Xiao worked fast.
He set out in the morning, and before noon had already made a round trip to Liyue and back, carrying all the goods Diona wanted.
Xia Zhi thanked him with a smile.
Xiao, expressionless as ever, only replied softly, "No need for thanks."
That calm, detached air of his was oddly similar to Zhongli's. Hard to say whether it was just his nature or if too many years at Zhongli's side had rubbed off on him.
Even so, Xia Zhi still invited him to join everyone for lunch. After all, that's what friends did.
The restaurant was nearby.
Since Dragon Potions was also on the sa street, Xia Zhi gave Noelle a call to co join them too.
Inside the shop, Noelle looked up at Eula in her temporary uniform and lowered her voice. "Mr. Xia, can I bring Lady Eula along?"
"Miss Eula's with you?"
"Yes. She's been on break the past few days and helping part-ti here at the shop."
"Oh, good. You two co together then."
Noelle set the phone down and walked over. "Lady Eula, Mr. Xia and the others are having lunch at a restaurant nearby. They invited us to join."
Eula hesitated, then nodded. "Alright. Let change first."
Even if it was just a casual get-together among friends, even if wearing the uniform wouldn't have been a problem, years of noble etiquette training had made her instinctively keep her appearance elegant.
Noelle had no plans to change. She wore the formal outfit Xia Zhi had tailored for her back in Mondstadt's best clothing shop—several sets in fact, all of the sa thickness.
After all, Mondstadt was blessed by the Anemo Archon with a mild climate year-round. There was no need for "sumr" or "winter" sets.
Noelle cherished those outfits deeply.
Not only because they were expensive, but because they were a gift from Mr. Xia.
So she felt perfectly fine showing up to lunch in them.
A mont later, Eula erged from the shop in her own clothes.
"Let's go."
"Okay."
The two walked side by side down the street.
Eula's stride was striking.
Her shoulders straight, chest lifted, waist perfectly aligned—her steps bore the disciplined severity of a soldier honed by sword training, yet if you looked closely, there was also an elegant grace to her movents.
That was the product of years of etiquette drilled into her since childhood.
Noelle's gait was just as proper—hers shaped by her years as a maid of the Knights of Favonius.
They passed a storefront.
Eula tilted her head to glance at it. "That's the new pet shop Mr. Xia's been planning, the one everyone's been talking about in the group, isn't it?"
Noelle nodded. "Yes."
Eula frowned slightly. "Weren't they just here on vacation? Why suddenly open a shop in Mondstadt?"
Noelle wasn't sure, nor did she dare guess at the intentions of gods. She only repeated what she'd seen in the chat: "Apparently, Diona wants to take in stray cats…"
"I see," Eula murmured.
Opening a shop on a whim like that—definitely a little willful.
But with that kind of wealth, who could say otherwise? Last ti, they'd even spent piles of Mora on cheap roadside stone carvings and grass crowns…
anwhile, Eula was still worrying about money, spending her break working part-ti at soone else's store. The thought made her sigh inwardly.
At the restaurant, everyone greeted them warmly.
Eula thanked them politely, saying she felt bad always mooching als.
She hadn't even reciprocated for the last one she'd had in the Serenitea Pot—a definite breach of etiquette for a noble.
Xia Zhi only laughed, telling her not to worry, and explained that since they'd be busy this afternoon setting up mahjong tables at the shop, lunch would be simple outside. They'd have a proper gathering in the Serenitea Pot tonight.
At those words, mories of the last feast she'd had there surged up, and she couldn't help swallowing.
Xia Zhi added, "So when you're done with work this afternoon, Miss Eula, make sure to co along with Miss Noelle."
"Of course," she replied.
After all, once you've mooched one al, what's a few more?
Once lunch was done, Noelle and Eula returned to the shop.
Xiao, with nothing better to do, went to help set up the pet shop.
Diona pulled goods from the Space Ring.
Besides the ordered mahjong tables, there were unrelated items too—lipsticks, perfus, costics. Gifts from Ningguang for Jean, Lisa, and the others.
It was clear Ningguang had grown close to her new friends online. Her chats with Jean had drifted from official matters into sharing little feminine knickknacks.
But knowing Ningguang, Xia Zhi suspected these gifts weren't just goodwill gestures—likely she also had an eye on cracking open Mondstadt's high-end costics market.
Everyone happily divided the gifts.
Two hours later, the mahjong tables and other furnishings were in place.
Only one thing remained before the shop could open.
Cats.
Strays couldn't read, after all. They wouldn't just line up at the door begging to be taken in. Soone had to go out and find them.
Cats abandoned recently were easier—they were docile enough to get along with humans.
But the long-term strays, wild and vicious, would need training even if brought back, or else they'd hurt soone.
Mondstadt was big. Finding cats wouldn't be easy.
The simplest solution was to ask the Knights of Favonius patrolling the streets to keep an eye out.
But they had duties. They couldn't be sent chasing cats.
Last ti, Xia Zhi had only asked them to note cats if they happened to see any—not to actively hunt them down.
Of course, if Xia Zhi sent a few bottles of wine through Venti to Jean, maybe she'd cooperate. After all, it'd be the Anemo Archon's request.
But dragging official channels into it wasn't necessary.
The Adventurers' Guild was a much better option.
With enough Mora, the problem could be solved perfectly.
Just as Xia Zhi was about to suggest posting a commission there, Fischl jumped in eagerly—after all, she was an investigator for the Adventurers' Guild. She could handle it.
Xiao glanced at the eyepatched girl.
The Guild was a bit far, and he could've gotten there faster himself.
But after a pause, he quietly swallowed the words.
Xia Zhi smiled. "Then I'll trouble you with it."
He handed her a Northland Bank card and casually gave her the password.
The Guild, like the bank, operated under Snezhnaya. The card would work fine.
This commission—[Stray Cats]—was ant to be long-term. A hundred cats, with plenty of Mora as reward.
Paying by card was far more convenient than carrying that much cash.
Fischl accepted the card and, with Oz at her side, ran off.
Her stamina was far better than before—no more collapsing after a few steps like that ti she'd been chased by a Hilichurl Lord.
Even so, after a while her legs began to ache.
She slowed, glancing up at Oz regretfully.
If only it weren't dayti, she could transform into a Magical Girl…
Minutes later, she reached the Adventurers' Guild.
Behind the counter stood a girl with a headband, straight-cut bangs, and a white-and-green dress.
"Fischl?" Katheryne blinked in surprise.
"Mm… it's …" Fischl's face was flushed, still catching her breath from the run.
"You finally ca."
"What do you an?"
Katheryne smiled. "Rember the bounty task you accepted a few days ago? The investigators have sent back their results."
The mission site was Dadaupa Gorge, quite far from Mondstadt.
It had been a difficult extermination mission—normally only large adventure teams would take it on.
Though sotis newbies picked them up for fun.
Just like Fischl had last ti.
Back then, adventurers in the Guild hall had laughed outright when she claid she'd completed it. Many already knew her reputation—always spouting chuunibyou nonsense, just a girl lost in fantasy.
Still, the Guild followed procedure and dispatched an investigator to confirm.
What they expected to be a formality ca back shocking.
Not only were the Hilichurls at the site gone—the entire Dadaupa Gorge had been cleared.
To be sure, the Guild sent another investigator. Sa result.
So far, only Guild staff knew of this.
Fischl lifted her head to et Katheryne's gaze. She was an investigator herself and knew the process: any dium or large commission had to be verified to prevent score manipulation.
"What did the investigation conclude?" she asked.
"You over-fulfilled the bounty," Katheryne said. "Please present your Adventure License—I'll record the data."
Fischl, who had dread of such recognition countless tis, didn't even look happy. She simply handed over the card. "Do that later. First, I need to post a commission."
"Understood. Please state the details."
Fischl thought a mont. "In Mondstadt's west district, a new cat tavern has opened. It'll take in strays long-term. Anyone who finds a stray can bring it there."
"Any specific requirents?"
"Any stray cat."
"Injured or sick ones too?"
"All of them."
"The tavern's exact location?"
"Near Dragon Potions."
"And the reward?"
"Two hundred Mora per cat."
"How many?"
"Long-term. Tentatively one hundred cats."
"Very well. That'll be 20,000 Mora upfront."
"Card."
"This way, please."
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