He and Sayu were childhood friends, no doubt about that—but he didn't treat Sayu the same way he treated Kirara. Honestly, he was completely an older-sister type enthusiast!
As for Sayu's little speech? He judged it to be directed entirely at Catperson Second Generation.
"By the way… that little girl from yesterday, she's alright, right?"
"She's a strong child," Sayu replied proudly. "She stayed silent the entire way, not a sound, until I reunited her with her father—then she finally let herself cry."
Sayu straightened her chest, puffing herself up with determination. After yesterday's relentless teasing from Tsukise Tomomi, she felt like she was floating. She was becoming the reliable adult she'd always imagined herself to be! Just… a little short on height.
"Hehe, I'll keep resting for now. Once I grow a bit taller, I'll be even more reliable!" With that, Sayu scurried back up into the trees.
Aiden didn't tell her that Luyé Nana was already rushing over. He and Kirara walked side by side to the cliff's edge, and then Aiden, holding the girl firmly in his arms, transformed into a streak of lightning, soaring toward Inazuma City.
Compared to the empty landscapes he had seen when flying toward Kamura Grave, the route to Inazuma City was far more bustling.
From high above, scattered villages dotted the landscape, and the roads were alive with merchant caravans transporting goods.
But what drew the eye most naturally was Inazuma City itself, where buildings proudly displayed the triple banners of thunder. The stately tenshukaku alone inspired awe—a sanctuary forged from the faith and devotion of countless Inazuma citizens.
Aiden had only been to Inazuma City before when he trained in swordsmanship under Raiden Shogun, so now he couldn't stop looking around in curiosity.
"I never expected so many villages outside Inazuma City. I thought there was only Kantou Village," he remarked.
"Impossible," Kirara replied. "Kantou Village is just famous for its dye trade. From Shiragiko Field to the outskirts of Inazuma City, there are plenty of villages… though every time I deliver, everyone says they want to live in the city—they just can't afford it."
Aiden nodded. True—maps in the game could only show so much. Even if Inazuma seemed small and sparse, there was no way there were only one or two villages beyond the city walls. The map scales of some nations in the early game had clearly underestimated the real world.
"So, where to first?" Aiden nudged Kirara. She clung to him like a koala, terrified of falling from the sky.
"Hey, don't push me! I don't have a Wind Glider," she shivered. "Let's go to the Tenryou Commission first, find Kujou Sara. The others are all over at Hanamizaka."
Hanamizaka was the main residential district of Inazuma City. Yoimiya, Arataki Itto, and others mostly operated there. Meanwhile, the Tenryou Commission's headquarters were closer to the tenshukaku. Both zones were strictly "no-fly" areas, so on his first day, Aiden wisely kept a low profile, landing with Kirara in the Machi Street district—just a short walk of a few hundred meters from the Tenryou Commission.
Though the streets were quieter than usual due to the war, for Aiden, it was still lively beyond expectation.
"Look, look! Limited edition Wind Glider from Mondstadt merchants! Regular price: 500,000 Mora, now only 199,998!"
"Come on, are you bullying someone who's never been to Mondstadt? That's just the standard model. Market price's barely 150,000 Mora," Kirara muttered.
"Heh, Inazuma's under lockdown! Can you even break through the Raikou Shogun's storms? This is a limited edition! And zero complaints, every user swears by it!"
Hearing the street vendors' shouts, Aiden and Kirara exchanged a glance, both barely holding back laughter.
"He's taking advantage of honest people, isn't he?" Aiden whispered in Kirara's ear.
Kirara, a renowned top-tier courier, had traversed the nations and knew quite a bit about local conditions. She lowered her voice.
"If it truly came from Mondstadt merchants, the price isn't that bad. Their Wind Gliders are far better quality than most other countries."
The design originated from a famed adventurer. While Wind Gliders weren't rare equipment in Teyvat—every nation produced them—the Mondstadt adventurers were the most active, constantly improving the models.
Zero complaints?
"Well, most vendors have similar approval ratings. If a Glider fails mid-flight, there's usually no opportunity for a negative review," Kirara sighed. But then she remembered something. "Oh, Liyue also had doubts about the quality of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor coffins—claims of 'every customer praises it' were challenged."
"Huh? And then?"
"The 77th generation master, Hu Tao, personally visited the customer to investigate and found there was indeed room for improvement. The citizens of Liyue admired her dedication."
"...I can't believe this." Aiden imagined Hu Tao with her little notebook, personally following up with each client. Only she could do something like that.
The world beyond Inazuma suddenly felt more fascinating, and Aiden felt the urgency to resolve matters here quickly.
Kirara, seeing her explanation enlighten him, eagerly shared more.
"The shop rents in Machi Street are high," she said, blinking. "Aiden, why is Inazuma's economy so poor now? People's incomes are lower, yet rent and prices haven't dropped?"
Aiden paused, then muttered, "You speak as if Inazuma's economy was ever good… before lockdown, wages didn't rise and prices didn't fall either."
Kirara wasn't working for wages, but hearing this, she sank into the existential despair of a working person: why do prices rise but wages never follow?
Aiden couldn't resist tickling her little face as she thought hard.
Lockdown had indeed hurt Inazuma. On the way to the Tenryou Commission, they heard many complaints.
"Our village depends on the sumac dye trade. With the Raikou blockade, no one's placing orders anymore."
"At least you can farm sumac to get by. We don't even get a few customers a day, and city food prices have skyrocketed. The Tenryou Commission won't even deal with those greedy merchants!"
"What can they do? The Shogunate army is stretched thin after losing on Yashiori Island. Who knows how they even lost to those hillbilly islands?"
"Exactly! If they lose more, Sumeru's next. And there are still wild bandits in Hanamizaka!"
"Can't blame the army entirely. Everyone in Inazuma knows the strategist
Sangonomiya uses her mind like a god. Only Kujou Takahiro could possibly match her."