Chapter 29. Electromagnetism
The morning greeted me with rays of sunlight treacherously shining right into my eyes through the window left uncovered by curtains, and with a mild disappointment from not feeling Keqing's warmth beside me in bed. But, alas, I understood perfectly well: given my wife's diligence and her usually packed schedule, I could even say I was lucky that, these days, she could spend so much time with me. Now she's clearly making up for it — it could be said that the true trials of daily life are beginning for us: a time when, because of duties, we won't be able to spend that much time together. Although, to be precise, it's because of Keqing's duties. Unlike her, although I'm wealthy, for now I'm a free investor — meaning I can do as I please as long as the interest keeps coming in. And the kind of interest I'm getting lets me not deny myself anything; truly, an inheritance like mine is something people can only dream of.
"Well, anyway…" I jerked myself out of bed, "…I have things to do as well."
Focusing on the Electro core, which we had formed in my body during the night, I allowed faint sparks of violet electricity to run along my body.
"Maybe I'm not especially smart, but I did study for a reason — first in school, then in college and university. I'll bring about a technological revolution in this world!" I declared resolutely.
"Master Yun, you…" At that very moment, the front door opened and a young maid appeared in the doorway.
"Excuse me!" she cried, having caught sight of me in nothing but my underwear, standing there with my fist clenched in front of me and crackling with lightning. The girl, who apparently hadn't yet been corrupted by the lewdness of her older colleagues, was so flustered by the sight of my naked, muscular torso that she immediately slammed the door and fled.
"Ahem, well, that was awkward," I muttered, scratching my cheek. All I'd wanted was just to add a bit of flair while I was alone: as much as I like the Dendro element, electricity is just too cool.
"Well, I'd better just go shower and get to work," I decided to cast aside useless thoughts and focus on more important matters.
***
Meanwhile, in the Jade Chamber, Keqing was looking in slight confusion at a box of coconut milk cookies lying on her desk. Normally, there was nothing unusual about this — she often received gifts of gratitude — but the problem was the shape of the box and the person who had brought it. Especially against the backdrop of those playful rumors about her supposed "coconut goat" heritage, which naturally provoked some rather risqué thoughts.
"What am I even doing…" Shaking her head fiercely, the cat-girl dismissed such silly notions and tucked the heart-shaped box away in her desk, making a mental note to try the cookies later with Yun Che.
...
"Why did you do that?!" Ganyu, blushing like a tomato, was tapping her fists — albeit weakly — against the Geo shield of a very amused Ningguang, who seemed to have found unexpected entertainment in playing matchmaker and pairing off a new couple of adepts with their ever-present chief secretary.
"Oh, come on, it's fine! And more importantly, now she's going to think about you. The more you occupy her thoughts, the closer you are to your goal."
"Yeah, but… coconut cookies? What if she thinks something weird?" As the target of the rumors, naturally Ganyu knew about the strange nickname born of her horns, and over her long life, she'd certainly heard enough about the perverted things people's minds could conjure up.
"All the better! That means her thoughts will be especially persistent," Ningguang smirked.
"But actually, I didn't call you here for that," Ningguang turned serious. "Do you still remember our conversation yesterday?"
"Of course," Ganyu nodded affirmatively.
"Keqing said that Yun Che managed to get permission from Morax, and he even promised to help persuade Cloud Retainer to come to the city herself and become the chief researcher."
"That's good news, but what does it have to do with me?"
"I don't know when the Geo Archon will arrange his meeting with Cloud Retainer, but I think it'd be better if someone close to her prepared her for it ahead of time — and you're perfect for that. While you're gone, my assistants will cover your duties."
"All right," agreed the half-adeptus, before adding with a note of nostalgia, "Come to think of it, it's really been a while since I've visited Mount Aocang."
"Oh, and by the way, you don't need to worry while you're away: I'll continue, on your behalf, with the 'seduce the girl to win over her husband' operation."
"Don't!" Ganyu exclaimed at once, before adding softly, "I want to do it myself."
While Ningguang was teasing Ganyu, the unwitting subject of their scheme — who was currently wrapping a piece of iron with copper wire — suddenly felt a chill.
"Brrr, can an adeptus even get cold?" I grumbled, ignoring how absurd that sensation was, and went back to focusing on what I was doing. After all, much of my future plans depended on this.
Having finished winding copper wire around the iron, I grabbed one end of the protruding wire with my right hand and the other with my left.
"Well, here goes," I said, channeling a small Electro charge, which flared violet in my right hand and then flowed through the wire before reaching my left hand. The sensation was a bit unpleasant, but since it was my energy, it didn't harm me; what mattered was something else. Holding the wound piece of iron, never stopping the flow of Electro, up to some small metal fragments on the table, I got the result that made me beam with joy: the metal was drawn in.
I'd made a magnet, which meant — with high probability — that Electro could function according to the familiar physical laws from my past world, and therefore had the potential to be as universal a source of energy.
"Electricity once drastically accelerated technological progress in my old world — now I'll bring about the same in Liyue," I declared with pride, looking at this demonstration of electromagnetism as if it were a true miracle.