"This mission was handled well," Diluc said, pausing briefly before adding, "It's of great importance—I need to report this immediately."
[Translation: you're dismissed, you can leave now.]
"Oh, right, the Day Pearl—"
"It's yours."
"Oh-oh."
Victor Wang didn't descend to the first floor but instead joined Venti, who sat alone by the second-floor railing. Since Venti knew his true identity, he wasn't worried about exposing his face in front of him.
"Good evening, sir. Would you like something to drink?"
"Two glasses of apple cider, please."
"Alright, just a moment."
Victor Wang pulled the Day Pearl from his pouch and studied it. It looked like a transparent glass sphere nested in several layers, yet it could emit such intense light. Alchemy was truly magical.
Still, outside of certain environments, it had little use—likely the reason Diluc gave it so readily.
Downstairs, the "stage" was set. Four nuns tuned their instruments while Barbara and two others finalized the performance list.
Diona had replaced Charles behind the bar, making specialty drinks. Anything she couldn't reach, she directed Charles to fetch.
"I must be dreaming. Drinking Mondstadt's best wine in its finest tavern?"
"Hmph?" Diona snapped her head up, glaring at the speaker.
"Ah—n-no! I mean, drinking Mondstadt's finest wine in its second-best tavern!"
"Humph. Liar."
"I swear I meant it!"
"Swear it by the name of the Anemo Archon."
Kaeya curled his lips with a faint, awkward smile but didn't answer.
"Shouldn't you be working right now?"
"That's why I'm patrolling the tavern," Kaeya said as he swept his left arm behind him, gesturing to the long line of people waiting for custom drinks. "With so many folks here, isn't this the likeliest place for trouble?"
"Twisted logic. All twisted."
"Now, now, don't be like that. After a hard day's work, isn't it right to relax with a drink? Ask Rosaria behind me if you don't believe me."
Upstairs, Victor Wang couldn't help but interject, "Normally, it's after work that you have a drink!"
Venti, ever clueless about his own laziness, chimed in, "Exactly!"
Rosaria didn't respond to Kaeya either. Her face was cold as ever. "Drinking is drinking. No need for all the excuses."
She always wore that cold expression.
If Mondstadt had a ranking for most stoic, she and Albedo would tie for first. Diluc would be second at best.
Kaeya laughed and turned back to Diona, whose expression resembled an angry kitten.
"See? Even when someone misbehaves, honesty is more likable than lies."
"Ah, Little Diona, haven't you noticed a pattern? The fact that I'm idle means nothing's gone wrong in Mondstadt. But once I am busy… sigh…"
He suddenly remembered the recent incident with the Chief Instructor. For once, his face lost its usual smile.
Even without knowing the details, Diona sensed her "Cavalry Captain" was genuinely a little down. She'd planned to make him a horrid drink with lizard tail, pepper, and starconch, but now she asked Charles for dandelion seeds and valberries to balance it out.
"It's alright. Let this event help you drunkards wake up a bit. Here—this one's for you. But if you drink this, you are not allowed to get drunk today. Otherwise, I'll refuse to make you drinks ever again."
"Got it!"
Diona shook her head. Those same three words felt entirely different from Kaeya than from Victor Wang.
The current "Cavalry Captain" didn't exactly inspire confidence… perhaps they should transfer the title to Victor Wang…
"Ah, Mondstadt's finest tavern, its finest wine, and its most famous idol—truly a pleasure~" Kaeya said, cheerfully returning to his seat with his drink.
Diona threw more ingredients into her shaker but kept a watchful eye on Kaeya's back and the ever-growing line of eager drinkers.
"Hmph. The opening event is an exception. Once it officially starts, the Anemo Archon will be watching you all."
"The Anemo Archon?" Victor Wang, sipping his now-ready apple cider, turned to Venti.
Venti was distracted by Diona's custom mix—if not for centuries of honed patience, he'd already be standing in line.
Hearing Victor's question, he took a small sip of cider. It was tasty—but still lacked the bite of real wine.
"You don't know? I guess you rarely drink… So, you're not here for Diona's specialty either?"
His eyes suddenly lit up, almost sparkling.
"Everyone who drinks tonight gets one of Diona's custom drinks for free! Since you don't drink much, make sure you don't pick up that habit. Let me bear that burden for you!"
"You're scheming so hard your abacus beads are bouncing off Morax's head. Is wine really that good?"
"Exactly! See? That's why letting you drink it would be a waste."
"First explain what 'the Anemo Archon will be watching' means."
"Oh, it's simple. Diona wanted to host an anti-drunkenness campaign, right? So, she made a rule: starting tomorrow, any regular who can go five days without getting drunk can bring any ingredients they want to Cat's Tail, and she'll mix them a custom drink for free.
"At first, everyone just came to drink. But now they can participate—mixing, combining, experimenting. And with Diona as the bartender? It's irresistible.
"Ahem, anyway—how do you ensure no one's cheating? Diona came up with this 'honor system' idea: to claim a reward, you must swear by the Anemo Archon that you haven't cheated."
At that, Venti spread his hands. "As for whether the Archon is actually watching—who knows~?"
"If the Anemo Archon's watching, you would know, Venti."
"Ahaha~"
"Diona's plan is actually brilliant. Even if the Archon isn't watching, most people in Mondstadt wouldn't joke about swearing on that."
"Right? It really saves the Archon a lot of effort."
The nuns on the first floor were finally ready to perform. Unsurprisingly, Barbara took center stage. She'd done these small charity gigs many times—unlike her solo concert, she was completely calm this time.
With poise, she surveyed the tavern's patrons, then began:
"Thank you all for attending this charity event hosted jointly by Cat's Tail, Dawn Winery, and the Church of Favonius. Of course, some of you are just here for drinks, which is perfectly fine. Before we start the performance, please allow me a moment to explain the event.
"First, let me clarify—this event isn't about giving up drinking entirely. More accurately, it's about giving up drunkenness. So don't be alarmed by the name.
"The rules are simple: over the next month, for every five consecutive days without getting drunk, you may bring any ingredient of your choice to Cat's Tail, and Miss Diona will mix you a custom drink—free of charge.
"If this event helps you save a few coins on wine, you're welcome to voluntarily donate the amount to Cat's Tail, Dawn Winery, or the Church of Favonius. All proceeds will go to support the elderly, disabled, and orphaned—fully transparent and publicly accounted for.
"Additionally, the Church will host charity performances and donation drives every five days in various taverns around the city."
"Nice!" Victor Wang shouted from the second floor.
Albert, not to be outdone, echoed him loudly.
The entire tavern followed suit with cheers.
Barbara couldn't help but smile. With the vice president of her fan club present, he was always the first to rally the crowd.
"Ahem. I appreciate your enthusiasm, but remember—this event's main goal is to help reduce drunkenness. Let's not lose focus."
"Drinking less spares your family and friends worry. That, too, is charity."
"I do want to point out one anonymous contributor from Dawn Winery, who donated the equivalent of one thousand cups of dandelion wine."
"Pfft—"
Kaeya, Victor Wang, and Diona all cracked up.
"We deeply appreciate the generosity, but we don't want this to become a competition. Every coin you save from drinking less is a step toward better health—for you and your loved ones. As for donations—do what you can."
"According to the Knights, the number of accidents caused by drunkenness in Mondstadt each year is tied with those caused by Hilichurl encounters. So yes, this campaign is very much needed!"
"Now I'd like to thank the people who made this event possible. First, the originator—Cat's Tail's signature bartender, Miss Diona—and the inspiration behind her plan: the Knights of Favonius' Honorary Knight, Mr. Dust."
"Me?" Victor Wang blinked. He hadn't expected Diona to name-drop him. Compared to Lumine, he wasn't exactly famous in Mondstadt.
"Diona! Diona! Diona!" the crowd chanted, naturally ignoring Victor.
The drink line was overflowing with gratitude. Even if they didn't plan to join the campaign, everyone still got one free custom drink tonight. And as for joining later—
Well, no drunkard thinks they'll get drunk.
To them, those six custom drinks—made with their own chosen ingredients—felt as easy as sipping apple cider.
"Also, thanks to Captain Kaeya for introducing the event to the Knights, and to Acting Grand Master Jean for approving it."
"Kaeya! Kaeya! Kaeya!"
Kaeya raised his glass. "Well, I really don't get drunk, so this event's all benefit, no loss for me~"
"Thanks as well to Mr. Elzer from Dawn Winery, and to Master Diluc for his full support."
"Diluc! Diluc! Diluc!"
Diluc, up on the third floor, heard the cheers. He had no idea what was happening down there. Rolling up the secret report he'd written, he hesitated—then jumped out the window.
Someone in the drink line asked Elzer, "Why did Dawn Winery agree to an event started by Cat's Tail?"
"Well… to get closer to Diona… Don't look at me like that! Our master doesn't mind building a good relationship with her either. He hates drunkenness."
"That concludes the briefing. The event officially begins tomorrow. Feel free to spread the word among your drinking buddies!"
"Barbara! Barbara! Barbara!"
"Then—let the concert begin!"