"Is it you? What brings you here?"
Standing atop the Jade Chamber and taking in the panoramic view of Liyue, Raiden Makoto noticed Keqing and Hu Tao stepping aboard.
She didn't really know either of them— they had only crossed paths once before.
"We meet again, Your Excellency the Shogun."
Because she had only ever seen Raiden Ei before, Keqing failed to notice anything unusual about Raiden Makoto.
As for the kimono without armor, she simply assumed it was a softer change of attire, toning down the sharpness of the original.
"Mm."
Since they had indeed met once, this technically counted as meeting again.
"Hi~ Your Excellency the Shogun~ We meet again too!"
Hu Tao greeted her cheerfully.
The first time they met, she hadn't known this was the Raiden Shogun.
But now, she did.
"Hm? Have we… met before?"
Raiden Makoto truly had no impression of Hu Tao at all.
Not here.
Not on the space station.
Not in Inazuma either.
She had only been revived not long ago, so she clearly remembered everyone she had met.
And Hu Tao definitely wasn't among them.
"Ah…"
The smile on Hu Tao's face stiffened.
For a moment, she didn't know how to respond.
"But when Su Ran made that bet with me, you were there too! During the Rite of Descension!"
Surely a god couldn't forget someone she had just met not long ago… right?
"At that time, Su Ran told me your name was Raiden Ei, and said you were a relative of the Raiden Shogun. Doesn't that ring a bell?"
Raiden Makoto had never met Hu Tao, so naturally she had no recollection.
But hearing this, she immediately understood what was going on.
"The one you met was Raiden Ei. What does that have to do with me, Raiden Makoto~?"
Makoto smiled gently at Hu Tao.
"..."
Raiden Makoto… and Raiden Ei?
Hu Tao scratched her head in confusion.
How many names did the Raiden Shogun have, exactly?
"Perhaps this explanation will make it clearer," Makoto said calmly.
"My name is Raiden Makoto, and I have a younger sister named Raiden Ei. Can you understand that?"
"…Huh?!"
Keqing froze in shock.
Hu Tao did as well.
The two of them stared blankly at Raiden Makoto.
Wasn't the Raiden Shogun supposed to be the one they met before?
"No wonder you seem gentler than before…"
That difference in temperament was unmistakable.
If Raiden Ei gave off a cold, aloof divine presence, then Raiden Makoto was the complete opposite—warm, gentle, and easy to approach.
It explained why Keqing had felt something was "off" when Makoto smiled at her.
This truly wasn't the same god they had met before.
And this Raiden Makoto was another Raiden Shogun of Inazuma?
Even without Raiden Ei present, the difference in aura alone made Makoto's explanation completely believable.
After all, it wasn't like the Raiden Shogun would be bored enough to mess with two mortals.
"So," Makoto asked gently, "are you here to see me? Or are you looking for Su Ran?"
She was quite self-aware.
Though she was a god, there wasn't much she could do here.
If someone from Liyue sought divine guidance, they should be looking for their own god—Morax—not a foreign Archon.
That left only one real possibility.
"I'm here to see Mr. Su Ran," Keqing said earnestly.
"I've already resigned from my position as the Yuheng of the Qixing, and Mr. Zhongli will soon be taking office. I wanted to ask when I'll be able to officially start work."
"…Mr. Zhongli?"
Raiden Makoto looked puzzled.
Keqing's words sounded strange.
What did she mean by Zhongli "taking office"?
"It's Zhongli, our consultant from the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor!" Hu Tao added helpfully.
But the more Makoto listened, the stranger it sounded.
That Zhongli couldn't possibly be… Morax, could it?
"Is this the Zhongli you mean?"
Recalling Morax's appearance from the dreamscape, Raiden Makoto used her power to manifest a projection of Zhongli.
"Yes! Yes! That's him!" Hu Tao nodded rapidly.
Even the Raiden Shogun knew their consultant— his background must be impressive!
"Yes, that's him," Keqing confirmed, then asked in confusion, "But Your Excellency, how do you know Mr. Zhongli's appearance?"
Why would Inazuma's god be so familiar with someone from Liyue?
Was Zhongli's identity special?
Had he done something extraordinary?
"I met him once," Makoto replied lightly.
She withdrew her power, but when she saw their expressions, she felt even more uneasy—
especially looking at Keqing.
You've really turned heaven and earth upside down, she thought.
"You just met once? Nothing special about him?" Keqing pressed.
She didn't believe it was that simple.
"There's no way it was just a casual meeting."
"Could Mr. Zhongli be some hidden adeptus living among mortals?"
"…No," Makoto said calmly.
"He's just an ordinary person—though his vast knowledge did leave a deep impression on me."
Knowing Morax's plans, Makoto naturally wouldn't expose his true identity.
If word got out that Zhongli was actually Morax himself, his peaceful retirement would be over instantly.
"I see…"
Though still a bit puzzled, Keqing felt reassured by Makoto's answer.
At least her choice hadn't been wrong.
If even a god acknowledged Zhongli's erudition, then he would certainly perform well as the Yuheng.
He might even surpass her and become one of the greatest Qixing in history.
After all—this was someone who had impressed the Raiden Shogun herself.
"Oh right, Your Excellency!" Hu Tao suddenly asked, "Is Mr. Su Ran here?"
"…He's currently on the space station," Makoto replied after a brief pause.
"If you're looking for him, I can take you up there."
She wasn't aware that Keqing had previously been denied access, nor did she know Su Ran's specific intentions.
But in her view, if Keqing was going to be a future employee, there was no harm in letting her familiarize herself with the workplace early.
"Really?!"
Keqing's eyes instantly lit up.
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