"Honorary Knight, and Paimon, welcome to the brand-new manga store."
Noelle spotted the familiar pair and greeted them with a smile.
Their wide-eyed shock didn't surprise her in the slightest.
After all, she had personally witnessed the store's transformation yesterday.
If anything, her own excitement at the time was far greater than what they were feeling now.
"Would you like to go inside for a tour first?" Noelle suggested warmly.
"Eh? R-really?" Lumine asked curiously.
"Of course. It's still the same place to read manga—just… with a tiny bit of difference." Noelle chuckled.
"I'd say that's more like an enormous bit…" Paimon muttered under her breath.
But regardless, the two were still very eager and quickly headed inside.
Just as they had seen from the doorway, the interior was covered wall-to-wall with posters of various characters.
There were also little figures displayed everywhere.
"Lumine, look, it's Sakura! Wah, so cute!" Paimon suddenly cried out, spotting a figurine.
"It really is!" Lumine leaned closer, curious.
It looked exactly like Sakura from Cardcaptor Sakura—maybe even cuter in some ways.
"These are called figures," Noelle explained from the side.
"Ohhh, so not just 'little dolls,' but figures!" Lumine and Paimon nodded with newfound understanding.
They continued exploring, soon finding more familiar faces.
Each discovery made Paimon squeal with delight.
"This straw-hat guy is Luffy! And the one with the sword in his mouth has to be Zoro!"
"This girl with the long hair must be Tomoyo Daidouji—I love her!"
"And here—this fuzzy monkey with a staff, no doubt about it, that's the Great Sage Equal to Heaven!"
Lumine and Paimon were among the earliest customers of the store.
They had already read three different manga,
so they easily recognized many of the characters,
making the tour all the more exciting.
Noelle followed alongside, smiling.
Seeing their enthusiasm, she too felt a sense of pride swell within her chest as a member of the manga shop.
After reluctantly finishing their tour, the group returned to the counter.
"Scam—I mean, Boss, your new manga store is amazing!"
Paimon gave a big thumbs-up.
It was miles better than before.
Han Feng only gave a faint smile.
Strictly speaking, this was what could truly be called a manga store.
The old shop? At best it was just a bookshop that happened to stock manga.
"By the way, Boss, I noticed the inside is divided into two areas. What's the difference?" Lumine asked curiously.
"One is the Quiet Zone, for those who prefer to read undisturbed.
The other is the Discussion Zone, where people can read together and chat without holding back.
They're soundproofed, so neither side disturbs the other," Han Feng explained.
"Wow, that's brilliant!" Paimon clapped in delight.
Yesterday, while she and Lumine had fun talking about the manga,
they still had to keep their voices down for fear of bothering others.
Now with a dedicated Discussion Zone,
they could chat as loudly as they wanted, even linger after finishing.
Perfect!
Unable to resist, Paimon zipped straight toward the shelves to browse.
"Boss, here's 200,000 Mora."
As always, Lumine acted as the paying lady, placing the coins on the counter.
At that moment, Noelle recalled something and asked:
"Honorary Knight, did you get any news about your brother after asking Amber to help?"
She remembered Amber posting missing-person notices everywhere back then,
and even lent a hand herself.
Surely Lumine must've found something by now?
"Oh right, my brother—I totally forgot!"
Lumine froze, then smacked her forehead in regret.
Hearing Noelle mention it jogged her memory.
She had come to Mondstadt specifically to search for her brother.
But then she stumbled across Han Feng's manga shop…
and her focus had been completely derailed.
Only yesterday, while helping Dainsleif, had she briefly remembered her brother again.
Noelle: (⊙_⊙)
You even forgot about searching for your own brother?!
So this is the Honorary Knight everyone praises?
Noticing the strange look Noelle gave her, Lumine felt a bit embarrassed.
But honestly, it wasn't her fault!
How could anyone resist the temptation here?
The manga was not only thrilling but also boosted her strength,
plus there were delicious foods and fun trinkets.
If possible, she would've loved to stay forever.
"Hey—"
Before Noelle could say more, Paimon's voice rang out from the shelves.
"Boss, is this the manga you mentioned before, the one with the Gourmet Tablecloth?!"
She flew over holding a book with a blue cat on the cover.
"Gourmet Tablecloth?"
Noelle blinked.
Wait—didn't the Boss already have one of those?
So it came from this manga?
No wonder it was so magical.
"Yes, that's right. Doraemon," Han Feng nodded with a smile.
"Yay! Finally, Gourmet Tablecloth, here I come!"
Paimon practically exploded with joy.
Ever since Scam—er, Boss—first teased her with the promise of such a treasure,
she'd been dreaming about it,
asking about it every visit.
And now, at long last, the chance was here!
But in her excitement, another thought struck her—
the rewards were random.
There was no guarantee she'd actually get the tablecloth.
Turning quickly, she looked at Lumine.
"Lumine, let's read this one together! That way we'll have a better chance!"
"Sure!"
Lumine agreed readily.
She was also intrigued by the mysterious manga.
And besides, reading together was so much more fun—
yesterday had proven that.
As for her brother?
…Well, the manga shop was just too good to pass up.
He'd surely understand.
At least, that's what she told herself.
With that excuse firmly in her heart, Lumine and Paimon happily carried the manga off toward the Discussion Zone.
Noelle opened her mouth to say something but stopped herself in the end,
letting out only a sigh for Lumine's poor brother.
"If my brother-in-law shows up one day and sees her like this…
I wonder what he'd think."
Han Feng smirked inwardly.
At that moment,
a figure clad in purple walked through the doorway.
"So this is the Solace Book House?"
~~--------------------------------------
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