Fools at the Gate

Harlan Flint sat behind the counter at Galehaven Comics, his gaze drifting to the system panel flickering in his mind's eye.

The display read: four customers served—Lumine, Paimon, Barbara, and Wendy—out of thirty needed for the exclusive reward, with two more to unlock another comic draw.

"The first three draws came easy, a newcomer's perk from the system, but now it's ten guests per chance," he mused, a faint frown creasing his brow.

The shop's tucked-away alley location posed a hurdle—ordinary folk rarely stumbled upon it, slowing his task's progress.

This remoteness explained his quick agreement to Wendy's work-for-reads deal, banking on the bard's fame to spread word.

Advertising through a wind god's songs could draw crowds, a clever loophole to boost Galehaven Comics' reach.

Knights, Fatui, or Abyss Order—it didn't matter to Harlan; pay the Mora, read the comics, and they'd be welcome customers.

Trouble-makers, though, would find no mercy here, a rule etched into the shop's unseen power.

"I just hope Wendy takes this gig seriously for once," Harlan thought, sipping his tea as the door creaked open.

Two figures stepped in: one in white with golden accents, a black cape trailing to her calves, exuding authority; the other in purple, a wide-brimmed hat adorned with a rose, her Thunder Vision glinting.

"Welcome, Acting Grand Master Jean and Miss Lisa—here to read some comics?" Harlan greeted, his smile warm and knowing.

Jean's stern demeanor and Lisa's languid grace marked them instantly—key figures of Mondstadt, drawn by his shop's growing whispers.

Their eyes flickered with surprise at his recognition, a hint he'd pegged every guest so far with uncanny ease.

Jean straightened, her voice steady. "Hello—what comics do you have on offer?"

She'd come for the rewards Barbara raved about, but the stories themselves remained a mystery, unspoiled by prior chatter.

Harlan gestured to the shelves, his pitch smooth. "We've got three: One Piece: East Sea Saga, a tale of sea-bound adventure with powerful fruits; Cardcaptor Sakura's Magic, steeped in magical feats; and Digimon: First Frontier, where eight kids battle monsters across worlds."

"It's 100,000 Mora per person, one read a day," he added, watching their faces as they weighed his words.

Jean didn't hesitate, sliding 200,000 Mora across the counter with a decisive clink.

Harlan pocketed the payment, the system ticking up—six customers now, two more draws secured, though he held off claiming them.

Jean and Lisa approached the shelves, their choices deliberate as they scanned the vibrant covers.

"I'll take this one," Lisa said, plucking Cardcaptor Sakura's Magic and settling onto a sofa, her curiosity piqued by its magical allure.

A reward tied to spells could intrigue a genius like her, once hailed as Sumeru's rarest talent in centuries.

Jean lingered, then chose One Piece: East Sea Saga, her fingers tracing its spine before she joined Lisa on the cushions.

Barbara's Snowballmon might evolve into a mighty Gatomon, but Mondstadt's crises—Stormterror, the Fatui—demanded swift strength.

Lumine's wind powers proved this comic offered instant might, a lifeline she couldn't delay grasping.

Meanwhile, at the Knights' headquarters gate, a cadre of Fatui strode up, their masked faces and black coats radiating menace.

Anastasia, their leader, fixed the guard with a haughty stare. "I demand an audience with your Acting Grand Master Jean."

Backed by the Tsaritsa's might, the Fatui swaggered through Teyvat, and Mondstadt's weakened state only emboldened her disdain.

She'd come to exploit Stormterror's chaos—if Jean faltered, the city's defense map could fall into her grasp.

The guard bristled but kept his tone civil. "Captain Jean's out—not at headquarters right now."

Anastasia's brow furrowed, suspicion flaring. "Not here—hiding from us, perhaps?"

She moved to barge past, but a subordinate hurried forward, his voice low. "Reports say Jean and Lisa headed to a bookstore."

"A bookstore?" Anastasia echoed, her surprise morphing into a sneer as she processed the absurdity.

In this tense hour, with a dragon loose and Fatui circling, Mondstadt's leader was browsing books?

"Such leisure—she's practically handing us the advantage," she scoffed, her confidence swelling.

"Let's track them down there," she ordered, leading her group toward the alley, the city's map now tantalizingly within reach.

***

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