Chapter 51

**"Ahem, this, I can explain..."**

Takumi coughed lightly and then began to explain.

"Horses, although they are creatures that have never appeared on the Tivat continent—"

"But!" 

"I have something to say!" 

Takumi continued.

"As the saying goes, heaven will send a great responsibility to the people. Yula, as a member of the Knights of Favonius and the leader of the Adventurer's Guild's Guerrilla Squad, don't you think something is missing in the Knights?"

"Huh? What's missing?" 

Before Yula could speak, Amber suddenly asked.

"Very good, Amber, you're quick to respond!" Takumi said with a grin. "Yes, that's right—it's a mount!"

"The Knights of Favonius don't have mounts, just like the Deer Hunter restaurant doesn't have Tivat fried eggs!"

"It's like there's no chicken in Sweet Flower Stuffed Chicken or no moon in Moon Pie!"

*cough cough!* 

Just as he said the word "moon," Yula's eyes flickered, and Takumi quickly changed the subject, realizing where the conversation might go. He continued, trying to explain.

"Don't you think, Yula, it's a pity the Knights don't have mounts?"

"Think about it. How much time does it take to get from Mondstadt to Springvale?"

"What if a Mondstadt adventurer encounters a group of Hilichurls in Springvale?"

"I know this!" 

One adventurer raised his hand suddenly and rushed to answer, "Out of Mora, let the adventurers solve it!" 

"Wrong!" Takumi quickly corrected him. "Big mistake!"

"What are you afraid of? Afraid of getting limp from Catherine's words?"

At this point, Takumi steered the conversation back on course.

"At times like this, we need our brave Mondstadt knights to take action! But have you calculated how long it takes to get from Mondstadt to Springvale?"

"When the knights arrive, not only have the adventurers been looted of their wealth, but their lives might also be in danger. As knights of the realm, doesn't this embarrass you?"

"Even the people of Mondstadt can't protect their own!"

"But, if we have mounts, the Knights of Favonius will truly have mounts! So, wouldn't that speed up the journey from Mondstadt to Springvale?"

"Wouldn't we be able to save more adventurers?"

Takumi gave a passionate speech inside the shop, surrounded by the residents of Mondstadt. They were all drawn into the rhythm of his words. 

The crowd slowly walked around, mesmerized by Takumi's speech.

Takumi smiled slightly.

It's done! I've successfully convinced them!

There's no need to use crutches anymore, I can just wheel straight to victory.

"But..." 

Yula's expression started to become even more confused.

You've said so much, but Mondstadt has no horses?

...

"Stop!" Takumi said before Yula could respond. "You don't have to say it, I'll explain it!"

Before Yula could regain her composure, Takumi quickly continued.

"Look, Yula, don't underestimate me, Mr. Takumi, the man who once changed the anime industry. With just a few words, I can convince anyone!"

He laughed inwardly, recalling the title fans gave him: the 'second generation of anime fathers.'

"Now, I know what you're thinking, Yula. Can't you have a mount without a horse?"

"Taming horses is just a general term for driving techniques. If there are no horses, can't we tame other creatures?"

"Other creatures? Wind slimes?" 

A familiar voice came from the crowd.

"No, no," Takumi quickly corrected. "Flying with a wind slime will get your flying license revoked!"

Amber spoke up quickly, preventing anyone from getting any bad ideas. "Strictly abide by the flight license rules. I'm not talking about wind slimes."

"Without horses, can we have other mounts?" Takumi continued. "I believe you know there are dragon lizards near Liyue's Nantian Gate."

"Can't we domesticate dragon lizards?"

"If you ask me, riding a dragon lizard would be way more exciting than riding a horse!"

Riding a dragon lizard? 

Wait, what?

What is a dragon lizard, and who on the Tivat continent knows what that is?

As a member of the Knights of Favonius, Yula knows exactly what a dragon lizard is. The powerful creature is feared by even those with Vision.

The idea of riding one was both thrilling and terrifying at the same time.

Yula hesitated.

Could she control a dragon lizard?

The answer was clear. Yula, a noble of the Lawrence family and a knight of the West Wind, could certainly tame a dragon lizard!

But, the problem was that Mondstadt didn't seem to have any dragon lizards.

However, Yula had heard from Yanfei that there were traces of dragon lizards in Liyue. Maybe she could ask Yanfei for more information later.

After thinking about it, Yula glanced over at Takumi. She knew it wasn't just the mounts that Takumi was trying to sell. He was also selling an idea—a dream.

As Takumi glanced around at the crowd, he sighed in relief. 

He had convinced Yula with his words—this wasn't easy.

Fortunately, he had used his skills to fool her.

Just like Kaeya—*another African chieftain*, as some fans jokingly called him—Takumi had used his smooth talking to turn the situation in his favor.

And while Yula didn't get an actual mount, she did get the horse training skill, a special technique for training war horses used by nobles.

Takumi smirked to himself.

Wait... I just convinced Yula—Yula, a noble and proud knight of Mondstadt—to accept that horses exist, and now she has horse training skills?

"Ah, this... Wait, did I just convince someone truly powerful?"

Takumi suddenly realized he may have bitten off more than he could chew.

"Yula, you're not going to become the greatest saint by tomorrow, right?" 

Takumi chuckled nervously. "Ahem, of course, this has nothing to do with me anymore..."