In a dim Ritou tavern, frequented only by locals, Reisen Riou met the head of the Northland Intelligence Organization's Inazuma branch. "You're the leader?" he asked.
"Yes, and you are…?" The bartender-disguised operative, stunned at being identified, faltered.
"No need to know. I'm here for business," Reisen Riou said, listing his needs. "Can you get these?"
"Boss-level monsters, live? Possible, but not cheap. We're intelligence, not adventurers, so the fee…" the operative said greedily.
"Urgent," Reisen Riou cut in.
"Right, my apologies. Delivery to Inazuma: 380 million Mora—100 million per live Electro, Pyro, and Cryo tree, 50 million for transport, 30 million for extras," the operative quoted, offering a slight discount.
Reisen Riou, unfazed, handed over 130 million Mora as a deposit. "I expect quick delivery. Here's the receipt."
"Done," the operative assured.
Leaving, Reisen Riou exhaled. Five Vision holders in one hideout, one at elite Okuzume level—LV40-50, rivaling Hatamoto generals. The operative, sweating, muttered, "Thought he was here to crack down."
"Or avenge Yurei Tarou," another said.
"Nah, he thinks gambling deaths are deserved," a third added.
"Cut the gambling ops—don't get caught," the leader ordered.
…
Next, Reisen Riou visited Inazuma's Adventurers' Guild. Despite its Teyvat fame, the Guild struggled here—Inazuma's perilous seas and lack of exploration sites deterred local adventurers. It mainly served as a rest stop for foreigners. Reisen Riou posted bounties for rare herbs common elsewhere, like Cecilia Flowers, needing only 100 of each to analyze their properties. With many foreign adventurers, sourcing was easy, but the variety and quantity inflated costs. He left 50 million Mora as a deposit, a long-term task ensuring a steady herb supply. Deliveries would go to his estate or the Tenmoku Dojo if he was absent.
Total projected costs: 500 million Mora. The remaining 200 million from Ritou Shrine's funds were for Reisen Riou's "side hustle"—rare materials for a ley line research cave heaven. His prior work was like crafting a dojo in a conch shell; this was a true adeptal abode, far costlier than Aether or Lumine's Serenitea Pot. A single Dawnlight Floating Stone alone cost 100 million Mora, though he needed a smaller one for a ley line lab. Total cave heaven expenses wouldn't dip below 100 million, with the final 100 million as a contingency for project gaps.
He'd consulted Liyue's adeptal secretary, Ganyu, about these materials. With Liyue's Layered Rock Abyss in full development, stocks were plentiful. He avoided dipping into funds owed to the Guild or Northland, knowing their power. The Guild boasted legendary Vision holders, while Northland's reach spanned nations, with ties to Inazuma's Yashiro Commission's Endgame Unit and Kanjou Commission. Crossing them risked annihilation.
Reisen Riou learned of Northland through the Endgame Unit, with whom he shared intelligence ties. Recently, they'd clashed with Khaenri'ah's spies, escalating in neutral regions like Sumeru City. His contact, Banna, wrote of a fire set by both groups—quelled by the Thirty Corps, but not before Khaenri'ah's largest Sumeru outpost was razed. Banna, fed up with their theft of Akademiya knowledge, had used the Endgame Unit as cover to strike, "cleaning" evidence before "extinguishing" the blaze.
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