Paimon burst through the door of Galehaven Comics, her voice full of excitement. "Boss Harlan, we're back!"
Wendy followed Lumine and Paimon, his bardic eyes looking over the shop's modern decorations with quiet surprise. The sleek shelves, comfortable sofas, and bright wall portraits seemed very different from Mondstadt's usual rustic style.
As Barbatos, his divine senses tingled—a subtle, strong force hummed within these walls, hinting at hidden power. He thought that troublemakers here might quickly face their end, though he himself had no such intentions.
Harlan sipped his tea, his smile calm as he greeted them. "Welcome back, and hello to our new guest."
Lumine stepped forward, curiosity in her eyes. "Boss, we saw Barbara leaving with a fluffy white creature—was that a comic reward?"
Paimon nodded eagerly, her hands clasped. "Yeah, it was so cute—no girl could resist something that adorable!"
Harlan put his cup down, his voice steady. "That was Snowballmon, an infant Digimon Barbara got from reading Digimon: First Frontier." He explained it casually, knowing that interested customers were more likely to return for more.
"Digimon: First Frontier?" Lumine repeated, her voice rising with interest at the new title's arrival.
Paimon's eyes sparkled, her excitement overflowing. "A new comic in just half a day—I need to see it now!" Their eagerness faded as they remembered Harlan's rule—one book a day—making them sigh at the same time.
Paimon darted to Harlan, her face pleading. "Boss, I brought you a new customer—can't you bend the rules so we can read more?"
Lumine nodded quickly, adding, "The stories are too good to limit—please, just this once?"
Harlan pinched Paimon's cheek, his refusal firm. "No exceptions—that's the system's rule." He would love for them to stay daily, gaining more rewards, but the rules bound him as strictly as they did his guests.
Paimon pouted, her expression sour, though the softness of her cheek amused him as he turned to Wendy.
"Welcome, Mondstadt's finest bard, Wendy," Harlan said, meeting the green-clad figure's watchful stare. He had noticed Wendy's scrutiny but didn't mind it—within Galehaven Comics, he was safe.
Wendy offered a warm grin, his voice light. "I've heard your comics are a treat, so I thought I'd drop in." Beneath his relaxed manner, doubt swirled—Harlan showed no elemental traces, appearing to be just an ordinary man. Yet, this shop's miracles defied that appearance, suggesting a strength beyond even a wind god's grasp.
Harlan gestured to the shelves. "We've got One Piece: East Sea Saga, Cardcaptor Sakura's Magic, and Digimon: First Frontier—100,000 Mora per read, once a day." Repeating the explanation for every new person was becoming tiresome, making him briefly think of a sign or a helper.
Wendy's jaw dropped, his voice cracking. "A hundred thousand Mora—just for one read?!" Paimon hadn't mentioned the price in the square, leaving him shocked by the high cost.
"It's a problem now," he groaned, rubbing his temples as the reality set in. True, 100,000 Mora for an unknown reward wasn't unreasonable—Lumine's wind powers proved its value. But as Barbatos, Wendy's pockets were always empty, his bard earnings spent on tavern visits.
Leaving empty-handed would sting, though—the appeal of the comics pulled at his storyteller's soul. And then there was the Gourmet Tablecloth, a prize Paimon had dangled like a golden apple in front of him. If he got that, meals and drinks would flow freely—no more struggling for Mora at Angel's Share. By that logic, 100,000 Mora was a bargain, a one-time cost for a lifetime of abundance.
"Am I really going to busk my way to this?" Wendy wondered, his hand on his chin in mock despair.
Lumine tilted her head, watching his dramatic display with a faint smile, sensing a story forming from his hesitation.