It was a completely different civilization.
To a young girl who had never left the islands of Inazuma, everything before her seemed almost dreamlike.
"That’s right. That’s the land watched over by Rex Lapis, the one hailed as the mightiest god of war."
Kamisato Satoru took a deep breath, filling his lungs with the rich air of the continent. A trace of nostalgia mingled in his gaze with anticipation for all the excitement to come.
"First, we’ll get ourselves a proper meal and improve our diet. Then our second stop will be Mondstadt—the city famous for freedom."
Right now, shopping was practically the only thing on Satoru’s mind.
After such a long voyage, his stockpile of "spiritual sustenance" had long since run dry.
His dopamine levels were flashing red and desperately needed replenishment.
"You two waiting for us to dock? So, what do you think of Liyue’s front door?"
Beidou strode over casually and threw an arm around Satoru’s shoulders like an old drinking buddy.
"Magnificent. It even feels more alive than present-day Inazuma."
Satoru answered with a smile, a complicated emotion lingering beneath his words.
Inazuma had been thrown into chaos by the Sakoku Decree and Vision Hunt Decree. Even the smiles of ordinary people had become something of a luxury.
It was precisely because he had spent so long cooped up in that suffocating environment that he wanted to bring his little sister outside and show her what true prosperity looked like.
Ayaka’s eyes dimmed slightly.
As the young lady of the Yashiro Commission, she understood better than most just how terrible the situation in their homeland had become.
She lowered her voice.
"Brother, is it really all right for us to just leave like this? Can Ayato handle everything by himself?"
"Stop worrying about things you don’t need to worry about. Once the prophesied time arrives, all those problems will naturally begin to unravel."
"Your job right now is to throw every troublesome thought straight into the trash. For my sake—and for the sake of this trip—just enjoy yourself!"
Satoru ruffled his sister’s hair, his voice firm yet gentle.
Privately, though, he found himself wondering whether they might run into that famous "Punisher" during this journey.
"Mm! I’ll listen to you."
Ayaka nodded obediently.
She possessed an almost blind faith in this unfathomable elder brother of hers.
"Well, would you look at you two? Such close siblings. Makes a person jealous!"
Beidou teased from the side.
"Haha! My little sister’s this pretty, of course I have to spoil her."
"Captain, let me tell you—I’ve got plenty of embarrassing photos from when she was little. Wanna see?"
"Photos? You mean the kind taken with those Kamera gadgets from Fontaine?"
Beidou had heard of them before. After all, those things had become quite fashionable across Teyvat lately.
"Brother Satoru! Just try taking them out!"
Thump!
Ayaka’s beautiful face instantly turned red all the way down to her neck.
Flustered and furious, she drove her small but surprisingly forceful fist straight into Satoru’s arm.
Of course she remembered exactly what kind of pictures he was talking about.
Back then, her shameless brother had shoved her into a pond while she wasn’t paying attention, then stood on the bank snapping picture after picture.
Her reflection in the water had been squashed into a little lump, and with the distortion from the refracted light, she had ended up looking exactly like a turtle wearing a little dress.
Worst of all, the bastard had secretly started calling her "Kamisato Turtle."
"All right, all right, I’m kidding. Something that precious? How could I possibly show it to outsiders?"
Satoru wore the wicked grin of someone whose scheme had succeeded.
Those photos were treasures buried at the bottom of his collection.
Aside from that unfortunate victim Ayato, he had no intention of sharing them with anyone.
"Tch. Stingy."
Seeing the siblings bicker back and forth, Beidou gave a bored little pout.
Half a day passed in the blink of an eye.
At last, the flag of The Crux flew high above Liyue Harbor’s bustling docks.
Pavilions, terraces, and towers steeped in ancient elegance filled their vision.
The sheer impact of that distinctly Liyue aesthetic was incomparable.
As the maritime trade hub of the entire continent, the harbor greeted them with a wave of noise, crowds, and unmistakable vitality.
"We’re home! Satoru, Ayaka, this is where we part ways. Keep in touch!"
Beidou cupped her fists in farewell before turning away to direct the unloading of the cargo.
"Kazuha, until we meet again."
Satoru called out to the white-haired young man who had spent most of the journey leaning against a cargo crate, seemingly contemplating the meaning of life.
"Safe travels."
Kazuha smiled and nodded.
Satoru grabbed his sister and immediately made a beeline for the busiest district of Liyue Harbor.
First things first—they had to feed themselves.
At that very moment, high above the clouds in the floating Jade Chamber...
A breathtakingly beautiful woman with silver hair and crimson eyes sat behind a desk, expertly working through a mountain of official documents.
Ningguang, the Tianquan—Liyue’s fabulously wealthy woman of power—was currently staring at an urgent intelligence report with her brows drawn tightly together.
"The Kamisato Clan’s eldest young master and the Shirasagi Himegimi... They chose this particular moment to cross the border and appear here?"
As someone whose intelligence network stretched across all seven nations, Ningguang could still catch the scent of something unusual even when Inazuma had sealed itself up like an iron fortress.