In Sumeru, pretend to be a scholar

On the surface, Arecino's misdeeds include establishing the House of Hearthstone for the Fools, training spies/agents and planting them in various Teyvat countries, and executing internal members who betrayed the House of Hearthstone.

However, a closer look at the text reveals that many of the spies within the House of Cuyavina were actually planted during Cuyavina's time.

To put it simply, Arecino herself was trained by Kugavina. After she killed her "mother" and took power, the system she inherited was already based on this logic.

On the contrary, Arecino even streamlined the spy system in the fireplace house.

They kept saying that traitors would be executed, but in reality, they burned their memories and let them return to normal life.

As a result, these people, after undergoing training in the Fool's Day Mail and losing their memories, returned to their daily work. Because their body memory had allowed them to master many skills, they actually did quite well and were able to find jobs to make a living.

On the other hand, DuckDuck can't be called a really bad guy, but he did release O'Sullivan.

In terms of getting things done, he is far inferior to Arechino.

Of course, this is normal, as Ya Ya is a pure warrior (Wang Yan is currently unaware that Ya Ya has already entered the Imperial Council).

In short, after ending the Fool's Mecha with Falushan, Wang Yan stopped thinking about Linni.

The two continued to stroll and enjoy themselves at Fengdanting.

As she walked, Falushan suddenly heard a faint metallic clanging sound.

For a mechanical master, the voice was all too familiar.

Eros quickly looked in the direction of the sound and saw a huge workshop with a sign that read "Beaumont" hanging above it.

The workshop sits on the side of the street, with white stone exterior walls trimmed with gilded edges, arched windows entwined with brass pipes and miniature gears, and a metal signboard bearing the marks of years of wear.

The central automatic forging and casting machine creaked softly, the gears made a light noise, and the steel roared.

Gears, springs, and metal blanks are neatly stacked on the shelf, the air is filled with a faint smell of machine oil, and fine iron filings fall onto the table.

"Is this Maple's workshop?" Eros asked, her tone tinged with interest.

She had been eating, drinking, and having fun before because Wang Yan was with her; it was purely a vacation.

Now, she is genuinely interested.

Wang Yan naturally knew his mentor's temperament and said with a smile, "Yes, Fengdan has already achieved industrial production. Workshops have replaced manual workshops, which is different from Sumeru."

"Industrial production..."

Eros's eyes flickered slightly, as if she was thinking about something.

“Wang Yan, you said…” Falushan suddenly spoke up, “Xumi, could we also pursue this kind of industrialization?”

Wang Yan paused for a moment, then smiled: "Mentor, that's a good question."

He thought for a moment and said, "If we're just talking about technology, Sumi is absolutely no problem. To be arrogant, even if Fengdan has an institution like the Power Engineering Science Academy, Sumi's technology is still stronger than Fengdan's."

"Oh?" Eros raised an eyebrow. "Then tell me, what makes it so strong?"

“The most obvious point,” Wang Yan said, suppressing a laugh, “is that Mount Sumeru can create gods.”

Elushan: "..."

She opened her mouth, only to find that she couldn't refute it.

As a high-ranking member of the Faculty, she naturally knew about what happened to Hazard back then.

But you don't care who created it, why they created it, or whether the created god is useful or not.

Just tell me, did you make it or not?

It's built.

If they can create even gods, then creating a few industrial machines is a piece of cake.

“Technology is definitely not the problem,” Erosham nodded, agreeing with Wang Yan’s statement, “but…”

She paused, her brow furrowing slightly: "However, it seems difficult to industrialize Sumeru on a large scale."

“That’s right.” Wang Yan also put away his smile and his tone became serious. “The reason is simple, just two words: energy.”

"The industrialization of Fengdan is based on the energy of Manghuang and the mixed energy of Law and Compensation. These two energies provide Fengdan with a long-term and stable energy supply. Whether it is the machines in the workshops, the lighting in the city, or even the 'ee' in the opera house, they all rely on these two energies to support them."

Although the [Litigation Hybrid Energy] is gone now, as long as the Manghuang energy remains, Fengdan's industrial system will still exist.

The academic legacy left by Alan is enough to sustain Maple Leaf for hundreds of years to come.

The energy of the desolate wilderness originates from the primordial womb. Theoretically, as long as the primordial womb exists, the energy of the desolate wilderness will not be depleted.

Therefore, as long as the Fengdan people don't do anything reckless and don't try to break through the limitations of the fetal sea, they will basically not lack energy.

Wang Yan pointed to the automatic forging machine in the workshop: "Look at this machine. It can keep turning not because someone is shaking it from behind, but because it is driven by a stable energy source. Without energy, it would just be a pile of scrap metal."

Effusa nodded.

She was a mechanical master, so she naturally understood this principle.

No matter how sophisticated a machine is, without a power source, it is just a bunch of motionless parts.

“But Mount Sumeru does not have a similar energy,” Wang Yan continued. “To carry out large-scale industrialization in Mount Sumeru, we must either use elemental energy or earth vein energy.”

“Elemental energy is too expensive. We all know the price of an elemental crystal core. Using it to drive such an energy-intensive factory is not production; it's burning money.”

Wang Yan himself had built a factory, although it was a toothpaste production factory, so he was very clear about the factory's energy requirements.

Producing toothpaste involves only ordinary operations such as extraction and stirring, and it is not actually a major energy consumer. However, even so, a single machine consumes at least one elemental fragment per week.

In industrial production, the real energy consumers are always metal smelting, high-efficiency materials, and even computing power.

Compared to the industries mentioned above, toothpaste, a household product, consumes less energy.

“Earth vein energy is cheaper, but…” Wang Yan paused, his tone grave, “Earth vein energy has hidden dangers. Excessive extraction of earth vein energy will cause the earth veins to become disordered. At best, the earth veins will become abnormal; at worst… the entire Sumi will be in trouble.”

"Moreover, this problem is not limited to Sumeru," Wang Yan added. "Liyue, Mondstadt, and Inazuma all have similar issues. Without a stable and efficient energy source, industrialization can only remain at the small workshop stage and cannot be promoted on a large scale."

Liyue has various Celestial Mechanisms, but they are also very expensive and cannot be widely used.

Mondstadt also has an alchemy industry built up by Abedo, but it still cannot produce on a large scale.

Needless to say, the largest workshop was probably the workshop built by the Fool Machine Man.

Throughout Teyvat, various countries possess advanced technologies, but why haven't these technologies been industrialized?

There may be some indescribable limitations, but the energy issue that Wang Yan mentioned is indeed a major reason.

Teyvat has a lot of messy energy, but clean and efficient energy is really rare.

“So…” Erossan sighed, “If Sumeru wants to develop further, perhaps it needs to find a clean and efficient energy source.”

“That’s right.” Wang Yan nodded. “An energy source that is neither as expensive as elemental energy nor harmful to the human body, nor as dangerous as geothermal energy.”

He paused for a moment, and then a thought suddenly flashed through his mind.

Athos matter.

This is a concentrated energy source of earth vein elements developed by Canria in its early stages. It is a solid energy block that extracts pure elemental power from the earth veins, melts and condenses it, and is used as a backup power system to drive the ruins' mechanisms and colossal statues.

Its essence is the purified and solidified elemental power of the human realm. It has no will of its own, is stable in nature, and is easy to store and transfer, making it a valuable energy source.

This lack of willpower was not said by Wang Yan, but by Master René.

Rene and Alan Gijodan specifically studied Athos matter when researching Canria energy documents after the catastrophe.

Rene's notes clearly compare Athos (without willpower) vs. Abyssal energy (with its own will), and propose a hypothesis: if the purification process of Athos were applied to aura, and then combined with abyssal energy, perhaps a truly sustainable energy source could be achieved…

It can only be said that our master René truly had no sense of awe; he genuinely considered playing in the abyss.

No wonder she eventually parted ways with Alan.

Furthermore, the technique by which Master Rene ascended to become a Water Man is actually somewhat related to the creation of Athos.

-----------------

-----------------

'I remember there seemed to be factories producing Athos materials in the desert…'

However, the thought only flashed through his mind, and Wang Yan did not voice it.

It's not the right time yet.

“Let’s go, mentor.” Wang Yan smiled and put the topic aside for the time being. “We’ve finished looking at the workshop, shall we continue? There’s a mechanical watch shop up ahead. I heard that the clocks there are all driven by springs and keep very accurate time. You should be interested.”

"Oh? A clock driven by a spring?" Erosanne's attention was indeed drawn. "Let's go take a look."

The two left the workshop area and continued upwards, soon arriving at the Leone district, where they found the watch shop Wang Yan had mentioned—Le Porter's Watch Shop, which is the location of the crafting table in the game.

The shop wasn't big, but it was kept very clean.

The walls are covered with all kinds of clocks, including wall clocks, grandfather clocks, pocket watches, and exquisite wristwatches. Each one ticks away, and the sounds intertwine like a unique symphony.

Well, this isn't just random analogy; it really does resemble music.

This was designed by the shop owner, Caron. He was forced to take over the family's watch business because his older brother went to pursue a better life, but he yearned for poetry and distant places.

“Welcome.” Caron’s tone wasn’t exactly enthusiastic, but it wasn’t impolite either. He put down his pocket watch and came out from behind the counter. “Are you two looking at the clock, or is there something that needs repairing?”

"Just take a look around," Wang Yan said with a smile.

"You two aren't locals from Fengdan, are you? Let me introduce you a bit."

Caron nodded, not urging them on, but simply following beside the two, occasionally offering a brief introduction.

“Our shop is one of the oldest watch shops in Fengdan. Our family has a long-standing tradition of making precision watches driven by springs, and we are quite well-known in Fengdan.”

He walked to a display wall and pointed to an elegant pocket watch: "For example, this one is my grandfather's work. Back then, it was a prized item that the Maple nobles were vying to buy."

Wang Yan and Fa Lushan listened quietly without interrupting.

When you travel, listening to the stories of old shops is also a kind of fun.

“However, if I had to name my proudest creation…” Caron’s tone suddenly softened. He walked to the back of the counter and carefully took out a watch from a velvet box.

The watch was entirely silver-white, with fine water ripples engraved on the dial, and pale blue hands, resembling the color of lake water.

The watch case is inlaid with tiny crystals that shimmer softly under the light, like a frozen teardrop.

“This watch is called ‘Lake Maiden’s Tears,’” Caron said with pride. “I made it myself, and was fortunate enough to receive the name from Lady Frinna.”

A hint of appreciation flashed in Erosson's eyes: "She is indeed very beautiful."

It's not just about the appearance, but also about the craftsmanship.

"Thank you for the compliment." Caron carefully put the watch back in the box. "But this is not for sale; it's a keepsake for myself."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "Actually, in Fengdan, clocks are not just tools for telling time."

"Oh?" Wang Yan raised an eyebrow, showing some interest.

“The people of Mapleland believe that a good clockwork watch carries the sentiments of the giver,” Caron said, his tone becoming serious. “Every time you check the time, it means we are sharing the same moment.”

Falushan's eyes suddenly lit up.

She secretly glanced at her student when Wang Yan wasn't looking.

Wang Yan was looking down at a pocket watch in the counter, unaware of his mentor's gaze.

Erosham's lips curled up slightly, and she had already made up her mind.

Caron then told some more stories about watches, from the invention of the mainspring to the improvement of the escapement mechanism, and then to the rise and fall of the Maplewood watch industry, speaking with great expertise.

Wang Yan and Fa Lushan listened very attentively.

After Caron finished speaking, Valusanne suddenly spoke up.

"Boss."

"Hmm?" Caron looked at her.

"Do you have any watches suitable for my students? Show them to me." Eros pointed to Wang Yan next to her, her tone casual.

Wang Yan paused for a moment, then turned to look at Falushan: "Mentor?"

"What are you looking at?" Eros rolled her eyes at him. "What's wrong with a professor buying a watch for a student? Is that not allowed?"

“Okay…okay, that’s fine.” Wang Yan was a little surprised. “But why did you suddenly decide to buy me a watch?”

"There aren't that many whys." Eros snorted and turned her face away. "I just think you're always running around without even a timer. It's not right."

Wang Yan: "..."

He looked down at his wrist.