Lin Yu was at the counter, wondering if he should start doing some advertising.
Ever since Lisa had left in the morning, not a single person had come in to try the game all afternoon.
The few curious souls who did wander over were immediately scared off by the price list at the door.
As he was contemplating this, a woman in a Knights of Favonius uniform walked in and, right off the bat, asked for a glass of fruit juice.
Lin Yu recognized her at a glance. Wasn't this Eula?
Even the conservative knight's uniform couldn't conceal her stunning figure.
She had the face of an angel and the body of a devil.
Her short, ice-blue hair, coupled with the flush on her cheeks, gave her an air of icy purity that stirred one's pity.
Lin Yu helped Eula to a seat.
Using the Universal Drink Maker, he whipped up a simple glass of orange juice.
Eula took the glass, tilted her head back, and chugged the entire thing down.
Then she handed the empty glass back to Lin Yu.
"Bartender, another one..."
Are all Mondstadters such heavy drinkers...?
Lin Yu was about to get her another glass when he saw that Eula had already slumped onto the table, seemingly fast asleep.
He fetched a blanket and draped it over her.
Lin Yu sat at the counter, watching the gentle rise and fall of Eula's back. He thought to himself that even without customers, watching a beautiful woman sleep was a rather pleasant way to pass the time.
However, it wasn't long before troublemakers burst in.
"Are you the owner of this shop?"
Four adult men had entered.
The man in the lead stared haughtily at Lin Yu as he asked.
"I am."
"Ten thousand Mora an hour? Why don't you just rob people?"
Duke glanced at the price list, one eyebrow raised.
"My prices are clearly marked. If you can't afford it, then get lost."
Lin Yu could tell these men were here to stir up trouble, so he didn't bother with pleasantries.
Hearing this, Duke's face instantly darkened.
SLAM!
He slammed his hand hard on the table.
"There's never been anyone like you in Mondstadt. Spit it out, what are your real intentions for coming here!?"
However,
the sudden noise startled the sleeping Eula awake.
Eula forced her eyes open and saw a familiar figure standing before her.
"Duke...?"
It was because of this man that she had been blocked from entering the Knights' headquarters and subjected to a barrage of insults.
Her head, which had been heavy and dull, cleared in an instant.
"Duke, what are you doing here!"
Eula remembered ending up in what she thought was a new tavern and falling asleep after a glass of juice.
The kind owner had even given her a blanket.
Now, seeing Duke yelling at that same owner, Eula was not about to stand by and do nothing.
"Well, well, if it isn't the traitor of the Lawrence clan!"
"Since you're here too, the evidence is conclusive."
"This shopkeeper must be colluding with the old Lawrence aristocrats, plotting a rebellion against Mondstadt!"
Eula's expression turned icy.
She set the blanket aside and fixed her gaze on Duke.
"Don't you spout nonsense. I have no connection to this shopkeeper. You will not slander an innocent man!"
"That's what someone with a connection would say... Otherwise, how do you explain being here, all alone in this shop, so late at night?"
"You...!"
Duke sneered, then shot a look at his three subordinates.
"Take him!"
He wasn't ordering them to move on Eula, of course. She was still a Knight of Favonius, after all.
But this shopkeeper was a different story.
And he was Duke's real target.
Seeing that the trouble had started because of her, however, Eula could not just watch.
She immediately moved to stand in front of Lin Yu, blocking the three men.
"See? You do have a connection!"
"Arresting someone without any proof, are you even a Knight of Favonius anymore?" Eula demanded.
"Your protection is the best proof there is!"
Arguing was pointless.
The three men rushed forward, intending to subdue Eula first before getting to Lin Yu.
And yet Lin Yu, the man at the center of this farce, felt no anxiety or unease. Instead, a strange glint shone in his eyes.
I was just thinking about how to advertise.
And now, free advertising has just walked through the door.
Perhaps because Eula had just been roused from a drunken sleep, her movements were a bit unrefined, but every blow landed with solid impact. Both sides had a tacit understanding not to use their weapons.
As a result, the three men became little more than punching bags as Eula beat them senseless all by herself.
Seeing the situation turn against them, Duke drew the sword from his waist with a shing and shouted as he slashed toward Eula.
Eula's gaze hardened. She held one arm out horizontally before her.
At the same time, a greatsword of ethereal blue materialized in her hand, parrying Duke's attack.
Seeing this, the other three also drew their weapons and brought them down on Eula's claymore.
It felt somewhat like a duel, but at least it hadn't escalated to the point of bloodshed yet.
Duke and his men only wanted to push Eula back; they had no intention of actually harming her.
This was Mondstadt, after all. Letting things get out of hand would be bad for everyone.
Of course, this was by no means a fair fight.
Facing the pressure of four opponents, Eula began to struggle.
The blade of her greatsword was already being pushed back toward her chest. If she didn't yield, she was likely to be injured.
"If you don't back down, don't blame us for getting rough!" Duke threatened.
However,
Eula's expression turned completely frigid.
A white glint seemed to flicker within her pale golden eyes.
The temperature in the room suddenly dropped several degrees.
A layer of hard frost coated the blade of her greatsword.
Voom!
A blast of Cryo energy erupted, instantly knocking the four men back, their bodies covered in a layer of rime.
Eula held her greatsword with one hand, her gaze cold as she stared them down.
The four men shivered. They scrambled to pick up their fallen swords, and seeing Eula in this state, a seed of fear took root in their hearts. Without another word, they turned and fled.
Outside, the commotion had drawn a small crowd of onlookers.
They pointed at Eula, whispering amongst themselves.
Eula had long since learned to ignore such things.
However, because she had used her elemental power, a nearby table had been knocked over.
Lin Yu walked over and picked up the mobile phone from the floor.
Unfortunately, the screen was shattered.
"I'm sorry, Shopkeeper. I'll compensate you for it."
Seeing the damage, Eula came over and apologized sincerely.
She then helped Lin Yu right the table and wipe the dust off it.
Watching her work with such skilled diligence, Lin Yu had a sudden thought.
His shop was, in fact, in desperate need of a waitress.