Jean's eyes widened in shock as she turned to her friend. "Lisa..."
Lisa, once a top genius of the Suru Akademiya, possessed both exceptional intelligence and social finesse. In an instant, she understood the situation.
Her soft green eyes, filled with wisdom and mature sensuality, glead with intrigue.
"Oh~ Jean, it's been a long ti since I've seen you this flustered. It seems this gentleman holds quite the prestigious identity."
Lisa knew that the world had beco far more unpredictable than before. The depths of its mysteries were unfathomable—running into the Anemo Archon drinking by the roadside was hardly surprising anymore.
During her recent visit to Suru, she had been utterly shocked by the changes there. Even Inazuma now had two Raiden Shoguns. Despite her vast knowledge, it was all becoming increasingly difficult to process.
Noah's golden eyes reflected the woman before him—draped in regal violet, a seamless blend of intellect and seduction. Amusent curled at his lips.
"Little brother... This really reminds of the first ti I t Yae Miko. The déjà vu is uncanny."
When he first descended upon Teyvat in Inazuma, Yae Miko had greeted him the sa way. But once she learned who he truly was, she had been scared out of her wits.
Yae Miko was an alluring beauty; Lisa was an alluring beauty—the resemblance was uncanny.
Suddenly, a mory surfaced. Back when he had first started playing, he had been utterly chard by Lisa's teasing nature and had leveled her up to 70.
Jean quickly stepped forward, her voice filled with anxiety. "Lord Heavenly Principle, Lisa didn't an to offend you."
Her friend was wonderful in many ways, but she had a habit of flirting—especially with younger strangers.
And now she had unknowingly teased the ruling force of Teyvat himself.
Lisa's playful expression froze, her pupils shrinking. "What...?"
Had she heard that right?
Lord Heavenly Principle?
The young man before her... was the Heavenly Principle?
Noah's eyes glimred with amusent. "That's right, Lisa. That Heavenly Principle. You dare to call 'little brother'—does that an you wish to be the elder sister of the Heavenly Principle? That would be an act of defiance."
Jean was utterly dumbfounded.
Lisa's mind buzzed.
What? I've defied the Heavenly Principle just like that?
A cold sweat instantly broke out on her forehead.
After a brief ntal shutdown, the brilliant scholar in her kicked in. Lisa forced a smile as she looked at the enigmatic god. "If I apologize now, would it still be in ti?"
There was no fear in her heart—this was a monuntal situation, and fear wouldn't help.
She didn't doubt his identity for even a second.
After all, Jean had received a mission directly from Celestia and had successfully saved another world.
Jean had even brought back souvenirs and books from that world.
Such things could not be faked.
Noah was intrigued. This was the first ti soone, after realizing who he was—and understanding that they had offended him—wasn't paralyzed by terror.
Even Aether, when they first t in the Abyss, had nearly fainted from fright.
"Interesting."
Noah leaned back into Jean's chair, smiling at the sweat-drenched yet composed Lisa. "Offending the Heavenly Principle is a serious cri. However, the ignorant..."
Just as Lisa let out a relieved sigh, thinking he would say 'the ignorant are blaless,' her breath caught in her throat.
"...are given leniency in punishnt."
Noah casually picked up a docunt from Jean's desk and flipped through it. "Hmm, now how should I punish you?"
The air in the office grew oppressively heavy. Jean held her breath, her heart pounding against her ribs.
Lisa swallowed nervously.
How... How was he going to punish her?
Would a punishnt from the Heavenly Principle be terrifying?
Lisa felt like crying but had no tears to shed. Why had she run her mouth? If she had waited just a few more seconds, she could have avoided this disaster.
"Your punishnt is... to make a special Mondstadt-exclusive drink."
The mont she heard those words, Lisa felt as if all the strength had drained from her body.
Jean also let out a deep sigh of relief. Looking up, she saw that Lord Heavenly Principle's gaze was clear and gentle—there was no sign of anger at all.
She imdiately understood that her worries had been unnecessary.
The Heavenly Principle was, at his core, a protector of humanity. He had a deep fondness for kind-hearted people, and Jean knew Lisa well—she was undoubtedly a good person. There was no way he would truly punish her for such a trivial matter.
Lisa regained her composure and looked at the smiling young man before her. As soone who often teased younger n, how could she not realize she had just been played?
Jean had already told her that the Heavenly Principle's human form was nearly indistinguishable from a regular person, possessing all the sa emotions and desires.
If even Barbatos could disguise himself as a bard and live like an ordinary man, then a god walking among mortals was nothing new.
Lisa sighed in exhaustion, swaying her hips as she left the office.
Noah watched her go before turning his gaze to the docunts on Jean's desk. "Tsk tsk, even lost cat and dog reports end up on your desk? You really have it rough, Jean."
Jean stepped closer, standing beside him. "It's tiring, but as long as I can help the people of Mondstadt, it's all worth it."
Noah narrowed his golden eyes slightly. "You're wrong, Jean. As the one responsible for executing the nation's affairs, you should focus on high-level strategies and delegate tasks accordingly. You can't handle everything alone."
"Even if you worked yourself to death, you wouldn't be able to solve all these problems."
Jean lowered her head. "Yes, Lord Heavenly Principle."
The wisdom of the Heavenly Principle was absolute truth. She was fortunate to receive his guidance.
"During my mission in that other world, I beca aware of my shortcomings, so I studied books on governance from that world."
"I'm doing my best to learn and improve."
Noah nodded. Looking at this steadfast and selfless young woman who treated everyone with kindness, he found himself reminded of King Arthur.
Except, she lacked the aura of a true ruler.
Getting straight to the point, Noah asked, "As a reward for completing your mission, what wish would you like to grant?"
Jean knew he had co to fulfill her wish. But her greatest desire had always been to protect Mondstadt.
However, she had already thought carefully about how to use this wish.
"Lord Heavenly Principle, I would like to use my wish on my dear friend, Lisa."
Noah smiled. "How selfless of you."
"Your wish is to resolve Lisa's condition—the one causing her life force to continuously drain away."
"However, Lisa's condition stems from her own talent. Her gifts are too powerful for a human body to sustain."
Jean was stunned. "Lisa's talent is so powerful that her body can't withstand it?"
She knew Lisa was a once-in-two-centuries genius at the Akademiya, but to have talent so overwhelming that it actively hard her—just how terrifying was it?
And yet, Lisa had never ntioned it before.
A silver light flickered in Noah's hand, forming into a luminous orb of mortal power.
"The answer lies in her constellation."
"The Hourglass Constellation—symbolizing ti, knowledge, and equivalent exchange."
"Lisa can trade with the world for nearly any knowledge she desires, but every gain cos with a cost."
Jean quickly understood. "The cost... is her lifespan?"
Noah idly rolled the orb between his fingers. "That's right. The sand in her hourglass is finite. Every grain that falls represents a portion of Lisa's life, traded away for knowledge."
"Stopping the loss of her lifespan is simple—just lay the hourglass flat and embrace an ordinary life."
"But Lisa, already captivated by the infinite pursuit of knowledge, refuses to let go."
"Fortunately, she is rational enough not to fall into the Abyss."
"Rember this—every blessing from fate cos at a price."
With that, Noah placed the orb on the desk.
"This orb will replenish the lifespan Lisa has already sacrificed. It can restore her three tis."
"No more than that."
"Besides, I'm curious to see just how far soone with such a powerful gift can go in the future."
The ability to exchange knowledge at will—this touched upon the very essence of alchemy.
If Lisa ever ascended to godhood, her power of equivalent exchange would be a formidable secondary law, potentially rivaling even the primordial ones.
...
Click!
The office door swung open, and Lisa entered, carrying a drink she had personally prepared.
A once-in-two-centuries prodigy of the Akademiya, Lisa had dabbled in nearly every field outside of combat—and mastered them all.
If she ever opened a café, it would undoubtedly beco a famous establishnt.
But right now, the world felt more surreal than ever.
Teyvat had transford into a universe, constantly devouring other worlds to expand itself.
Just days ago, her dear friend Jean had been personally assigned a mission by the Lord of Celestia—the very being responsible for making this world so powerful—and sent to another world to execute its assimilation.
Lisa's curiosity was overflowing. The knowledge Jean had brought back—especially in biology and physics—had completely enthralled her.
She had wanted to learn more about the other world straight from Jean.
And then, the ruler of the world had casually walked into her office in the form of an ordinary human.
A being so great that even the oldest records barely ntioned them... had appeared before her.
And, of course, she just had to run her mouth.
But, according to Jean, that god was gentle and loving—so much so that even Klee mistook him for her father, and he had gone along with it, playing with her without hesitation.
A supre existence that was both kind and affectionate—Lisa felt no fear, only boundless curiosity.
Of course, she had broken into a cold sweat at the ti, but that was only because his arrival had been so sudden.
Lisa stepped into the office and, noticing only Jean inside, asked in confusion, "Jean, where is that esteed lord?"
Jean smiled warmly. "He has already left."
Lisa sighed in relief—then imdiately regretted it. "He didn't leave because of ... did he?"
Jean shook her head and smiled, handing Lisa the glowing orb. "This is from that esteed lord. It will restore your lost vitality."
Lisa hesitated, looking at Jean with a complex expression. "Jean... Don't tell this was your wish?" Jean must have learned the real reason behind her dwindling lifespan.
"This is a debt I can't repay."
Her Vision glowed faintly, confirming that the orb contained enough power to restore her lifespan three tis over.
It was as if she had been gifted three entire lifetis.
Jean smiled warmly. "We're friends."
Lisa accepted the orb. "I won't pretend to be overly polite and say thank you. But if you ever need my help, I won't refuse."
Jean nodded. "Mm."
So things between friends were understood without being said.
...
anwhile.
Inazuma – Narukami Island
Noah arrived at Ritou, Inazuma's largest harbor, alongside Nahida and Klee, who had quickly beco friends.
As one of the main trading hubs for Suru, Liyue, and Mondstadt, the streets were filled with rchants in diverse attire, each bustling with business.
Nahida curiously observed everything around her, her eyes filled with wonder. "The people of Inazuma seem to live happily as well."
Klee, filled with excitent and curiosity, exclaid, "Wow! So this is Inazuma! Brother Kaeya tells so many stories about this place. He said there are lots and lots of youkai here!"
Her eyes sparkled as she eagerly looked around. "Where are the youkai? Kaeya said they're animals that turn into people, like Diona—so they should have cat or dog ears and tails, right?"
Alice, seeing her daughter's enthusiasm, grinned proudly and chid in.
"There aren't as many youkai in Inazuma nowadays, but there are still quite a few. Last ti I was here, a tengu nad Kujou Sara accompanied ."
"Back then, I was experinting with a flying potion at Kiminami Restaurant, but I accidentally set off a modified Naganohara firework."
"I may or may not have... singed the poor tengu's wings."
Alice reminisced with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "I wonder if her feathers have grown back by now."
Noah crossed his arms and shook his head at Alice's shalessness. "You don't feel the slightest bit ashad, do you?"
Alice sighed dramatically, her expression suddenly lancholic. "Ahh, even little Yae has grown into a proper lady now."
"Back in the day, I could easily make her cry and throw a tantrum. Now that's impossible."
"Last ti I visited her for drinks, I planned to get her drunk and ss with her tail—but sohow, I was the one who got drunk first!"
"I ended up embarrassing myself, and she mocked endlessly for it."
"Tch! She made feel like so washed-up old woman." Alice clenched her fists. "Ugh, the more I think about it, the more annoyed I get... No, I have to get my revenge this ti!"
Noah watched Alice's antics with crossed arms, feeling a shiver run down his spine. "...Yikes."
Suddenly, he paused, eyes widening in realization.
"Huh?"
Quickly, he pulled up the Divine Pantheon Blueprint, his expression shifting to excitent.
"Soone just ascended to godhood without my intervention—by their own power!"
"I never expected the seed I planted so long ago to bear fruit at this very mont!"
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