Whether his intent was genuine or feigned, no one dared to guess the Monarch's thoughts at this moment.
Judging by Asmoday's fate, if they failed to grasp the current situation and truly treated the "New Heavenly Principles" as the symbol of Teyvat—
They probably wouldn't even need the upper echelons of the "Empire" to act. Their "old friends," who were now their colleagues once more, would be enough to send them to a prison from which there was no escape… no, wait. If this "Empire" had no prisoners, then they likely had no such thing as "inmates requiring incarceration" either. Instead, they probably had "criminals for on-the-spot execution."
This was indeed the case.
Imperial law was not burdened with excessive rules and regulations; all interpretation rights lay in the hands of His Majesty the Emperor. To save costs, the Empire had no "means of restricting the freedom of fellow kin." Criminals were typically either directly erased or made to pay reparations.
The targets of the aforementioned laws were limited to residents of the Empire, and only those below the rank of [Primordial Species].
The former was easy to understand, but the latter was slightly different. So-called reparations were a "permanent restitution" made in units of "Imaginary energy." It was calculated as a percentage of the power they had encroached upon, deducted from the perpetrator's own controlled power as payment.
There were no wrongful convictions.
All "executioners" were masters of mental control, and they, in turn, were controlled by His Majesty the Emperor's [Divine Link].
Although the situation was somewhat idealistic, the autocracy of an enlightened monarch was likely far more efficient than a sluggish democracy.
---o---
"The third matter."
The Monarch did not mention the handling of Khaenri'ah or the several Demon Gods. Firstly, because they were not on a level worthy of his attention, and secondly, because there were specialized procedures for such trivial matters that did not require him, the boss, to resolve.
"'Nameless'."
Swoosh.
Amidst a gentle breeze, the certain blonde woman who had previously fought with Bianca, along with her "blood relative" bound by the rapidly dissipating red [Authority of the Void], were brought to the center of attention.
"This is not a route of the 'Trailblaze.' May I offer you passage?"
[Nameless].
This was not a casual title, but the name for the retainers of the deceased Astral God, Akivili of Trailblaze. They were [Pathstriders] who walked the "Path of the Trailblaze."
To trailblaze is to adventure.
Akivili roamed the entire universe. With his dominion, he built the [Star Rail] that crossed the sea of stars and connected different star regions, and let the [Train] carry all sorts of passengers along its tracks.
These passengers, walking the [Path of the Trailblaze], automatically became Akivili's retainers and formed an organization called the [Nameless], which was also the name for its members.
The [Nameless] traveled the worlds, exploring star regions no one had ever reached before. Though danger and treasure were their constant companions, these were not what they yearned for. Without a doubt, the ultimate goal of a [Pathstrider] was to become one of the Astral Gods.
In fact, the [Dominion of Trailblaze] that the Monarch wielded also originated from Akivili.
"..."
"I would trouble you, then."
"..."
"Very well."
Blonde hair, a white flower, and amber eyes. The young woman named "Lumine," a traveler to Teyvat (one of the twin protagonists of Genshin), answered the Monarch's question earnestly and without ceremony.
The [Nameless] were a well-regarded group in the universe. The places they "trailblazed" not only became significantly less dangerous, but the wealth they uncovered was also captivating. The Nameless, walking the [Path of the Trailblaze], would inevitably find ways to remove obstacles and dangers in their path, but they were not greedy in their possession of wealth.
Sharing was also one of the reasons for this group's existence.
As for Lumine's answer…
Unfortunately, the Empire's situation was an exception. The [Nameless] would share their experiences and information. If Lumine (and her still-unconscious brother, Aether) were allowed to find a station for the [Train] on their own, the existence of the Empire would be immediately exposed.
The Monarch had already "hatched." His current strength was more than enough to support such "contact."
But the Empire was not yet fully prepared. Even if it couldn't be completely under his control, the plan could only begin after various contingency plans were in place… This was Lu Xing's consistent style.
Therefore—
Giving the two siblings a ride was better than letting them wander around.
As for finding a [Station]… for the Monarch who commanded the [Dominion of Trailblaze], it was no longer difficult now that he had a "clue" to guide him.
Moreover, with a [Station] as an anchor point, the Empire would gain an extremely safe route to the sea of stars.
And possible allies.
---o---
"Finally."
An iridescent light flickered across the Monarch's body. A crystal-clear, light-brown piece of amber appeared directly in Sakura's hand.
"This is…?"
Morax closed his eyes and sensed his own body. After a momentary feeling of emptiness, the power he felt from the surface of the "fourth planet"—a power he could only barely wield before—suddenly became as easy to command as his own limbs.
"Morax. Your 'Origin' comes from beyond the stars. It is a core fragment of one of my apostles."
The War of Finality broke out 4,000 years ago, while Morax had been born nearly 7,000 years ago. This was not an error in the Monarch's perception, but because the flow of time was inherently inconsistent across different regions separated by the sea of stars.
"I have extracted this memory that does not belong to 'you'."
"As compensation, an amount of 'Imaginary energy' equivalent to the 'elemental power' you wield will be placed under your unconditional control."
Morax was given no opportunity to express an opinion.
"Sakura. Give this to Eden. Have her awaken the rock turtle's memory."
"As you command."
Sakura nodded lightly, and then her entire body dissolved into cherry blossom petals, vanishing into the void.
"Ya… Haxxor Bunny. I leave the rest to you."
A sphere bound by a gravitational net materialized before Haxxor Bunny. It was the planetary core, formed by further compressing the fragments of Teyvat.
"Understood."
No further instructions were given. Enough had been said by "His Majesty the Emperor." The last time the Monarch had given "face-to-face instructions" was likely hundreds of years ago, and the audience had been far smaller than today's.
The next moment…
"—"
"Ah!"
A wail of near-death echoed in the mental world.
Inside the [Pillar of Earth], the "golden egg" that had just appeared was immediately pounced upon by Cheche, who hugged it as they fell back to the ground.
"Little Bai, tired?"
"No."
The golden egg rolled twice in Cheche's arms—make no mistake, this gesture was a shake of the head, a denial.
"I haven't spoken in such a formal occasion for hundreds of years…"
"...I'm a little out of practice."