The Things Jean Prepared for Takarou

Seeing Noelle's expectant expression, Takarou pondered for a moment before speaking up.

"Well, since Noelle said so, why don't you help me and Lisa make some coffee?"

"Sure, Mr. Owner," Noelle replied.

Last time, Noelle made coffee for Takarou, so she knew where everything was. She approached the coffee-making area with confidence.

"Noelle, we are the excellent maids of Mondstadt, after all," Lisa exclaimed, her excitement returning over a trivial matter. She smiled faintly.

"Mr. Owner, I noticed that you don't have any other staff members here. How about letting Noelle intern at your store for a while?" Lisa suggested.

You see, when it comes to knowledge, Lisa believed that Takarou is the most knowledgeable person in Mondstadt. Although she is the most famous prodigy Sumeru Academy student at the "Knights of Favonius' , when it comes to knowledge, she feels that she can't compare to Takarou. For example, when it comes to research, Takarou knows much more than her.

"Staff?" Takarou repeated Lisa's words.

Noelle excels in everything she does. One could say that she is perfect. It wouldn't be a bad idea if she were to become a staff member in his store. That way, when customers come, Noelle can help introduce them to the comics, and he can just relax.

However...

Regarding this matter, he needed to ask Noelle for her opinion specifically.

"I'll ask Noelle about it later," Takarou responded.

"If Noelle becomes a staff member at your comic store, she won't have to work so hard all the time."

"I'm sure you know, Mr. Owner, that in Mondstadt, whenever someone needs help, they call for the Knights of Favonius. Whenever they have a little problem, they need the help of the Knights of Favonius.Whenever they need Noelle, they just have to call her name, and she'll appear promptly. Noelle is still a young girl, and I don't want her to bear too much burden. But if Noelle truly becomes a staff member at your store, Mr. Owner, you better not do anything bad," Lisa said with a flirtatious expression.

"What do you take me for?" Takarou chuckled helplessly.

He wasn't someone who judged people based on appearances. At least for now, he didn't have any such thoughts. His main focus was to run the New Century Comic Store well and attract more customers. That way, once the mission was complete, he would receive rewards.

At the very least, he needed to improve his strength before the Unknown God discovered his Comics Store. That way, he could confidently face them when the time came. If his strength didn't improve, he might end up like the Traveler, Aether, and he didn't want that.

"Alright, Lisa, we've chatted enough. Didn't you have something to ask me?" Takarou reminded her.

"Oh, if it weren't for Mr. Owner's reminder, I would've forgotten," Lisa replied.

"Alright then, let's talk about some serious matters. It's not something too important, though."

"Mr. Owner, as you know, our research institute has developed steam trains now. And I've also seen the tricycle aircraft that Sucrose obtained, which can fly in the sky."

"So, I was thinking, since we've developed steam trains, wouldn't it be possible to develop steam-powered airplanes as well?"

"Well, that's quite something," Takarou remarked.

Takarou didn't expect that Lisa would start thinking about steam-powered airplanes right after the development of steam trains. He couldn't deny that her imagination was quite expansive. However, he understood that Lisa was inspired by Sucrose's tricycle aircraft, which could fly in the sky. That's why she came up with the idea. It could be considered bold, but humans tend to gain experience through step-by-step experimentation. The Wright brothers were a perfect example of that.

"Lisa, it is indeed possible to research steam-powered airplanes," Takarou replied. "But as you know, steam trains have just been developed. If we also start researching steam-powered airplanes now, it would require significant resources, including a substantial amount of Mora. It would also require a lot of manpower and materials. My suggestion is to wait until the trains are widely promoted and generate returns. At that time, you will have money to slowly conduct the research. It's important to take things step by step because if the scope is too broad, problems are likely to arise. As for the financial aspect... you can talk to Jean about it. Since she's the one who approves things, if we really manage to develop steam-powered airplanes, we can travel from one country to another by air. The speed of airplanes will undoubtedly be faster than trains!"

As Takarou Explain, Lisa she started fantasizing about a future day when she would be flying freely in the sky, piloting an airplane.

"In fact, regarding this matter, I think you can start by researching and developing your motorcycle," Takarou suggested. "Once you've succeeded and can mass-produce it, you can sell it and earn money. Then, you will have the funds to pursue your other research interests, right?"

Seeing Lisa's expression, Takarou realized that he probably couldn't dissuade her from her desire to create steam-powered airplanes. So, he decided to provide her with an alternative money-making idea.

"Oh, Mr. Owner, that's a good suggestion," Lisa responded. "If I can research and develop the motorcycle and sell it to other countries, I'll have a substantial amount of Mora. This way, I can use the money to fund my future research. I might even be able to open my own research institute."

"That's right," Takarou agreed. "As the saying goes, 'With Mora in hand, one can remain calm.' Instead of seeking Jean's approval, it's better to make money on our own."

"If the motorcycle can be mass-produced, you can even promote it extensively. But let's discuss that later. If you need help with the promotion, you can always come and ask me"

"Thank you, Mr. Owner," Lisa smiled with narrowed eyes.

A moment later, Noelle walked out carrying two cups of coffee.

"Mr. Owner, Lisa, please enjoy your coffee."

"Thank you," Takarou replied, lifting the cup and taking a sip. He couldn't deny that Noelle's skills in making coffee were impressive.

"Noelle, Mr. Owner and I were just talking about you," Lisa said.

"Me?"

"Lisa, what did you talk to Mr. Owner about regarding me?" Noelle looked a bit confused and shy at the same time. This kind-hearted girl was truly adorable.

"You know, Mr. Owner has been running the comic store by himself for so long, so I asked if he had any plans to hire staff."

"As for me, I recommended you to work at Mr. Owner's comic store."

"Me?"

"I can't do that," Noelle replied, glancing at Takarou and quickly waving her hand in Lisa's direction.

_______

In Noelle's eyes, the comics in the New Century Comic Store were precious. She didn't want to accidentally damage any of the comic books, and she also doubted whether she was capable of the job.

"In Mondstadt, whenever someone needs help, they just need to shout 'Noelle' and I'll appear. I've handled both small and big tasks," Noelle said.

"In the New Century Comic Store, you'll have an easy job. How could you not handle it?" Lisa reassured her. "Moreover, Mr. Owner is the most knowledgeable person in Mondstadt. If there's anything you don't understand while working at his store, you can always ask him."

Upon hearing this, Noelle's heart started to sway. Lisa's words were completely correct. Mr. Owner was truly amazing. She even felt that Mr. Owner was more impressive than Captain Jean. After all, there were times when Captain Jean came to the New Century Comic Store to ask Mr. Owner about certain things. However, these were all Lisa's words, and Mr. Owner had yet to speak.

Takarou looked at Noelle's hesitant expression and smiled faintly. "Noelle, what Lisa said is a bit exaggerated. I'm just a comic store owner. However, it is true that my store is in need of an employee. If you're willing, you can start working at my store tomorrow. It all depends on your own decision."

Having an employee in the store would make Takarou's life much easier. Although he was already relaxed when customers came to the store, who wouldn't want to be even more relaxed if given the chance?

"I...," Noelle blushed as she heard Takarou's words. She stammered and finally said, "I'm willing."

"Alright, Noelle, congratulations on becoming a member of the New Century Comic Store. As for the salary, it's tentatively set at 30,000 Mora per month, and the store will provide food and accommodation. There are spare rooms upstairs where you can rest."

Is 30,000 Mora per month a lot? Actually, it's not much. But Takarou had mentioned that it was temporary. When they had more money in the future, Noelle's salary would naturally increase. Of course, that would only happen if Noelle stayed at the New Century Comic Store.

"Mr. Owner, this salary is too much..." Noelle heard about the generous salary and the provided food and accommodation, and she quickly shook her head to refuse.

"Don't refuse. As long as you do your job well, your salary will increase in the future. 50,000 Mora per month isn't bad, and it also includes food and accommodation," Takarou said. "You should know that dining outside costs a lot of money. This way, Noelle, you'll be able to save quite a bit on meals each month."

"Noelle, since Mr. Owner said it, you should agree. After all, starting from tomorrow, you'll be an employee of the comic store," Lisa chimed in.

"This... alright then," Noelle agreed, her face still blushing.

"Mr. Owner, if there's anything I do wrong, please let me know so I can correct it," Noelle said seriously.

"Alright, I believe you can do even better," Takarou replied. "I'm sure you'll do a great job!"

Noelle suddenly had a serious expression on her face. "Okay, I won't let you down!"

"Alright, there's no need to be so serious. There aren't many rules in my store," Takarou said, looking at Noelle's serious demeanor. It seemed like she had already transformed into an employee of the New Century Comic Store. He smiled slightly.

"From now on, you don't need to call me Mr. Owner. Just call me boss or use my name," Takarou suggested.

"How can I call you by your name, boss? I'll call you Boss," Noelle responded.

"Alright, suit yourself."

"Alright, what do you want to do next? Read some comics?" Takarou asked.

"I plan to read some comics," Noelle replied.

"Sure, you can pick on your own, or I can help you choose," Takarou offered.

"Boss, it's fine. You and Lisa can continue chatting. I'll go pick a book myself," Noelle said, then handed 10,000 Mora to Takarou and went to select a comic book.

"Hmm," Takarou acknowledged.

"Mr. Owner, how does it feel now? Isn't it wonderful?" Lisa asked.

"Wonderful? It does feel somewhat wonderful, considering that the store now has an employee," Takarou replied. "Some things won't require my personal attention anymore."

"Mr. Owner, since I introduced an employee to you, how about not charging me the next time I read comics?" Lisa suggested.

"That won't work. It's a rule of the store," Takarou shook his head. It was a system rule, and he couldn't change it unless the system itself changed in the future, allowing people to read comics without paying.

"Mr. Owner, you're so stingy," Lisa pouted.

Although she complained, Lisa understood that it was a rule in the comic store. If she were to break that rule just because of herself, then others would use the same excuse to read comics without paying. In the end, it would be Mr. Owner who suffered.

In Lisa's opinion, even if it cost 10,000 Mora per reading, it was still too cheap. After all, the rewards obtained from the comics were often very powerful. According to Lisa's thinking, even if it cost 100,000 Mora per reading, she would definitely still read them. After all, many of the rewards obtained from the comics were practical.

Lisa continued chatting with Takarou for a while and then left the New Century Comic Store with her familiar. Half an hour after Lisa left, Noelle finished reading the comic.

"[Customer Noelle has finished reading Detective Conan and obtained a reward: APTX4869.]"

("APTX4869: Originally developed by the Black Organization as a new type of poison, Jean used it to silence Kudo Shinichi, who had learned their secret. However, unexpectedly, this drug had a special effect on Kudo Shinichi's body, transforming him from a 16-year-old high school student into a 9-year-old elementary school student.")

("The system has already modified its flaws. After taking APTX4869, one can temporarily become a child for one day.")

As the system finished explaining, a small vial appeared in Noelle's hand.

"Boss, what is this?" Noelle looked at the vial in her hand, puzzled.

"This is APTX4869, a miraculous drug," Takarou explained. "When taken, it can transform you into your childhood self for one day."

"Transform into a child?" Noelle was surprised as she looked at the vial.

Was this drug really that incredible?

Did that mean that no matter how old a person was, they could become a child?

This drug seemed too powerful.

Takarou smiled faintly. "If you don't believe it, you can give it a try. The effect lasts for one day, and after that, you'll return to your current appearance."

"Boss, it's not that I don't believe you. It's just that this drug is too incredible. It surprised me," Noelle quickly shook her head. How could she not believe Takarou's words? It was just that she had never seen such a drug before, and now it appeared in her hands, leaving her mind in a bit of a mess.

_______

Seeing Noelle's dazed expression, Takarou smiled faintly. As a young girl, she was already adorable, but if she were to become a child, she would be even more adorable. However, whether Noelle would take the reward or not was entirely up to her own choice.

On the other hand, Lisa took her familiar and went to the Knights of Favonius headquarters to find Jean. She naturally wanted to talk to Jean about what Takarou had told her today. After all, Jean was her best friend. They were not only friends but also best friends. So, naturally, she wanted to share everything with her.

However, when Lisa arrived at Jean's office and pushed open the door, she found that Jean was not there.

(Usually, Jean would be in the office handling official business. Why isn't she here today?)

This made Lisa feel quite strange. Could it be that Jean was currently doing something else?

Shortly after, Lisa finally found Jean in the logistics area of the Knights of Favonius. She saw Jean standing in front of an oven, seemingly deep in thought. The Floral Fairy by her side was also staring into the oven.

"Jean, what are you doing here?" Lisa asked.

"Ah, Lisa, you startled me," Jean replied. When Jean heard the voice and saw that it was Lisa, she couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

"You startled me? Jean, it's actually you who startled me," Lisa said. "I went to your office to find you, only to discover that you weren't there dealing with official business but here instead. What's going on? Did you suddenly get hungry and want to make something to eat?"

"Ah... no, that's not it. Well, yes, I am feeling a bit hungry," Jean replied.

"By the way, Lisa, who is this?" Jean noticed that Lisa was accompanied by a woman who resembled a witch.

"Oh, her. Her name is Witch. She's the familiar I obtained from reading the Digimon comic at the comic store," Lisa explained. "A familiar, you say? Surprisingly... a mature woman?" Jean was somewhat surprised.

Her Floral Fairy was also obtained from the Digimon comic book, but it still retained its creature form. However, the familiar Lisa obtained, the Witch, was a complete woman.

"Chirp, chirp." The Floral Fairy flew over to the Witch and curiously observed her.

"Hello there, Floral Fairy," the Witch greeted the Floral Fairy with a faint smile. She didn't expect to see an Floral Fairy in this world. They were both from the Digimon world, so naturally, they knew each other.

"Alright, Jean, let's forget about the Witch for now. Let's talk about you," Lisa said. "I remember that normally, even if you were hungry, you would wait until you finished your official business before eating."

"But today... well, something's off. It's completely off," Lisa smirked as she looked at her friend and her best friend.

Their relationship was very close, and Lisa knew quite a bit about what Jean did. Unable to deceive Lisa, Jean had no choice but to confess.

"Alright, here's the thing. Last time, Mr. Owner invited me to wander around Liyue for a while," Jean began. "After going to Liyue, I realized many things and witnessed the prosperity of Liyue, which benefited me a lot."

"So, I wanted to do something to express my gratitude to Mr. Owner. Giving money would cheapen the sentiment, and Mr. Owner doesn't need any other gifts. So, I decided to make some desserts to treat Mr. Owner."

"This way, I can express my gratitude," Jean explained.

"Desserts as a gift? Tsk tsk..."

"Jean, do you have other thoughts about Mr. Owner?" Lisa looked at Jean with a strange expression.

"Thoughts? What thoughts?" Jean blushed when she heard that and quickly shook her head.

"Oh my, I remember that you usually read a book called 'Melancholy of Vera the Maiden.' Could it be that you also..."

"Lisa, what are you talking about? If Mr. Owner were to hear what you're saying, it wouldn't be good," Jean interrupted. "Besides, after the Acting Grand Master left, Mondstadt was entrusted to me. I don't have any personal thoughts right now. I just want to manage Mondstadt well and hope it remains peaceful. With Mr. Owner's abilities, if you two really were together, I'm sure he wouldn't let you shoulder the burden alone. He would definitely help you."

"I actually think that you and Mr. Owner are a perfect match," Lisa said with a smile.

"Lisa, let's drop it. Anyway, the desserts are ready. Can you help me taste them?" Jean, after all, was still a young girl, while Lisa was much older. If she continued chatting with Lisa, she wouldn't be able to keep up.

"Sure, Jean, so I'm the guinea pig for your experiments?" Lisa replied. "But well, I don't mind being a taste tester. However, before tasting them, there's something I want to discuss with you."

"We can chat while eating," Jean suggested. "You taste the desserts while you talk."

"Alright, then. Here's the thing..."

Lisa proceeded to tell Jean about her plans to develop motorcycles and earn funds.

"Motorcycles? Well, it's not a bad idea. But if motorcycles are really going to be mass-produced, we'll definitely have to establish some regulations," Jean responded. "We can't have the residents of Mondstadt recklessly riding motorcycles everywhere."

"That's true. We need to set some regulations, or else it could easily become chaotic," Lisa agreed. "I didn't ask Mr. Owner about this earlier. When you see Mr. Owner, ask him about it. After all, this time I went to thank Mr. Owner. If I continue asking about motorcycles, what would he think? That I only gave him food in exchange for information about motorcycles?"

"No, I don't think Mr. Owner would think that way. He's a good person," Jean reassured. "When the time comes, you can just tell him that it was my request to inquire about it."

"Alright then. I'll ask when I go see Mr. Owner. After all, we're not very familiar with the regulations regarding motorcycles. Only Mr. Owner would know about such matters."

"Naturally. Mr. Owner is indeed very intelligent and an outstanding person. Jean, you should cherish him," Lisa teased. "Don't regret it when someone else takes him away."

"I... Why would I regret it? Your appetite can't be satisfied," Jean responded.

"By the way, how do you find the taste of the desserts I made?"

"Well, Jean, your culinary skills are quite impressive. I believe Mr. Owner will enjoy them."

"Alright, Lisa, that's enough. If you keep eating, there won't be enough for Mr. Owner later."

"Even after all these years of being close friends, you're already feeling stingy after I ate just a couple of pieces," Lisa joked.

"I'm not being stingy, it's just..."

"Okay, okay, I won't tease you anymore. You go prepare, and I'll take the Witch with me to have a good chat."

"Alright."