"Wait a sec… don't tell me you're broke?"
Paimon eyed Venti suspiciously as she watched him standing there, lost in thought.
"Eh-heh!"
"What do you mean, 'eh-heh'?!"
Paimon was utterly baffled.
Why did this green guy keep using that weird laugh?
Han Feng couldn't help but laugh to himself.
He never thought he'd get to witness this classic moment.
That catchphrase had been a huge meme back on that certain video site in his previous life.
Utterly brainwashing.
"Hey, Honorary Knight… how about lending me a little? I'll work hard to pay you back, promise."
Venti turned hopefully toward Lumine.
She'd just saved Mondstadt—she must've gotten quite a bit of Mora in return.
"What?!!"
Paimon's eyes practically bulged out.
Someone actually had the gall to ask her for money?
"Lumine, don't do it! What if the boss releases another manga later? We won't have enough left to read it!"
Her words immediately made Lumine reconsider.
She looked at Venti apologetically.
Between the two of them, they already spent 200,000 Mora per day here.
Even with the bonus from saving Mondstadt, they'd run out pretty quickly.
Most likely, they'd need to take on more commissions soon.
"Then… Boss, would you allow a tab?"
Having been refused twice, Venti now turned to Han Feng with a helpless look.
"Pay first, read later. That's the rule."
Han Feng shook his head.
"This is getting tricky…"
Two rejections in a row left Venti rubbing his temples.
Being broke really sucked…
Maybe he should head to Liyue and borrow from that guy?
After all, the Mora came from him—it wouldn't be surprising if he had a lot of it.
But Liyue was pretty far from here, and the trip would take too long.
He quickly shelved that plan for now.
"Wait… I've got it!"
Suddenly remembering what Paimon had said earlier, Venti's eyes lit up with an idea.
"Boss, how about letting me work here? I won't take any pay—just let me read the manga for free."
He looked toward Han Feng, full of hopeful anticipation.
He might be broke, sure—but he was a bard!
And not just any bard, but the three-time reigning champion of Mondstadt's Most Popular Bard!
He had serious clout in Mondstadt.
If he were to promote Tranquil Books & Comics, it would definitely bring great results.
"Work here?"
Han Feng raised an eyebrow.
Oh boy.
The Anemo Archon of Mondstadt actually wants to work here?
Isn't he worried people will laugh at him if his identity is exposed?
To that, Venti's response was simple:
Venti's the one working—what does it have to do with Barbatos?
"System, is that request allowed?"
Han Feng asked in his mind.
He wasn't sure whether Venti's suggestion would be accepted. After all, the store's rules were set by the system.
"Approved. But limited to one person only."
Seeing the system's reply, Han Feng understood.
Although Lumine had brought in a few customers, they were all high-ranking figures in Mondstadt.
So far, Tranquil Books & Comics had only spread by word of mouth in a small circle.
That wasn't ideal for Han Feng's customer-reception mission.
Venti, while unreliable at times, was good at busking.
And more importantly, he was well-known.
If someone like him promoted the store, it could bring in a significant flow of new customers.
Just imagine—one of the Seven Archons personally promoting your manga shop.
Ehe~ That actually sounded pretty good.
Han Feng had already made his decision, though he didn't plan on agreeing too easily.
He wanted this guy to work for it.
"Fine. But you'll only be a temporary employee. If your promotion efforts don't work, you'll have to pay to read manga like everyone else."
"Of course! No one knows how to tell a story better than I do. Leave it to me. Thanks, boss!"
Venti beamed as he accepted the offer.
Finally, he could read manga!
"Eh?! You can do that?!"
Paimon and Lumine stared at each other in disbelief.
That worked?
But they were the ones who came here first.
They were the ones who brought in new customers.
So why was he the one who got to read for free?
"Well, I am Mondstadt's most famous bard. A little special treatment is to be expected!"
Venti gave Paimon a smug little eyebrow raise.
Paimon was not amused.
"You're so annoying! I've decided—I'm giving you a nickname… You'll be the Busking Guy!"
Just thinking about how this guy could save 100,000 Mora every day made her heart ache.
That could buy so many delicious meals!
"Alright, go read your manga. They're on the shelf—but only one per day."
Han Feng cut in.
"Got it!"
Venti walked up to the shelf and glanced through the titles. Then he turned back, puzzled.
"Boss, which manga has the Gourmet Tablecloth in it?"
"That would be Doraemon. But it's not available yet."
Han Feng returned to his seat and shook his head.
So just like Paimon, he was here mainly for that item too.
"I see."
Venti nodded, not too disappointed.
There would be more chances in the future—he just had to be patient.
After thinking it over, he finally chose Digimon Adventure Season 1.
It looked like the newest manga on the shelf and seemed like it'd be fun.
Meanwhile,
after leaving the alley, Barbara had finally arrived at the Knights of Favonius headquarters.
"Hehe, Jean's definitely going to be surprised when she sees Snowy!"
Barbara glanced at the white puffball in her arms and smiled warmly.
Then she hurried inside.
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