"Do you have that much money, Takagi?" Seele asked curiously.
"Even if Takagi has that much capital, we have no reason to make him pay for us, do we?" Serval shook her head and sighed.
"But what if we borrow it?" Natasha said with a light laugh.
Seele: "Borrow?"
"That's right." Natasha smiled lightly and looked at Takagi. "If Takagi can buy this planet and become our creditor, I think we will get enough time to breathe, and not have the future generations of this planet become workers for the IPC."
Serval raised an eyebrow and looked at Takagi with shining eyes. "That does seem to be a way. Working under Takagi should be much freer than working for the IPC."
Pela looked at Serval's appearance, and while marveling at her acting skills, she also said to Takagi: "Right, right, we can work for you. What do you think, Takagi?"
Takagi looked at Pela with interest and smiled. "I believe that Natasha and Serval will work for me. But as for you, that's not necessarily the case."
Pela wanted to speak, but Takagi began to calculate on his own. "Let me think, the interest rate for Belobog from the IPC is… let's say 10%. Over seven hundred years, assuming the interest rate remains at 10%, then the one credit point the IPC lent to Belobog becomes seven hundred years later…"
Pela: "10 to the 30th power!"
Hearing this, Takagi nodded and said: "You also have to add nineteen '0's and a '1' as the principal. In other words, there are 20 digits after that." He paused, then Takagi smiled and looked at Pela. "As expected of someone who works in intelligence, your math is excellent."
Pela: "Takagi, your math is also very good."
Takagi: "Thank you for the compliment! Speaking of which, how do you think a number with that many digits should even be read?"
Pela: "..."
Paimon: "One number, two numbers, three numbers… Lumine, how much money is that?"
Lumine: "An astronomical number!"
[Yanfei: This number is truly frightening.]
[Uncle Tian: It is indeed. If someone told me one day that Liyue owed so much money, I would probably die of a heart attack on the spot.]
[Ningguang: This is not all. The IPC cannot have only lent Belobog one credit point.]
[Pantalone: Moreover, the interest rate cannot be just a simple 10%. The number of Belobog's debt to the IPC... I probably can't even pronounce it.]
[Venti: Will Takagi take on this bill?]
[Zhongli: If Takagi is willing to take on this bill, he is probably richer than we imagined, or at least he has enough ability to make money.]
[Nahida: So, he didn't come to Teyvat as a tour guide for Mora?]
[Neuvillette: It should be! Currency like Mora should not be usable in the universe; the universal currency is Credits.]
"Natasha, help… help me up." Seele's mouth twitched as she looked at Natasha beside her.
"I'm also feeling a bit unsteady, Seele," Natasha said with a wry smile.
Beside them, Serval was even more direct. After a brief calculation, her legs immediately went soft. If Takagi hadn't reached out and held her arm, she would already be sitting on the ground.
"Takagi, can you... can you really come up with that much money?" Serval held Takagi's hand and asked hopefully.
Takagi looked at Serval, then at Seele and Natasha who were staring at him intently, and said with a slightly helpless tone: "Alright, stop looking at me like that. Once Belobog's current crisis is resolved, I will find a way to settle Belobog's debt with the IPC."
"That's great!" Serval cheered and immediately jumped up, holding onto Takagi's arm. Seele and Natasha also showed smiles on their faces.
"Don't get happy too soon, Serval. I won't just swallow such an astronomical bill for nothing. You'll have to pay me back slowly. Of course, with me, I won't charge you interest," Takagi said.
"That makes me feel relieved. So, let me reintroduce myself. I am Serval, specializing in mechanical work. Please take care of me from now on, Mr. Takagi." Serval smiled and extended her hand.
"You're getting into character a bit too quickly, Serval. I haven't bought Belobog yet." Although Takagi said this, he still shook her hand.
"Hehe, just getting used to it beforehand so I can get into character faster later. By the way, can you give me a higher salary? That way, I can also contribute more to Belobog's debt repayment," Serval said.
"That depends on your ability," Takagi laughed.
"I'm very capable, you can rest assured about that," Serval patted her chest confidently.
Takagi: "But you haven't saved much money."
Serval: "Uh! I... I just haven't been working very seriously. Believe me, I'll definitely get serious in the future."
Takagi smiled and patted Serval's shoulder, saying: "Alright, stop talking about that. This debt isn't something you can repay alone. Just live your life as you normally would. From now on, Belobog just needs to give me a portion of the money each year."
Hearing this, Serval's smile widened. In her joy, she walked much faster. Takagi, holding Pela, followed behind. He was silently calculating how to take Belobog from the IPC's hands.
Capturing wanted criminals... No! Even the bounty for top-tier wanted criminals like Kafka, Blade, and Silver Wolf is high, but it's still far from the debt Belobog owes. Indeed, I still have to start with Asta and Herta. If I could obtain something that Asta and Herta are interested in, I should be able to get enough funds from them. Or, help the Luofu Xianzhou deal with the Phantylia problem. If I can help the Xianzhou Alliance reduce some losses, Welt should also be willing to provide sufficient funds.
Alternatively, I could also become a hunter and capture some Doomsday Beasts or something to sell? It doesn't seem impossible. If I can take down the Doomsday Beast that appeared at Herta Space Station, I should be able to exchange it for a lot of money.
[Pantalone: Lord Takagi, are you calculating how to raise the wealth to buy Yarilo-VI? If Lord Takagi is interested, I can make a deal with you. Although Mora cannot be used in the universe, what I offer should be able to exchange for some Credits, right?]
[Ningguang: Lord Takagi can also come to Liyue to see if there are any items you need here. As long as you like it, I will do my best to help you get it.]
[Grand Sage Azar: The most valuable thing should be knowledge! Lord Takagi, I am willing to give you the knowledge of Sumeru in exchange for Credits; I only hope Lord Takagi can give me a train ticket.]
[Arataki Itto: That's too cunning, even though Jean and Klee were randomly selected as passengers!]
[Yae Miko: But there were also the Traveler and Paimon who were specifically chosen by Takagi.]
[Takagi: No need, it's difficult to exchange things from Teyvat for enough wealth.]
[Pantalone: What a pity.]
"Takagi, we are about to reach the Administrative District." Suddenly, Serval stopped and turned to Takagi. Upon hearing this, Pela immediately raised her head. In her opinion, although Serval was speaking to Takagi, she was actually reminding her.
"Okay, everyone stay close to me." After Takagi finished speaking, he immediately activated Seele's template talent, the invisibility skill. A stream of azure light spread out centered on Takagi, quickly enveloping everyone present.
"This light circle is the invisibility barrier. As long as you don't step out of here, people outside won't be able to see us. Similarly, they won't be able to hear our voices either. Let's go, everyone," Takagi explained and was the first to step forward.
Everyone followed closely. Soon, a group of Silvermane Guards guarding the entrance to the Edge of Passage appeared. Lumine, Paimon, and the others were nervous. But seeing Takagi's calm expression, they followed him forward. Just as everyone approached the Silvermane Guards, Pela suddenly shouted: "Silvermane Guards, quick, catch them!"
Jean, Lumine, and Barbara tensed up and subconsciously drew their weapons, pointing them at the guards. However, the Silvermane Guards, who were less than a meter away, didn't even look in their direction.
"Ho... how could this be?!" Pela's eyes widened.
"Clearly, Takagi wasn't lying earlier. His invisibility ability is indeed outstanding. Not only can he make us invisible, but he can also cut off sound," Seele said with great emotion.
Takagi: "Are you convinced, Seele?"
Seele: "Yes! I'm convinced, and I owe you another bet."
Takagi: "You're quite open about it."
Seele: "Anyway, after you buy this planet, I'll become your employee too, so bets don't matter."
Takagi nodded and looked at Pela in his hand with interest again. "So, are you convinced, Pela?" Pela mechanically turned her head and looked at the smirking Takagi in terror.
"Lumine, do me a favor." Takagi picked Pela up horizontally and looked at Lumine.
Lumine: "What do you want to do?"
Takagi: "Little Pela did something wrong, so she needs to be punished. Help her take off those ruler-marked stockings."
Lumine was startled at first, then showed an extremely mischievous smile. "Very happy to help." As she spoke, Lumine had already reached out to Pela.
"No, don't! Serval, save me!" Pela shouted anxiously.
Serval: "..."
"Hehe, even if you scream your lungs out, no one will come to help you," Lumine said excitedly.
Jean: "..."
Barbara: "..."
Paimon: "...So this is how you are, Traveler."
Takagi said admiringly: "As expected of Lumine, truly mischievous enough."
Lumine: "As expected of Takagi, he saw through me at a glance."
Takagi: "Conceded!"
Lumine: "Conceded! By the way, after these stockings are taken off, do they belong to you or me?"
Takagi: "..."
[Aether: Covers head!]
[Lisa: So this is how the Traveler is.]
[Yae Miko: The Traveler is indeed interesting, but Takagi is even more interesting.]
[Navia: Are you referring to Takagi planning to take off Pela's stockings?]
[Yae Miko: The matter of taking off stockings is indeed concerning, but what's more concerning is the talent for invisibility that Takagi has shown.]
[Yelan: Invisible and soundproof... if he wanted to sneak into somewhere to steal treasures or information, it should be very easy, right?]
[Yae Miko: I hope Takagi won't use this ability to steal the stockings of Teyvat's girls.]
[Lynette: !!!]
[Furina: If he dares to do such a thing, I will judge him!]
[Neuvillette: Watch your words! Takagi never said he would steal private items from Teyvat women, and regarding Pela, he was just giving a slight punishment.]
[Arlecchino: The most troublesome aspect of Takagi's ability is probably that even when Takagi is in Teyvat in the future, if he doesn't want to meet us, we probably won't be able to see him.]
[Yelan: As long as one sincerely befriends Takagi, they should still be able to see him. I'm quite curious whether Takagi's power of invisibility is a power brought by the Path.]
[Ningguang: Regarding this point, we probably have to wait for Takagi's future explanation.]
Belobog. Administrative District.
Near the entrance of Qlipoth Fort.
Takagi, Serval, and others, still in an invisible state, gathered here. If you were to say who was missing, it would be the Pela whom Takagi deliberately let go.
"Takagi, is it really okay to just let Pela leave like this? She will definitely tell Cocolia what she heard earlier," Serval looked at the entrance ahead and said worriedly.
"It's okay, I want the Supreme Guardian to know. If Cocolia can learn through Pela that an outsider has arrived on this planet, she should be able to reveal her true colors more easily." Takagi smiled.
After leaving the Edge of Passage, Takagi told Pela that he was not from the Underworld but was an outsider. He believed that Pela would definitely inform Cocolia about these matters, as well as the debt issue he mentioned earlier, even if Pela didn't believe what Takagi said.
"Moreover, I also want to see what kind of expression Cocolia will have after knowing that Belobog owes the IPC such a huge debt." Takagi said.
"Cocolia's expression?" Serval frowned.
"Serval, don't you think this is an opportunity to prove her feelings for Belobog? If she still cares about Belobog, and about the lives of the people, at least she would show expressions like surprise, doubt, or worry about this debt." Takagi said.
"But if she just looks indifferent, that means she doesn't care about Belobog at all. And that means... she has been corrupted by the Stellaron." Serval looked ahead and spoke with a very complex tone.
"Calculating the time, it should be about right. Let's go in and take a look too." Takagi patted Serval's shoulder and pointed to the Qlipoth Fort gate.
"Indeed!" Serval took a deep breath and stepped forward with Takagi, Natasha, and others.
[Ningguang: Can we finally meet the highest authority of Belobog?]
[Eula: What kind of person would issue such an order to seal off the Underworld!]
[Albedo: Does the Stellaron possess the power to corrupt people's hearts... are we about to witness it?]
[Sangonomiya Kokomi: Regarding the people in the Underworld... I really can't help but empathize.]
[Kujou Sara: Hmm? Are you implying the Shogun's Sakoku Decree?]
[Sangonomiya Kokomi: After seeing the lives of the people in the Underworld, can you still say that the Sakoku Decree and the Vision Hunt Decree were the right choices?]
[Kujou Sara: Don't lump Inazuma and the Belobog Underworld together. The Shogun pursues Eternity and will never let Inazuma become like the Underworld.]
[Yae Miko: I'm just afraid things won't go as planned and will backfire.]
[Arataki Itto: Could it be that, just like the Supreme Guardian of Belobog, she was actually corrupted by something similar to a Stellaron?]
[Kujou Sara: Presumptuous! How could the Shogun be corrupted!]