"There's actually nothing complicated about it I'll tell you," Liben said with a hearty laugh. "Here's the thing. As everyone knows, Sumeru is either rainforest or desert. Apart from mushrooms, they're short on just about everything else. So, do you follow, young friend?"
Ji An: "...Not really."
Liben smiled smugly. "Naturally, it's about sourcing ordinary goods from other regions, selling them in Sumeru at a markup, then buying their rare local goods cheaply and bringing them back to sell elsewhere. Business is all about profiting from the difference in prices, after all."
Ji An said sincerely, "Then I wish you every success, Brother Liben."
"Young friend, those are pleasant words to hear."
Liben thought for a moment, then leaned in with a conspiratorial air. "Well, I was planning to keep this particular item for myself but since we get along so well, I'd be willing to let it go to you at a good price."
Ji An couldn't help but laugh. "Brother Liben, are you trying to do business with me now? If you need money, just say so. Between brothers, who's keeping count?"
"No, no — business is business."
Unexpectedly, Liben shook his head with great conviction. "It's precisely because we get along that I must hold to my principles even more strictly. That's the only way a friendship lasts."
Ji An paused, then nodded slowly. "Brother Liben is a wise man. Alright then — bring out this rare item and let me have a look."
Liben reached into his bamboo basket and produced a silver hourglass.
It looked very old. The surface was worn and cracked in several places, and Ji An could sense no particular energy coming from it whatsoever.
By all appearances, it was an ordinary object.
He didn't say so immediately, though. He knew well enough that Liben was not the type to act without reason. If he'd brought this out, there was likely something to it.
"Young friend, I heard you're planning to head to Mondstadt next?"
Liben looked at him, setting aside the hourglass for the moment.
Ji An was surprised. "How did Brother Liben find out?"
Only a handful of people knew about that.
Liben laughed. "I stopped by to see Seymour before coming here."
Ji An broke into a light sweat. He hadn't realized those two had become acquainted — let alone that Seymour would go and tell him everything.
Seymour, you big mouth.
Though, thinking about it, it made sense. Liben was planning to do business in Sumeru, and Seymour, being from the Akademiya, would be exactly the right person to consult. And given the personalities of the two of them, they had probably hit it off immediately.
Since Liben already knew, there was no point hiding it. Ji An nodded.
"Young friend, do you know who actually governs Mondstadt at present?"
He had just been hearing about Mondstadt's history from Seymour, so of course he knew.
"The Knights of Favonius, isn't it?"
"Correct!"
Liben gave a thumbs-up, then held up the silver hourglass. "Then do you know who made this?"
He leaned back with a satisfied expression. "According to the merchant who sold it to me when I was doing business in Mondstadt — this hourglass was personally crafted, five hundred years ago, by the Deputy Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius at the time. A man known as 'Boreas's Pup' Rostein. His most cherished possession."
"Five hundred years ago..."
Ji An was a little at a loss for words. On this trip to Mondstadt, he might well need the goodwill of the ruling organization — but what use was a token from a deputy grand master who had been dead for five centuries? His ashes would be long gone by now.
He was beginning to suspect Liben had simply been swindled by the merchant.
"Don't make that face, young friend."
Liben looked at him with the expression of someone watching a person fail to recognize treasure. "Do you know who created the Favonius Bladework that has been passed down to the present day?"
"Since you're asking like that, it must have been this Boreas's Pup, Rostein."
Ji An smiled and shook his head.
"Exactly!"
Liben straightened up. "Don't underestimate this hourglass. It's said that Rostein had a habit of crafting these hourglasses by hand and gifting them only to those he truly acknowledged. In his entire lifetime, he only gave out two. One went to a maiden who once sang in Mondstadt's plaza."
He said, with great seriousness, "And the other — he gave to his childhood friend, the Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius at the time. The one called the 'Lion of Light' — Arundolyn."
"When I bought this hourglass, I paid extra to have a serving Knight of Favonius verify it. They confirmed that a similar hourglass is kept in a room at the Knights' headquarters to this day — a relic left by the Lion of Light himself."
Ji An began to understand. "You mean — the Knights of Favonius may have a tradition of preserving relics connected to those legendary figures. If I were to present this hourglass as a gift, it might earn me their goodwill."
"Exactly! You catch on fast, young friend!"
Another thumbs-up from Liben.
"Brother Liben... thank you."
Ji An was genuinely moved. By this point it was obvious — Liben had heard about his situation and, worried he might face difficulties in Mondstadt, had brought out this rare item on his behalf. Otherwise, something of this value could have been sold to anyone. Why let it go cheap to Ji An?
"I was planning to sell this hourglass for 800,000 Mora," Liben said, "but for you, I'd let it go for 100,000."
"I'll take it," Ji An said. "But I won't take advantage of you, Brother Liben. Let's call it 800,000."
He smiled wryly. "I couldn't afford much more than that anyway. The reward from the Jade Chamber is nearly spent."
When he had first received that million Mora, it had seemed like an enormous sum.
It had not lasted nearly as long as he had expected.
Why does a single Tiger Fish cost 380 Mora? Why does a plate of Stir-Fried Pork Slices cost 900?
What kind of city was this?
The table of food they had just ordered had come to nearly 10,000 Mora on its own.
Liben laughed. "Haha — straightforward as ever, young friend. But I really can't sell it at full price. Let's split the difference — 500,000."
"Deal."
Ji An nodded without hesitation and counted out the Mora.
Liben pocketed it and handed over the hourglass. "Then it's yours, young friend."
The moment Ji An's fingers closed around it, he went still.
Liben noticed his expression and frowned slightly. "Young friend? Is something wrong?"
"Oh — no, I'm fine."
Ji An came back to himself and smiled.
They talked for a little while longer, then Liben took his leave.
Ji An saw him to the door, then returned to his room and turned the silver hourglass slowly in his hands.
"Another unusual item..."
He turned over the system prompt that had sounded the moment he first touched it.
[Obtained simulated item from the 'River of Time'. Corresponding geographical conditions not met — related data not loaded...]
A thoughtful look settled over Ji An's face.
Who would be involved this time?
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