Walking closer to the Raiden Shogun with Lumine behind me I saw the blank puppet eyes of the Electro Archon snap to me with them still being dull as was the norm for her puppet body being in control when Ei receded within her mental realm to meditate.
"Disciple. and his companions." The Raiden Shogun spoke stiffly and almost blandly in greeting before her eyes snapped back to me. "I am considering as to what lessons I should focus on, and I am currently creating a training plan for you. I have also been advised to ask what you would prefer to learn first?" The puppet spoke and I already was separating Ei from the puppet personality and just considering her puppet form as the 'Raiden Shogun'.
"Is it just Paimon or does she seem a little different?" Paimon actually whispered and I barely heard her as she whispered to Lumine who was behind me.
But rather than get into Ei's whole puppet thing I think she gave up her mortal body. I coughed as I began speaking. "Uhm I guess I would like training with swords both large Greatswords and more standard sabers and Katanna's as I imagine they follow some similar style with them being mostly slashing swords," I spoke.
"You also desire lessons on which to control your Electro energy correct?" She asked and I nodded in agreement.
The Raiden Shogun then paused going eerily silent and still as she stared ahead beyond our forms, and I realized she must have been talking to Ei or something. "That will do then. I will have a lesson plan to teach you control over the element of Electro, your exercise regimen to teach you swordsmanship, and of course a dietary and sleeping schedule to allow your body to optimally recover from the stresses complete within the next three days." She spoke and I swallowed at the list of how controlling she would be as my martial master.
"That will be great. However, I do have some prior engagements back in Liyue with the Rite of Descension in the next few days. Could we push off the lessons for me to return the day after the festival?" I asked and the puppet's head cocked to the side before nodding.
"Religious festivals are days in which violence is looked down upon so I shouldn't fight you on that day..." The puppet mused as it was thinking of an appropriate response and then it spoke more firmly in its bland voice. "Very well return on the day after the festival and your lessons will begin in earnest." It spoke.
"Will that be all Disciple? If not, I will be returning to my meditation."
For all that I wanted to ask if she was going to continue the persecution of Vision Wielders and allow the civil war to continue. I knew and it galled me to think this but my connection with her was nowhere near able to influence Ei let alone the Puppet body of the shogun.
"Yes, that will be all. Thank you for this opportunity and we will be going back to Liyue to prepare for the festival." I said bowing my head to my martial master as was right in this culture and then I stood up and Lumine stood up to join me.
"Whew! Paimon was scared when the shogun was staring so intently at us!" Paimon exhaled as she held her chest and took dramatic breaths while Lumine nodded.
"She was... Not looking at us for the most part. It was weird and her eyes didn't glow with that blue lightning which was weird." Lumine spoke as we exited the main building of the Shoguns throne room to enter the front garden area made with decorative sand and gravel swirls and artwork.
Seeing some guards, I decided to nip this issue in the bud rather than dealing with the inevitable political issues of being the Disciple of the Raiden Shogun as we were leaving anyway. No need to get dragged into other business.
"Excuse me!" I called out and the guards who had their backs to us turned quickly and saluted having probably already learned of my apprenticeship. "The Raiden Shogun has given me business to do, so me and my companions will be out of the city for the next few days. Can you please tell any concerned we will be back in a few days?" I asked respectfully and the right guard spoke.
"Yes sir! We will tell Lady Kujou Sara should we see her on her inspections or once our duty here as the front guards have ended." He said firmly and I noticed how the large man's armor was more decorated and realized that being a front guard for what was the nations god was probably a huge honor.
"Alright thanks for the help!" Paimon said cheerfully as I summoned up an Anemo Hypostasis that we jumped on and then the summoned Elemental spirit zipped away as we flew high into the sky to simply fly over the massive storm that surrounded Inazuma and with the help of a compass, I aimed the summon back to Liyue's mainland.
"Jake, how long do you plan to study under the Raiden Shogun?" Lumine asked me softly as she settled next to me while Paimon was at the edge of barrier that kept the room we were flying in pressurized and trying to look into the depths of the sea.
I shrugged as honestly if we got the Serenitea Pot I wouldn't need to actually 'stay' with her to learn from her but unless Madame Ping decided to just sell one, we would need to do the slog that was the Liyue storyline if it didn't become a dumpster fire of 'what the fuck' like Mondstadt turned into.
"I won't be spending months there and keeping you locked down Lumine." I said smiling wryly as I saw her exhale in relief. "But Inazuma does have some interesting stuff you can check out while I learn from her. Plus, you haven't asked the factions of Inazuma if they have anything on your brother." I finished and she shrugged as she had no rebuttal.