Harlan Flint hurried back to Galehaven Comics, the cool night air of Mondstadt brushing against him as he reached the familiar back alley. He didn't go straight inside; instead, he paused, his senses alert, and looked sharply toward a shadowed corner near the shop's entrance.
"Come out—I know you're there," he called, his voice steady and firm, cutting through the stillness.
A cheerful giggle answered, followed by a blonde figure and a small floating companion emerging from the dark. Their shapes became clearer under the faint glow of a distant lantern. "Boss Harlan, good evening!" Lumine greeted, her tone sheepish as she rubbed the back of her neck with an awkward smile. Paimon floated beside her, waving a tiny hand, her usual energy dimmed by a flicker of unease at being caught.
Harlan's brow lifted slightly, surprise showing. "You two—shouldn't you be at Diluc's tavern by now?" In the game's storyline, Lumine and Wendy would have fled there after the Sky Lyre heist, not lingered near his shop like stray cats.
Lumine sighed, stepping closer as she began to explain, her golden eyes gleaming with a mix of pride and exasperation. She recounted their night—sneaking into the Favonius Cathedral with Wendy to steal the Sky Lyre, only to clash with a masked woman in a tense fight. Thanks to her Wind-Wind Fruit powers from One Piece, she had overpowered the enemy and claimed the lyre. The victory felt sweet until the noise of the fight drew the Knights' attention. Without her wind abilities—kept secret to avoid revealing herself—they had fled, splitting up when Amber and a blue-haired knight got close. "We shook them eventually, but now the city is swarming with patrols, and we have nowhere safe to stay," she finished, her shoulders slumping slightly.
Paimon nodded vigorously, her tiny fists clenched. "Yeah, it's a mess out there—too many Knights to avoid!" After discussing their options, they had decided on Galehaven Comics—a place of mystery and power, with Harlan as their best chance for refuge.
"Congrats on your new wanted status," Harlan quipped, a smirk on his lips as he crossed his arms.
Paimon puffed out her cheeks, stomping a foot in midair. "It's all that Songster's fault—Wendy tricked us into this!"
Lumine's face twisted in distress, her voice tinged with regret. "I just wanted to help with Stormterror, and now I'm a fugitive—how did it come to this?" She had vowed, after reading One Piece, to avoid Luffy's bounty-ridden fate—yet here she was, the irony stinging like a slap.
"Please, Boss Harlan, let us hide out here—just for tonight," Paimon pleaded, her eyes glistening with a pitiful shimmer. "We'll pay—ten thousand Mora each!" she added, clasping her hands as if begging for their lives.
Harlan remained silent, his gaze flickering between them with a faint, amused smile—he wasn't worried by the Knights' pursuit. Even if Lumine were a true criminal, not just a pawn in Wendy's Stormterror scheme, his shop's power made him untouchable. He waited, curious to see how high Paimon's desperate offer would go, her antics a small entertainment in the night.
"Twenty thousand Mora?" Paimon ventured, her voice rising as she tested the waters, glancing at him for a reaction. Harlan's expression didn't change, his silence a wall she couldn't break with her first increase. "Thirty thousand?" she tried again, her tone wavering as she shot Lumine a nervous look, hoping for backup. Still no response—Harlan's steady stare held, his grin teasing at the edges, encouraging her.
"Fifty thousand Mora!" Paimon blurted, then leaned in with a conspiratorial whisper. "I've got tons of cute Lumine clips on my camera—worth it, right?"
"Deal," Harlan agreed instantly, his tone crisp as he finally broke his silence, pocketing the offer with a nod. Not that he cared about Lumine's videos—heaven forbid—he would never look, purely taking pity on two stranded souls.
Lumine exhaled, relief washing over her as Paimon sagged, the tension draining from them. "That blasted bard—I'm billing him for this later," Paimon grumbled, her foot-stomping resuming with renewed vigor. A hundred thousand Mora—two comics' worth—wasted because of Wendy's scheming, a grudge she would hold for days.
Harlan collected their payment, then ushered them inside Galehaven Comics, the door creaking shut behind them with a soft thud. Paimon's eyes darted to the shelves, lighting up as she spotted new additions among the familiar books. "Boss, you've got new comics?!" she squeaked, zipping over to inspect the expanded lineup with childlike glee.
"Yep, five total now," Harlan confirmed, leaning against the counter as he watched her excitement.
"Yay, more comics to read!" Paimon cheered, only to deflate a second later, her joy extinguished by a grim realization. "But your one-book-a-day rule—ugh, so strict," she muttered, pouting at the limit that stopped her from binging.
"Pick any room upstairs except the middle one," Harlan said, gesturing toward the stairs with a casual wave.
Lumine nodded, her exhaustion evident as she tugged Paimon along, eager for rest after their chaotic night. Harlan retreated to his own room, leaving them to settle—he would need his energy for the shop's opening tomorrow. Lumine and Paimon chose a cozy side room, the soft quilts a clear upgrade from their usual wild campsites. "Wow, this bed's like a cloud—way better than sleeping on dirt!" Paimon exclaimed, flopping onto the covers with a happy roll.
"Sleep now," Lumine urged, her voice heavy—she had fought Stormterror at dawn, cleared temples by noon, and stolen the lyre at dusk. Whether she was a tool or not, her day had drained her, and she sank into sleep without a second thought, shaking off the weight.
Morning broke, and Harlan awoke to Paimon's eager face hovering nearby, her voice bubbling with impatience. "Boss, I wanna read comics!" She had endured a night of dodging Knights—surely a story was her reward for surviving such a difficult time.
"Paimon, back off—we've got to fix this mess first!" Lumine snapped, pulling her companion away with a scowl. Wanted posters were on her mind—staying to read could mean capture, dragging Harlan into their trouble too.
"Fine," Paimon relented, her shoulders drooping as the seriousness sank in, her comic dreams put on hold.
"We'll swing by later, Boss," Lumine promised, giving Harlan a tired but grateful glance.
"Go handle it," Harlan replied, nodding as he quickly ate breakfast with them—bread and jam, simple but filling. Lumine and Paimon quickly finished theirs, then darted off to find Wendy and sort out their Sky Lyre problem.
Harlan swung the shop door wide, settling behind the counter to await the day's influx; Jean's excitement would likely draw a crowd. The alley stirred soon after, footsteps echoing as new faces approached—his next wave of customers had arrived.