Harlan Flint sat quietly at his corner table in the Deer Hunter restaurant, savoring his fried pork with carrots in honey sauce as two familiar figures settled across from him.
Scout Knight Amber and Wave Knight Eula—names and faces he knew from countless game hours—had joined him by chance, a twist of fate he hadn't anticipated.
"Thanks for sharing the table!" Amber chirped, flashing a grateful smile before nudging Eula to sit and diving into chatter.
Harlan kept to himself, content to eat in silence, his ears perking up only when their conversation veered toward his own turf.
"Hey, Eula, have you heard about a place in Mondstadt called Galehaven Comics?" Amber asked, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial hush.
Harlan's fork paused mid-bite, his pulse quickening—his shop's name on their lips was no small thing.
Eula tilted her head, her cool blue gaze narrowing. "No—why bring up a bookstore out of nowhere? Planning to pick up reading?"
She'd never pegged Amber for a bookworm, her friend's energy better suited to scouting than page-turning.
"It's not just any bookstore—it's packed with comic books, these illustrated stories with wild adventures," Amber explained, her hands waving to paint the picture.
Eula arched a brow, unimpressed. "So, books with more drawings—how's that different from Liyue's ornate tales or Inazuma's scrolls?"
She'd skimmed Mondstadt's tomes and beyond, their art stunning but stories lackluster—like that absurd Reincarnated as Thunder General, Invincible she'd once choked on.
Amber leaned in, her grin widening. "It's way more than that—after you read these comics, you get rewards straight from their pages!"
"Skills, creatures, raw power—it's real, not just ink and paper," she added, her eyes gleaming with the thrill of it.
Eula's expression stayed flat, skepticism etched deep. "That's ridiculous—are you sure you're not daydreaming again?"
Power from reading sounded like a fable—why swing a sword daily if comics could hand her strength on a platter?
She'd sooner trust Barbatos to run a tavern than buy this tale without proof.
"Don't scoff yet—you know Lumine, the Traveler, right?" Amber pressed, undeterred by Eula's doubt.
Eula nodded—everyone knew the blonde whirlwind who'd faced Stormterror head-on.
"That wind-manipulating trick she used to repel the dragon? It's the Wind-Wind Fruit from a comic called One Piece," Amber revealed.
"And Barbara's fluffy Snowballmon? That's from another comic—real as you or me," she added, her voice brimming with awe.
Harlan chewed slowly, masking a nod—his shop's wonders were spreading faster than he'd hoped.
Eula frowned, her certainty wavering. "You're saying those came from comics?"
She'd witnessed Lumine's cyan dragon form, a spectacle that chilled her bones during Stormterror's rampage.
And Barbara's Snowballmon—spotted during a mission handover—had puzzled her with its unfamiliar, cuddly charm.
If both stemmed from comics, her worldview teetered, rattled by this bizarre truth.
Amber smirked, relishing Eula's shock. "Oh, and get this—Captain Jean hit the shop today, confirmed it all, and walked out with some serious power."
"She even flexed it on the Fatui, gave 'em a thrashing they won't forget," she said, her tone smug with secondhand pride.
Harlan's lips twitched—Jean's Haki debut was already rippling, promising a flood of curious Knights tomorrow.
"Jean gained strength and humbled the Fatui?" Eula echoed, her doubt softening into intrigue.
In her eyes, Jean stood as a pillar—honest, steadfast—never one to spout nonsense or act rashly.
For the usually cautious Grand Master to strike at the Fatui, she must've tapped something formidable, likely tied to this shop.
"What a peculiar place," Eula murmured, her interest blooming despite her icy front.
If Amber spoke true, reading comics could grant her own reward—a chance too tantalizing to ignore.
"Let's check it out tomorrow if you're free," Amber urged, pouncing on Eula's flicker of curiosity.
Eula tilted her head, a rare tease in her voice. "You're awfully eager—smitten with this shop already?"
"Absolutely!" Amber shot back, her enthusiasm unguarded. "Imagine snagging comic powers—beyond even a Vision's reach, stuff the Archons couldn't dream up!"
"It's a miracle wrapped in pages, and the owner? Got to be some cryptic powerhouse—I'd count myself lucky to meet him," she gushed, her yearning plain.
Harlan swallowed his last bite, a quiet thrill stirring—he was that owner, and tomorrow, his tablemates might just find out.
***
Support me on Patreon to read 50+ advanced chapters: patreon.com/Nocturnal_Breeze