Legacy | Genshin I. |

Chapter VIII: Act XV

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Getting Passed the Rounds
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"Unlike the peddlers who hawk inferior Knowledge Capsules, she often has quality goods in stock. Some say that as long as there is profit to be made, there is nothing she won't dare to sell. She is guarded against people from the Akademiya because most of her wares don't comply with Akademiya regulations. I think she blacklisted me. I met with her informant, but it soon became clear that they had no intention of letting me get any further. Become one of Dori's customers and earn her trust. This is my condition for further collaboration," Alhaitham states.

Paimon tilted her head. "Why do you want us to meet her?" She asked.

"Until you complete this task, you don't have question privileges," Alhaitham replied.

A soft groan of disappointment left Paimon's lips. "Uh... Fine. So how do we go about doing this?" She questioned.

Alhaitham looked at the group of four in front of him. "You four are outlanders who haven't been here for long, so Dori should view you as "safe" clients. I'll give you the informant's address and their contact password. Beyond the password, though, I have no way of knowing what other tricks she might have up her sleeve. You'll have to improvise.

Paimon rubbed the back of her neck. "Aah, this is kinda nerve-wracking..."

"The true challenge begins after you meet her. She has a keen nose for mora and a shrewd eye for wares, and she only likes customers who she deems to have a good taste. I'll prepare some funds for you. But her highest quality wares and earn her approval," Alhaitham explained.

"But we only just saw a Knowledge Capsule for the first time! We don't know how to tell which ones are good and which ones are bad. Uh... is that something we can learn quickly?" Paimon points out.

Alhaitham nodded his head, realizing that Paimon made a good point. "Hm, that's true... Have you four heard of Elemental Sight?" He asked.

Aether nodded his head. "I can use it," he piped in.

Alhaitham raised a brow of interest. "Oh? That's a surprise. Guess I'll have to hold you in higher regard. Anyway, that ability should resolve your issue," he says before pulling out another capsule, "Here are two Knowledge Capsules. Tell me, can you detect any difference in their quality?" He asked.

Paimon squinted her eyes as she stared at the two items that looked the same.

"Umm... They look the same to Paimon," Paimon answered.

"Try inspecting them with Elemental Sight," Alhaitham ordered.

Aether's eyes turned into a light pastel shade of green for a few moments, before turning back to their original golden hues.

"How'd it go? Did ya see anything?" Paimon asked as she turned to Aether.

"The one on the left shines brighter," Aether finally says.

(F/n) blinked as they stared down at the Knowledge Capsules in disgust, wishing that they were never created for the things they were currently being forced into.

Dark blue eyes lifted as their owner gazed at the figure beside them.

The feline could see the blank but longing look on (Y/n)'s face, causing them to frown a little.

'Don't you worry... (N/n). You'll get your memories back sooner or later.' They thought with a slight shake of their head.

"Rumor has it that higher-quality Knowledge Capsules generally appear brighter when viewed through Elemental Sight. That's because knowledge originates from Irminsul, the root of Dendro power itself. The more powerful the knowledge, the richer it is in Dendro energy. However, some Canned Knowledge with a high concentration of Elemental Energy is of little use in contemporary times, so those capsules are of little value. Using Elemental Sight is merely a stop-gap measure, but it should suffice for earning Dori's trust," Alhaitham states.

Paimon hummed. "That sounds pretty impressive..." She mumbled.

Alhaitham handed over a single slip of paper that had words on it and a bag filled with mora. "Here's a sheet with the informant's location and contact password, and here is the mora for purchasing Canned Knowledge. Don't be cheap. You'll need to spend to catch Dori's eye. If there's any mora left over, just keep it. Oh, and be sure to exercise some caution. There have been matra present in Port Ormos lately. Your efforts will be for naught if they catch you," he says.

"Matra?" Paimon repeated in confusion.

(F/n) bit back a giggle as they side-eyed (Y/n)'s tall figure.

'Looks like your fictional boyfriend is about to show up later. Aah, I always loved teasing Asmodeus about Cyno back when we lived on Earth until our teenage years.' (F/n) mused, a small smile dancing upon their lips.

(Y/n) sweatdropped as he realized that (F/n) was staring at him.

"They belong to the Akademiya's regulatory body. They also handle cases of illegal Canned Knowledge transactions. Like I said, the Akademiya has banned both their trade and possession. The matra are razor-sharp – you're in for nothing good if they lock their sights onto you. If you four want to back out, now's the time," Alhaitham states.

"We're willing to take that risk," Aether answered.

Alhaitham nodded his head. "Okay, then we have a deal. If you succeed in your dealings with Dori, come find me at the Wikala Funduq. We'll have an open discussion then."

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"Hello, what are you four looking to buy?" A figure asked, staring at the four in front of them.

"We want to buy some unripe Harra fruits," (Y/n) replied.

The other gave a look of hidden interest. "Heh, what a unique palate. We have unripe Harra fruits, but we usually keep them in the back. I'll have someone to escort you," they reassured.

Paimon beamed. "Following the paper got us past the first round!" She whispered in excitement.

"Raunak, these four want to buy unripe Harra fruits. Show them to the warehouse," the first figure, Latish, says.

Raunak nodded. "Got it. You four, please follow me."

The group of four followed after Raunak.

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"I'm sorry, but as things currently stand, we won't be able to fulfill your order. Why don't you four think things over?" Raunak questioned.

Paimon sighed. "He's cautious of us. Let's take a closer look at the paper that Alhaitham gave us," she points out.

Aether took in a deep breath after reading over the words once more, and spoke to Raunak once more.

"Okay, everything has been confirmed. Miss Dori is waiting for you up a– Shoot, it's the matra! Run!" Raunak shouted before darting off.

Paimon and the rest of the group gave a look of alert.

"What, the matra!? Where? Alhaitham said we're done for it if they catch us – we gotta get outta here!" Paimon exclaimed.

The group ran after Raunak's fleeing figure.

"He ran that way!"

Not even a few seconds later...

"Look, he's over there!"

The group of four came to a sudden stop when they heard a female voice calling out to them.

"Here, over here! You can stop running now."

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