"Nana, weren't you taking your friend out for dinner? Go on, go on—don't let him go hungry now."
"Dad? Why are you suddenly acting like a different person?"
"Go on already. Tell Brook to put it on my tab and bring out her best! I'll catch her a fine boar tomorrow."
Draff placed both hands on Diona's shoulders and gently pushed her away from the house.
"Well… we're going now, alright?"
"Go on."
Standing behind her, Draff shot Victor Wang a very deliberate wink.
Not long after leaving the house, Victor caught the delicious scent of grilled meat wafting through the air.
As they drew closer, they saw an open-air restaurant—basically a large street stall—where meat was being grilled over charcoal: pork belly, poultry…
The whole area was covered in tables, all of which were currently full.
"Looks like there aren't any seats left."
"Leave it to me!"
Diona darted past the diners and headed straight for a plump woman manning the grill.
"Aunt Brook!"
"Well, if it isn't Diona! What brings you here today?"
"I brought a friend to try your cooking—but it looks like… there aren't any tables."
Brook glanced at Victor Wang, who was following behind. "Just the two of you? No problem—I'll have someone bring out a small table."
Diona's eyes narrowed into happy little crescents. "Thanks, Aunt Brook!"
"Oh, don't be so polite with me. What do you two want to eat?"
"Two of your secret-recipe grilled ribs! And…" Diona looked back at Victor, who was several heads taller than her. "Five skewers of mushroom chicken."
Brook nodded and passed the order to a nearby staff member.
"Oh, and my dad said to put it on his tab. He's bringing you a fine boar tomorrow."
"Oooh! You mean the Boar King? I've been waiting for that one!"
Brook's eyes sparkled mischievously as she sized up the fox-masked young man. So that's what this is… She let out a hearty laugh. "Hahahaha! Got it. Since Draff's so serious about this, I'll pull out all the stops for your friend!"
Soon after, the server brought out a small table from inside. It was a little smaller than standard, but more than enough for two.
Victor and Diona pulled up chairs and waited for the feast to arrive.
"What were you and my dad talking about for so long back there?"
"He thought I was some shady guy or something. I had to explain myself for ages."
"Oh."
Diona swung her legs back and forth as she sat.
"You know, I think I'm the only one who's ever encountered the Pure Water Sprite. Maybe… she doesn't like meeting humans?"
Before Victor could respond, Diona muttered worriedly, "That means it might be really hard to get her to show up…"
"I doubt she dislikes humans. She saved that kid in the legend and even blessed you. But she's definitely rare to encounter—otherwise people wouldn't call her a myth."
"Hmm…" Diona slumped over the table, arms stretching out like she was doing yoga, her tail swaying gently behind her.
Soon, Brook arrived with two steaming plates of meat—simple-looking, but unbelievably fragrant.
"What's with Diona? Something bothering her?" Brook asked.
"I… had something big happen today, but I can't tell you what it is."
Could it really be…? But Diona's still just a kid, isn't she?
Still, that fox-mask guy looked decent enough… I wonder what Draff's thinking.
Brook smiled gently. "No rush. Eat up. Think things through with a full stomach."
The mushroom chicken skewers were also served. Victor, finally feeling his hunger, picked up a rib and took a big bite.
"Mmm~ I only taste salt, but it's somehow better than Good Hunter's ribs. That's incredible!"
"Heh, Aunt Brook's spent years mastering meat dishes. Her place is basically all about meat—with minimal seasoning. It's all about drawing out the flavor of the meat itself. And those mushroom chicken skewers? All for you. I don't eat much, so don't hold back."
"Mm, thanks."
Victor devoured the ribs and skewers with wild enthusiasm, feeling immensely satisfied.
Once Diona finished her rib as well, Victor said, "Shall we go check out the spring?"
"It's a little early. Usually, no one's around the spring past 10 PM. I think we should avoid exposing the Pure Water Sprite—if word gets out, she'll be swarmed."
Victor nodded silently. She really has thought this through.
"Then let's walk around town a bit. Helps digestion anyway."
"Okay."
But after a few silent minutes of wandering, they somehow found themselves near the spring anyway.
As Diona had said, a few townspeople still passed by the spring path, and there were some tourists in the pavilions to the west.
One couple stood out—the man was pointing at the water, whispering sweet nothings. Overcome with emotion, the woman covered his mouth, not wanting to hear those dangerous, heart-pounding vows.
Then, his arm naturally wrapped around her waist, pulling her into a kiss.
Though the pavilion lighting was dim, both Victor and Diona weren't ordinary. Diona especially, with her night vision, saw it all perfectly.
"…Weird people."
They turned their heads away and leaned silently against the railing, looking out at the spring.
After being once watched by the whole universe, Victor Wang had become especially sensitive to people's gazes—and with his mental training, even more so.
He felt it now: someone was watching him.
Tracing it back, he spotted an elderly figure standing behind a window in a two-story building across the spring.
Old Finch?
It was the very man from Heart of Clear Springs—the boy from the story, now decades older, still watching the spring. Day and night, whether standing beside it or gazing from home, he never stopped hoping to see the Pure Water Sprite again.
Noticing Victor's gaze, Old Finch nodded slightly, not bothering to hide his intent.
"Diona, have you read Heart of Clear Springs?"
"Who in Springvale hasn't?"
"If the sprite is real, then that story probably is too, right?"
"Eh…"
Diona noticed Finch's gaze too. Thinking back to how he'd always stood by the spring since she was little, her eyes widened. "No way…"
"Maybe Heart of Clear Springs was written by that very man. From what I recall, it was published just a few decades ago."
"…Maybe. No wonder Grandpa Finch always lived alone, never really worked, yet never lacked anything. That's… kind of tragic, isn't it?"
"Honestly, the ending of Heart of Clear Springs implies he already accepted things. He just… wanted confirmation."
Then Victor shifted his tone. "But that's not the point. The real point is—you don't seem to fully understand what it means that the Pure Water Sprite exists. I'm a total outsider, and even I figured it out before you did."
Granted, with a little external knowledge.
"Hmph, that's nothing to brag about." Diona's tail flicked irritably.
"I'm saying—you might not be looking at the bigger picture. I've thought about it. You really shouldn't remove the blessing. Especially after realizing—you're still just a kid."
"Hey! I bite when I get mad!"
"Then let me ask you—your plan is to make terrible drinks so those drunkards will quit. But what if the drinks are bad, and they just stop coming? Are you going to hold them down and force-feed them? It's all just wishful thinking on your part."
Victor struck without mercy.
"I…" Diona froze, stunned by the unexpected blow.
Victor sighed internally. Why am I always the one to say these things?
First it was Klee and her "pre-grief counseling for parental death," now Diona and her naive plan. Was he doomed to wound every loli character in Teyvat?
Still, he pressed on, salting the wound: "If you lose the blessing, the Cat's Tail will lose its star bartender. The bar will decline. And without it, Dawn Winery will monopolize Mondstadt's alcohol scene. Everyone will flock to Angel's Share, and the poor kittens at Cat's Tail won't even have proper food to eat…"
"You didn't think any of that through, did you?"