"The Jester and his ilk are secondary concerns. There is no need to dwell on them."
Zhongli took a slow, measured sip of his tea. "Our true enemy has always been the Heavenly Principles. Now that our certainty of victory against her increases by the day, perhaps we should cast our gaze a bit further."
Venti leaned in, a mischievous glint in his eye as he nudged Zhongli's shoulder. "Did seeing the Imaginary Tree stir something inside you, old man? Wanting to go world-hopping?"
Zhongli did not deny it, nor did he confirm it. "Other worlds can wait. We have barely scratched the surface of Ryen's world. Discussing other realms now is premature."
He turned his amber eyes toward Ryen. "Your plan for next year focuses on city construction and exploring the new continent, correct?"
Ryen nodded, spreading his hands. "That was decided a while ago. We will continue building on the main continent. The resources there are plentiful, but clearly insufficient to sustain everyone's ambitions. Therefore, the main continent's focus will be urbanization, while the new continent's focus will be pioneering and exploration. At the very least, we must establish a proper foothold for civilization on the main continent first. Did you have something else in mind?"
Zhongli fell silent, his gaze drifting upward toward the sky.
"If possible, I would like to ascend to Celestia next year."
The courtyard went entirely still.
"The gods who ascended to Celestia... ultimately, we were the ones who sent them there," Zhongli continued, his voice heavy with ancient regret. "That they are now puppets of the Heavenly Principles is, in part, our fault. If possible, I wish to liberate them. It would serve as atonement. Furthermore, doing so would strip the Heavenly Principles of her thralls. When the final battle commences, facing her alone will be entirely to our advantage."
Ryen shrugged, leaning back in his chair. "Whatever you want. Just let me know when you go. I'm quite curious about Celestia myself."
He clapped his hands together, shifting the mood. "Regarding next year's agenda, we can begin preparations as soon as the Lantern Rite concludes. Our primary objective on the new continent will be fully unlocking the Sorcery mod. Additionally..."
He paused, scanning the faces of the regional leaders. "Next year, the troop quotas for all five nations will need to be increased."
The Tsaritsa, who had been in an excellent mood mere moments ago, felt a sharp twitch in her jaw. Her lips pressed into a thin line. "Roughly... how many?"
Ryen ticked them off on his fingers. "City construction on the main continent, coupled with expeditions into the Nether, the End, and the Twilight Forest, requires immense manpower. Pioneering the new continent will demand even more. Plus, we need a reserve force on standby for when we activate new mods. At a rough estimate, each nation will need to provide ten thousand soldiers."
"Once we have those ten thousand, the workload will become much more manageable," he added brightly.
Ten thousand.
The Tsaritsa stared at Ryen, her shoulders slumping almost imperceptibly. Snezhnaya's situation had improved, but conjuring ten thousand elite soldiers was no simple feat.
"Liyue can meet that quota without issue." Ningguang nodded smoothly. "We currently have over seven thousand troops stationed in your world, and nearly ten thousand regular Millelith stationed in Teyvat. We can simply reassign them. If necessary, we will expand recruitment. The desire to enlist among Liyue's populace is currently overwhelming."
Jean furrowed her brow, calculating the numbers. After a moment, she gave a firm nod. "Mondstadt should also be able to manage."
Makoto and Alhaitham exchanged a brief, hushed conversation with their respective aides before nodding in agreement. Inazuma and Sumeru's military reserves weren't as bottomless as Liyue's, but they were sufficient. Gorou was drilling new recruits daily in Inazuma. As for Sumeru, once the desert terraforming project concluded, which was only months away, a massive labor force would be freed up.
"I will have The Rooster devise a solution," the Tsaritsa said, rubbing her temples. She let out a long sigh. She couldn't very well argue that five thousand was enough. If the other nations deployed ten thousand and Snezhnaya only sent half, their infrastructure would fall devastatingly behind.
One only had to look at Liyue to see the results of superior manpower. Liyue controlled over half the territory on the main continent, a landmass roughly the size of Teyvat. If Liyue wanted a project done, it was completed overnight. Snezhnaya, constantly stretching its forces thin, had to fight for every inch of progress. Her soldiers were under exponentially more pressure than the Millelith.
"There's no need to rush," Ryen said, noting her tension. "The massive development push won't begin until the latter half of the year. The first half will be dedicated to mastering the Sorcery mod and whatever new mods we unlock."
"New mods?" Ganyu tilted her head, her eyes wide. "Ryen, are there more?"
Ryen glanced at the system interface floating in his vision. The progression task, forging one hundred of each type of Slash Blade, was just over halfway complete. Once the Lantern Rite ended and the Twilight Forest expedition resumed, the task would be finished rapidly. A month, at most.
"Give it about a month or so after the festival," Ryen replied. "But I want to pace ourselves. We haven't even scratched the surface of the Sorcery mod yet. At the very least, we need to push its development to the same level as the modern firearms mod before we unleash anything else."
The group nodded thoughtfully.
As they conversed, the sun dipped below the horizon. The millions of Xiao Lanterns released in Liyue Harbor bathed the city in a warm, golden glow. Even from the distant peaks of Mt. Tianheng, the prosperous splendor was breathtaking.
Ningguang smiled, exchanging a look with Ganyu. She stood up, smoothing her skirts. "It is about time. Let us head to the Jade Chamber. It offers the best vantage point for the fireworks. I have prepared a banquet. We can continue our discussion there."
No one objected. The courtyard was peaceful, but the Lantern Rite demanded a lively atmosphere.
They departed the courtyard, stepping onto the floating platforms that carried them swiftly to the Jade Chamber.
Baixiao, Baishi, and Baiwen were still not on leave. Ningguang had delegated the complete oversight of the Ministry of Civil Affairs to them, burying them under mountains of paperwork. That was the true secret to Ningguang's current leisure. The poor secretaries were not only managing the city's affairs but also handling Ningguang's daily logistics. While the three seemed to revel in the responsibility, Ryen couldn't help but feel Ningguang was running a dangerous risk of a worker's rebellion.
The Jade Chamber's newly expanded plaza could comfortably host hundreds. Dozens of tables were already laden with a staggering array of delicacies, showcasing the culinary specialties of all five nations. The rich aromas hit Paimon the moment she arrived. Her lethargy vanished instantly. She wriggled out of Ryen's grip and darted toward the nearest table, drool practically flying from her mouth, and began stuffing her face without a second thought.
Lumine scowled. How could the supposed First Throne of Celestia still be such a glutton even after regaining her memories?
"Paimon! No one has even sat down yet! Have some manners!" Lumine scolded.
Ningguang laughed, waving a hand elegantly. "It is perfectly fine. There are no outsiders here. We can dispense with the formalities."
The group relaxed, taking their seats. As Ningguang said, there was no need for stiff etiquette among them. They didn't all crowd around one table. With nearly a hundred people present, Ningguang had arranged six large banquet tables.
However, the only ones actually sitting properly at a table were Ryen and his wives.
Someone like Venti... was completely off the leash.
He hadn't touched a single piece of food. He held three bottles of Diluc's premium vintage in his left hand, three bottles of Liyue's aged liquor in his right, and had a bottle of Minecraft-brewed spirit clamped between his teeth. He was a walking liquor cabinet, bouncing from table to table. He would toast someone on the east side, down a bottle, then sprint to the west side to do it again.
Within minutes, long before anyone had finished their appetizers, Venti was heavily flushed and swaying dangerously.
Watching Venti's uninhibited display, Kaeya felt a familiar itch. He quickly abandoned his plate and began aggressively downing his own drinks.
Ningguang shook her head, an amused smile on her lips. She signaled for Baiwen, instructing her to activate the five Beacons positioned around the chamber.
Instantly, five blinding pillars of pure light erupted from the Jade Chamber, piercing the night sky. The brilliant illumination cascaded down, bathing the already glowing Liyue Harbor in a light almost as bright as the midday sun.
"Do not be alarmed," Ningguang said smoothly, noticing the startled looks from some of the guests. "I merely activated the Beacons. They are not providing combat buffs, only a passive Regeneration effect. Think of it as adding to the festival's atmosphere."
The group smiled. As the Five-Nation Alliance aggressively harvested Totems of Undying, Wither Skulls, and Nether Stars, Beacons were no longer the absolute rarity they once were. Mondstadt City was practically littered with them. If needed, Jean could activate them all simultaneously, temporarily elevating every citizen in Mondstadt to superhuman status. That was true impregnability.
"Old man! Drink with me!" Venti slurred loudly, practically draping himself over Zhongli's shoulders.
The overpowering stench of alcohol washed over the Geo Archon, causing his face to darken considerably. He hadn't even finished his first cup of tea, and Venti had already aggressively toasted him over a dozen times. Even on a joyous occasion, this level of consumption was absurd. In the blink of an eye, the bard was about to finish his second full bottle right in his ear.
"It's been ages since we all gathered like this! You wouldn't disrespect me, would you, old man?" Venti patted Zhongli's chest haphazardly.
Zhongli's voice was a low, dangerous rumble. "You used that exact reasoning on your sixth toast."
"Did I?" Venti blinked, shaking his head sluggishly. "Who cares! We're happy! Drink, drink! Are you looking down on me?! I'm your best friend!"
"You used that reasoning on your ninth toast." Zhongli sighed, resigning himself to his fate. He picked up his cup and clinked it against Venti's bottle.
Venti grinned widely. He tossed his empty glass aside, raised the bottle, and downed the entire thing in three massive gulps.
That was the final straw for his equilibrium. Venti's legs gave out entirely, and he collapsed into a heap against Zhongli's side.
Zhongli took a very slow, very deep breath. He leveled a flat stare at Diluc across the courtyard.
Diluc, his face burning with secondhand embarrassment, stood up immediately. He marched over, grabbed Venti by the scruff of his collar, and dragged the limp Archon away.
The banquet hadn't even been going for thirty minutes, and Venti was blackout drunk. It was utterly disgraceful.
Diluc looked down. Kaeya was currently clinging desperately to Diluc's thigh, weeping incoherently about how strict Diluc was and how he wouldn't even give him a staff.
A profound sense of sorrow settled heavily in Diluc's chest. The joy belonged to everyone else, while he was stuck playing nursemaid to two absolute drunkards on the greatest night of the year. There was no justice in this world.
Suddenly, Diluc froze.
Venti, whose eyes were rolling in different directions, reached up and slapped his palm firmly against Diluc's chest.
"Master Diluc... hic..."
"I've always believed in you! You are... the star of tomorrow!"
"Hic... today... today we become blood brothers!"
"Master Diluc, you're such a good man... giving me free booze... I'll remember this kindness for the rest of my life..."
"I have nothing to my name. I can't repay you with mora... so..."
Venti let out a wet hiccup, flashing a goofy, lopsided grin.
"So... why don't I acknowledge you as my adoptive father!"
"Father above! Please accept your son's bow!"
As the utterly baffled, judging stares of the entire Five-Nation Alliance bore into him, Diluc pressed his hand hard against his forehead, letting out a long, agonizing sigh.
This was... absolute, catastrophic humiliation.