Judging the direction of the currents and navigating by the stars is basically Mona's specialty as an astrologist with a Vision.
Her control and sense over the Water Element had already been tested when she first arrived. Compared to when she was in Teyvat, her elemental affinity here is even higher, so reading the currents' direction and changes is no problem at all.
The same goes for the winds. Even though Hydro Vision–user Mona can't manipulate every gust of wind, she has Elemental Sight and can literally "see" them.
Those are her natural advantages.
Maybe Mona can't immediately apply all of this directly to sailing yet, but she's sure that with some study, it won't be hard to adapt them.
As for charting position by the stars, that goes without saying. That's what Mona, the astrologist, is best at.
Even if the world is different and the sky above her head has changed, for someone with Mona's foundation, it won't be difficult to learn at all.
The astrological arts needed for sailing are the very basics for an astrologist.
All in all, the Navigator role is practically tailor‑made for Mona.
At that thought, Mona can't help getting excited, though she doesn't show it outright. She presses down the brim of her witch's hat and murmurs, "A Navigator, huh? It's not exactly my field, but there's a lot of overlap. As long as I study up a bit, I can apply it to sailing."
"No worries," Arion has also realized how well Mona's abilities can be used for sailing, but since it's her first time applying them this way, it's only natural she'll need to learn.
"Besides that, there's the matter of pay… We've got room and board covered, but you still have to spell out the salary."
"Of course," Arion thinks for a moment. "Let's say five hundred thousand Belly a month. But during your internship, you'll only get half. Once you're official, there'll be a monthly bonus on top. How does that sound?"
"F‑five hundred thousand Belly!" Mona's eyes go wide. Now that she has a rough idea of what Belly is worth here, it's hard not to be shocked at how generous Arion is.
"Hm? Is that a lot?"
Arion is a bit puzzled. Belly here is basically pegged to yen, so five hundred thousand Belly is only about 230,000 in his old world's terms—roughly what a top‑tier sailor would make.
And if he converts Mona's old world currency, Mora, roughly one to a hundred, then five hundred thousand Belly is only about twenty‑three hundred thousand Mora.
But Mona is loaded. Her life might be spartan—always short on food and rent—but a single book tossed casually on a chair costs 990,000 Mora.
And her house is full of books like that.
Some UP master even counted it: if you value every book at a minimum of 990,000 Mora, Mona's library alone is worth over 400 million.
And that's just the books, not even counting her expensive astrological equipment.
So for someone that rich to be stunned by five hundred thousand Belly a month really is weird.
Or maybe Mona just doesn't actually understand Belly's value here?
Probably the latter.
She's only just arrived in this world, and Assistant clearly didn't fully walk her through the cost of living, which probably led to Mona's misunderstanding.
"Ahem, it's nothing," Mona realizes she's lost her composure and quickly covers her excitement. "It's a little low, but since you helped me, I'll let it slide."
Five hundred thousand Belly a month… if she converted that into big eel rice bowls, that'd be around five hundred servings, right?
And a bowl of eel rice like that would cost at least five thousand Mora in Teyvat.
Based on the purchasing power, that's about two million three hundred thousand Mora a month.
That's way more than she ever got from writing fees for the Steambird.
Mona remembers that her most expensive ancient book—the relic she dug out that cost her 990,000 Mora—took more than a month's worth of writing fees.
But as a Navigator here, she could earn that in a single month.
Mona briefly sinks into a sweet daydream. Of course, it's not all about the Belly; for an astrologist, a simple life helps in seeing the truth of the world, while too much wealth clouds the eyes.
Her life doesn't need much money, but her work does.
Astrological texts and equipment aren't going to sprout like mushrooms out of thin air. She still has to buy them.
Knowledge is money—that's not wrong at all.
"Oh right, the books and instruments I'll need to learn proper sailing—those are on you, right?"
"Of course it's on me. How could I make you pay?" Arion finally drags his gaze away from Mona's happily bouncing black‑stockinged thighs.
"But it's pretty late today, so let's get some rest first. Tomorrow I'll take you out and get you some professional books and some clothes… Your current outfit's a bit too scandalous."
"I know," Mona's cheeks flush as she subconsciously pulls her shirt tighter around herself and squeezes her legs together.
The small movement draws Arion's eyes again. Those full, solid black‑stockinged thighs are really something. Tomorrow in town, he'll have to see if they sell this kind of black tights and pick up a few pairs for 2B.
"This outfit's something I only wear at home when I'm experimenting. It helps me better sense elemental power… No one walks around outside dressed like this."
"You can dress like this aboard the ship."
Arion's words earn him a weird look from Mona, and he realizes how that sounded. He quickly corrects himself. "I mean in your room. Whatever you wear in your own room is your call."
"Of course I know that," Mona mutters, and she can't help wondering if it's just her imagination that he's looked at her legs several times already.
Mona tugs at the hem of the shirt, trying to hide her black‑stockinged thighs.
But the shirt is only so long. Even if she tore the hem to shreds, it wouldn't help.
"When 2B's done with her bath, go with her and see if there's a skirt you can make do with. Just grab something to throw on."
"Your build is a lot slighter than 2B's, but if it's a skirt, a few pins should make it work. Just make do for now."
"That's all I can do," Mona sighs. Wearing a men's oversized dress shirt over super‑sexy stockings is just too weird a combo.
"And have you eaten yet? We've got some dried eel aboard. Steam it and drizzle soy sauce on top and it's pretty good."
Speaking of eel, after nearly a month in that fishing village, they ate the stuff almost every day. He was sick of it.
If it weren't for the fishermen stuffing it into his hands when they went to sea, he wouldn't have brought any.
"I ate already. Assistant gave me some earlier. I'm stuffed."
"As long as you're full." Arion feels a tug at his fishing rod, the tip dipping suddenly. He jerks it up hard… only to find a clean‑picked hook.
He shrugs, baits the hook again, and casts back out.
He waits awhile, until 2B comes over, still toweling off her damp hair, and has her take Mona below to pick out a skirt she can get by in.
Arion keeps fishing and ends up with nothing.
The fish hugging this town's shoreline are just too damned smart to catch.