"I have returned. What was the topic of conversation, my loves?"
The moment the dimensional gateway stabilized, Ryen stepped through alongside Ei and Guizhong.
Spotting Ganyu and the others gathered in the courtyard, Ryen opened his arms with a warm, brilliant smile, entirely prepared for the impact.
Though they had only been separated for a single evening, Ryen possessed absolute certainty that his partners had spent every waking second worrying about him.
Exactly as he predicted, seeing him standing safely in the courtyard, the women leaped to their feet and rushed him without a second thought.
Had Ryen not braced his stance, the sheer, collective force of their embrace would have undoubtedly knocked him flat on his back.
Guizhong and Ei were quickly pushed to the periphery by Lisa and the others, though neither offered a single word of complaint. Had they been the ones left behind in Teyvat, they would have acted exactly the same way.
Ryen laughed softly, leaning down to plant a loving kiss on each of their cheeks.
"Separated for a single night, and you missed me this deeply? Wait! Miko, stop that! I just crossed the threshold and have barely caught my breath!"
The joyful smiles on the surrounding women's faces instantly froze. They turned their heads in unison, shooting Yae Miko a dark, unified glare.
Caught in the act of quietly securing her 'future happiness', even the famously shameless shrine maiden felt a rare prickle of embarrassment.
She reluctantly withdrew her hand.
Yet she stubbornly tilted her chin up to save face.
"I was merely... conducting a thorough inspection! Ensuring you had not suffered any hidden injuries!"
Ei folded her arms, casting a dry, exasperated look at her familiar.
"There is absolutely no need to inspect that specific area! Do you genuinely believe Ryen would leap into the trenches to fight hand-to-hand, and somehow exclusively injure himself there?"
Ryen nodded in profound, solemn agreement. A sovereign did not casually risk his life on the front lines when he commanded an army.
Furthermore, as the Lord of the World, flanked by thousands of elite guardsmen, dirtying his own hands in the mud was entirely unnecessary.
Did a sovereign not require a certain level of dignity and decorum?
Ryen's personal philosophy had always been remarkably consistent: if he could sit, he would not stand. If he could delegate the labor, he would not lift a finger.
However, Ryen took mild offense to the phrasing of Ei's defense.
Suggesting he might suffer an injury in that particular area...
Such words were terrible luck!
Yae Miko pouted, acutely aware of the disdainful look Ei was directing her way.
Deciding that shame was entirely unproductive, the shrine maiden fully embraced her brazen nature.
She wrapped her arms tightly around Ryen's neck, flashing a triumphant, sultry smile.
"I was feeling greedy! What of it? Bite me!"
"Ryen is my partner. We were separated for an entire evening while he directed a highly lethal siege in another realm. Naturally, upon his safe return, my first priority is verifying that my most precious treasure remains perfectly intact!"
"This directly concerns my lifelong happiness, after all."
Hearing Miko speak with such unapologetic, absolute candor, the surrounding women fell into a stunned silence.
Only Yae Miko possessed the sheer, terrifying audacity to utter such words in polite company.
Ryen shook his head with an amused laugh, giving Miko a sharp, affectionate pinch on her backside.
"And? What is your official medical assessment?"
Miko blinked, her smile widening into a wicked, teasing grin.
"Brimming with absolute vitality. It seems tonight is destined to be quite a joyous evening."
Such a remarkably bold exchange left the other women flushing deeply.
Yet Miko's shamelessness served as an effective reminder. They crowded closer, their hands roaming over Ryen's shoulders, chest, and arms, meticulously checking for any hidden wounds.
Just as Ryen intimately understood every curve and detail of their bodies, they knew his physical form better than he knew himself.
Within seconds, the inspection concluded. Exactly as Ei had stated, he was entirely unharmed. In fact, he looked as though he had not lifted a weapon at all.
He didn't even carry the faint, acrid stench of gunpowder on his skin.
It proved Ryen had remained safely off the front lines. This was a profound comfort; if the sovereign did not need to draw his blade, the situation in Redstone Tech City remained firmly under control.
However, being surrounded and actively inspected by so many beautiful women naturally provoked a physical reaction from Ryen.
Ganyu, standing directly in front of him, was the first to notice the subtle, unmistakable shift in his posture.
Her face flushed a brilliant shade of crimson, and she quietly rubbed her cheek against his shoulder to hide her embarrassment.
Ryen offered a dry, helpless laugh.
"Alright, that is quite enough. I am perfectly fine, but if you continue this inspection much longer, I guarantee we will have an entirely different kind of emergency on our hands."
"Let us sit down. You know my nature better than anyone. I have a massive garrison holding the walls. If the situation ever deteriorated to the point where I was forced to draw my sword..."
"It would mean the perimeter had catastrophically failed, and I would have long since dragged the entire army back through the portal."
Hearing his calm reassurance, the women finally breathed a collective sigh of relief and ceased their roaming hands.
In truth, just as Ryen lusted after them, Ningguang and the others harbored a deep, passionate hunger for him.
Yet longing for one's own partner could hardly be classified as lechery.
The descent of the final Blood Moon had forced their temporary separation, leaving them drowning in nervous anxiety all evening.
Now that Ryen had returned safely, their first instinct was to drag him into their chambers and properly celebrate.
But practical matters took precedence. They needed a thorough briefing on the true state of Redstone Tech City.
The night was still young, and Ryen's schedule for tomorrow morning was likely clear.
There was no need to rush the festivities.
Ningguang guided Ryen to a seat at the stone table in the courtyard.
Under the pale moonlight, she poured him a cup of freshly brewed tea before speaking in a soft, measured tone.
"You returned far earlier than we anticipated. Did the evolutionary leap of the mutants prove weaker than your initial projections?"
That single question served as the spark, instantly igniting the curiosity of the others.
"Is the horde completely eradicated?"
"Is the structural integrity of Redstone Tech City secure?"
"Since you returned this early, the situation must be perfectly stable. Does that mean we can accompany you back across the threshold tomorrow?!"
The chaotic chorus of sweet, melodic voices washed over Ryen, leaving him momentarily dazed.
He sat frozen with the teacup halfway to his lips. After a long moment, he shook his head with a bitter smile.
"With so many questions fired at once, I hardly know where to begin. Allow me to catch my breath first..."
He took a slow sip of the tea, his eyes scanning the courtyard.
"By the way, where are Klee and the girls?"
Ningguang opened her mouth, fully intending to proudly boast about her arduous, two-hour struggle to coax the children to sleep.
Before a single syllable could leave her lips, the dark windows of the nearby bedroom flared with sudden, brilliant light.
The frantic sound of rustling blankets echoed from within, and a split second later, the heavy wooden doors burst open.
Four adorable little girls, accompanied by a floating Paimon, rushed out into the courtyard. Clad in an assortment of colorful pajamas, their faces were lit with absolute, boundless joy.
While still several paces away, Klee and Nahida leaped into the air, launching themselves directly at Ryen.
"Brother Ryen! You came back! Klee missed you so, so much!"
"Qiqi missed you too!"
In the blink of an eye, having just escaped the embrace of the women, Ryen was once again thoroughly swarmed, this time by four clinging children.
The sweet, milky scent of the little girls filled his senses.
The four children wrapped their arms tightly around him, refusing to let go. An ecstatic Klee threw her arms around his neck, peppering his cheeks with happy, rapid-fire kisses.
Paimon executed a flawless aerial maneuver, landing squarely on Ryen's shoulder and happily kicking her small legs in the air.
"Did you really miss me that much? Were you good girls for Sister Ningguang while I was away?"
Ryen reached out, scooping up Qiqi and Yaoyao, who were frantically trying to find space to hug him, planting a firm kiss on both of their foreheads.
In this mortal realm, the greatest joy a man could experience after a grueling day of labor was returning home to the warm embrace of his partner and children.
And Ryen? He possessed a multitude of beautiful partners, and four of the sweetest, most adorable daughters in the world.
His happiness was truly immeasurable.
"We were! Klee listened to every word Sister Ningguang said!"
Klee beamed, her eyes curving into bright crescents as she raised a small hand in a proud salute.
Yaoyao's eyes sparkled with sheer delight, yet she offered a serious, adult-like nod.
"Everyone was very well-behaved. We did not cause Sister Ningguang any trouble at all."
"Is that so? My precious girls are the absolute best."
Ryen tightened his arms, pulling the four children snugly against his chest.
Watching the heartwarming, picture-perfect reunion, the women felt a profound sense of warmth blossom in their chests.
Ningguang, however, could only offer a helpless, exasperated sigh, shaking her head.
"Wonderful. I spent two agonizing hours coaxing them to sleep, and now I will have to start the entire process over again."
Ryen blinked, looking at Ningguang with a cheerful, teasing grin.
"Is that so? You have my deepest sympathies."
Ryen easily deduced the sheer difficulty Ningguang must have faced.
The four children were incredibly attached to him; being separated from him for even a few hours left them deeply unsettled.
Furthermore, while Klee and the others were young, they were highly perceptive. They understood the danger Ryen was facing.
While the girls tried their absolute hardest to be obedient and not burden Ningguang with their fears, their young hearts simply could not contain such heavy anxiety. Naturally, sleep eluded them.
Moreover, for months on end, Ryen had been the one to sit beside their beds and guide them into slumber.
Replacing him abruptly with Ningguang was a jarring shift they simply could not adapt to in a single night.
Ryen suspected that putting the children to bed had been a battle rivaling the siege itself for the Tianquan.
He chuckled inwardly, feeling an intense, swelling pride that his daughters preferred him above all others.
However, the night was deepening. It was well past their established bedtime.
Ryen refused to let them stay up and ruin their health.
Rising from his seat with the four girls securely in his arms, he spoke softly.
"We will discuss the war when I return. First, I need to put them to bed."
Ningguang raised a brow, her tone laced with skeptical amusement.
"Given their current level of excitement, do you genuinely believe you can settle them quickly?"
"Are you joking?"
Ryen winked at her.
"When it comes to putting children to sleep, I am a flawless professional. Klee and the girls are perfect angels. If you struggle to put them down, the flaw lies entirely in your technique."
Having delivered his boast, Ryen carried Klee and the others back into the bedroom, gently shutting the door behind him.
Ningguang rolled her eyes, but she felt no pressing need to interrogate Ei or Guizhong about the siege just yet.
If Ryen was relaxed enough to joke and smile, Redstone Tech City remained secure.
Even if the cataclysm presented new hurdles, those hurdles were firmly under his control.
She could afford to wait a few minutes.
While Ningguang remained highly skeptical of Ryen's boast given how hyperactive the girls had just been, she underestimated the sheer comfort his presence brought them.
Exactly as he predicted, less than five minutes later, the warm glow within the bedroom was extinguished.
Ryen slipped quietly out the door, a look of profound, smug satisfaction plastered across his face.
He walked briskly back to the stone table, wrapping an arm around Ningguang's waist and playfully tilting her chin up.
"Observe the sheer difference in skill. As I said: a flawless professional."
Ningguang rolled her eyes, batting his hand away with a soft laugh.
"Very well! You are the undisputed master. The King of Children. Are you satisfied?!"
"They are a pack of heartless little scoundrels. I treat them like royalty every single day, yet they still prefer you over me."
Ryen tilted his head back, radiating arrogant pride.
"That is simply the undeniable power of my personal charisma."
For Ryen, ascending in martial strength brought him little joy. But knowing his daughters loved and obeyed him above all else? That was a victory worth boasting about.
"Enough gloating. To business."
Ningguang shook her head, choosing to ignore the fact that Ryen's hand had once again settled comfortably upon her hip.
Her tone grew serious.
"What is the true situation in Redstone Tech City? Did you not state earlier that the portal would remain sealed for the entire seven days?"
"Since you have returned tonight, does that imply the siege is less threatening than anticipated? Can we cross the threshold tomorrow?"
Ningguang's questions rekindled the eager anticipation of the other women.
"Ryen, you returned so early tonight! That must mean the horde was easily routed. Does that mean we no longer have to stay behind in Teyvat?"
Hu Tao leaned forward, her eyes shining with eager excitement.
She despised being separated from Ryen. If Redstone Tech City was secure, she intended to cross the portal immediately.
Hearing their hopeful questions, the smug smile vanished from Ryen's face.
He fell silent for a long moment, his expression hardening as he let out a slow, heavy sigh.
"No. The reality is the exact opposite. The horrors besieging Redstone Tech City have escalated far beyond our darkest projections."