Nolan took out his pocket watch to check the time—it was still early. Since someone was offering a treat, there was no reason to refuse.
"Sure, but I'm not much of a drinker. I'll just have some tea."
Back on Earth, he'd always prioritized his health. Though he could hold his liquor, he preferred not to drink at all when possible.
That habit hadn't changed.
"Haha, of course—whatever you prefer." Dehya, with her loose flowing black-gold hair like a majestic lioness, laughed heartily.
She looked toward Dunyarzad. "Miss, let's go."
"Mm. Having afternoon tea with a legendary adventurer—what an honor for me."
Dunyarzad smiled, gently covering her mouth with her fair fingers.
"Haha, just an empty title," Nolan replied modestly, then added, "Oh, since I happened to run into you both—why don't you share your thoughts on the Akasha Interconnected Network?"
The three of them chatted about the "Akasha" system as they strolled toward a nearby restaurant. Eventually, they arrived at a bustling spot in the heart of the street.
With the presence of someone like Dunyarzad, a noble lady, they were naturally met with warm hospitality from the staff. Just one glance at her elegant attire was enough to know she was a VIP.
Inside, they reserved a private room.
Before long, tea, pastries, and snacks were brought in, and the three began to casually enjoy the refreshments while chatting.
"Nolan, if you're looking for feedback from more people, you should swing by the Grand Bazaar later. That famous dancer Miss Nilou will be performing at the Zubayr Theater."
"Oh yeah, after lunch today, Miss dragged me out early just to see Nilou perform again. She's already watched her several times and still can't get enough." Dehya downed a large gulp of beer.
"Well, that's because back when I was sick, I had to stay home every day—I'd get winded even from walking a few steps. Now that I'm better, of course I want to enjoy it more." Dunyarzad puffed out her cheeks in protest.
"The Grand Bazaar, huh… Yeah, I've heard the Zubayr Theater there is quite famous. If Miss Nilou is performing tonight, then I absolutely have to check it out."
Nolan smiled and nodded.
In the game's story, Nilou had played a pivotal role in breaking the loop of the "Sabzeruz Festival" orchestrated by the Grand Sage.
This was a good chance to meet her in person—and maybe build some affection.
"Mm. The performance runs from six to seven in the evening. After we finish our tea, we can stroll around the Grand Bazaar, and it should be just about time for the show to start."
Dunyarzad sipped her tea with a soft smile.
Time passed quickly. Soon it was after four o'clock. Once Dehya paid the bill, the trio headed off toward the Grand Bazaar.
The golden light of the setting sun bathed the two women, casting a radiant glow on their clothing.
Along the streets, they saw adventurers covered in dirt and grime, either elated or dejected, walking toward the Adventurers' Guild.
The crowds were growing—likely because people were getting off work.
Nolan also noticed a few bicycles weaving through the streets, from a variety of brands. Looked like the Liyue merchants had done their job well.
Their business had already extended into Sumeru.
Well, it made sense. Sumeru and Mondstadt were both neighboring nations to Liyue—much easier to trade with than the distant Inazuma across the sea.
As they passed a jewelry shop, Nolan even spotted a car bearing the logo of the "Sweet Flower Merchant Association." A chubby, wealthy-looking merchant stepped out of it.
Nolan was a bit surprised.
Cars from the Sweet Flower Merchant Association had only recently been developed. Although they'd gone on sale in Liyue, initial production was limited and costs were high.
So, the price was steep.
Still, many wealthy folks in Liyue had already preordered one. After all, nothing screamed "cool and rich" like cruising down the street in a car that no one else had.
And rich people lived for that sort of prestige.
Now, even merchants in Sumeru were willing to order one from so far away. The shipping cost alone must've been astronomical—probably even higher than the car's base price.
Currently, the paved road project was just beginning, and there weren't yet any roads outside cities suitable for free driving. So, driving a car to Sumeru was still a stretch.
Not that the car couldn't make it—just that the journey was full of risks. You'd need an armed caravan escort to safely transport one, and anyone who could afford that clearly wasn't short on cash.
"Miss, I think this iron box suits you," Dehya said with a teasing grin as she watched the car, arms crossed. "That way, you wouldn't be out of breath after just a few steps whenever you go out."
She'd seen these iron boxes more than once—they could move on their own, carry several people, and if you owned one, traveling through the desert would become a lot easier.
Only… she wasn't sure if the "iron box" could actually handle desert terrain.
"Don't joke, Dehya. I just got better—I need to walk more to regain my strength," Dunyarzad said, shaking her head.
"Haha, Miss Dunyarzad's right. These cars aren't something you can just buy and use—you have to spend time learning how to drive them first."
Nolan chuckled and added, "And they're not exactly cheap, either."
"Oh? Sounds like you know quite a bit. Tell me more—I might be interested in getting one if it can handle desert travel."
Dehya looked at Nolan with genuine interest.
Since she was curious, Nolan was more than happy to explain cars in detail to both women. Time passed swiftly as they chatted.
Eventually, they reached the end of the street. Ahead was a gentle slope leading down to the massive roots of the Divine Tree that supported all of Sumeru City.
Beneath the roots was a tunnel, at the end of which stood a wooden door—and beyond it lay the Grand Bazaar!
That's right, the Grand Bazaar was located directly under the roots of the Divine Tree. Back when the Grand Sage ruled Sumeru, the Akademiya had an extremely toxic culture…
Those Akademiya scholars had always looked down on the Grand Bazaar, seeing it as a place only for commoners who didn't understand the arts—completely beneath them.
But ever since Nahida took charge of the Akademiya, this toxic mindset had slowly begun to shift.
Now, you could already spot quite a few people wearing Akademiya student robes walking in, and the number was nothing to scoff at.
Perhaps they had heard about Nilou's performance and had come to watch her dance.
Nolan followed behind some of the scholars as they entered, and it felt like he had stepped into a lively marketplace.
Stalls lined both sides of the street, leaving only the middle clear for walking, selling all sorts of goods.
"Wow, look, Dehya! They've got mushroom beast wood carvings for sale over here!"
Even though Dunyarzad had visited the Grand Bazaar a few times before, her enthusiasm now surpassed even that of Nolan, who was visiting for the first time.
She ran over excitedly to a stall displaying wooden sculptures.
Dehya sighed and ran her hand through her black-gold hair in resignation.
"Miss, those shroom creatures may look cute, but they're actually dangerous and aggressive monsters. If you ever come across one unexpectedly, stay far away."
Since Dunyarzad had been sick for most of her life and rarely went out, it was only natural that her life experience was lacking. Dehya felt she had to remind her not to be deceived by appearances.
"Haha, miss, I think you've got it a bit wrong," the stall owner interjected. "Sure, it's smart to run when you see real monsters…"
"But that doesn't mean I can't sell wood carvings of them, right? Cute ones like shroom beasts are always in demand! In fact, some customers even ask if I have sculptures of the most ferocious monsters—people love that kind of thing!"
He shook his head, clearly doing his best to reassure them that his wooden crafts were harmless and totally different from the real deal.
After all, customers were customers—he couldn't just let someone dissuade others from buying.
"I know, Dehya. I'm not that clueless," Dunyarzad said with a chuckle, covering her mouth elegantly.
Then, she spotted a small red mushroom beast carving hanging from a rack. She picked it up and gently tugged on Dehya's hand, placing it against her wrist to compare sizes.
"What do you think—tie it to a string and turn it into a bracelet for you?"
"Wearing something on my wrist would interfere with combat, Miss. There's no need to go through the trouble." Dehya politely declined.
"I never said the bracelet had to be worn. You could just keep it," Dunyarzad said with a sly smile.
"Sigh… do whatever you want," Dehya replied, half-resigned.
Watching Dehya's helpless expression, Nolan couldn't help but chuckle.
Since the two of them seemed like they'd be shopping for a while, and he didn't feel like just standing around, he decided to continue his survey—and get a better feel for the lively Grand Bazaar.
He arranged to meet them near Zubayr Theater around showtime and set off to explore alone.
The Grand Bazaar truly was vibrant. It radiated life and energy, especially the food stalls. The aroma from afar was enough to make anyone's mouth water—and there were quite a few people gathered around.
He figured if Paimon were here, she'd probably be drooling all over the place just from the smell.
Nolan tried out several stalls and found Sumeru-style grilled foods to be quite good. Not wanting to keep it all to himself, he used the "Waypoint" to message Paimon and ask if she wanted to come over.
Originally, Paimon had only gone to the Akademiya to keep Lumine company—she wasn't much help with work. So the moment she heard there was delicious food, she eagerly teleported over.
And once she learned there was a show tonight, she dragged Lumine and even Nahida along with her.
Of course, Nahida only came as a mental projection invisible to others. After all, if the actual Dendro Archon showed up, it would definitely cause a commotion and disrupt public order.
That wouldn't be ideal.
"Let's go! Time to eat and drink to our heart's content!" Paimon cheered the moment she arrived, already impatient.
"No problem. Let's go," Nolan replied with a light nod and a smile.
While Paimon and Lumine were focused on food, the latter couldn't help but sigh inwardly. This little glutton was becoming more and more of a financial burden. When it came to eating, no one could top her.
Seriously—how could someone so small eat so much?
"You guys go ahead. I'll look around the Bazaar on my own," Nahida said, only mildly interested in food. She preferred to use this chance to observe and inspect the Grand Bazaar.
"Alright,"
Nolan nodded, then led Lumine and Paimon off to enjoy the street food until it was nearly time for the performance at Zubayr Theater.
At that point, they began making their way there.
The theater was the most prominent structure in the Grand Bazaar, easy to spot. It didn't take them long to find it.
On the way, they ran into Dunyarzad and Dehya again. Nolan took the opportunity to introduce Lumine and Paimon to them.
"The legendary blonde traveler and her floating companion—I've read about your exploits in The Steambird!" Dunyarzad exclaimed excitedly. She hadn't expected to meet two legendary figures in one day. What a worthwhile trip!
"Hehe~ So Paimon's famous too, huh~?" Paimon basked in the fantasy of fame.
"Alright, the performance is about to start. Let's head in," Nolan said with a smile.
Naturally, no one objected. They soon arrived near the Zubayr Theater.
It was a sizable stage with rows of chairs placed in front for the audience.
Because they'd arrived early, many of the best seats were still available. Nolan and the others quickly found their spots—and right then, Nahida returned.
Noticing that Dunyarzad and Dehya were sitting with Nolan's group, Nahida chose not to hide herself from their sight.
After all, she remembered Dunyarzad clearly—a poor girl once tormented by Eleazar.
She had often visited the girl in her dreams to encourage her.
"L-Lady Lesser Lord Kusanali…!"
Both Dehya and Dunyarzad were stunned at the sight of Nahida. Dunyarzad, especially, looked as if she might burst into tears from sheer emotion.
It was thanks to the Dendro Archon's encouragement that she had endured the torment of Eleazar. And her recent miraculous recovery was undoubtedly related to her.
Dunyarzad had always wanted to thank her face to face, though she knew how rare an encounter with the Archon was. She never expected to see her today!
"Shh," Nahida smiled and placed a finger to her lips, motioning for silence.
"Dunyarzad, I'm glad to see you looking so well. There's no need to thank me. Protecting the people of Sumeru is my duty."
"But… but…"
Dunyarzad couldn't hold back her emotions any longer. Tears streamed down her cheeks.
Dehya, knowing just how much she'd suffered over the years, understood. To recover from her illness was already a miracle—seeing the Dendro Archon in person now made it all overwhelming.
Nolan, Lumine, and Paimon exchanged glances, then smiled. Seeing someone else so happy made them feel warm inside, too.
While Dunyarzad remained overwhelmed and Dehya comforted her, the theater filled up—and the performance began on schedule.
But the first to appear wasn't the Zubayr Theater's star performer, the renowned Sumeru dancer Miss Nilou.
Instead, two acrobats took the stage.
Looks like they were saving the best for last!
(End of Chapter)
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