Paimon was frustrated. She felt like she was being unfairly blamed, yet she couldn't explain anything.
She genuinely had no idea who this "Big Paimon" was.
If possible, she'd love to meet her.
But Lumine was convinced there was some connection between them—what a headache!
Jiang Chen watched the scene with amusement.
Noticing the imperial seal Lumine had specially commissioned, he tucked it away.
"Let's keep this for now."
"Maybe it'll become a Noble Phantasm after I die!"
As he spoke, Jiang Chen couldn't help but sigh.
Lumine's expression froze.
Wait, after you die?
How is that possible?!
Who thinks like that?!
Are you trying to become the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's customer?
A sarcastic remark got stuck in her throat.
"You want to die?"
"Hu Tao would be thrilled to hear that!"
Lumine rolled her eyes.
Jiang Chen chuckled awkwardly.
"It's a metaphor, okay?"
"But for it to become a Noble Phantasm, it needs achievements."
"Or if I had Knight of Owner, I could directly turn this seal into a Noble Phantasm."
At this, Jiang Chen sighed deeply.
The skill he wanted most was Knight of Owner—the ability to imbue any weapon he held with Noble Phantasm properties.
Then, literally anything he picked up would become a Noble Phantasm.
Alternatively, Projection Magecraft would also work.
Mass-producing Noble Phantasms to arm the Millelith, then—blitzkrieg Snezhnaya!
Wait, no—
I shouldn't be thinking like this.
Lumine's corrupting me.
Holding the seal, Jiang Chen muttered bitterly:
"Lumine, you've ruined this emperor—"
"Damn it!"
"This thing is cursed—just holding it makes me talk like this."
"Truly an artifact that amplifies ambition."
"Toxic, so toxic!"
Jiang Chen stared at the seal with utter exasperation.
Fine, if that's how you want to play—
I have to turn you into a Noble Phantasm now.
Lumine's expression turned odd at his words.
"You say you don't want it, but—"
Look, the moment you hold it, you start calling yourself emperor.
Heh, you rascal~!
She grinned knowingly.
She understood Jiang Chen's reaction perfectly.
Though the seal was newly made, those eight words were irresistibly tempting.
As they chatted, Guizhong and Cloud Retainer walked in.
Seeing Jiang Chen and Lumine, Guizhong brightened.
"I've been meaning to ask."
"What's this thing for?"
"Lumine was so insistent I make it."
She voiced her confusion.
She'd crafted it but had no clue about its purpose.
Was it useful for something?
Jiang Chen decided to explain.
"In our world, there was a great emperor."
"He conquered the six warring states, unified the land, standardized writing, roads, and axle widths, and created a single currency."
"In Lumine's eyes, the fact that Teyvat has so many nations is nothing short of a betrayal of the First Emperor's legacy."
"So this girl's egging me on to unify the seven nations."
By the end, Jiang Chen couldn't help but facepalm.
Her dream of becoming empress was still alive.
All she thought about was ruling the world.
Guizhong's eyes sparkled with interest.
As someone who loved stirring up trouble, she was immediately hooked.
"That makes perfect sense!"
"Teyvat's current state is a betrayal of Emperor Qin's vision!"
"You should step up."
"And unifying the seven nations sounds amazing, doesn't it?"
Guizhong was fully on board.
She thought the First Emperor's ideals were brilliant.
Teyvat had too many countries.
It needed unification.
Seeing Guizhong joining the madness, Jiang Chen was dumbfounded.
Damn, really?
You too?
Lumine, however, was delighted.
Without hesitation, she dragged Guizhong aside for a private discussion.
Jiang Chen sighed and decided to ignore them.
Instead, he took out the Gnosis and began studying it.
Cloud Retainer, who had just entered, spotted the object and gasped.
"A Gnosis?"
"And the Electro Archon's, no less?"
"Did you kill the Raiden Shogun?"
Her eyes widened in shock.
Jiang Chen nearly choked.
"What do you mean kill the Raiden Shogun?"
"I resurrected the original Electro Archon, and she gifted it to me."
He shot her an incredulous look.
Did she seriously think he'd murdered the Raiden Shogun for this?
Cloud Retainer was even more astonished.
The original Electro Archon had been resurrected?
"Makoto?"
She recognized Makoto.
During the Archon gatherings, the adepti had also been present.
She had met the gentle Electro Archon before.
And she knew Makoto had fallen during the Cataclysm of Khaenri'ah.
Yet now, Jiang Chen had brought her back?
A sudden realization struck her.
"Are you planning to resurrect the other nations' original Archons too?"
If so, wouldn't that effectively place those nations under Jiang Chen's control?
What kind of scheme was this?
In Mondstadt, Jiang Chen hadn't resurrected anyone.
But in Inazuma, he'd revived the original Electro Archon.
Once Makoto returned, wouldn't she take over Inazuma?
And since Makoto obeyed Jiang Chen…
Didn't that mean Jiang Chen indirectly ruled Inazuma?
If he did the same for other regions, he'd control them too.
Hiss—!
Was this Jiang Chen's plan all along?
Her gaze toward Jiang Chen shifted dramatically.
To think Jiang Chen had such ambitions hidden beneath the surface.
She had underestimated him.
But she didn't interfere.
As long as Jiang Chen didn't harm Liyue, it was fine.
In fact, his actions would only benefit Liyue.
So why object?
Jiang Chen, however, was utterly confused by her reaction.
What's her deal?
Why does she look like she's figured something out?
If Jiang Chen knew what Cloud Retainer was thinking, he'd scream in protest:
"I'm not, I didn't, don't nonsense!"
"That's not what I'm doing—stop imagining things!"
"What's wrong?"
Jiang Chen frowned at Cloud Retainer.
She gave him a knowing look but didn't elaborate.
"Nothing."
"Just… impressed, that's all."
With that, she walked away, heading straight for Guizhong and Lumine—eager to expose Jiang Chen's 'ambitions'.
Jiang Chen shook his head, baffled, and returned to his research.
Using his newly acquired alchemy, he began analyzing the Gnosis, trying to decipher its connection to ley lines.
Once he understood it, he could construct a Teleport Waypoint—one that anyone could use.
As Jiang Chen focused, Cloud Retainer pulled Guizhong and Lumine into a corner, whispering conspiratorially.
Who knew what they were plotting?