To Traverse the Mortal Plane

To Traverse the Mortal Plane is the second part of .
==Steps==
# Go out for a walk with Ei
#* Co-Op Mode is locked from this step until Ei and the Traveler finish trying Dango Milk at Tomoki's stall.
# Talk to Ei
# Accompany Ei on her tour of the streets
# Go with Ei to Tomoki's stall
# Talk to Tomoki
# Go with Ei to Yae Publishing House
# Talk to Kuroda
# Browse the light novels on the shelf
# Talk to Ei
# Pick a suitable light novel (0/3)
# Recommend and explain the contents of the book to Ei
==Gameplay Notes==
* While walking with Ei in the marketplace, the player's character is restricted to just the Traveler. The walk must be restarted from the beginning if the player leaves the area before Ei arrives at Tomoki's stall.
==Dialogue==
;(Talk to Takeshi after leaving the Plane of Euthymia)
: Takeshi: That's... the Almighty Shogun? She's finished recovering already?
: Takeshi: Well, it's good to see she's okay.
;(Go out for a walk with Ei)
: Ei: There's a familiarity to the scent in the air and the firmness beneath my feet... mmm...
: Ei: Now, time for a change of pace. Where should we go?
: Paimon: To the liveliest place in town!
;(Talk to Ei)
: Ei: Oh, is this the marketplace? It's a far cry from how I remember it.
: Ei: The stores have changed, and so have the vendors... well, that's to be expected.
: Ogura Mio: It's... the Shogun!?
: Rie: What is the Almighty Shogun doing here?
: Mikoshi Genichirou: Isn't the Shogun sick? This is quite sudden...
: Ei: I appear to have frightened the people.
: Paimon: Well, what did you expect? The Almighty Shogun makes an impromptu appearance in town. People are gonna freak out a bit.
: It seems like a bit of an overreaction.
: Doesn't the Shogun normally patrol these parts?
: Ei: Patrolling the streets is the Tenryou Commission's job. The Shogun has a lot of information to process and orders to give out. She doesn't have time to deal with it herself.
: Ei: Additionally, the Shogun has no need of recreation. There would be no need for her to come here just to pass the time or to relax.
: Paimon: So what do we do now? Should we go away for a while and make a more low-profile return later?
: Ei: Why? It's not like I'm here to cause trouble. Let's just relax.
: Paimon: It was more the ordinary people that Paimon was worried about...
: Paimon: Never mind. This definitely seems like your style, Ei.
----
;(Talk to Mikoshi Genichirou)
: Mikoshi Genichirou: What's the Shogun doing here in person? Is she here on patrol, or to arrest someone, or... surely she isn't here to go shopping?
: Mikoshi Genichirou: I... I'd better keep my head down and stay alert.
;(Talk to Ogura Mio)
: Ogura Mio: I—I've never seen the Almighty Shogun so close up before...
: Ogura Mio: My mind's gone completely blank... I don't know what I should be doing.
;(Talk to Rie)
: Rie: Gosh... it really is the Shogun. I thought I must be seeing things.
: Rie: I do hope I didn't say anything untoward...
;(Talk to Aikawa Susumu)
: Aikawa Susumu: What's the occasion? I can't believe the Shogun is here in the flesh...
: Aikawa Susumu: I must remember to breathe...
: Don't be nervous. It's just a normal day.
:: Aikawa Susumu: Okay, yeah, you're right...
: I heard you want to take the Shogun to the hot spring?
:: Aikawa Susumu: Hey, come on, that's crazy talk. Crazy talk. I wouldn't dare...
;(Talk to Matsumoto)
: Matsumoto: *gasp* That's the Almighty Shogun! Where's my Kamera, I need to get a picture!
: Matsumoto: Wait, but is it okay to take a photo without permission? Especially when it's the Shogun... No, no, I'd better not...
;(Talk to Furuya Noboru)
: Furuya Noboru: This is why we call our Shogun "Almighty." She just exudes majesty. It's palpable even from over here.
: Furuya Noboru: I knew she couldn't be ill. Not our wise and powerful Shogun, no way.
----
;(Accompany Ei on her tour of the streets)
: Ei: People still use Mora in commercial transactions, I assume?
: Paimon: Yep, same as ever. Just as shiny, and just as hypnotic!
: Paimon: Wait a second. Ei... are you saying you don't have any Mora either?
: Ei: Of course I don't. There is no need for commerce in the Plane of Euthymia. If I ever need something, I can simply have one of the Commissions bring it to me.
: Ei: ...Wait, what do you mean, "either"?
:;(Upon reaching the bridge)
: Ei: Anyway, people seem to be behaving in a very orderly fashion. I don't see the liveliness you spoke of anywhere.
: Paimon: People aren't exactly gonna let their hair down in front of the Almighty Shogun...
:;(Continue forward)
: Ei: Hmm? What is this stall selling?
: Ei: I don't believe I've ever seen this before.
;(Talk to Tomoki before Ei reaches him)
: Tomoki: What's the Shogun doing here...
: Tomoki: What am I supposed to do in this situation? I'm so nervous...
----
;(Ei approaches Tomoki's stall)
: Tomoki: Sh—Shogun, I... excuse me...
: Ei: It's alright, relax. I'm just here to look around. I'm having a change of pace today.
: Ei: Could you tell me about the items you are selling?
: Tomoki: Of course! I've got all kinds of snacks here: Takoyaki, Dango... and, uh, Milk and so on.
: Paimon: Huh? Milk? Sounds kinda like the odd one out...
: Tomoki: It might sound odd, but it is in fact my specialty.
: Tomoki: You see, many of the stores in town are already very well established. I couldn't compete with them no matter what I sell.
: Tomoki: So my idea was to create some new combinations to give customers a novel experience.
: Tomoki: For example, my latest concoction is this Dango Milk. When the Dango are worked into a viscous form, they mix very nicely with the milk.
: Tomoki: The focus is not just the taste, but also the unique texture.
: Ei: Dango with Milk... hmm, I've never heard of it. What made you want to do this?
: Tomoki: Ah, I'm sorry, Shogun! I've got no bone to pick with eternity!
: Ei: I said relax, there's no need to go treading on eggshells. Do you really think the Eternity I pursue is something that can be shaken by Dango and Milk?
: Tomoki: (Huh? Why do I feel like... she's different than I expected?)
: Tomoki: Actually, it came to me by chance. A friend was catering once and made too many Dango, so they gave some to me.
: Tomoki: But there were more than I had use for. My Milk wasn't selling well at that time either, and both Dango and Milk have a short shelf life...
: Tomoki: So I thought I'd try mixing the two as I had nothing to lose. To my surprise, in the right proportion, it tasted superb.
: Ei: A chance combination. Hmm, interesting. May I try this drink?
: Tomoki: The Almighty Shogun wants to try!? Well, certainly! And you two should try it, too!
:
: Ei: Nice, it's sweet. The sensation is not so different from eating a dessert. A unique beverage indeed.
: Paimon: Yeah. It's definitely a drink, but it also feels like eating food.
: Ei: It's a little bit like... porridge? But the resemblance is only superficial...
: Ei: Anyway. I like it.
: Tomoki: I'm very glad you approve!
: Ei: I imagine that an item as delicious as this Dango Milk must sell exceptionally well, no?
: Tomoki: Heh, well... I won't lie to you. Sales are very average.
: Ei: Huh. So it's selling slowly? Why is that?
: Tomoki: Because... most people aren't willing to give it a try. They think it's an unusual combination. Even though everyone who's tried it before rates it highly...
: Tomoki: ...I'm not saying the Almighty Shogun has unusual tastes! Please don't take it the wrong way!
: Ei: Ah, I see. Well, that can be fixed. I'll just have the Yashiro Commission order a few hundred cups and go door-to-door delivering them.
: Tomoki: No, no, no, Almighty Shogun, that's too much!
: Ei: Is it? I just want them to try it. It would be a shame for them to miss out on Dango Milk.
: Tomoki: I, uh... haha.
: So you like sweet things?
:: Ei: Of course. I've heard that most humans like desserts, so it's not unusual that I should enjoy them too. Miko agrees with me on this.
: Do you want another cup?
:: Ei: Ooh, I would love... N—No, no need. That would be needlessly indulgent.
: Ei: Ahhhh. There's nothing like dessert for improving one's mood. Much more enjoyable than meditating alone all the time.
: Ei: By the way, Miko mentioned that she founded something called the Yae Publishing House to sell some sort of... light novels.
: Ei: She's always bragging to me about it, but it's difficult for me to really imagine without seeing the place for myself. Can you take me there?
: Paimon: Sure. Let's go and have a look.
;(Talk to Tomoki again)
: Tomoki: The Almighty Shogun actually rates my Dango Milk...
: Tomoki: This is incredible! I was thinking of giving up on it, but now... oh, this is fantastic...
----
;(Upon arriving at Yae Publishing House)
: Kuroda: Sh—Shogun?
: Kuroda: Almighty Shogun, what brings you to the Yae Publishing House? Do you have instructions for us?
: Ei: No, not at all. Don't be so nervous, I'm just here to look around.
: Kuroda: Apologies, I still don't quite understand. Are you here to look into the management, or publishing regulations, or... fire safety measures?
: Paimon: She just wants to browse your books.
: Kuroda: The Almighty Shogun wishes to... read light novels?
: Ei: Yes. Any recommendations?
: Kuroda: Um... the Yae Publishing House's novels are mostly targeted at the general public, and the content is all kinds of strange... I'm not sure we have anything quite to the Almighty Shogun's taste...
: Ei: I'm just here to try something new. There's no fun in reading the same kind of thing over and over again. Relax, it's just words on a page, isn't it? What could I misunderstand, really?
: Kuroda: In principle, you're absolutely right, it's just...
: Paimon: It'll be fine. If there's anything the Shogun doesn't understand, we'll explain to her!
: Don't be nervous.
: The Almighty Shogun just wants to have a look.
: Kuroda: Well, okay then. Please proceed to the bookshelf over there. It has all the latest best-sellers.
: Kuroda: There are some winning entries from the "This Novel Is Amazing!" competition. I have just finished compiling them into a saleable form.
: Kuroda: Um. Don't take them too seriously. It's all just a bit of fun.
: Ei: Okay. Let's go then.
: Ei: Huh... How can this be? Did I underestimate the caliber of this material?
: Ei: I know every individual word in these books' titles. So why is it that they make no sense to me in these particular combinations?
: Ei: Take this one for example: "The Good Thing About Being Reincarnated as a Hilichurl Is That I Only Need to Eat Sunsettias to Become Stronger"...
: Ei: It's so long...
: Ei: Is it true that hilichurls grow stronger from eating Sunsettias? Surely it should be some sort of meat, at least?
: Paimon: It's just a narrative device.
: Ei: "Narrative device"?
: It's imaginary.
: It's whatever the author wants it to be.
: Ei: So it's... made up? What's the point of that? Without being grounded in reality, how can the story be believable?
: Ei: Also, I'm fairly certain that hilichurls can't write stories. So does this author claim to be documenting hilichurl life from an outside perspective, perhaps?
: Paimon: Paimon's starting to understand Kuroda's reservations right about now...
: Too modern, I guess.
: Fads have no place in eternity.
: Paimon: How about we choose for you? We can pick out some novels that are easier to understand and give you the scoop.
: Ei: Alright then. I believe myself to be relatively well-read, but with stories like these, I don't even know where to start...
: Ei: I have high hopes, though. This seems like Miko's style, so I'm sure the stories are very entertaining.
: Paimon: Alright. Leave it to us, we'll be back in a jiffy!
;(After dialogue)
: Paimon: This could be a pretty tough job. Let's see what we're up against.
;(Talk to Kuroda again)
: Kuroda: The Almighty Shogun reads light novels...
: Kuroda: ...you can't write this stuff.
;(Talk to Ei before reading all novels) 
: Ei: Take your time, pick some good ones. I'll be right here.
;(Read a Liyue Martial Arts Story...)
:Read a Liyue Martial Arts Story...: (Life Made Me a Fighter When I Just Want to Be a Writer)
:Read a Liyue Martial Arts Story...: (The book is a martial arts story set in Liyue, focusing on fighting between different gangs.)
:Read a Liyue Martial Arts Story...: (The protagonist aspires only to become a humble novelist, but gets caught up in the world of gang strife because of an unparalleled martial arts ability.)
:Read a Liyue Martial Arts Story...: (The selling point of this story is that the protagonist never joins any faction, but is constantly assumed to be the reclusive master of one faction or another.)
:Read a Liyue Martial Arts Story...: (The martial arts pros who see the protagonist as their enemy are always making a scene. The protagonist is stuck in the middle of all this, all the while clinging tight to the dream of becoming a novelist...)
: Paimon: What a strange person. Why would someone wanna be a novelist that badly?
: Paimon: Someone like that could easily become the top martial arts pro in the world.
: It's all about the journey.
: The protagonist has an admirable will.
: Paimon: You do have a point. And a character so determined to follow their ambition is likely to appeal to Ei, right?
;(Read a Daily Life Romance Story)
:Read a Daily Life Romance Story: (The Chaotic Epic That Is the Tale of My Youthful Love Life)
:Read a Daily Life Romance Story: (This book is about the love stories between a very mediocre man and seven beautiful women.)
:Read a Daily Life Romance Story: (It is a chronological account of the protagonist's daily life, featuring many amusing anecdotes.)
:Read a Daily Life Romance Story: (The writing is solid, the prose is elegant, and the author brilliantly brings out the unique charm of each character in the story.)
:Read a Daily Life Romance Story: (But the story stops at a crucial moment when the main character's childhood sweetheart is just about to confess their love to him...)
: Paimon: Ah, the suspense is killing Paimon!
: Paimon: Paimon only skimmed through, but Paimon can tell this girl has loved the main character with all her heart since childhood!
: I hope she finds happiness.
:: Paimon: Yeah! She has so much love to give, she deserves it!
: I hope the writer gives her a happy ending.
:: Paimon: Right... yeah, it's just a novel. But please let the author have a heart, pleeeease...
: Paimon: The plot is really gripping, but would Ei really understand this kind of mortal romance?
;(Read a Reincarnation Adventure Story)
:Read a Reincarnation Adventure Story: (Shogun Almighty: Reborn as Raiden With Unlimited Power)
:Read a Reincarnation Adventure Story: (In this book, the protagonist is struck by lightning beneath a Thunder Sakura, and wakes up to discover that he has become the Raiden Shogun.)
:Read a Reincarnation Adventure Story: (Prior to this event, the protagonist is a nobody who gets bullied by everyone. But after becoming the Raiden Shogun, he acquires unlimited power.)
:Read a Reincarnation Adventure Story: (The appeal of this one probably lies in the euphoria of going from powerlessness to omnipotence, and in the protagonist's inner journey to finally breaking free from their low self-esteem.)
:Read a Reincarnation Adventure Story: (But it's hard to see how the story would develop after the protagonist literally becomes the Raiden Shogun...)
: Paimon: With a premise like this, it's no wonder Kuroda was nervous about letting Ei look around.
: Paimon: Paimon thinks it might be best not to bring this one up with Ei... we might get the author in trouble.
: But it doesn't paint the Shogun in a bad light.
: I think it's quite original.
: Paimon: Well if someone turned into Paimon and did a bunch of stuff this Paimon would never do... Paimon would feel really uncomfortable!
;(After reading all the stories)
: Paimon: That's all of them. Let's try and explain them to Ei.
----
;(Talk to Ei)
: Ei: The looks on your faces tell me you found some good stories.
: The martial arts story...
::
:: 
:: Ei: Goodness. Are people in Liyue really so complex these days?
:: Ei: Even though the protagonist refuses to acknowledge his innate talents, he has a rare dedication to justice.
:: Ei: Where is he now? Does he have plans to visit Inazuma? If so, I will instruct one of the Commissioners to bring him to me on his arrival. I would very much like to spar with him.
:: Paimon: Uh... he's a fictional character. He doesn't exist...
:: Paimon: What about the antagonists, though? Don't you have any thoughts about their part in the story?
:: Ei: The antagonists? You mean all the people who behaved foolishly? What can I say, they're bad people and they all got what they deserved. End of story.
:: Paimon: Ei doesn't seem interested in the supporting characters at all.
: The love story...
::
:: 
:: Ei: Why are there seven people all striving to have a relationship with a single male protagonist? Is this some sort of narrative device, too?
:: Paimon: Not really, it's a pretty normal story. Y'know, where the guy can only choose one girl in the end.
:: Ei: I see. Yes, this is an important relationship, so he must choose wisely, but the decision-making process is a source of agony and conflict.
:: Ei: So... could the author not simply add a narrative device whereby the main character could accept the feelings of all seven admirers at once? Yes, that would solve it!
:: Paimon: That would be the most boring love story ever!
:: Ei: "Love"...
:: Ei: Hmm. Narrative devices are truly mysterious things.
: The Shogun story...
::
:: 
:: Paimon: Hey! Paimon thought we agreed not to bring that one up!
:: Ei: It's okay. I find it quite interesting. I didn't realize that this was how ordinary people viewed the Shogun.
:: Ei: She would never use the Musou no Hitotachi as frivolously as she does in the pages of this book. Nor would she ever use it as a means of venting emotions. In reality, the reason for drawing her blade determines which martial form to use and the degree of power with which to imbue it.
:: Ei: Since there is such a great deal of difference between the story and the reality, I don't feel offended at all. On the contrary, I find the author's powers of imagination quite admirable.
:: Ei: That said, I hear that Yae Publishing House's novels are all reviewed by Miko herself.
:: Ei: Which means that the content of this book must have been approved by her... in fact, no. It may even have been her idea in the first place.
: Paimon: So what do you think of Yae Publishing House's light novels, Ei?
: Paimon: Do you like the stories we picked?
: Ei: What I take from these stories is not so much the content itself, but what they represent in terms of the effects of time upon Inazuma.
: Ei: Back when I decided to isolate myself in the Plane of Euthymia, there was no Yae Publishing House, and certainly no stories of this kind.
: Ei: In accordance with my wishes, the Shogun did her best to create an eternal nation. A nation that, in theory, should remain entirely unchanged over time.
: Ei: But the fact is that both the food and the stories have changed with time...
: It's human nature to seek change.
: Change is inevitable.
: Ei: "I disagree with your point of view"... That's what I would say if we were still in the Plane of Euthymia.
: Ei: But the truth is right here in front of my eyes, and I can't deny it.
: Paimon: And that's exactly why we brought you out. To take a look around and get some fresh ideas.
: Paimon: Sure, it's not the same as you remember, but one way or another, people are loving life in the present. That's gotta be a good thing, right?
: Ei: Yes, you're right. I'm wary of any and all change, but I do not wish for my pursuit of Eternity to stop human lives from changing for the better.
: Ei: Thank you for inviting me out. This trip has been quite eye-opening for me.
: Don't mention it.
: We're just out here to have some fun.
: Ei: This may be an everyday occurrence for you. But for me, this trip has been quite an occasion.
: Ei: I've seen a lot and it's made me think a lot... I really can't praise it highly enough. I hope I will remember it for a long time to come.
: Well, why don't we take a photo?
: Paimon: Great idea! Ei's had a wonderful time, and a photo is the best way to remember it!
: Ei: "Take a photo"...? Once again, I'm faced with a combination of words that makes absolutely no sense to me.
: Paimon: It's okay. Come with us, we'll find a scenic spot and show you what we mean.
==Other Languages==
==Change History==
es:La travesía del mundo mortal