After receiving their rewards, Eula and Xiangling didn't leave right away.
They decided to head to the discussion area instead, planning to chat about the highlights of the comics while waiting for Yanfei.
The only question was whether Yanfei would be arriving from Liyue or from Mondstadt.
Just as they were turning to go— a massive pink door suddenly appeared before them.
"Eh? What's this?!"
Eula stared curiously at it.
Unlike Jean, who tended to be wary, Eula wasn't worried at all.
This was Boss Han's manga shop, after all—who would dare cause trouble here?
Click—
The door swung open.
A girl and a floating companion stepped through.
"Lumine? Paimon?!"
Eula exclaimed in surprise.
"Hello, Miss Eula."
Lumine smiled as she tucked the Anywhere Door away.
She and Paimon had just finished packing up and stopped by the Knights to inform Acting Grand Master Jean of their plans to head for Liyue.
Now, having dropped their things off, they were ready to set off.
"That door just now—what was it?"
Eula asked curiously.
"That's called an Anywhere Door. It can take you to any place you want. I got it from the manga Doraemon."
Lumine explained.
"Anywhere…?!"
Eula and Xiangling were stunned.
A tool like that exists?!
It was even more incredible than Yanfei's Bamboo-Copter.
That at least still required flight— but this? One step and you were already there!
And it too came from Doraemon?!
"Just what kind of manga did Boss Han bring out this time…"
Xiangling couldn't help but sigh.
First the Bamboo-Copter, now the Anywhere Door.
Who knew what kind of miraculous gadgets would appear next?
Each one was priceless in its own right, yet here they were, casually being handed out in Boss Han's shop.
The scale of it all was just on another level.
After marveling a bit, Eula and Xiangling headed off to the discussion area.
Meanwhile, Lumine stowed her things in the room Noelle had prepared for her, then left with Paimon.
A journey on a whim!
There was no need for farewells— after all, they could return anytime they wished.
Liyue.
The Jade Chamber.
Ningguang was hard at work preparing the ritual procedures for the Rite of Descension.
The Rite was Liyue's grand annual ceremony, presided over each year by a different member of the Qixing.
At the event, the Geo Archon would appear in his dragon-qilin form to give guidance on Liyue's direction for the coming year.
This year, it was Ningguang's turn to oversee the rite, and she had been working tirelessly to ensure that nothing went wrong.
Her three secretaries—Baiwen, Baixiao, and Baishi—were assisting her at the side.
Just then, Keqing finally arrived from the manga shop.
"You're here? Finished the inspection at Liyue Harbor already?"
Ningguang greeted her with a smile.
She knew Keqing had gone out early that morning.
Though their responsibilities differed, Ningguang admired her colleague's dedication.
"No, actually. While inspecting a back alley, I discovered a rather extraordinary bookstore."
Keqing sat down, smiling faintly.
Thinking back on the experience of reading manga and receiving her reward, she still felt as though she were dreaming.
"Oh? In what way is that extraordinary?"
Ningguang set aside her work, intrigued.
Keqing was the Yuheng of the Qixing, a woman of noble birth with both knowledge and vision far above most.
If she called something extraordinary, then it must truly be so.
Especially if the store was tucked away in some little alley…
At this, Baiwen came forward with a cup of tea.
"Thank you."
Keqing sipped it, then continued.
"On the surface, it looks like an ordinary shop. But the moment I entered, I was instantly transported to Mondstadt.
Had I not noticed the scenery outside, I might not have realized at all."
"What? You mean you were in Mondstadt just now, and then returned—through that bookstore?!"
Ningguang's expression tightened with surprise.
Her secretaries exchanged looks as well.
Clearly, they too found this hard to believe.
"That's right. I saw members of the Knights of Favonius there, and even Xiangling."
Keqing nodded.
"Later I learned the Liyue shop is merely a branch. The real store is in Mondstadt."
"So the bookstore itself must have teleportation abilities."
Ningguang's eyes narrowed in thought.
That would explain how Keqing was transported silently and seamlessly to Mondstadt.
It seemed this shop was indeed remarkable.
"But if you think that's all there is to it, you'd be wrong."
Keqing smiled mysteriously.
"Oh? Do tell."
Now Ningguang was truly intrigued.
A teleporting bookstore was already extraordinary in her eyes.
And yet Keqing said that wasn't the most incredible part?
"That shop only carries one kind of book—manga. They're picture-heavy, word-light volumes.
But the astonishing part is this: reading manga there grants you rewards.
It could be a simple item, a skill, or even great power."
"…Reading manga can grant power?"
For the first time, Ningguang's poise faltered.
Her first instinct was disbelief.
As Tianquan of the Qixing, she had access to more knowledge and secrets than most.
But she had never once heard of such a thing.
And yet— seeing the seriousness on Keqing's face, and recalling the part about teleportation…
Ningguang felt a chill of unease.
Could such a wondrous shop truly exist?
~~--------------------------------------
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