When they arrived at the plaza, it was already packed.
Crowds had gathered in tight circles, several layers deep.
From within, bursts of cheering and applause erupted every so often.
"What's going on in there? Why is it so crowded?"
Paimon asked curiously.
"Let's go take a look."
Lumine summoned a gentle breeze that parted a gap in the crowd.
Seizing the opportunity, the two darted through the opening.
"What the…?"
When Lumine and Paimon finally squeezed their way through the crowd,
they were immediately hit by a scene so bizarre they couldn't help but laugh.
Venti was performing on the street—with the Maine Coon Digimon!
As he played his lyre, he narrated the story of Digimon Adventure.
Meanwhile, the Maine Coon Digimon acted it out with surprising flair—
sometimes playing the terrifying Devimon,
other times pretending to be the timid Poyomon.
The two of them… actually had decent chemistry.
"Lumine, didn't Venti say he was scared of cats?
Why does it look like they're getting along just fine now?"
Paimon tilted her head in confusion.
Lumine shrugged. "No idea."
In truth, Venti was quietly suffering.
He still had a cat phobia.
He didn't want this Digimon to follow him.
But no matter how many times he blew it away with Anemo,
the Maine Coon always found its way back—
never too close, just far enough to respect his fear,
but always within reach, always faithful.
Venti couldn't bring himself to reject it.
After all, this Digimon had come to this world because of him.
To abandon it now felt wrong—even for a carefree bard.
And as someone who cherished freedom,
Venti believed even a cat-like creature had the right to follow its chosen companion.
So, they struck a deal:
The Digimon could stay nearby,
but not too close.
And Venti started stuffing tissue up his nose to block his cat allergies.
"Whatever," Paimon said, pulling out her camera.
"This is comedy gold—I've got to get this on video!"
Honestly, this reward was perfect for her.
Who needed battles and skills when you could film priceless moments like these?
At that moment, Venti was deep into the Digimon plot:
"As the gate to the human world opened, the forces of Myotismon surged forth,
determined to locate the eighth DigiDestined child and destroy her.
Tai and the others tried to intervene, but the portal had already closed—
cutting off any chance of returning to the real world.
What fate awaits the eighth child?
Can Tai and his friends find a way back to the human world?"
He paused dramatically—
then gave a charming smile.
"And that's where we'll end today's tale!"
"What?! Right at the good part?!"
"Keep going! I'll tip you—just tell us what happens to the eighth kid!"
"Yeah! Did they beat Myotismon or not?!"
The crowd erupted in protest.
Who ends a story right there?
"We're not stingy—just finish it already!"
Venti raised a hand and explained sheepishly:
"Sorry everyone, I'm just retelling a story I read myself.
And the rest? Well… that's paid content."
"…Paid? From where?"
"Yeah, I've never heard of any 'Digimon' book in Mondstadt!"
Clearing his throat, Venti slipped into pitchman mode:
"Ahem! It's from a shop called Solace Book House—a place filled with incredible stories.
The one I've been sharing is Digimon Adventure, Part 1.
They also have titles like One Piece: East Blue Saga,
and Cardcaptor Sakura, among others.
If you're curious—why not take a look?"
He was doing his best.
After all, if he couldn't pull in customers, he'd have to pay for the next manga himself.
And he'd rather spend that money on wine.
"This place actually exists?"
"I'm definitely checking it out. I want to know what happens next!"
"One Piece sounds epic. I like the name already."
The crowd was buzzing, their interest piqued.
Seeing that they were hooked, Venti dropped the final sales pitch:
"And that's not all!
Not only are the stories amazing,
but you can actually get rewards from reading!
See this feline fellow at my feet?
Straight from Digimon Adventure!"
He gestured dramatically.
"Want a mighty Greymon?
A graceful Angewomon?
A loyal Leomon?
Then come to Solace Book House!
With a bit of luck, you might obtain one too!"
"…You expect us to believe that?"
"That cat's a Digimon? Seriously?"
"No one gets rewards from books. You're totally scamming us."
"This is nonsense. If this were true, I'd believe Barbatos himself would descend right now."
The crowd grew skeptical.
Especially when Venti revealed the price—100,000 Mora per read,
and only one manga per day.
That sealed the deal for many—
"Scam," they thought.
Who'd charge that much for a book?
But not everyone was dismissive.
Some were intrigued. They had Mora to spare, and a little curiosity never hurt.
Fischl was one of them.
~~--------------------------------------
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