"Ten percent off?! Bold of you to even say that!"
Nolan looked at Dori with a speechless expression. For someone so tiny, how could she be this obsessed with money?
"Hehe, small business, you know—low margin, high volume. Hope you understand~"
Dori rubbed her hands together with a sly grin.
"Well, I'm not here to buy anything. I came to ask you something."
Nolan then explained his intention—to find the creators of Genius Invokation TCG.
From what he knew, Dori might be a money-grubber, but the quality of what she sold generally matched her pricing. More importantly, she had extensive sourcing channels.
Which meant she was also well-connected when it came to information.
If she knew something, it would save him the trouble of hunting down the publisher himself just to ask where the creators were.
"Oh? The legendary adventurer is looking for the creators of a card game? Don't tell me you want them to make a character card based on you?"
Dori, adjusting her diamond-shaped glasses, asked with mild curiosity.
Nolan wasn't concerned about trade secrets being exposed. After all, Dori didn't have the ability to ask Nahida to digitize Genius Invokation TCG.
So he didn't hide it—he gave a brief explanation:
"I'm planning to request authorization to bring a digital version of the game onto the 'Akasha Interconnected Network.'"
"…Hmm?!"
As a somewhat well-known merchant in Sumeru, Dori's sense for business opportunities was at least above average. Otherwise, she wouldn't have caught onto Genius Invokation TCG's rising popularity and opened a themed shop ahead of the curve.
And the "Akasha Interconnected Network"… was something everyone in Sumeru had access to. It was the one and only platform—provided exclusively by the Dandro Archon herself.
That was basically a colossal virtual marketplace that everyone in Sumeru passed through every day. If Genius Invokation TCG got a spot on those digital shelves...
There was no doubt about it—every single person in Sumeru would see it. Even if just one in a thousand were curious enough to try it, the wealth it could generate would be astronomical!
Dori trembled slightly.
The thought that such a massive business opportunity existed—but she had no way to profit from it—was pure torment for a merchant like her.
Even just placing an ad in the network could skyrocket her store's popularity overnight...
"Wait a sec!"
Dori suddenly looked at Nolan with glinting eyes, her tiny hands clenched eagerly.
"Hehe~ Dearest legendary adventurer, would you be interested in a little… business deal with me?"
Advertising on the Akasha Network—it was something she had dreamed of for a long time.
Dori Sangemah Bay, esteemed master of the Palace of Alcazarzaray, the ultimate merchant with fingers in every market, and commander of several renowned caravans—possessor of vast wealth!
Yet, as much as she hated to admit it, compared to the greatest merchant in all of Teyvat—Liyue's Tianquan—she still had a long way to go.
But if she could make her name shine through the Akasha Interconnected Network and get all of Sumeru trading with her?
Then surpassing the Tianquan's Mora reserves would be a done deal!
"Business, huh? What exactly do you want?"
Nolan looked at the pint-sized pink-haired merchant girl with suspicion.
Any time Dori mentioned "doing business," you had to be on high alert—or risk becoming a premium-grade sucker.
"I've actually already done some digging on the creators of Genius Invokation TCG. There are two of them: one named Garvipidam, and the other Gulab. They're close friends."
"One of them, Gulab, was recently hospitalized due to Eleazar. But just when his condition got critical, the illness miraculously vanished—praise be to the Great Dendro Archon! That guy was really lucky."
"His life was saved, and the Eleazar's gone, but recovery from the damage it did still requires a lot of Mora."
"When you sell a card deck, after subtracting production costs and paying for character likeness rights, the final profit isn't much."
"So when it comes to covering steep medical bills, they're probably struggling. But if I step in to negotiate and offer to help with medical expenses—they'll definitely agree to the licensing deal."
The great merchant Dori Sangemah Bay patted her chest confidently.
Technically, the creators of a wildly popular card game shouldn't be short on money—but since Genius Invokation TCG had only just launched and was still spreading locally, they probably hadn't made much yet.
"So the business deal you're proposing is… you help me get the licensing, and in return, I give you… something?"
Nolan narrowed his eyes in thought.
"As expected of the legendary adventurer—right on the mark!"
Dori grinned, hands on her hips.
"Hm."
Nolan fell into thought.
Securing the license wasn't a simple matter. There was the question of licensing fees and other negotiation hurdles. It wouldn't be resolved in a short amount of time.
Letting Dori, a professional, handle it could save him a lot of trouble.
But it depended on what she wanted in return. If she asked for something outrageous, he wasn't about to agree.
After all, how much could those medical bills even cost? If Dori could afford to pay them, so could he.
"So, tell me—what exactly do you want?"
Nolan had already guessed. When they met earlier, she tried to use a measly 10% discount to get him to promote her store.
Knowing how sharp Dori was, there was no way she didn't realize the Akasha Interconnected Network was the most perfect advertising platform right now.
She was clearly targeting that.
"Oh, it's nothing major. I just want you to help me place a little ad on the 'Akasha Interconnected Network.' Ideally, when people log in, the first thing they see is my name—Dori Sangemah Bay!"
Dori flashed a sly smile.
"Not. A. Chance."
Nolan stared at her blankly.
Once the Akasha Network was fully built and running smoothly, there would need to be monetization strategies.
Advertising would be one of them—earning revenue wasn't just for profit but also to help drive social progress.
But even if they did run ads, they definitely wouldn't use such an intrusive and disruptive method.
And besides, just helping negotiate a license and covering some medical bills in exchange for that kind of ad value?
That wasn't even close to fair. If he agreed, he'd be getting totally ripped off.
Nolan thought for a moment and then said,
"If you can help me settle the licensing issue, I'll give you the right to run advertisements on the 'Akasha Interconnected Network.'
"But the ad fee won't be waived. The cost will vary depending on the placement. Once I discuss the pricing details with the Dandro Archon, I'll let you know."
He expected Dori to haggle over the deal, but to his surprise, she only hesitated briefly before smiling and replying,
"Deal!"
To be the first person to advertise on the God of Wisdom's Akasha Network? What were a few Mora compared to that?
Once her name—Dori Sangemah Bay—spread throughout Sumeru, the Mora would pour in like rain.
Nolan tugged at his collar slightly. Since they'd reached an agreement, he could relax.
"Alright, then I'll be waiting for your good news. I'll come by again in a few days."
"Don't worry! With me, Dori, on the case, it won't even take a few days—by tomorrow, it'll be done!" Dori tilted her chin up confidently.
Nolan didn't doubt her abilities. She might be greedy, but she still had a strong moral compass and wouldn't resort to threats or coercion.
So he wasn't worried about her using shady tactics to pressure people into agreeing.
He nodded.
"Alright then. If I'm free tomorrow, I'll stop by. For now, I've still got things to do."
"Mhm, mhm! Mr. Legendary Adventurer, looking forward to our next meeting!"
Dori waved enthusiastically as he left.
Nolan said goodbye and walked off. Now that he no longer had to handle the Genius Invokation TCG licensing himself, and with the survey nearly complete, he figured… might as well head back.
—
"Alright, Dehya, I'm feeling much better now. You really don't need to hold my arm every time I take a step."
As golden light painted the clouds in the sky, Nolan, walking down the street and planning to return to the Akademiya, suddenly heard a familiar name.
Dehya? I remember she shows up in the game's storyline…
He followed the sound and spotted two tall figures up ahead.
One of them, the one who had just spoken, looked rather delicate—wearing fine, elegant clothes like a noble lady from a wealthy family.
The other had long, black-golden hair and bronze-toned skin. Her chest was wrapped in crisscrossed red-and-black cloth, her firm midriff and faintly visible abs exposed. Her figure radiated vitality and strength—a picture of healthy beauty.
Dunyarzad and Dehya… As he expected, it was them.
In the game's story, Dunyarzad was indeed a noblewoman who suffered from Eleazar. But after the corruption of the Irminsul was purified, she naturally recovered.
Dehya, her childhood friend and also a mercenary of the Eremites, was known as the "Flame-Mane"—a powerful fighter and Pyro Vision bearer.
Right now, she was likely working as Dunyarzad's bodyguard.
Nolan considered going over to introduce himself, but just as he was trying to think of a reason, Dehya—who had been walking ahead—suddenly stopped.
She turned toward him, her piercing ice-blue eyes locking on him like a lion sizing up its prey. With a hostile expression, she started walking toward him.
"Speak. Which mercenary group sent you to cause trouble? You disguised yourself well, but you were spying on us just now, weren't you?"
"Uh…"
A wave of question marks flashed in Nolan's mind—then realization struck.
Right… Dehya was a mercenary. Living life on the edge of a blade, constantly surrounded by danger and enemies, it made sense that she'd be cautious. He must've looked at them a bit too long and been mistaken for a hostile spy or a thief eyeing Dunyarzad's wealth.
Understanding the misunderstanding, Nolan gave her a helpless look as she approached.
"Look at me—don't I seem more like someone from Liyue?
"Isn't it possible I just happened to hear your voices while passing by, got curious, and glanced over a couple times?"
He had to admit… Dehya's halter top of red and black cloth, her torn tight pants and heeled boots—all showing off her bronze skin—made for an eye-catching sight.
"Hmph. Every mercenary knows a trick or two when it comes to disguises. Now, before I get angry—start explaining."
Dehya crossed her arms, clearly not buying it.
Just as she was about to get even more aggressive, Dunyarzad lightly tugged on her arm.
"Hey, Dehya—Dehya—"
"Miss, it's dangerous here. Please step back," Dehya warned, keeping her eyes on Nolan, wary that he might suddenly make a move to threaten Dunyarzad.
"…Aren't you being a little too paranoid?"
Nolan was exasperated. It was hard to explain anything when she'd already jumped to conclusions and could twist anything he said into "suspicious behavior."
"No, Dehya, I know you don't read the paper much, but I think that's the legendary adventurer who rescued the Dandro Archon from the Fatui—Mr. Nolan!"
Compared to Dehya, Dunyarzad's perception was excellent—she had successfully recognized him and quickly spoke up again, worried they'd end up in a pointless conflict.
Hearing Dunyarzad say that, Nolan finally let out a small breath of relief. So his reputation did come in handy.
Even a noble like Dunyarzad recognized him. That should be enough to calm Dehya down.
If not, he'd have no choice but to tie her up and explain himself afterward—but that would certainly damage her reputation if any bystanders saw it.
Dehya frowned slightly. If he were really coming to pick a fight, he'd have disguised himself as a weak, inconspicuous person, right?
No one trying to ambush a mercenary would intentionally disguise themselves as a famous adventurer.
Of course, it was also possible that he knew she'd think that and disguised himself that way to outsmart her…
But really, what kind of idiot plotting revenge or a kidnapping would take the risk of impersonating a hero like Nolan? That was basically asking to get caught.
And besides, Dehya wasn't even the kind of person anyone hated that deeply—at least not enough to go to such lengths.
She might seem impulsive, but as the leader of a mercenary band, her mind was sharp.
After thinking it through, she realized she had really misjudged him. This young man probably had just glanced over in passing—nothing more.
"Ahem."
Dehya lowered her arms and cleared her throat, trying to ease the awkwardness. She patted Nolan on the shoulder and said in a breezy tone:
"Sorry, my bad—looks like I jumped to conclusions. Didn't know you were such a big deal. As a citizen of Sumeru, your help to our nation is help to me as well.
"So, how about a drink? My treat—as an apology."
[Dehya Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 360 Affection Points. Current Affection Level: Lv.3 (60/300)]
(End of Chapter)
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