"I never thought I'd be saved by you one day. Reality really is something else."
Albedo Junior tilted his head back and downed the potion Albedo handed him. After days of Albedo's relentless efforts, the backdoor in his body had finally been sealed.
"I don't know if reality is something else, but I'm very interested in that Whopperflower you created. If you have time, you could make a few for me to study."
Albedo casually flipped through the alchemical notebook that Albedo Junior had produced—the one that had been left beside Durin's heart. All its contents involved using one's own body for alchemy. That kind of knowledge should have been lost long ago.
Albedo chose not to tell Albedo Junior the truth. Instead, he quietly copied down the notebook's contents. When Master Alice returned, he might be able to find answers from her.
"Oh, Albedo Junior, you're looking good. Can't see any dragon features left on the outside."
"Four-tailed fox, don't give me random nicknames!"
"This director actually thinks the name suits you. Paired with Albedo, it sounds like you're brothers. Oh, and that Whopperflower that turns into people? We could call it 'Albehua.'"
Albedo Junior looked at the two of them with a long sigh. After spending these days together, he had learned one thing: the more he argued with these two, the more excited they got. Still, "Albedo Junior" wasn't the worst name he could have ended up with. Though it did make him sound like Albedo's younger brother.
"Don't look at me. I'm not giving up the name Albedo."
Albedo poured a vial of bubbling green liquid into Albedo Junior's mouth. Bitterness exploded across his taste buds. Gritting his teeth, Albedo Junior forced himself to swallow.
"Cough, cough! Albedo, are you trying to kill me?! That was disgusting!"
"There's an old Liyue saying: 'Good medicine tastes bitter.' It may be hard to drink, but it's effective."
The scaly patches on Albedo Junior's face twitched. But soon, the last of the dragon scales faded away. The tingling sensation on his face made him look at the mirror in surprise. The final traces of his transformation had vanished.
Was that awful-tasting medicine really that effective? Had he misjudged Albedo? Albedo Junior touched his face, his thoughts in disarray. Could it really have been his own fault?
"Uh, Albedo Junior, I think I accidentally used the bitter Sweet Flower Sucrose gave me instead of the normal one for seasoning. Are you feeling alright?"
"Damn you! I knew you did that on purpose!"
Albedo Junior glared at Albedo, who shrugged nonchalantly. It was an accident, he told himself. Whether anyone believed that was up to them.
"By the way, Albedo Junior, now that you're back to normal, what are your plans?"
"You're different from me. You don't have any risk of losing control. You don't have to stay on this mountain like I do. If you want to join Mondstadt, I'm sure Lady Eula could introduce you to Acting Grand Master Jean."
For once, Albedo spoke seriously. Albedo Junior fell into thought. Mondstadt wasn't a bad option, but he didn't want to be that close to Albedo. And he certainly didn't want to deal with those nosy nuns.
"Never mind. I don't want to live in Mondstadt. I can't get used to that atmosphere of freedom. Those drunkards just annoy me."
"Hmm? Why not? Didn't you always want to replace me? Why not stay in Mondstadt?"
Albedo Junior stood up from his chair and looked out the window. From here, he could see the vastness of Teyvat. Having let go of his obsession, he realized how narrow his perspective had been. Why had he fixated only on Albedo?
"I wanted to replace you to prove myself. Now, I don't need that anymore. Just by helping me remove that backdoor, I know I've already lost. Completely."
"Staying near someone more perfect than me would only remind me of my inferiority. So instead of making myself miserable here, I'd rather go explore other nations."
"Heh. Looks like that stubborn child has finally grown up. I'm relieved to hear you say that. But... do you have any Mora?"
The touching moment shattered the moment Albedo asked about Mora. Albedo Junior's eye twitched. He wondered if what made Albedo "successful" in Rhein's eyes was installing an animal module in him. Albedo might not be human, but he was definitely a dog.
Su Bai hadn't expected Albedo to say that either. It reminded him of Zhongli, who always went out without Mora. Every time they met near a shop, Zhongli would inevitably ask, "Do you have any Mora on you?"
"Hehe, looks like you're short on Mora, Albedo Junior. How about coming to work for me? Wangsheng is a thousand-year-old business in Liyue—very reliable."
"Not only do we have a long history, but our employee benefits are top-notch. Free housing, and meals are prepared by a famous Liyue chef. You've seen that girl with the wizard hat, right, Mona?"
"I have. She gives me a strange feeling. I was going to eliminate her, but she ended up going down the mountain."
Albedo Junior shook his head regretfully. Mona gave him the unsettling sense that she could see right through him, which made him uncomfortable. Still, she seemed to treat her companions well—and she was quite fond of food.
Hu Tao didn't care what Albedo Junior was thinking. She just wanted to recruit him for Wangsheng. Then they'd have their own alchemist.
"Exactly! She was so thin when she first joined Wangsheng. In just over a month, she's filled out. Good nutrition even helped her grow. That's how amazing our chef is."
"I can vouch for that. Xiangling's cooking is top-notch. She's friends with Hu Tao, so we usually eat there. She's practically Wangsheng's personal chef."
Seeing Hu Tao trying to recruit Albedo Junior, Su Bai chimed in to help. Having an alchemist at Wangsheng would be fantastic, and Albedo Junior's skills would be a great asset to the funeral parlor.