Genshin x Minecraft: Building the Temple of Virtue

Chapter 732 - 732: 732: The Cavalry Captain's Plea

Watching Aether and Lumine practically spark with electricity as they glared at one another, the Tsaritsa let out a soft sigh. Such unique sibling affection was truly a rare sight, even across millennia. A twinge of regret settled in her chest. Taking Aether on as Snezhnaya's foreign aid might have been a miscalculation. Lumine was undoubtedly going to direct her absolute fury toward Snezhnaya now."Lumine! Paimon will cheer for you! You can definitely beat Aether and prove who the older sister is!" Perched comfortably on Ryen's shoulder, Paimon pumped her tiny fists in the air.

Aether's expression darkened, his gaze locking onto the floating fairy with a heavy, unamused stare.

Lumine reached over, pinching Paimon's squishy cheek. "You're going to hide again! This isn't Teyvat! You share Ryen's physique here too, you're coming with me!"

"No way!" Paimon's face scrunched up defensively. "Even with his physique, Paimon isn't good at fighting! Besides, Ryen would never want to see Paimon get hurt in a fight, right? Right!"

Ryen chuckled, plucking Paimon from his shoulder and pulling her into a warm hug, rubbing his cheek against hers. "Of course. Paimon is so small, what if she gets hurt? In fact, neither Paimon, Nahida, nor Klee are allowed to participate in the matches." He glanced over the group. "Even with the protection of the Totem of Undying, pain is still pain."

The two little girls nodded obediently; neither had any intention of joining the fray anyway. Alhaitham and the rest of the Sumeru contingent exchanged a brief glance, entirely unbothered by Nahida's exclusion. They still had Buer, after all. When it came to large-scale elemental amplification, the elder avatar of their archon was far more adept. Sumeru was, for the time being, a nation blessed with two gods.

"Tch..." Lumine clicked her tongue, dropping the demand.

Ever since arriving in the Minecraft world, the little fairy hadn't lifted a finger in combat. In Teyvat, she vanished the second swords were drawn. Here, glued to Ryen's side, there was simply no need for her to act. Forcing her into the arena would be pointless. It wasn't as if Lumine could expect Paimon to weaponize her pocket dimension for anything other than hiding.

What Lumine failed to notice, however, was the conspiratorial wink Ryen shot Paimon.

Others might be in the dark, but Ryen knew the truth: the tiny companion harbored a terrifying reservoir of power. Back in Teyvat, if she fully unleashed her authority over spatial dimensions, even Zhongli could be banished into the void if caught off guard. In terms of raw, unadulterated strength, Paimon stood at the absolute apex. And that was with her actively resisting the restoration of her full power. The might of one of the four original Shining Shades of the Primordial One was on a completely different scale from any ordinary demon god.

Catching Ryen's gaze, Paimon nuzzled happily into his chest like a contented kitten. She was perfectly satisfied with her current life. Beyond satisfied, in fact. Why would she ever want to recover her memories and her world-shattering strength? Being Ryen's spoiled flying companion, pampered and protected every single day, was infinitely better. 'God of Spatial Dynamics'? What did that have to do with Paimon, the best travel guide?

Chatter erupted around the room as the adrenaline from the recent Bedwars match refused to fade. Voices overlapped, dissecting the finer details of the game, arguing over missed opportunities and brilliant maneuvers. Aether quickly folded himself into the discussion. As a future combatant, he needed to absorb every tactical nuance he could.

Ryen, meanwhile, leaned back, fighting off a yawn.

Bedwars was thrilling, yes, but that thrill belonged entirely to the players. He was barred from the arena. The entire collective of Teyvat had formally petitioned that he remain strictly a referee.

After all, one could at least attempt to counter Zhongli's martial arts. But Ryen? Even stripped of the Sword of the Cosmos and all magical staves, his raw base power was an insurmountable wall.

Sure, everyone present shared a quarter of his physical strength, which made the gap seem narrower on paper. But a quarter of what base metric? Even without a shred of martial finesse, relying purely on brute force, Ryen could punch a hole through all seven nations single-handedly. Furthermore, his mastery over the mechanics of this cubic world was absolute. Archons only knew how many bizarre, reality-bending tricks he had yet to reveal.

Just look at the tactics Zhongli and the others had utilized today. Reeling players in with fishing rods, surviving fatal falls, launching themselves out of TNT cannons like descending deities... all of it was pioneered by Ryen. The water bucket clutch, the boat clutch, mid-air crafting to secure a safe landing, Ryen had ruthlessly drilled these maneuvers into them ever since they acquired Totems of Undying. In terms of pure mechanical skill, none of them could touch him. He was a walking cheat code. His participation would simply end the game.

Thus, the joy of competition belonged to them, leaving Ryen anchored to the sidelines in absolute boredom. It was tolerable for now, with Ningguang and the others lingering nearby. But once the final rounds commenced and he was left alone at the commentator's desk, he was going to lose his mind.

Beside him, Ganyu blinked, picking up on his quiet lethargy. She slipped her hand into his, her voice dropping to a soft murmur. "Ryen... should I sit out the next rounds? I can stay here with you."

Shaken from his reverie, Ryen offered a gentle smile, resting his hand casually on her thigh. "No need. I'll have Paimon and the little ones. You all should enjoy yourselves. You've worked tirelessly all year; you deserve a joyful Lantern Rite."

Ganyu nodded slightly, but as the one who shared his bed, she could still read the rigid set of his shoulders. A thought flickered in her mind. Leaning in until her breath ghosted against his ear, she whispered, "Then... come to my room tonight. I'll keep you company..." A heavy flush painted her cheeks. "I can... I can wear that outfit you like so much. And we can do it the way you prefer..."

The boredom evaporated instantly. Ryen straightened up, his eyes sharpening as he squeezed her hand. "You mean it?"

Ganyu gave a timid, red-faced nod.

Truthfully, it wasn't just a reward for him; it was a reward for herself. Ever since Yae Miko arrived, Ryen had spent his nights tending to the kitsune. Calculating the days, Ganyu realized she had been deprived of his affection for three whole nights. Her body hummed with a quiet, persistent longing. Tonight would be the perfect remedy for that ache. Besides, she was still determined to be the first to bear his child.

"My Ganyu always knows best." Ryen chuckled, affectionately rubbing the base of her horns.

The rustle of fabric signaled Lisa leaning over. She had clearly caught the tail end of the exchange. Fingers tracing a light path over Ryen's arm, she hummed, "Darling, I want in too... You haven't kept me company in days."

Ganyu's brow furrowed, her amethyst eyes darting toward the librarian with a flare of territorial annoyance. She had claimed tonight first.

Sensing the half-qilin's irritation, Lisa merely blinked, a teasing smile touching her lips. "Don't worry, Ganyu, I won't get in your way. We can just do it together."

"Together?!" Ganyu's face exploded into a brilliant shade of crimson. She waved her hands frantically. "No, no, no! How could we possibly, "

"Why couldn't we?" Lisa propped her chin on her hand, studying Ganyu with deep amusement. "You and Hu Tao accompany him together all the time, don't you? Why am I excluded? Don't tell me our dear Ganyu dislikes me?" She arranged her features into a mask of exaggerated heartbreak.

"No! That's... it's just..." Ganyu stuttered, completely flustered.

Sharing with Hu Tao was an entirely different matter, mostly born out of an inability to fend the energetic Director off. It always played out the same way: just as she and Ryen were losing themselves in the moment, Hu Tao would slip into the room with a mischievous grin and declare, "Bonus mealtime!" Lost in a hazy fog of pleasure, Ganyu never had the mental fortitude to protest. But tonight was different. She was planning to wear that obscenely embarrassing outfit, engaging in acts so scandalous she couldn't even put them into words. If Lisa witnessed that, how could Ganyu ever show her face in public again? Her dignity as an adeptus would be in ruins.

"Stop teasing her." Ryen lightly pinched Lisa's cheek, offering a helpless sigh. "I'm staying with Ganyu tonight. I don't have anything planned for tomorrow, so I'll accompany you then."

"I suppose that's acceptable." Lisa smiled in triumph. Leaning so close that her emerald earring brushed his shoulder, she murmured, "And as a reward for being so agreeable, I can help you with..." Her voice trailed off, her gaze dipping as she slowly tapped her lower lip.

A shiver ran down Ryen's spine. Pinned between the two of them, a wave of intense anticipation flared in his chest.

"What are you all whispering about?" Noticing the hushed, huddled conversation, Guizhong drifted over, tilting her head curiously.

"Nothing much," Lisa chuckled smoothly. "Just discussing the proper technique for eating popsicles."

"You need technique to eat a popsicle?" Guizhong scratched her cheek, thoroughly bewildered, before the heavy, lingering implication in Lisa's eyes finally clicked. The realization hit her like a physical blow.

"Despicable!" she hissed, shooting a venomous glare at Ryen before retreating to her seat.

A hot flush of indignation rose to her cheeks. True, her 'popsicle-eating' technique was notoriously poor, often leaving Ryen wincing in discomfort. He had told her countless times that if she couldn't get the hang of it, she should just stop before someone got hurt. But the God of Dust was relentlessly stubborn, fiercely determined to master the craft. Unfortunately, it appeared to be a field in which she possessed zero natural talent.

Still, to have her lack of skill paraded around like an inside joke! How was she supposed to maintain the majestic aura of a demon god? What would Madame Ping and the others say? They would look at her in despair, mourning the loss of the innocent, pure Guizhong. They would whisper that she had been corrupted, engaging in such filthy acts, and worse, that she was aggressively enthusiastic despite being utterly terrible at it.

Stewing in her thoughts, Guizhong fired another glare at Ryen, silently resolving to banish him from her quarters for at least three days.

Ryen caught the glare and blinked, completely bewildered. Lisa was the one who made the joke; why was he catching the crossfire?

Still... Guizhong's technique really was abysmal. She was perfectly fine in all other regards, but when it came to oral proficiency, it was nothing short of a hazard. Even Yae Miko, a complete novice, had picked it up faster. Ryen shook his head, lamenting his failure as an instructor. To think he, a grandmaster in his own right, couldn't drill the fundamentals into her head. It was a tragedy.

While Ryen and his companions delved into the intricacies of bedroom politics, Jean and her team were finalizing their post-match analysis of the Bedwars tournament.

There weren't many mechanical errors to speak of; Mondstadt's strategic execution had gone relatively smoothly. The fatal misstep lay in a severe underestimation of Zhongli's raw power. Had they realized the true extent of his capabilities within this world, the four nations would have immediately formed a coalition to cripple Liyue right out of the gate.

Reviewing the notes spread before her, Jean shook her head in mild regret. "We'll write this one off as a learning experience. Next time, we must ensure we fully understand the capabilities of our opposition."

The surrounding Mondstadt crew nodded in solemn agreement.

Seeing that the tactical review had concluded, Kaeya sidled up to the table, an impossibly bright, ingratiating smile plastered across his face. "Acting Grand Master, if I may, I have a formal request to submit."

Jean paused, narrowing her eyes at the Cavalry Captain's expectant gaze before realizing his intent. "You want to stay here?"

Kaeya nodded enthusiastically, letting his shoulders droop into a picture of utter misery. "You all get to spend your days here, exploring, building, and playing games. Meanwhile, I am shackled to my desk in Mondstadt, buried under an endless avalanche of paperwork. I experience fatigue too, you know. I believe I am well overdue for a vacation."

He leaned closer, lowering his voice persuasively. "Besides, I could be of great assistance here. With next year's development plans expanding so rapidly, you're going to be painfully short on manpower, aren't you?"

He gestured vaguely. "Things in Mondstadt are running flawlessly. With the steady influx of resources from this world, the city practically manages itself. It certainly doesn't require constant, stifling micromanagement. The Knights of Favonius are perfectly capable of handling the day-to-day. I've scouted a few promising recruits recently who can hold the fort. If a genuine crisis arises, they can simply send a transmission."

"What do you say, Grand Master? Even if you lack sympathy for your pitiful, overworked Cavalry Captain, surely you must consider Barbara." He tilted his head toward the young idol. "You spend all your time entrenched in Liyue territory, and she remains isolated in Mondstadt. The distance between sisters is simply too vast. She misses you terribly."

Jean fell silent, the rigid line of her shoulders softening. She cast a glance toward Barbara, immediately noting the downcast, wistful look on the younger girl's face.

"Barbara..."