"I… actually came here?!"
A trace of bewilderment flashed across the Abyss Mage's face.
It had considered coming to this place before.
But it was precisely because it had let something slip aloud that the two girls with Visions had noticed it.
If not for its superior skills, it would probably have been finished right there.
"Should I go in… or not?"
The Abyss Mage fell into hesitation.
From a rational perspective, it should leave immediately.
That red-clad girl might not have found it, but she could well call for reinforcements.
If high-ranking figures from Mondstadt arrived, escaping would be far harder.
But if it left now…
Once Mondstadt was on alert, infiltrating again would be much more difficult.
And since it had already reached the shop's doorstep, wouldn't it be a huge waste not to at least take a look?
On the way here, it had heard plenty of rumors—
like how the Prince's blood relative had grown stronger thanks to this place,
or even the legendary Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon that it longed for!
Weighing the pros and cons, the Abyss Mage finally clenched its teeth.
"Fortune favors the bold! For His Highness—I'll risk it!"
If it just read quickly, there should still be time!
The Knights of Favonius shouldn't arrive too soon.
Nervous, the Abyss Mage pushed open the door and stepped into the manga shop.
Before it could even look around, a calm voice drifted from the counter:
"Welcome, Abyss Mage… from the Abyss Order."
The Abyss Mage shuddered, snapping its head toward the sound.
Behind the counter stood a black-haired youth, smiling warmly at it.
So this is the shopkeeper? He looks… like a normal person?
The Abyss Mage had the same doubt every newcomer felt.
On Teyvat, the flow of elemental energy was everywhere.
Any strong individual would naturally radiate its fluctuations.
But this man carried none—he was no different from an ordinary civilian.
If he truly were a mere mortal, the Abyss Mage would have long since dragged him off and interrogated him.
But obviously, that wasn't the case.
After all, someone capable of gifting away a Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon as a "reward"…
Could that possibly be an ordinary man?
More importantly—
the Abyss Mage's instincts screamed at it.
The slightest hint of hostility here, and it would be annihilated in an instant.
Because of that, its usual arrogance evaporated.
It lowered its head respectfully and asked cautiously:
"Boss… do you, perhaps, have those… miraculous manga~?"
While the Abyss Mage was treading carefully, Han Feng was secretly studying it.
Unbelievable. Even an Abyss Mage has come here to read manga!
It was almost comical.
He had been about to close up and head over to the Good Hunter restaurant since no one had shown up all evening.
Yet fate seemed to be playing tricks on him—
because just as he was about to leave, a "customer" finally appeared.
And not just any customer—an Abyss Mage!
What's next? Will slimes come read manga? Will Stormterror drop by?
Just imagining the scene made Han Feng chuckle internally.
Still, a guest was a guest.
As long as the Abyss Mage wasn't here to make trouble and just wanted to read,
he was more than happy to do business.
"Of course. Adventure, romance, and more—you'll find them on that bookshelf."
He pointed to the side with a smile.
"I want to see—wait… what's that smell? (╯▽╰) So fragrant~~"
The Abyss Mage froze mid-sentence, suddenly sniffing the air.
"That's the scent of Mapo Tofu—one of the dishes from the manga Cooking Master Boy."
Han Feng explained casually.
Though the dish had already been eaten, the aroma lingered in the shop.
"Mapo… Tofu?"
A hint of longing seeped into the Abyss Mage's raspy voice.
It smelled so good—surely it tasted just as divine?
No… focus! The Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon is more important…
…yet just one taste wouldn't hurt, would it?
Seeing its conflicted expression, Han Feng was amused.
So even the Abyss Order craves good food, huh?
But then he recalled the truth.
Five hundred years ago, Khaenri'ah had been destroyed.
Its cursed survivors turned into monsters.
Hilichurls for those who lost reason; Abyss Mages for those who retained it.
If they were once human, then of course they could still long for food.
"Boss… I'll read Cooking Master Boy."
After a long struggle, the Abyss Mage finally yielded to temptation.
It pulled out 100,000 Mora—spoils it had robbed earlier—
and floated over to the bookshelf.
It quickly grabbed a copy of Cooking Master Boy,
then excitedly floated off to read.
"Wow, so many dishes!"
"Hiss—these foods even shine? Incredible!"
"So this is how Mapo Tofu is made… no wonder the aroma is irresistible!"
"If His Highness could taste these meals, surely it would lift his spirits…"
Watching the Abyss Mage immersed in manga, Han Feng couldn't help finding it hilarious.
First an Abyss Mage. Next time… will the Abyss Prince himself walk in?
And truth be told, Han Feng was a little curious about his "brother-in-law."
Meanwhile, in the headquarters of the Knights of Favonius—
Inside the Acting Grand Master's office, Eula was making her report to Jean.
"You mean you and Amber actually saw an Abyss Mage in the city?"
Jean asked gravely.
Normally, a single Abyss Mage wasn't enough to worry Jean.
But to appear on the very day the Stormterror crisis was resolved…
Surely, the Abyss Order must be plotting something again.
"Yes. Amber gave chase—it shouldn't be long before we hear from her."
Eula nodded.
Even as she spoke, Amber walked in.
"Well? Did you catch it?"
Eula asked at once.
Amber shook her head apologetically.
"Sorry, Acting Grand Master… I lost it again."
She recounted the whole pursuit.
"It's alright."
Jean comforted her gently.
An Abyss Mage might not be powerful, but its escape skills were troublesome.
They had lost one before at Starsnatch Cliff too.
Eula, however, suddenly frowned.
"The place where you lost it… wasn't that near Boss Han's manga shop?"
"Eh? You're right!"
Amber blinked, then realized.
But she wasn't worried for Han Feng.
If it were an ordinary citizen's home, she would be.
But that was Han Feng's shop.
Not even the Abyss Order as a whole could threaten him.
"Let's go ask Boss Han directly," Jean suggested.
"He might know something."
"Good idea!"
The three of them nodded and headed straight for the shop.
But the moment they walked in, all three froze in shock.
That figure at the table… an Abyss Mage?!
It was actually reading manga?!
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