Chapter 17

"As expected, the real Inazuma City is much larger than in the game," Akio observed as he flew over the city. The main city of Inazuma was far more expansive than its in-game counterpart.

Akio descended, planning to explore the city at his leisure.

Due to the Sakoku Decree, Inazuma City wasn't as bustling as one might expect. The streets were sparsely populated.

"Tsk, the Sakoku Decree," Akio clicked his tongue. Isolationism, no matter the era or nation, was always the worst choice.

Closing off a country and cutting off ties with others only led to ignorance among the people and economic stagnation. There were no benefits to it.

Fortunately, Teyvat was a world ruled by gods, and even in the worst times, the gods provided a safety net.

Even so, there were still rebel armies rising up against the Raiden Shogun's misguided policies.

And now, the Raiden Shogun was being misled by the Tenryou Commission and the Kanjou Commission, still lost in the dream of a perfect nation.

Wandering aimlessly through Inazuma City, Akio suddenly spotted a small stall with a sign that read "Dango Milk."

"Dango Milk?" Akio quickly walked over. Wasn't that one of Raiden Ei's favorite desserts?

Coming to Teyvat and not trying the foods that appeared in the game would be a real shame.

"What can I get for you, sir?" Seeing Akio approach, Tomoki quickly stood up. He had been worried earlier—since the Sakoku Decree was enacted, people had much less money to spare.

Apart from basic necessities, few could afford to buy snacks like desserts. Getting a customer was no easy feat.

"One Dango Milk, and a serving of Takoyaki, please," Akio pointed at the menu.

"Sure thing, just a moment!" Tomoki got to work.

"You've got a good eye, sir. Dango Milk is a new combination I came up with," Tomoki explained as he worked. "The dango is made into a very sticky texture, perfectly blending with the milk."

"It's not just about the taste, but also the unique texture," Tomoki said.

"Sounds very innovative," Akio nodded. Was it like the mochi milk tea he used to drink?

"Here you go," soon, the Takoyaki and Dango Milk were ready and handed to Akio.

"How much Mora?" Akio asked.

"150 Mora for the Takoyaki, 160 Mora for the Dango Milk. That'll be 310 Mora," Tomoki quickly replied.

"Alright, just a moment," Akio nodded and reached into his pocket, but the Great Divine Official's robes had no pockets. Suddenly, he realized the problem.

He hadn't gotten his salary from Yae Miko yet. Ouch… Was he really going to have to charge it to the shrine on his first day out?

Back in the day, he wouldn't dare leave the house without money. How could he forget now?

Seeing Akio's expression, Tomoki grew wary. Was this guy really without Mora? He looked so well-dressed!

"…" Seeing Tomoki's look, Akio sighed and placed his hand on the Divine Official's Token at his waist, ready to reveal his identity and charge it to the Grand Narukami Shrine.

Just then, a cheerful voice called out from behind.

"Tomoki, one Takoyaki, please!"

Akio turned to see a lively girl in an orange short kimono, her body wrapped in bandages.

"Yoimiya?" Akio was pleasantly surprised. It was Yoimiya! Teyvat's top Pyro DPS, a bright and cheerful girl.

"Huh? You forgot your Mora?" Yoimiya immediately sensed the awkward atmosphere. She was sharp and quickly figured out what was going on.

"Uh…" Akio sighed. "I was in a hurry when I left and forgot to bring any."

"Oh, I see," Yoimiya thought for a moment, then turned to Tomoki. "How much Mora is it?"

"310 Mora," Tomoki replied.

"Not much, I'll cover it," Yoimiya took out 460 Mora and smiled warmly. "People forget things sometimes. No big deal."

"Uh… you don't have to," Akio tried to refuse, but Yoimiya cut him off.

"It's fine, it's fine. It's not much," Yoimiya handed over the 460 Mora. "And my Takoyaki."

"Alright," Tomoki took the Mora and didn't press further.

"Sigh…" Akio sighed inwardly, releasing his grip on the Divine Official's Token. "Thank you so much."

"No problem," Yoimiya waved it off with a smile.

Akio nodded and walked over to a seat under a cherry blossom tree. Well, this was embarrassing—meeting Yoimiya for the first time and already making a fool of himself…

He took a sip of the Dango Milk, and his eyes lit up. It was really good.

Teyvat didn't have artificial additives, using only the most natural ingredients. The rich, sweet milk combined with the unique texture of the dango made Akio, who already had a sweet tooth, fall in love with Dango Milk.

As Akio enjoyed his drink, someone sat down beside him.

It was Yoimiya, who had come over with her Takoyaki.

"Thank you again for earlier," Akio said, breaking the ice.

"It's no big deal. Sometimes you just forget things when you're busy. I forget stuff all the time," Yoimiya said casually.

"But, are you a traveler from another country?" Yoimiya looked at Akio curiously. She knew most of the residents of Inazuma City, but she was certain she had never seen this handsome guy before!

"Hmm… not anymore. I used to be, I guess," Akio said. "I just settled in Inazuma a couple of days ago."

"No wonder. I was sure I hadn't seen you before," Yoimiya nodded. "But it's really impressive that you managed to settle in Inazuma under the Sakoku Decree."

"By the way, I'm Yoimiya. What's your name?" Yoimiya, who loved making friends, asked with a smile.

"I'm Akio," Akio replied.

"Akio, nice to meet you," Yoimiya extended her fair hand with a bright smile.

Akio shook her hand gently, looking at the lively Yoimiya with mixed feelings.

He really liked this cheerful and kind fireworks girl. Back in his previous life, he had maxed out her banner as soon as it was released.

Many people said Yoimiya was the perfect girlfriend material—beautiful, gentle, and understanding, qualities that attracted many guys.

Now that Akio had met her in person, he realized that a girl like Yoimiya truly existed. Her personality was flawless.

"By the way, Akio, where do you work now?" Yoimiya didn't know why, but she really wanted to get closer to Akio.

"The Grand Narukami Shrine," Akio answered honestly.

"Oh, the Grand Narukami Shrine… huh?" Yoimiya nodded, then suddenly froze. She looked at Akio and said, "But the Grand Narukami Shrine is all women. Akio, you…"

She even scrutinized him, wondering if he was a woman disguised as a man.