They slowed as they approached, the structure rising tall above the surrounding land. A few people nearby turned their heads as they rode in, their attention caught immediately by the bikes.
The looks were hard to miss. Some were Curious. Some Confused. Some just straight up staring like they were trying to figure out what they were even looking at.
Keqing simply guided her bike toward the lift, stepping off and wheeling it forward like this was just another normal stop. Henry followed, doing the same as they positioned the bikes onto the platform.
As it carried them upward, the movement drew even more attention from those below. A couple of people below actually walked closer to get a better look, craning their necks as the platform rose.
On reaching the top, they approached a woman sitting at the receptionist desk. She looked slightly startled, clearly pulled out of whatever she was reading, her attention snapping up at their sudden arrival. For a second she just stared, caught off guard, before her expression shifted the moment she recognized Keqing.
"Lady Keqing," the woman greeted, straightening slightly.
Keqing gave a small nod in return. "We'll be stopping for a meal, Mrs. Verr."
"Of course."
Her gaze flicked briefly toward the bikes, then back again, though this time she didn't hide the curiosity.
"Lady Keqing, if I may ask… what are you holding?"
Keqing answered without missing a beat. "These are a faster and new mode of transport made by the gentleman beside me."
She gestured toward Henry.
"Oh." Verr's eyes widened slightly, the surprise clear on her face as she looked at him properly this time.
Henry stepped forward, giving a small nod. "I'm Henry, I own Swift Bikes."
He rested a hand lightly on the handle of one of them.
"I'll be introducing these across Liyue soon. You'll get a chance to try one eventually."
"Oh—that's great!" Verr replied, then seemed to realize a second later that she'd kept them standing there for too long.
So she quickly gestured them inside. "Pardon my curiosity. Please, come in and have a seat."
They settled at a table near the edge, the open view stretching out beyond the inn. The height made the air feel a little cooler, the breeze steady, carrying the scent of food from the kitchen.
The dishes arrived not long after—simple, well-prepared, the kind that didn't try too hard but still hit right, with a noticeable spice that lingered after the first bite.
Henry leaned back slightly as he ate, his gaze drifting across the room, and then he noticed it.
A familiar short figure sat alone in the corner, hunched slightly over a bowl of tofu. He didn't look around or react to anything happening nearby, just focused on his food like the rest of the room didn't exist—like a true introvert.
Henry paused mid-bite as he stared at the figure.
"Isn't that—"
Keqing said, following his gaze, "That is Adeptus Xiao. One of the adepti who guards Liyue for Rex Lapis."
Henry glanced back again, a bit more carefully this time.
"Oh, so the adepti guard Liyue for the Geo Archon—you called him Rex Lapis, Right?"
"Mm-hmm," Keqing replied.
He looked back at Keqing. "You've been here a lot, haven't you?"
"More than I can count," Keqing replied. "It's a convenient stop. The only proper one along this route."
Henry blinked.
"Wait—the only inn?"
"Well, yes," she said. "Some smaller settlements along the way offer spare rooms or meals to travelers, but those aren't consistent. This is the only established inn."
Henry sat back slightly, processing that—only one across an entire route like this.
A slow grin spread across his face as the idea started forming properly.
"I could build restaurants, B & B inns in between regions. These are perfect business ideas for earning a lot in Teyvat."
Henry stopped his pondering as he finished the meal with Keqing, since they still had to reach Liyue City.
They didn't linger longer than necessary and were back on the road.
The terrain shifted again as they approached Liyue City, the road gradually becoming steeper. The climb wasn't brutal, but it wasn't light either, forcing them to pedal harder as they went up.
"We're close," Keqing said as they neared the peak.
The path finally leveled out as they reached the top.
Henry slowed slightly as the view opened up in front of them.
Liyue Harbor stretched out below, the entire city layered across the landscape—similar to what he remembered from in-game. The harbor was lined with ships, and the whole city was lit with lanterns since it was evening.
Henry felt a wave of nostalgia settle in his chest as he looked at the scenery before him.
[New Mission Assigned]
Henry nearly paused mid-step as the familiar translucent panel appeared before him again.
━━━━━━━━━━
Mission: Sell 300 Swift Bikes in Liyue Harbor.
Reward: Instant Teleportation
━━━━━━━━━━
Henry's eyes immediately widened.
"…Now that, is actually a ridiculously useful reward."
Forget combat abilities and flashy powers.
Being able to teleport instantly between locations would completely change everything for both his own safety and his businesses once they started expanding further across Teyvat.
---
Goal::100 Powerstones
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