Chapter 217: Liyue Harbor (2-in-1 Chapter)

Forget it, it doesn't really matter. After all, he does indeed like Lumine.

If she brings it up, confessing naturally wouldn't be bad. However, it's better to wait until Lumine's affection for him increases a bit more.

After all, Lumine already knew about Fischl. If her affection level wasn't high enough, who knew if she would accept his confession?

Thinking this, Nolan subconsciously checked Lumine's affection level towards him.

[Affection Level Lv.7 (505/700)]

Wait a minute!

Nolan widened his eyes. He remembered it was only level six before; how had it almost reached level eight, with an additional six hundred points out of nowhere?

He quickly checked the latest record on the character panel showing an increase of six hundred affection points.

The timestamp was from two weeks ago.

That was when he and Lumine were resting in the same room at Wangshu Inn.

Nolan vaguely remembered dreaming of little Amy... Uh, not necessarily Fischl just because she had blonde hair.

As if confirming something, Nolan sneaked a glance at the blonde girl outside the carriage, who said she felt tired from sitting too long and wanted to walk.

No way, could that not have been a dream!

There was no other explanation, and as for why she hadn't mentioned it for half a month, it was probably due to embarrassment.

After all, he vaguely remembered kissing her in the end.

Fortunately, she already had a high level of affection for him. After going through all that, instead of being angry, her affection actually increased.

Thinking this way, Lumine probably didn't mind becoming a couple with him. She just hadn't made up her mind yet.

Although Lumine wasn't as shy as Sucrose or as tsundere as Fischl, her personality was rather calm, and she didn't seem like the type to confess her feelings outright.

It seemed he would have to be the one to take the initiative.

But now wasn't the right time. It would be better to wait until her affection level increased a bit more. Better to be cautious—what if it was just his wishful thinking?

Nolan took a deep breath, temporarily suppressing his wild thoughts, and looked at his now quite changed character panel:

Name: Nolan Walker

Level: Lv.40 (0/4000)

Race: Human

Title: Honorary Knight

Innate Talent: Entangling Affection

Skills:

- Divine Generation Archery: Arcane Level Technique Lv.1 (1/5000)

- Elemental Skill: Dandelion Shield Lv.5 (0/5000)

- Elemental Burst: Windwheel Aster Barrier Lv.5 (0/5000)

- Anemo Manipulation Lv.3 (1/3000)

- Wind Pressure Sword: Secret-Art Level Technique Lv.2 (0/2000)

- Concealment Form: Secret-Art Level Technique Lv.1 (0/1000)

- Arrow of World's Descent: Secret-Art Level Technique Lv.1 (1/1000)

- Lumine's Sword Intent: Secret-Art Level Technique Lv.1 (1/1000)

- Marital Arts Lv.2 (0/200)

Specialties:

- [Descender]

- [Maiden Savior]

- [Monster Slayer]

- [Abundant Life]

- [Gospel of the Sky]

- [North Wind]

- [Spiritual Threads]

Adventure EXP: 3534

Aside from combat, there were no basic-level skills anymore, but the rest of the skills required a significant amount of Adventure EXP to upgrade.

The remaining 3,534 Adventure EXP should be saved for leveling up.

For now, he had enough skills to use.

...

Around noon, the Feiyun Commerce Guild's caravan rounded a bend and, skirting the mountain, finally caught sight of the sea.

Shifting their gaze slightly to the right, they could see Liyue Harbor, built against the mountains and facing the sea.

The terrain of this city slopes gently upward from Sea of Clouds on the left, with the distant end nestled against Tianheng Mountain.

The buildings in Liyue Harbor are primarily grand pavilions with tiled roofs, exuding both elegance and a sense of rich history.

The architectural style is consistent, with the spacing between buildings just right—not too dense nor too sparse.

Standing on a hillside in the outskirts, Nolan and his companions could see numerous ships docked at the port, busily loading and unloading goods, with workers bustling about on the docks.

Looking further out towards Sea of Clouds, they saw a dense array of sails approaching. Except for the foremost row of ships, the rest were so tightly packed that their hulls were obscured.

Such a bustling scene hinted at the city's prosperity.

"This is incredible!" Paimon exclaimed, flying in the air and leaning forward as if lying on an invisible table, her hands stretched downward along her sides.

"It's my first time seeing such a sight," Nolan remarked with a bit of awe.

Sea breezes wafted up the cliffs, gently stirring Lumine's diagonally cut skirt, the over-the-knee boots revealing her snow-white thighs that glimmered in the light like the sea.

Pressing a finger thoughtfully to her soft lips, she said, "With such a large volume of trade, it must be one of the few ports of this scale on the entire Teyvat continent."

"Of course. This is Liyue's capital, Liyue Harbor, known by many names like the City of Thousands of Sails, the Commercial Capital, and the City of Contracts. It is undeniably the most prosperous city in the world!" Xingqiu said, stopping with the caravan to admire the scene he had grown up with and found routine.

As a local of Liyue, he felt a bit of pride seeing how astonished the travelers were. Even the familiar sights suddenly felt novel again.

But looking at Nolan, whose appearance somewhat suggested he was also from Liyue, Xingqiu was puzzled. How could someone from Liyue be seeing these common sights for the first time? Was he perhaps from a remote village making his first trip to the city?

Xingqiu took out a paper fan, deftly unfolding it with one hand. Despite facing the sea breeze, he gracefully fanned himself while pondering.

"It seems we've come to the right place this time," Nolan said, smiling happily. The cultural atmosphere of Liyue Harbor reminded him very much of the ancient times of his homeland on Earth.

Arriving here, just seeing the ancient-style buildings in the distance gave Nolan a familiar feeling, like coming home.

"Hehe, after learning about all the delicious food in Liyue from Xingqiu, I can't wait to have a feast!" Paimon said, her eyes full of anticipation as she tore her gaze away from the distant sailboats.

"No way, Paimon, we need to earn some Mora first." Lumine reminded her, knowing they only had 100,000 Mora left. A big meal would take up half of that, and they still needed to rent a place in Liyue Harbor.

"Alright." Paimon understood but couldn't help feeling a bit disappointed.

"There's no need to worry," Xingqiu reassured them. "As the saying goes, there's a way to eat well regardless of your budget. Besides big restaurants like 'Xinyue Kiosk' and 'Liuli Pavilion,' there are also smaller, affordable places like 'Wanmin Restaurant' where the food quality rivals that of the larger establishments.

"Why don't you first find a place to stay in Liyue Harbor, and tonight, allow me to host you all at 'Wanmin Restaurant'?"

"Wow, really? Xingqiu, you're treating us to dinner!" Paimon's starry eyes seemed to sparkle even more.

"Of course. Since it's your first time in Liyue Harbor, it's only proper for me, as a local, to show some hospitality. Please be sure to arrive by six in the evening," Xingqiu said seriously.

Nolan and Lumine exchanged glances. With Xingqiu being so enthusiastic, they couldn't find any reason to refuse. They agreed happily.

After setting the dinner plan, Xingqiu caught up with the caravan. Even though he wasn't required to report on the goods, he still needed to check in with his brother and father.

Having taken in enough of the harbor's scenery, Nolan, Lumine, and Paimon started along the road towards the city of Liyue Harbor.

"Once we're in the city, our first priority is to find a place to stay, then ask about the Adventurers' Guild to pick up some commissions and earn some Mora, right?" Lumine asked, glancing at Nolan with her amber eyes.

"Yeah, being adventurers is still our best way to make money. Also, our bicycle design is almost complete. We need to find a blacksmith here to see if they can make the parts we need to assemble a prototype," Nolan nodded.

"Do you really think this 'bicycle' will make that much money?" Paimon asked, flying alongside them with a curious expression.

She didn't understand why they were so confident.

The three of them passed through the main gate of Liyue Harbor, where two sharp-eyed Millelith soldiers on either side briefly scrutinized them before looking away, finding nothing unusual.

Although Liyue Harbor was bustling and filled with people from various nations, Nolan and Lumine didn't stand out particularly. It was probably Paimon, the little floating fairy, who drew the Millelith's attention.

Nolan pondered for a moment before addressing Paimon's earlier question as he faced the bustling pedestrians on the street:

"You see, even in Liyue Harbor, people still primarily travel by foot. Those with a bit more money can ride in those human-powered rickshaws.

"But regardless, these modes of transportation are still too slow!

"The bicycle, on the other hand, is an extremely convenient means of transportation that has stood the test of time for over a century in our world.

"With it, people can travel several times faster, freeing up time for both work and leisure activities. The cost isn't high, so most people can afford one. If we can mass-produce it, it's bound to sell like hotcakes!"

He was very confident about this.

"Oh, so we're about to change the world!" Paimon's eyes lit up, suddenly excited by whatever she imagined.

"Uh, it's not that dramatic," Nolan said, scratching his cheek as his earlier enthusiasm cooled. He wasn't aiming to change the world—just to earn some Mora.

"Alright, you two, stop dreaming. We haven't even started yet," Lumine said, her white fingers pushing through her golden hair as she spoke helplessly. "Let's find out how to rent a place."

They walked over the wooden arch bridge behind the gate. Aside from the sound of the stream flowing under the bridge, they also heard agents shouting, "Cheap rentals available!"

They didn't even need to ask. A middle-aged man with a slightly thin face and defined bone structure had already noticed their need for a place to stay, thanks to his years of experience. He quickly approached them with enthusiasm:

"Welcome to the bustling Liyue Harbor! You don't have a place to stay yet, right? Our 'Zhixing Residence' offers a beautiful environment, quiet and pleasant, with three meals a day. Both short-term and long-term rentals are available!"

"That sounds good, but you haven't mentioned the rent," Paimon said, shaking her head after a moment of thought.

"Haha, you can come with me to check out the place first. I'm sure you'll be satisfied," An Ming, the agent, felt a bit troubled. He always feared potential tenants who asked about the rent right away since their 'Zhixing Residence' was indeed slightly above the market average.

"Never mind, we'll ask someone else." Paimon's gaze shifted past the man to other agents in the distance.

Nolan and Lumine nodded in agreement.

"Wait! Our 'Zhixing Residence' might be a bit pricey, but our environment and service are much better." An Ming quickly provided a brief introduction: short-term rentals are 150,000 Mora per week, with a minimum of three weeks, and long-term rentals start at 550,000 Mora per month for at least three months.

"Hmm, well, we're not familiar with the rental prices in Liyue Harbor, so let's ask around first," Nolan said, deciding not to agree immediately and opting to compare prices elsewhere.

That price was way too high, far beyond their budget. They didn't even need a long-term rental. Once they found a teleport waypoint in Liyue Harbor, they could easily return to Mondstadt's Fountain Plaza. The plaza was just an hour's walk from the house Eula rented to them, and using a wind glider from a high point could cut that time in half.

So, finding a cheap place to stay for a few days and then locating and activating the teleport waypoint would suffice.

However, Liyue Harbor was so crowded that they didn't want to draw attention to themselves. Even if they found a waypoint, they would have to wait for the right moment to use it.

"Alright," An Ming said, adjusting his black hair, knowing he couldn't force them if they weren't interested. Business had to be mutual.

Next, Nolan and the others asked several other agents. Although their rentals were not as expensive as the high-end 'Zhixing Residence,' renting would still drain their combined 300,000 Mora, leaving them struggling for meals.

Thinking back, Eula's rent of 100,000 Mora for that small courtyard was practically a symbolic fee, even though it partly stemmed from her family's bad reputation, which made it hard to rent out. But such a deal was impossible to find in Liyue.

"Why don't we check the Adventurers' Guild? I remember Mondstadt's guild has temporary lodging for adventurers who just arrived and haven't found a place yet. Maybe Liyue Harbor has something similar?" Nolan suggested.

Temporary lodging would be perfect for their situation.

(End of the chapter)

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