"Wow… the real Inazuma City is huge."
Hovering in the air, Akira Shindo looked down at the city below. The main city of Inazuma was far larger than it appeared in the game.
He slowly descended.
Today he planned to simply wander around the city with nothing particular in mind.
Because of the Sakoku Decree, however, Inazuma City wasn't nearly as bustling as he had imagined. The streets were relatively quiet, with far fewer people walking around.
"Tch… the Sakoku Decree."
Akira Shindo clicked his tongue.
No matter the era or the nation, isolationist policies were almost always a terrible decision.
Closing a nation off from the outside world only made its people ignorant and stifled economic growth. Aside from that, it offered no real benefits.
Fortunately, Teyvat was a world ruled by gods. Even in the worst situations, a god could still step in to stabilize things.
Even so, a Resistance Army had already risen in rebellion against the Electro Archon's flawed policies.
And the Raiden Shogun, manipulated by the Tenryou Commission and Kanjou Commission, was still immersed in the illusion that Inazuma remained perfectly stable.
Wandering aimlessly through the city, Akira Shindo suddenly noticed a small food stall.
A sign hung above it:
Dango Milk
"Dango Milk?"
Akira Shindo immediately walked over.
That was one of Raiden Ei's favorite desserts.
Coming to Teyvat without tasting the foods that appeared in the game would be a huge regret.
"What would you like, sir?"
Seeing a customer approach, Tomoki hurried to greet him.
Ever since the Sakoku Decree was enacted, people had much less money to spare. Most could barely cover daily necessities, let alone buy sweets.
A customer like this was rare.
"One cup of Dango Milk," Akira Shindo said, pointing to the sign.
"And a serving of Takoyaki."
"Right away!" Tomoki got to work immediately.
"You've got good taste," he said while preparing the food. "Dango Milk is a new combination I invented."
"The dango are made extra soft and sticky so they blend perfectly with the milk."
"It's not just about flavor—it's also about the unique texture."
"That does sound interesting," Akira Shindo nodded.
It sounded a lot like chewy mochi in milk tea.
"Here you go. Enjoy."
Soon the Takoyaki and Dango Milk were ready and handed over.
"How much?" Akira Shindo asked.
"Takoyaki is 150 Mora, Dango Milk is 160 Mora. That'll be 310 Mora."
"Alright, one moment."
Akira Shindo nodded and instinctively reached for his pocket—
Then paused.
The Chief Divine Priest's robe didn't even have pockets.
Only then did he realize something.
He hadn't taken his salary from Miko yet.
…So was he really going to start charging expenses to the shrine on his very first day?
He frowned.
Back in his previous life he would never leave home without money. How had he forgotten now?
Seeing Akira Shindo hesitate, Tomoki's expression grew slightly wary.
This well-dressed guy wasn't going to say he had no Mora, was he?
"…."
Sensing the suspicion, Akira Shindo sighed.
His hand moved toward the Divine Priest's token at his waist.
He was about to reveal his identity and put the bill on the shrine's account—
When suddenly a bright, energetic voice sounded behind him.
"Tomoki! One serving of Takoyaki!"
Akira Shindo turned around.
A cheerful girl wearing a short orange-red kimono with bandages wrapped around her arms stood there.
Yoimiya.
Akira Shindo felt a spark of excitement.
The Queen of Pyro DPS, the lively and lovable fireworks girl.
"Hmm? You forgot your Mora?"
Yoimiya instantly sensed the awkward atmosphere. She was clever enough to figure out what had happened right away.
"Uh…" Akira Shindo sighed.
"I left in a hurry and forgot to bring any."
"Oh, that happens," Yoimiya said after thinking for a moment.
She turned to Tomoki.
"How much is it?"
"310 Mora."
"That's not much," Yoimiya said with a smile as she pulled out 460 Mora.
"I'll cover it for him."
"People forget things sometimes. It's no big deal."
"Actually, you don't have to—" Akira Shindo started to refuse.
But Yoimiya cut him off.
"It's fine! Really, it's not much."
She handed the Mora over.
"And that includes my Takoyaki."
"Got it," Tomoki said, accepting the payment without further question.
"…."
Akira Shindo sighed inwardly.
He released his grip on the Divine Priest's token.
"Thank you very much."
"No problem!" Yoimiya waved casually.
Akira Shindo nodded and walked to a bench beneath a nearby cherry blossom tree.
Well…
That was embarrassing.
Meeting Yoimiya for the first time and already losing face.
He took a sip of the Dango Milk.
His eyes immediately lit up.
It was delicious.
Teyvat didn't use artificial additives—everything was made with natural ingredients. The rich sweetness of the milk combined with the chewy dango created a wonderful texture.
For someone like Akira Shindo who loved sweets, it was irresistible.
While he was enjoying his drink, someone suddenly sat down beside him.
It was Yoimiya, carrying her Takoyaki.
"Thanks again for earlier," Akira Shindo said.
"It's nothing," Yoimiya replied casually.
"Everyone forgets things sometimes. I forget stuff all the time too."
"By the way… are you a traveler from another country?"
She looked at him curiously.
Yoimiya knew most of the residents of Inazuma City, and she was certain she had never seen such a handsome guy before.
"Hmm… not anymore," Akira Shindo said.
"I suppose I used to be. I only settled in Inazuma a couple of days ago."
"Ah, that explains it," Yoimiya nodded.
"I knew I hadn't seen you before."
"But moving to Inazuma after the Sakoku Decree… that's impressive."
"Oh! I almost forgot—my name is Naganohara Yoimiya."
"What's yours?"
Yoimiya loved making friends and looked at him expectantly.
"Akira Shindo."
"Akira Shindo! Nice to meet you!" Yoimiya said brightly, extending her hand.
Akira Shindo shook it gently.
Looking at the lively girl in front of him, he felt slightly complicated inside.
He really liked Yoimiya.
Back in his previous life, when her banner first came out, he had immediately spent money to max her constellation.
Many people said Yoimiya was the perfect girlfriend type—beautiful, gentle, and thoughtful.
Now that he had met her in person, Akira Shindo realized girls like Yoimiya truly existed.
Her personality was practically perfect.
"Oh right," Yoimiya suddenly asked.
"Akira Shindo, where do you work?"
She didn't know why, but she felt a strong urge to get to know him better.
"At the Grand Narukami Shrine," Akira Shindo replied honestly.
"Oh, the Grand Narukami Shrine—"
Yoimiya nodded instinctively.
Then suddenly froze.
She stared at Akira Shindo in shock.
"…Wait."
"The Grand Narukami Shrine is full of women."
"Akira Shindo… you…"
She looked him up and down carefully, as if trying to see whether he might actually be a woman disguised as a man.
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