Dashi's wife was no master chef, yet the familiar aroma of home-cooked food possessed a warmth that no exotic delicacy could replicate.
Dashi sat at the wooden dining table, shoveling rice into his mouth with ravenous speed. His mother and wife sat across from him, their eyes crinkling at the corners as they watched him eat. The simple gathering of their family outweighed any treasure in the world.
"Eat slowly, you will choke. We have plenty of ingredients if you want more," his wife murmured, picking up a piece of meat with her chopsticks and placing it gently into his bowl.
"Your wife is truly the picture of a perfect homemaker," Anders noted, taking a long sip from his cup of wine. "Seeing this makes a man consider settling down."
Dashi lowered his bowl, a wide grin spreading across his face. "Then get married! With your current status as the Commander of the Mondstadt Dragon Cavalry, women lining up to marry you would stretch across the city."
Anders clicked his tongue, raising a hand in refusal. "Save it. I only spoke in passing. The people of Mondstadt pursue freedom above all, and I have no intention of chaining myself down just yet. Besides, the great construction projects are about to commence. Where would I find the spare time for romance? Mondstadt cannot afford my absence right now. Acting Grand Master Jean has laid out an incredibly strict schedule, and our workload is massive."
Inoue chuckled, shaking his head. "Ultimately, you simply do not want to. Marriage has its merits."
Dashi suddenly turned his gaze toward Inoue. "You have not been home for nearly three months yourself, Inoue. Do you have no plans to return and visit?"
Inoue shook his head, a heavy sigh escaping his lips. "I cannot. Inazuma lacks the foundation Liyue and Mondstadt possess. I have been running in circles these past weeks, barely catching a moment of sleep. The three thousand new recruits have just arrived and are completely unfamiliar with their duties. We must settle them into their roles before we can even consider asking the Almighty Shogun for leave."
Beside him, Skarnovsky mirrored his sigh and nodded. "The situation in Snezhnaya is identical. We were already short on manpower, and Her Majesty recently informed us that another three thousand troops are en route. We have to hold the line a little longer. Once they arrive, we must assign their rotations. By then, your Millelith Base One will be swamped again. It all falls on the heads of The Jester and his lot. If they had not sown chaos throughout Snezhnaya, we would not be stretched so thin, and Her Majesty would not be plagued by these headaches."
Dashi furrowed his brow, tapping his fingers against the table. "I heard rumors regarding that matter. It seems your three thousand reinforcements will be led by Lady Arlecchino. Lady Ningguang mentioned they have already reached the borders of Fontaine. Speaking frankly, Skarnovsky, three thousand men will not be enough. Once the Lantern Rite concludes and Lord Ryen returns from his initial expedition, the main push to explore the New Continent will begin."
He leaned forward slightly, his tone carrying the weight of a seasoned officer. "The city construction and resource extraction on the primary continent cannot halt, nor can our operations in the Twilight Forest. Your three thousand troops will barely plug the existing gaps. The New Continent is vast. We cannot allow the Abyss Order to monopolize its territories. We may have a temporary truce, but the Five-Nation Alliance is our true brotherhood. A healthy sense of competition with the Abyss remains necessary."
Dashi's wife listened to her husband casually discussing the strategic movements of Teyvat's highest echelons. Her fingers tightened around her apron, her pulse quickening at the sheer scale of the conversation. She stood up quickly. "I will fetch more wine. Please, continue your conversation."
Dashi paused, catching her hand before she could retreat. He rubbed his thumb over her knuckles to soothe her nerves. "It is fine. These matters are not classified. Mr. Ryen does not mind us discussing them."
She swallowed hard, her pulse settling slightly as she retook her seat. She folded her hands in her lap, remaining silent as the men continued.
Dashi turned his attention back to his comrades. "The leaders briefed me on the new year's itinerary recently. The Dragon Cavalry will serve as the vanguard for the New Continent, operating under the command of Deputy Commander Fengyan. I am to remain on the main continent. First, to oversee the training of the Mage Battalion, and second, to maintain the pace of our urban development. Rex Lapis intends for Cloud Retainer and Sea Gazer to coordinate with us directly regarding the construction."
He took another bite of his food before continuing. "Lord Azhdaha will act as the primary guardian of the main continent. It appears our entire focus for the coming year is split between domestic expansion and the new frontier. Who will be managing the construction efforts for your respective nations? I need to coordinate with them."
Inoue exchanged glances with the others, a flicker of envy passing through their eyes. "Our deputy commanders will lead the building efforts. We lack the magical staves to streamline the process, after all. Fortune truly favors you, Dashi. First joining the Dragon Cavalry, and now securing a permanent position in the Mage Battalion."
Inoue raised his cup, the corners of his mouth turning upward. "You owe us at least three cups for that alone."
Dashi let out a booming laugh. "Fair enough! Three cups it is!"
His wife and mother shared a quiet look of disbelief. Hearing Dashi casually speak of direct decrees from Rex Lapis, orders from the Tianquan, and affairs spanning multiple continents felt surreal. It was a world entirely foreign to them.
Gathering her courage, his wife finally spoke. "Dashi... what exactly is Liyue doing right now?"
Dashi blinked, looking at her in genuine confusion. "Did I not just explain it?"
"Explain what?" she asked, her brow furrowing.
Dashi rubbed the back of his neck, a sheepish expression crossing his face. "The Five-Nation Alliance was formed around a separate world controlled by Mr. Ryen. The bulk of our forces are currently deployed there, pioneering and expanding our borders. Liyue alone has already established over a dozen forward operating bases and a full-scale city on the primary landmass."
His mother's eyes widened, her breathing catching in her throat. "Expanding borders? Dashi, you are part of a territorial expansion force?"
Inoue offered a polite smile and nodded. "Ma'am, Liyue was the first nation to forge an alliance with Mr. Ryen. Lady Ningguang, Lady Ganyu, Director Hu Tao, and Lady Guizhong are all betrothed to him. Rex Lapis himself is a close comrade of Mr. Ryen. Consequently, Liyue's progress outpaces all others. We have effectively secured half the territorial resources of the main continent, and Dashi has been on the front lines since the very beginning. The food on your table right now, the milk you drink, the alchemical potions... all of it originates from Mr. Ryen's world."
Dashi waved his hand, his cheeks warming slightly. "The higher-ups simply saw fit to give me a chance."
"Do not sell yourself short," Anders interjected, his tone turning serious. "If you lacked the drive and the skill, they never would have chosen you. In the early days, when Liyue's presence was minimal and the terrain hostile... you and your comrades fought tooth and nail alongside your wolves against terrifying monsters. That is the only reason Liyue Base One survived. At the end of the day, you earned your place through your own sweat and blood."
Dashi offered a faint smile, though the light faded from his eyes. "Yes... the wolves. If it had not been for their unwavering loyalty, we would have perished long ago. Our deaths would have meant little, but we could not let the base fall after all the effort Liyue poured into it. They traded their lives for ours. I think I will visit the Wolf Cemetery later. It has been too long since I paid my respects to those brothers."
The others lowered their gaze, a collective sigh sweeping over the table. They knew the history of the wolves. It was a permanent scar on the hearts of the Millelith veterans. Raising those wolves with their own hands, treating them as their own children, only to watch them throw themselves into the jaws of death to buy time for reinforcements to arrive. Bards might sing of it as a heroic epic, but to the Millelith who lived it, it was pure agony.
His mother remained quiet for a long moment, her eyes soft as she looked at her son. She braced her hands on the table and stood up. "You have done exceptionally well, Dashi. Your father's spirit in heaven is surely beaming with pride. You are the honor of our entire family."
She turned away, hastily wiping a tear from her cheek before retreating into the inner rooms, likely to offer a prayer at his father's memorial tablet.
His wife gazed at him, her eyes brimming with a mixture of deep affection and immense pride. The simple, honest man she married had risen to the upper echelons of Liyue's military, actively charting new territories for their nation. Nothing brought her more joy than witnessing his success, yet hearing the brief mention of his near-death experiences over the past six months caused a tight knot to form in her chest.
"Enough of the heavy talk," Dashi said, shaking off the somber mood. He raised his cup, clinking it against the others. "Eat up! I will take you all to Qingce Village later, and tonight, we return to Liyue Harbor to watch the fireworks."
Today, Liyue Harbor was boiling with an unprecedented fervor.
Countless families found their long-absent Millelith sons and daughters suddenly appearing at their doorsteps. Many of them descended from the sky astride massive dragons, proudly bearing the mantle of the Dragon Cavalry.
Incense smoke rose in thick pillars across the city as families rushed to their ancestral shrines, thanking the heavens for their children bringing such immense glory to their bloodlines. It was also the first time the common folk of Liyue had ever seen dragons up close.
The awe-inspiring beasts rested quietly outside the residential courtyards. Even the patrolling Millelith guards found themselves pausing to sneak a cautious touch of the scales. The dragons remained perfectly docile, paying them no mind.
Fortunately, Liyue Harbor had undergone massive expansions recently, widening the main thoroughfares. Otherwise, accommodating the towering creatures would have been impossible. Any household welcoming a returning soldier immediately brought out gongs and drums, throwing massive banquets for their neighbors. For families boasting a Dragon Cavalry rider, the celebrations bordered on sheer pandemonium.
The riders seized the opportunity to share their glory, hoisting their family members onto the saddles to take them for a flight over the city. Today marked a rare exception where Liyue's strict airspace regulations were entirely suspended.
Hanxue stepped out of his neighbor's house, his jaw tight. The neighbor's son had just returned as a full-fledged Dragon Knight. The sight of the magnificent dragon resting in the courtyard left Hanxue burning with envy.
The boy's parents had smiled so broadly their wrinkles seemed to vanish. Hanxue had observed the young knight closely, noting his sharp posture and the unmistakable aura of a seasoned warrior. He truly embodied the elite standard of Liyue's finest forces.
Yet, the more he watched, the more a bitter knot tightened in his stomach. Other people's children returned in absolute triumph, instantly swarmed by matchmakers fighting to arrange marriages. His own son was barely four years younger than the neighbor's boy, yet he spent his days idling aimlessly around the harbor alleys.
The mere thought set Hanxue's blood boiling. He kicked his own front door open and stormed inside. Finding his son still fast asleep in the middle of the afternoon snapped the last threads of his patience.
He lunged forward, twisting his son's ear firmly. "Are you aware that your neighbor just returned as a Dragon Knight?"
The boy jolted awake, the grogginess vanishing from his eyes as a bright grin formed. "Really! I always knew he was strict and hardworking, but a Dragon Knight? That is amazing! He always liked me, he will definitely take me for a ride!"
Hanxue's chest heaved, his knuckles turning white. "He brings immense honor to his family, and what do you do? You waste away in the streets, devoid of ambition! He brings glory to his parents, and you bring me nothing but absolute humiliation!"
"Listen to me closely. If you fail the Millelith recruitment exam next month, I will throw you out of this house, and you can find menial labor to survive!"
The boy's face fell, his mouth twisting into a scowl. "Are you serious, Father? You know the Millelith exams filter out all but one in ten thousand! I just came of age. How am I supposed to match the physical conditioning of the older recruits!"
"I do not care! Figure it out!" Hanxue barked, releasing his grip and pointing a trembling finger at the door. "If you cannot become a Dragon Knight, or even a standard Millelith soldier, do you plan to remain a useless parasite your entire life?"
He spun around and marched out, slamming the door shut behind him.
"If you fail next month, you are packing your bags! You will work at the construction sites, hauling stone until your body breaks and hardens! I am a recognized scholar of Liyue Harbor, the foremost expert on Rex Lapis! If word spreads that my own flesh and blood cannot even pass a basic military exam, how will I show my face? Iron Tongue Tian and the others will laugh me out of the teahouses! What will my students think of me? Pass, or do not bother coming back!"