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Talking about his opinion of her?
Ei, who had been lost in thought, snapped her attention back. She was curious to hear what this guy actually thought of her.
"Stubborn? Naive? Simple-minded, and not exactly a physical powerhouse?"
If he were being honest, Su Ran could list a few virtues. But when it came to Ei, he seemed to hit a wall.
Ei's hands trembled as she listened. She really wanted to draw her blade and strike him down. It was one thing to say she wasn't clever, but to suggest she couldn't fight? As the shadow warrior, Ei could not tolerate such a critique. Even if Morax himself were to stand before her, she would hold her own. How could Su Ran justify calling her physically weak?
"And... what about my strengths?"
Surely, his assessment wasn't entirely negative? If even her combat prowess was denied, what merit did Ei have in his eyes?
Raiden Ei—the sister known as Ei—was left speechless. Surely her sister wasn't quite that pathetic? If not for Ei, the lordship of Inazuma wouldn't have belonged to them in the first place. Even if the elder sister managed internal affairs while Ei handled the external, the Archon War was ultimately won through top-tier combat strength. No matter how well one governed their people, failing to defend them made one nothing more than a loser. Not every god was willing to simply hand over their divinity.
Because of this, Ei felt her own past achievements were far from trivial. Otherwise, people wouldn't remember the Narukami for her martial might rather than her governance. How could such a woman have no virtues to speak of?
"You're as beautiful as your sister. Does that count?"
By his own standards, Su Ran really couldn't name many virtues for Ei. Combat strength was, in his view, a minor detail. Even if she was a skilled fighter, could she defeat an Aeon? Or even an Emanator, for that matter? Clearly not. The Shogun's power was equivalent to hers, and his own gap in power was even wider. While he wouldn't dare claim the top rank among all Emanators, not every one of them could easily suppress him either. After all, before becoming an Emanator, he had evolved his own physical form. It might not have been on the level of a true Ultraman, but it surpassed the gods of this world. That alone put him above the vast majority of Emanators.
After all, most Emanators only gained power through the gaze of an Aeon; they had not undergone true evolution. To put it bluntly, they were glass cannons. High damage, yes, but not entirely impossible to kill. The Emanators of Preservation and Abundance were the only exceptions, as they were genuinely difficult to put down. From Su Ran's perspective, Ei's strength might exceed most pathstriders, but she was nowhere near the level of an Emanator. Some Emanators were fragile, but there was no guarantee she could even land a hit on them. If she could, he would have dragged her to the Blue Star long ago to test her against Herta. He was member number 85, after all; it made no sense for number 83 not to exist. Thus, he really couldn't bring himself to talk up her strength.
"What are you thinking about?"
Raiden Ei wasn't swayed by the comment about her beauty. Instead, she was fixated on Su Ran's distracted state. Could he be imagining something involving both sisters?
"I'm wondering if I should have Herta teach Ei a thing or two."
"Herta? Who is that?"
Hearing a name she didn't recognize, Ei's sister pondered the matter carefully. There was no one on Teyvat by that name, and from the sound of it, it didn't even seem like a woman's name.
"You wouldn't know her, but she's a Genius even more famous than I am."
Although he was a member of the Genius Society, he hadn't exactly been making waves in the public eye. His fame naturally couldn't compare to Herta, a renowned Genius of long standing.
"Is she stronger than you?"
Ei seemed to find a spark of motivation. Someone stronger than Su Ran?
"Not necessarily. In terms of raw talent, I think I have the edge, and I have my own hidden cards. In terms of power, we are likely on the same level since we are both Emanators of The Erudition. She might have more experience, but my body is absolutely superior to hers."
That much had been verified by Nous. A life form that even an Aeon couldn't fully comprehend had to be stronger than a human like Herta, right?
"Then why have that person teach Ei?"
Her sister glanced at Ei. If Herta was incredibly powerful, even more so than Su Ran, it made sense. But if she were lesser than him, it would be better for Su Ran to teach Ei himself. They were family, after all.
"Because Herta has a terrible personality. If she teaches Ei, I'm sure it'll yield results. Maybe then I'll finally be able to see some virtues in Ei."
What kind of twisted logic was that? Her sister realized she really couldn't keep up with Su Ran's train of thought. Ei had no virtues, so he had to find someone to create them for her?
"What kind of virtues could she possibly give Ei?"
"How about remolding her into a virtuous wife and mother?"
"Really?"
Her sister felt a flicker of hope. Ei was the type of person who would even try to snatch a gift from her own daughter. If she could be transformed into a virtuous wife and mother, that would be nothing short of a miracle.
"Not sure."
"..."
Then what was the point of saying all that? Was he just messing with her? She felt a wave of disappointment.
"So you were just spouting nonsense?"
"But I really do want to manufacture some virtues for Ei."
Su Ran looked with genuine seriousness at Ei, who was staring back with a blank expression. The Geo Archon of Liyue was learned, humble, and possessed impeccable character. And Ei? Other than being a woman, she didn't seem to excel at anything compared to that standard.
"Ei! Can I cut him down?"
Ei finally lost her temper. Everything Su Ran said was starting to grate on her nerves. In his eyes, was she really that useless?
"None of that domestic strife!"
Clutching her forehead, her sister blocked Ei as she prepared to lash out. Domestic strife? Ei froze, even putting aside her urge to kill for a moment. Meanwhile, Kamisato Ayaka looked back and forth between them, completely unable to grasp what Raiden Ei meant by family drama. Did Su Ran have some sort of blood relation to the Raiden Shogun?
"Sigh... although Ei is quite lacking, since you've said as much, I'll reluctantly accept her."
Ever since their game of chess, Su Ran had sensed that Raiden Ei's sister was truly desperate to push Ei onto him. She just couldn't help that her younger sister was so unrefined. But it didn't matter. He was so capable that it wouldn't be a problem even if his wife was just a pretty ornament. If her cooking wasn't up to par, she could practice. After all, Raiden Mei started out without any culinary skills either, didn't she?
"Su Ran... what on earth are you saying?"