Be Careful When Agreeing to Terms and Conditions

2. Liyue Uptown (7)

Liyue turns into an “unsleeping city” every night.

In the continent’s greatest trading port, Liwal, countless people come and go. And countless people know how to summon countless shops, so there is no place in Liwal without a shop on every street. It truly is a city that forms one giant commercial district.

In this developed commercial district, people come even at night, not just during the day. And as a result of chasing this demand at night, street stalls start to emerge, and when there are many of these stalls, a unique commercial area with a nighttime landscape is born. That is the “night market”.

So, the nights in Liwal are more dazzling than unfamiliar. During the day, there is no need to light lanterns, but at night, lanterns must be lit. When the red glowing lanterns, which the people of Liwal believe bring luck, fill the streets, the golden festival of Liwal’s night streets finally begins.

The night market in Liwal, which offers such a splendid spectacle, is evidence of Liwal’s prosperity and a must-visit tourist attraction for tourists. In fact, I myself and Pisel have also come to the night market. To this place where countless people gather.

I felt a bit suffocated. There was a feeling that if there were too many people, it would be hard to breathe. I had thought that I should definitely visit the night market at least once, but crowded places were not really my thing.

Even now, with this many people, I couldn’t even imagine how many people would gather for Liwal’s festival called “Haejeongjeol”. I didn’t even want to imagine.

What gave me some comfort was that I hadn’t come to the night market alone.

Beside me, Pisel was clinging to me with a slightly pensive expression. Well, with so many people around, there was no choice but to stick together.

I glanced at Pisel’s appearance, which had come to my side. Golden hair, emerald eyes. And her fair skin proved that she was a lovely and beautiful girl from Mondstadt.

Baek Siwoo, you’ve made it big.

To be able to bring such a beautiful woman to a place like this. If it had been Lumine, it would have been even better, but Pisel was also a beauty who wouldn’t lose to anyone.

Well, to be honest, Pisel felt more like a little kid I had to take care of than a woman.

But for now, I decided to consider her at face value as a young girl with a smile. That way, my mood would improve a bit.

“Pisel, is there any place you want to go?”

“Hmph, foolish people are drawn to the scent of greed and gather. I must get closer to the source of this swirling fate.”

“You think we should go further in? Alright, let’s do that.”

As always, Pisel was speaking with a mix of strange vocabulary, but now that I had become somewhat accustomed to her, I could understand her words instinctively. It was the result of not giving up and consistently having conversations with Pisel.

Following Pisel’s intention, we went deeper into the night market, and finally, as the crowd dispersed a bit, the scenery of the night market began to imprint itself in my eyes.

Various stalls lined up, emitting delicious smells and tempting customers. In the square visible a little further ahead, clowns were putting on performances, and people were laughing and chatting while holding food in one hand and searching for entertainment.

Pisel, as if the scenery she had been looking forward to had finally appeared, started to get excited and started talking. Her eyes began to sparkle.

“Hmm, to see a human who has made a contract with one of the seven dukes of the demon realm, spewing hellfire on the subject of humans. As the Princess of Condemnation, I cannot possibly overlook this.”

Among them, the one that caught my attention was the jester who breathed fire.

On the Tibat continent, there was something called the ‘Eye of God’, so even if you possessed the fire attribute Eye of God, it wouldn’t be such a big deal. However, Pisl was amazed by the jester’s fire-breathing skill. It seemed quite fascinating that a human who did not possess the Eye of God could breathe fire.

Seeing this, I couldn’t help but think that the sensibilities of the modern world and the Tibat continent were not so different. Whether it was the modern world or the Tibat continent, children would cheer in front of jesters who breathed fire.

I looked at Pisl, who had an excited expression on her face, and smirked. Seeing how much Pisl enjoyed it, I thought it was a good idea to come to the night market.

Then, the night before, Oz left me a request.

“Miss, you have always longed to go to the festival with your friends. I hope you will consider it positively, Sir Siu.”

Once again, Pisl shouted, “Oh, Oz!” But those words played a decisive role in changing my mind.

Suddenly, a recent incident came to mind. The sight of Pisl crying and hurting.

The image of the girl crying and burying her face in her knees on a pile of rocks had occasionally weighed on my heart like a heavy burden ever since.

It had always been like that. I couldn’t bear to see a child suffering.

Of course, it was impertinent. It was not a good idea to lightly interfere with someone else’s situation. Even if it was just Pisl, I didn’t know why she had to be so lonely.

But at least I could do something to comfort her. Even if I didn’t know why Pisl felt lonely, she now considered me a friend. So it wasn’t difficult to meet her expectations to some extent.

I didn’t have any intentions to dig deep into Pisl’s personal circumstances. But Pisl seemed to like me, and I cherished her, so it was not a bad thing to become friends with each other.

It would also be good to have a connection when I needed to find adventurers in the future.

With that in mind, I spoke to Pisl.

“Pisl, it’s good to watch, but how about eating something? I’m starting to get hungry.”

Then, Pisl responded with her unique snorting sound and expressed her refusal.

“Compared to the offerings my servants present, those would be insignificant sacrifices.”

Well, that’s true, but that’s because I have the ‘cooking’ ability.

I wanted to say that, but since he wouldn’t understand even if I said it, I decided to give up. The little one’s taste had already become picky.

Did I only feed him delicious things? It had been just about two weeks since I started spending time with Fischl, and I was afraid of how picky he would become when we returned to Mondstadt.

Maybe later, he would only come looking for me if it wasn’t a dish I made. I chuckled at such a foolish thought.

First, I decided to tease Fischl a bit. I had a goal in mind.

“Fischl, I didn’t come to the night market for no reason. I came to research cooking. Of course, spending time with you is important, but if you’re my friend, you should also help with my goal.”

Yes, the reason I came to the night market was not only to play with Fischl but also to find clues for new recipes.

I explored Liyue’s recipes in between running the restaurant. As a result, I could unlock various recipes, including the “Sunset Salmon” but there were still many recipes locked.

It could be something that required special conditions, like the “Adventurer’s Egg Toast,” but there were too many locked recipes for that to be the case. Despite their appearance or names, Liyue’s dishes seemed obvious.

So, I came up with this thought. If the night market gathers all kinds of Liyue’s food, wouldn’t it be possible to find clues to unlock recipes?

And of course, the clues to the recipes would be in places where there is food. As I said that, Fischl hesitated for a moment, making a sound like “Hmm,” and said with a resigned tone.

“Sometimes, following the words of a subordinate is the duty of a noble. Bow to the mercy of the princess!”

While making a slightly proud expression, it seemed like he felt good about the word “friend” that I mentioned.

At first, I thought of him as a girl who couldn’t be understood at all with his attitude covered in chicness, but as I looked at him, there was no one as obvious in thinking as Fischl.

It was cute, but I chuckled, thinking that way. Then, suddenly remembering something, I asked.

“Fischl, can I pat your head?”

After all, patting someone’s head is a sign of affection. When adults pat a child’s head, there is usually something praiseworthy.

But when you become an adult, the situation changes a bit. It is natural for a child to receive cuteness from an adult, but when an adult finds another adult cute, it becomes a more complicated issue.

For example, if a stranger pats my head, I can’t help but feel a strange resistance. Moreover, in the case of women, this tendency is even stronger. Women generally consider their hair as part of their body and dislike others touching it. There is also the reason that carefully arranged hairstyles can be ruined.

So, I had been holding back until now. The desire to pat Fischl’s head whenever he acted proud.

However, now Peasle and I were at the point where we could call each other “friends.” Although we had only known each other for two weeks, we had become colleagues who spent the whole day together, experiencing life and death together. The density of the relationship we had built up during that time was so strong that it couldn’t be compared to any other relationship.

So, shouldn’t I speak up now? That’s what I thought as I made that calculation.

“W-what, about my head?”

Peasle put her hands on top of her head in surprise. I nodded and said again.

“Yeah, your head.”

Peasle’s eyes couldn’t focus and started to wander. It was a habit of hers when she was flustered. Unable to fix her gaze, Peasle suddenly snapped back to reality, as if she had remembered something.

It was the night before we arrived in Liwal, when Peasle had called me her “servant.” I had definitely said that I wanted to “pat her head.” I didn’t know if Peasle remembered it or not.

But judging by Peasle’s reaction, it seemed like she remembered that night quite vividly. Her face became deeply flushed.

Peasle’s ears turned bright red. Was she remembering that I called her “cute”?

Peasle, who had been silent for a moment, finally spoke with her flushed face still not cooled down.

“H-hmph. So, you want to find the princess cute, huh? What a ridiculous servant you are.”

Peasle, who had been acting all indignant, added in a mosquito-like voice.

“But if you really want it… I-I’ll grant you special permission.”

In the end, she was a girl who was very shy and embarrassed.

Finally satisfied, I gently stroked Peasle’s lowered head with a contented expression. Her soft hair brushed through my fingers. It smelled good.

Meanwhile, Peasle just stayed still with her face reddened, quietly accepting my patting. She looked embarrassed now that she was actually receiving it.

But what could I do? I had already been given permission.

I thought that I had gotten one step closer to Peasle. Maybe.

After a while of patting Peasle’s head, I moved my feet when Peasle, who couldn’t bear the embarrassment any longer, tapped my arm and signaled me to quickly let go.

It seemed like I had gotten a bit too absorbed in the feeling of Peasle’s hair. It felt like petting a golden retriever. I felt a little disappointed, but since I would have plenty of opportunities to pat Peasle in the future, I decided to stop for now.

The food market at the night market, a short walk away, was bustling with people. While not as crowded as the entrance, when combined with those waiting for food at the stalls, it felt much busier than the square.

Just as Mondstadt was the “Land of Freedom,” Liyue was the “Land of Gourmet.” Considering that freedom was the most revered value for the people of Mondstadt, it was a significant moment to understand how much importance Liyue’s people placed on gourmet. Contracts, traditions, and gourmet were the keywords that invariably described Liyue.

Being a renowned specialty of Liyue, the night market could undoubtedly be considered the flower of the night market, so it was natural for many people to gather there.

The first unexpected encounter in that place was with Fischl.

“Oh my, aren’t you Fischl?”

I glanced over. Brown hair, green eyes. Apart from that, she was a rather unremarkable woman.

However, she was wearing armor made of leather, and with a sword hanging at her waist, she seemed like an adventurer. And judging by her appearance, she seemed to be from Mondstadt.

She seemed like someone from Mondstadt, possibly from the Adventurers’ Guild. Did Fischl know her?

Fischl widened her eyes, stared at her for a while, and then exclaimed in surprise.

“Haley!”

“As expected, it’s Fischl! I heard rumors that you’re working as a waitress in a famous restaurant?”

“…Th-that’s just a disguise to conceal the true identity of the princess.”

I observed the girl called ‘Haley.’ No matter how I looked at her, she seemed like an ordinary person. Rather than a character in the game, she felt more like an anonymous NPC.

I signaled Fischl with a glance, asking ‘who is she?’ Fischl seemed to realize it only then and thought about introducing her.

“Oh, this is…”

“Hello, I’m Haley. An adventurer from Mondstadt’s Adventurers’ Guild. Shall we say Fischl and I are colleagues?”

Interrupting Fischl’s words, Haley, while looking embarrassed, scratched her cheek.

“Well, I’m still a junior adventurer… By the way, is this gentleman Fischl’s boyfriend?”

As she covered her mouth and laughed slyly, it reminded me of someone who always stuck close to Lumine, laughing mysteriously.

Seeing Fischl’s face rapidly turning red, knowing she might shout ‘Oz,’ I urgently denied Haley’s words.

“No, Fischl and I are colleagues. Fischl took on the task of escorting me from Mondstadt.”

“Mondstadt? I thought you were a resident of Liyue… And Fischl is a senior adventurer, so her hiring fee must be quite high. You must have a lot of money, huh?”

Hailey’s eyes widened, seemingly surprised. Well, what’s it to me? Do I look that broke?

In truth, my clothes were just the everyday attire that people in Mondstadt casually wear, so it didn’t give off a wealthy vibe.

I sighed and said, “Well, something like that.”

Hailey gave Fischl a look that said, “This topic is a bit strange, isn’t it?” She poked Fischl’s side as if to ask for more details. Fischl seemed conflicted for a moment, but in the end, she couldn’t overcome Hailey’s curiosity, and the two of them walked away separately.

They said they would be back in a moment. It was surprising to know that Fischl had friends too.

But now that I think about it, it felt strange. Should I call it a sense of unease? Are those two really friends?

Just as I was about to dwell on that, I felt someone place their hand on my shoulder.

Who could it be? There’s no one in Liyue who would casually put their hand on my shoulder. As I turned around with that thought in mind…

“Long time no see, my friend.”

Chestnut-colored hair, deep blue eyes that you can’t fathom, and a gallant smile befitting a man.

“…Tartaglia?”

“hahahahaha, no need to address me so formally. In Snezhnaya, when you share a drink, you become friends from then on. So just call me ‘Tartaglia’.”

As Tartaglia said that, he glanced back with a start.

Standing there, observing me and Tartaglia, was a handsome man with black hair.

He truly looked like a character drawn in a painting. A slender figure, tall stature, and above all, mysterious golden eyes that revealed nothing of their depths.

He, um, touched his chin with his hand and stared at me.

“Oh, by the way, this is Mr. Zhongli. He is the most knowledgeable scholar of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.”

“Greetings, my name is Jongryeo.”

With that, Mr. Jongryeo respectfully nodded his head slightly. While I was not familiar with Liyue’s customs, his demeanor exuded a sense of dignity.

And that voice of his. It was low yet tickled the ears.

Whether it was Tartaglia or Jongryeo, it seemed like Liyue had quite a number of handsome men. Personally, I prefer beauties over handsome men.

With such trivial thoughts in mind, I placed my left hand on my right chest and bowed my head, mimicking Liyue’s etiquette.

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Jongryeo. My name is Xiulra.”

In response to my words, Mr. Jongryeo spoke with a face that seemed expressionless yet subtly comforting.

“You’re not from Liyue, are you?”

I remained silent for a moment. How did he know? Did Tartaglia tell him?

However, Tartaglia was just observing with amusement, not giving any explicit signals.

“Even if you don’t seem like a Liyue native, your actions give it away. Liyue’s customs are intricate, and one must observe whether the other person is someone who should be treated with courtesy and, if so, to what extent. So, when Liyue people meet someone for the first time, they first scrutinize the other person and sometimes pretend to be hospitable to avoid being ignored. But you, from the beginning, your attitude is cautious, and you use formal language without hesitation.”

The insight that followed from Jongryeo’s lips effortlessly revealed why he was the ‘most knowledgeable connoisseur.’

His subdued voice had a charm that neither boasted nor appeared timid, making it pleasant without causing discomfort or admiration.

As I stood frozen, seemingly surprised, Jongryeo paused with a puzzled expression.

“Well, I might have said something unnecessary. I don’t know where you came from, but I hope you thoroughly enjoy Liyue’s charm before you leave.”

With that, Jongryeo discreetly stepped back. It seemed like a signal to Tartaglia to continue the conversation comfortably. However, what held him back was my desperate voice.

“Um, Mr. Jongryeo!”

Jongryeo, who was about to step back from the conversation, looked at me with a perplexed expression. Tartaglia had a similar look.

But I had a reason for this.

“By any chance, do you have any knowledge about Liyue’s cuisine?”

If someone was as knowledgeable as Baek Hakdasik, they would surely know about Liyue’s cuisine as well.

I found a clue to Liyue’s recipes.