Chương 19: Chapter 19: Bygone Days
After chatting with Yoimiya for a while, Liam ordered a few more servings of three-colored dango and some other desserts before leaving Uyuu Restaurant.
"Goodbye, Liam. Come visit me in Hanamizaka sometime!" Yoimiya waved as Liam departed.
Liam waved back, indicating he would definitely visit. He couldn't forget his daily task of feeding the Shogun. With nothing else pressing at the moment, he decided to focus on building rapport with the Shogun.
As usual, Liam blinked into Raiden Ei's room. However, unlike other times, the Shogun wasn't meditating but sitting there idly, somewhat lost in thought.
Upon seeing Liam, the Shogun immediately embraced him, giving him a solid face-wash hug.
"Liam, you're here." Though her actions were enthusiastic, her voice remained as calm as ever.
Seeing the increasingly affectionate Raiden Shogun, Liam couldn't help but wonder if the [Heart of the Puppet] was taking effect, further enhancing her emotional intelligence.
Liam didn't overthink it, nor did he resist. It was a joke; he had to enjoy the Shogun's face-wash hug while he could! He then reached out and touched her soft purple hair. Today, Raiden Shogun hadn't tied her hair into the usual long braid. The long, smooth purple hair cascaded like a waterfall over her shoulders, giving her a gentler beauty compared to usual.
Feeling Liam's intimate touch, Raiden Shogun experienced a strange sensation, something she found almost addictive. She no longer needed to pursue [Eternity], as Inazuma was being managed by Raiden Makoto, far more competently than she could ever hope to. In her newfound confusion, she seemed to discover a new goal.
She wanted to capture this strange feeling, this tangible sensation of joy and fulfillment. With this thought, Raiden Shogun's embrace tightened around Liam. Liam, feeling the softness pressing against his cheeks, couldn't help but marvel at the vastness of her embrace, truly befitting a God!
"What are you doing, Shogun?" A sudden voice rang in Raiden Shogun's mind. It was Raiden Ei, who had been watching the outside world. Unable to bear Raiden Shogun's actions any longer, she intervened. This was her body, after all!
"I just wanted to hug Liam. Is there a problem?" Raiden Shogun replied emotionlessly, as if discussing a trivial matter.
"Problem? That's my body!" Raiden Ei, exasperated, kicked Raiden Shogun offline.
Regaining control of her body, Raiden Ei immediately felt Liam's warm breath against her chest and quickly pushed him away. Liam, somewhat bewildered, looked up to see a much more expressive face. Realizing it was Ei and not the Shogun who had pushed him away, Liam sighed. He hadn't enjoyed the Shogun's face-wash hug enough. Previously, he hadn't noticed, but now it was clear—he preferred the Shogun!
Unaware of this, Ei had already been labeled as inferior to the Shogun in Liam's mind. Otherwise, she might have argued with him about it.
"Ahem! Liam, you're here!" Raiden Ei quickly coughed to collect herself, then looked at the sweets in Liam's hands, her eyes lighting up.
Liam noticed her gaze and smiled. Although Ei had lost some of her former majesty, her current confused and naive demeanor suited her better. He said, "Yes! As I mentioned, if there's no special situation, I'll come every day to tell you stories! Oh, right, where did I leave off last time?"
"Queen Himiko turned into the Herrscher of Flames..." Raiden Ei recalled after a moment.
"Oh, there!" Liam nodded and continued his storytelling. As he spoke, time passed, and Ei comfortably enjoyed the sweets and Liam's tales of another world.
Compared to her lonely days before, Ei felt as though she had returned to the past, with Makoto managing everything and her life free of worries. She was surrounded by friends, chatting and laughing, living a carefree life.
Two hours had passed unknowingly. Liam took a sip of water to moisten his dry throat and noticed Ei, smiling and staring at him in a daze. Liam waved a hand in front of her.
"Ei, what's wrong?"
Hearing Liam's voice, Ei snapped out of her reverie, quickly collecting herself. "Nothing, I was just thinking of Musou no Hitotachi..."
Her eyes showed a hint of sadness. Those had been her closest friends, but they had all left her one by one.
Seeing her like this, Liam sighed. Though Ei might seem slow-witted, she was undeniably kind-hearted. When General Takayuki turned against her due to corruption, Ei still couldn't bear to deal him a fatal blow.
[Ding~! Task triggered: Comfort Raiden Ei!]
[Task reward: Imaginary Points: 160! Ability: Master Chef!]
Liam wasn't surprised by the sudden system notification and immediately checked the details of the [Master Chef] ability.
[Master Chef: I will enter the kitchen and serve you a hearty meal!]
[Familiar with all types of cuisine, perfect knife skills and precise control of heat, mastering everything from national banquets to desserts. Even the most inept cook would be an amateur in your presence!]
Liam: "..."
Liam noticed the descriptions of these abilities were getting more outrageous. However, he couldn't deny the usefulness of this ability. Moreover...
"System, are you mocking me? As a Mei chef, I deeply resent this!"
[Ding~! Master, aren't you a Xier chef? Why are you now a Mei chef?]
"Tsk! Of course, I love both Xier and Mei!" Liam replied, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
[Ding~! Hopefully, you can be just as confident when facing a cleaver!]
"Wow! System, are you cursing me? I'm not a scumbag, who abandons after bedding!"
After a brief but futile exchange with the system, it became evident that Liam's limited knowledge was no match for it. Accepting his defeat, Liam refocused on the task the system had just assigned him: comforting Raiden Ei. Given his current relationship with her, this task seemed easy enough. Liam considered it a gift from the system.
Observing Raiden Ei's smile, tinged with sadness, Liam took a deep breath and approached her.
"Liam, what are you doing?" Raiden Ei asked, puzzled by his actions.
Without a word, Liam pulled her into a hug. Surprised, Raiden Ei didn't immediately react, her pale cheeks flushing with color. Just as she was about to push him away, Liam's gentle voice stopped her.
"I know you're feeling sad, but you need to remember you're not alone anymore. You can express your emotions to Makoto or me."
As Liam spoke, he gently stroked her smooth, purple hair. Despite always being tied in a braid, her hair was incredibly soft.
"You can let out your emotions in front of me because I'm your friend now. And don't worry, I won't leave you. I told you, even if Teyvat disappears, I'll still be here."
Liam's voice, warm and confident, deeply moved Raiden Ei. Yes, Liam was now her most important person, and even if she left, he would remain.
Thinking of this, Raiden Ei raised her hands and embraced Liam, burying her face in his chest, occasionally sobbing.
Liam said nothing, continuing to stroke her hair.
After a long while, Raiden Ei's sobbing ceased, but she didn't release Liam. In fact, her grip seemed to tighten.
"Ei?" Liam softly called her name.
"Let me hold you a bit longer." Her voice was barely audible, filled with reluctance to let go. No wonder the Shogun liked hugging Liam; was this how she felt?
Liam said nothing more, letting her hold him. The room fell into a tranquil silence.
It might have been his imagination, but Liam felt that Raiden Shogun's puppet body had become warmer. Though it was never cold before, it now felt noticeably warmer.
After half an hour, Raiden Ei finally released him. Looking into his eyes, she smiled so gently that Liam was momentarily stunned. This tender smile was something he had only seen on Makoto's face before. How could the same face convey such different feelings?
"Thank you, Liam," Raiden Ei said softly.
Liam smiled back. "As long as you're okay now. Just talk to me if you need anything. I'll always be here."
Raiden Ei's smile grew softer. She placed her hands on his face and asked quietly, "Liam, will you always remember me?"
"Of course! I might not be certain about other things, but this I am sure of. Didn't I just tell you stories from another world?"
Raiden Ei's eyes sparkled with hope. "Will you leave Teyvat someday?"
"Perhaps, but I'll always come back," Liam assured her confidently. With the system, becoming a Star God (Aeon) someday wasn't out of reach. Traveling between worlds would be no issue.
"That's wonderful," she said, her eyes shimmering. Then, she pulled Liam into a kiss.
[Ding~! Congratulations, host, for completing the task. Rewards have been issued. Please check them!]
The unexpected kiss made Liam widen his eyes. Not again! He had been taken by surprise by this face several times. This time, he resolved to fight back. Recalling previous instances, Liam quickly regained his composure and embraced Raiden Ei, initiating a counterattack.
Though he had no prior experience, Liam had seen enough documentaries to mimic the actions. Raiden Ei, however, was a complete novice and soon found herself overwhelmed.
As Liam took the initiative, Raiden Ei struggled briefly, but her resistance was half-hearted, almost as if she was reluctant to let go.
Just as their kiss deepened, a voice interrupted them.
"Oh my~! What are you two doing?"
The voice was gentle, with a hint of amusement. It snapped them both out of their trance. They looked towards the door to see Raiden Makoto smiling warmly at them, her eyes glinting with playful mischief.
"Sister, why are you here?" Raiden Ei exclaimed, pushing Liam away and hurriedly straightening her disheveled clothes, her face flushed with embarrassment.
"Hehe, I didn't expect you to be so bold, Ei! I was worried about what you'd do in the future," Makoto teased, clasping her hands and tilting her head with a smile.
"No! Sister, it's not what you think! Let me explain!" Raiden Ei stammered, trying to explain herself to Makoto.
Liam, shaking his head, stood up. He had been pushed away by Ei twice now, and this time she had used enough force to make it hurt. He turned to Makoto.
"By the way, Makoto, what brings you here?" Liam asked, a hint of frustration in his voice. He had finally made progress with Ei, only to be interrupted. What a missed opportunity!
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