"Darling."
Lisa draped her arms over Ryen's shoulders, her voice a warm, melodic purr. She tilted her head, her gaze lingering on him with a depth that was far from innocent. "There is only room for two in each boat. I wonder... who exactly will you be inviting to share your vessel? I'm quite curious."
The implication hung heavily in the air. Ryen could read the promise behind that look, a reward tonight that would be impossible to refuse, should he choose her.
Before he could answer, Ganyu tugged gently at the fabric of his sleeve. Her eyes were downcast, her posture small. "Ryen, I... I'm afraid of the water. You'll take me with you, won't you?"
Before the words had even faded, Ningguang arched a perfectly groomed brow. "As a Cryo user, I should think water holds no terror for you, Ganyu." She turned to Ryen, her expression unreadable. "Compared to that, I have no experience with these small boats. You will take me, won't you?"
Ryen remained silent, feeling the weight of the air growing dense. Yae Miko and the others seemed entirely indifferent to his lack of response, immediately launching into their own justifications for why they were the most suitable choice. Even Ei had come up with some bizarre, convoluted logic to justify why she, above all others, should share a boat with him.
He felt a bead of cold sweat track slowly down his temple. This had escalated far beyond the simple logistics of who was sitting where. To women like Ningguang, this was a contest to determine who held the position of the true matriarch of the household. Given the stakes, none of them were inclined to take a single step back.
In the distance, Zhongli and the others beat a strategic retreat, putting as much space as possible between themselves and the volatile atmosphere. They began preparing their own boats in silence. The air around Ryen was far too dangerous; they had no desire to be caught in the crossfire.
As Ryen searched for a way to pacify them, Nahida suddenly tilted her head, looking up at him with wide, hopeful eyes. "Ryen, I want to be in your boat, too..."
The tension vanished in an instant. Ryen breathed a sigh of relief, scooping Nahida up into his arms and looking at the others with a composed, firm expression. "Enough bickering. Traveling by sea is a dangerous undertaking. Naturally, I must keep my daughter safe with me."
Ningguang and the others pursed their lips, clearly displeased at being dismissed by such a glaringly reasonable excuse. Yet, they could hardly argue with the logic.
Once they saw Nahida had claimed the spot, Klee, Qiqi, and the other younger children grew excited, but Jean and the others stepped in, taking the pressure off Ryen. Jean took Barbara, Lisa took Klee, Ganyu took Yaoyao, and Ningguang took Qiqi. Hu Tao and Guizhong paired up; though Hu Tao had dearly wanted to share a boat with Qiqi to try and bridge the gap between them, it was clear Qiqi had no intention of letting that happen.
The rest of the group quickly found their partners and prepped their vessels. Only when the spectacle had ended did Zhongli's group wander back, looking remarkably refreshed. Ryen cast them a weary, sidelong glare before heading toward the shore. He set his boat onto the water and boarded with Nahida.
"Beidou, you remember the way, don't you?"
Beidou nodded, a bright, confident grin spreading across her face. "Of course. I haven't been a captain all these years for nothing. Besides, all we have to do is keep sailing in a straight line, and we'll hit the New Continent."
Ryen smiled and nodded. "Good. Let's head out! Destination: the New Continent!"
The excitement of a group outing, the first of its kind in a long while, lifted everyone's spirits. The prospect of navigating the endless, glittering sea was a novelty that piqued everyone's interest. With a chorus of cheers, dozens of small boats pushed off from the port. The progress of the MC world had begun to move forward once more.
In Fontaine, while Ryen and his group set sail, the Snezhnayan forces led by Arlecchino were busy crossing a massive lake. They had already dealt with a tide of monsters and Fatui-modified soldiers.
Arlecchino glanced at her weary troops and sighed, her voice low. "Rest here for an hour."
"Understood!"
Her adjutant exhaled, rushing to bark orders and set up camp. Though they carried plenty of alchemical potions supplied by the Tsaritsa, the relentless trekking and the constant skirmishes had taken a heavy toll on their morale. Had it not been for the ongoing support of the Abyss Order, they would have suffered casualties long ago. While the potions were potent, the sheer number of modified soldiers and monsters was not to be underestimated.
As Arlecchino scanned the horizon, she tried to calculate how much longer the journey would take. A portal to the Abyss shimmered into existence beside her, and a Lector emerged, sliding a letter into her hand.
"From your Tsaritsa," the Lector said, his tone detached.
Arlecchino opened it, her brow furrowing. "The Tsaritsa is no longer in Teyvat?"
The Lector nodded. "Ryen's progress cannot be stalled. She departed this morning. However, she should have informed you of what to do."
Arlecchino did not respond. The letter was detailed; once they cleared Fontaine, they were to meet with liaisons from Sumeru and Liyue. Once they left Fontaine, the path ahead was clear. The problem was getting out of Fontaine in the first place. Her route had been compromised, and if she took the long way around, she would be intercepted repeatedly until she was trapped.
She had tried to reach an understanding with the Fontaine authorities, a promise that they were merely passing through and would not linger. But the internal politics of Fontaine, with the new and old Hydro Archon factions at each other's throats, were far too complex. They would not tolerate a Snezhnayan military presence of this size for long. They had given her a deadline; if she did not evacuate, they would intervene.
Meanwhile, the attacks from the "Knave" continued unabated. Her current route was exposed, and the borders were clogged with modified soldiers. A brute-force breach was possible, but it would cost lives. Arlecchino knew the Tsaritsa needed every able-bodied person she could get.
The Lector noticed her frustration. "Do not worry about the Knave. His attacks on us Khaenri'ahns have caused significant damage during this critical time of our restoration. The Prince is furious and has dispatched elite forces from the Order to Snezhnaya. Once they coordinate with the Captain, they will launch a full-scale offensive against the Knave's forces. He will not have the power to spare for your group."
The Lector continued, "As for this route, you will eventually reach the Sumeru desert. Everything has been arranged there; three thousand new troops are waiting at the border to eliminate the modified soldiers once you arrive. You will have the support of the Order along the way. You may proceed without worry."
"However," the Lector added, "everyone has gone with Ryen to explore the New Continent. There is no need to rush; if you arrive too early, you will only be waiting in Liyue."
Arlecchino finally let out a breath of relief. With the support of the Sumeru troops and the Khaenri'ahns, the path forward seemed much safer.
"My thanks," Arlecchino said softly. "But we shall wait until we reach Liyue to celebrate. I prefer not to invite disaster by waiting."
"As you wish," the Lector replied with a nod. "I was only sent to deliver the message. If there is nothing else, I shall depart."
With that, he reopened the portal and vanished back into the Abyss. Arlecchino carefully reread the Tsaritsa's letter, and finding no further instructions, stored it away. She summoned her adjutant.
"Rest well. In one hour, we march rapidly toward the border. Do not hoard the alchemical potions; prioritize reaching Sumeru as quickly as possible."
The adjutant acknowledged the order and stepped away to arrange the logistics. Arlecchino found a vantage point and scanned the horizon. She could not yet see the desert, but the air felt noticeably drier. At this pace, they would reach Sumeru within three days. Once there, everything would be simplified. Even if the Knave's influence was widespread across Teyvat, he could not breach the alliance of the five nations, excluding Snezhnaya. Even Sumeru, the newest addition, possessed military strength that mere remnants of the Fatui could not shake. Sumeru had long since become a forbidden zone for the Fatui.
As she thought about the strange, mysterious world the Tsaritsa had described in her previous letter, a flicker of anticipation stirred within her. Once these three thousand men were delivered, the military strength of Snezhnaya would skyrocket. At that point, the forces led by the Knave would be of no consequence.
Lost in thought, she spotted another unit of over a hundred modified soldiers in the distance. Her gaze turned icy. Watching them surge toward her position, Arlecchino drew her weapon and swallowed an alchemical potion.
"Cherish these final moments of your arrogance."
With those words, Arlecchino transformed into a blur of motion, surging directly toward the enemy forces.
In the MC world, on the sparkling, endless sea, dozens of small boats sailed in perfect formation, racing forward. The spray kicked up by the oars glistened like translucent pearls in the sunlight. Though they were traveling, the group was not in a hurry. As Ryen had often mentioned, the beautiful scenery along the way was a treasure in itself.
Beidou and Kokomi were in the lead boat. Following them were Ryen and Nahida. Behind them, Ningguang and the others followed, while Zhongli and Xiao brought up the rear.
Xiao was rowing with intense focus, while Zhongli...
He had claimed that sea fishing from a boat was a novel experience he had never tried before. He had set up a fishing rod, casting his line with a leisurely air. Perhaps because the boat was constantly moving, or perhaps because Zhongli's luck simply didn't favor seafood, nearly an hour had passed without a single catch. He hadn't even managed to hook the rotten flesh he used to be able to pull from the depths.
Zhongli remained perfectly content, calling it "cultivating one's character."
Cloud Retainer and the others, who could easily have taken their true forms to fly, found they couldn't stay seated. They shifted into their avian forms, flapping their wings high above the group as they traveled. In this relaxed and joyful atmosphere, perhaps many had forgotten that the purpose of this trip was to explore a New Continent.
But that was exactly what Ryen had intended.
This was a collective journey, after all. And while the work plan was important, witnessing the mysterious, unknown, and breathtaking scenery of the MC world was far more significant.
Ryen was rowing leisurely, holding Nahida, when Lumine suddenly let out a cry of excitement from the side.
"Ryen! Look! There's something under the water!"