Fischl strode toward an empty sofa in Galehaven Comics, her chosen comic—Chuunibyou Demo Koi ga Shitai!—clutched in her hands as she settled in with regal poise.
She glanced at the cover, her visible eye gleaming with intrigue. "This maiden, adorned with an eyepatch akin to mine—perchance a lost soul from meine Nachtpureland, a kindred spirit to the Prinzessin der Verurteilung?"
With a flourish, she opened the pages, her curiosity aflame as she delved into the tale, eager to uncover its resonance with her own cosmic destiny.
At that moment, the shop door swung open again, admitting Lisa and Barbara, their familiar faces brightening the cozy space with their arrival.
"Boss, we're back for more!" Barbara called, her cheerful voice ringing out as she waved, her Snowballmon chirping happily from her shoulder.
"Chirp chirp!" the fluffy Digimon echoed, its tiny paws wiggling in greeting, a bundle of fur that drew smiles wherever it went.
"Welcome, you two," Harlan Flint replied, his tone warm as he leaned against the counter, pleased to see returning customers so soon.
"How's life with a Digimon treating you?" he asked, nodding toward Snowballmon, genuinely curious about Barbara's bond with her comic-born companion.
"It's wonderful—soft, cuddly, and adorable—but I'd love for it to evolve into Tailmon soon; that'd be the dream!" Barbara said, ruffling Snowballmon's fur with a hopeful grin.
She adored its current form, but the sleek, catlike Tailmon held a special allure—perfect for petting and purring, a feline fantasy she couldn't resist.
"Try feeding it some local flowers and fruits—elemental traces in Teyvat's flora might speed things up," Harlan suggested, his knowledge of the system's quirks guiding his advice.
The continent brimmed with elemental energy, infusing its plants with potential—Snowballmon could thrive on such a diet, hastening its growth.
He hadn't expected Barbara and Wendy to sit at opposite ends of the cat spectrum—one smitten, the other sneezing—though he wondered how the bard fared with Meowthmon.
"Really? I'll give it a shot—thanks, Boss!" Barbara beamed, her mind already racing to the wild orchards beyond Mondstadt's walls, ripe for foraging.
She'd gather a haul after today's reading, eager to nudge her pet toward evolution with nature's bounty.
"Here's 200,000 Mora for us both," Barbara said, sliding two pouches across the counter with a practiced ease, her enthusiasm undimmed by the cost.
Harlan collected the payment, his smile widening. "Perfect timing—two new comics just hit the shelves, so you've got fresh picks to choose from."
"Business is picking up already—three readers in here now," Lisa observed, her sharp eyes sweeping the room, noting Amber, Eula, and Fischl engrossed in their books.
They were all familiar faces, a comforting circle of Knights and friends drawn to this odd little shop's allure.
"We heard chatter about this place on the way over—seems word's spreading fast," Barbara added, nodding in agreement with Lisa's assessment.
"The more folks show up, the more comics I'll stock," Harlan replied, his tone light but confident, his system's rewards tied to growing traffic.
Wendy's plaza antics must've sparked the buzz—skeptics or not, a few curious souls from Mondstadt's masses would bite, and that's all he needed.
Once rewards started flowing, word-of-mouth would ignite, turning Galehaven Comics into a beacon he wouldn't need to push.
"Books are on the shelf—help yourselves," he said, gesturing toward the wall where five titles awaited their next readers.
Lisa and Barbara nodded, ambling over to browse, their steps unhurried as they eyed the remaining options with interest.
Only two slots were free—One Piece: East Sea Saga and Digimon: First Frontier—the rest claimed by the morning's early birds.
"Good thing we got here when we did, or we'd be stuck waiting," Lisa teased, her voice carrying a lazy lilt as she plucked Digimon from the lineup.
She didn't mind the genre—any comic suited her penchant for lounging, especially if its pages held a spark of intrigue to savor.
Barbara, having read Digimon the day before, opted for One Piece, her fingers tracing its spine with a flicker of excitement for something new.
They settled beside Amber and Eula, the quartet forming a cozy cluster of readers, their presence filling the shop with a quiet hum of turning pages.
"Hey, Miss Lisa, Miss Barbara—you're here too?" Amber exclaimed, jolting upright from her sofa as she spotted them, her Clow Card fixation briefly interrupted.
Eula mirrored her, rising with a nod, her composed demeanor softening at the sight of comrades joining their literary dive.
"Easy now—we're just here for the comics, same as you," Lisa said, her soothing tone calming their surprise as she waved them back down.
The pair sank back into their seats, Amber's enthusiasm bubbling over. "This Cardcaptor Sakura is unreal—Sister Lisa wasn't kidding about its magic!"
Each Clow Card's power danced in her mind—Flight, Thunder, Shadow—fueling a yearning she couldn't shake as she flipped through the story.
"Here's hoping you snag a stellar card, then," Lisa replied with a chuckle, her own book cracking open as she settled into her usual leisurely pace.
Soon, the four lost themselves in their tales, gasps and whispers erupting whenever a plot twist hit, their shared excitement turning the shop into a lively haven.
Harlan watched from the counter, a quiet satisfaction settling in. "This is what comic reading's meant to be—a crowd swapping thrills, not just a solo slog."
Across Mondstadt, the Lady strode toward Galehaven Comics, Anastasia and Luke trailing her, their black coats stark against the city's pastel cheer.
Citizens parted like a tide, their wary glances and hushed mutters a testament to the Fatui's sour reputation in these free-spirited streets.
Her mood simmered dark—yesterday, Jean's Haki had humbled her squad, and last night, the Thunderhammer Vanguard botched the Sky Lyre grab, piling failure on failure.
Irritation gnawed at her, driving her from the Goethe Hotel to probe this bookstore herself—no more sitting idle while plans unraveled.
She needed answers: what fueled Jean's sudden gall, and could this shop hold the key to tipping the scales back in her favor?
Along the way, snippets of chatter drifted to her ears, Mondstadt's gossip mill churning with Wendy's plaza pitch.
"Did you hear? Some bookstore in town lets you grab comic stuff just by reading—sounds wild!" a fruit vendor called to his neighbor.
"No chance—nothing that crazy's real," the other shot back, skepticism thick as he polished an apple with a scoff.
"Right? Imagine reading Reincarnated as the Electro Archon and poof, you're Raiden Shogun—that's bard nonsense," a passerby laughed, shaking his head.
"But Wendy swore his cat's a Digimon from one of those books—showed it off like proof," a kid piped up, wide-eyed with half-belief.
"That drunkard? He's at Diluc's tavern daily, broke as a barrel—probably shilling for Mora," a grizzled smith countered, his logic cutting through.
"Still, 100,000 Mora a pop, one book a day? That's a rich man's prank," a seamstress mused, her tone dubious yet intrigued.
"I'm tempted—got the cash to spare, and if it's legit, I'm set," a merchant grinned, already plotting a detour to test the tale.
The Lady's lips curled faintly—Wendy's stunt had stirred the pot, though most dismissed it as a bard's tall tale, just as Harlan predicted.
Yet, enough seeds of curiosity had sprouted to draw a trickle of believers, and that trickle could swell into a flood if rewards proved real.
***
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