"I have lived for over six thousand years and consider myself a know-it-all."
"But the more I know about certain things, the more powerless I feel."
"Liyue is the wealthiest in Teyvat; its docks are crowded with a thousand sails, and Mora is piled up like mountains."
"But as young friend King said earlier, it is the chambers of commerce, the Noble Families, and the few holding power who are wealthy."
"Miners are still overextending their lives, and the children of the Poor are still going hungry."
"I once thought that 'contract' could frame order and 'rule of humanity' could bring vitality."
"But in reality, the old frameworks are deeply rooted, and interests are intricately intertwined."
"Having abdicated previously and handed Liyue over to the 'rule of humanity,' it was said on the surface that the contract was fulfilled and people should walk their own path. In truth..."
The ancient Geo Archon sighed, his sigh carrying a hint of self-mockery: "It is because I am tired, and... lost."
"After the Archon War, I governed Liyue alone for thousands of years, witnessing wealth accumulate and human hearts change beneath the prosperity, where the Poor get poorer and the rich get richer."
"Though I hold the 'contract,' some things cannot be constrained by a mere piece of paper."
"No matter how it is modified, there are always loopholes in a contract."
"I want to change it, but I don't know where to start, fearing that too much force would destroy Liyue's foundation of thousands of years."
"Thus, I simply let go and left it to time to wear it down."
"But looking at it now,"
Morax's eyes sharpened: "For some chronic illnesses, time only allows them to take deeper root."
"This wave of reform in Inazuma, though dangerous, may not necessarily be a way out."
The little girl in front of the stall didn't know what these important people were talking about.
The little girl only knew she was very afraid.
She looked at the pile of Mora in front of her, so scared her legs went weak, her small face turned pale, and her thin body shook like a leaf in the wind.
She had never seen so much money in her life!
This Mora was enough for her and her grandmother to eat for a long time... no, maybe even for a lifetime!
However, she didn't dare take it.
Who knew if taking it would lead to trouble from some terrifying adults?
"Who are you afraid of?"
King's voice rang out.
The little girl jolted, lifting her terrified eyes to look at the black-haired man speaking.
His face looked so fierce, and his gaze was so scary!
"I... I..."
The little girl's voice was as thin as a mosquito's buzz.
"Are there any adults in your house?" King asked.
"On-only Grandma..."
The little girl lowered her head, her fingers twisting the corner of her tattered clothes: "Grandma is sick, lying at home. I-I wanted to sell some soup to save money to buy medicine for Grandma..."
Her voice grew smaller and smaller, carrying a sob.
King's gaze swept toward Yae Miko nearby.
The pink-haired fox was still immersed in the massive shock of "Rex Lapis is actually by my side" when she suddenly felt a gaze land on her.
She jolted and looked up to meet King's eyes.
There wasn't much emotion in that gaze, just a faint glance, but Yae Miko instantly understood!
He wanted her to handle the aftermath!
Yae Miko immediately adjusted her expression, a kind smile appearing on her face as she approached the stall, leaning down slightly to look at the little girl:
"Little one~ What is your name?"
"...Na-Naruko," the little girl replied timidly.
"Naruko, what a lovely name."
Yae Miko's voice became even softer. "Is your grandmother sick? Is it serious?"
Naruko nodded, her eyes turning red: "Grandma has been coughing for a long time and can't sleep well at night. We went to see a doctor, and the doctor said she needs very good medicine, but I..."
"How pitiful." Yae Miko sighed softly, then changed her tone, her voice carrying a seductive sweetness, "Then Naruko, would you like to never have to worry about money again, and also have your grandmother receive the best treatment and live in a warm house?"
Naruko was stunned, staring blankly at the pink-haired older sister who was so beautiful she didn't seem real.
"I, I... How could that be possible?" She completely couldn't understand the meaning of those words.
"Of course it's possible~"
Yae Miko smiled even more sweetly, reaching out a slender finger to lightly tap Naruko's forehead. "I see that you have a unique constitution and clear eyes; you're very spiritual! Would you like to come to the Grand Narukami Shrine and become a Shrine Maiden?"
"Sh-Shrine Maiden?!"
Naruko's eyes widened, and her small mouth formed an "O" shape.
In Inazuma, being a Shrine Maiden of the Grand Narukami Shrine was an identity countless girls yearned for!
High status, respected, a stable life—it was a true "divine office"!
"I-is it really okay?"
Naruko's voice trembled with excitement, but then, a massive sense of inferiority overwhelmed her.
She lowered her head, looking at her dirty, patched-up clothes and her thin, scrawny arms due to malnutrition.
"But I... I'm ugly and thin, and I don't know anything... The Shrine Maiden ladies are all so beautiful and amazing..."
"Who said that?"
Yae Miko leaned in closer, her light purple fox-like eyes carefully examining Naruko's dirty little face, and then a flash of surprise crossed her eyes.
After washing her face and putting on some weight, she was clearly a beauty in the making!
Her features were delicate, her nose bridge was straight, and especially those eyes—though currently filled with fear and timidity, their shape was beautiful, and the pupil color was a sky blue rarely seen in Inazuma.
"Naruko, I have a very good eye for people," Yae Miko said with a smile. "You have a very good foundation; it's just covered by dust right now."
"When you grow up, you will definitely become the second most popular beautiful Shrine Maiden in Inazuma~"
"Can I really go to the Grand Narukami Shrine?"
Naruko's small hands nervously gripped the corner of her clothes, her sky-blue eyes full of anxiety.
"Of course you can~"
Yae Miko's smile became increasingly gentle as she reached out to rub Naruko's withered yellow hair.
"You'll be able to learn many things, eat your fill, stay warm, and never have to sell naku weed soup in the cold wind again."
"Then can you wait for me?"
Naruko looked hesitantly at her broken clay pot and then toward the direction of her home.
"I want to go back and tell Grandma first..."
"Shall we go with you?"
Yae Miko suggested considerately, though her eyes secretly glanced at King. Seeing he didn't object, she took Naruko's dirty little hand.
The group followed Naruko, turning into the narrower and more dilapidated alleys behind Ritou Dock.
The buildings here were low and crowded, old clothes hanging to dry fluttered between the alleys, the ground was muddy, and the air was filled with a musty smell.
Paimon covered his little nose and murmured softly, "The smell here is so..."
Lumine lightly tapped Paimon's mouth, his eyes full of disapproval.
Zhongli followed behind with a composed pace, his teacup having been put away at some point, leaving only a barely audible sigh.
Clorinde rested his hand on his sword hilt, alertly watching the surroundings, but a flash of pity crossed the depths of his eyes.
Fontaine also had Poor people; were they also this desperate?
Raiden Ei walked very slowly.
She had never seen these things from such a close distance.
As a deity, she sat high in Tenshukaku, and all she saw were documents submitted by the Commissions—the macro "Inazuma."
Now seeing the real Inazuma, her mind was filled with a thousand thoughts, unable to find peace for a long time...
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