After Cloud Retainer spoke, the other adepti nodded in agreement.
Since they had finished reading the comics, it was time to leave.
After bidding farewell to Boss Han, they exited Solace Book House one after another.
This visit to the comic shop had been, overall, quite worthwhile for them— aside from the small issue of wasting a Peace Star.
The Geo Archon had been "revived"!
They had seen incredibly exciting comics!
And they had each obtained some rather… distinctive rewards.
Though none of them compared to a Peace Star, they were still pleasant surprises.
Besides, there was plenty of time ahead— they could always come back again tomorrow.
After the adepti left, Han Feng said to Noelle:
"It's already noon. Let's pause business."
"Alright!"
Noelle nodded and skillfully placed the 'Temporarily Closed' sign outside the shop.
Then she began preparing lunch using the Gourmet Tablecloth.
"By the way, Boss—haven't Lumine, Paimon, and little Klee returned yet?"
Noelle suddenly remembered something and looked at Han Feng.
Usually, Paimon was extremely punctual when it came to lunchtime.
Yet this time, there was no sign of her at all.
"They probably got held up by something."
Han Feng pondered for a moment.
The Overlord of the Vortex had already been dealt with, yet they still hadn't returned.
Combined with Zhongli borrowing the Cleansing Bell from Madame Ping earlier…
Han Feng already had a guess.
It was probably related to the Rite of Parting.
Looks like Lumine had once again become a full-time errand runner.
Just to be safe, he sent them a message using his phone.
A reply came quickly.
Lumine: Boss Han, we're at Bubu Pharmacy right now, but we've run into some trouble.
It might take a bit longer—go ahead and eat without us.
Oh, and there's a really cute little zombie here!
Klee gets along with her really well. We'll bring her to read comics later.
"So it really is the Rite of Parting."
Han Feng nodded.
He hadn't expected them to already be at Bubu Pharmacy— their efficiency was impressive.
As for the zombie…
that had to be Qiqi.
Klee and Qiqi getting along so well made perfect sense—two little girls naturally clicked.
But speaking of loli pairings, Han Feng couldn't help thinking of two others.
One was Sayu, though she was still in Inazuma for now.
As for the other…
Diona.
A genuine cat-eared girl.
If she ever stood next to cat-form Keqing, that would be a sight to behold.
Yet for some reason, she had never visited the comic shop.
"Given how popular the shop is now, it's strange that Diona hasn't heard of it…"
Han Feng felt a bit puzzled.
What he didn't know was that the very person he was thinking about was already standing outside the shop.
Outside Solace Book House
A pink-haired cat-eared girl with a matching tail stood at the entrance, looking dejected.
"So I finally managed to come after work… and it's closed."
Staring at the 'Temporarily Closed' sign, Diona let out a sigh.
She had heard about this comic shop long ago from tavern customers.
At first, she thought it was all a scam and never bothered to visit.
But as more and more people claimed to have read comics here and received all kinds of rewards, the rumors gradually became more convincing.
Diona was one of those who started believing.
Because of her extreme hatred for alcohol, she had a grand ambition—
To brew the most disgusting drink imaginable and use it to destroy Mondstadt's alcohol industry.
Unfortunately, due to a physique that was somewhere between a blessing and a curse, any drink she brewed inevitably turned into an unbelievably delicious masterpiece.
This was in direct conflict with her life goal.
With no other options left, Diona decided to try her luck at this mysterious comic shop.
Maybe—just maybe—there was a solution here.
Who would've thought she'd arrive at such a bad time?
"Well then… I'll just come back this afternoon."
Since this was her first visit, Diona didn't want to leave a bad impression.
She chose not to force her way in and turned to leave.
Han Feng was completely unaware of this.
He simply told Noelle to start serving the food.
As for Lumine and the others, he'd just prepare another serving once they returned.
Liyue Harbor — Bubu Pharmacy
"Did Boss Han say something?"
Seeing Lumine replying to a message, Paimon asked curiously.
"He asked what's holding us up.
If we're not coming back, they're going to start eating without us."
Lumine sighed helplessly.
She wanted to go back and rest too, but this matter still wasn't resolved.
And Zhongli was nowhere to be seen.
What a headache.
"Ugh! I want to eat good food too!"
Paimon stomped in midair, clearly upset.
She was usually the most enthusiastic when it came to lunch.
But now she had no choice but to endure.
Leaving before finishing the task would just feel wrong.
Seeing their reactions, Qiqi tilted her head curiously.
"Ka… Klee… is that shop… really… that amazing?"
"It is! Big Brother Han Feng's comic shop is super amazing!
There are fun comics and lots of awesome rewards.
I'll take you there later—you'll see!"
Klee said excitedly.
When she arrived with Lumine, she had noticed Qiqi right away— they were about the same height.
Though Qiqi spoke slowly, needed talismans to function, and kept talking about cocogoat, Klee still liked her instantly.
The two quickly became friends.
Klee eagerly shared stories about the comic shop, making Qiqi extremely curious.
"Then… does it have… cocogoat?"
Qiqi asked expectantly.
She loved drinking cocogoat milk—it tasted better than regular goat milk.
Unfortunately, it was very hard to find.
"Well… it probably does?"
Klee scratched her head.
She didn't really know what cocogoat was, but she firmly believed that Boss Han's comic shop had everything.
"If it has a cocogoat… then Qiqi… wants to read comics."
Qiqi nodded seriously.
—------------------------------
Pat reon Advance Chapters: patreon.com/YonkoSlayer
