Venti's shameless behavior stunned both Sucrose and Kunfeng. Kunfeng was first shocked, then furious. He was about to teach the drunkard a lesson when Saphir stopped him.
"It's fine. Wine is meant to be drunk. If it ends up collecting dust on a shelf because of some pompous reason, that's the real tragedy," Saphir said, giving Venti a pat on the shoulder. "This is the finest wine Master Diluc personally gifted me. How does it taste?"
Venti hadn't had wine of this quality in ages. Letting out a satisfied hiccup, he praised, "Your brain's the best, eheh~ Hey, the Fatui still hiring? Take me with you!"
His cheeks were flushed pink, looking like he was floating in pure bliss.
Saphir could only shake her head at the sorry state of the drunk bard and dragged him along into the Goth Grand Hotel.
She had her subordinates arrange tables and chairs, then changed into a simpler short-sleeved outfit, tied on an apron, and headed to the kitchen. The dishes wouldn't take long to finish. While cooking, she figured the others could use the time to chat.
"I didn't expect you to still be in this city. Once things settle down, aren't you going to travel around? The world might be changing faster than you think." Yae Miko had already guessed Venti's identity and was surprised he chose to stay in Mondstadt so obediently.
Venti lazily raised his eyelids and gave her a side glance before chuckling. "Says who? As the greatest bard in the world, obviously I belong in this pastoral city. Got a problem with that?"
He might've sounded drunk, but Miko could see the clarity in his eyes.
Realizing this, she didn't press further. Barbatos hadn't left Mondstadt—and from the look of things, wasn't planning to for a while. That could only mean something big was coming. Though she considered herself young and clever, she knew she was no match for these thousand-year-old "old monsters." She took Venti's decision seriously. Following Mondstadt and Liyue's pace was the safest move for Inazuma.
Neither lag behind nor be the first to stand out.
Those were the words Fox Palace once said to her. Though she'd scoffed at that woman on the surface, in her heart, she had remembered everything she'd been taught. The thought brought a tinge of melancholy.
"Did Fox Palace already know she'd disappear… is that why she taught me all this?"
While the group chatted idly, the food was nearly ready. Just as Saphir was prepping a pot of soup, the gatekeeper Luke reported from the door, "Ma'am, the Traveler says she has something to discuss."
"Lumine?" Saphir instantly understood. "She must've gotten the manuscript. Bring them in—there's plenty of food anyway."
"Yes, ma'am," Luke replied and left.
Before long, Lumine and Paimon entered the private dining room.
"Eh?! Venti, Lisa, Sucrose! You're all here?" Paimon perked up immediately at the familiar faces. Lumine also walked over and took a seat without ceremony.
Lisa noticed the chill on Lumine and asked, "Back from the snow mountain?"
Lumine nodded. "Took a commission to fetch a manuscript. Found a few frozen boars along the way and studied them for a bit—took longer than expected."
Yae Miko narrowed her eyes the moment she saw Lumine. She remembered the bet Saphir made with Ei a year ago. Back then, Saphir said that in two years, a golden-haired Traveler and a silver mascot would arrive in Inazuma and change Ei's view of eternity. The wager was Ei's Gnosis.
Though Ei had already begun to change, the terms of the bet were clearly manifesting—golden-haired, traveler, silver mascot.
If their next stop was Liyue and then Inazuma, it aligned perfectly with the two-year timeline. If this girl really had that power, then Saphir had essentially prophesied everything. That was hard for Yae Miko to accept. She didn't understand how Saphir did it. But then again… this was the same woman who had unlocked a true ley line seal. Compared to that, a few predictions seemed entirely possible.
Lumine was perceptive. She quickly noticed Miko's gaze and frowned. "Is there something on my face?"
Miko wasn't fazed at all. Instead, she smoothly introduced herself, "I'm the editor-in-chief of Yae Publishing House in Inazuma. I came to Mondstadt to chase down our dear Su Jin-sensei—also known as Miss Saphir—for her manuscript. So little one, that manuscript you're holding should go to me."
"Inazuman?" Lumine eyed Miko warily and didn't hand anything over. "The mission's instruction was to deliver it to Saphir. If she doesn't ask for it, I can't give it to anyone else."
Lumine was sharp. The moment she saw the fox lady, her guard went up.
Paimon, on the other hand, was utterly lacking in caution. She floated over and whispered into Lumine's ear, "What a beautiful big sis. Wait, are those pointy bits next to her head… ears?"
Thanks to Paimon's reminder, Lumine noticed the non-human features. "Maybe like Sucrose? Some special bloodline or something."
Their "whispers" were clearly audible to both Yae Miko and Lisa sitting nearby. Miko's expression stiffened, and Lisa had to cough to stifle her laughter.
"To be honest," Lisa interjected, "can Lumine even drink alcohol?"
Lumine could drink, but due to her youthful appearance, even as an honorary knight, no one was willing to sell her any. Besides, she didn't have the mora to afford luxuries like alcohol.
She shook her head. "I don't really like alcohol. It dulls my sense of urgency. I'll become, as Paimon puts it, 'a useless adult.'"
"Yeah! Drunks are the worst!" Paimon added, shooting a pointed glance at Venti, who had become the perfect example.
Just then, Saphir stepped out of the kitchen with a steaming pot. "Chicken soup's ready!"
Placing it in the center of the table, she glanced around. "Why isn't anyone eating?"
"We can't eat before the host is seated," Yae Miko said with a smile, pulling out the chair beside her for Saphir.
Saphir didn't stand on ceremony and took the seat. With chopsticks in hand, she declared, "Alright, food's up. Let's eat!"
The small celebration began. Since it was a success party, the mood was light and cheerful. Everyone chatted while eating. Lisa, Yae Miko, Venti, Kunfeng, and Saphir had wine, while Lumine and Sucrose opted for non-alcoholic drinks.
After a round of toasts, Sucrose suddenly asked a bold question, "Miss Saphir… who's older, you or Miss Lumine?"
Saphir paused. After thinking it over, she answered, "Probably Lumine. I'm not even twenty yet, but this girl here slept for like, five hundred years."
"Huh? I thought you were older." Yae Miko teased. "Lumine doesn't even look of drinking age. If she's older than you, then you…"
"In Snezhnaya, the drinking age is younger. Got a problem, take it up with the Tsaritsa." Flawless logic—no one could argue.
Lumine gave a strained smile. She was definitely the oldest one here—probably older than everyone at the table combined. But it wasn't something she could admit aloud. And it didn't feel fair either—why could Saphir drink and even get gifted wine, while she was refused service at Angel's Share just for asking?
She was feeling a little sulky.
Eventually, the meal wrapped up in a cheerful mess. Before leaving, Lumine handed the manuscript to Saphir and received a Crimson Agate in return.
Staring at the crystal, Lumine was filled with emotion. Her eyes sparkled as she looked at Saphir with a pitiful expression.
"What now?" Saphir could tell she was up to something.
Lumine gave a sheepish grin. "Saphir, can I have more Crimson Agate?"
Saphir chuckled. "It's that important to you?"
Paimon floated over, serious for once. "It's super important! We can offer them to a tree in the snow mountain and get all sorts of rewards!"
Seeing Paimon spill the beans, Lumine deflated. Saphir's amused expression made her even more flustered. She grabbed Saphir's arm quickly. "I wasn't trying to hide anything! It's just… not everyone can use them."
Saphir already knew she couldn't offer them—she couldn't even see elemental oculi.
"You're talking about the Frostbearing Tree, right?" she said directly.
Paimon gasped. "You knew?!"
Lumine felt awkward. If Saphir could offer to the tree too, her advantage was gone. No wonder she'd been collecting them.
Saphir ignored Lumine's panic and took out another Crimson Agate. "Later, help me deliver a weapon to Albedo. This one's yours too."
Lumine's eyes lit up. "I knew you were the best!"
Saphir added, "That's all it takes to win you over? Do some more errands for me in the future and you'll get plenty of good stuff."
"You got it!" Paimon chimed in. Her fate was tied to Lumine's, and she cared deeply about those "good things."
Meanwhile, Venti had quietly stashed away ten bottles of fine wine and was preparing to slip away unnoticed. Saphir didn't even bother stopping the shameless drunk.
With their plans made, Lumine left in high spirits. Before the weapon could be forged, she had another task—dealing with the Black Wolf in Wolvendom. But that no longer concerned Saphir.
She arrived in the back courtyard of the hotel, where the forge had already been built. Flames roared from the furnace, releasing searing heat as if they could melt the world.
"Alright Kunfeng, it's your turn now. Don't let me down."
Kunfeng clenched his fists. "Rest assured, ma'am. In the name of my family, I swear—I will not fail!"
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