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Banya pursed her lips and looked at her best friend again - Xier's brows were twisted into a ball, and she didn't pay any attention to her hint at all.
Now, no one wants to communicate.
She had no choice but to stand straighter, like a straight lobster, and chased after him for two steps before going ahead with her head held high.
"Ms. Ruan Mei's freezing operation was successful, and the Bu Li people are also moving away from the track. Should we prepare to pursue them, or consolidate our achievements on the spot?"
In order to slow down Sora, she grabbed his arm.
"Your Excellency the Guardian, these are things you should consider."
Kong wasn't being ruthless on purpose - if he went further out, the Iron Guards would definitely gossip about him if they saw Ban Ya like this.
"No, the train and the company have made great contributions in the war to retake Kburg. Even if it is just to facilitate your cooperation and integration into the market, I want to hear your opinion."
"... Climate control has forced those guys who were ready to make a move to lie back, but one day you will have to face the Legion again. This time may be thirty years as Ruan Mei estimated, or it may be earlier due to other factors..."
Kong knew that his low mood would make the team atmosphere even more difficult... Eula was already "safe" in every sense, and there was no need for him to act like a pouty cat and make everyone act cautious.
"If you want to prepare for the future cleansing of the army, you must first consolidate your position and present yourself as someone who can drive away invaders and guide the market to open up. I'm sure your mother thinks the same way."
Sora turned his head and pursed his lips in the direction of Cocolia: "Before you prepare to expand the city's population and industrialize... you should spend more time with her. No matter how many mistakes she made, it was for you that she defeated the star core in the last moment... Don't let your loved ones wait too long."
"I'll find time to talk to Mother alone...but you look like you're licking your wounds alone right now."
Bronya felt sorry for him and didn't want him to bear the pressure alone: "I'm sorry about Eula... You have given so much for Beloberg, but our feedback... took too long..."
"I just need some time to adjust myself... Did you misunderstand? Friends in Teyvat will take good care of her. You'll be able to see her again in about a week or two, or a month at most."
Kong was immediately stunned: "No one of us was killed in this battle."
"Hey, yes, is that so?"
"…Hey, I've already said that the situation isn't that serious. I'm just struggling over where to start taking revenge on Bu Liren and Nanook."
Kong signaled to Banya that he didn't need to hold him so tightly - it was a little inappropriate for her to approach him so enthusiastically right after Eula was sent back, and he was very calm and sober right now and didn't need too much comfort.
"…When you fight against the Legion and the People of Plenty, please count us in. We owe you this favor on the battlefield, and we will repay it on the battlefield."
"Is this your personal commitment or Belloberg's?"
"...I will make it a promise from Beloberg."
After leaving these sonorous words, Banya's expression became more serious, and he followed the stairs Kong had given him to find Cocolia.
"……Mother……"
"You have done very well. You are now a qualified great guardian."
Cocolia wanted to hug Banya, but her half-opened arms turned into bitter stiffness after she saw her daughter's slightly red face and she didn't know whether she should throw herself into her arms immediately.
But soon, Banya proved with his actions that his love for his mother had not been diminished by this disaster.
"You've recovered and are back... May you be blessed, no, you should thank your friends in the train crew for saving you—"
The plumpness of the pressed duck's body was not much inferior to his own. The two of them warmed each other. The misunderstandings and suspicions caused by the star core's mental control over the past few years disappeared at this moment.
"Duck. I'm sorry."
"Mom... at least we won this seven hundred year war. Alyssa's spirit in heaven can rest in peace."
"But the price was too high. If the train and the company hadn't happened to be interested in Beloberg, we would have all become Rift Creatures. My loss was the biggest 'disaster' for the entire Beloberg. I... can't escape the blame."
Hearing this, Banya still tried to make herself look less haggard, but to little avail. She always wanted to show her best side to Kong, and when facing her mother, the excessive relaxation after the victory and the lack of sleep for many days made her nerves gradually relax: "Mom, in addition to letting me set up the resistance army... when you introduced Bu Liren, you drove them to attack the Seventh Regiment after the arbitrator's recommendation. Do you have other ideas?"
"..."
"Mother, for my sake, you killed half of the Seventh Regiment..."
"This is the result of political games. Politics is a human-eating thing. Yaya, the people in the Seventh Regiment are not as kind as you think."
Cocolia no longer responded to Banya's questions in a serious tone.
"I believe I have done everything in your favor, and now I must take the negative consequences and responsibilities of these decisions and accept the accountability of you and Kburg - you know what to do."
"But, but..."
"Be strong, be tough. Beloberg does not tolerate the weak. In addition to being my daughter, you are a great guardian. Don't put it before your personal feelings."
"I see...Sora will...take good care of you, right?"
"I can take care of myself, don't worry."
"Where are you going? Going with him?"
"Go on a... expedition of atonement."
Cocolia said an unfamiliar word: "I will go find the Star Core and the pawns of destruction to avenge myself. I still have the will to protect them, but protection alone is not enough. There are more people in the universe who are struggling to survive under the oppression of the Legion, the Rich People, and the Star Core. I will fight to pay for the karma I have created. Maybe a lifetime will not be enough, but this is the reason why I continue to live."
She closed her eyes and said, "I don't ask for forgiveness from you or the people of Bay City... But this is the only solution I can think of right now - I want to pay off my debt to Bay City."
"...Then I hereby declare as the Great Guardian: Cocolia Rand, you are sentenced to exile, and the sentence will be executed immediately."
It was another good show of "loving mother and filial daughter", but the onlookers always felt like something was wrong.
"...Mom, since you have been stripped of your public office, I would like to ask you for advice...If I were to fall in love with Sora-saka, how could I maintain my dignity and also have him visit me more often?"
"I will remind him from time to time to come back and see you... But Yaya, he is actually really old. When I talked to him, I could feel that he has more experience than me - and his experience is also very scary."
"…Are you trying to persuade me not to get involved in this mess?"
"You're still young."
"But your eyes clearly show the same thoughts as mine. You can't hide it from me."
"..."
Cocolia was surprised to find that in addition to maturity, Banya's eyes also showed some stubbornness that she didn't have: "You want to pay off my debt in that way? Please don't. I have already discussed it with him, and it is you who shouldn't wade into the muddy water."
After hearing the weird conversation, Xier left immediately, shocked by the chaotic relationships among the upper class - she had no choice but to stay with the thawed Nata.
"It's finally over... Let's just deal with business today and celebrate tomorrow."
"Are you afraid of upsetting Sora? Nata? Why don't you go and say thank you?"
"If you and I go up to persuade him or stay overnight at this time, we will be criticized, and Kong will not accept it. Wait for him to come to us."
"Stay overnight... Uh, that's not what I meant... Wouldn't that be too cold? After all, he just saved the entire Beloberg and you."
"Let time dilute his sorrow and let him think about how to use those of us who care about him and want to repay him. He will make arrangements."
Natasha raised her hand to Oleg: "Count the losses and withdraw!"
……
When she opened her eyes again, what Eula saw was no longer the false sky in the rift, but a familiar ceiling.
The salty breeze from the beach outside the window blew into the wooden window, gentle and comfortable, carrying the sweet fragrance of apricot trees unique to Liyue.
Wangshu Inn.
It's strange. The starting point was Fontaine, but when I returned, I ended up at the place where the annual meeting was held.
She raised herself up, her whole body aching, but the natural recovery of elemental power gave her a long-lost feeling of fullness. Although it was different from the feeling infused by Kong, it was very comfortable.
"you're awake."
The same familiar voice came from the back of her head -
"...Why are you taking care of me? Finally you don't have to work overtime?"
"..." The dashing blond knight pointed at Eula's lower body - Amber's headband, who was lying on her legs, was drooping, as if she had fallen asleep due to exhaustion.
"How long have I been missing?" Eula subconsciously touched Amber's head. When she felt the silky hair, she remembered that she must have been deported while she was unconscious.
"If you count from the time you set out to look for Kong, it's been eight or nine months, but if you count from the time we last met, it's been three months and seven days."
"...Time flies by so fast."
"Ganyu saw you fall onto the beach in a string of golden Fontaine-style vehicles and picked you up. We will take turns to send people to guard the gathering place - because Lei Shen will go to war from here, many forces are eyeing this place, including the people of Zhidong."
It was clearly a reunion worth celebrating, but in order to give Eula a concrete idea, Jean had to come up with the way of reporting within the Knights Templar.
But then comes the communication between besties——
"You found him, right?" In addition to worry, there was a hint of anticipation in Qin's eyes.
"Well, I had a really good time with him and was able to help a little bit."
Youla muttered, "Although in the end, I still ran back in disgrace."
She twisted her body again, hoping that the sleeping Amber could find more flesh on her legs and feel more comfortable.
"If it's a sad story, I'll listen to you slowly later - how is your recovery? I don't see any external injuries on you."
"It feels good. How long have I slept?"
"Eight hours."
"Huh? Only eight hours? Why do I feel like I was unconscious for quite a long time?" Eula was stunned.
It was quite embarrassing to have this feeling of being in another world pointed out to me.
"Amber just happened to finish a round of patrol and came to sleep next to you. No one has seen you for a long time, and they were afraid that you would disappear like him."
"He's doing well, three a day, sometimes five."
"...still so full of energy?" Qin smiled helplessly when he heard that.
"I even have a lot of new loves." Eula pursed her lips, not to complain about Sora, but to cover up the fact that she would order a special drink every night.
"But at least we have a chance to contact him. This time it's you and Thor. Next time, depending on the situation, you can go find him to reminisce about the past..."
Obviously what Qin meant by "reminiscing about the past" was not that pure, but Eula did not point it out.
Including the one lying on her legs, Eula knew very well that if they all went crazy, a hole would be dug in the wooden ceiling of the Knights' headquarters, and they would have to find a reason to get together with Mora to repair it.
"It's a pity that my energy is exhausted this time. I don't know how long it will take for my turn to come again - but at least I am ahead of you, huh?"
She grasped her left hand lightly, and then a flexible metal sheet texture passed through her palm.
"This is……"
The round-trip ticket, the "passport" to the new world, had her full name signed crookedly.
It originally belonged to Haiya.
"It turns out that was not my fantasy..."