The previously bustling street suddenly fell silent.
Everyone turned to look at Acting Grand Master Jean and Lisa. None of them understood why the owner of a comic shop would be awarded the title of Lifetime Honorary Knight. In Mondstadt, this title was extremely rare.
"You are all confused, right? Why would Boss Su become an Honorary Knight of Mondstadt? The answer is very simple. Yesterday, our guardian dragon Mr. Dvalin went on a rampage due to an accident. It was Mr. Su Han who risked his life to stop him."
Upon hearing this, the citizens were shocked. Just yesterday, they had been guessing why Dvalin left so quickly. So it was because Boss Su took action. No wonder Acting Grand Master Jean personally came to thank him. This was an honor he deserved.
Inside the shop, Noelle was stunned. She had assumed the comic shop owner was just an ordinary businessman, yet she never imagined his strength to be so terrifying.
Suddenly, the girl remembered something. She was always failing higher-level commissions due to insufficient strength. If she worked hard, maybe she could ask the shop owner for guidance during her free time.
After all, he was someone capable of fighting a dragon head on.
Meanwhile, Su Han was being shaken awake by Hu Tao as he tried to sleep in.
"Hey, wake up, something big happened outside."
"Hm? Did the comics run out?"
Su Han yawned as he sat up. He still looked extremely sleepy. He had been busy all night outside and only returned at dawn to rest.
Hu Tao dragged him to the window and pointed outside. "The Acting Grand Master is awarding you a Lifetime Honorary Knight medal. Hurry, wash your face and get out there."
"Huh? A Lifetime Honorary Knight? Me?"
Su Han was dumbfounded. Wasn't this something that should have gone to Lumine? What did it have to do with him? But when he followed Hu Tao's finger and looked down at the street, he indeed saw Jean and Lisa among the crowd, along with that plain yet solemn Honorary Knight medal.
This wave truly was Lumine losing her honorary title, but Su Han insisted he had nothing to do with it.
Hu Tao urged in a whisper, "Su Han, hurry down before they get impatient. Otherwise Mondstadt will think we are rude."
"Alright. Wait here."
Su Han rushed to wash his face, then hurried downstairs. The crowd automatically parted to make a path for him.
Jean smiled as she handed him the medal. "Thank you for your hard work yesterday, Su Han. This is a gift from our entire Knights of Favonius. Please accept it. From now on, no matter where you are, as long as you show this medal, any knight who sees it will help you."
"Then thank you for the honor. Please, come inside."
"This honor is well deserved. No need to be modest. Since we are here, of course we will have a cup of tea. Come, Lisa."
"No problem."
Jean and Lisa entered the store, and upon stepping onto the first floor, they were immediately stunned by the massive comic mural on the wall. The entire wall displayed the scenery of Tu Shan. Peach blossoms everywhere, fox spirits everywhere, and paired with the faint aroma in the air, the atmosphere was perfect.
"Is this magic? Su Han, how did you do this?"
The store had not looked like this yesterday. Yet after just one night, it had transformed into an entirely different building. It was unbelievable.
Seeing Jean's shocked expression, Su Han explained, "It is simple. I printed large, sturdy comic panels and attached them to the walls. The only difficult part was the layout and environmental design. Thankfully, Mondstadt has plenty of flowers, so it saved me a lot of effort."
It sounded easy, but remodeling the entire shop was not a small project.
When they went upstairs, Hu Tao had already prepared tea. She had also folded Su Han's blanket.
"Come, try the tea made by this Hall Master. This is my special brew. You cannot buy it anywhere. If not for today being a joyous occasion, I would not have been willing to take it out."
"Oh? I heard some teas from Liyue are very famous. Could this be one of them? Lisa, try some too."
Jean picked up her cup, but then she saw Su Han frantically winking at her and shaking his head, clearly warning her not to drink it. But Hu Tao was Su Han's friend. Could something be wrong with the tea?
Jean could not figure it out. Yet Hu Tao had offered so sincerely that refusing felt rude. So Jean took a tiny sip, and the moment she swallowed, her expression collapsed.
"Pff cough cough what is this taste? So bitter… so astringent… and why does it taste like Sweet Flowers?"
Jean swore she had never tasted anything so chaotic. Sour, sweet, bitter, astringent, spicy… It was practically an alchemical potion.
Su Han revealed an expression of complete inevitability. Seeing the tea sprayed all over the table, he calmly picked up a cloth and began wiping with practiced skill. Do not ask why. Experience.
Hu Tao looked confused. "Is it that bad? I added Sweet Flowers and Windwheel Asters and the finest tea leaves from Qingce Village. It should not taste bad."
Saying that, Hu Tao raised her own cup and finished the rest in one gulp. Lisa sensed disaster and immediately leapt to the side. A second later, a jet of tea sprayed across the spot where she had just been sitting.
If she had not dodged, her clothes would have been soaked.
"Ugh, why does it taste so weird? It is worse than medicinal herbs."
Hu Tao stuck out her tongue in despair.
Lisa asked, puzzled, "Is she always like this?"
Su Han rinsed the cloth and said, "Yes. The Hall Master is eccentric. She often experiments with strange drinks and food. I remember last month she invented a dish called March of the Departed. The test-taster at the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor took one bite and lost his sense of taste for half a month."
"Hiss. Good thing I did not drink it."
Lisa felt immense relief for trusting Su Han's silent warning. If she had taken a sip, she would not need to eat for three days.
Jean looked miserable. If she had known, what face was she trying to save? She should have made any excuse and declined.
After failing her new tea experiment, Hu Tao did not lose motivation. Instead, she left to gather more ingredients. This time she planned to add Small Lamp Grass, Wolfhooks, and Valberries. Once she became interested in something, no one could stop her.
Su Han poured fresh tea for the three and asked, "Still no news from the snowy mountain? A whole night has passed."
"Not yet. Honestly, we are waiting for news as well."
Just as Jean finished speaking, hurried footsteps sounded outside.
Moments later, the door opened and a young knight rushed in, panicked. "Acting Grand Master Jean, the investigation team sent to the snowy mountain has been missing the entire night. The front line is requesting immediate support."
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