"Sorry, Director Hu Tao, we're closed for today!"
"But this Director sees plenty of customers inside..."
Bang!
Staring at the tightly shut and locked door, Hu Tao grimaced and turned to Chen Feng.
"Consultant Chen Feng, we're in trouble. It seems we've become the most unpopular people in all of Liyue Harbor."
"Director Hu Tao, have some confidence. Drop the 'seems'."
Hearing Chen Feng's words, Hu Tao's bitterness deepened.
"Now what are we going to do? The news spread way too fast! This Director hasn't even closed a handful of deals yet!"
"We'll have to find clients on the streets. It's less efficient, but people can't stay indoors forever. We should still be able to close a few deals."
Hu Tao nodded, sighed, and decided to stick to her old methods.
As the pair strolled down the main street, the crowd automatically parted, creating a ten-meter-wide path between them. Pedestrians were squeezed to the sides, their faces contorted as they tried to put as much distance as possible between themselves and the duo.
Some pedestrians even turned and fled at the mere sight of them, while roadside vendors pushed their carts away in a panic. Spectators watching street performers scattered like birds when Hu Tao and Chen Feng approached. One performer, who was about to break a large stone on his chest, lost his breath and began foaming at the mouth under the weight of the boulder.
After two hours without a single customer, Hu Tao's composure finally crumbled.
"Consultant Chen Feng, what should we do now?!" she wailed, her eyes pleading. "If this keeps up, the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor will have no business left!"
"This is a tricky situation..." Chen Feng said, looking genuinely troubled. "If even Director Hu Tao can't handle it, what chance do I have...?"
"Solve this crisis, and I'll give you a raise!" Director Hu Tao declared, her eyes shining with determination.
Hearing the promise of a raise, Chen Feng's eyes lit up instantly, and he immediately changed his tune.
"Director Hu Tao, I have a plan!"
"Actually, we've been trapped in a mental blind spot. Director Hu Tao, do you remember when you used to hand out flyers on the street? Weren't most people giving you the cold shoulder back then too?!"
"Tell me, Director Hu Tao, do you recall how you managed to distribute the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's flyers back then?"
After a moment of contemplation, Hu Tao replied, "This Director said all the right things, but still, few people were willing to take the flyers. In the end, I just forced them into their hands."
"Exactly—you just forced them!" Chen Feng chuckled.
"We don't need people to willingly accept our flyers. The only thing that matters is achieving our promotional goals."
"The key is to target the right customers precisely!"
"So, we can go house to house, identify the ideal prospects, and slip the flyers through the door cracks or slide them under the doors!"
Director Hu Tao's eyes lit up the more she listened.
"Brilliant!"
"Consultant Chen Feng, I knew you'd have a solution!"
Hu Tao pounced on Chen Feng again, hugging him tightly and even twirling him around this time.
After a while, once Hu Tao's excitement had subsided, she finally released him.
"Ahem, Director Hu Tao..."
"Don't worry, this Director won't freeload on you. I'll give you Mora when we get back to the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor!"
"Now, let's hurry and find some new clients!"
Hu Tao grabbed Chen Feng's hand and rushed him toward the residential district of Liyue Harbor without stopping.
In the afternoon, an elderly man strolled leisurely toward home, carrying a birdcage and radiating contentment.
But as he reached his doorstep, unlocked the door, and saw a "Wangsheng Funeral Parlor Grand Opening Special" flyer lying quietly on the ground, his body froze. Every hair on his body stood on end, his hands and feet turned icy cold, and his knees trembled uncontrollably.
Finally, his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed unconscious right in front of his door.
Some time later, a group of middle-aged women passed by, chatting among themselves. When they saw the unconscious old man, their expressions changed instantly, and they rushed to check on him.
After confirming his breathing was steady, they breathed a collective sigh of relief.
But then their eyes landed on the flyer hidden beneath the man's body, and their faces twisted with terror. They began to tremble uncontrollably...
-
"Wow, the buildings in Fontaine are so tall!"
After disembarking at Romaritime Harbor, Paimon gazed up at the towering, cloud-piercing structures and exclaimed in awe.
Even Lumine, who had just arrived in Fontaine from Sumeru, was stunned by the magnificent sight before her. It felt like stepping from a primeval forest back into a thriving metropolis.
"With Fontaine's land area steadily shrinking, the only way to accommodate all its citizens is to build taller," Enjou explained from beside her, secretly plotting to deepen Lumine's impression of him through relentless effort. He was convinced that one day he would replace Paimon as her closest companion!
"Of course, this is largely thanks to Fontaine's unique technology, which surpasses that of other nations by at least several decades."
"Naturally, Princess, compared to our Khaenri'ah, Fontaine's technology is utterly insignificant—hardly worth mentioning!" Enjou declared, puffing out his chest with pride.
"Khaenri'ah's technology is that advanced?" Paimon exclaimed in surprise.
"Naturally! What is a mere Fontaine compared to the might of Khaenri'ah?" Enjou scoffed. "The gap between us is as vast as the gulf between heaven and earth!"
As if recalling the glorious days of Khaenri'ah's past, Enjou's eyes gleamed with an unmistakable brilliance, though it quickly faded into melancholy.
After all, even the most glorious past eventually becomes history, and Enjou himself had been reduced to this half-human, half-beast state.
Sensing Enjou's sudden shift in mood, Lumine quickly changed the subject.
"Anyway, let's follow our usual routine. We should register at the Adventurer's Guild with Miss Katheryne from Fontaine first."
"Of course, before that, we'll need to stock up on some Fontaine delicacies for the road."
The mere mention of food made Paimon's eyes light up instantly.
"Great! Traveler, let's go get some delicious food right away!!"
Seeing Paimon's eagerness, Lumine couldn't help but smile wryly, though the loud gulping sound betraying her own anticipation gave away her true feelings.
Just as the group was about to ask someone for directions to the nearest restaurant, a squad of Maison Gardiennage officers, accompanied by several Gardemeks, marched past them with grim expressions.
As they passed, the officers warned nearby people:
"Everyone, please seek shelter on higher ground immediately! We've received reports of Monsters coming ashore and causing chaos."
"Monsieur, please lower your gun. Leave this matter to the Maison Gardiennage."
"And you, Madam, please drop the chainsaw to the ground. Such dangerous items are strictly prohibited from being brought into the city."
"Grandpa, please calm down! The monsters haven't even attacked yet. Put down the detonator!"
Lumine, Paimon, and Enjou stared in utter bewilderment at the scene of such simple, honest civility unfolding before them, their brains nearly short-circuiting.
"Enjou, I thought Fontaine was supposed to be the nation of Justice?" Paimon asked uncertainly.
Enjou stammered in response, "I... I think so? We didn't come to the wrong place, did we? We haven't stumbled into some den of iniquity, have we?"
By now, Lumine had begun to doubt the reality of what she was witnessing.
"In any case, everyone, please stow your weapons. The Cult of No. 6 has been eradicated, and the Cult of the Dragon has surrendered. It's just a few monsters. Rest assured, the Maison Gardiennage will handle it."
After delivering this warning and giving a final, stern look to the ordinary citizens carrying dangerous weapons, the Maison Gardiennage officers hurried away, rushing toward the front lines.
"Traveler, I'm a little scared..." Paimon hid behind Lumine, her voice trembling.
Just moments ago, a refined lady standing less than three meters away had pulled a bloodstained giant axe from beneath her skirt, a sickly smile spreading across her face, sending chills down Paimon's spine.
Lumine wasn't afraid of a few ordinary people, but that bizarre scene had unsettled even her.
After a moment's thought, Lumine decided to assist the Maison Gardiennage officers in their battle against the monsters. Gaining their goodwill would allow her to gather information about Fontaine.
She shared her plan with Paimon and Enjou, who immediately agreed.
Even Enjou felt a flicker of unease when he saw the old man strapped with explosives.
As for their grand meal, they weren't staying in Fontaine for just a day or two. They could indulge later, after clarifying the situation.
With their decision made, the trio immediately followed the path taken by the Maison Gardiennage officers.
They hadn't walked far before Lumine sensed a surge of elemental energy ahead. It seemed the officers had already engaged the monsters.
With that thought, Lumine quickened her pace and soon saw over a hundred monsters surging from the sea, relentlessly pursuing the Maison Gardiennage officers.
The officers occasionally fired their rifles, but their counterattacks were woefully ineffective. Far from harming the monsters, the shots only enraged them further.
Is Fontaine's security really this pathetic?!
Lumine had thought Sumeru was the peak of historical ineptitude, but clearly, there were even greater masters of incompetence out there!
Still, this could work to her advantage. If the Maison Gardiennage were too competent, she'd have no opportunity to shine. They might even refuse to share information if she asked.
What did strike Lumine as odd, though, was the absence of the Gardemeks from earlier. Those hulking machines should have possessed at least passable combat capabilities, right?
But she quickly dismissed the thought; saving lives took priority.
Drawing the Dull Blade, Lumine leaped forward, soaring over the Maison Gardiennage officers to land directly before the monsters. She faced them with unwavering confidence.
The officers' faces paled at Lumine's sudden appearance, and they shouted a warning.
Lumine offered them a reassuring smile, then began channeling Elemental Power.
Mostly Hydro Element creatures, huh...?
She swiftly devised the optimal strategy.
"Sprawl!"
Lumine raised her hand and released a torrent of vines that lashed out at the monsters, scattering countless Dendro seeds composed of aquatic plants.
"Gone with the Wind!"
Gathering immense Anemo Energy before her, Lumine unleashed a gale that swept across the battlefield, tearing through the ranks of the monsters.
"Purple Shadow!"
Finally, Lumine hurled several Electro talismans into the Wind Dragon's swirling vortex. Infused with Electro Energy, the vortex surged with terrifying force, lifting the monsters high into the air. As the vortex electrocuted the monsters, it also activated the Dendro seeds, which automatically tracked and struck down any survivors.
In mere moments, over a hundred monsters had been utterly annihilated. Lumine turned dramatically to face the Maison Gardiennage officers, who stared in wide-eyed disbelief.
Shocked, aren't you? Didn't expect me to be this strong, did you?!
Lumine had seen this reaction countless times. After all, who would expect someone without a Vision to wield Elemental Power, let alone multiple elements at once?!
"Traveler, you've gotten so much stronger!" Paimon exclaimed, her face beaming with excitement as she zipped over to Lumine.
"You could always handle fights before, but never with such effortless precision! Traveler, how did you train yourself?"
At Paimon's question, Lumine's smile instantly froze. The past is too painful to recall, she thought, then glared at Paimon. You're too nosy!
Enjou, ever the opportunist, immediately began flattering Lumine.
"Princess, your strength is truly awe-inspiring! Compared to you, I'm like mere dust beside the radiant moon. My admiration for you is as boundless as a surging river!"
Lumine's smile returned at these words.
Just then, she noticed the Maison Gardiennage officers approaching. Realizing they had finally recovered from their shock, she suppressed her soaring excitement.
Seeing the Gardemeks beside the officers, she frowned. Why are those machines here again? I'm sure I didn't miss them earlier...
Never mind, that's not important right now. I should focus on communicating with these officers and gathering information about Fontaine.
With that thought, Lumine sheathed her Dull Blade, her smile deepening. But the moment a cold, black gun barrel pressed against her nose, she froze.
"Hands up!"
"Drop your weapons and surrender immediately!"
"I advise you not to resist!"
Staring at the gun aimed at her, Paimon froze for a moment before raising her hands high and shouting, "I surrender!"
Enjou quickly regained his composure and began ingratiating himself with the Maison Gardiennage officers.
"Officer, isn't there some misunderstanding here?!"
"We'll investigate any misunderstandings ourselves. Drop your weapons and surrender immediately!"
The Maison Gardiennage officer turned to Lumine and spoke again.
"No. 2, do you really think disguising yourself as a woman can fool the sharp eyes of the Maison Gardiennage?!"
The trio stared in bewildered silence.
"Wait, Officer, there must be some mistake!" Enjou blurted out, finally snapping out of his daze. "Her Highness the Princess isn't the No. 2 you're looking for! You've got the wrong person!"
"Hmph! Do you think we're fools? Across all of Teyvat, besides the gods and No. 2, who else can control so much Elemental Power without a Vision?"
"Trying to clear your name with this pathetic disguise? Keep dreaming!"
"And you have accomplices, do you? Come along with us!"