Chapter 44: Chapter 44
Takumi clicked his tongue as he counted the morning's revenue for the Mondstadt branch in its first hour of business.
This wave, as they say, proves that good wine needs no bush.
Thanks to his playful antics with Lumine on Mondstadt's main gate bridge the previous day, Amber had evidently reported the incident directly to Jean. Thus, he didn't have to put much effort into advertising the store's opening.
Amber and Kaeya's visit had attracted the attention of Captain Jean, who had also taken an Eevee home. If things went as anticipated, the other high-ranking members of the Knights of Favonius would soon follow.
In the customer group chat, six new members joined in batches, making the chat even livelier:
「Keqing: I watched the battle video, and I have to say, the level of play was unexpectedly high.」
「Hu Tao: ...If it were me now, I would never lose to them. My Gible just learned another skill!」
「Xiangling: @Hu Tao, hey hey, my Larvesta is also growing. When I get back to Liyue and draw my second Pokémon, let's have another match!」
「Hu Tao: Hmph, that's exactly what I was thinking!」
「Ningguang: @Captain Jean, it's an honor to meet you at last.」
「Jean: @Ningguang, the name Tianquan Star is famous indeed.」
「Childe: Alright, you two should stop exchanging formalities. @Mondstadt residents, anyone here draw a 'Royal Three Family' member?」
「Lisa: I got a Squirtle.」
「Takumi: Squirtle is one of the original three starters from Kanto, along with Charmander and Bulbasaur. They're the iconic seniors of the starter Pokémon lineup.」
「Childe: ...jealousy is eating me up here!」
「Takumi: @Childe, remember, you once had the chance.」
「Childe: Bowing down, I beg you, Mr. Takumi. I've deeply learned my lesson.」
「Takumi: @Ningguang @Hu Tao, you're both lucky enough to own quasi-legendary Pokémon in this group. So, who will be the next in Mondstadt to get a quasi-legendary?」
「Hu Tao: Proudly, the Gible owner here, the first quasi-legendary in all of Teyvat, with head held high.」
「Ningguang: A billion Mora, a rare shining quasi-legendary—its value is undeniable. Even if Pokémon roll in by the generation, another shiny quasi-legendary won't be easy to come by.」
「All of Mondstadt: ... (Silent admiration)」
「Rosaria: By the way, is 'Cresselia' a Pokémon?」
「Xiangling: Image share.jpg」
「Rosaria: ???」
「Jean: Legendary Pokémon, a Level 2 God…」
「Kaeya: Wow, turns out we're just half a store away from a god-like Pokémon!」
「Albedo: Oh, everyone is here? So, Cresselia is a legendary Pokémon with divine power… No wonder Mr. Takumi comes and goes like a ghost!」
「Albedo: @Mr. Takumi, I'm nearly halfway through the commissioned artwork. Give me three more days, and I'll have it completed!」
「Takumi: No rush, @Albedo. You can come directly to the Mondstadt branch to pick up your Aron.」
「Albedo: Great! Can I bring my assistant, Sucrose? @Captain Jean, why hasn't Klee adopted a Pokémon yet?」
「Jean: She's still in solitary confinement.」
「Albedo: Understood.」
Takumi set down the Pokédex, marveling at Albedo's efficiency. He hadn't expected Albedo, a painter and alchemist, to be so talented. In just a few days, he was already halfway through numerous pieces of commissioned artwork.
"Talented and diligent. A true top-notch artist."
Seeing Albedo's progress, Takumi sighed. "I haven't even started coding yet… I can't let him outpace me." He decided to leave Cresselia in charge of the store. With a second-level god overseeing things, he felt reassured that anyone causing trouble would quickly be set straight.
As the hours passed in a whirlwind of programming, it was afternoon by the time Albedo arrived from Dragonspine with his assistants, Sucrose and Timaeus. They were greeted by Cresselia, and each of them received a Pokémon: Albedo got his Aron, Sucrose selected an Elekid, and Timaeus was even luckier, drawing a Horsea.
Takumi, immersed in coding, hadn't noticed that the mission for the Mondstadt branch was almost complete. In just half a day, it had reached a 9/10 completion rate.
With a polite smile, Cresselia's gentle voice echoed in the minds of Albedo and his assistants, "Mr. Takumi is currently occupied, so I will assist you today."
With Albedo having warned them multiple times that Cresselia was a godlike entity, Sucrose and Timaeus dared not ask too many questions. After receiving their Pokémon, they stood quietly behind Albedo.
Just as Albedo was preparing to leave, the store doorbell chimed. He glanced over and immediately recognized the tall figure striding confidently inside—a woman in high-heeled boots, exuding an air of arrogance and authority. Her gaze was cool as she made her way toward the front desk.
Albedo's blue eyes narrowed in vigilance. Besides being the Knights' chief alchemist, he also led their investigation team. As such, he was no stranger to the Fatui, including this particularly imposing member.
It was the Harbinger known as La Signora, one of the highest-ranking members of the Fatui.