Chapter 2 Commissioned by Asriels

"So should I just call you a captain or something?" I asked wryly as the guard captain led me through one of the major Liyue governmental buildings that apparently held her boss.

In response to the question, the guard captain looked behind himself at me with a bemused smile and he just snorted as he turned back around to keep walking through the large building. "Yes, young man that's fine. However do remember, here in Liyue we do pay attention to social norms, and pay respect to others when the situation calls for it." He said reminding me of how 'face' obsessed people were in this culture.

Either way, I nodded and although I wanted to ask about the distinction between Martial Arts and Cultivation, he was obviously in a rush so there was no time to actually talk to him as he quickly lead me into a section of higher-end offices. And finally, he lead me to an office that was closed with a set of thick wooden double doors.

"Allow me to run over the situation with my leader right quick. Remain here patiently don't move" He said taking a breath and as he knocked on the door a feminine voice rang from the door to come in and the man opened the door and stepped inside leaving me outside the room to my own thoughts.

Thankfully with being led into the area via one of the Guard Captains of the Miliith, I wasn't harassed or anything so I was allowed to think of the process in which I could bring about a tech uplift using the already processed materials available within Liyue. And I came to the conclusion that using a large collection of jury-rigged solar cells or steam power would be the best method I could really use until I could get ahold of cultivation methods of creating lightning or fire via some magic rocks or seals... Maybe I didn't know how that shit worked here yet at all really.

A couple of minutes passed as I made my mental list of materials I would need to make the steam engine and the solar cells, but finally, the door opened up. And the previously proud captain walked out with grim purpose as he spoke hurriedly. "Lady Keqing will see you now. I have a mission to do now though, so good luck young man." He then power walked out of the office area, leaving my face twitching as I realized I would be getting to meet one of the named characters so damned soon.

I took hold of the door handle as a bit of nervous energy filled me before I realized that acting weird was going to just make my life more difficult so I just took a breath and mentally reset so I could turn the door's ornate handle and push the heavy door open.

Keqing seemed to embody the color purple but was done tastefully. Her long hair was a somewhat light purple that was done up creating little folded spikes that were similar to cat ears. Her eyes were a darker purple, and with her pupils were shaped like a diamond of all things. And even her clothes were almost entirely purple just in different tones with some minor gold highlights.

And by the gods she was cute.

If anything her attractiveness made me more calm as I settled into old habits of chilling out around ladies so I didn't come across as some kind of spaz. "Should I refer to you as Lady Keqing like the captain called you?" I asked a bit wryly and she snorted while rolling her eyes.

"Not needed." She said simply as she folded her hands in front of herself as she spoke regally. "You are not subordinate to me... But in either case, let us get down to the details. My subordinate shared the information you gave and I am inclined to believe that information as the Ling clan's actions and reputation has fallen greatly in the last few years." Keqing spoke before on of her hands left their folded-together position so they could tap her well aged wooden table.

"Now... I am currently facing some issues, one of which is the Ling clan themselves, they were once Liyue's best clan of arms and armor forgers but since their scions have left to become cultivators and martial artists, their standards for forging have dropped into the gutter due to their actual clan members that would have learned the secrets and techniques of their long history have all but abandoned the craft... Leaving only outsiders they pull into the clan that will never learn such secrets to forging their previously vaunted weapons." Keqing spoke and I rose an eyebrow as I highly doubt she was offering me such a job to provide the Liyue Millelith with their arms and armor.

And my thoughts were correct as Keqing continued. "Now Jake Barris was it?" She asked affirming what her captain obviously told her and I nodded with her continuing. "I would like for you to inspect the latest shipment of swords and spears we received, already just from my soldier's taking them to the practice field we have received reports of the blades shattering during merely training which is utterly unacceptable!" She snapped with frustration clear in her voice.

While she visibly took a breath I spoke bluntly. "And what will I get for putting myself in the crosshairs for offending this long-lived clan that you are hesitating to censure."

Her purple eye's tightened on me and she realized I wasn't some sap, I was actually savvy enough to realize this wasn't going to be a good deal for my health obviously.

She bit her lower lip and asked wryly. "And what do you want then?"

Instinctively, I wanted to retort a million Mora, but Mora as far as I knew wasn't used as the common currency except for maybe with cultivators and martial artists so I asked for the more needed option. "I am a metallurgist and inventor, sadly my savings and materials were lost on the road to Liyue so all I ask is for something to get me started or some time here in Liyue... Even a room in a hotel or inn for a week or two would be enough for payment." I answered frankly and she nodded with a small smile.

"Hoh, an inventor from the regions of Mondstadt or Fontaine from your complexion and dress?" She mused looking me up and down before she asked with some interest in her voice. "And what kind of inventions have you created and what of course... What value can they bring to Liyue?" She asked and I looked at the candles filling the room with a bit of a stuffy air and I pointed at them.

"Lights, I can bring you lights for inside during the day without any magical cultivator nonsense, purely mortal science... Other than other conveniences, I am also versed in making special weapons that don't require cultivators or martial artists to use them." I explained briefly as I didn't know how cultivators used their magical tools. Nor the jargon, like if they used chi, ki or spiritual energy.

At my answer, Keqing rose an eyebrow before she shrugged and held out a hand. "Do you have proof of your inventions, blueprints, prototype, or even a finished product?" She asked and for a second I paused as I considered how to answer that question before I finally nodded as I took out my notepad that I got with the spare change that the caravan driver gave me for helping him unload some stuff.

Along with the notepad, I began speaking. "I would also like to know Liyue's laws on mining and resource extraction in general, for when I do get started on my work." I said as Keqing's eye's widened in confusion as she looked at the 'arcane' secrets of chemistry atomic symbols of different elements and how they combined to make new elements as well as the process in which I could finally get into Satisfactory technology to begin mass production.

Her eye's widened at the sight of the things like the biomass burner, and other things but eventually, she bit her finger in deep thought as she muttered. "And these things arent magic tools which run off of Spiritual Energy or a martial artists ki?" She questioned to herself and I smiled wryly.

"Keqing would you like to see a miracle?" I asked and when she blinked in surprise I took what looked like a little copper letter opener on Keqings desk and I began rubbing a strip of silk across the flat of the blade very quickly and then told Keqing. "Poke the blade," I said with a mischievous smile, and as she reached forward a bright blinding spark shot from the copper blade to her finger making a loud zapping noise and making her hand take back at a true blur that I couldn't follow as she looked at me in somewhat betrayal before her eyes widened as the sight caught up to her mentally.

"You know of secrets to capturing lightning without a grand array?" She questioned as she went to poke the copper blade again after I stopped rubbing it with the silk ribbon and she shuddered as another smaller weaker shock rang out and I nodded.

"You can say that indeed." And then I blinked as Keqing took up the blade and it was instantly coated in a crackling storm of purple lightning from her using whatever supernatural powers she had.

Granted I couldn't see the back of her neck where she typically had her Vision mounted on her dress in an accessory, but there was no tell-tale glow coming from a vision glowing from being used. My introspective thoughts on Visions were cut short as she spoke with a hum. "Interesting indeed, for a couple of moments I could channel my lightning through the blade much more easier than usual despite this not being a treasured metal for cultivators and martial artists."

I ran the thoughts through my head pondering if she was actually making a positive/negative charge which would allow it to more easily flow within the metal that briefly had its own static charge before her own naturally producing lightning overwhelmed the native charge.

But regardless I coughed and spoke out. "In either case, I wish to integrate within Liyue and get the resources to recontinue my experiments and if given a bit of help I can easily contribute to Liyue itself," I said with not just confidence. I had the literal godlike mode remote from Satisfactory that could 3D print whole massive machines within minutes and it's lesser forms wasn't even that complicated with how my building knowledge may have fudged them with some game logic.

The only thing I needed was a good amount of power to power the initial machines to get started.

Keqing then stood up and bluntly spoke. "We have deviated from our previous discussion Jake, come with me to the armory to inspect the arms and then we can discuss your recompense and... If you can show me some proof of your value perhaps we can work something out." She said formally and I nodded in understanding.