"I almost forgot about you, little one."
Yae Miko lightly tapped her forehead.
Her mind had been completely occupied by Ei's cooking and the manga.
She'd completely forgotten about Sayu standing beside her.
With that thought, she took Sayu by the hand and led her to the counter.
"Boss."
"This child wants to grow taller."
"Do you have a manga that would suit her?"
"Read... manga?"
Sayu scratched her head in confusion.
"What does reading manga have to do with getting taller?"
"And..."
"What exactly is manga?"
"Reading manga gives you a chance to receive rewards."
Han Feng smiled warmly at the sleepy little ninja.
"If you're lucky..."
"You might obtain something that helps you grow."
He hadn't expected the mischievous fox to drag little Sayu here.
Still...
Han Feng was always patient with adorable little girls.
Come to think of it...
Sayu was already the fourth loli he'd met.
Once Yaoyao showed up...
They'd have a complete party of five.
"I see..."
Sayu nodded in realization.
Reading manga could earn rewards?
It sounded unbelievable.
But...
Lady Guuji hadn't objected.
So it was probably true.
Besides...
This was the only opportunity she'd found so far.
No matter what...
She had to try.
Thinking of that, Sayu eagerly looked at Han Feng.
"Boss..."
"Which manga should I read?"
"Hmm..."
Han Feng fell into thought.
Actually...
The Enlarging Flashlight from Doraemon would work quite well.
Little Klee had already proven that.
The only problem...
Was that the effect only lasted a single day.
Not ideal.
As for the Peace Star or Dragon Balls...
Forget it.
Putting aside how difficult they were to obtain...
Using miracles of that level simply to grow taller...
Even Sayu herself would probably feel conflicted.
After considering all the options...
Han Feng decided Journey to the West was the best choice.
There were countless immortals inside.
Countless magical pills.
Helping a child grow a little taller...
Shouldn't be difficult.
Of course...
Whether she'd actually obtain such a reward still depended on luck.
Besides...
It was a manga suitable for readers of all ages.
Perfect for Sayu.
With a thought...
A manga flew from the bookshelf into his hand.
"This one contains all sorts of miraculous treasures."
Han Feng smiled.
"If you're lucky..."
"You might find exactly what you're looking for."
"Journey to the West?"
Sayu curiously examined the cover.
She had no idea what it was about.
But...
It certainly looked interesting.
Without hesitation...
She accepted the manga.
Then...
She dumped a huge pile of Mora onto the counter.
"Thank you, Boss."
"Here's ten million Mora."
"This is the fee."
"..."
Han Feng stared at the mountain of Mora with a rather strange expression.
"The rules here are simple."
"One person."
"One hundred thousand Mora."
"One reading session per day."
"This amount is enough for a hundred days."
...
Looking at the overflowing pile of coins...
Han Feng couldn't help feeling surprised.
Who would've guessed?
Sayu was actually rich?
Wasn't her monthly salary only two hundred thousand Mora?
"...Huh?"
"Only... one hundred thousand?!"
Sayu froze.
Her eyes widened in disbelief.
Judging from Han Feng's expression...
There was no reason for him to lie.
Even someone as slow to react as Sayu finally realized what had happened.
Lady Guuji had tricked me...
And to make matters worse...
She'd even promised to run errands for Yae afterward.
That was precious nap time!
No...
Precious resting time!
Thinking about it...
Sayu felt like crying.
She slowly looked up at Yae Miko.
"Lady Guuji..."
"If I return the money now..."
"Is it still in time?"
"Of course."
Yae crouched down and gently patted Sayu's head.
"But..."
"A promise is a promise."
"You can't take that back."
"After all..."
"You volunteered."
"I never forced you."
"..."
"Okay..."
Sayu lowered her head in defeat.
There was no way she'd dare go back on her word with Lady Guuji.
Forget it.
She'd just treat it as repayment...
For bringing her to the manga shop.
That was the only way she could comfort herself now.
"Boss."
"I'll take Sayu to read her manga."
Yae stood up.
Collected the extra Mora from the counter.
Smiled.
Then headed toward the bookshelves with Sayu.
Watching the pitiful little ninja...
Han Feng chuckled and shook his head.
"This fox..."
"Really is incorrigible."
When it came to manipulating people...
There weren't many in all of Inazuma who could compete with Yae Miko.
Perhaps only Alice—
Who never played by anyone's rules—
Could match her.
Mondstadt
On a deserted street near the Solace Book House...
Two familiar figures appeared.
It was Venti...
And Zhongli.
"Ehe~"
Venti grinned happily.
"Making everyone cry with a tragic story and then running away..."
"That was thrilling!"
Earlier...
He had stood in Mondstadt's plaza.
Retelling the story of yesterday's manga—
Your Lie in April.
Its emotional twists.
Its heartbreaking ending.
Combined with the mournful melodies from his lyre...
It had thoroughly depressed his audience.
At last...
He'd gotten revenge for the emotional damage he'd suffered yesterday.
"From a universal standpoint..."
Zhongli nodded solemnly.
"It certainly was thrilling."
He'd witnessed the entire event.
When Venti reached the ending...
The whole plaza erupted in sobs.
Some people had even wanted to chase him down with knives afterward.
How could that not be exciting?
Zhongli honestly wondered...
Whether Venti would even be allowed to perform again tomorrow.
They might simply throw him out before he started.
"Come on, old man."
Venti smiled.
"Let's head to the boss's shop and read some manga."
Having successfully vented his frustrations...
He felt wonderfully refreshed.
Perhaps...
In the future...
He ought to tell even more tragic stories like that.
The two continued toward the Solace Book House.
As they passed the nightclub...
Zhongli suddenly paused.
"So Mondstadt has buildings like this as well?"
He examined the distinctive architecture with mild curiosity.
"Oh, this?"
Venti laughed.
"It's called a nightclub."
"Diluc received it as a reward from the boss."
"I've heard it's a place where people go to relax."
Although Venti himself hadn't visited yet...
He'd heard plenty about it.
Everyone who had gone...
Couldn't stop praising it.
Everyone who hadn't...
Longed to go.
"It's a shame."
Venti sighed dramatically.
"I found out too late."
"I completely missed opening day."
According to all the stories he'd heard...
The grand opening had featured unlimited free drinks.
Such an incredible opportunity...
And he'd actually missed it!
Just thinking about it...
Made Venti's heart ache.
This was an absolutely devastating loss.
—------------------------------
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