Chapter 28: chapter 28
"Lady Keqing is here..."
Unlike Childe, who relied on the Hydro element to disperse the crowd, upon hearing the arrival of Yuhengxing, the crowd spontaneously made way for a passage, showing how much Yuhengxing meant to the people of Liyue Harbor. She was highly respected.
Childe looked slightly surprised and paused.
A girl with purple hair and light purple eyes, strong and serious, arrived alone.
"Your Excellency, Yuhengxing," Childe greeted with a bright smile.
Keqing responded with a slight nod and gave him an unhappy glance.
Childe, currently the real envoy of the Fatui handling affairs in Liyue, was known for many covert actions. If Ningguang hadn't been concerned and repeatedly discouraged it, Keqing would have already led the Qianyan Army to eradicate the secret intelligence bases of the Fatui.
Childe was always gentlemanly and well-dressed outside of combat, with a handsome face and a bright smile, revealing no flaws at all.
"Please, after you—" he gestured.
Seeing Keqing go in first, Childe followed her in, with Andre, the manager of Northland Bank, by his side.
Front Reception Area of the Store
Takumi had just returned from setting up the advertising screen and was about to review the results of his recent lottery, apart from the Golden Legends. To his surprise, he heard a pleasant chime at the door.
"Welcome." Takumi turned around to greet the newcomers, then stopped in his tracks. "Oh, hold on...!"
When he clearly saw the impressive girl in the purple gauze off-shoulder dress, the phrase "Better to be a carver" almost slipped out.
Why?
Realizing that was inappropriate, he closed his mouth.
Takumi couldn't help but sigh internally. Tears of nostalgia came flooding back—Master Keqing, known as the "Carver," was once in the spotlight when the game first launched. However, with the upcoming Version 3.0, she was already known as one of the "two down-and-out heroes" along with Master Diluc.
Ding-a-ling
Another doorbell interrupted Takumi's reverie and saved him from Keqing's fierce gaze.
Two more guests had arrived.
Oh boy.
Takumi raised his eyebrows.
Another famous figure—it seemed that news of the one billion Mora spent by Ningguang had indeed shaken the Teyvat region, drawing the attention of other Vision bearers in Liyue.
To be more precise, Hu Tao's fifty million Mora was just the setup, while Ningguang's one billion Mora was the masterstroke—a bait big enough to attract the attention of all the major figures in Liyue.
"Sister Ningguang, I was wrong. I shouldn't have doubted your predictions and influence!" Takumi thought.
Now he understood what it meant to be a big shot stirring the pot.
Takumi used the classic excuse to tactically retreat.
"Welcome," Takumi said, smiling at Childe as he entered. "Are you by any chance the Childe, the Harbinger who doesn't find anything strange about anything he does?"
Childe hadn't expected such a sharp greeting from the young store manager.
The corners of his mouth twitched slightly.
Phew—if you weren't better-looking and could fight better than me, did you think I, Childe, would tolerate this?
For the sake of your appearance, I'll endure it...
No, wait—why am I suddenly thinking of Eula's catchphrase, the "Spindrift Knight"?
Anyway, the young master endured it!
Childe's internal drama didn't stop his cheerful and straightforward personality:
"I heard Lady Ningguang spent one billion Mora here. It's not just me—every big shot in Liyue is coming to take a look."
There were two groups of guests, and Takumi planned to be efficient.
He was a bit worried that the next wave of guests might arrive one after another, so he needed to improve reception efficiency.
"I'll entertain Master... I mean, Miss Keqing," Takumi called to the back of the store:
"Cresselia, could you come out and entertain Childe and Manager Andre for me?"
Cresselia?
Upon hearing the name, Childe was curious. Was it a foreign clerk from outside Liyue?
But when a beautiful, ethereal Pokémon floated into the store, Childe's eyes froze instantly:
"What a gorgeous being!"
The news that Cresselia was a Legendary Pokémon was only known to the first few customers like Hu Tao and Xiangling.
Even Keqing didn't know. She had left the Jade Chamber at lightning speed before getting any clear information from Ningguang.
"Cresselia, greet the guests," Takumi said.
Suddenly, the sweet, soft voice of Cresselia echoed in everyone's hearts.
"Ah... what?!" Andre's handkerchief, which he had been using to wipe his sweat, fell to the ground.
Even Childe couldn't hide his emotions—his face was full of shock.
Cresselia was already used to seeing similar reactions from previous guests, so she wasn't surprised by the newcomers' stunned responses.
It wasn't that they didn't reply, but they were simply too shocked. At that moment, Cresselia's smooth, elegant form was also adorned with a simple white apron.
She had been doing some housework in the back when she was called to entertain guests.
Keqing's expression was serious, but the few drops of sweat on her forehead indicated Yuhengxing's turbulent emotions at that moment.
"Is this an pokemon?" Keqing asked, her voice filled with curiosity.
"How is it able to speak the human language? Moreover, why does it speak directly to our minds? I didn't hear anything through my ears..."
Takumi cleared his throat, preparing to repeat the introduction he had already given several times:
"This communication ability is called 'telepathy,' which many Psychic-type Pokémon can master. Of course, some powerful Legendary Pokémon do not need to be Psychic-type to master it."
Legendary Pokémon?!
Childe was once again taken aback and couldn't help but ask eagerly:
"Could it be that Lady Ningguang spent a billion Mora not long ago to buy a Legendary Pokémon?"
After saying that, Childe noticed Takumi looking at him like he was mentally deficient.
Childe let out a dry laugh. "Uh... was I wrong?"
Takumi sighed.
"For example, in the continent of Teyvat, there used to be many demon gods, each with their own domain and authority," Takumi began.
"For instance, in the depths of Liyue's Sea of Clouds, there was the sealed 'Vortex Demon God Osial.' In the past, he could stir the sea, create thousands of whirlpools, and destroy islands and cities."
"There is also such a powerful force among Pokémon. They can grant wishes, control the ocean, manipulate landmasses, control the ozone layer to protect the planet, or maintain the balance of the ecological environment, among other powers."
"These beings are called Legendary Pokémon or Mythical Pokémon. According to people's understanding, they are akin to gods."
A stunned silence filled the room.
Childe couldn't help but swallow; his throat moved, and he stared blankly at Cresselia, still wearing the white apron.
"Then she is..."
"Yes, Cresselia is the Legendary Pokémon that controls dreams. Wherever she appears, she brings beautiful dreams to millions of people. That's why she's also known as the 'Goddess of Dreams'!"
What?!
Childe nearly knelt on the spot.
A Legendary Pokémon worthy of being called a god was here in person!
If one of the Seven Archons were to unleash their power, Childe would still have to kneel.
Andre, the manager of Northland Bank, was completely stunned.
The clerk is a Legendary Pokémon? That's insane.
What kind of person is this store manager, then? He can contract and control a Pokémon of this caliber...
Help! He's definitely not an ordinary person!
Andre cast a fearful, awe-filled look at Takumi.
There's a super-powerful figure standing right beside me!
"Tell me, can one billion Mora even buy a demon god? Even just the residue?" Takumi said, seeing Childe's incredulity.
Childe shook his head vigorously.