A few more days passed, and Lucian's new book was released. This time, there were no delays—it was truly a story about Inazuma.
Meanwhile, the Traveler had already purchased Lucian's book and boarded Beidou's ship. They were also setting off for Inazuma today, though the voyage would still take some time.
"That Lucian, not even coming with us," Paimon grumbled.
If Lucian had simply chosen not to join them, she wouldn't have complained. But the fact that he refused to sail with them yet handed them a Teleport Waypoint to take to Inazuma made it clear—he wanted to avoid hardship while still getting to Inazuma, using them as mere couriers.
"It's fine. He's not an adventurer or a traveler, after all," the Traveler said, far more understanding.
"But this time, I support your idea of 'lighting him up,'" the Traveler added with a mischievous grin.
Paimon pressed her index fingers together, having learned a few lessons from past experiences.
"W-well… let's just read the story first. If it's useful, we'll forgive him," Paimon conceded.
The Traveler chuckled and said nothing more, pulling out the book to read with Paimon.
'Chapter 2: Act 1 – The Immovable God and the Eternal Euthymia'
This was the story Inazumans had been anticipating the most. While the prologue had mentioned Inazuma, it hadn't yet made a proper appearance. Now, it was finally beginning.
What kind of impression would the current events in Inazuma leave on the world?
Putting that aside, the title alone was downright ruthless—Eternal Euthymia…? Inazuma? Really?
The story began with the Traveler boarding The Crux, preparing to depart for Inazuma—mirroring reality.
However, the plot progressed much faster. After describing the departure, the next scene was already the traversal of the thunderstorm.
In reality, the Traveler hadn't even reached the thunderstorm yet—they could still see the harbor of Liyue.
Still, this part of the story did make Beidou somewhat more likable. Her carefree demeanor and strength naturally drew admiration.
When the Traveler in the story arrived in Inazuma, the first person they met was the 'local fixer'—Thoma.
[Thoma: "Finally here, 'Big Sis of Liyue.' Kept me waiting."]
Thoma knew Beidou—after all, she was a frequent 'smuggler,' practically a repeat offender.
And he didn't just know Beidou; he also knew the Traveler. The Traveler's exploits in Mondstadt and Liyue were so significant that not even Inazuma's thunderstorm could block the news.
The reason he was here to receive the Traveler was to help them 'sneak in.'
Honestly, reading this part gave Thoma a headache. Not because he was assisting in smuggling—that was practically routine in Ritou.
What troubled him was that his identity as part of the Yashiro Commission was likely about to be exposed.
Having that revealed in Ritou—the territory of the Kanjou Commission—was bound to cause trouble.
In the story, Thoma smoothly helped the Traveler 'properly' complete the entry procedures, granting them legal stay rights.
This left people marveling at the 'fixer's' skill—he actually managed to haggle the 2 million Mora 'processing fee' down to 600 Mora!
Just as everyone was marveling at Thoma's incredible connections, the Thoma in the story casually revealed:
["No need to be so surprised. The 'processing fee' is just a made-up charge anyway."]
["For the officials at the Foreign Affairs Agency, no matter how much you pay, it all goes straight into their pockets. The only difference is how much they profit."]
A 2 million Mora extortion fee! Inazuma was truly rotten! What kind of merchant would even want to come here?
Foreign merchants in Inazuma could only suffer in silence. Unlike Beidou, who could smuggle freely, they were stuck here, unable to leave—now missing their homelands more than ever.
Even Inazumans felt ashamed. The Kanjou Commission's actions were downright disgraceful!
Fortunately, this uncomfortable topic didn't linger long. The Traveler asked about their true purpose—how to meet the Raiden Shogun.
Hearing this, Thoma couldn't help but acknowledge the difficulty.
["After all, the Raiden Shogun is the most exalted and revered existence—a deity whom mortals can only look up to."]
(Kujou Sara's favorability toward Thoma +1.)
Still, despite the challenge, Thoma assured:
["I'll be blunt—I have a way to arrange an audience with the Raiden Shogun for you."]
This shocked Inazumans. Wasn't this 'fixer' just a local in Ritou? How did he have connections to the Shogun herself?
At this point, wasn't he practically the fixer of all Inazuma? Orobashi, is that you?
Though Thoma could arrange a meeting, his help wasn't free.
He gave the Traveler a test—to assist the International Trade Association, a group formed by foreign merchants for mutual support.
This surprised the International Trade Association's chairman. Why would Thoma go out of his way to help them?
While they had a decent relationship, there didn't seem to be any real benefit for Thoma. Merchants only believed in profit, after all.
The Traveler in the story acted swiftly, soon finding the association's chairman—Kurusu, a Fontaine merchant living in hardship, desperately missing his homeland.
Exorbitant taxes and unfair regulations were already bad enough, but recently, the Kanjou Commission had devised new ways to squeeze them dry.
At this rate, they wouldn't just fail to profit—they wouldn't even have enough to cover their losses.
Furina was furious. Though she had little intel on Inazuma, she knew enough.
But she never expected things had gotten even worse. She really wanted to punch the Electro Archon twice!
But… the Electro Archon was one of the original Seven, just like the Geo Archon. How could she possibly win?
Channeling her frustration, Furina angrily bit into a blueberry cupcake, chewing indignantly.
Hopefully, the Traveler could resolve this. Inazuma wasn't engaging in diplomacy with other nations anyway.
True to Furina's hopes, the Traveler in the story quickly uncovered the merchant selling Crystal Marrow, using sharp negotiation to expose the true beneficiary behind the scheme.
After gathering evidence, the Traveler swiftly resolved the International Trade Association's predicament.
There was a minor hiccup—underestimating just how shameless the culprits could be. Fortunately, Thoma revealed his identity and settled the matter.
Inazumans sighed in relief. The Kanjou Commission was truly despicable—thank goodness for the Yashiro Commission's White Heron Princess.
Lucian's book significantly boosted the Yashiro Commission's reputation, earning them more supporters.
Meanwhile, the Kanjou Commission's head—Hiiragi Shinsuke—cursed those two idiots internally.
If you're going to extort foreigners, at least do it discreetly!
You left the lights on and let people see everything! Disgusting! Ugh! Disgusting!
But before he could finish cursing, the Traveler in the story had already found him.
===✧✦✧===
Character Voiceline – Lucian: About Sailing
"Sailing? Too boring, not interested. Now, if you're talking about deep-sea fishing, that's another story."
"What?! How dare you say I can't catch fish—that's slander! I could even reel in Osial for you!"