"Witch, you!?"
The moment Raiden Ei saw Alice, she frowned. Alice had never pranked her personally, but being called "that grumpy-faced general" by her was hardly something to be happy about.
The woman in front of her was just like Yae Miko—both of them loved watching a good spectacle unfold, and Ei had never been good at dealing with that type.
"Long time no see, Lady Ei," Alice said with a smile.
"You know each other?" Raiden Makoto asked curiously.
She had never met Alice before. After all, she had died five hundred years ago, and Alice only came to Inazuma after her death.
"We do. Back then, Miko was still just a little girl," Ei said with a nod.
"Witch, what exactly are you here for this time?"
"Just visiting old friends. So this is the first Electro Archon, hm? Nice to meet you. I'm Alice of the Hexenzirkel," Alice said with a smile.
"I've heard of the Hexenzirkel," Makoto said with a nod.
Everyone in that group was a genius, but they rarely walked openly across Teyvat. It was an extremely secretive organization.
"Little Miko isn't here?" Alice looked around, not seeing the pink-haired little fox anywhere.
"I'm here, I'm here. I was just wondering why I suddenly felt such an irritating aura. So it was you."
Yae Miko walked over with Kitsune Saiguu. The moment she saw Alice's back, the smile she usually wore disappeared from her face.
"Alice..."
Old memories surfaced in her mind once more, and her expression immediately turned unpleasant.
"My, my, Little Miko still holds grudges. I only teased you until you cried and made a fuss. At worst, I'll say sorry," Alice said with a grin.
Yae Miko's face darkened. She could not hear the slightest hint of apology in that. It was pure provocation.
This woman was still just as annoying as ever.
"Pfft."
Kitsune Saiguu could not hold back her laughter. No wonder Little Miko had made that face. She more or less understood now. This woman named Alice must have pranked Little Miko in the past and left a very deep impression on her.
Hahaha, this was great. She had not expected there to be someone else who had teased Little Miko before.
"So something like that happened to you back then, Miko," Ei said with a smile, not sounding sympathetic in the least.
After all, Yae Miko had just said "cried and made a fuss." That clearly sounded like a jab at her.
Makoto wore a strange expression. So that was how it was.
"That's enough, Alice. What exactly do you want?" Yae Miko's face flushed red. Having Alice expose her embarrassing past like this made her utterly unable to save face.
"Nothing much. I just came to see some old friends. The grown-up you isn't very fun to tease. You were much more interesting as a child," Alice said, sounding a little regretful.
Yae Miko's fists clenched tighter and tighter. If this were a different place, she truly wanted to let Alice experience the beautiful sorrow of lightning.
"I agree..." Kitsune Saiguu pulled Alice aside and began telling her stories from Yae Miko's childhood.
As Inazuma's original mischief-loving fox, of course she had no problem sharing Yae Miko's black history with someone else.
Yae Miko's face turned darker and darker. Kitsune Saiguu, whose side are you on, anyway?
Koji found it astonishing. To make Yae Miko this angry—Kitsune Saiguu really did deserve the title of the original sly fox. One thing really did keep another in check.
"Makoto, I came here because I need to discuss something serious with you." Koji's expression turned slightly more solemn.
Raiden Makoto paused for a moment, then nodded for him to continue.
After hearing everything Koji had to say, Makoto thought for a moment, then said with a sigh of admiration, "If this communication system can really be developed, then it would be a planet-wide convenience for all of Teyvat."
At present, Teyvat's methods of communication were basically still limited to letters. The speed was far too slow.
If long-distance communication could be achieved, then communication between people would become incredibly convenient.
"So even without leaving home, you could contact someone in Mondstadt or another nation?" Yae Miko asked with interest.
Koji nodded. "Yes. Even if two people are in different places, as long as they connect to the communication system, they can contact each other in real time."
"Ei, I'm putting this matter in your hands. Bring some people with you."
Since they now knew about it, they definitely had to contribute.
Talented people from the other nations were already gathering in Liyue. Inazuma could not afford to fall behind.
Ei nodded. Although she did not like involving herself in administrative affairs, even she understood the benefits of this kind of communication.
"That's enough. Are you two still not done?" Yae Miko heard that Kitsune Saiguu was still telling Alice about her black history, and she really could not hold it together anymore.
"Don't stop, I haven't heard enough yet," Alice said with great relish.
Who would have thought little fox Yae Miko had that sort of childhood? Things like being used as a hand warmer, or diving into snowdrifts when it snowed...
"There's plenty more, but let's stop here for today." Kitsune Saiguu also looked thoroughly satisfied after talking so much.
"Miko, fun things are meant to be shared with others. Aren't you two acquainted?"
"If possible, I'd rather never have known someone like Alice at all," Yae Miko blurted out.
If she had known Alice's personality in advance, she would have stayed as far away from her as possible.
Back then, she had still been just a little girl, still innocent, and then Alice had come looking for her.
"Miko, hearing you say that really hurts," Alice said, rolling her eyes.
"Then be hurt. The more hurt you are, the happier I'll be."
Yae Miko felt absolutely no sympathy. This woman was simply too hateful. She had been pushed past her limit more times today than she usually was in an entire year.
"Miko, how about I go visit your place? You don't mind, do you?"
"How could I not mind? You'd better leave Inazuma as soon as possible. I do not want to wake up one day and find Inazuma blasted into the sky by you, with me flying up along with it," Yae Miko said, the corner of her mouth twitching.
This woman was far too dangerous. Even aside from all that black history, Yae Miko wanted as little contact with Alice as possible.
She had read all the books related to Alice, and they were enough to make anyone's scalp tingle.
Things like the sustainable development of Hilichurls, or draining all the underground water in Liyue just to see whether the mountains would sink.
Although those ideas had been stopped by others, no one had stopped her at Stormterror's Lair. Alice had only gone in there once, and it had turned into the Stormterror ruins everyone knew today.
If she took a stroll through the Grand Narukami Shrine, it might end up becoming a ruined shrine too.
"I promise, I won't do that kind of thing," Alice said.
"So you really did have ideas. Looks like we'll have to assign someone to watch you at all times," Yae Miko said seriously.
"Everyone's busy, so Miko, why don't you keep an eye on Alice?" Koji suggested.
"Agreed," Makoto said with a nod. "After all, Alice will still show proper respect to gods like us. She won't actually do anything."
Yae Miko: "Huh?"
(End of Chapter)
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