As Aether and Dainsleif approached the counter, Han Feng glanced at the system panel.
The latest notifications appeared.
Customer Aether has finished reading Dragon Ball.
Reward: Dragon Ball.
Dragon Ball: A miraculous artifact from Dragon Ball. Gather all seven to summon Shenron and have a wish granted.
Customer Dainsleif has finished reading B-Robo Kabutack.
Reward: Flying Dragonfly.
Flying Dragonfly: A special tool used by Captain Dragonfly. It projects laser fence pillars.
Note: Designed exclusively for competitions. Anyone enclosed within the barrier cannot leave until a winner has been decided.
"As expected..."
"My brother-in-law really did draw a Dragon Ball."
Han Feng nodded slightly.
That meant...
There were now three Dragon Balls in Teyvat.
One belonged to Kamisato Ayaka in Inazuma.
One was in Barbara's possession in Mondstadt.
And the third...
Was now in Aether's hands.
"Now all three nations have one."
"Liyue can't fall behind."
Han Feng smiled to himself.
Buzz—
Buzz—
Two beams of brilliant light descended, enveloping Aether and Dainsleif.
Moments later...
The light faded.
A yellow sphere appeared in Aether's hands.
Embedded within it...
Were three red stars.
Meanwhile...
A card appeared in Dainsleif's hand.
Printed upon it...
Was the image of Captain Dragonfly's equipment.
"I... I actually got a Dragon Ball?!"
Aether stared at the object in disbelief.
It wasn't that he doubted its authenticity.
Rather...
He couldn't believe his own luck.
This was only his third visit to the shop.
The first reward had been...
That ridiculous lightning-themed makeover.
The second...
The Puppet Strings.
Useful...
Yet somehow not particularly useful.
But this time...
His luck had exploded.
He'd actually obtained a Dragon Ball!
If he could gather six more...
He could summon Shenron!
No wonder it all felt so unreal.
"You should keep it safe."
Dainsleif looked at the Dragon Ball and reminded him seriously.
"Even if you never gather all seven..."
"It still possesses immense value as a bargaining chip."
Summoning Shenron required all seven.
Every single Dragon Ball was priceless.
Simply possessing one...
Was already a powerful negotiating asset.
Who knew what unimaginable benefits it might eventually be exchanged for?
"I know."
Aether nodded.
He understood perfectly.
"Oh, right."
"What reward did your card turn into?"
After carefully storing away the Dragon Ball, Aether turned toward Dainsleif.
"I'm not sure."
"It looks similar to one of Captain Dragonfly's tools."
Dainsleif examined the card thoughtfully.
Captain Dragonfly had a very strong presence throughout B-Robo Kabutack.
He appeared in nearly every competition.
Naturally...
Dainsleif remembered him quite well.
"...Captain Dragonfly?"
Aether looked completely puzzled.
"What exactly is that?"
"That's correct."
Han Feng explained.
"It is indeed Captain Dragonfly's equipment."
"It's called the Flying Dragonfly."
"It creates laser fence pillars that surround the competitors."
"It's specifically designed for official matches."
"Anyone trapped inside the barrier..."
"Cannot leave until a victor has been determined."
"I see..."
Aether stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"So it's basically a tool that forces both sides to finish a duel."
"That's actually pretty interesting."
"If it didn't have that competition-only restriction..."
"It would've been a very useful restraint device."
"What a pity."
Dainsleif shared the same opinion.
The item wasn't particularly useful for him.
He had no interest in becoming a referee.
It would be better to give it to someone who could actually use it.
For example...
The Knights of Favonius.
When dealing with disputes inside and outside Mondstadt...
Such equipment might prove valuable.
Selling it to them...
Could also earn some much-needed Mora.
Otherwise...
Funding his gradual corruption of the Abyss Order would become increasingly difficult.
With that thought, Dainsleif bid Han Feng farewell before turning to Aether.
"Come with me."
"Let's visit the Knights of Favonius."
"Oh... sure."
Although Aether had no idea why they were going there...
He still nodded.
Soon...
The two of them departed together.
Leaving only a handful of ordinary customers inside the shop.
"When these customers finish..."
"We'll close temporarily."
Han Feng looked around the shop before speaking to Noelle beside him.
"It should be about lunchtime by then."
"We can take a short break."
"Understood, Boss."
Noelle nodded obediently.
Meanwhile...
Inazuma — Tenshukaku
Inside one of the kitchens...
A figure dressed in purple was busily at work.
Every now and then...
The sounds of pots and bowls shattering echoed throughout the room.
Fortunately...
No one else was nearby.
Otherwise...
Someone would certainly have rushed in to investigate.
Which clumsy fool dared make such a mess inside Tenshukaku?
Inside the kitchen...
Raiden Ei looked dejectedly at the broken utensils scattered across the floor.
"...Cooking is so difficult."
After inviting Yae Miko over for dinner...
She had hurried back to Tenshukaku and immediately started cooking.
No matter what...
She absolutely couldn't allow that mischievous fox to laugh at her again.
Now that she possessed the Delicious Seasoning...
Preparing delicious food should have been effortless.
At least...
That had been the fantasy.
Reality...
Was merciless.
She hadn't managed to produce a single tasty dish yet.
Instead...
She'd broken countless cooking utensils.
Even the Electro Archon...
Found herself completely at a loss.
"It's not difficult."
"It's simply because you're bad at it."
Inside the Plane of Euthymia...
The Raiden Shogun commented expressionlessly.
Ei immediately became annoyed.
"Then why don't you come out and cook?"
Ever since she'd started...
The puppet had been criticizing her nonstop.
Ei had never realized before...
That the Shogun could actually talk this much.
"If you're so capable..."
"Come do it yourself."
"Anyone can stand there making comments."
The Raiden Shogun answered with complete seriousness.
"As a diner evaluating a chef..."
"Why would I need to cook personally?"
"Besides..."
"I've already planted the Delicious Radishes."
"When the time comes..."
"We can simply eat them directly."
"Why go through all this unnecessary trouble?"
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