Zhongli Arrives at the New Century Comic Store

"Hey, don't be like that. Although I'm also an executive of the Fatui, I'm also dissatisfied with what the lady has done." Tartaglia quickly spoke up when he saw Lumine preparing to draw her sword.

"That's how the Fatui operates."

As soon as the Fatui was mentioned, Paimon remembered what had happened in Mondstadt. If Lumine hadn't informed Acting Grand Master Jean about the Fatui's attempt to steal the Anemo Archon's Gnosis, they might have been wanted by the Knights of Favonius.

Now, in Liyue, with the recent incident involving the Lord of Geo and another Fatui executive showing up, Lumine and Paimon were on high alert.

"Traveler, how about we find another place to chat?" Childe looked at Lumine and smiled.

"Find another place to chat?"

"Mr. Owner, are you coming too?"

"This should be Takarou, the owner of the New Century Comics Store, right?" Tartaglia looked at Takarou.

He had received information about it since Ningguang and Keqing visited the New Century Comics Store last time. However, he had been busy with other matters in recent days, so he hadn't had the chance to pay a visit to Takarou himself.

"Yes, I am Takarou, the owner of the New Century Comics Store."

"Haha, I wonder about the extent of Mr. Owner's abilities. If there's a chance, how about we have a friendly match?" Tartaglia looked at Takarou, Tartaglia had a strong desire for battle.

"Hehe, if there's an opportunity, sure." Takarou smiled.

With his current strength, if Tartaglia wanted to spar with him, Tartaglia would only end up being defeated.

"Hey, Tartaglia, why did you suddenly come to find us? Is there something you need?"

Paimon looked at Tartaglia curiously.

"Traveler, I assume you have personally witnessed the scene of the Lord of Geo's assassination, haven't you?"

"We have seen it. What about it?"

"Aren't you curious about who killed the Lord of Geo?"

"What does that have to do with us?"

"This matter should be investigated by the Seven Stars of Liyue, right? It doesn't concern us."

Lumine smiled. This matter had nothing to do with them in the first place. They had only wanted to see the Lord of Geo and, if possible, ask him some questions.

But who could have anticipated that as soon as they arrived at Yujing Terrace, the body of the Lord of Geo fell onto the altar?

"But you just arrived in Liyue, and such an incident occurred."

"Moreover, the annual rite, the Rite of Ascension, has never encountered any issues before."

"However, this time, with your arrival, the Lord of Geo was assassinated."

"Regardless, even if the Seven Stars of Liyue haven't openly said it, they might suspect you in their hearts."

"After all, you're in Liyue now, not Mondstadt. As long as the Seven Stars of Liyue hint at it, you won't be able to move an inch in Liyue." Tartaglia subtly hinted.

"Lumine, this guy definitely has some ulterior motives. We can't agree to whatever he wants us to do." Paimon flew in front of Lumine and quietly reminded her.

"Paimon, I didn't expect you to become so clever after being with me for so long."

Lumine glanced approvingly at Paimon. Usually, Paimon seemed useless, but this time, she had the same thoughts as Lumine. She was truly Lumine's reliable companion.

"Hehe."

"Childe, no matter what plans you have, this matter has nothing to do with us." Lumine shook her head and refused.

"Traveler, this matter has nothing to do with you."

"Weren't you on this journey to find your brother? If you find the adepti, the Three Wonders, maybe you can learn something about your brother from them."

"Besides, if you make the trip, our Northland Bank can reimburse you. How about that?" Seeing Lumine's refusal, Tartaglia sighed and continued.

"Uh..."

"Mr. Owner, what do you think we should do?" Lumine was momentarily unsure.

"Lumine, follow your heart. Think about the consequences before making any decisions. But if you go see the adepti, it won't be a bad thing for you. In addition, if you inform the adepti about what's happening here, they might owe you a favor. If you ever need their help in the future, you can seek them out."

Based on the game's storyline, the current Three Wonders are unaware of what has happened in Liyue. From Takarou's perspective, it was likely Zhongli's doing. After all, they were adepti. How could they not be aware of what happened in Liyue unless Zhongli was involved? But if Lumine could meet the adepti and inform them of the situation, it would earn her some respect. After Lumine returned, Tartaglia would take her to meet Zhongli. In any case, this matter wouldn't be detrimental to Lumine.

"Well then, Childe, you can pay us first."

"We're doing this as a favor, and if the Seven Stars of Liyue find out, we'll honestly inform them."

"Haha, no problem."

Tartaglia saw that Lumine had agreed, although not according to his original plan. But in the end, she agreed. Once the adepti arrived in Liyue and exerted pressure on the Seven Stars, he could proceed with his next plan.

"Here are banknotes from our Northland Bank. You can exchange them for mora at any time. This is a banknote with a face value of 200,000, which can be exchanged for 200,000 mora."

"Only 200,000 mora? The Northland Bank is wealthy. I thought you would reward us with millions." Paimon pouted upon seeing the low value.

"Haha, Paimon, although the Northland Bank is wealthy, the money inside isn't solely under my control."

"Alright, I've already paid your reward. You can set off now."

"Oh, right. I'll give you something. When you meet the adepti, show them this item, and they'll understand." After saying that, Tartaglia took out a yellow talisman. It was the Yaksha's Vow.

"The Yaksha's Vow is a covenant between the Lord and the people, imbued with the power to ward off demons. The people can use it to request an audience with the adepti."

"Huh, why do you have the Yaksha's Vow? Childe, how did you get your hands on it?"

"Haha, it was given to me by a friend."

"After you return, I'll introduce you to that friend. I'm sure you'll be very curious about them."

Lumine reached out and carefully took the Yaksha's Vow, then looked at Takarou.

"Mr. Owner, we'll set off now. Let's meet up after we've resolved this matter."

"Sure, take care on your journey."

___________

After Lumine and Paimon left, Takarou looked at Tartaglia with a half-smile. He could sense Takarou's gaze. Tartaglia had only one thought in his mind now: that his plan seemed to have been seen through by Takarou. Takarou's gaze made Tartaglia uncomfortable.

"Mr. Owner..."

"Heh, Tartaglia, whatever you and the Fatui want to do, it's none of my concern."

"But..."

"It's your own choices, after all. Everyone has their own motives."

"You may be acting on the orders of the Tsaritsa, but the things you've done in Liyue will only leave the Fatui with no place to survive."

"Well then, do you want to come to my comic store and read some manga?"

"Mr. Owner, not for now. I have some things to attend to during this time."

"But, Mr. Owner, after I'm done with these matters, I hope you'll keep the promise you made to me... about..."

"Don't worry, since I've made the promise, I'll keep it when the time comes."

Takarou nodded with a smile. If Tartaglia wanted to try, why shouldn't he? Moreover, he could let Tartaglia test the rewards he had obtained from the system and see just how powerful they were.

"In that case, I'll go back first." After saying that, Takarou turned and left.

"I wonder if your existence will disrupt our plans, the Fatui..."

Tartaglia took a deep look at Takarou's back. Then he turned and left as well.

Just as Takarou arrived at the comic store, he saw a handsome man standing outside the New Century Comic Store. It was naturally Zhongli.

"Mr. Zhongli, may I ask why you've come to the New Century Comic Store?"

Zhongli heard a man's voice and turned to look, finding a handsome and sunny young man.

"Are you the owner of the New Century Comic Store?"

"Yes, that's me. Mr. Zhongli, are you here to read manga as well?"

"I didn't plan on coming, but my housekeeper told me that I could earn rewards by reading manga at the store. So, here I am. She even said that if I don't get good rewards, I won't be allowed to go back tonight."

"Haha, well then, Mr. Zhongli, please come in."

After that, Takarou opened the door to the New Century Comic Store. Even if he didn't close the store's door, he didn't have to worry about anyone taking the manga books or any theft happening. Even if someone took the manga books from the store, they would return on their own in no time. Besides, Mewtwo usually stayed at home.

As Takarou opened the door to the New Century Comic Store, Zhongli's gaze fell on a creature he had never seen before. Zhongli was clearly curious about this creature. And when mewtwo looked at Zhongli, it let out a warning sign. mewtwo knew that the person in front of it was powerful, at least stronger than itself.

"Alright, this guest won't attack."

Takarou reassured Mewtwo with a smile. Then he turned to Zhongli and said, "Well, should I address you as Mr. Zhongli or the Geo Archon?"

"Oh, so Mr. Owner knows my identity?" Zhongli was surprised to hear that. After all, he had never revealed his true identity.

"Naturally."

"Now that Mr. Owner knows my identity, I hope you can keep it confidential."

"After all, I am no longer the Geo Archon, but Zhongli, just an ordinary person."

"Haha, then I'll continue calling you Mr. Zhongli."

"Now that Mr. Owner knows my true identity, how do you view today's events?"

"How do I view them?"

"Although Liyue inevitably relied on the Geo Archon's help and only exists because of the Geo Archon, Liyue has been gradually improving over the years."

"Even without the presence of gods, I believe Liyue will flourish."

"As for your sudden retirement, I think it's the right decision. It will give Liyue a test to see how it will face the absence of the Geo Archon." Upon hearing Takarou's words, Zhongli couldn't help but smile. He saw that Takarou's thoughts coincided with his own.

"From a rational perspective, I also believe that even without the Geo Archon, Liyue can be managed well with the Seven Stars of Liyue."

"I retired as a test for all of Liyue, just as Mr. Owner said. If Liyue cannot accept this test, then I will reappear before them."

"I can continue managing Liyue if necessary."

It must be said that Zhongli took a big step in his plan. After all, in the story, Liyue had just lost the Geo Archon and was facing the Wrath of the Stormterror.

Fortunately, with the help of the adepti and Lumine, they were able to face it calmly. Later, Ningguang improved the Qixing Army mechanism, and without relying on the adepti, they also dealt with the wife of the Wrath of the Osial.

This proved that Liyue had means to confront the wrathful gods. Of course, the Wrath of the Osial power had declined after being dormant for so long, which allowed them to resolve the situation.

But as Liyue continues to develop, they will be able to face even more powerful gods in the future.

Speaking of Liyue, Takarou couldn't help but think of the wartime era in his previous life. People back then were not afraid of death and were united to drive out invaders. Those people were all great individuals.

"Mr. Zhongli, I assume Hu Tao has already informed you about the rules of the New Century Comic Store?"

"Yes, Mr. Owner, she has. This is 10,000 Mora."

Seeing Zhongli taking out 10,000 Mora, Takarou couldn't help but smile. Surely Hu Tao personally handed it to Zhongli and told him to use it to read manga. After all, Zhongli wouldn't usually carry Mora when he went out.

"Alright, Mr. Zhongli, you can choose a manga, or I can help you choose one."

"Mr. Owner, I intend to choose one myself."

"Okay."

Zhongli walked towards the bookshelf and looked at the manga on the shelves. Then he spotted a manga called Digimon. It intrigued him how humans and creatures fought against other crises together. This kind of story piqued Zhongli's curiosity.

After picking up the Digimon manga, Zhongli found a spot and started reading with curiosity.

While Zhongli was quietly reading his comic, outside the New Century Comic Store, a nun from the Church of Favonius in Mondstadt appeared. At first glance, she seemed like a priest, but her actions and demeanor lacked the grace of a nun. She showed less reverence for the gods than the ordinary citizens of Mondstadt and rarely participated in church activities. She was like a shadow moving through the city of Mondstadt.

She was Rosaria.

_______

Based on those unruly behaviors alone, Rosaria would have received a hundred reprimands from the Church. However, for some reason, she seemed to have escaped any consequences in that regard. She rarely acted together with her colleagues and rarely participated in festive events with the townsfolk. The mysterious and magical Rosaria was like a wisp of black smoke, disappearing without a trace if one wasn't careful. Her words and actions were cold and sharp. She always operated alone. Although Rosaria often appeared indifferent and absent-minded, in those unseen corners, she protected Mondstadt's peace and stability with her unique calmness and decisiveness.

The reason she came here was also because recently, she discovered from Barbara that Barbara had obtained a new type of weapon. Moreover, this weapon, when combined with Barbara's Hydro element, could unleash even greater power. This intrigued Rosaria. However, alongside her curiosity, she also had some concerns. She worried that the appearance of these things in Mondstadt might disrupt the city's original peace and stability. So today, she came to investigate what kind of place the New Century Comic Store was.

After giving it some thought, Rosaria walked into the New Century Comic Store. As soon as she entered, she saw another customer in the store, and surprisingly, that customer was from Liyue. This piqued Rosaria's curiosity. Wasn't this store in Mondstadt? How could there be someone from Liyue here? And there hadn't been any arrivals from Liyue recently.

"Rosaria, welcome," Takarou said with a smile upon seeing Rosaria's arrival.

"Do you know me?" Rosaria was surprised when the shopkeeper called out her name. After all, she had never seen this shopkeeper before, but he seemed to know her.

"I know you as a nun under the Church of Favonius in Mondstadt," Takarou replied. "Are you here in my store to read manga?"

"Shopkeeper, I heard that your comic store offers rewards for reading manga. Is it true?" Rosaria asked. "Since you're a nun, you must be familiar with Barbara, right? Hasn't she told you about it?"

"She did mention it, but..."

"Just as you're worried, are you concerned that these rewards obtained from the comic store might disrupt the peace of Mondstadt?" Takarou continued Rosaria's thought.

"Yes, exactly." Rosaria looked at Takarou, surprised that he could voice what she had already been thinking. Could Takarou be a mind-reader?

"All I can tell you is that these rewards depend on the hearts of the recipients," Takarou explained. "If a bad person receives them, they will naturally cause harm. But if a good person receives them, they can greatly assist Mondstadt."

"Besides, I opened my store in Mondstadt, and even Captain Jean didn't object. Rosaria, surely you don't want to forbid me from running my store in Mondstadt?"

Rosaria thought it over. As the acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius, even she hadn't said anything. She was just a nun, and such matters should be handled by the acting Grand Master. Moreover, this shopkeeper was selling these things in Mondstadt without violating any rules of the city. So Rosaria didn't actually have the authority to intervene.

"Mr. Owner, I understand," Rosaria replied. "But I have one more question: Your store is in Mondstadt, so why are there people from Liyue here?"

"I don't recall any recent arrivals from Liyue in Mondstadt, right?"

"Haha, that's my method. I have opened a branch in Liyue as well, so people from Liyue can also appear in my store."

"??" Rosaria was taken aback. The shopkeeper's method was incredibly powerful!

"I understand, shopkeeper. I'm here to read manga."

"It's 10,000 Mora per read, as Barbara should have told you."

"Here you go, 10,000 Mora." Rosaria handed over the money to Takarou and began selecting a manga.

After a while, Zhong li finally finished reading the Digimon manga. When he finished, he noticed that there was another customer in the store, and this customer didn't look like someone from Liyue at all.

"Mr. Owner, is this customer from Mondstadt?"

"Yes, she is indeed from Mondstadt. She's a nun."

"Mondstadt residents can also be in a comic store?"

"Naturally. I have two stores now, one in Mondstadt and one in Liyue."

"Magnificent, Mr. Owner!"

[Customer: Zhongli. Reward: Biyomon.] A white light flashed, and a bird-like creature appeared in front of Zhongli.

Chirp chirp~

When it appeared and looked at Zhongli, it made chirping sounds.

"Mr. Owner, what is this creature?"

"This is Biyomon, a bird-like Digimon with developed wings resembling arms. Its wings can move skillfully and grasp objects, but it is difficult for it to fly in the sky. It usually lives on the ground but takes to the sky to escape when danger approaches. Its flying ability is on par with patamon, whom it considers a rival. It seems to dream of evolving into a bird-like dragon, rather than a flightless snake-like creature. It has a curious and adventurous nature and likes to peck at Seedmon's head."

" Biyomon, huh?"

"Can it also evolve into a stronger creature?"

"Yes, it can evolve. When it reaches its final evolution, it becomes a creature resembling a phoenix called Ho-ohmon."

"Oh, it can evolve. Then, do you know how to make it evolves?"

"it can evolve by feeding it Flame Fruits or by battle experience. These are two evolutionary paths. But be careful not to feed it too many Flame Fruits at once."

"I understand, Mr. Owner. Thank you."

"You're welcome. This is the reward you deserve."

Takarou nodded. He was actually quite surprised that Zhongli obtained Pichu. After all, Biyomon was one of the main characters in Digimon.

Next, Zhongli inquired about something and left the New Century Comic Store satisfied, accompanied by Biyomon.

When Zhongli left for a while, Rosaria also finished reading the Detective Conan manga.

[Customer: Rosaria. Reward: Ran Mouri's Karate.]

"Ran Mouri's Karate?" Takarou couldn't help but feel somewhat amused and exasperated upon hearing this reward.

But it had to be said that Ran Mouri's Karate was also quite powerful. In Detective Conan, although Ran Mouri was considerably weaker than Kaito Kid, she was one of the top fighters among the female characters and was capable of dodging small-caliber bullets. They both had the strength to demolish things barehanded.