Chapter 429: Uninvited Guest (2-in-1 Chapter)

Raiden Shogun gazed at the golden orb in Nolan's palm without showing any particular reaction of surprise.

After a brief moment of thought, she asked,

"The girls who share a close relationship with you—do they also use this to travel to and from your personal space?"

"Yes, that's right. General, you've seen it yourself during your days in the 'Gravity Training Field.' As long as there's at least one person inside the space, everyone can freely return."

Nolan gave a simple explanation before continuing,

"That means as long as Lady Ei carries a 'Waymark,' you can teleport to her side anytime to retrieve Muso Isshin."

Raiden Ei had agreed to store Muso Isshin in the Wonderland while she studied the power of time within it.

Thus, whenever Muso Isshin was in the realm, Ei would be there as well, eliminating any concern about Raiden Shogun needing the blade when no one was inside.

There would never be a case where she needed it but couldn't access it.

"But how would I leave? Doesn't your ability require someone outside with a connected mark as an 'anchor point' for teleportation?"

Raiden Shogun immediately grasped the limitation of his ability—it wasn't perfect.

"Heh, well…"

Nolan scratched his cheek with his index finger, pondering for a moment before replying,

"How about I also give Kujou Sara a 'Waymark'? That way, General, you'd always be able to return to Inazuma at will."

Kujou Sara's affection toward Nolan wasn't particularly high yet. If he suddenly gifted her a Waymark, she might grow suspicious of his intentions and refuse.

However, if the request came from Raiden Shogun herself, Sara would take it seriously. After all, her respect and loyalty to the Shogun were absolute.

If she saw it as an opportunity to assist her revered leader, she'd probably be grateful to Nolan rather than wary of him.

Alternatively, there was also Yoimiya, who ran her fireworks shop in Inazuma City. Teleporting to her location was another viable option.

The only issue?

Yoimiya might get scared out of her wits.

After all, if the highly esteemed and dignified Raiden Shogun suddenly materialized beside an ordinary citizen, it would be understandable if she didn't know how to react.

"Hmm?"

Raiden Shogun carefully considered the feasibility of the idea.

Before she could make a decision, a voice echoed directly in both their minds—Raiden Ei's voice.

"That will do. Let's go with that."

Hearing the telepathic message from Plane of Euthymia, Raiden Shogun ultimately agreed.

"Alright. Then here, take this first. Shall I send Lady Ei's mark to Plane of Euthymia as well?"

Nolan handed the Waymark to Raiden Shogun, his face filled with curiosity.

"Kujou Sara is still at the front lines organizing the soldiers' return. We can wait until she comes back.

"As for 'the Inner Self,' I'll enter your personal space later. You can hand it to her yourself once she emerges."

Raiden Shogun accepted the golden orb.

Since she offered no resistance, the light immediately merged into her body upon touching her fair skin.

Moments later, she finished processing the information transmitted by the orb and fully grasped the ability—Interstellar Travel.

Just as Nolan was about to explain how to use it, Raiden Shogun suddenly vanished before his eyes.

At the same moment, he sensed a new presence inside his Wonderland—a figure clad in violet, appearing beside Lumine, who had just woken up.

There was no doubt—it was Raiden Shogun.

She had understood how Interstellar Travel worked instantly and simply spoke to Lumine in her mind. Once Lumine gave permission, she teleported to her side.

Seeing this, Nolan turned and stepped back into the portal leading to the Wonderland.

The transition between dimensions was as calm and ordinary as pushing open a door.

Upon entering, he saw Raiden Shogun approaching him, her well-proportioned legs clad in thigh-high violet stockings. She spoke,

"An impressive ability."

The activation had zero delay, couldn't be obstructed by anything, and guaranteed teleportation directly to the intended target.

This was incredibly useful for retrieving Muso Isshin.

[Raiden Shogun (Raiden Ei) Has Developed Good Feelings Toward You. Obtained 340 Affection Points. Current Affection Level: Lv.7 (500/700)]

"As long as it meets your needs, General."

Seeing her affection points increase, Nolan was in a great mood.

Raiden Shogun gave a small nod before drawing her sword from her chest—Muso Isshin.

The moment the blade entered the Wonderland, a notification popped up on his character panel, and the realm itself underwent a subtle transformation:

[Rare treasure "Muso Isshin" successfully collected. New Trait unlocked: "All Wills as One."]

["All Wills as One" effect: In the "Golden Vault" of the Wonderland, you may collect the wishes and aspirations of others. Once enough are gathered, you may make a wish. The scope of the wish must be within the limits of the wish-maker's understanding. The greater the wish, the more willpower required.]

Reading this, Nolan was thrilled.

He could make wishes!

Although the ability wasn't an all-powerful wish-granting machine, where anything imagined could instantly come true, it was still an incredible power.

But it was still an incredibly powerful ability.

The so-called "willpower" was actually generated from the occasional desires that surfaced in a person's heart.

For example, if Paimon thought, "I really want to eat a feast," then that wish would produce a small amount of willpower.

It was essentially collecting people's fleeting and seemingly meaningless daydreams and, once accumulated to a sufficient degree, converting them into something tangible and meaningful.

This was already a small miracle in itself!

However, at the moment, the system had zero willpower stored, meaning nothing could be realized yet—it would take time to build up.

Muso Isshin was truly no ordinary blade.

Not only did it grant the wish-making ability, but it also expanded the Wonderland by 100 square meters.

Even more powerful than the two divine artifacts from the God of Salt!

Adding the original 208 square meters, the total space in the Wonderland was now 308 square meters.

Now, the hot spring, beach, and swimming pool that he had previously thought about might actually be possible…

Nolan was quite satisfied with this development.

Raiden Ei emerged from Plane of Euthymia inside Muso Isshin and entered the Wonderland.

Her form appeared no different from that of an ordinary human—but in reality, she was a spirit so powerful that it had manifested a physical presence, rather than an actual flesh-and-blood body.

Given her strength, she could probably exist in the outside world as a soul for centuries, and inside the Wonderland, that concern was even less relevant.

Here, the power of "Eternity" ensured her soul would never weaken, while "Soul Nurturing" would allow her to gradually grow stronger.

In other words, her spiritual form was perfectly stable in the Wonderland.

Nolan took out another Waymark and handed it to her.

Already understanding how it worked, Raiden Ei accepted it without hesitation and seamlessly merged it into her body.

She then requested a quiet room where she could begin studying the concept of "Eternity" within the Wonderland.

Nolan gave it some thought.

Since Ei needed a peaceful environment, the first floor—which housed the living quarters and training grounds—was unsuitable. The third floor, which was a storage area, also wouldn't work.

The best option was to place her room next to the library in the second-floor research area.

Having Lumine construct a dedicated Meditation Chamber for her seemed like a solid plan.

Nolan presented the idea and consulted Ei for her opinion.

Raiden Ei had no objections, so the construction of the Meditation Chamber was left in Lumine's hands.

Muso Isshin would also be stored in the Meditation Chamber, making it convenient for Raiden Shogun to retrieve it when needed.

With everything settled in the Wonderland, Nolan prepared to head for Narukami Shrine.

He had received a message from Rosalyne—they had arrived at the foot of Yashiori Mountain, meaning they were now close to Narukami Shrine.

To ensure a smoother outcome, Nolan needed to reach Narukami Shrine before the other Fatui Harbingers arrived.

Fortunately, for someone like him, this was no difficult task.

It didn't take long before he exited the Wonderland, reappeared inside Tenshukaku, then located the direction of Narukami Shrine.

With a single step, he vanished into space itself.

### Narukami Shrine – Beneath the Sacred Sakura

Under the Sacred Sakura Tree, a woman with long, silky pink hair and a shrine maiden's robe—one that elegantly revealed her flawless, fair-skinned underarms—stood gracefully.

It was Yae Miko, the Guuji of the Grand Narukami Shrine.

She was currently instructing the other shrine maidens on their duties for the day.

Suddenly, her charming violet eyes narrowed slightly, as if she had sensed something.

Then, a mischievous smile curled on her lips.

She turned to the shrine maidens and said,

"Alright, that's all for today's tasks. Go ahead and prepare. Oh, and don't forget to clean the rooftop too, okay~?"

"Yes, Lady Guuji!"

The shrine maidens, dressed in their traditional robes, responded in unison and dutifully set off to complete their assignments.

Before long, Yae Miko was the only one left beneath the Sacred Sakura.

With an amused smile, she tilted her head up slightly, gazing toward the shrine's rooftop.

Then, in a teasing tone, she chuckled,

"Oh my, little one~ You finally decided to come see me, hmm?

And sneaking around too—could it be that you're feeling shy? Hehe~"

"Haha, Lady Miko is as sharp as ever."

From the rooftop, Nolan dispelled his invisibility, revealing himself.

Even with a high-level stealth skill that reduced his presence significantly, it still couldn't escape the keen perception of Yae Miko.

It seemed that the issue of mental perception was still unavoidable.

Lowering one's presence might allow those with weaker spiritual awareness to overlook him, but for someone as powerful as Yae Miko, it clearly wouldn't have much effect.

"If you came today just to see me, then as a reward, I can treat you to some sakura mochi that I made myself."

"But if you only remembered me because you needed my help with something… then as punishment, you'll have to help the shrine maidens clean the shrine!"

Beneath her soft pink hair, Yae Miko's fair and delicate face remained adorned with a mischievous smile.

"Well…."

Nolan lightly leaped off the rooftop, adjusted his collar, and let out a regretful sigh.

"It seems I'll have to accept my punishment and clean the shrine, because I did come here with a request."

"Oh?"

Yae Miko crossed her arms, her fox-like eyes gleaming as she let out a soft chuckle.

"In that case, before you start cleaning, tell me—what exactly brought you here?"

"Alright."

Nolan nodded slightly, organized his thoughts, and briefly explained the information he had received—how the Fatui were coming to trade for the Gnosis.

At the end, he added,

"I was worried that you and the shrine might not be able to handle them alone, so I came to see if I could help."

"Oh? I see now. So you actually have a Fatui Harbinger working undercover for you?"

Yae Miko was slightly surprised at the source of Nolan's intel, but then let out a soft sigh.

"And of course, the one who figured out that I have the Gnosis… is that brat, Scaramouche.

"Now he's even bringing outsiders to bully me? How truly heartbreaking."

She shook her head lightly and muttered,

"I told Ei a long time ago that we should have destroyed him. Who knows how much trouble he's caused over the years, how many terrible things he's done…"

Nolan nodded in agreement.

Scaramouche—that guy had definitely committed countless atrocities after joining the Fatui.

He vaguely remembered that Ei had created him, but never restrained or guided him, likely due to some lingering guilt in her heart.

At the beginning, Scaramouche was just someone lost in the world, unable to find a reason to exist, trapped in a hollow sense of confusion.

At that time, he hadn't actually done anything evil.

That was why Ei chose to let him go, allowing him to live his own life without interference.

However, later on, he experienced the pain of losing a friend, fell into deep sorrow, and became obsessed with his own suffering.

He convinced himself that both Ei and his lost friend had betrayed him.

That's when Dottore took advantage of his fragile state and recruited him into the Fatui, using him as a test subject for the "Artificial God" project—and that was how he gradually fell into darkness.

At the time, Raiden Ei was in the Plane of Euthymia, meditating constantly in an attempt to resist erosion.

The Shogun puppet she later created had only one duty: to protect Inazuma.

Naturally, neither of them had the time nor reason to pursue Scaramouche.

And so, through a series of unfortunate events, he became the infamous Fatui Harbinger he is today.

After thinking for a moment, Nolan said,

"How about this—if I get the chance in the future, I'll do the same thing I did with Rosalyne… I'll use my abilities to restrain and control him. What do you think?"

"Heh, that actually sounds like a great idea."

Yae Miko's lips curled into a playful smirk as she mused,

"Perhaps we can have him wander all across Teyvat, doing good deeds and upholding justice—to atone for all the sins he has committed."

Just as she was speaking, her gaze suddenly shifted toward the entrance of Narukami Shrine.

With a knowing smile, she said,

"Oh my, looks like those uninvited guests you mentioned have arrived. Shall we go greet them?"

Nolan also sensed several unfamiliar auras approaching from below.

They were already nearing the shrine's summit.

Without hesitation, the two of them headed outside.

The Arrival of the Fatui

By the time they reached the front courtyard of Narukami Shrine, they saw them—

Three Fatui Harbingers, led by none other than Dottore, were making their way up the torii-lined pathway.

A shrine maiden, busy sweeping the grounds, noticed them approaching.

Thinking they were ordinary worshippers, she stepped forward to welcome them.

Seeing this, Nolan reacted instantly, summoning semi-transparent thread to pull her back.

These Fatui Harbingers were not people to be trifled with.

If she got too close, there was no telling what might happen—

She could be injured or even insulted without reason.

Yae Miko turned to the shrine maiden and said,

"Go clean inside for now."

Only then did she shift her gaze toward the Fatui and speak first—

"Oh my, Narukami Shrine doesn't welcome people who lack sincerity, you know~"

Dottore halted in his tracks, standing on the stone pathway with an air of self-assured confidence.

His lips curled into a smirk beneath his black mask as he replied,

"You misunderstand, Lady Guuji. We do come in sincerity."

"In fact, we have come with utmost sincerity… to offer you a trade!"

However, as Dottore's gaze swept over Yae Miko, he suddenly noticed something—

Behind her, standing at her side, was none other than Nolan.

At that moment, the Fatui Harbingers, who had been highly confident in their plan, began to feel uncertain.

After all, it was Nolan who had utterly wrecked their operations at the Delusion Factory before.

And now, standing alongside Yae Miko, their supposed advantage in numbers had completely vanished.

It seemed this "trade" would not be as easy as they had hoped…

---

(End of Chapter)

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