Seeing how readily Nolan agreed, Yanfei couldn't help but develop a little more affection for him:
[Yanfei Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 300 Affection Points. Current Affection Level: Lv.3 (260/300)]
Hands on her hips, Yanfei declared confidently:
"I'm just going to provide legal consultation, and all the legal knowledge I need is right here!"
She pointed to her head with pride, making it clear that she had nothing to pack and was ready to leave at any moment.
"Alright then, come sit at my place for a bit. I'll teleport there and bring you out after I arrive."
Nolan nodded and opened the entrance to the Wonderland, inviting Yanfei to sit in the living room for a moment.
Since Interstellar Travel couldn't bring others along, the solution was simple: have Yanfei stay in the Wonderland, teleport himself to Inazuma, then bring her out.
Not even enough time for a full cup of tea.
"Mhm, I'll leave it to you then."
Yanfei clearly trusted Nolan. After saying that, she walked right into the Wonderland.
Nolan closed the rift and, after bidding farewell to Ganyu and Shenhe, activated Interstellar Travel.
---
Inazuma City, Naganohara Fireworks Shop.
Yoimiya, her golden-orange hair tied up, was outside the shop playing jump rope with some kids. When she heard Nolan was coming, she turned to them and said:
"Whew! Big Sis Yoimiya's feeling a little tired. You guys keep playing—I'm gonna take a short break."
"Ehh~ Big Sis Yoimiya, you're lying! Grown-ups are tougher than kids. None of us are tired, so how could a grown-up like you be tired?"
The little girl holding one end of the rope countered with flawless logic.
"Oh! I know—it must be that big brother who always brings us candy! He's coming, right?!"
The boy at the other end of the rope suddenly lit up with realization.
"Eh?! How'd you guess that?" Yoimiya blinked, genuinely surprised. Kids were so unpredictable—but somehow they always got it right.
"Hooray! We're getting candy again!" the two rope-swingers and the jumper in the middle all shouted with excitement.
That "big brother" who always appeared out of thin air would hand out tasty treats every time he saw them, so they came to the fireworks shop even more often now—honestly, they felt like they could spend all day there.
Missing that big brother would be a lifelong regret!
And just as the adults and kids outside the shop were waiting expectantly, Nolan appeared silently beside Yoimiya.
"Whoa! It really is big brother!"
The kids noticed him immediately and shouted joyfully, calling out to him in excitement.
Nolan smiled and, as usual, took out pre-prepared candy for them.
"One bag each—make sure to share with your friends, and don't eat too much, or you'll get cavities!"
"Got it! Thanks, big bro!" the kids said in unison, then excitedly ran off.
"Shuko, Miya, hurry up! Don't let that scoundrel Itto find out we've got something good—he'll definitely steal it!"
The kid in the lead shouted as they ran.
"They're so fast," Yoimiya chuckled, placing her hands on her hips as she watched them bolt down the street. Then she looked to Nolan and asked:
"So, did you come to see me today for fun, or is there something else going on?"
Nolan slid an arm around her soft waist. Her cheeks flushed slightly, but she quickly composed herself.
"I took on a request today—just here to drop someone off."
After all this time together, Yoimiya's affection for him had risen from "Affection Lv.7 (360/700)" to "Affection Lv.8 (200/700)."
They'd held hands and hugged plenty by now. Yoimiya had grown used to it. As long as it wasn't in public, she didn't get shy about it anymore.
"Drop someone off? What kind of request?" she asked curiously.
"I'm not really sure on the details. Let me bring her out first and see if there's anything I can help with."
Nolan shook his head lightly and opened the Wonderland Space, then brought Yanfei out.
"Whoa, we're already in Inazuma City? That was crazy fast!" Yanfei exclaimed as she took in the buildings on either side of the street—so different from those in Liyue.
"Of course," Nolan chuckled. "So, where to next? I know Inazuma pretty well."
"My junior is working at a place called the Arataki Gang. Do you know where that is?"
Yanfei got straight to the point.
Uhh… of course he knew of the Arataki Gang—and he'd already guessed that Yanfei's junior was Kuki Shinobu. But as for where the gang was based… not exactly his area of expertise.
Scratching his cheek, he looked at Yoimiya and asked, "Do you know where the Arataki Gang hangs out?"
"Hmm... I know their boss is Arataki Itto, and he seems to get along well with the local kids," Yoimiya replied thoughtfully.
She had heard of the gang, but Inazuma City was big—she didn't know their exact base of operations. After thinking a moment with her arms folded:
"I've got it. Let's ask the neighborhood kids! They're close with Itto and probably know where he is."
"That's a solid plan."
Nolan nodded. From what he knew about Itto, that guy was basically the king of the kids in town.
There was a good chance they'd know where to find him.
"Looks like we're on the right track," Yanfei sighed in relief as the two of them quickly figured out a direction. Then, remembering something, she stepped closer and whispered to Nolan:
"By the way… I came to Inazuma through teleportation, so I never checked in at Ritou. Technically, I'm an illegal entry. You wouldn't happen to have a way to help me fix that, would you?"
As a legal expert, Yanfei was naturally sensitive to such issues. Her job here was legal consultation—essentially an advisory role—so having an illegal status wasn't exactly ideal.
As a legal professional, Yanfei knew that if she came here to provide legal counsel but had technically entered illegally, it would be a fatal weakness her opponents could exploit.
Nolan immediately understood what she meant and nodded.
"That's an easy fix. I'll go with you to the Tenshukaku and request a permit directly from Raiden Shogun. With her authorization, you'll be officially recognized."
"R-Raiden Shogun...? Isn't that... a bit much?"
Yanfei had heard countless stories about the Shogun from her parents and couldn't help but feel a little intimidated by the fearsome reputation of Inazuma's god.
"It's fine. I have a very good relationship with her. It's actually easier to go straight to her than to anyone else."
Nolan assured her with a smile.
"U-Uh... if you say so, then alright."
With no better option, Yanfei agreed to meet the legendary Shogun in person.
[Yanfei Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 340 Affection Points. Current Affection Level: Lv.4 (300/400)]
Seeing the timely notification pop up, Nolan was quite pleased. He then looked at Yoimiya.
"Come with us for a walk. When we need help talking to the kids, we'll need Big Sis Yoimiya to step in!"
"Mhm, no problem at all."
Yoimiya clapped her hands over her half-draped orange yukata, revealing a glimpse of her snowy chest.
Tenshukaku was a bit far, but with Nolan's spatial teleportation, the trip didn't take long.
Just as he'd promised, getting a special permit for Yanfei to legally stay in Inazuma City was easy thanks to his close relationship with Raiden Shogun.
Once the most important matter was handled, Nolan asked Yoimiya to find some local kids and have them guide the group to the Arataki Gang's base. The reward: a bag of Liyue-style candy for each kid.
(A malt sugar coating wrapped around hawthorn berries.)
With candy as a reward, the kids were super enthusiastic. Skipping and hopping, they led the way for about half an hour before arriving at the Arataki Gang's base.
It was located on the outskirts of Inazuma City—an open clearing with a simple wooden house. Beside it stood a desk that resembled an Adventurers' Guild reception counter.
A chubby man in a straw hat sat behind the counter, nodding off. The group's approach seemed to wake him.
Rubbing his eyes, he glanced at them, then looked down to see the kids. He instantly jolted upright and shouted while running inside:
"Bad news, Boss! Those brats who beat you at bug-fighting last time are back—and they brought reinforcements!"
Before any of them could explain, an indignant voice shouted back from inside:
"What?! Those rotten kids again?! I only lost last time because I wasn't serious! You'll see what my new partner 'Radiant Ghost King' can do!"
"Uh… what's going on?"
Yanfei turned to the children, looking confused. Her gut told her she was in the wrong place entirely.
Her brilliant and capable junior… working in a place like this? Had the kids led them to the wrong location?
"Aiya, Big Sis, we didn't mess up—this is definitely the Arataki Gang," said a boy named Takeji, shrugging helplessly.
"Itto lost the 'Bug King' title to us in a match last time and hasn't gotten over it. He's been wanting a rematch ever since!"
"Haha, he sounds like a real character."
Nolan couldn't help but laugh.
BANG!
The wooden door was kicked open.
Out stomped Arataki Itto, tall and broad with two red oni horns on his forehead, walking like a raging boss in a video game.
"Takeji! Yunko! Kota! You little punks think I'm too strong, so now you're bringing backup?!"
"We don't need backup to beat you, Itto. These Big Brother and Sisters came for something else—we just brought them here."
The little girl Yunko calmly replied, shaking her head.
"...Huh?"
Finally, the slow-on-the-uptake Itto seemed to realize what was going on. He looked at the group and suddenly exclaimed:
"—Oh! You're here to hire the Arataki Gang, aren't you?
"Let me tell you, we're the most famous gang in all of Inazuma! Our services include legal consultations, uh…"
Realizing he couldn't remember the rest, the chubby man from earlier leaned in and whispered:
"Boss, our services include: legal consulting, business negotiations, banquet hosting, and custom apparel."
"Ah! Right, exactly! We do it all! Whatever you need, the Arataki Gang's got you covered!"
Itto beamed with confidence.
"Legal consultations? Business negotiations...? Uh…"
Yanfei had her doubts. It wasn't that she looked down on the gang—but they didn't exactly radiate trustworthiness.
"Haha! The Arataki Gang's reputation is well-known across Inazuma. Especially the heroic strength of their boss, Arataki Itto—famous far and wide!
But we're not here to hire you guys—we're here looking for someone."
Nolan knew exactly how to handle someone like Itto: childish, prideful, easily swayed by flattery. A few compliments and he'd treat you like a blood brother.
"Ohh! I didn't expect you to know so much about us. Bro, you're my kind of guy!"
Itto grinned and offered a big handshake.
Nolan took it with a smile.
"Thanks for the praise. I'm Nolan, by the way. It's an honor."
He quite liked Itto's straightforward and unpretentious nature.
Just then, another figure stepped out from the house.
She had green hair, violet eyes, and a black face mask. She wore a sleeveless black crop top and a purple hooded jacket.
Her waist, marked with red seals, led into a pair of black shorts that showed off her pale thighs, and she wore black, open-toed thigh-high boots.
From memory—and her identical appearance to her in-game model—Nolan immediately recognized her.
The second-in-command of the Arataki Gang. The woman who brought order to this chaotic group—Kuki Shinobu!
A highly competent figure even General Kujou Sara of the Tenryou Commission deeply trusted.
"Senior Yanfei, long time no see. Nice to meet you both," she nodded to Nolan and Yoimiya.
"And Boss, they didn't come to hire us—we invited them here. Did you forget?"
She greeted them politely, then reminded a very confused Itto of the facts.
"Ahhh! You should've said so earlier! So you guys are here because we asked for help!"
Itto finally had his epiphany.
"..."
Yanfei sighed inwardly. She'd wanted to clarify earlier, but the gang had been so chaotic and confusing that she couldn't even get a word in.
She took a deep breath and decided to ignore Itto completely, turning to Kuki Shinobu instead.
"Shinobu, what's the situation? Tell us everything."
"Of course. Let's talk inside."
Shinobu nodded and motioned for them to enter. Discussing this at the door wouldn't do.
(End of Chapter)
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