In Teyvat, it all begins with rescuing the grass god.

"I agreed."

An answer that Rhodes never expected came out.

This immediately twisted his previously relaxed expression into a grimace: "What!? You agreed???"

You agreed so easily!?

Rod could hardly believe his ears.

Nasita's personality does have some issues, but not to this extent.

Based on Rod's understanding of her.

Even if Zhi Dong were to declare a full-scale war with Xumi tomorrow, with all eleven executive officers and the Ice God present, Naxida would absolutely not betray Xumi's interests or make the slightest concession.

"What did she promise that you couldn't refuse?"

Rod asked, frowning.

That's the only explanation.

Behind these two stringent conditions lies an irresistible temptation.

What can the Winter Solstice offer?

"Industrial aid."

Nasita uttered four words, then added, "Furthermore, she brought the will of the Ice Queen. The garrison at the Winter Solstice is only to help Sumeru maintain the existing peace and will not interfere in Sumeru's internal affairs. The term is ten years, after which the garrison will withdraw. The joint scientific expedition will be a sharing of the results between the two countries. The Winter Solstice expedition personnel will report to the Order of the Church before conducting scientific expeditions and will not set off without authorization."

After hearing these conditions, Rhodes also fell silent.

Leaving aside the level of industrial development in winter, let's talk about the conditions that followed.

If a woman were in charge of the negotiations, Rod would definitely suspect that she was just talking the talk and might actually do something behind the scenes.

But now she is acting in the name of the Winter Queen.

Most importantly, the lady, like the young master, is the most loyal supporter of the Ice Queen.

Since she used the name of the Ice Queen, it means she won't play any word games in this matter.

So let's return to the conditions the lady set out.

The garrison maintains a peaceful presence without interfering in internal affairs, and scientific research activities are shared fairly. Moreover, the troops will withdraw on their own after only ten years of stationing.

There's really nothing wrong with that.

The industrial aid mentioned at the beginning was even more significant.

Among the seven kingdoms of Teyvat, Winterbreak and Fontaine are both renowned for their technology.

Among them, the level of industrialization in Zhidong far exceeds that of the other six countries.

Fully automated production lines, purely mechanized farming methods, flexible use of various slime-constructed mechanisms, and advanced industrial equipment such as blast furnaces.

Just like what Abedo told Rhodes when they were in Sumeru City about generating electricity using windmills, Rhodes remembered it very clearly. At that time, he clearly stated that, referring to the industrial classics of Winter, they could use the mechanism built by Thunderfire Slime to complete the storage and utilization of windmill energy.

"What's the reason?"

These requests, which seemed like good things no matter how you looked at them, inevitably made Rhodes wary.

He simply couldn't believe that Zhi Dong would give Xu Mi so many benefits for free.

However, this problem made Nasita sigh.

"She didn't say, only that it was the Ice Queen's order, and she was just relaying it."

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 205 A Promise Broken Without Realizing It

Let alone Naxida.

Even when Rhodes heard that Zhi Dong's conditions were all free, his first reaction was that he couldn't refuse.

This decision, made personally by the Ice Queen, is what the lady is referring to.

It's purely a matter of giving!

Rod looked at the cooperation agreement that the woman had handed over.

The text was clear and concise; no matter how he examined it, he found no trace of wordplay.

It can be said that all possible risks have been completely eliminated.

Especially the last one.

The Ice Queen guaranteed that after the agreement was reached, no executor would come to Sumeru without authorization. Any executor who needed to enter Sumeru for a mission would inform Naxida in advance and would only enter the Sumeru territory with permission.

In other words.

The lady's visit was not to interfere in the internal affairs of Sumeru, but to convey the goodwill of the gods as an envoy of the Ice Queen.

And then she acted and said those things before.

Rod couldn't help but grin whenever he thought about it.

At the same time, he did not understand the Ice Queen's actions.

why is that.?

This is completely inconsistent with what Zhi Dong usually does in other countries.

Thinking of this, Rod asked.

"You have a connection with the Ice Queen?"

I've never seen her before.

"Is it because the Great Compassion Tree King and she have a connection?"

"I don't know. But they were active in different eras, so theoretically, this possibility doesn't exist."

"why?"

"I don't know either"

Rhodes and Narcida looked at each other, both seeing expressions of utter bewilderment on each other's faces.

There was a moment of silence.

Rhodes suddenly realized another big problem and slapped his forehead, saying, "This is troublesome. I've already made a promise to the Mondstadt people."

The problem he now faces is...

Why did Zhi Dong, contrary to his usual practice, give away so many things to Xumi for free?

The real question is how Rhodes should explain to Diluc and Kaeya that he can't target the lady, the messenger who brought divine goodwill.

The thought of his promise in Sumeru City to make the lady confess to attacking the Wind God made Rhodes wish he could crawl into the World Tree right now and erase the matter.

pity.

No if.

Even if Rhodes were to re-enter the World Tree, he would not be able to use the World Tree's Grass God powers, and Narcida would absolutely not agree to him arbitrarily altering the established records on the World Tree.

So when the lady, representing Winter, extended such goodwill, no matter how much Rhodes had previously guarded against her or how much he had planned to target her, it was now absolutely impossible for him to push her into a situation of opposing Mondstadt.

if not.

This is just being inhuman; you can't explain it to anyone.

"That's unreasonable."

Rhodes's head throbbed with worry: "Wasn't Zhi Dong always invading other countries by various means? How come he's suddenly acting like a philanthropist? There must be something fishy going on."

That's what it says.

However, if this trick cannot be found, it means that Rhodes's portrait of Winter has deviated considerably.

At least.

The portrayal of the Winter Fools as some unspecified organization composed of warmongers and madmen is inaccurate.

Filled with various questions and doubts, Rhodes left the Pure Good Palace with a solemn expression.

They hadn't even taken a few steps.

He bumped right into the woman.

Judging from the woman's appearance, she seemed to have been waiting here for a long time.

Same as before.

She remained as arrogant as ever, and her tone was still as aggressive as ever: "Messenger of the Grass God, is there anything you wish to say to me?"

"."

Rhodes' lips twitched, then he asked, "What did you say?"

"Now that you know Her Majesty the Queen's decision, don't you have anything to say?"

As she spoke, the woman fiddled with two Hearts of God in her hands, and the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up in a smile.

"Compensation by borrowing the heart of God?"

Already confused, Rhodes couldn't understand what the lady was trying to say by blocking his way, so he could only give a perfunctory reply.

This answer naturally drew ridicule.

"Hehehe."

"compensate?"

"With your weak deity, does she even deserve compensation?"

After her mockery, seeing that Rhodes wasn't angry, the lady stopped laughing with little interest, raised her chin, and said, "Thank your former god. Her Majesty the Queen said this is a gift that is five hundred years overdue."

Was it a gift for the Great Compassion Tree King?

Rhodes quickly realized something: "Does your empress know she's been resurrected?"

"Humph."

"All the gods are short-sighted and foolish; only those who have fought to the death against the abyss can earn the respect of Winter."