46 Blackmai... Contract with Childe

"Isn't that guy the Fatui Diplomat staying in Liyue Harbor recently?" Said a person outside. And together with him, four other people were taking a look inside.

Of course, the five of them are customers of the shop that are here to buy the next chapter of their favorite manga. Such mangas are Re:Zero, The Avatar, and the new manga that Igarashi is about to release in Liyue Harbor, Violet Evergarden.

As for the reason they were all outside, they didn't want to disturb what was happening inside. They saw the infamous Wangsheng Funeral Parlor which has a weird advertisement, The knowledgeable Mr. Zhongli, the second son of the leader of the Feiyun Commerce Guild, an adept exorcist, the famous chef Xiangling, and finally, a Fatui Diplomat.

"Yeah, but why is he here?" Replied another person

"How would I know? Maybe cause trouble like the rest of the Fatui..."

"You're probably right..."

It was no secret from the public how the Fatui organization works. They are quite infamous for their forceful diplomacy and shady actions. But because Snezhnaya is a powerful country, both economically and military, the rest of the 7 nations have no choice but to accept them in their land.

The customers outside continued watching until they finally saw Hu Tao and Childe bickering but were interrupted by Igarashi holding up a black box.

"What's boss Yunru doing?"

"He seems to be... Showing off an item?"

"What is it? Does anyone here know?"

"Nope"

"Nah"

"No."

"No idea."

All of them replied. And by the way, their number increased to nine, which may or may not be attracting some weird stares from some people outside.

However, their responses were interrupted when they heard music playing inside. They all stopped talking and listened closely.

"This is... A song?"

"Who or what is "Snezhnaya's greatest love machine...?" Is this a song from Snezhnaya?"

"How bizarre..."

Then, they saw Childe showing frustration when the music played.

"Oh! The Fatui Diplomat seems to be agitated!

The rest of them looked through the glass windows and the glass door to see and also saw Childe trying to snatch away the black box from Igarashi.

"Hey, you! Stop what you're doing! I have never sang any of that!" They all heard Childe say out loud.

"Huh? Is he the one that sang it?" Asked one of the girls

Another person suddenly had a realization. "Oh wait... Did you hear his voice just now?! It was the same as the person singing!"

"Oh, you're right!"

"So it really is him?"

"He's Snezhnaya's greatest love machine?" Blushed one of the girls.

"Tar Tar Taglia... It seems like that's his name!"

"So his name is TarTarTarTaglia..."

"It's Tartaglia, idiot."

"Oh."

All of them looked at the flustered Childe and, for a moment, the nine of them had a collective thought.

'Heh.' All of them thought at the same time with a smirk.

* * *

Inside the shop.

Childe, who was openly embarrassed in front of many people, both inside and outside the shop, was really infuriated.

Oh, and the song is still ongoing.

He then grabbed Igarashi's shoulder and showed a polite 'smile'.

"I greatly advise you to stop that." He said.

Hearing this answer, Igarashi just smirked. "And if I don't?"

'As long as Zhongli is here, you won't do anything drastic, would you now?' Igarashi secretly thought.

Hearing Igarashi's reply, Childe realized that it was the same reply he said earlier and his eye twitched. He stopped touching Igarashi's shoulder and exhaled.

"Alright. How about this, then? You stop playing that song and I'll pay you some money. A good deal, isn't it?" He said, trying to bribe Igarashi instead of fighting.

"Hmm..." Igarashi hummed, temporarily stopping the song.

"That was... a great song?" Zhongli said at the back. He enjoyed the song but found it odd as to why the center if it is Childe.

"I didn't think that the Fatui had such a great singer..." Xiangling said.

"Pft haha... I know, right? What do you think about it, Chongyun?" Chuckled Xingqiu

"Uhmm..." Chongyun hummed and nodded.

Hearing their comments when the song ended, Childe fumed even more. But as a Fatui Harbinger, he has experience in controlling his emotion and facial features, thus making it seem like he was just annoyed outside.

Finally, after a few seconds of thinking, Igarashi made up his mind. "Alright then, how about you buy my manga?"

"Huh?" Childe was dumbfounded by his answer. Who would refuse free money just to sell a product? He thought.

"Is the manga you're saying... The books here?" He said as he glanced at the bookshelf at the back.

"Yup. And if possible, can you spread word to your Fatui buddies too? A positive recommendation, if possible too." Igarashi explained.

Hearing such a bizarre reply, Childe chuckled in amusement. "Haha, alright. I can do something like this without a problem."

He then looked at the black box in Igarashi's hand and said. "And about that..."

"Phone. It's a phone." Igarashi said. 'Technically, it's just a video player and audio player that looks like a phone... But I think it's fine...'

Childe nodded. "Erm, yes, that phone. Regarding the song..."

"Ah, don't worry. I abide by my contracts. I'll make sure to not play the video anymore as long as you do your part of the deal." Igarashi said, smiling. However, behind that fake smile, a hidden thought was present. 'But that doesn't mean I won't create other memories of Griffin Burns' shenanigans using your voice...'

At this moment, Zhongli's voice was heard. Even though he's at the back of the room which is the closest to the door, he was still heard. "Then with the rest of us here as a witness, the contract between the two of you has been established."

"A contract is a sacred agreement between two parties. As someone who values tradition, I advise the two of you to abide by your contract or face the wrath of stone." Zhongli added.

"We will..." Igarashi and Childe synchronously said.

The two of them shook hands and business soon went on.

Zhongli bought The Avatar, seemingly found it amusing if there are only four elements in the world. Of course, Childe paid for it.

Childe bough Re:Zero. He bought it because he heard from Xingqiu that it is full of Gore. At first, he didn't want to buy any, but with the addition of Xingqiu's description, he found it interesting and bought it.

Then, Igarashi remembered something. "Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you all. A branch of our shop recently opened in Mondstadt."

"So if any of you decide to visit there, make sure to drop by the Manga Shop there. Someone I'm close with operates the shop there." He added.

"Wait, really?!" Xiangling said. "I was just about to go to Mondstadt to gather boar meat! I'll make sure to visit the manga shoo there, Boss Yunru!"

"Ro ♪ Ro ♪ Ro ♪" Gouba excitedly said.

'Well he's excited...' Zhongli thought, looking at his old friend, the former God of the Stove, Marchosius. Now known as the adorable little Panda Bear, Gouba.

Hearing Xiangling's reply, Igarashi nodded with a smile. "Thank you. Due to some circumstances, some mangas will be released early there before here... So your decision is good."

"What?! If so, then I should visit Mondstadt soon..." Xingqiu said.

"That's a long journey though..." Chongyun said as he licked a popsicle.

"Oh... Oh yeah..." Xingqiu said as he sat down again.

Igarashi smiled at this interaction and decided to show his new manga. He then took out Violet Evergarden and presented it in front of them. "Here's our new work. It's Mondstadt-themed and focuses on a girl finding out the true meaning behind the words of the person she cared deeply for meaning."

"Oh! A new one, huh? Is it wholesome, Boss Yunru?" Xingqiu said.

Igarashi just gave him a kind smile and slightly tilted his head. "Go find out yourself."

"???" Xingqiu was dumbfounded by his answer.

Just then, he remembered the same smile Igarashi showed when they were introduced to Re:Zero. Realizing the smile, Xingqiu's eyes contracted. 'Oh no...'

'The curiosity and emotional impact... I want to know what it is!' His bookworm side is controlling him. In the end, he decided to buy a copy.

Xingqiu then proceeded to read the manga along with Zhongli and Childe. As for Chongyun and Xiangling, they were still picking what to read.

Just then, Igarashi found something off. He looked around and counted them. "Where is... Hu Tao?!" He blurted out loud.

'Did she find the guardian ghost?!'

* * *

Meanwhile, on the second floor, Hu Tao was surveying the room while an unusually tall man wearing a dark suit that had no face is sitting on his thighs on the floor, the opposite side of her.

"Yom~ Yom~ Yom~ Yom~" She muttered as she looked around.

She then looked at the Slender Man.

"I see~ so you protect this place, huh?" Hu Tao said while holding her Staff of Homa.

The slender man solely nodded his head and confirmed what she said without saying anything.

It seems like the two of them are gonna have a long talk.