"Thank you, Beidou-jie."
Hearing Beidou's considerate explanation, Kokomi felt touched.
This big sister seemed very good at taking care of others.
"Back at Sangonomiya, I sensed a powerful energy fluctuation from Nazuchi Beach. It was a violent Electro surge, specifically Kujou Sara's elemental burst, so I came to investigate."
Kokomi organized her thoughts and spoke softly. "When I arrived, the battle was already over. I only saw the aftermath and sensed Sara's residual energy."
"Then I saw your unique ship and wanted to ask what happened. I didn't expect you to be so... bold and welcoming."
Kokomi struggled to find the right words, settling on "bold" and "welcoming" to describe Beidou's warmth.
"Haha!"
Beidou laughed heartily. "You mean Kujou Sara? Yeah, I fought her. I came to catch pirates, she wouldn't let me, so we had a disagreement. We agreed to a duel: if I won, she'd let me work in Inazuma freely. If I lost, I'd go with her to Narukami Island to see the Shogun."
"Luckily, I won. She left, and I left."
"I have to say, she's a tough opponent."
Beidou spoke with genuine respect.
Sara was strong, arguably her equal.
Without the Zanpakutō from the jar shop, Beidou wouldn't have been able to handle a flying Tengu so easily.
Thinking back, she felt another wave of gratitude toward the Shopkeeper.
When she returned to Liyue, she would definitely send him a gift.
Even if Felix said it wasn't necessary, she insisted. The Steam Battleship alone was worth a fortune in strategic value.
"I have to agree. Sara is a difficult enemy," Kokomi nodded solemnly. "Though she rarely uses complex strategies, she excels in direct combat. The Shogunate army trusts her completely. Under her command, they are united and fearless. She has threatened the Resistance many times."
"But for you to defeat her... that's amazing, Beidou-jie. Sara is very strong."
Kokomi looked at Beidou with admiration.
Defeating the Tengu General was no small feat.
"I did alright," Beidou grinned. She noted the mention of the "Resistance."
Shogunate vs. Resistance. Interesting.
"Beidou-jie, did you enter Inazuma with this ship?"
Kokomi looked at the steel vessel around her and asked hesitantly. "You said you're from Liyue Harbor. I heard it's protected by the Geo Archon and is the most prosperous city in Teyvat. Has Liyue advanced to the point of building unsinkable steel ships? You called it a 'Battleship'?"
"Um... could I trouble you to build one for Sangonomiya? Don't worry, the payment will satisfy you. Even a small one would be enough."
Kokomi looked hopeful but skeptical.
She knew Liyue was rich, but steel ships? That was a technological leap beyond comprehension.
Inazuma couldn't do it. The Shogunate still used wood.
Beidou's ship could crush Inazuma's navy effortlessly.
If the Resistance had even one ship like this, the balance of power would shift dramatically.
She was getting excited just thinking about it.
"Yes, I entered Inazuma with this ship."
Beidou laughed. "But Liyue hasn't mastered this technology yet. This is the only one of its kind in Liyue. I got it from a jar shop."
"I can't build one for you because I don't know how. And yes, it is a 'Battleship.' A tier above ordinary ships."
Beidou was honest. She liked this girl and saw no reason to lie.
Plus, the truth was stranger than fiction.
"Jar Shop?"
Kokomi blinked.
The ship wasn't built in Liyue? It came from a jar shop?
She didn't understand.
"Haha!"
Seeing Kokomi's cute, confused expression, Beidou laughed. "Yes, a jar shop. There's a magical shop in Liyue that sells jars for 100,000 Mora each. Inside, you can find incredible things."
"Like this Steam Battleship I'm sailing. Or pills that grant eternal youth. Even Visions can be pulled from them. There's nothing you can't find, only things you haven't imagined."
"That magical?!"
Kokomi was stunned.
A shop that sells Visions?
Impossible.
But Beidou had no reason to lie. And the steel ship was real evidence. Inazuma didn't make it. Liyue didn't make it.
So where did it come from?
Kokomi's brilliant strategic mind short-circuited. She was completely baffled.
"Haha, yes. It's that magical."
Beidou grinned at the dazed priestess. "If you get the chance, you should visit Liyue. But with the lockdown, it's hard for you to leave. If you ever come to Liyue, I'll personally show you around. Inazuma feels too... stuffy. Depressing."
Beidou sighed.
Since entering Inazuma waters, she felt a heavy, oppressive atmosphere. It lacked Liyue's vitality.
"Speaking of which, what did you mean by 'Resistance'?" Beidou asked, steering the conversation back to business.
"Sigh."
Kokomi sighed. "It's because of the Vision Hunt Decree. The Shogun issued an order to seize most Visions in Inazuma."
"But those who lose their Visions become listless, losing their ambition and memories. Many couldn't resist and just watched their Visions be taken, losing themselves in the process. Some suffer even worse side effects."
"Naturally, people resisted. So I formed the Sangonomiya Resistance to protect those who possess Visions and those who have lost them. The Shogunate army hunts Visions, so we are enemies."
"Besides that, there's also..."
...
Kokomi explained the situation in detail. Beidou listened intently, nodding.
So that's why Inazuma feels dead.
"That's terrible!"
Qianyan exclaimed indignantly. "People earn Visions to become stronger. Stealing them is outrageous!"
"I feel like there's more to it," Huixing frowned. "If the Shogun herself issued the decree, why do you still exist? You should have been wiped out instantly. You shouldn't be able to hold out this long."
If a God wanted them gone, they'd be gone.
The Resistance was mostly ordinary people and a few Vision holders. Against the Shogun, they were ants.
Yet they survived. It was suspicious.
"Sigh."
Kokomi sighed again.
She knew it didn't add up either. But she had to fight for her people regardless.
"But things are looking up now. I saw that a huge chunk of Nazuchi Beach was destroyed, along with the road to Yashiori Island. That means the Shogunate can't attack us for a while."
Kokomi looked at Beidou with gratitude.
The destruction of the road bought the Resistance precious time to recover.
"Beidou-jie, can you tell me more about Liyue?"
Kokomi asked hesitantly. "I've never left Inazuma. I've heard Liyue is the most prosperous and safe city in Teyvat."
"And can you tell me more about that Jar Shop?"
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