The rails of conversation in Albedo's workshop braided together—alchemy, mechanics, and a child who had a talent for making entire schools of fish airborne.
Takumi stood with the rolled-up blueprint in his arms. The transformer diagrams were tucked inside: Albedo's careful annotations, Cloud Retainer's mechanical tweaks, and Takumi's own overlay—little notes the others couldn't see, the way the "system" in his head had optimized component ratios and assembly steps. That secret little helper had been quiet since the excavation, but it hummed contentedly now. Only he ever heard its tiny prompts.
He'd barely finished explaining when the voice carried across the yard.
"Klee!"
It was Jean. The familiar, firm voice of Mondstadt's Acting Grand Master. Klee's whole body went tense in delight. She launched out of Takumi's loose hold and barreled into Jean's arms like a small, energetic cannon.
"Captain Jean!!" she chirped, burying her face against the knight's chest.
Jean's expression softened despite herself. "Klee, behave. You haven't been teaching the knights new ways to be more explosive, have you?"
"Only fish!" Klee declared proudly. "And rocks that needed to go away!"
Jean's lips twisted in helpless exasperation; Lisa strolled up beside her with a book tucked under one arm and amusement in her eyes. "Little cutie," she sighed, looking very pleased to be acknowledged.
Takumi inclined his head. "Acting Grand Master Jean. Miss Lisa. Thank you for coming."
Jean took in the construction, the lines of new cars and the excavator resting like a sleeping beast. Her gaze landed on Takumi with measured curiosity. "We received Ningguang's letter. You've… been busy."
Takumi smiled. "Busy, yes. Useful, I hope."
Lisa walked over, idly trailing a fingertip along a copper wire, and a small spark jumped—she laughed. "Oh, this is promising. You've captured the aesthetic of wires. I like it."
Klee tugged Jean toward the workshop entry. "Brother Takumi will show you the thing that makes light! Brother Albedo made magic light!" She bounced and practically dragged Jean along. Jean allowed herself to be pulled, watching Takumi as if she were deciding between suspicion and relief.
Albedo looked up from a coil and adjusted his gloves. "Jean, Lisa. It is good of you to come. We are working on power generation." He sounded like a man presenting an unfinished painting—and indeed his work here had the same fragile beauty.
Jean folded her hands behind her back and listened as Takumi laid the plan out evenly.
"We have the transformer and the electric box," Takumi said. "Albedo has the designs for a power-furnace and stabilizer. My plan is to integrate mechanical motion—water flow, turbines—into an alchemical device that produces Electro energy. We'll store output in Electro Crystals and regulate it via transformers for the grid. On the side, conversion devices could turn Pyro sources—Flaming Trees, or controlled combustors—into electricity as well."
Jean's brow creased. "Is this safe? Power sounds—dangerous."
"Very dangerous if mishandled," Takumi agreed. "Which is why we have multiple redundancies. Transformers step down voltage. Storage fields are isolated and shielded—Albedo, show Jean the containment plan."
Albedo produced a small schematic that fit in both palms. "This is a containment chamber layered with insulating sigils. Electro Crystals sit here; current is channeled through regulated conduits. Fail-safes trip and isolate segments automatically."
Lisa's eyes brightened. "This is delightful. I may borrow some ideas for my library's lighting."
Jean folded her arms, inspecting the machines, then looked at Klee—who was already sneaking toward a rack of inert, kid-appropriate "bouncing bombs" labeled for training.
"Klee," Jean said slowly. "No setting fires in the city, no improvised demolitions near civilians, and absolutely no using the Knights as an audience."
"Captain Jean I promise!" Klee saluted, almost too eagerly.
Jean sighed. She trod the line between stern leader and fond guardian easily. "Takumi, we will support this project. Mondstadt can provide logistics and manpower for transport and the transfer station at Stone Gate. But I'll be blunt: Mondstadt is used to the Knights doing a lot of things for citizens. If you want efficiency, we'll have to train people in quick, practical skills."
Takumi's grin was quick. "I don't expect Mondstadt to send leisurely picnic brigades. Jean, your engineers are welcome. We'll take them—teach them how to wield a shovel without a poet's lament."
Jean's mouth twitched toward a smile. "That's not a promise I made to myself."
The Blueprint Tech — the Secret
Later, when most of the group had moved to Wangshu Inn for a mid-afternoon break, Takumi unrolled a private slate of diagrams for Albedo and Jean.
The "blueprint tech," as he called it for their benefit, was the systemized knowledge he'd been carrying in his head. On paper it looked like a hybrid manual: modular house designs, component lists for transformers, production flow charts for assembly lines—simple pictographs that reduced complex processes to steps any competent artisan could follow.
Takumi didn't reveal the entire source—how he could manifest things and the silent UI that suggested optimizations remained his alone. But he explained the function.
"These blueprints aren't just designs," he said. "They're modular. Each component is standardized to exact ratios so craftsmen can produce parts interchangeable across projects. You don't need a master blacksmith for every item—just a factory that follows the module, and quality control at the end. That's how you go from a single prototype to a hundred in weeks, not years."
Albedo's fingers traced a column of symbols. "Interchangeable parts… a concept I've toyed with academically but never formalized. This accelerates construction dramatically."
Jean nodded. "If we can train people on modules rather than bespoke crafts, the economy benefits and the villages can keep industries."
Takumi added, "It also hides complexity. A local mason can lay a foundation using a labeled kit without needing to know metallurgy—he follows marks, fits pre-forged rebars, and moves on. Skills scale."
Jean considered that. "Then we must set up training—drills at Guili Plains. And I will have Mondstadt assist in logistics."
Klee, who had been half-listening while attempting to take apart a harmless practice device, squealed at the word "training." "Is it play time!? Will we get treats?"
Jean pretended not to hear that last part, though Lisa quietly pulled a sweet out of her sleeve and handed it to Klee, who squealed again and grinned like a comet.
Albedo and the Element Conversion
Once the lighter matters were done, Takumi pulled Albedo aside to speak more seriously.
"You saw the part about converting heat to electricity," he said. "If we can convert Pyro and Hydro reliably, we free ourselves from relying solely on slimes. Hydro-turbines feeding a conversion device—alchemy-coupled conductors—can produce steady Electro output."
Albedo rubbed his temple, eyes gleaming. "Yes. The key is a transduction matrix. You convert mechanical motion into elemental resonance and then into an electric field. It's theoretical, but with alchemical resonance chambers—small, focused sigils and conductive alloys—it could be achieved."
They argued terms a little like two professors arguing over a painting: what materials, how to build a matrix chamber, where to place vents and cooling sigils so Electro Crystals didn't spontaneously throw tantrums.
Jean listened with a soldier's patience and then said, "Once you have a working prototype, I will authorize a protected area for testing. Safety first. The knights will guard the testing grounds."
Takumi bowed in gratitude. "You'll have control of the test zone. We'll coordinate with Ningguang for materials."
Jean gave a stiff nod. "I will also insist on a registry. Any device that produces power must be logged."
Takumi smiled. "Of course."
A Small Budget Note — Ningguang's Efficiency
Before the delegation left for Wangshu Inn proper, Blue-and-gold Ningguang arrived with Baiwen—a single glance that registered both Albedo's equipment and Takumi's blueprint.
"This is progressing quickly," she said, eyes on the transformer sketches. "We've allocated funds for the first plant, but remember—profitability is how we maintain continuous development."
Takumi rolled his eyes in mock horror. "You think of everything as profit, Lady Ningguang."
"Of course." Ningguang's smile sharpened. "But for now, I'll advance seed capital. I want Albedo's design verified. If the first plant works, we'll scale. If not… well, I enjoy watching failed experiments burn up in the furnace. They make for fine anecdotes."
Jean laughed—a rare, quick sound—and Klee joined in, delighted because "fire" and "anecdotes" both sounded like adventures.
Ningguang's practical note meant there would be funding, but it also implied rigorous accounting. Takumi didn't mind. Structure and restrictions would let them build responsibly.
An Evening Promise
As the sun dipped, Takumi led Jean and Lisa out toward the edge of the construction site. The first string of lights glowed up the path—test bulbs Albedo had set to low output.
Jean touched the transformer casing, feeling the hum. "If this works," she said softly, "we can keep people safe better, bring work back to villages… we'll change the rhythm of life."
"That's the plan," Takumi said. He glanced at Klee, who was dozing against Lisa's skirts—somehow perfectly still after a day of explosions and friendship. "And I'll keep an eye on this system. Only I hear the little suggestions. For everyone else, it will be blueprints, training, and laws."
Lisa smiled in the twilight. "I'll bring my notes on library electricity. We should have night readings."
Jean's expression grew determined. "I'll send a contingent to Stone Gate and coordinate with Captain Beidou for material shipments. And Jean will ensure Mondstadt engineers come ready."
Takumi clasped both their hands—the Knights' resolve and the Librarian's curiosity—and felt, for a moment, the weight of responsibility slide into something like warmth. Guili Plains was no longer an idea; it was beginning to be a place people could plan their future in.
The secret system whispered once—an internal ping only he could hear. A tiny line of text that read like permission and warning:
[MODULE UPDATE] — Power Station Prototype Stage scheduled. Safety protocols recommended: redundancy level 3. Resource check: Electro Crystals × 200 units; Copper × 15 tons; Skilled Alchemists × 6. Personnel training required.
Takumi nodded to himself. Tomorrow would be the prototype assembly and a formal call to start the groundwork. He tucked the blueprint under his arm, kept the system secret folded away in his mind, and walked back toward Wangshu Inn with Klee and the new friends from Mondstadt, the lights ahead blinking like tiny promises.
Tomorrow: the first spark that might one day light every home in Liyue.