"Welcome to the Astral Express."
Of course, Eiji didn't forget to say that to Lumine, Jean, Lisa, Paimon, and Xianyun, who had stepped inside the Astral Express.
For some reason, he liked doing that.
[Maybe it's because you once wanted to be a train attendant, host?]
'Miss System, how did you know? In a past life, I once thought about becoming a train attendant.'
Miss System fell silent.
She hadn't expected her guess to be right.
As the Astral Express crossed the skies of Liyue on its way to Mondstadt, Eiji adjusted the speed so they wouldn't arrive at their destination too quickly.
Along the way, he also introduced Merraid, Cassandra, and Gilberda to Lumine and the others. Just like flight attendants, Cassandra and Gilberda served silver trays filled with soft, sweet pastries and fresh fruit drinks that gave off a fragrant aroma.
Their maid uniforms were perfect for such tasks.
"Whoa! What's this?! It's so delicious!" Paimon exclaimed, her eyes sparkling. She immediately grabbed a big piece of cake with both hands and chewed it until her cheeks puffed out. "This cake is sweet and soft, too! Paimon has never tasted a snack this delicious in Mondstadt or Liyue!"
Cassandra just gave a faint smile. "We're glad you like it. Please help yourself to as much as you'd like."
"Paimon will!"
"Mhm, thank you." Lumine said to Cassandra; she, too, seemed to be enjoying the snack Cassandra had given her.
She also refrained from scolding Paimon, who was greedily devouring the snack right in front of them.
"You're welcome, Miss Lumine. Let me or Gilberda know if you need anything."
Prior to this, Cassandra had served as the head maid at the Oarburgh organization.
She seemed professional.
Lumine was a little impressed; she also glanced at Gilberda, who was serving Xianyun a drink, and wondered how Eiji had managed to get those women to work for him.
From Eiji's inner voice earlier, she was only familiar with the name Merraid, which had been mentioned.
Speaking of that woman.
On the other side of the main compartment, which was furnished with luxurious velvet sofas, Merraid sat with Jean and Lisa. With her social skills as a former leader of an organization, she quickly struck up a rapport with the two women from Mondstadt.
After listening to Lisa's explanation of the governmental structure in the city of Mondstadt, Merraid looked at Jean with genuine admiration in her eyes.
"Serving as the Supreme Commander of the Knights of Favonius military organization while managing all of the city's administrative affairs on your own… that is an extraordinary responsibility, Miss Jean." Merraid said as she sipped her tea elegantly. "In my previous world, such positions of power were always rife with foul conspiracies and greed. Having a sincere young leader like you is the greatest blessing for the people of Mondstadt. I deeply admire your dedication."
"You flatter me, Miss Merraid." Jean replied humbly, a hint of shyness on her face. "I'm just a knight fulfilling my oath to protect the city. Mondstadt's freedom is preserved not because of my power, but because of the hard work of all its citizens and the support of colleagues like Lisa. I still have many shortcomings to be called an extraordinary leader."
[Yare-yare. Jean is too humble. Some colleagues, like Lisa, sometimes help her out. But that's all—she often does things that should be done by many people all by herself.]
[The residents of Mondstadt, too... Heh, if it's the same as in the original work, they're like big babies who can't solve simple problems on their own. They keep asking the Knights of Favonius for help—especially Jean—whenever there's a problem.]
[I'm surprised Jean still looks so beautiful and is still quite energetic now. She's such a tough woman... Gosh, I'm starting to like her even more.]
Eiji complained in his mind, and teasing the blonde knight.
"!" Jean blushed; she averted her gaze from the man sitting next to Merraid.
She was also surprised—how did Eiji know all that!?
Did that so-called 'original work' reveal that information as well?
Merraid was still smiling; she didn't change her expression, even though she could now hear Eiji's inner voice as well.
After all, she had already become one of his women. If what he said was true, Jean really was very resilient. She's also so kind that many residents in her city take advantage of her kindness.
"Look, our Jean is always as humble as ever, isn't she? Even though she often works overtime until morning just to handle the paperwork in her office." Lisa, who was lazily leaning her curvy body against the sofa, chuckled softly, gazing at Jean with a flirtatious look.
"Lisa! Don't bring that up..."
Jean shot her best friend a look of exasperation.
Both she and Lisa had stunning figures. That made the only man on the Astral Express, Eiji, often glance at them with an 'innocent' look.
[Excuse me, an innocent look? More like—]
'Miss System, shut up.'
[...]
[To be precise, a lustful look!]
Miss System couldn't help but translate every word or action her host made.
This woman...
Did she really have to do that?
Eiji's lips twitched.
Hearing their conversation, Xianyun, who was sitting not far from them, nodded in agreement. "Modesty and a lack of excessive deference are the hallmarks of a true knight. Young woman from Mondstadt, you have a pure soul."
She spoke in her characteristic style as an Adeptus. In short, she was an elderly woman who had lived through a certain era. But because she looked young and was still beautiful, Eiji was attracted to her.
He liked all women who were more beautiful than average. As the Harem King, he couldn't let them fall into the hands of other men or remain single for much longer.
[You're a true Harem King, our King!]
'Leme, you're flattering me too much.'
[Hehehe.]
More than an hour later.
*CRIIINGGG!*
The Astral Express sliced through the final cloud bank marking the border of Mondstadt. The giant flying train slowly descended, gliding smoothly over the expanse of crystal-clear Cider Lake, before finally landing with a soft hiss of hydraulic air right at the end of the main stone bridge that connected directly to the gates of Mondstadt.
The sudden appearance of this massive iron vehicle, coated in pure gold, silver, and deep red, instantly sparked panic among anyone seeing it for the first time.
City residents who were passing by the bridge immediately ran in panic toward the city gates. An NPC named Timmie, who usually feeds the pigeons on the bridge, jumped in fright and began crying as his flock scattered and flew away due to the gust of wind caused by the train's landing. Within seconds, the entire area in front of the Mondstadt Bridge was thrown into chaos.
"Everyone, take defensive positions! Don't let that foreign object get any closer!" another NPC named Lawrence shouted.
He was one of the city gate's guard knights, his face etched with tension. In just a short time, a dozen Knights of Favonius immediately rushed out of the gate, drawing their swords and spears with trembling hands. They formed an emergency defensive line at the end of the bridge, staring in horror at the Astral Express blocking the entire entrance to the city.
To them, a technology of that magnitude might be a threat no less formidable than Stormterror.
However, they were all clearly mistaken.
Especially after seeing several figures stepping out of the Astral Express. The first was Eiji, followed by Lumine, Jean, Lisa, and the others.
It was only when they saw Jean and Lisa that Lawrence and the other knights realized their misunderstanding.
"W-Wait… Master Jean?! Miss Lisa?!" Lawrence lowered his spear, his eyes wide, not at all surprised by what he saw.
He was also curious about the man leading the way for the two high-ranking women in their city.
"Everyone, please stay calm and don't be afraid. This is the Astral Express—it's just a transport that brought us here."
Jean quickly spoke up, pointing to the train behind her. Unlike when she had spoken to Eiji and the others earlier, her voice now sounded authoritative.
Lawrence and the other knights immediately let their guard down and made way, lining up along the bridge.
Jean let out a sigh and glanced at Eiji standing beside her. "Eiji, next time, please land somewhere far enough away from the city gates."
"My fault—I didn't expect the people living in this city to panic so much just from seeing the Astral Express."
Eiji showed no sign of guilt on his face. He was actually quite enjoying the panic of those people, especially Timmie.
Jean paused before saying, "Let's go inside. I'll give you a little tour before we head to the Knights of Favonius Headquarters."
Eiji didn't object; he and the others followed Jean into the city. Ah, Merraid, Cassandra, and Gilberda didn't come along. They stayed inside the Astral Express, which had parked itself automatically elsewhere.
Eiji actually had an idea of what those three women should do while he was busy later.
This wasn't the first time Lumine and Paimon had come to Mondstadt, so Jean focused his attention solely on Eiji and Xianyun. Xianyun had actually been to Mondstadt before, but that was a long time ago.
The woman was a little surprised by the various kinds of buildings she saw.
[I remember I brought Xianyun to Mondstadt so she could be my guide. But with Jean here, she doesn't seem to be needed.]
[At least for now.]
"...." Xianyun.
She pretended not to hear what Eiji was thinking about her, but her lips twitched.
That guy...
Just wait! I'll definitely show him just how vast my knowledge is when the time comes!
A few moments later.
They walked through the bustling town square, climbing the tall stone steps leading to the magnificent upper part of the city. Just as the group was about to reach the Knights of Favonius Headquarters, a dark-skinned man with an eye patch and a distinctive blue fur cloak stepped out of the main corridor.
That man was Kaeya Alberich, the Cavalry Captain. In the original work, Eiji remembered him as a 4-star character often used by beginners.
[You actually remembered a man's name this time? That's surprising, host.]
'Miss System, it's just a coincidence.'
After all, if you don't have a 5-star character with the Cryo element, the best option you can use early in the game is Kaeya.
As a former Genshin Impact player, Eiji couldn't help but remember the name of that man with the eye patch.
"Oh? It seems we have some truly extraordinary guests today. Jean, Lisa… I was just about to investigate that giant 'thing' that seems to have landed right in front of the city gates. But before doing that, I've received a report that it's the vehicle you used to return from Liyue."
Kaeya stopped in his tracks and looked at the group in front of him with a relaxed smile.
He looked at everyone in turn, including Eiji, before glancing back at Jean, who was as beautiful as ever. In his eyes, there was a tenderness that only one person could see.
That person was Eiji, whose lips were curving into a wider smile at that moment.
"Kaeya, this is Eiji, the ruler of the Astral Express—a transport or train capable of traversing the skies. And next to him is Lady Xianyun; just like Eiji, she is our guest of honor from Liyue." Jean briefly introduced Eiji and Xianyun to the Captain of the Knights of Favonius Cavalry.
Upon hearing the guests' names, Kaeya immediately turned his gaze toward Eiji and Xianyun. He placed one hand on his hip, then bowed slightly in a respectful gesture.
"It's an honor to meet you, Sir Eiji, Lady Xianyun." Kaeya said very politely before fixing his gaze on Eiji. "Your flying train has truly caused quite a stir throughout the city. I myself was surprised that someone could create something like that."
"Really? Has no one in Khaenri'ah ever created a train-like vehicle before?" Eiji asked casually.
But the implication of his words led anyone to think that Kaeya was connected to Khaenri'ah, the eighth nation in Teyvat that had once been destroyed by Celestia.
In the original work, it's mentioned that he is a descendant from that land.
"!!!" Kaeya was naturally startled.
Deep down, he wondered how Eiji knew about that!?
His origins before coming to Mondstadt were a secret he hadn't even shared with his father or his half-brother!
Of course, Jean and Lisa didn't know this.
It was even more impossible for Lumine, Paimon, and Xianyun to know about it.
But Eiji? This guy...
Kaeya grew nervous; he tried to look as casual as usual and let out a dry laugh, "Hahaha… Sir Eiji."
"Just call me Eiji." Eiji smiled warmly on the surface.
"Eiji, unfortunately, I don't know anything about that. By the way... I remember I still have something I need to do. So, sorry, but I have to go now."
Kaeya said his goodbyes.
He also didn't forget to say hello to Lumine and Paimon before dashing off!
"Oh. It's so rare to see Kaeya so nervous and panicked... Eiji, it seems like you know a lot of things he's hiding." Lisa giggled as she gave the only guy in their group a flirty look.
She was a little curious about Kaeya's secret, but that was all.
A guy who could figure that out even though it was his first time meeting Kaeya was more interesting.
Curiosity killed the cat. Lisa wondered if that would happen to her in a certain sense?
Eiji looked a little disappointed, "Lisa, you don't call me 'my dear' anymore like you used to?"
"...." Lisa.
Instead of answering, you're asking about that!?
"Ahem! Don't just stand here. Let's go inside first." Jean pretended to cough—whether on purpose or not—to stop Eiji and her best friend from teasing each other right in front of her.
Is she jealous?
How cute, Eiji thought.
You might be wondering what he's planning with Kaeya. Well, in short... He might be his next victim.
[Why?]
Miss System asked.
Eiji replied softly.
'It's because he might be my romantic rival. Just like his stepbrother, that red-haired guy.'
[Just because of that? You're amazing, host.]
Eiji took Miss System's words as a compliment directed at himself. He was also excited because, in this world, there were other men besides Ye Chen who could cheer him up.
Or more precisely, there might be quite a few of them.
Jie jie jie.
[Hehehe.]
Jie jie jie.
[Hehehe.]
Eiji and Leme laughed together.
Miss System shook her head. Those two are really...
Evil!
Is she really part of the protagonists' group?
...
Inside the Knights of Favonius Headquarters, specifically in Jean's private office. The thick oak door was tightly shut, shutting out all the city's commotion and leaving the room in a calm atmosphere, surrounded by shelves of old books and stacks of administrative documents.
The important matter that had brought Eiji all the way from Liyue to Mondstadt had actually been discussed before in the Jade Chamber with Ningguang. Eiji had come to this city to construct a Teleportation Gate. His spatial technology would instantly connect Mondstadt directly to the Liyue region, cutting thousands of miles from the journey to facilitate political and trade relations between the two nations—or simply to make it easier for citizens to travel without having to take dangerous routes.
Eiji himself has already approved the plan. Now, in his office, Jean unfolds a highly detailed topographic map of the Mondstadt region on the table.
"Since you're already here, Eiji. Our focus now is on determining the coordinates we'll use." Jean switched into work mode.
She pointed out several strategic areas on the map with a serious expression that left Eiji slightly captivated.
"We need to discuss exactly where the best location is for you to build that Teleportation Gate so that its security can be maintained by our knights."
Eiji leaned back in his wooden chair, casually studying the map. "The location must, of course, be in a sufficiently spacious open area and also easily accessible to the people of this city. As for other issues that need to be considered? That's not a problem at all."
In this world, he was the only one who could say something like that with such confidence.
Jean didn't doubt Eiji, but she was a little nervous because she lacked confidence in her own power and that of her knights to guard the Teleportation Gate.
Lisa looked at Eiji in admiration and suggested to Jean, "How about the highlands outside the walls, Jean?"
"I've thought about that too, but which specific area?" Jean asked everyone, even glancing at Lumine.
Even though a traveler like her wasn't a resident of Mondstadt, she must have explored nearly every area around the city during her adventures.
The quiet female protagonist, Lumine, tilted her chin with a pensive expression. She pointed to a spot on the map before saying, "The area around Windrise has a very wide open space, but it's a bit far from the city. If you want to focus on trade, the area near the outer docks or the northern part of Cider Lake might be more efficient."
[As expected of our female protagonist! Her knowledge of locations in Teyvat is better than that of the locals.]
Eiji's compliment made Lumine feel a little shy, even though she didn't change her expression.
Miss System: This guy never misses an opportunity to woo any beautiful woman.