Raiden Ei, the Electro Archon stared between me and Shenhe for a long moment as I kneeled in front of my martial master and teacher respectfully as she herself sat kneeling formally on her raised platform. "I recall you had another companion... Is this one also a companion and lover?" The Raiden Puppet asked, and I could tell it was the puppet as her eyes didn't have that bright blue glow of when Ei truly took over the body.
I controlled my expression and merely nodded saying simply. "Yes."
The puppet merely hummed before continuing as Shenhe stood a bit away on the sides of the Raiden Shogun's silent throne room. "I see. I am gladdened you are not an indecisive man, to have power is to use it in moderation and power begets the eyes of others into your sphere of influence." She advised me and I couldn't help but remember how and when. Lumine was running around with Ei in canon, and the blunt Archon was completely bewildered by a book with a limp-noodle main character who didn't just go for the harem ending.
"In either case, her being attached to Liyue's Adepti makes no difference for your tutelage beyond her acting as a possible sparring partner while you are here under my tutelage," Raiden spoke before closing her eyes and then smoothly she stood up and waved for me to do so as well. "I have been ruminating on your request for learning, what to teach you, as an adventurer who will likely not have years to spend in proper training... And after time, I have created a lesson plan that will get the best effects."
With her giving me leave to stand up and be more at ease, I asked what I was to be learning and Raiden answered flatly.
"You have skill and some experience with a blade... But with all that skill and practice are you skillfully slashing your foes with no real rhythm or method due to your methods being self-taught with zero finesse... Especially while using that Greatsword of yours is more of a blunt instrument that just happens to have a sharp edge." Raiden spoke and my lips twitched at the blunt assessment of my sword work.
"In either case, due to your obvious wandering nature, I will simply focus on three subjects to teach you for the next three months to get you properly ground. First, is swordplay. But not just swinging a sword and dueling, I will teach you to respect your blades and how to attach your life force to the blades properly." Raiden said and I grimaced as that whole life force sword beam stuff everyone else could do. Had utterly escaped me with myself only being able to somewhat cheat doing it with my Aura.
"Second, I will be teaching you the art of meditation, to connect your soul and to properly center yourself and know who and what you are in this world." As she said that I could feel my very soul all too damned clearly. Due to the two very fucking foreign souls in Beisht and Guizhong in my soul, my natural soul's essence was too clear to myself.
I took a breath and as Raiden let me absorb her words, I spoke with some amusement. "Due to my nature." I started as I raised my hands upwards and silver light formed across my form as I pulled my aura... Literal soul energy. "I am. Uncomfortably close to my soul having full control over it... Hell, my soul is so powerful and active, that it actively eats the souls of things I kill and I have two goddesses squatting in my soul to hide from Erosion." I finished dully.
Raiden twitched at my blunt words before a spark of Electro entered her eyes as Ei properly took over the body and she said with some dark humor. "And which goddesses are they? Any from Inazuma?"
Knowing that like Zhongli, Ei and her friends had to butcher the gods in the local area to be crowned as the Electro Archon, I shook my head and said it was the vortex gods sister Beischt as well as the Goddess of Dust Guizhong. But as I said Guizhong, Ei's frame crackled with purple Electro power.
"Disciple... Jake, do not lie to me. I know for a fact that Guizhong, who one of the closest friends of Morax died during the Archon War." She said coldly and I quickly explained how the Fatui dredged up some of her essence and then the Tsaritsa used a clone body or something to stick the essence within. Only to use a slave collar on the revived goddess with a failing body that couldn't handle the divine essence to attack Liyue in order to get the Gnosis for some reason.
"Guizhong come out please," I said opening a Schnee emblem using my semblance and I grimaced feeling the weighty form of the resting goddess within my soul stir before Guizhong comically popped her head out of the magical glyph with a frown.
"You aren't dying whatcha need?" She asked tiredly after being woken up from her deep sleep and then she blinked and seeing Ei she waved with a wide smile coming across her face. "Oh, Ei! It's been millennia since I have seen you haha!"
Ei's face was utterly blank and she slowly moved closer and Guizhong just blinked as Ei poked her face with Ei stating in confusion. "You are Guizhong? I can feel the Geo and Anemo divinity within you."
Guizhong's face went flat, at the hint of her being fake... And with zero shame she said flatly. "So does this puppet body that you used my Adepti mechanical research upon, have that same mole on your waist and left butt cheek?"
Ei utterly froze in place as she looked at Guizhong's unamused expression as the dust goddess said with a snicker. "Yeah that's right, I remember that time we came over and visited the hotsprings... Now Jake, remember whenever she is smashing you with her dagger on a stick, that she had a mole on her butt Haha!" And with that mischievous laughter, Guizhong retreated into the Schnee glyph to avoid the electro-covered slap that Ei tried to swat her with.
Next 15 chapters are on Patreon and Ko-fi
Hey if you like this and want daily uploads and to read early chapters please drop a tip in my Ko-Fi https://ko-fi.com/azazyel22926 or https://www.patr-eon.com/Azazyel and your precious energy stones, it keeps me working on it.
My commission rate is 15$ per thousand words.