LRAB Chapter 100 Nasita and Wendy discuss governing the country, and the cooperation and conflict between
Chapter 100 Nasita and Wendy discuss governing the country, and the cooperation and conflict between
Chapter 100 Nasita and Wendy discuss governing the country, and the cooperation and conflict between the gods.
Narcida manipulated the alchemical doll, leaping lightly from the treetop and landing steadily in front of Wendy, her movements so fluid they didn't seem like those of a doll.
She showed no panic at being exposed; instead, she nodded calmly.
"Nice to meet you, Barbatos, the wind god. I am Buyer, but now I prefer to be called Narcida."
The meeting between the gods was as mundane as bumping into a neighbor on the street.
"Slap! Slap! Slap!"
The crisp applause broke the silence of the forest.
Chen Bo clapped excitedly from the side, then summoned a floating telescope that could take pictures, adjusted the angle, and aimed it at Wendy and Luna 1.
"What a historic meeting! The goddesses of wisdom and liberty are having a friendly exchange in a grove of trees in a foreign land; a photo opportunity is a must!"
Wendy paused for a moment, then laughed. He naturally moved closer to Luna 1, made a classic "V" sign at the camera, and smiled broadly.
Nasita had clearly never seen anything like this before. She looked at Wendy, then at the camera, and awkwardly tried to make a small peace sign.
"Click."
The floating telescope doesn't make any sound when taking pictures, so Chen Bo used his ventriloquism to create a clicking sound.
"It's fate that we met. To celebrate this rare encounter, how about we use what we have here and have a meal together?" Chen Bo suggested, his eyes already searching for plump wild boars in the forest.
"Hey, as the host, how can I let my guests worry about this?"
Wendy flicked her wrist, as if by magic, and pulled two bottles of excellent apple wine from her cloak: "I'll serve the drinks."
Chen Bo didn't stand on ceremony and directly took out a grill and seasonings from his storage space, saying, "You guys chat first, I'm going to catch a pig."
Soon, Chen Bo came over with a skinned and gutted piglet.
Wendy and Narcida had already started a fire and set up the barbecue grill.
Then, wisps of smoke rose from the Whispering Forest, the aroma of meat mingling with the sweetness of fruit wine, drifting in the night breeze.
The three sat down around the campfire, and the atmosphere was surprisingly harmonious.
Wendy took a sip of his drink, his green eyes gleaming in the firelight. He looked at Luna One and asked curiously, "Honestly, I'm quite curious. Why would the God of Wisdom think of participating in our Mondstadt Badminton Festival? And even—personally play a match?"
Chen Bo continued, "Well, I wanted to come here to hunt the Lightning of the Impermanence, and it just so happens to be the Badminton Festival. I also wanted to help my teacher get a badminton shuttlecock, but I'm not capable enough, so I had to ask a professional to step in."
Wendy nodded in realization: "Oh, I see."
"The fact that a professional was actually a god terrified me, an ordinary contestant."
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Chen Bo complained, "Yeah, you're ordinary, you're just too ordinary."
"Who just said they were Mondstadt's best bard?"
"Hey," Wendy replied, easily fooling everyone.
The wild boar meat on the grill was licked by the flames, and the fat dripped down, sizzling on the charcoal, making the aroma increasingly rich.
Chen Bo skillfully turned the grilled meat, sprinkled on a pinch of spices, and the rich aroma immediately filled the forest.
He glanced at Narcida, who was curiously observing the flickering flames beside him, and then at Wendy, who was leisurely drinking across from him, before suddenly speaking.
"Nasita, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
Chen Bo nudged Luna One with his elbow. "This is one of the oldest gods in Teyvat, and Mondstadt is the freest country still in existence. Why don't you ask him for advice—on his experience in governing a country?"
He emphasized the word "experience".
After all, Nasita's ability to walk freely is limited. Although she is currently only an avatar, she will eventually have to face the entire Sumeru in person. It can't hurt to go through the journey ahead of time.
Upon hearing this, Wendy paused, her hand holding the wine bottle pausing, and a look of keen interest appeared on her face.
Luna One tilted its head, and Nasita's voice carried a hint of pure confusion: "Governing a country?"
But Chen Bo, didn't you say you would become my great sage in the future?
"According to the system of the Sumeru Teaching Academy, shouldn't specific administrative affairs be handled by the Great Sages?"
"Pfft—cough cough cough!" Chen Bo almost choked on his own saliva.
He waved his hand abruptly: "Stop! Stop!"
"My ambition to be a great sage is merely a title!"
"I'm a professional when it comes to scientific research. But as for governing a country, you might not be worried, but I am. If I mess up Sumeru, I'll become the sinner of the entire Sumeru."
As Chen Bo skillfully rotated the roasted pig, he couldn't help but start complaining.
"Honestly, I think it's a huge mistake to let academics govern the country."
Upon hearing this, even Wendy raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued.
Chen Bo's hands didn't stop moving: "Everyone has their own expertise; this principle applies everywhere. Being good at academics doesn't mean you're good at governing a country."
"The biggest problem with those scholars in Sumeru is that they bring their academic arrogance to governing the country without any changes."
"In my opinion, academic research institutions and administrative agencies responsible for specific tasks should be separated, so that professionals can do what they are good at."
After Chen Bo finished speaking, he cut off a slice of roasted meat, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and handed it to Luna One. He then gave Wendy a large piece, and finally took a slice for himself.
It was as if those remarks were just a casual complaint.
Nasida held the roasted meat but didn't eat. Instead, she quietly looked at Chen Bo, her pupils seemingly flashing with countless data streams, clearly deep in thought.
Wendy took a bite of the roast meat and then gulped down a mouthful of cider, her green eyes shining brightly in the firelight.
"Hey," he chuckled, drawing out the last syllable, "that's really interesting."
"Although I don't know much about the Sumeru system, I think this guy's explanation is quite good."
After Wendy finished speaking, she took another big gulp of apple cider, the liquid rolling in her throat with a satisfied gurgling sound.
"However, when it comes to experience in governing a country, I'm probably the one with the least say." He leaned against the tree trunk behind him and said in a relaxed manner, "To be honest, for the past five hundred years, I've spent most of my time sleeping and recuperating in Mondstadt, and haven't been awake for very long."
"After waking up, I didn't participate in the affairs of the Knights, because I've always felt that freedom commanded by the gods isn't true freedom at all. If I, the Wind God, spend my days telling the people of Mondstadt how to live and how to govern the city, what kind of freedom do they have to talk about?"
He pointed towards Mondstadt in the distance, where the city lights twinkled like stars in the night.
"Look at Mondstadt now, it's entirely governed by the people of Mondstadt themselves. Although occasionally some scoundrels like the Lawrence family will emerge, so what? The winds of freedom in Mondstadt will eventually blow away those shadows."
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Wendy's tone carried a world-weary detachment. "Overall, the result was quite good. Everyone was able to enjoy drinking and singing every day, enjoying life. Isn't that great?"
Narcida gazed at the flickering campfire and asked softly, "So, is this method of governance a choice made by the people of Mondstadt themselves?"
Wendy shrugged and said, "Pretty much. After all, freedom is something ingrained in the bones of Mondstadt people."
If the ruling class itself becomes tyrannical and begins to oppress the people, then those who yearn for freedom will naturally raise the banner of resistance, just as Vanessa did in her time.
He paused, raised the bottle, and gave a slight salute towards Mondstadt: "The gods only need to watch from the wind, occasionally giving them a little guidance, and the rest is up to them to decide."
Chen Bo silently complained to himself, "It's not exactly a trivial matter of guidance. After all, reshaping the terrain and improving the environment is no small task."
Nasita lowered her head, the firelight illuminating her innocent face. She said softly, "Sumeru is now governed by the people of Sumeru, or rather, by the Council of Religion itself."
"But I can't judge whether this situation is good or bad based on the existing data. The Instructional Council seems to be going astray, but I'm not sure if we should intervene forcefully."
She had been imprisoned for five hundred years, and most of her understanding of Sumeru came from the Void Terminal. Sumeru under the rule of the Order Council did not seem to be so heinous.
According to Chen Bo, the wise men are mostly arrogant, but they are determined to do what they believe is right.
Chen Bo looked at Naxida, whose emerald green eyes seemed somewhat lost in thought in the firelight, clearly still pondering the matter of Sumeru.
"Don't jump to conclusions." Chen Bo broke the silence, handing a piece of golden-brown, juicy wild boar meat to Luna One's little hand, and then handing a piece to Wendy as well.
"Narcissus, I will take your avatar and travel throughout the seven kingdoms of Teyvat. To see the covenant and prosperity of Liyue, how the order of millennia is maintained beneath those ancient rocks. To see the eternity and change of Inazuma, how the majesty of lightning intertwines with the desires of humankind."
"When you've collected enough samples," experienced the customs and traditions of each country, and understood the rise and fall of different civilizations, you will naturally arrive at your own answer.
"After all, you are the god of wisdom of Teyvat."
Nasida took the roasted meat but didn't eat it immediately. Instead, she listened quietly to Chen Bo's words.
After listening to Chen Bo's words, Naxida took a big bite of meat and said, "Yes, I will observe carefully and record it well."
Wendy was eating the barbecue heartily, taking big bites of meat and sips of wine, thoroughly enjoying herself.
After finishing the meat in her hand, Wendy turned to Chen Bo, curiously stretched out a hand, pointed at him, then at the grill, and finally at Luna One.
Finally, he reached out his hand to Chen Bo.
"So, this friend who understands mechanics, can build those strange 'whoosh' flying things, understands governance, and can roast such delicious wild boar meat, could you please introduce yourself?"
Chen Bo put down his barbecue fork, wiped his hands with his rough sleeve, and then unhesitatingly grasped Wendy's outstretched hand, saying without any concealment, "Chen Bo, a traveler from outer space."
After saying that, Chen Bo glanced at Nasita and added, "She was also the first sage of Buyer."
Wendy also found it very interesting.
Did the first sage of the Grass God appear five hundred years later?
He knew some things about Sumeru, but not much.
After all, they're busy drinking all day.
However, what was even more surprising was the identity of this sage.
"Travelers from outer space—" Wendy repeated the four words softly, her green eyes flickering slightly in the firelight.
"No wonder you have so many unique insights into the governance of the Teyvat kingdoms. That makes sense now."
He turned to look at Luna 1, then at Chen Bo, and suggested with great interest, "Since we get along so well, and we're going to participate in the badminton festival together tomorrow, why don't we—join forces?"
Chen Bo thought to himself, "What an awkward way to change the subject."
Wendy said enthusiastically, "I'll play the music, and Nasita will sing the poems."
"I will accompany Naxida's poems with my best instrument, the harp, to bring out the rhythm of the wind in the poems."
Nasita, on the other hand, will be responsible for reciting the poem about the wind, which will surely garner a lot of applause.
Chen Bo resting his chin on his hand is indeed a pretty good idea.
The first collaboration between the gods in the last five hundred years was actually to defeat other bards.
Perfect, and very interesting.
Chen Bo clapped enthusiastically: "Great idea! A perfect blend of wisdom and freedom—this is the ultimate combination for the badminton festival!"
"But let me make this clear first, the badminton shuttlecock is mine."
Wendy raised the bottle, shook it, and said, "It's a holiday, having fun is the most important thing. As for the prize for the champion—"
"That limited-edition badminton shuttlecock is naturally yours."
"As for me, all I need are those few bottles of vintage wine that come with the prize."
With no conflicting goals, it's a perfect collaboration.
Wendy had absolutely no interest in badminton; he was only interested in the festive atmosphere and the wine served at the festival.
He only participates in the first two rounds of the competition; he always forfeits in the subsequent flying competitions.
Chen Bo was also happy. The badminton shuttlecock had been taken by Farusan, and since the senior Farusan was interested, he, as her student, naturally had to oblige.
Narcida will be able to experience the local customs and culture of Mondstadt more deeply, while Wendy will get the wine he has been longing for.
A win-win-win situation.
"It's a pleasure working with you," Chen Bo said, extending his hand and giving Wendy a high five.
Nasita watched the two interacting so easily and happily, tilting her little head slightly: "So, do I need to do anything to prepare?"
"No need for special preparations," Wendy waved her hand dismissively. "You just need to sing that poem about the wind in your purest voice. As for the rest, leave it to me, Mondstadt's best bard."
He picked up the harp and gently plucked the strings twice; the clear sound of the harp echoed in the night.
"While I was listening to you recite poetry, I was also composing a new melody."
"You've teamed up for the poetry competition," Chen Bo said, flipping the last piece of wild boar meat on the grill. The skin was roasted to a golden brown and crispy, and the fat sizzled.
"And what about the upcoming wine tasting? Wendy, you're a seasoned wine taster, are you confident you can go toe-to-toe with Nasita?"
Chen Bo said in a serious tone, "Our Nasita can record the taste of every wine and conduct detailed analysis. For example, alcohol content, sugar content, acidity, and record the taste characteristics of each wine. No matter how they are mixed, they can be clearly distinguished, right?"
Nasida nodded: "Yes, I can do it."
Chen Bo was still looking forward to a duel between gods, even if it was just a wine tasting contest, so he deliberately stirred things up.
Upon hearing this, Wendy, holding the wine bottle, said with considerable confidence, "Wine tasting? That's my forte. When it comes to understanding wine in Mondstadt, whether it's the vintage, the terroir, or the winemaker's emotions during the brewing process, I dare say no one knows better than me."
"You can record the flavor characteristics of each wine, but what about the influence of the winemaker's emotions on the wine? There's not enough time to collect that data now."