The next day arrived.
Thanks to the good habits he had developed over time, Han Feng woke up at his usual hour.
After stretching lazily, he headed downstairs and used the Gourmet Tablecloth to prepare breakfast, beginning another ordinary day.
About half an hour later, Noelle hurried downstairs.
"I'm sorry, Boss! I overslept!"
The little maid looked full of self-reproach over her mistake.
"It's fine. Come eat first, then we'll open the shop."
Han Feng smiled and waved her over.
He could understand completely.
The experience of shrinking down was incredibly addictive, especially the first time.
"Thank you, Boss!"
Noelle nodded gratefully.
After a quick breakfast, she hurried outside and placed the Open for Business sign at the entrance.
The shop officially opened for the day.
Not long afterward, two figures entered the store.
One was elegant and refined—the very same Kamisato Ayaka who had visited yesterday.
The other was a blond young man: the Kamisato Clan's housekeeper, Thoma.
"So this is the magical manga shop you were talking about, Young Lady?"
Thoma carefully observed the interior, his guard fully raised.
After yesterday's events, he had been staying quietly at Komore Teahouse, planning to keep a low profile for a while.
Then Ayaka had suddenly come looking for him.
Not only that, she had insisted that he accompany her today to a place called the Solace Book House.
According to her, reading manga here could grant miraculous rewards.
For example, gathering seven Dragon Balls would summon a divine dragon capable of granting wishes.
When Thoma heard that yesterday, he had been completely dumbfounded.
Who would believe something so ridiculous?
Yet Ayaka had spoken with absolute seriousness.
That was what worried him.
He knew how troubled she had been lately because of recent events.
Perhaps someone was taking advantage of her concerns and trying to deceive her.
As a result, Thoma had become highly vigilant.
Still, it wasn't his place to openly oppose her.
So he decided to accompany her personally.
At the very least, he wouldn't allow her to be taken advantage of.
"Don't be so tense. Once you've finished reading, you'll understand."
Ayaka chuckled softly at his wary expression.
Naturally, she knew he didn't believe her.
That was perfectly normal.
If she hadn't known that the shop owner was that mysterious black-haired young man...
If she hadn't experienced it herself...
She wouldn't have believed it either.
But that didn't matter.
Once he read a manga and received a reward, he would understand naturally.
There was no need to explain further.
"Come. I'll introduce you to the owner and help you choose a manga."
With that, she headed toward the counter.
"The owner, huh..."
Thoma muttered under his breath as he followed behind.
"Welcome. I didn't expect Miss Ayaka to arrive so early today."
Seeing a familiar face, Han Feng greeted her with a smile.
"Because the manga here are truly fascinating. I wanted to start reading as soon as possible."
Ayaka nodded gracefully.
The rewards were certainly one reason she had come.
But she was equally drawn to the stories themselves.
For someone like her, every manga offered a captivating world filled with charm.
They had completely captured her interest.
"In that case, the usual rules apply. One hundred thousand Mora per person. One reading per day."
Han Feng took a sip of tea as he spoke.
"One hundred thousand Mora? And only one manga per day?!"
Thoma's eyes widened in shock.
Was this daylight robbery?
The light novels sold at Yae Publishing House only cost a few thousand Mora at most.
This place was clearly a scam!
He was about to step forward and expose the operation, but seeing Ayaka calmly pay without hesitation, he paused.
After a moment's thought, he held himself back.
"Forget it. I'll wait until after I've read one."
Then he'd see for himself what kind of "reward" appeared.
If this was all smoke and mirrors, he'd finally have a legitimate reason to intervene.
"Thoma, go choose the manga called Dragon Ball from that shelf. After that, find a seat in either the Silent Reading Area or the Discussion Area."
After paying, Ayaka gave her instructions.
"Understood, Young Lady."
Thoma nodded.
After giving Han Feng one more suspicious glance, he headed toward the bookshelves.
"Miss Ayaka, aren't you going to choose a manga?"
Han Feng asked with a smile.
"I'll wait until Thoma finishes first."
Ayaka shook her head gently.
She wasn't accustomed to reading alongside someone else.
This arrangement suited her better.
"Why not try one of the new releases? I added two new manga yesterday."
With a smile, Han Feng waved his hand.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and Ready Player One floated into his grasp.
"Oh? What are these two about?"
Ayaka studied the covers curiously.
"One is about a magical world," Han Feng explained. "The other is about a virtual world."
He deliberately kept the explanation brief.
Anything more would be venturing into spoiler territory.
"A virtual world? What exactly is that?"
Ayaka tilted her head.
A magical world was easy enough to understand.
But a virtual world was a completely unfamiliar concept.
"It is a world created by people. Through a special device, one's consciousness can enter it. Inside, you can do whatever you like—adventure, battle monsters, explore, and so on."
Han Feng explained with a smile.
"Anything I like...?"
Ayaka's eyes lit up.
As the daughter of the Kamisato Clan, she possessed prestige and status.
But that status came with countless obligations.
Etiquette lessons.
Swordsmanship practice.
Formal appearances.
Responsibilities.
Very little of her time truly belonged to herself.
Even when she had free time, she constantly reminded herself not to bring shame upon the Kamisato name.
That was how she lived in reality.
But if this so-called virtual world truly existed...
Wouldn't she be free from all those restrictions?
The thought alone made her heart race.
She suddenly wanted very badly to read that manga.
Yet her desire for the Dragon Balls remained strong as well.
She found herself caught in a dilemma.
"Give it a try. You won't be disappointed."
Seeing the anticipation in her eyes, Han Feng handed the manga over.
"Then... thank you, Boss."
After a brief hesitation, Ayaka accepted it.
In the end, the allure of freedom had won.
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