In the Doctor's mind, this so-called "reading manga to gain rewards" had always been just an excuse.
Signora, he thought, had failed to obtain the Anemo Archon's Gnosis— so she invented this bizarre story to stall for time.
And after seeing the so-called "rewards" before— a frilly red dress for a man, for instance— he'd been certain it was all nonsense.
After all, what kind of respectable establishment would reward a man with women's clothing?
But now, from what he'd just witnessed…
It seemed the rewards might actually be real.
Which meant everything in Signora's letter to the Tsaritsa was true.
This manga shop truly was… extraordinary.
"There are so many people in here. I'll just keep watching. I'll see for myself soon enough."
The Doctor muttered under his breath.
The arrogance in his expression faded slightly, replaced by a hint of respect.
For the first time, he regarded the manga shop seriously.
At the counter—
"Boss Han, my reward this time is a speed-type one?!"
Amber was practically bouncing with excitement.
She'd just tested it—her running speed was insane.
"Yup," Han Feng chuckled.
"It's the ability of Jerry the mouse.
When you're in danger, your instincts will kick in—your speed will go up even more."
Amber's reward was somewhat similar to Keqing's.
Keqing's ability had come from Tom Cat, though it was a bit more… complicated.
(With a tiny side effect.)
Amber's came from Jerry the Mouse— pure, straightforward speed, no drawbacks.
"It can trigger my instincts too?!"
Amber's eyes lit up.
That meant if she was ever in danger, she'd be even faster.
Perfect for her role as an Outrider.
Her two rewards so far were both incredibly fitting— one that let her fly, another that let her run faster than anyone else.
With these combined, Amber was certain that no one could ever catch her again.
She'd become the ultimate scouting knight of Mondstadt!
As Amber beamed with satisfaction, Yanfei came jogging over.
"Boss Han! I've finished my manga too!"
She had been reading Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions.
It wasn't very long, so she finished it quickly even though she'd come later.
"So, do you know what 'Chuunibyou' means now~?"
Han Feng grinned teasingly.
"I… do."
Yanfei's face twitched.
At first, she'd thought it was an actual illness.
She'd even wondered—if these people are sick, why are they falling in love instead of getting treatment?
How strong-willed could they be?!
Only after reading did she realize it wasn't a disease at all… at least not physically.
The "Dark Flame Master," "Wielder of the Evil Eye," "Mori Summer," "Thunderbolt Hammer Maiden," "Darkness Devourer"— those grandiose titles still echoed in her head.
Yanfei rubbed her nose awkwardly.
Good thing it was just a manga— because she couldn't imagine anyone in real life acting like that.
Wouldn't they just die of embarrassment?
"By the way, Boss Han, you said there were two customers here like that, right?
Who are they exactly?"
Han Feng smiled mysteriously.
"The 'Wielder of the Evil Eye,' the princess from the Netherworld—Fischl!
And the 'Crimson Flame Witch who devours the world'—Signora!"
Yanfei: "…"
Amber blinked.
She knew both of them.
One was Fischl, an Adventurers' Guild member who always claimed to hail from some 'Netherworld Kingdom.'
Amber had even fought alongside her before.
And the other—Signora— was that very same Fatui Harbinger standing over there!
Hiss…!
So she was a chuunibyou too?!
That was… enlightening.
Yanfei's lips twitched.
For some reason, she felt Boss Han himself was being a bit chuunibyou right now too.
Han Feng chuckled and glanced at the system panel.
A new message appeared:
[Customer Yanfei has finished reading Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions. Reward granted: One Bicycle.]
Buzz—!
A golden light flashed beside Yanfei.
When it faded, a pink women's bicycle stood at her side.
"Huh? Boss Han, what's this? It looks kinda like… a cart?"
Yanfei asked curiously.
Liyue had horse-drawn carriages, of course, but this was something else entirely— though she had seen similar things in the manga.
"It's called a bicycle," Han Feng explained.
"It's a vehicle that lets you travel faster—powered by your own legs."
In romance stories and dramas, bicycles appeared constantly.
So he wasn't surprised this one popped up as a reward.
He half-expected things like phones, mahjong sets, or playing cards to show up eventually.
"A transportation tool, huh? How do I use it?"
Yanfei tilted her head, her crimson eyes gleaming with curiosity.
She already had a bamboo-copter (another reward).
Now she had a land vehicle too!
If she could just get something for sea travel next, she'd have air, land, and water all covered!
"Just sit on it, pedal with your feet, and steer with the handlebars."
Han Feng gave her a quick rundown.
It was simpler than the motorcycle Signora got, so he figured Yanfei would get the hang of it quickly.
Then again… some people never learned to ride one, no matter how simple it looked.
Luckily, Yanfei was smart.
She understood immediately— but since the shop wasn't exactly spacious, she'd wait until she was back in Liyue to try it.
Leaving the pink bike by the counter, Yanfei and Amber went back to chat with Eula and Xiangling.
Just then, two new guests entered from outside— Diluc and Kaeya.
"Boss Han, your place has changed quite a bit, huh?"
Kaeya said with a casual smile, glancing around.
"Boss, got any manga left?"
Diluc asked directly.
He wasn't here to socialize— he wanted another strong reward.
Today, he'd make sure to get something powerful.
"There are two left—on that shelf over there."
Han Feng pointed.
Diluc nodded, dropped 100,000 Mora on the counter, and walked to the shelf.
"Hmm? Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions and Tom and Jerry?"
He frowned slightly.
Neither of these sounded… particularly manly.
Not like One Piece — East Blue Arc, for example.
Now that was a manga for real men.
"Boss Han, are these the only two?"
"For now, yes. If you want others, you'll have to wait."
Han Feng nodded.
"What's wrong, my dear brother?"
Kaeya teased, walking over after dropping his own Mora.
"If you can't decide, let me pick first."
"Oh? Tom and Jerry—this looks fun. I'll read this one."
Just as he reached for the book, Diluc smoothly snatched it from his hand and replaced it with Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions.
Kaeya: "(⊙_⊙) …what?"
What kind of move was that?!
"Ahem. Trust me," Diluc said seriously.
"This one's what real men should be reading.
It suits you perfectly."
In truth, he just didn't want to be the one reading the romance manga.
If Kaeya took Tom and Jerry, he'd be stuck with it himself—no way.
So… he'd just have to "sacrifice" Kaeya instead.
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