Landing back on the harbor of Liyue City after a quick trip across the ocean I sighed at the major change of Inazuma's architecture to Liyue's more modernized style despite the actual building style being more traditional. "Well, we are back in Liyue. So I guess that should go tell Ningguang that everything went well. While you girls go check up on Eula and make sure our house didn't burn down." I said adding on the Eula bit as I dismissed my summon.
"Yeah, Paimon bets Eula is super lonely after not being around her besties for a couple of days!" Paimon said almost smugly at the thought of seeing Eula in a moment of weakness but Lumine just nodded as she gave me a quick side hug.
"Hurry up or Paimon will eat your portion of dinner." She said smiling and Paimon chuckled evilly at the thought of eating all my food before she paused and stomped in the air.
"Wait Lumine! Paimon wouldn't eat all of Jake's food! Paimon would at least leave him some soup stock and the crust of the bread!" Paimon said defensively and my eye twitched at the thought of only being left the stock of some stew and just the probably chewed-on remains of the bread.
"Paimon you leave me nothing but crusts and I will make you into an idiot sandwich," I warned her as I walked off towards the official way to be taken to the Jade Chamber as my flying there before had led to issues like the guards up there attempting rather poorly to arrest me.
But as I made my way up the streets of Liyue I felt my instincts kick in and I peeked behind me as I took a turn and saw Yelan casually following... More like stalking me with her arms folded over her chest.
Once I finally got to the lift that would take me to the Jade Chamber I gave her a look as I spoke dryly. "And you couldn't just walk beside me and speak like a normal person?"
Yelan just snickered at my awkward expression with her enchanted bracelets jingling as she shrugged making her voluptuous chest bounce in the motion and as my eyes were naturally drawn to that sight her blue-slitted eyes tightened on my form as she retorted. "And you didn't wait and offer me an arm to hold like a gentleman? I assure you, as a lady walking around the streets of Liyue in these heels that if a big strong man like you were to offer an arm so I can take some weight off my poor feet I wouldn't say no." She said teasing me but I rolled my eyes.
"Yeah like you need a big strong man Yelan... Hell, I have seen you do front and backflips while wearing those heels and landing on stone tile and soft grass. So if anything I want lessons from you on footwork." I said joking and Yelan chuckled for a moment before her face smoothed over as we got out of earshot of any guards on the flying platform as we flew up towards the Jade Chamber.
"So become the disciple of Inazuma's goddess... That's a big step up in the world's totem pole." Yelan threw out there and for a moment my lips twitched and I wanted to ask on how in the world she got that information as it wasn't even a couple of days old to say nothing of how Inazuma was supposed to be locked down. But then I recalled how there were in fact some magical artifacts that could be used to call people from far distances as I remembered the whole summer events where the Traveller would go to the Golden Archipelago and Klee's mother would call her.
So, in the end, I just nodded as it was in fact a pretty large jump in the world's social totem pole as being a disciple of a god even if I was highly unlikely to inherit her occupation as the Electro Archon was still a large honor.
"Yes, so I guess I may just be moving over to Inazuma," I said offhandedly and Yelan was unable to hide her ever so slight stiffening at her reaction to that news. As all Vision wielders were a major military asset in this world with the Fatui causing trouble to say nothing of the many monsters that crossed the land.
So she already saw me, Lumine, and Eula as walking nukes basically saying 'meh I rather go over to another nation' was the same as some soldier in charge of a nuclear missile bunker saying 'Meh I got a job offer over at the next country over there. I am taking my pocket nuke with me btw.'
"I see..." She said drily but she didn't have a chance to say anything else as our platform reached the Jade Chamber I strode forward and after getting past the guards I arrived at a meeting room with Ninguang, Keqing, and Ganyu within, going over some last minutes details for the Rite of Descension happening tomorrow afternoon.
"Ningguang," I said with some respect as the white-haired beauty put down her papers to focus on me as I continued to speak. "I came to report the delivery mission's completion and to retrieve my payment." I finished and she nodded as she snapped her fingers and a servant that was standing at the door bowed.
"Mission statement four fifty-seven, retrieve his payment of a five hundred thousand Mora," Ninguaung said probably listing off the file for our mission or something before she looked back to me from the servant who walked away.
"So Jake, do you have anything of note to tell me of your meeting with Lady Sangomiya Kokomi?" She asked as she tapped one of her hand's fingers on the table in front of her with her engraved metal finger protectors on her pinkie and ring finger clinking against the wood.
I raised an eyebrow at her question wondering why she asked the question and pondered on whether she knew of our invitation to join the resistance combined with my disciple's status to the Raiden Shogun I was seriously wondering if Ningguang was thinking of attempting to dive deeper into the politics and status of Inazuma to interfere with it.
"She was an interesting woman. Obviously doing all she could to support her people in a time of need and was of course rather intelligent in trying to drag us into their civil war." I said with my lips twitching at the memory of Kokomi offering us a Mistspliter and a copy of Ei's Engulfing Lightning that they stole which would have made us focused targets of the forces of the Tri-Commission that was fighting the rebels.
"But you didn't want to know what I thought of her in such banal terms. So what do you want to happen in Inazuma?" I asked folding my arms as I laid out the metaphorical cards on the table pushing Ningguang into a corner as she would either need to speak clearly or deny any such motivations which would keep me out of whatever trouble she was planning.
Instead of Ningguang actually speaking it was Ganyu who spoke softly as she interjected. "Lady Ningguang just wanted to get your own opinion as she had not met the priestess of Watatsumi island in person before, only through intermediaries. But yes Jake you are on point." Ganyu said with a weak smile as she eyed Ningguang. "Liyue is making enquires for... Business opportunities in Inazuma but with the blockade and frankly all the neighboring nations also facing issues we are considering more drastic measures to bringing stability."
I actually groaned at that before making an X across my chest as I stood up from the chair that I took to speak with them. "Wow you know this wonderful conversation about my mission is slipping through my mind..." I paused as I tilted my head for a second before I continued speaking. "Oh yeah I have wonderful food waiting for me at home and I need to get to bed early for the Rite of Descension tomorrow alright," I said before looking to Ningguang who was wearing a small smile of amusement as she knew I was doing as cleanly as I could to distance myself from this coming trouble.
"You ladies have a wonderful meal of paperwork and Ganyu don't fall asleep in our backyard's grass. And please don't eat our Dandellions from Mondstadt again as they are supposed to remind Eula of home." I said powerwalking out of the room and I heard Ganyu squeak in embarrassment for a moment I considered turning around and actually grilling her on if she actually ate our fucking imported flowers from Mondstadt, but I just kept walking with a straight face while I mentally screamed as I heard Yelan's high heels clicking as she followed me.