Inazuma City, with its tiers of height and prosperity, could roughly be divided into the Shogun's Castle, the Upper City, and the Lower City—a fact Victor Wang had learned on his last visit.
After leaving Watatsumi, he had originally planned to set up shop in the bustling Tenshukaku, right in the middle of the busiest streets—ideally near Tomoki's stall. But for certain reasons, he instead chose the Lower City, specifically the district known as Hanamizaka.
Though not as lively as the central streets, Hanamizaka still boasted well-known establishments: Yae Publishing House, Bantan Sango Detective Agency, Amenoma Smithy, and Naganohara Fireworks.
"Milk tea! Pearl milk tea! Pearl milk tea with special handmade pearls!"
Pushing a standard-style snack cart he'd purchased in Liyue, Victor slipped into an opening at the roadside and claimed a small space.
"Brewed from premium Qingce Village tea leaves imported from Liyue, combined with chewy and smooth handmade pearls! And each cup costs only 2,000 mora! First-time customers get half off! Step right up—don't miss this chance!"
"Pearl milk tea?"
"Would you like a cup, sir?"
"These pearls… they aren't actual pearls, are they?"
"Of course not! They're chewy, smooth, handmade pearls!"
"What does chewy mean?"
"It's… like something that dances in your mouth! Hard to describe—you should try a cup yourself. First one is half-price!"
The first potential customer frowned. "Is that tea really from Qingce Village?"
"See for yourself! I've got all the raw ingredients here—I can even make it on the spot. You can inspect the tea leaves yourself!"
Victor, who had never sold anything before, explained from the heart. Yet the man shook his head. "Imports cost tens of thousands these days. I can't tell if these leaves are genuine or not, but at that low price, I don't dare drink it… Forget it."
"Wait! Don't go—how about I give you one for free?"
Hearing that, the man panicked, waved frantically, and ran off.
Victor stood there speechless. He'd carefully crafted his selling points—Qingce tea leaves and the pearls—to stand out from the flood of ordinary milk tea stalls. He thought even if "pearl milk tea" didn't sound attractive, surely Qingce's premium tea leaves would. Yet this was the result…?
"Buddy, no offense, but your bragging's way over the top. Anyone can see you're new around here. You tried to make a selling point, but it's too far from reality. Of course no one's buying!"
"You're right, old-timer… I'm new here, no experience. Here, take this cup on me."
The neighboring vendor didn't refuse. Before Victor could warn him, the man downed it in one go—only to choke.
"Cough! Cough! What's in this tea?!"
"Those are the pearls. Chewy and smooth—best to chew before swallowing."
"Mm… mmm! Wait—so this is chewy? Damn, this tea's the real deal! These pearls even taste like Sunsettia—you've recreated the fruit's fragrance! I thought you were just spouting marketing fluff. What do you call this drink?"
"…Pearl milk tea."
"Keep it up! You've got my support!!"
Though the first cup wasn't technically sold, it won recognition. A decent start, perhaps.
Abandoning the claim about Qingce tea leaves, Victor continued shouting:
"Milk tea! Pearl milk tea! Milk tea with handmade pearls—chewy, smooth, an experience like no other! First cup only 1,000 mora—step right up!"
Upon returning to Narukami, he had already consulted with Yae Miko.
Since the Raiden Shogun had emerged from her seclusion, she'd learned of the Sacred Sakura defense, and even acknowledged Hanachirusato's existence. As for him…Yae Miko had said the Shogun now understood he wasn't an enemy—but her impression of him was still firmly negative. At best, she'd stopped cutting him down on sight.
Thus, his long-planned "favorability improvement strategy" was set into motion. No wonder he'd studied milk tea brewing under Xiangling, and imported specialized equipment—though he hoped he wouldn't actually need them.
After all, clinging even to something as small as milk tea meant he was out of options…
And to make it worse, sales were poor.
Almost no one had heard of pearl milk tea. Few were willing to pay, and those who did simply walked around with their cup instead of drinking on the spot, wasting any chance for promotion.
No matter how hard Victor shouted, business stayed lukewarm. He was even considering hiring actors when, from afar, a girl dressed playfully, her aura full of whimsy, recognized him and came straight over.
"Milk tea? You're selling milk tea?"
"This isn't just any milk tea—it's pearl milk tea. Want a cup? I guarantee it'll surprise you."
"It certainly is surprising… Alright, I'll take ten cups."
"Ten? Only the first is half-price."
"You really don't remember me? Fair enough—let me introduce myself. I'm Seto Eri."
Victor's hand shook. Of course—the stockings looked familiar…
"Ahem… So, it's you. I remember—you're an illustrator at Yae Publishing, right? How about this: I won't charge you. Take them back to your colleagues and spread the word instead."
With targeted promotion, if the product was truly strong, word would spread fast.
"Oh, no need! I'm buying these to share with them anyway. Here's the mora. This little favor doesn't compare to the help you gave me—you mustn't refuse."
So, back to relying on Yae Publishing, huh.
Watching Seto's retreating figure, Victor sighed.
Yae Miko couldn't exactly order the Shogun to drink pearl milk tea, but she could help advertise it. And besides, Victor had other friends in the city. Perhaps this was a chance to reconnect.
About ten minutes later, the first wave of return customers arrived.
"Isn't that the actor Eri hired last time? How's he ended up selling milk tea now? Not only flawless in acting, but his milk tea's this original too—amazing!" praised Kuroda, an editor at Yae Publishing.
"He's the one who helped Eri win Lady Miko's 'Favorite Deadline Dodger of the Quarter' award?"
"A genius! 'The girl's soul trapped in a puppet, the hero braves countless trials, finally defeating the soul-twisting demon lord to save her'—such a story could be its own novel. No wonder Lady Miko praised it!"
"Stop, just stop…" Eri's ears burned red. She'd only bought tea on a whim, yet it really was delicious, fun, and unique. Her coworkers had been drawn in—and now she was being roasted in public.
Victor said nothing, focusing on brewing.
Then, under everyone's gaze, the entire stall suddenly vanished.
Before the staff of Yae Publishing could react, a squad of Tenryou Commission soldiers pushed through.
"Step aside! We've heard a newcomer is setting up shop here. Where are your permits? Vendor license? Sanitation clearance? Why haven't we received notice?"
At once, the staff of Yae Publishing—including Eri—fell silent, wearing strange expressions as they stared at the calm-faced Victor.
"Was there a stall here? Anyone?"
The stall was gone, after all.
Victor's gaze swept the "neighbors." Having seen his little trick, they now knew he wasn't ordinary. Whether out of fear or courtesy, none dared speak.
The Tenryou captain pushed forward. All he saw was an empty patch of ground, not a trace of a stall. Confused, he scanned the crowd. "Then what are you all doing here?"
"Chatting."
"Y-yeah, chatting!"
"Talking about a story of a hero rescuing a maiden!"
"…Strange." Getting no testimony, the captain fixed his eyes on Victor. "Never seen you in the city before. Show me your papers."
Unhurried, Victor produced the all-Narukami permit Ayato had given him. The soldiers, recognizing it, withdrew. With a flick of his hand, the vanished cart reappeared.
"…You're something else."
"It's just Liyue's adepti arts."
"All that fluff but you have no license?"
"…Too much trouble."
With the Sakoku Decree still active, foreigners needed piles of paperwork to set up a stall. Victor only had his Narukami-wide pass. It marked him as "special," but couldn't pass any bureaucratic checks.
That was why his original plan—to set up in the Upper City near the Shogun's Castle—was abandoned. His stall really was unlicensed, and with the Tenryou headquartered by the castle, he'd be chased off instantly.
After the staff of Yae Publishing dispersed, the neighboring vendor looked at him with newfound respect.
"Buddy, with skills like yours, you could make a killing at the docks as a porter. Why waste time selling tea here?"
"…not a bad idea old man. But I'm not really selling milk tea for money. I'm here to wait for someone."