NOVEL NEXT Chapter 42: Chapter 42
The fact that Acting Grand Master Jean has arrived in time means that the current dragon disaster has not yet begun.
In other words, there is still some time before the arrival of the Traveler and Paimon.
I just don't know if it will be Brother Aether or Sister Lumine.
Those two, appearing to help out, would be quite beneficial.
The godless kingdom of Khaenri'ah seems to have been founded by one of the two siblings. Compared to the other seven nations, Khaenri'ah's technology is significantly advanced.
In the end, it was used for war, leading to the promotion of Abyssal studies by Celestia.
Takumi shook his head—he was too lazy to think about it further.
Again, in Teyvat, as long as you don't meddle with the Abyss, Celestia will leave you alone.
So, Takumi understood.
Unless one possesses the power to defy Celestia, the Abyss is something Takumi would never touch, even at the cost of his life.
...
Takumi led Acting Grand Master Jean, Lisa, and their group back to Wangshu Inn.
Keqing happened to be there as well.
Seeing Jean and Lisa brought back by Takumi, she was slightly surprised.
"Acting Grand Master Jean, Miss Lisa."
"Hello."
"For the first time, I am Yuheng of the Liyue Qixing, Keqing."
"Welcome to Liyue."
Jean and Lisa were also surprised upon hearing Keqing's self-introduction.
The Yuheng of the Liyue Qixing?
They observed Keqing for a moment before greeting her immediately.
"Miss Keqing, I have long heard of your reputation."
"Hello!"
Jean quickly greeted her.
Keqing held a very high status in Liyue.
Unexpectedly, she was here.
Was Keqing overseeing the entire construction of the new city?
With great curiosity, Jean followed Takumi and Keqing into Wangshu Inn.
Xiangling and Albedo quickly learned of Jean and Lisa's arrival.
However, Albedo remained focused on his experiments.
Instead, Sucrose ran out to greet them briefly before rushing back, seemingly at a critical point in her research.
Jean and Lisa didn't mind, as they both understood what kind of person Sucrose was.
"Please, have some tea."
...
Jean, Lisa, and the knights they brought along took a moment to rest at Wangshu Inn.
They sat on the inn's balcony, gazing at the ongoing construction site in the distance.
Jean and Lisa were astonished.
Especially upon seeing the excavators.
They were utterly perplexed.
Liyue had tools like this?
Watching the excavators carefully dig through the soil left them in shock.
Excavation had never seemed so effortless.
A product of mechanics and alchemy?
This was incredible.
Had Liyue's technological advancements reached this level?
Seeing this, Jean and Lisa felt as if they were in a dream.
Compared to Liyue, Mondstadt suddenly seemed outdated.
Jean felt a mix of disappointment and urgency.
If things continued this way, Mondstadt would fall behind the times.
It seemed she would need to have a serious discussion with Ningguang.
Keqing and Jean exchanged a few words.
After resting, they decided to head to Liyue Harbor together.
Takumi also joined them.
Since further cooperation with Mondstadt was required, Takumi's involvement was essential.
He also needed to plan accordingly.
Once the decision was made, they prepared to set off.
However, with so many people, the available vehicles could not accommodate everyone.
Even though they had vehicles, there weren't enough drivers.
The Qianyan Army soldiers capable of driving were all operating excavators at the construction site.
Takumi simply summoned a bus.
Upon seeing the bus appear out of thin air, Jean and Lisa were astonished.
Keqing also examined it with curiosity.
Another new type of vehicle?
It appeared to be meant for transporting people.
"Everyone, please."
"Get in the bus."
"Let's head back."
With that, Takumi entered the driver's seat.
Lisa stared at the vehicle in front of her, extremely curious.
Was this created through a fusion of mechanics and alchemy?
Had Albedo been invited to develop this?
What a fascinating concept.
With her intelligence, she immediately understood the potential of this vehicle.
If used for travel between Liyue and Mondstadt…
More people would be able to travel between the two nations.
This could greatly benefit Mondstadt.
Jean led the Knights of Favonius onto the bus.
The vehicle's outer shell resembled a typical bus from the previous world.
The only difference lay in its internal engine.
Moreover, the vehicle was Takumi's own design.
With careful planning, he had manifested his ability to create it.
Once everyone was seated, Takumi started the vehicle.
With the Mondstadt Knights aboard, they set off towards Liyue Harbor.
At this moment, Klee sat beside Jean, excitedly explaining how the vehicle was made.
After listening, Jean turned to Keqing.
"Miss Keqing, will these vehicles be available for Mondstadt in the future?"
Hearing the question, Keqing paused.
"In that case, there should be no problem."
"However, since Albedo can create them, Mondstadt could manufacture them as well."
"It shouldn't be too difficult for you."
Alchemy in Mondstadt was highly advanced—if they needed vehicles, they wouldn't have to rely on Liyue for them.
Jean shook her head.
"No."
"Although we can indeed manufacture them…"
"It's not just about making them."
"There are many factors involved in producing a vehicle."
"There are materials Mondstadt might not have."
"Such as certain minerals."
To build their own vehicles, Mondstadt would require a large number of minerals.
But Mondstadt lacked sufficient resources.
To construct vehicles, they would have to import minerals from Liyue first.
Given the complexity, purchasing the finished product would be more efficient.
Additionally…
Getting Mondstadt's people to work?
Jean knew her people well enough.
If she opened a factory, she might end up losing money instead.
So, she decided it was better to buy the finished vehicles from Liyue.
She explained her reasoning to Keqing.
After listening, Keqing nodded in understanding.
"I see."
"But this isn't something I can decide on my own."
"For business matters, you'll need to speak with Ningguang."