In the end, Idris fell asleep holding Nahida.
The little Archon of Wisdom refused to leave no matter what—she insisted on staying with him. Idris didn't have the energy to argue. He was genuinely exhausted; the past two days had been nonstop, to the point where his feet barely touched the ground.
That sleep lasted nearly an entire day.
By the time Idris woke again, it was already afternoon.
During the day, Zhongli and Shenhe had been touring Sumeru, seeing all kinds of things they had never encountered before—manufacturing workshops, military facilities, and countless devices they had never even heard of.
In Sumeru, such things were everywhere.
Some were beyond their understanding entirely.
For example—vehicles used in manufacturing that could move without elemental power.
These were designs Idris had recreated based on memories from another world. They were still imperfect, of course, but to Zhongli, the impact was enormous.
Because the strength of a nation was never determined solely by how many top-tier fighters it had.
If a nation could be built at all, its foundations were never weak. The gap between nations was rarely about gods—it was about ordinary people.
After all, when high-level combatants fought, the result was often catastrophic destruction. But when ordinary people clashed, even if many died, the nation itself could endure.
From Zhongli's perspective, Sumeru had already surpassed other nations in overall strength—not only in elites, but in its civilian foundation.
And this wasn't something you could improve overnight.
As the former god of Liyue, he felt this more clearly than anyone.
Shenhe didn't fully grasp the depth of the gap yet, but even she could tell—
Sumeru was no longer the weak nation it once was.
"Mr. Zhongli, you seem very interested in all of this," Shenhe said calmly.
"Liyue may not have these things yet, but once cooperation with Sumeru deepens, we will eventually."
Zhongli smiled faintly.
"Indeed. Still… I envy this. Grand Sage Idris has developed Sumeru extraordinarily well. Even if all the leaders of the other nations worked together, they might not match what he has achieved alone."
"I feel the same," Shenhe said softly.
"I used to think my senior sister was just being love-brained… but now I see it. Ganyu's judgment was never shallow."
She subconsciously glanced at her wrist.
The red rope was gone.
"Grand Sage Idris's wisdom and vision are beyond us," Zhongli said with quiet admiration.
"He didn't just strengthen Sumeru—he gave its people prosperity. A leader like that… deserves respect."
Shenhe nodded. The gap between Liyue and Sumeru was far greater than she had imagined. Liyue's prosperity now felt… superficial.
"I once believed Liyue was already economically mature," Shenhe said quietly.
"That it had nothing to learn from others."
Zhongli inclined his head slightly.
"That's exactly why stepping outside matters. Only by seeing the world can one know where they truly stand. After seeing Sumeru, my understanding of Liyue has become much clearer."
He paused, then continued,
"Isolation and complacency will never build a future. Even Inazuma—proud as it is—seeks cooperation with Sumeru. Liyue cannot afford to fall behind."
In Zhongli's mind, Idris's image grew sharper.
A leader of vision.
A leader of resolve.
A leader who understood that pure goodness alone could never lead a nation forward.
"I heard," Zhongli added carefully,
"that during your divine transformation, you had… close contact with Grand Sage Idris."
Shenhe stiffened slightly.
"I'll be frank," Zhongli continued.
"Idris is someone who values responsibility and emotion deeply. My opinion of him was poor at first—but it has changed."
"A man who tries to be a perfect saint cannot lead a nation to prosperity."
"Only kindness with a blade can ensure survival. Only then can a nation stand undefeated."
Those words struck Shenhe deeply.
She remembered the red rope—the symbol of her cursed past.
And how it was now gone.
What remained was a new self.
Still… she lowered her head.
"As for staying by Grand Sage Idris's side…" she said softly, embarrassed.
"I don't think I can. You've seen it—he's surrounded by extraordinary women. Beautiful, gifted, brilliant."
She shook her head.
"I was once cursed. Even if he accepted… I would feel as though I'd betrayed the kindness that saved me."
Zhongli sighed.
He understood.
The suggestion itself felt improper—especially after everything Idris had already given him. If anything, Zhongli felt he had gained far more than he had contributed.
Elsewhere.
Idris sat alone, thinking about Sumeru's future.
When a nation reaches a certain stage, expansion becomes inevitable.
Not conquest—
but influence.
Even without war, a nation needed stable strategic partners.
He hadn't paid much attention to this before, but now he understood:
Sumeru's development was no longer just internal.
It was time to look outward.
He turned to Nahida.
"Go gather the senior leadership," Idris said calmly.
"Today, we hold a meeting."
"We're going to discuss Sumeru's future—and how we expand our cooperation with other nations."
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