The Liyue delegation's stay in Mondstadt was drawing to a close, and a strange, unspoken sentiment was growing among their new Mondstadt friends: they didn't want them to leave, primarily because they didn't want Ren to leave. It was Klee who, with her characteristic directness, voiced the thought.
"You can't go yet, pixie prince!" she had declared, her crimson eyes wide with dismay. "We haven't had a proper goodbye party!"
The idea, once spoken, took on a life of its own. It was decided, through a bizarre and rapid consensus, that a farewell gathering was in order. The venue chosen, much to the surprise of the Liyue contingent, was Angel's Share, the iconic tavern owned by the famously aloof and discerning Master Diluc.
The invitation, it turned out, was extended by Kaeya, who had approached his estranged brother with a roguish smirk and a simple proposition: "How about we give our esteemed guests from Liyue a taste of Mondstadt's finest? It would be a diplomatic coup. Besides," he had added, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, "the little inventor will be there. I think you'll find him… interesting."
And so, on their final evening, Ren found himself at the center of the most confusing, chaotic, and utterly wonderful gathering he could have ever imagined.
The tavern was abuzz. Diluc Ragnvindr himself was behind the bar, his fiery red hair tied back, his expression a mask of stoic professionalism as he polished a glass. But his crimson eyes, sharp and intelligent, missed nothing. He watched as his tavern was gradually filled by the most eclectic and powerful group of people to ever assemble for a casual drink.
There was the Liyue delegation in full: Keqing, looking slightly out of place but professionally curious; Ganyu, sticking close to Ren, a gentle, watchful guardian; and Yelan, who had materialized from the city's shadows, her enigmatic smile suggesting she knew a dozen secrets about everyone present.
Then came their Mondstadt friends. Jean and Lisa arrived together, the Acting Grand Master looking weary but willing to unwind, the librarian looking ready for some fun. Kaeya was already at the bar, trading witty, barbed pleasantries with his brother. Eula stood near the entrance, looking elegant and slightly uncomfortable, until Ren waved at her, and a small, almost imperceptible smile touched her lips.
Barbara arrived, her presence bringing a bright, cheerful energy to the room. She immediately made a beeline for Ren to ask if he was enjoying his drink (non-alcoholic, of course). Noelle came, dutifully ensuring everyone had a coaster for their drink. Fischl made a grand entrance, Oz on her shoulder, proclaiming the gathering to be a "fateful confluence of stellar destinies."
Even Albedo and Sucrose had been coaxed out of their lab, looking slightly dazed by the sheer volume of non-alchemical conversation. And, of course, there was Klee, who had been granted a special, one-night exemption from her usual bedtime by a reluctant Jean, and was currently sipping a glass of Wolfhook juice with the solemnity of a wine connoisseur.
Diluc watched it all, his initial stoicism slowly giving way to a profound sense of bewilderment. He saw mortal enemies (or at least, deep rivals) like himself and Kaeya sharing the same space. He saw stern, all-business leaders like Jean and Keqing actually relaxing. He saw the notoriously reclusive Albedo engaged in a quiet conversation with the equally reclusive Ganyu. He saw knights, scholars, diplomats, and adepti, all mingling in a strange, unprecedented harmony.
And at the very center of this bizarre, peaceful vortex, was the small, quiet boy from Liyue.
Ren was simply… being himself. He was listening to Fischl's dramatic tales, creating small, harmless Cryo flowers to make Klee giggle, and patiently explaining to Barbara why a refrigerator needed a Cryo crystal and not a Hydro one ("Because freezing is different from just making things cold, see?").
He seemed to be a strange, universal catalyst for peace. His simple, innocent presence had a disarming effect on everyone, stripping away their titles and their rivalries, leaving behind just the people.
Later in the evening, as the party was in full swing, Diluc stepped out from behind the bar for a moment. He approached the table where Ren was sitting.
"So, you are the one they call the pixie prince," Diluc said, his voice a low, serious baritone. It was not a question.
Ren looked up at the famously grim tycoon, at the man who was secretly Mondstadt's Darknight Hero, and gave him a polite smile. "That's just a nickname Klee gave me," he said.
Diluc's gaze was intense, analytical. He had seen the way everyone, from his brother to the Acting Grand Master, gravitated towards this child. He had seen the genuine smiles, the easy laughter, the walls coming down.
"It is a… strange sight," Diluc admitted, his gaze sweeping the room. "To see all of these people, together, in one place, not in a state of emergency." He looked back at Ren. "You seem to have a peculiar talent for uniting the most unlikely of individuals."
Ren just shrugged, a small, simple gesture. "I don't know about that," he said. "They're all just my friends."
The simple, profound statement seemed to resonate with the stoic man. Diluc looked at the laughing, chatting, bickering, and fundamentally happy collection of people in his tavern, and a rare, almost microscopic smile touched his lips. It was a weirdly pleasing sight. This small, strange boy from another land had, without trying, managed to do something that decades of diplomacy and shared history had failed to achieve: he had brought all the chaotic, disparate, and powerful elements of Mondstadt together and made them feel, just for one night, like a slightly dysfunctional but genuinely connected family.