aging mother, his vision blurred. He dropped to both knees on the dirt path.
"Mother! I have returned! I did not disgrace our family!"
"Good... good..." His mother reached out with a trembling, calloused hand, stroking his hair. "These past six months... it must have been so hard."
Others saw the glory, but she knew the truth. To rise to the rank of Supreme Commander required breaking oneself down and rebuilding through sheer agony. She was immensely proud, but her heart ached at the thought of what her son had endured.
"It wasn't hard! Everything was for Liyue!" Dashi declared, his voice thick but steady.
His mother nodded, her eyes shining. In the past, Dashi had been honest to a fault, sometimes painfully naive. She had constantly worried he would be taken advantage of. Now, looking at him, he possessed the undeniable aura of a true leader.
"Good!" She patted his shoulder firmly. "That is the conviction you must hold. Everything you have, everything we have, was given by Liyue. No matter how high you rise, you must be willing to bleed for this nation!"
"I will never forget your teachings, Mother," Dashi replied solemnly.
"Dashi, come inside. And bring the Commanders," his wife said, her smile wide and bright. Her husband had returned in glory. Her family was whole. There was nothing more she could ask for.
"Please, sister-in-law, don't call us Commanders," Rahman said, shaking his head with an easy smile. "We aren't on duty. Treat us as Dashi's ordinary friends."
"That won't do," Dashi laughed, looking at the four men. "You aren't ordinary friends. We've bled together. We're brothers."
The four men smiled. In the depths of the Twilight Forest and the harsh expanses of the Minecraft world, the Dragon Riders were the vanguard. They had faced death side-by-side countless times. This was exactly the unity Ningguang had hoped to forge.
"Papa! Is that your dragon?!" Dashi's son tugged on his sleeve, his eyes practically sparkling. "Can I ride it? I want to be a Dragon Rider too!"
Rahman chuckled, ruffling the boy's hair. "Becoming a Dragon Rider isn't easy, little one. You have to study hard and train your body until it breaks."
"I will, Uncle Rahman! Papa is my hero! I'm going to be strong like him and protect Liyue!" The boy puffed out his chest, his gaze unwavering.
Rahman found the boy's spirit highly agreeable. "Dashi, I'll take your boy up for a quick flight. Do you mind?"
Dashi shook his head, smiling. "Go ahead. But don't coddle him. If he wants to join the Millelith or the Dragon Riders, he does it on his own merit. I will pull no strings for him! And don't be late for lunch. We've been starving all morning."
Rahman laughed, scooping the boy up. He vaulted onto his dragon and shot straight into the clouds.
Dashi shook his head in fond exasperation and turned to his wife. "Are the stoves hot? I've been dreaming of your cooking for six months. Show my brothers what real Liyue cuisine tastes like."