Port Ormos
Under Luo Qing’s time-efficient, full-speed travel, it took exactly a day to arrive at Port Ormos.
As Sumeru’s largest port, Port Ormos handled all sea trade connected to Sumeru, making it a hub bustling with foreign merchants—far more than the city of Sumeru itself.
However, due to the port’s distance from Sumeru City, its law enforcement was notoriously lax.
Mercenaries often gathered to stir up trouble, and smuggling was a common occurrence. Among the smuggled goods, the canned knowledge unique to Sumeru—capable of granting instant expertise—was a highly sought-after commodity.
Luo Qing wasn’t here to investigate the smuggling of canned knowledge to its roots; he simply wanted to understand what it was used for and whether he could produce some himself.
By the time the two arrived at Port Ormos, it was already noon.
Under Theresa’s insistence, Luo Qing begrudgingly rented just a single room for their overnight stay.
After lunch, Luo Qing glanced at the bustling docks and suddenly thought of a certain short-haired, lavender-haired little girl with a shrewd, merchant-like grin. Turning to Theresa, he ordered:
“Go take a look over there. If you spot a short-haired little girl with lavender hair and glasses, come back and find me.”
“Ah?”
Theresa blinked, looking a little confused.
“My lord… do you mean an underage little girl?”
“Probably. Why?”
“My lord, interacting with minors in this way… that’s illegal in Snezhnaya…” Theresa muttered hesitantly.
“…?”
“What’s in that brain of yours besides inappropriate thoughts?”
Luo Qing flicked her forehead.
“I’m heading this way. If you see her, report back to me.”
“Understood, my lord.”
Theresa held her forehead, her shoulders drooping in a mix of embarrassment and slight hurt, as she trudged off in the opposite direction.
So, my lord brought me along to work…
She had thought…
Maybe…
After a few days, if they skipped protection…
There might’ve been a chance to conceive…
—
Elsewhere
Luo Qing had no idea what was running through Theresa’s mind.
Relying on his memories of the game, he headed toward the spot where Dori had once conned Lumine into buying canned knowledge.
But the real Teyvat was vastly different from the game world, and Port Ormos, apart from its bridge, lacked any other distinct landmarks.
After wandering for a while without encountering the lavender-haired merchant, Luo Qing debated whether to meet up with Theresa to check her findings.
Then, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed something in a dark alley.
A lavender-haired little girl was rubbing her hands together, talking with a burly man in the shadows—a sight that easily aroused suspicion.
Sensing someone watching, the lavender-haired girl locked eyes with Luo Qing.
That one glance seemed to freeze time.
“Not good! Law enforcement! Scatter!”
Before Luo Qing could react, the girl shouted, ditching the burly man and sprinting into the depths of the alley.
“Huh?”
Luo Qing was momentarily dumbfounded.
Why is she running so fast? Do I really look like law enforcement?
Glancing down, he suddenly realized.
Damn it.
He was still wearing his wind discipline officer’s uniform.
“No wonder…”
—
Meanwhile
Dori’s instincts told her that a wind officer had spotted her. Despite the suddenness, she didn’t panic. Following her pre-planned escape route, she darted into narrow passages where only she could squeeze through, confident no adult could follow.
After running for a while, she stopped, noticing no one was pursuing her.
“Phew… that was exhausting…”
Wiping sweat from her forehead, she muttered to herself, “How was I exposed? My backup routes should still be secure…”
Just as she contemplated whether to investigate who had betrayed her, a male voice sounded behind her.
“So, you’re the one selling canned knowledge?”
“Hmm??!”
Dori spun around, startled, only to find the uniformed man somehow standing behind her.
“When did you…?!”
“Answer my question first. You’re the one selling canned knowledge, right?”
Luo Qing’s tone was calm. Since she had already mistaken him for a law officer, he figured he might as well play along.
“Uh… well…”
Smuggling canned knowledge was illegal. If caught, she’d have to surrender all her earnings and pay a hefty fine on top of that. For someone like Dori, whose sole life goal was to amass wealth, losing money was worse than death.
“That… big brother, I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she said in a coy voice, pretending to fidget shyly. “I’m just selling fruit…”
“…”
Luo Qing was speechless.
Why does she seem so… eccentric?
“Answer properly, or I’ll take you in.”
“Okay, okay…”
Seeing her act exposed, Dori dropped her pretense. Folding her arms, she said flatly:
“Name your price. How much to let me go?”
“And if I name one, will you actually pay it?”
“…”
[Dori’s Frustration +1]
Why does he seem to know me so well?!
“Don’t worry. I’m not here to arrest you.”
Luo Qing’s tone softened. “Do you have any canned knowledge left in stock?”
“Eh?”
Dori blinked in surprise.
So he’s here to buy canned knowledge? Then why did I even bother running…
“You’re not baiting me, are you?” she asked, leaning back tactically.
“Why would I?”
“Hmm, fair point…”
In this shadowy alley, with just the two of them…
If Luo Qing wanted to do anything to her, he wouldn’t need to sweet-talk her first. He could’ve just taken action.
“Oh, you should’ve said so earlier, customer!”
Dori’s expression shifted back to the shrewd merchant he had expected.
Rubbing her hands together, she cheerfully presented a list.
“Lucky you, I just got a new batch in! Here’s the catalog. Anything catch your eye? Spend over a million mora and I’ll give you a 10% discount~!”
To Dori, business was business, even if the client was law enforcement.
“These…”
Luo Qing scanned the list. Titles like Fishing: From Beginner to Expert, Mastering Fried Rice, and The Art of Being a Scumbag left him unimpressed.
“This is it?”
“Not what you’re looking for?”
Dori’s smile didn’t falter. “No problem, I’ve got something more… impressive.”
She pulled out another list from her bag.
“Let’s see… 100 Ways to Win a Rich Lady’s Heart, Steel Wool Applications…”
“You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?”
“Ahem… customer, the content of canned knowledge isn’t something I can control! Just tell me what you want, and I’ll keep an eye out for it. Don’t worry, I won’t even charge you a high finder’s fee~!”
“No need.”
Luo Qing shook his head.
“Do you have the device to produce canned knowledge?”
“The device?”
Dori leaned back again, this time more cautiously.
“Customer, that comes at a whole different price~.”
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