"General... wants to read light novels?!"
"Is there a law against me reading them?"
"No, no, General, don't misunderstand. I didn't mean it like that..."
"Then recommend some good books!"
Ei thought, is there any law stating that the General cannot read light novels? If there is, point it out, and I'll revise it right now!
"Yae Publishing House's novels are mainly for ordinary people, with all sorts of strange content. Many might not suit the General's taste..."
Kuroda thought, you're making this difficult for me...
"Just trying something new. Monotony is boring, don't worry. As long as it's a story written with words, what can't be understood?"
Ei was unfazed. Were light novels more troublesome than Archons?
"Alright, please move to the bookshelf over there, General. Those are the recent bestsellers..."
Although Kuroda was so nervous his legs felt weak, he pointed to a nearby bookshelf with a forced resolve. As he walked away from the counter, Kuroda secretly gestured to his colleague to quickly go to the Grand Narukami Shrine and fetch the esteemed Editor-in-Chief Yae!
"Mr. Feng Yi, you're an old friend of Yae Publishing House. For the sake of our relationship, please be supportive later on..."
As Kuroda passed by Mr. Feng Yi, he made a backup plan.
"Among these, there are award-winning works from [This Novel Is Amazing!]. They were just compiled and are now on sale. General, don't take it too seriously, just read them for fun..."
Kuroda pointed to the books on the bookshelf, subtly blocking some titles that might be inconvenient for the General to see. For example, 《Hot Paradise》 and 《My 18-Year-Old Aunt》. Although they sold well, he worried they might taint the General's eyes.
Ten minutes later...
"Hmm... How can this be? Did I underestimate them? I recognize all the names in these books, yet when put together, they become incomprehensible?"
Ei frowned, filled with an indescribable confusion.
"For instance, this one, 'Reincarnated as a Sunset Fruit, I'll Become Stronger as Long as I'm Not Eaten by Hilichurls!' It's so long... Do Hilichurls like eating Sunset Fruit? Also, doesn't a fruit fall and rot when it ripens? How can it keep getting stronger?"
Ei was utterly perplexed. Was there such a magical Sunset Fruit?
"There's no need to overthink it, this is just the setting of the book..." Feng Yi offered an explanation.
"Setting? What is a setting used for? If it lacks realism, can the stories written still be believable?"
"Furthermore, Sunset Fruits shouldn't be able to speak or write books, right? How would the author know? Is the author recording the life of this magical Sunset Fruit?"
Ei, who considered herself well-read, found such stories baffling, like trying to grasp smoke. The questions she posed left Kuroda and Feng Yi at a loss for words.
"Oh my, oh my—Isn't this our General? What brings you to my Yae Publishing House? Is it too difficult for you to understand these new things?"
Just as Kuroda was unsure how to respond, the timely arrival of the Editor-in-Chief Yae made him heave a sigh of relief.
"Miko, you've arrived at the perfect moment. I've never encountered such... um, unusual books. It's like stories imagined with eyes closed, completely unrealistic..."
"Please, my General, light novels are meant to be imaginative, to fantasize about things that don't exist. Don't view them with your preconceived notions. Open your mind, accept them from scratch, and I assure you, you'll discover an incredible new world..."
Yae Miko, seeing Ei's bewildered expression, like a country bumpkin entering a city, almost burst into laughter. However, to preserve the Raiden Shogun's dignity, she managed to suppress it.
Ei: "Miko, why does your face look a little strange? Um... a somewhat indescribable rosiness. Are you feeling unwell?"
Yae Miko: "Ei, do you know how painful it is for me to hold back my laughter to maintain your dignified image?!"
"Really, Miko? Is it as interesting as you say?"
Ei confessed, "I haven't read much, don't try to fool me."
"Of course, it is. If you don't believe me, you can ask Feng Yi and Mr. Zhongli outside. They have both given light novels considerable praise!"
Yae Miko said earnestly. Today, no matter what, she was determined to let Ei witness the greatness of light novels.
"For example, this one is about reincarnation and adventure, 'Reincarnated as the Raiden Shogun, I'm Invincible.' This book tells the story of the protagonist being struck by lightning under a Sakura tree. When they opened their eyes, they had become the Raiden Shogun. The original protagonist was always bullied and couldn't do anything right. But after becoming the Raiden Shogun, they gained infinite power and authority. Readers love to see the protagonist triumph and transform from weak to strong... Ei, what do you think?"
Yae Miko walked to the bookshelf, casually picked out a light novel, and chuckled as she explained it to Ei.
"Reincarnated as the Raiden Shogun? That feels very strange. Can someone truly become me? For me, power and authority are not things to be boasted about, but rather a responsibility – the responsibility to protect Inazuma's eternal prosperity. However, I haven't sensed this profound sense of responsibility in this book..."
Ei frowned and shook her head gently. The protagonist's attitude towards power in the book, his irresponsibility, displeased her greatly.
"Ah, it's my fault. I shouldn't have used that book as an example..." Yae Miko quickly switched to another novel. 《Reincarnated as the Raiden Shogun, I'm Invincible》 was primarily aimed at ordinary people, focusing on immersion and satisfaction. However, Ei herself was the Raiden Shogun, so the sense of immersion was weak, and there was no satisfaction to be found. Coupled with Ei's unique understanding of the Raiden Shogun's authority, her impression of the book worsened. Yae Miko had intended for Ei to resonate with this novel, but it had the opposite effect. She quickly took out the currently popular 《The Wonderful Adventures of the Stone Monkey》 to remedy the situation.
"Ei, take a look at this one. It's about a monkey born from a stone who wreaked havoc in old Liyue and later went to Snezhnaya for training..."
This was a masterpiece from Yae Publishing House. Even the Geo Archon had found it engrossing, so Yae Miko couldn't believe it wouldn't captivate Ei.