Genshin Impact: Watch me turn the tables and kill my servants at the start!

Fanes: I'm going to make a fortune.

-

Fanes was squatting behind the counter of the Winter Snow King shop in Inazuma Castle, helping Kuki Shinobu check the day's inventory report, when the terminal panel on the table vibrated. He picked it up and saw a message from D'Artagnan: "I've arrived in Inazuma. I want to fight Thor. Is it convenient for you to arrange that?"

After reviewing the data, Fanes put the panel back on the table and said to Hisaki Shinobu beside him, "Check the remaining inventory yourself. I have something to take care of."

Hisaki Shinobu responded without looking up and continued flipping through the account book.

As Fanes walked along the street toward the port, D'Artagnan was standing on the edge of the dock, the coin flipping between his fingers.

Seeing Fanes approach, he put the coin in his pocket, turned around and waved to him: "You've come. I just arrived."

Fanes stopped beside him: "I received the message. You want to fight Thor?"

D'Artagnan said, "I heard about Inazuma's powerful lightning general back in winter, and since I was passing through, I wanted to confirm if the rumors were true. I also wanted to see if I could use that power normally now."

Fanes thought for a moment: "No problem. It'll be a good opportunity to see if you can use that power properly. If you lose control once a fight breaks out, it'll be good to have someone there to help you clean up the mess."

D'Artagnan turned to look at him. "So, do you think I can win?"

Fanes thought for a moment and said, "That depends on how you define 'winning.' If you mean completely defeating Thor, then you'll probably need to train for a while longer. If you mean surviving several rounds of combat and leaving alive, then in your current state, it shouldn't be a problem. Besides, you still have that Abyss power within you. If it's triggered during your battle, your power ceiling will receive a significant boost in a short period. As for whether you can win, that depends on how much of that power you can unleash."

After listening, D'Artagnan nodded. "That's enough. When can I see her?"

Fanes leaned against the mooring post beside him: "I'll arrange it for you. However, according to Inazuma's rules, to fight the Shogun, one needs to go through the formal duel process before the Shogun and have a legitimate reason to initiate it. If you just want to spar, she may not accept the challenge."

D'Artagnan thought for a moment: "Then I'll say I'm here on behalf of Winter to exchange martial arts skills. That reason should be formal enough. Besides, my current position is the eleventh seat of the Fatui Executive, which gives me sufficient authority to initiate a duel."

Fanes nodded: "Then let's prepare in this direction. First, go to the people at the castle tower and submit your duel request. They'll let you know the specific time after the formalities are completed."

D'Artagnan responded and turned to walk towards the city.

The news spread faster than Fanes had anticipated. In less than half a day, the entire city of Inazuma knew that a Fool's Enforcer was coming to duel the Thunder General before the Emperor.

Inside the teahouse, people were discussing while holding their teacups; at the street stalls, people were huddled together talking in hushed tones; even the port workers unloading cargo slowed down their work and glanced sideways in the direction of the castle tower.

The next morning, Yae no Miko appeared at Fanes's ice cream shop, ordered a lemonade, and then sat by the window watching Fanes check orders behind the counter: "I heard your colleague is going to fight with Aying?"

Fanes confirmed the last order: "He has submitted the application. According to the procedure, a specific time will be arranged after the review and approval."

Yae no Miko took a sip of lemonade: "So where do you plan to fight? The plaza in front of the castle tower is definitely not an option; a fight there could easily spread to the surrounding buildings."

Fanes stood behind the counter and closed the ledger: "We plan to move the battlefield to Bayun Island. It's open, far from residential areas, and surrounded by the sea, so it won't affect anyone else."

Yae no Miko thought for a moment: "Hayabuki Island is indeed quite far. However, there are no direct ships from there, so it might not be very convenient for the people to go and watch the battle."

Fanes leaned against the counter, his expression natural: "So I'll arrange a fleet of ships for transportation. The ships of the Fools stationed at Inazuma Port are just right for this mission, and each ship has a specific passenger capacity. Spectators can take a ship there to watch the battle, and then take a ship back afterward."

Yae no Miko, holding her cup, looked at him and said, "You have to charge for this too?"

Fanes said calmly, "Of course we'll charge. The ships need maintenance, fuel needs replenishment, and the crew needs to be paid; all of these require costs. And those who are willing to pay to watch at least show that they are genuinely interested in the battle and won't leave halfway or disrupt order."

Yae no Miko put down her cup: "So, how much do you plan to charge?"

Fanes mentioned a number. It was neither too high nor too low, falling just within the reasonable range that ordinary residents were willing to pay for a long-distance sightseeing trip.

After hearing this, Yae no Miko leaned back in her chair and said, "...You really can turn even fighting into a business."

The duel request was officially approved on the third day. General Raiden agreed to fight the 11th Executive of the Fools on Hachi-yū Island, with the time set for five days later.

After the announcement, tickets to Ba Yun Island sold out within two days, and the two additional boats that were temporarily added were also full.

Fanes stood on the edge of the harbor, watching the last group of spectators board the ship, the account book in his hand already turned to the last page.

Hisaki Shinobu walked over from the bow of the ship, clutching a supplementary record in his hand: "Tickets are all sold out, and the two extra ferries are also full. The current total revenue has exceeded expectations. If there is any additional demand for tickets, we may need to coordinate the shipping schedule in advance."

Fanes took the record and glanced at it: "If the extra ships are also full, then send another one. Anyway, the coastline there is long enough, and stopping an extra ship won't obstruct the view of the battle."

Hisaki glanced at him and said, "If we take another flight, it might not be able to return until tonight."

Fanes closed the ledger: "Then let's set up a night cruise. After the audience has watched the battle, they can enjoy the stars at sea for a while before returning. It'll be a unique travel experience."

D'Artagnan stood at the bow of another ship, inspecting the clasps of his armor. He moved slowly and deliberately, slightly shifting his joints after each inspection to ensure his range of motion was not affected.

Fanes walked along the dock and stopped beside him: "Ready?"

D'Artagnan fastened the last clasp: "Ready."

Fanes glanced at the clouds gradually gathering in the distance: "Then let's go. The fleet is ready. Once we get there, we'll need to check the site conditions and the surrounding environment first."

D'Artagnan jumped off the bow of the ship and landed on the dock: "How are your ticket sales going?"

Fanes said, "All sold out. The two extra trains are also full. If you'd like to run another round, I can consider opening a pre-sale channel for the return show to secure the next batch of interested customers in advance."

D'Artagnan turned to look at him: "What if I don't win?"

Fanes thought for a moment: "Then let's change it to an encore performance of 'The Executive and General Thunder have a friendly sparring session.' With a different title, the audience might still buy it."

D'Artagnan paused for a moment, as if using that pause to gauge the direction of the conversation: "What if I lose badly?"

Fanes said, "Then let's change it to a public demonstration class where 'General Thunder personally instructs the Executors of the Fools in martial arts training.' By repackaging it from a different angle, the audience's interests might change."

As the fleet departed the harbor, the sea was calm. The spray from the hull was pushed aside by the ship and spread outwards along the curve of the hull.

Fanes stood at the bow, watching the silhouette of Bayun Island rise from the sea and gradually become clearer in the distance. D'Artagnan also walked to the bow, and the two stood side by side. Fanes turned to look at him: "Nervous?"

D'Artagnan looked at the approaching coastline in the distance: "A little."

Fanes added, "Then try to transform it into the focus needed for battle."

D'Artagnan rested his hand on the edge of the ship's gunwale: "I will try my best."

The ship cut through the last wave and began to slow, approaching the coastline of Ba Yun Island. The sailors were preparing to throw the mooring lines. Fanes turned and took a step towards the cabin, then stopped and glanced back at him: "Good luck."