Watching the absurd scene playing out in the bushes not far away, Su Bai and the others didn't know what to say. Su Bai, who had been about to intervene, slowly dispersed the Electro energy in his hands. He felt an overwhelming sense of embarrassment.
Not only that, Su Bai was also baffled. Why did he keep being proven wrong every time he tried to boast? Was today just not his day? But he had drawn a minor fortune from Sister Miko before leaving Mondstadt—he shouldn't be this unlucky.
"Um, Su Bai, maybe Lumine and I will just observe Liyue's good qualities for ourselves. You don't have to keep introducing them."
Lumine felt that if Su Bai continued, his introductions would completely ruin the good impression she had of Liyue. It would be better for her to experience the nation slowly on her own.
"No way! I refuse to give up. Let me think... let me tell you one more thing."
Su Bai scanned his surroundings. Seeing several wisps of smoke rising in the distance, he clapped his hands, an idea forming. Pointing to the smoke, he said proudly:
"You see those homes over there? In Liyue, if you're hardworking enough, you can apply to the Ministry of Civil Affairs for farmland. With a few plots of land, a family will never go hungry."
"And any surplus grain can be sold back to the Ministry. In a year, you might earn more Mora than working a regular job."
"So in Liyue, even if someone doesn't work in bustling Liyue Harbor, they can still meet their basic needs."
Lumine gazed at the golden fields in the distance, gaining a new appreciation for Liyue's administration. Using farming to keep families fed with some surplus meant ordinary, content people would have no reason to join organizations like the treasure hoarders. This greatly contributed to stability within Liyue.
This method also allowed the government to stockpile grain. With sufficient food reserves, the Millelith could continuously expand. As this cycle continued, unstable elements within Liyue would only diminish. It seemed Liyue's current leadership was far more capable than King Cedwall in some other world she had visited.
"Wow, I don't know exactly why, but this still feels really impressive."
"Paimon, your instincts are right. Ningguang is indeed a formidable woman. Even I have to stay completely alert around her."
Mentioning Ningguang brought a look of wariness to Su Bai's face. When he first returned to Liyue, he had often fallen victim to her schemes. She had a way of making people stumble into her traps without even realizing it. If he hadn't spotted Wangsheng Funeral Parlor hiring, his first job in Liyue might have been as Ningguang's bodyguard.
"Anyway, be cautious when you meet her—especially you, little Paimon. Don't let her sell you off while you count the Mora for her."
"Huh? Paimon isn't that dumb!"
Su Bai watched the indignant Paimon with a knowing smile. He had thought the same way once. After being outmaneuvered a few times, he learned that there was always someone more cunning. He simply couldn't handle someone as skilled as Ningguang.
"Klee, do you want some raspberries? I just picked some—Klee? Klee?"
"Oh no, where did Klee go?"
Paimon was holding a few raspberries, wanting to give some to Klee, but when she looked around, the little girl was nowhere to be seen. Her face paled—Klee had disappeared.
Su Bai and Lumine also grew worried. If it were anyone else, it might not be such a big deal. But this was Klee. The area was full of dry grass and wood. If she accidentally started a fire and got burned, Su Bai would never forgive himself.
"Brother Su Bai, Sister Lumine, I'm over here! Come quick, Klee found a big sister in strange clothes!"
From a patch of bushes, Klee was on her knees, straining to drag something out. Su Bai and Lumine rushed over to help. Only after they had fully pulled the unconscious figure out did Paimon ask what had happened.
"Klee, you didn't knock this person out with an explosion, did you?"
"No, no! Klee saw a strange little frog and followed it into the bushes. Then this big sister suddenly popped out of the ground and fainted."
Klee shook her head, insisting she hadn't used any bombs. Paimon thought about it—if Klee had set off an explosion, they would have heard it. So how had this strangely dressed woman fainted? Could she be suffering from heatstroke?
Su Bai narrowed his fox eyes, examining the young woman with a decent figure. The hat she wore looked like a mage's hat—he remembered Lisa, whom he had met a few times, wearing a similar style.
Her clothes were even more noteworthy. His astrologer pen pal had once mentioned that anyone who wore celestial patterns either knew nothing about the stars or had studied them extensively. Su Bai's intuition told him this young woman was the latter.
"Who in Liyue dresses like this? I've never seen her before."
"Her complexion doesn't look like poisoning. Let me check her pulse. Good thing I studied medicine for a few days."
Noticing the woman's delicate wrist, Lumine felt a twinge of envy. Her own arms had gotten sunburned from constant travel.
Su Bai checked her pulse first. Finding it normal, he grew puzzled and extended his adeptal senses to examine her further. Still, he found nothing wrong.
"That's strange. This girl is perfectly healthy—even healthier than most people."
Su Bai rubbed his chin. This was beyond his knowledge. He had examined both her physical and mental state thoroughly, yet he couldn't find any explanation for her condition.
"Well, I'll give her some adeptal energy. It won't hurt her anyway."
Taking the woman's wrist, Su Bai channeled some adeptal energy into her body. As the energy flowed, her eyes slowly opened. Seeing Su Bai, her first words were:
"Ugh... so hungry. Please... give me some food..."
"Um, Su Bai, this is..."
"..."
Looking at the woman drifting back into a dazed state, Su Bai felt exasperated. Had she fainted from hunger? No sooner had he tried to boast than his claims were disproven again. Fine, he would just stop talking altogether. Was he being picked on?
Lumine had already decided to write everything down tonight. Seeing Su Bai proven wrong so many times in one day was rare, and she was certain Yae Miko would be very interested in hearing about it.
"Let's go find some food together. I've placed an adeptal barrier around her, so she'll be safe."