Chapter 29: Conspiracy and the Angel's Gift
Lumine: "..."
Staring at the dazzling array of bottles lined up behind the counter, Venti fell into deep contemplation.
Venti: "Uh, today I feel like drinking…"
Diluc turned around and cut him off coolly. "Put back the wine you just grabbed from behind the cabinet."
With an embarrassed grin, Venti stuffed the bottle he'd casually picked up into Paimon's arms, then spread his hands. "Ehehe~ I just wanted something a little more chilled."
Paimon: "?"
Diluc: "Now then. You should properly answer my question."
Venti: "Aw, at least let me finish a drink first. I'll pay, I'll pay… Hmm, with a performance to cover the tab."
Diluc: "It's not about the money. You don't look old enough to be buying alcohol."
Venti puffed out his chest proudly. "You can rest assured. When I started drinking, you were still—"
Lumine cut in, "How about answering my question first?"
Venti tilted his head. "You want to ask, 'Who is this gentleman,' don't you?"
"I presume this Master Diluc is the… true boss behind this tavern."
"A very famous person, I hear. By the way, I quite enjoy the Dandelion Wine his establishment produces."
"Uh, though most of the time I can only afford the bulk stuff."
Diluc snorted. "Mondstadt has regulations. No alcohol is to be sold to minors. I'll have Charles add you to the tavern's blacklist from now on."
Venti panicked, seemingly missing the joke entirely. "Eh?? How can you do that?! I'll die if I don't drink!"
Diluc's gaze sharpened. "Let's get one thing straight. The fact that you dared to steal the Holy Lyre der Himmel—I admire that."
"Even if you're fools, you're the rarest kind of fools in a thousand years."
Paimon glared at him, puffing up angrily. "We didn't steal it! The real culprit is someone else—"
Venti chimed in smoothly, "This one here is the Knights of Favonius' rising star. How could she possibly steal Mondstadt's sacred relic?"
Diluc blinked in realization. "A rising star… Ah, so you're the one."
"I also heard that your companion publicly confessed his feelings to Miss Lisa in front of the people at the fountain plaza."
"He's not with you?"
Lumine covered her face. "Please don't mention it. It's too embarrassing…"
Paimon huffed. "That guy said he was 'casting a long line to catch a big fish.' Who knows where he's run off to."
Diluc regarded them thoughtfully. "Is that so? Then are you familiar with this bard here?"
Lumine shook her head decisively. "Not really…"
Diluc nodded. "Very well. Then I'll hand the bard over to the Knights."
Venti yelped. "Eh? Don't be so heartless—"
There was a trace of appreciation in Diluc's eyes. "Hm… As a traveler, yet willing to lend a hand to Mondstadt in its time of crisis."
"A person like that would be wasted in the Knights. You might as well follow your companion's example and refuse from the start."
Lumine pursed her lips. To be honest, she had wanted to refuse, too.
Diluc continued, "The Knights of Favonius have been timid and inefficient in dealing with the Stormterror crisis."
"And diplomatically, they are weak and overly cautious when it comes to the Fatui."
He drew a slow breath, as if forcibly suppressing his anger.
"...Tch. Forget it. I'd rather not dwell on the subject."
Venti smiled knowingly. "It seems Master Diluc isn't very fond of the Knights of Favonius."
A shadow flickered through Diluc's eyes, as though recalling painful memories. He replied evenly, "Our paths simply differ."
"I have my own expectations for this city of Mondstadt."
"Now answer me. Why steal the Holy Lyre?"
Venti's expression turned serious. "Do you truly wish to know? It may drag you into trouble involving the Knights."
Diluc scoffed. "I'm not afraid of trouble. I am trouble for the Knights."
Lumine nodded silently. It seemed this Master Diluc was deeply dissatisfied with the Knights.
Venti lifted his chin. "Then if I perform the true story for you, will you believe me?"
"That depends," Diluc replied calmly. "I'll make my own judgment."
Venti pressed his luck. "And—will you pay me for the performance?"
"Your reward will range from five Mora to the Holy Lyre itself. It depends on your story."
The corner of Venti's lips curled upward. "Excellent. Then I'll add an encore."
With that, he took out the lyre he carried with him, closed his emerald eyes, and began to play the mournful ballad of Dvalin, the Dragon of the East Wind.
Diluc's expression shifted from indifference, to being moved, to outright shock.
"That narrative poem just now… what exactly was it?"
"It contains important secrets. Why tell me such things?"
Venti spread his hands, smiling faintly. "Why indeed? Perhaps… because the direction of the wind is beginning to change."
"Well then, Master Diluc?"
Lumine added quietly, "Perhaps it's because you're one of the few people in Mondstadt who can understand the meaning behind that ballad."
Paimon nodded vigorously. "Mm-hmm!"
Diluc's lips curved slightly. "Interesting…"
"Give me some time. I can try to arrange some connections…"
"By now, there are likely already warrants out for you. For your safety, you'd best remain in the tavern for the time being."
Venti chuckled. "No problem. I love taverns!"
Paimon's eyes sparkled. "Does that include meals?"
Diluc: "..."
Lumine said softly, "I believe my companion wouldn't abandon me."
"He told me he'd persuade Acting Grand Master Jean to revoke the warrant and counter the Fatui—make them fail and suffer the consequences."
Diluc raised a brow. "Interesting. Then let us meet here again after the tavern closes tonight."
"If your companion fails to convince Jean, I will assist."
Venti cleared his throat. "Ah, there's one more thing I'd like to ask your help with."
"Speak," Diluc said evenly.
"It was originally something Lumine was going to handle, but she can't leave for now…"
"Could you collect some of Stormterror's tears for me? I have a use for them. Specifically the red ones…"
As he spoke, Venti gestured for Lumine to take out a crystallized tear of Stormterror and present it to Diluc.
Diluc sighed. "Time is short. Searching blindly would be like finding a needle in the sea. Don't tell me you expect me to scour all of Mondstadt?"
Venti grinned. "Ehehe~ Perhaps try searching carefully around the Thousand Winds Temple and the ruins in the forest. You might find something."
Diluc glanced at him but said nothing more.
—
After thanking Diluc, the two Knights, Miles and Ott, hurriedly shut the tavern doors and looked toward the wrong direction Diluc had indicated.
And sure enough, in that hurried glance, they spotted two figures—one yellow, one green.
The two Knights exchanged a look. "After them!"
Meanwhile, on a raised platform in the distance, the green-haired girl with glasses, Sucrose, wore an apologetic expression. "Mister Albedo, regarding the topic from the day before yesterday… I really can't figure it out…"
Under the lamplight, the alchemist Albedo's light brown hair shimmered with a faint golden hue.
Just as Albedo was about to offer guidance, a shout from afar interrupted them.
Miles: "Look! One yellow, one green—that's them!"
"Hey! You two thieves over there, stop right there!"
Ott: "Yeah! Stop!"
Albedo: "?"
Sucrose: "?"
----
Guys, if you want more chapters, subscribe to my YouTube channel here.
For every 10 subscribers, you'll get one extra chapter.
If no one subscribed, I would stop posting chapters.
Here is the link.
htt(p)s://youtube.com/shorts/bMOodEURFWM?si=UU7yZ0iMeEEUnpXo
Just delete the () from the p, ok.