(6 more chapters coming today please give power stones)
Barbara rushed toward the door like she was escaping a crime.
Kaito didn't move aside.
"Kaito… brother…"
Barbara bumped straight into his chest with a soft thud, then immediately stumbled back a step.
Flustered, she grabbed his coat hem and tugged lightly—silent pleading for him to let her pass.
Kaito simply patted her head.
"I just spoke to Jean," he said. "I asked the church to let you come with me."
"Let me… come with you?"
Barbara was already crimson, but her eyes widened further.
"Kaito… brother wants me for… what?"
Her voice came out small.
One foot lifted slightly in her little shoes, toes tapping the floor—nervous, shy, and full of a faint, dangerous kind of expectation.
Kaito answered plainly.
"We're going out adventuring. The team needs a healer—someone like you who can treat injuries."
"…Only that?"
Barbara's shoulders drooped, and the disappointment slipped into her voice before she could hide it.
"Hm?"
Kaito paused, catching the shift.
Was she just half-awake?
He smiled.
"Also… if I can see Barbara every day, it puts me in a better mood."
"Mhm…!"
Barbara's lips pressed into a happy little smile, and she nodded quickly.
Her flax-brown twin ponytails bounced with the motion—ridiculously cute.
"And," Kaito continued, "since you got your Vision, you haven't really trained much, have you?"
Barbara hesitated, then admitted it.
"Mm… I got my Vision after becoming a deaconess. I haven't really had chances to leave Mondstadt."
To her, a Vision wasn't that important.
Having one was enough.
Healing people with her singing, giving them smiles—that was her dream.
"This trip is training," Kaito said. "You don't want to end up like last time—so exhausted you pass out again, right?"
Barbara nodded, understanding now.
"So that's why…"
"Thank you, Kaito… brother."
Just then—
Grrr…
Barbara's stomach betrayed her.
Her face turned red, and she grabbed Kaito's hand with both of hers.
"…Food…"
"I'll have Sara prepare something," Kaito said. "I still need to go out and meet someone."
"Meet someone?"
"Also coming with us are Lumine, Paimon, and Noelle."
"Lumine and Paimon… those two?"
Barbara had seen yesterday's battle with the dragon, just like most of Mondstadt.
So of course she knew who they were.
Kaito nodded. "Yeah."
He walked her out of the attic and introduced everyone quickly.
Then he left Good Hunter alone.
Cutting through a few narrow alleys like he knew the city by heart, he reached a familiar tavern.
Angel's Share.
"Welcome!"
A large man stood at the entrance, handling greetings and drawing customers in.
He lit up the moment he saw Kaito.
"Boss Kaito! Are you here to see Master Diluc?"
Kaito rarely came here, so the man couldn't imagine any other reason.
Kaito nodded. "Yeah. Is he in?"
The man—Barton—was rumored to have broken a bottle of the tavern's treasured vintage and fallen into serious debt.
He'd been working here to pay it off ever since, which had turned him into someone with sharp instincts.
"Master Diluc isn't at the tavern today," Barton said, shaking his head.
"Let him know I'm waiting."
Kaito stepped inside, ordered an apple cider from Charles, and took a seat upstairs by the railing.
From here, he had a clear view of the entrance.
Apple cider had no alcohol—fresh, light, and clean.
Taverns were always the best place for information.
Sitting there for only a short while, Kaito heard at least five separate conversations about the new Traveler—about her becoming an Honorary Knight.
Diluc arrived later than Kaito expected.
More than an hour passed before the elegant figure finally entered.
He glanced up toward the second floor.
Their eyes met.
A subtle nod—nothing more.
Diluc walked up, took out a key, and unlocked the third-floor door.
As he climbed the spiral staircase, he spoke casually—loud enough for the room below to hear.
"Boss Kaito rarely visits Angel's Share. And you're satisfied with apple cider?"
Kaito followed, expression unchanged.
"Aren't I waiting for your private stock?"
Inside, Diluc shut the door behind them.
Downstairs, a few drinkers who caught the exchange immediately wore jealous expressions.
Most of the tavern's finest bottles were rumored to be kept on the third floor—off-limits to the public. Just imagining the taste made people itch.
But the truth was—
Neither of them touched any wine.
Those lines were only there to mislead the room below.
They sat across from each other on opposite sofas.
Diluc crossed one leg over the other and spoke first.
"The Abyss Order has a 'Prince.'"
"Recently, their movements have been tied to him."
This was information he'd gotten from interrogating an Abyss Mage through the night.
"Unfortunately," he added, "I couldn't get the true objective out of it."
Diluc assumed Kaito had come for Abyss intel. After all, they'd fought together yesterday—sharing information was reasonable.
Kaito paused, then nodded slightly.
So it matched.
The "Prince"—it pointed to Aether.
Then Kaito smiled faintly.
"But I didn't come for that," he said.
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