"Wow, Eula's having such a rough time! She's been frozen over ten times already. Good thing you didn't participate, Lumine."
Paimon stared at the massive block of ice on the battlefield and let out a long sigh of relief. She hadn't expected this big wolf to be so powerful. If not for Amber helping to thaw her out, Eula would have spent ages just getting free from that ice.
Su Bai hadn't been idle during this time either. He'd taken Razor to find some sturdy vines in Wolvendom and tied up Hopkins and the hunters nice and tight. Causing trouble in Wolvendom was one thing, but attacking a Knight of Favonius was a serious matter—enough to land them in jail for a few days.
"Don't just focus on Eula. Diluc isn't having an easy time either. He's been knocked flying by that sword over twenty times already."
Su Bai brushed some leaves off his clothes. Just while he was tying up those hunters, Diluc had been sent flying that many times. Who knows how much he'd suffered while Su Bai was out looking for vines.
Hearing this, everyone suddenly remembered Diluc was also undergoing a trial. An awkward look crossed their faces—Eula's battle with Boreas had been so thrilling they'd completely forgotten about him.
When they turned their attention to Diluc, his appearance startled them. His once smooth red hair had somehow transformed into a bird's nest, and his expensive clothes had become cutting-edge fashion—torn into strips.
Those black pants Diluc always wore had it the worst. After years of loyal service, they never expected to become beggars' attire. Those two gaping holes at the knees were beyond any repair.
Even Eula, locked in combat with Boreas, glanced sideways at Diluc. His disheveled state shocked her so much that her movements slowed for a moment—and Boreas promptly froze her into an ice block again.
"Distraction in battle is a fatal mistake."
"As for you over there, lad, if it's truly beyond you, give up. This sword has been embedded here for many years. If it were easy to pull, someone would have taken it long ago."
Boreas's words didn't stop Diluc. He seemed obsessed, endlessly repeating the cycle: knocked flying, getting up, touching the hilt, and knocked flying again.
"Wow, his clothes are completely ruined. Looks like Master Diluc will need a new outfit."
"Lumine, do you know how to make clothes? Maybe we could earn some commission!"
When in doubt, ask the Traveler. The money-grubber Paimon immediately thought of the seemingly all-capable Lumine. Lumine's expression stiffened as she shook her head. Though this outfit held special significance, if she actually could make clothes, she wouldn't mind making several sets for changing.
"Taking advantage of my distraction to attack—I'll remember this grudge!"
"I recall my clothes cost about the same as Master Diluc's. I never expected that eight hundred thousand Mora outfit to tear so easily. But with his wealth, he probably won't mind the loss."
Eula, having freed herself from the ice, cast an envious glance. Having largely broken free from the Lawrence clan, her finances were never particularly abundant. If her clothes ended up shredded like that, she'd be heartbroken.
Eula's wealthy remarks left Paimon speechless, jaw hanging open. Having never accumulated more than a few Mora, she couldn't even imagine what eight hundred thousand looked like—let alone a set of clothes worth that much.
"It's not just Diluc. That robe Su Bai's wearing uses Liyue's finest silk. One meter costs around three hundred thousand Mora—and that's without any guarantee of availability."
"If he sold that robe, it would probably fetch around two million Mora."
As a noble, Eula's eye for quality was quite sharp. Su Bai gave her a thumbs up. The robe he wore was indeed made from top-quality silk—a birthday gift from Ningguang.
He'd barely taken out the silk, still deciding on a style, when Yae Miko crafted this Liyue robe for him. The resourceful Yae Miko even used the leftovers to make a miniature Liyue-style qipao for Klee, who was delighted for days.
"Wow, you're all so rich? I'm so jealous! Lumine and I worked hard on commissions for a whole month and only saved up ten thousand Mora. Do you have any good ways to make money?"
"Ahem, speaking of making money, I do have a few insights."
Su Bai cleared his throat. Paimon, Lumine, Amber, and Eula all focused their attention on him. Razor, living off the land year-round, didn't quite understand Mora's purpose. He only knew Bennett liked the stuff—though Bennett always refused whenever Razor tried to give him any.
"I once heard from someone well-versed in this area that making Mora isn't actually difficult."
"Just save up a hundred million Mora in the Northland Bank, and you'll get over a million in interest every year."
"Of course, there's an even simpler way. Rent out any spare rooms you have—that brings in a decent monthly income too."
"Or buy some artwork at a reasonable price and then resell it at a markup. The profit margin can be quite substantial."
Speaking of profiting from margins reminded Su Bai of his time in Inazuma. As Guji Yae's younger brother, many merchants making Raiden Shogun statues or figurines would gift him exquisite pieces.
They weren't trying to lose money—they wanted Yae Miko to praise their statues, giving them leverage to sell at higher prices.
Their little schemes didn't escape Su Bai. After he showed the statues to Yae Miko, unless they were exceptionally well-crafted, she wouldn't keep them at the Grand Narukami Shrine.
Yae Miko let Su Bai do whatever he wanted with the rejects. He'd planned to just display them at home, but then there was Kamisato Ayato.
Ayato suggested selling all those Raiden Shogun figurines to Kujou Sara. Su Bai was skeptical but gave it a try—and to his surprise, Sara bought every single one.
Though Sara agreed to the transactions, she always chose remote locations and midnight meetings. The first time, Su Bai nearly thought she was planning to rob him. As deals continued, each transaction felt less like selling figurines and more like trading contraband.
But it became a highly profitable business for Su Bai. He didn't keep the Mora—he'd sneak out at night and leave it at homes sheltering orphans or impoverished families. Small amounts, but from the heart.
Thus began Inazuma's legend of the White Fox bringing wealth. Some merchants encountering white foxes in the wild would even pray for prosperous business.