The Lantern Rite finally drew to a close.
The most fulfilled person that night was not an ordinary citizen of Liyue, nor was it Zhongli, who had witnessed his nation's peak prosperity.
It was Ryen.
After finishing the reunion dumplings, Ryen gathered Klee and the other three sleeping girls into his arms and carried them home.
Zhongli and the others were naturally embarking on a sleepless, all-night revelry. However, the deafening cheers of Liyue Harbor could not penetrate the quiet peaks of Mt. Tianheng.
The moment Ryen's back touched the mattress, the four little girls, who had been dead to the world the entire journey, miraculously snapped their eyes open. They swarmed him instantly. Small hands grabbed his clothes, demanding bedtime stories. Ryen spent an agonizingly long time talking his throat dry before he finally coaxed them back into a deep slumber.
The destructive energy of small children, especially those refusing to sleep, was genuinely more terrifying than a full-power punch from Ryen himself.
Still, looking at their soft, peaceful faces, Ryen's chest swelled with warmth. Only his four precious daughters could receive such limitless patience. If they were sons causing such a ruckus, Ryen would have decisively delivered a physical strike to ensure they achieved an authentic "infant-like sleep."
He was unapologetically biased. No sane man could resist the absolute joy of raising four adorable daughters.
By the time the girls were completely settled, the night had bled deep into the early hours of the morning.
Ryen felt no trace of fatigue. Tonight was officially designated as Ganyu's time, so he quietly slipped out and headed toward her room.
Pushing the door open, he found it completely dark. Empty. He checked the adjacent rooms. Ningguang's room was empty. Hu Tao's room was empty.
Ryen paused in the hallway, a slight frown creasing his brow. Suddenly, a faint rustling sound caught his attention. It was coming from the master bedroom.
His muscles tensed instinctively. He stepped forward and pushed the heavy wooden door open.
The moment the lights flicked on, Ryen's breath hitched violently in his throat. His pupils dilated.
Ganyu stood near the foot of the bed, dressed in a sharp, incredibly fitted professional suit, adjusting a pair of thin gold-rimmed glasses.
Ningguang had abandoned her usual elegant, imposing gowns for a sheer, alluring ensemble that left little to the imagination.
Lumine and Guizhong wore vibrant, youthful schoolgirl uniforms from another world.
Hu Tao crouched playfully on the mattress, sporting a pair of velvet bunny ears and a matching outfit.
Lisa stood near the wall in a notoriously short black-and-white maid uniform, while Yae Miko lounged comfortably, her true fox ears and luxurious tail entirely exposed.
This was no bedroom.
This was an absolute paradise.
The greatest New Year's surprise had been waiting for him in his own quarters all along.
No words were necessary.
Ryen lunged forward, diving directly into the fray.
Operating across multiple fronts simultaneously, his hands moved with the precision of a seasoned martial artist. He parried Ningguang's aggressive advances while smoothly turning to demand "nutritional supplies" from Secretary Ganyu. He gripped the decorative cat tail pinned to Ningguang's waist with one hand and stroked Yae Miko's genuine fox fur with the other.
Unfortunately, he was fighting a war on all sides. Defending against such a concentrated, overwhelming assault proved difficult.
Within minutes, Lisa launched a devastating sneak attack from his blind spot, utilizing her absolute, suffocating advantages to pin him down. Hu Tao, Lumine, and Guizhong seized the opening, moving in to completely seal off any possible avenue of retreat.
But they had fundamentally underestimated Ryen's foundation.
With his inner reserves igniting, Ryen dramatically escalated the intensity of his counterattack.
The grueling, breathless battle raged until the first light of dawn broke over the horizon.
As the morning sun bathed Liyue Harbor in a quiet, golden glow, the final remnants of resistance collapsed. Lisa and Miko, completely drained of all stamina, fell back into the tangled sheets. The horn of absolute victory sounded.
In this earth-shattering conflict, Ryen emerged as the undisputed conqueror.
Standing beside the battlefield, Ryen surveyed his defeated opponents with a deeply satisfied smirk. Not a single one of them possessed the strength to stand.
In the great Lantern Rite War, Ryen maintained his flawless, undefeated myth.
Naturally, victory came with a price.
For the next two days, Ryen felt a persistent, dull ache in his lower back. Ningguang and the others remained completely barricaded inside their rooms, refusing to take a single step past their doorways. The grand plans to immediately process Liyue's domestic affairs post-festival were abruptly dumped entirely onto the shoulders of Keqing and Yelan.
Ryen lay comfortably in a rocking chair in the courtyard, basking in the warm afternoon sun with Ei resting securely in his arms.
A short distance away, Klee and the others squealed with laughter as they engaged in a chaotic water fight. Droplets of water caught the sunlight, creating miniature rainbows over the green grass.
The rocking chair creaked rhythmically. The soreness in Ryen's back had long since faded. Recalling the absolute carnage of the battlefield two nights ago, a lingering, highly pleasant aftertaste washed over him.
"Festivals like this truly need to happen more often," Ryen muttered, a low chuckle escaping his lips.
It was only because of the Lantern Rite that they had organized such a massive, unified front. On a normal day, he faced two opponents at most.
Ryen mentally calculated the Teyvat calendar.
The New Year had just begun. Next was Mondstadt's Windblume Festival, followed by Inazuma's Magnificent Irodori Festival, and then Mondstadt's Ludi Harpastum. After that came the Naganohara Fireworks Festival, followed by Liyue's newly adapted National Day, which replaced the Rite of Descension. Finally, Sumeru's Sabzeruz Festival.
Then the year would end, cycling back to the Lantern Rite.
Counting them all, there were only a handful of days uniquely suited for such grand, all-encompassing "battles." Ryen began seriously considering establishing a few new holidays using his authority as Lord of the World.
His own birthday, an event he previously ignored, suddenly seemed like an excellent candidate. If the Lantern Rite yielded such glorious results, Ningguang and the others would absolutely prepare something spectacular for his birthday.
The mere thought elevated his mood significantly.
He tightened his arm around Ei's waist. His fingers slipped smoothly past the wide fabric of her sleeve, tracing the area where she typically materialized her blade.
Truthfully, Ryen still struggled to comprehend the physics of it. Ei's figure was exceptionally generous. Even with loose clothing, drawing a longsword from that specific location seemed mechanically impossible. Did she construct some sort of pocket dimension in there?
As he pondered the spatial mechanics, his fingers brushed against a soft curve.
Ei's breath hitched violently. She immediately clamped her hand over his wrist, her purple eyes darting nervously toward the lawn.
"Klee and the others are right there," she whispered, her voice tight.
"It's fine. They are completely absorbed in their game. They aren't paying attention to us," Ryen replied casually, his tone unbothered.
Ei let out a long, helpless sigh and slowly released his hand.
With Ganyu and the others confined to their beds for the past two days, Ei had reaped a massive advantage. She spent her time either sitting with Makoto, observing her sister orchestrate Inazuma's upcoming administrative agenda, or lounging quietly in Ryen's arms, soaking in the peaceful sunlight.
To her, this simple tranquility was the absolute pinnacle of happiness.
If she harbored any regrets, there was really only one. No matter what arguments she presented, Ryen utterly refused to learn any formal martial arts.
Beyond that, a quiet, twisting knot of anxiety lingered in her chest. She could clearly feel the raw, predatory interest in his gaze. She constantly braced herself, expecting him to throw her over his shoulder and carry her into the bedroom at any moment. Yet, despite spending the last two days locked together, engaging in countless intimate gestures, he had not once initiated that final step.
A small, insecure voice whispered that perhaps he did not desire her in that way yet.
She was vastly overthinking it.
With a stunning god in his arms, Ryen was naturally highly interested. The only reason he was currently just "inspecting the scabbard" was because the monumental exertion from a few nights ago required a brief period of moderation. If he hadn't held back, Ei would not have been able to leave the rocking chair today.
Ryen slowly withdrew his hand and stretched his arms above his head, popping his joints. Noticing Ei's furrowed brow and distant expression, he tilted his head.
"What is it? Are you feeling unhappy about something?"
Ei blinked, snapping out of her thoughts, and shook her head. "No. I was merely contemplating our departure for the New Continent tomorrow."
"Why worry about that?" Ryen laughed, tapping her forehead lightly. "With our current resource reserves and military strength, stepping onto the New Continent is just a leisurely stroll. What risks could possibly exist? Even if we do encounter danger, strictly speaking, they are just delivery boys bringing us treasure."
Unlike the others who preached caution, Ryen was actively hoping they would be ambushed by Evil Wizards. Eliminating them guaranteed at least an Advanced-tier staff, and potentially a wealth of top-tier accessories and spell books.
"Of course, our absolute priority remains locating the Library Ruins. Without the ancient tomes buried in those structures, our Sorcery Mod will never progress past the introductory stage," Ryen murmured.
He leaned down suddenly, catching Ei's delicate earlobe gently between his teeth.
A violent shudder racked Ei's entire body. She shrank her neck back instinctively. "Do not do that... it feels too strange."
Ryen chuckled inwardly. For Ei, her ears were an absolute, critical weakness, far more sensitive than Miko's fox ears. He had thoroughly tested this theory. Even the deepest inspections of her "scabbard" did not elicit such a visceral reaction.
Feeling the skin of her neck radiating intense heat, Ryen lowered his voice to a barely audible whisper.
"Once we finish exploring the New Continent, I will properly explore you."
Ei froze. A deep crimson flush instantly painted her cheeks, and she gave a small, jerky nod.
The two of them settled back into a comfortable silence, savoring the slow afternoon.
Today remained a day of absolute rest. Aside from the core Millelith personnel who absolutely had to return to the Minecraft world to oversee construction, everyone else was maximizing their final hours of vacation in Liyue Harbor.
Tomorrow, the massive gears of progress would begin turning once more.
As for Zhongli and the Adepti...
Because Ningguang and the entire high command of the Qixing had suffered a total, collective loss of mobility, Zhongli was forced to step in. He, along with the Adepti, Keqing, and Yelan, were currently buried alive under mountains of administrative paperwork.
Only now did they fully grasp the terrifying magnitude of Ningguang's daily workload.
The leaders of the other nations had borrowed several offices within the Ministry of Civil Affairs, working around the clock to process their own domestic affairs. They anticipated being stranded in the Minecraft world for a minimum of half a month during the initial expedition. Everything in Teyvat had to be impeccably arranged beforehand.
Security was not a concern. The domestic armies were highly capable, and Aether had deployed numerous Abyss Order members to assist with border patrols. It was an early gesture of cooperation on Teyvat's soil.
When the time came for Khaenri'ah to officially begin their restoration in the Minecraft world, they would rely heavily on the Five-Nation Alliance. The initial phase required an astronomical amount of resources. A nation frantically rebuilding its foundation would have zero spare manpower to explore the wilderness. They had to establish a new economic system and formulate a functional city management structure from scratch.
Furthermore, the Minecraft world was lethal. To secure their new borders quickly, they desperately needed massive shipments of modern firearms and enchanted gear. Creating goodwill now ensured smoother negotiations and better prices later.
The new year brought new blueprints for the Minecraft world, but it also demanded new objectives for the nations within Teyvat. City expansions, resource allocation, and logistical routing required excruciatingly detailed planning, a task far more headache-inducing than simply conquering monsters in a blocky wilderness.
Fortunately, none of that concerned Ryen. He was not an administrator.
He had already picked Ei up and carried her back inside the house. While proper maintenance of a weapon was required, there were many different ways to polish a blade.
Resting his hand gently against the back of Ei's head, Ryen let out a long, highly contented exhale.
A while later, Ei practically sprinted into the adjoining bathroom. When she emerged, her clothing was perfectly arranged, her expression once again the cool, unreadable mask of the shadow warrior.
"I am going back now. I need to see if Makoto requires any assistance," she said.
Ryen lay sideways on the bed, propping his head up with one hand. "What could Makoto possibly need you for? You cannot assist with the detailed administrative planning anyway. Stay here with me tonight."
"Tonight?" Ei paused, her hand hovering near the doorframe. "Did you not say we would wait until the New Continent was explored?"
"Where is your mind going? I mean purely for resting and sleeping," Ryen said, shooting her an exasperated look.
Ei turned her head, fixing him with a flat, unwavering stare. "You said we were just going to take a simple nap earlier as well."
Ryen's face froze. He let out a dry, awkward laugh. "The atmosphere simply took over! Relax, I am not deceiving you this time. Let Makoto handle her work in peace. Staying the night here will be a novel experience for you."
Ei's lips twitched slightly. She lowered her gaze. "I will inform Makoto. I shall return shortly."
Ryen waved his hand, watching Ei walk slightly stiffly out of the room.
He was not a man who solely prioritized his own desires. He knew when to allow his partners time to recover.
Stretching his arms wide, Ryen leaned back against the pillows and closed his eyes, focusing on the flow of Imaginary Energy within his core.
Today was the final sliver of absolute quiet he would experience for a long time. He needed to savor it.
The moment the New Continent expedition launched, his feet would scarcely touch the ground.