Humming a little tune, Kaeya sauntered all the way to the Favonius Cathedral.
Everyone on the road greeted him today, and even young girls were offering him breakfast.
He felt as if the whole world had become beautiful after waking up.
He was walking on air.
He had completely forgotten how he was ground into the dirt by two foot soldiers yesterday, watching his own deity be ravaged by another like an incompetent husband.
As soon as he entered the cathedral, he saw Lumine, a strange flying object, and a girl with massive beast horns but an incredibly beautiful face.
Even someone as calculating as him couldn’t help but feel a sense of goodwill.
His ‘big sister’ Lumine was grinning foolishly, her face flushed, with her arms wrapped around Barbara and Victoria on either side.
Lumine spotted Kaeya from a distance and released her hold on the two women.
Lumine called out affectionately, “Second Brother!” Kaeya responded with equal affection, “Big Sister!” “Second Brother!” “Big Sister!” The two rushed toward each other and gripped each other’s hands tightly, looking every bit like a pair of siblings sharing a touching moment of mutual respect.
Then, Lumine was the first to show her fangs.
“Second Brother, have you suffered?
Your sister was born of humble means but harbors great ambitions.
After many hardships, the hearts of Mondstadt’s people are now with me.
The imperial undertaking is nearing completion; are you still willing to help me achieve hegemony?” Seeing Lumine act this way, Kaeya played along with her rhetoric to voice his own goals.
“Big Sister, since returning home, your younger brother has exhausted his mind and soul, strategizing until I finally gained control of Mondstadt’s armaments this morning.
However, much remains unfinished.
Monsters stir outside, while inside, food supplies are insufficient and the people are restless.
Trade routes are blocked, and Mondstadt’s economy is like stagnant water.
If these matters are resolved, my worthy sister’s achievements could truly be called imperial.” Lumine looked into Kaeya’s eyes and saw only sincerity and expectation, so…
*Slap!* A loud ear-slapping sound echoed as Kaeya was sent flying right out of the cathedral.
It wasn’t over.
Lumine lunged forward, pinning Kaeya firmly to the ground so he couldn’t move.
She grabbed his collar with both hands, pulled his face close to hers, and said fiercely: “Do you think I’m stupid?
I treat you like a brother, and you want to work me to death?
Do you think I’m a pushover?” Kaeya hurriedly tried to soothe Lumine.
He felt that if she gave him one punch, he’d be meeting his late mother early.
“Cough, cough…
Sister, don’t be hasty, don’t be hasty.” In a life-or-death moment, Kaeya’s brain worked at high speed: “I’ll send two Knights to help you with the monster culling and food gathering.
They…
they’re both beauties!
One of them is Amber!
The caravan escort will probably take until evening, but!
I promise to hire a beautiful girl adventurer to accompany you.
Sister, you…
you have to believe me.” Lumine immediately broke into a wide smile.
“Aww~, good brother, you should have said so earlier!
You made me misunderstand you.
Are you hurt anywhere?
Let me see.” “No, no need, I’m fine.
Does Sister have any other additions to these arrangements?” “None at all, Sister is very satisfied.
I accept my brother’s kind intentions.
As for those tasks, don’t you worry; Sister promises to handle them beautifully for you.” “That’s…
that’s good then.
That’s good.” As Kaeya said this, he thought to himself: ‘Her strength is too much!
I’m a grown man weighing over 140 pounds, and she sent me flying with one slap.
I literally saw my mother waving to me from the other side.
She’s terrifying!
Is she even human?’ ‘Fortunately, I was quick-witted enough to think of a way to control her.
The mere Emperor Ying is nothing but a beast of burden before me, the God Kaeya!
Hahaha.’ ‘Amber, Eula, and Fischl…
Hmph, Amber is so well-behaved, and with Eula watching over things, there shouldn’t be any problems.’ ‘As for Fischl, heh, there’s no need to worry about that kid at all.
Some kind of noble Princess or whatever—she’s perfect to clash with my sworn sister.’ ‘She won’t get anything.
She’ll just be doing free labor for me, contributing to my Mondstadt.
This god is truly too brilliant, jie jie jie.’ “Lumine, why did you agree just like that?
He’s clearly not treating you like a person!” At this moment, Paimon and Tiamat floated over.
“Paimon, you can’t say it like that.
With great power comes great responsibility.
Someone has to do these things, so why can’t it be me?
It’s okay, Paimon.
You just stay with Tiamat; I’ll be back by tomorrow at the latest.” “Okay then.” Tiamat finally realized something was wrong.
“Lumine, are you…
leaving?” Lumine’s heart suddenly softened.
She hugged Tiamat tightly, cheek to cheek, and whispered in her ear, “Wait for me, I’ll be back soon.” Then Lumine walked toward Kaeya.
Tiamat was left behind with one hand outstretched, clutching at the air, looking exactly like a mother reluctant to see her child travel far away.
Kaeya suddenly felt like a villain, tearing a mother and daughter apart and making that beautiful girl wear such an expression.
‘Wait, so she is the new Anemo Archon?
Looking closely, her feet aren’t even touching the ground.
There’s no fluctuation of elemental energy…
Hiss, this girl is terrifyingly powerful.
And that saintly appearance…
she seems much better than that drunkard Venti.
And she’s technically my cheap foster mother.’ “Alright, stop staring.
That’s my mother, not yours.
What are the tasks, the locations, and where are the people?” “She counts as my foster mother too,” Kaeya muttered.
He then pulled a map marked by Jean from his robe.
It clearly circled the locations and noted the types and scales of the monsters.
“You can just follow the map.
Your two knight assistants are on standby at the Knights of Favonius headquarters; you can go straight there to find them.” “As for that adventurer, I’ll have her wait for you at the Adventurers’ Guild later.
If there’s time, you can also register as an adventurer; I’ll pull some strings so you can finish the registration quickly.
If there isn’t enough time, then we’ll just have dinner first.” “Alright, I’m off then.” Saying this, Lumine looked back at Tiamat with reluctance, then impatiently jogged away.
‘Hehe, a new un-unlocked waifu.
Sorry, Tiamat, I’ll make it up to you when I get back.
With Paimon and Barbara to accompany you, you shouldn’t be lonely…’ Tiamat looked at the receding Lumine with a somewhat dejected expression.
Suddenly, she felt a warmth at her back—it was Barbara hugging her.
“It’s okay, Lord Anemo Archon.
I will always be with you.” Tiamat turned around, stroked Barbara’s head, and gave a maternal smile.
“Barbara, good child.” Barbara gave a blissful smile, the corners of her mouth curling up uncontrollably.
“Um, can I also call you Tiamat?” Tiamat’s ethereal voice sounded a bit more cheerful.
“Yes.” “Um, Lord Anemo Archon, the citizens of Mondstadt also need your strength.
Could you use your abilities to provide some convenience for us?” Kaeya stepped forward and asked cautiously.
Tiamat looked at Kaeya, her expression noticeably flat, and she made no move.
Although they were all children, he had just separated her from her favorite and most special child, and for so long.
Moreover, she could sense that he didn’t have good intentions toward Lumine.
Even Tiamat could get angry.
Kaeya was in a bit of a bind and looked toward the others for help.
Barbara…
well, she looked blissful hugging the Anemo Archon and likely wouldn’t pay him any mind.
Victoria…
wait, why did she and the other sisters look like they wanted to hack him to pieces?
Finally, he turned his pleading gaze toward the unidentified flying object.
“Uh, don’t look at Paimon like that.
Paimon…
fine, um, Tiamat, they’re working very hard moving stones and it’s dangerous, so please help them.” Only then did the ethereal voice respond: “Okay.” Thus, Tiamat, Paimon, and Barbara—who had practically become Tiamat’s accessory—followed Kaeya to the first site.
They saw many knights and citizens repairing a tower.
People on the scaffolding were using pulleys to transport large stone bricks, while more people below were carrying materials up, either by stairs or ladders.
Many were also cutting stone, shaping them as needed.
Others were mixing cement.
Even though the work hadn’t been going on for long, everyone was covered in dust and drenched in sweat, and many had various scrapes and bruises on their bodies.
Tiamat was deeply moved seeing the children sweating, problem-solving, and cooperating for their home, using their weak bodies to achieve things that, in Tiamat’s eyes, they shouldn’t have been able to do.
She only then realized that this beautiful city was built bit by bit by these children.
If she and her previous children had used such bodies, they probably wouldn’t have been able to achieve anything.