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[Genshin Impact] Chapter 401: Dividends (2-in-1 Chapter)
🕑 Added 2025-01-14 12:50:22 +0000 UTCYae Miko's "blessing" turned out to be genuinely effective.
In the following ten-plus days, aside from spending half an hour in the morning and afternoon assisting Raiden Ei in researching "time," Nolan mainly took commissions from the Adventurers' Guild with Lumine and Paimon, venturing across Inazuma's lands to explore and adventure.
To his surprise, he began encountering treasure chests far more frequently, and within just those ten days, he even obtained three or four 4-star artifacts.
Such a noticeable change led Nolan to attribute the phenomenon to Yae Miko's blessing.
Perhaps its effect was significantly increasing his "fortune."
During these days, although his level remained the same, he learned many new skills and gained a new personal specialty:
Name: Nolan Walker
Level: Lv.90 (0/900,000)
Race: Human
Titles: Honorary Knight, Distinguished Citizen of Liyue, Legendary Adventurer, Honorary General of Watatsumi Island
Innate Talent: Entangling Affection
Skills:
- Lumine's Sword God: Arcane Level (Sharp Intent),
- Concealment Form · Secret Art Level Lv.10 (Domain),
- Anemo Manipulation Lv.10 (Max Level),
- Chihayaburu: Secret Art Level Lv.10 (Flowing Maple Autumn Fields),
- Martial Arts Lv.10 (Subtle Mastery),
- My Style Swordsmanship Secret Art Lv.10 (Clarity)
- Kamisato Swordsmanship: Secret Art Lv.1 (1/1,000)
- Ninjutsu: Smoke Bomb Lv.1 (1/1,000)
- Ninjutsu: Stealth Technique Lv.1 (1/1,000)
Specialties:
- 【Descender】
- 【Maiden Savior】
- 【Monster Slayer】
- 【Abundant Life】
- 【The Gospel of the Sky】
- 【North Wind】
- 【Harmony】
- 【Spiritual Threads】
- 【Millennium Body】
- 【Blue Vortex】
- 【Battery Body】
- 【Elemental Immunity】
- 【Command Seal】
- 【Spiritual Core (Previous Soul Rank)】
- 【Thoughtless Thunder】
Adventure EXP: 67,289
---
The first significant improvement was his "My-Style Swordsmanship", which was upgraded from standard level to secret art level.
Previously, "My-Style" referred to the swordsmanship he learned from Kazuha. Now, it had truly become his own.
This transformation occurred because, on the second day after giving Yae Miko her attribute, Nolan also used a "Spiritual Core" on himself and gained an attribute called "Swordsmanship Genius."
While not as specific or exclusive as Lumine or Yae Miko's specialized attributes, it was still highly useful to him, so he decided to keep it for now.
This attribute enhanced his comprehension of swordsmanship and boosted its power. By leveraging it, Nolan successfully realized his own swordsmanship philosophy, which allowed him to upgrade "My-Style Swordsmanship."
His swordsmanship philosophy was straightforward, with no profound or lofty ideals.
His reason for wielding a sword was simply to defeat enemies and protect those he cared about. He wouldn’t actively bully the weak and lived by the basic principles shared by most people.
As a result, the extraordinary characteristic of his "My-Style Swordsmanship" naturally aligned with his philosophy and underwent a transformation.
The characteristic, "Clarity," was equally simple: it allowed Nolan to firmly hold onto his beliefs, making him less susceptible to the influence of others' words.
Even if someone tried to argue against his philosophy, no matter how eloquent their reasoning, he would remain calm and unaffected.
In short, it made him resistant to mental breakdowns or losing his resolve—something quite practical.
As for the Kamisato Swordsmanship, he learned it while studying ninjutsu at the Kamisato Estate, where he also exchanged swordsmanship insights with Ayaka and Ayato.
The process of learning ninjutsu, however, proved a bit more challenging.
Since ninjutsu was an entirely new knowledge system for Nolan, it took him a few days just to grasp the basics of two techniques.
For the rest, he’d have to take his time learning them in the future.
Fortunately, ninjutsu in Teyvat relied on elemental energy rather than something like chakra, or it would’ve been even harder for him to get started.
---
In addition to his skills, Nolan also gained a new personal specialty: "Thoughtless Thunder."
Even though he hadn’t defeated Raiden Shogun, his negotiations with her led to the repeal of the Vision Hunt Decree, which significantly impacted the world. Thus, he was granted this specialty.
Unlike "The Gospel of the Sky" (which allowed him to learn and control wind elemental energy) or "Blue Vortex" (which gave him a small portion of water elemental power), "Thoughtless Thunder" didn’t grant him mastery over lightning elemental energy or any form of lightning authority.
Instead, it allowed him to wield a unique type of lightning called "Thoughtless."
When used on enemies, this lightning could instantly render their minds blank, making it impossible for them to think—essentially causing them to "black out."
---
Finally, his Adventure EXP had grown from just over 1,500 to more than 67,000. This increase came from the adventures he shared with Lumine and Paimon, though it was still a long way from the 900,000 needed to level up.
However, Acting Grand Master Jean mentioned that the Knights of Favonius are now ready to begin exploring the Rift Realm(Abyss).
The first step is to take control of the Rift Camp at Dragonspine, which houses a tear in the Rift Realm' space. This camp will serve as the Knights' forward base.
Additionally, they plan to capture and pen the shadow bears there, using them as a source of materials for "Shadow Bear Pelt Suits."
Such a plan would inevitably lead to a confrontation with the boss of the shadow bear territory. To minimize casualties, Jean requested Nolan's assistance, to which he readily agreed.
Once the Knights initiate their operation, Nolan plans to send his "Lumine's Sword God" to accompany them and station it permanently in the Rift Realm. This way, he can farm Adventure EXP in both the Rift Realm and Teyvat, significantly improving his efficiency.
---
That said, he couldn't join Lumine and Paimon for adventures at the moment.
Earlier, when assisting Raiden Ei in her research on "time," Lumine, who had been waiting outside the Plane of Euthymia, grew slightly bored and challenged the Shogun to a sparring match.
The Shogun, always willing to accept a challenge, agreed readily, and the two began their duel.
Since it wasn’t a life-or-death battle, Raiden Shogun held back, and the two managed to keep their match relatively even.
When Nolan emerged from the Plane of Euthymia, they were still at it.
He remembered that one of the Shogun's rare hobbies was combat. Although Lumine wasn’t a match for her, she was strong enough to barely qualify as an entertaining sparring partner.
For her part, Lumine hoped to learn from the Shogun and improve her own skills, so the match wasn’t ending anytime soon.
Thus, Nolan decided to leave first.
---
Today was the day the "Sweet Flower Merchant Association" distributed dividends.
Nolan planned to collect Lumine's share on her behalf and hand it to her later that evening.
---
Liyue Harbor – Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
To teleport to Liyue Harbor, Wangsheng Funeral Parlor was naturally the best option. After all, Hu Tao often had free time on her hands, while Shenhe and Yun Jin were busy with their respective training.
"You! How come you haven’t come to see me in days?"
Hu Tao stood with her hands on her hips, looking at him with a dissatisfied expression.
"Didn’t I take you to Inazuma last week to see the massive remains of the Archon on Yashiori Island? If you want to go again, we can plan another adventure in a few days."
Nolan playfully pinched Hu Tao’s soft, fair cheek.
Although he couldn’t be everywhere at once to accompany all the women in his life, his "Interstellar Travel" ability allowed him to maintain frequent long-distance communication with Shenhe, Yun Jin, and others, fostering their relationships.
When Hu Tao was bored, she occasionally teleported to join Nolan and his group for adventures.
Her affection level with him had increased from Lv.7 (360/700) to Lv.8 (120/800).
"By the way, I’m heading to see Ningguang. Want to come along?" Nolan asked, noticing that Hu Tao seemed bored.
"If I went alone, it wouldn’t be much fun, but since you’re going too, I might as well tag along."
Hu Tao brushed his hand off her cheek, only to retaliate by pinching his in return.
Nolan chuckled, gently holding Hu Tao’s soft hand as he led her out.
---
The streets of Liyue Harbor had undergone a noticeable transformation.
Previously, they were primarily populated by pedestrians, with the occasional passing carriage. But now, a few people riding wooden bicycles could be seen.
Some had baskets carrying goods, while others had children sitting on the rear seats. Without exception, all the bicycles bore the "Sweet Flower Merchant Association" logo—an embossed design of a white sweet flower.
---
"Your ‘Sweet Flower Merchant Association,’ formed in collaboration with Ningguang, has certainly caused a stir in Liyue Harbor. Introducing something as novel as bicycles has left the other associations scrambling to respond!"
Hu Tao crossed her arms and smirked.
"Oh? What does this have to do with the other associations? We’re not competing with their markets," Nolan said, gently stroking Hu Tao’s fingers with a smile.
"Even if you’re not directly competing, the rapid rise of your association has naturally made others feel uneasy."
Hu Tao instinctively tried to shrug but realized her left hand was being held, so she raised her free right hand instead and lightly shook her head.
"In fact, when I passed by the Feiyun Commerce Guild recently, I noticed that Master Xingqiu seemed quite troubled by the situation."
She opened her soft lips slightly to add this explanation.
"Well... businessmen are always sharp. These large associations have already maxed out their profits in their respective fields. If they want to earn more Mora, they’ll inevitably have to branch into new ventures."
Nolan predicted that it wouldn’t be long before the major associations attempted to enter the burgeoning bicycle market.
After all, seeing how profitable bicycles are, there’s no way they wouldn’t be tempted to enter the market.
However, Liyue has patent protections in place. If they want to compete in the bicycle market, they’ll need to innovate on both the design and functionality of bicycles.
Otherwise, they wouldn’t be allowed to sell them.
By the time they manage to develop a new generation of bicycles, the "Sweet Flower Merchant Association" will already have iterated through several new models. There’s no need to worry about their position being shaken.
Besides, competition is a good thing—it’s what drives prosperity and growth in the market.
---
After a short walk, the two arrived at the headquarters of the Sweet Flower Merchant Association.
The building was grand and located in the bustling heart of the city.
With Ningguang, a renowned businesswoman, as the main investor, it was no surprise that everything here exuded sophistication and prestige.
The staff at the headquarters, upon learning of Nolan and Hu Tao’s purpose, guided them to the second floor, where Ningguang was waiting in her office.
---
A minute later, Nolan saw Ningguang.
She was seated calmly on a cushioned chair, sipping tea with a composed demeanor, as if she had been expecting him.
“It’s been a while, Lady Ningguang,” Nolan greeted her with a smile.
“It has indeed been some time, Mr. Nolan. Please, take a seat,” Ningguang replied.
Releasing her tea cup from her fingers adorned with golden rings, she nodded slightly and continued,
“Since the establishment of the Sweet Flower Merchant Association a month and a half ago, we’ve already compiled the sales figures for last month. Here is the report—please take a look.”
She gestured for her secretary, Baiwen, to hand over a stack of documents to Nolan.
Although Nolan trusted Ningguang not to deceive him, showing blind faith in such matters—especially when it involved profits—would be inappropriate.
Carefully reviewing the report demonstrated his respect for her professionalism.
He quickly skimmed through the documents, summarizing the key details:
Currently, the Sweet Flower Merchant Association’s primary products include wooden bicycles, chess sets, mahjong sets, and playing cards.
Due to the limitations of factory production lines, the monthly output of bicycles was only a little over 1,300 units, with 1,132 successfully sold.
Each bicycle cost 50,000 Mora to produce and was sold for 60,000 Mora, yielding a total net profit of 11,320,000 Mora.
For a first month, where many people were still unfamiliar with the concept of bicycles, selling over 1,000 units indicated significant market potential.
As for chess, mahjong, and other board games, they were still in the early stages of advertising and had not yet turned a profit. The promotional costs and revenue were currently balanced.
This meant that Nolan and Lumine could each take a 30% share of the 11,320,000 Mora profit, amounting to approximately 3,770,000 Mora each!
Tsk, this was far quicker than earning money through adventuring.
Just recently, Nolan and Lumine had taken on commissions in Inazuma for more than ten days and only earned 5,000,000 Mora. Granted, those commissions weren’t particularly challenging.
But even so, the association’s income was essentially passive, and it would only grow in the future.
In principle, the profits should be reinvested into the association for its growth. However, their agreement with Ningguang was that they would provide the technology while she provided the capital.
Thus, the association’s development wasn’t their responsibility—they just needed to collect their dividends each month.
---
“This is a note from the Liyue Bank, and it’s already post-tax. You can withdraw the money whenever you like,” Ningguang said after Nolan finished reading.
“Thank you, Lady Ningguang!” Nolan responded excitedly, taking the bank notes meant for him and Lumine.
“No need to thank me—this is the fruit of your own labor,” Ningguang said, leaning back in her chair. Crossing her elegant white legs, she folded her arms and smiled slightly.
“That said, the association’s product range is still too narrow. Is there anything else from the world you used to live in that might suit Liyue?”
“Hmm, let me think about it,” Nolan said, beginning to ponder seriously—it was, after all, his job.
He thought about suggesting the steam engine, an idea he had come up with recently. And as for bicycles, he could explore their potential further by proposing tricycles.
There would undoubtedly be a significant market for them in Liyue, particularly for those with heavy cargo transport needs.
(End of Chapter/Volume 5: Sumeru City Starts!)
