Chapter 180: Diluc
"She is not my mother!" the Wanderer snapped, his voice sharp and loud. It was the first time since his arrival that his emotions had fractured so visibly.
Gin and the others remained impassive, their expressions unreadable in the face of his outburst. Seeing the Wanderer's volatile reaction, they knew Cointreau's words had struck a nerve. It seemed the relationship between this mother and son was fraught with conflict—a piece of information that was, for them, very good news.
They hoped to glean information about Teyvat through the Wanderer. The last thing they wanted was for him to hold any deep loyalty to its members, lest that loyalty turn against their own organization down the line. Gin's face remained a cold, emotionless mask, but a flicker of satisfaction settled deep within him. A recruit so thoroughly rejected by his own people was a recruit far easier to control.
Vermouth, however, found her thoughts drifting down a different path. A boy with a mother in a high-ranking position, yet he was cast off into a different department at a young age, only to be deceived and mistreated. The narrative sparked a few unpleasant memories of her own. Perhaps it was a woman's sentimentality, but for a fleeting moment, Vermouth found the abrasive young man not quite so detestable.
That fragile sympathy, however, was destined to be short-lived. Soon enough, her rose-tinted glasses would be shattered, and she would realize that any pity for the Wanderer was a wasted effort.
"It's said his mother abandoned him because he was too fragile," Cointreau whispered to Gin, completely ignoring the Wanderer's furious denial.
"I. Heard. You!" The Wanderer's hearing was evidently exceptional. His head whipped around, and he glared at Cointreau, his purple eyes, as clear and striking as amethysts, blazing with unrestrained rage.
Cointreau merely offered a lazy, unbothered smile. "Heh. In any case, I ended up taking something very important from her later."
At this, Gin finally set down his cigarette. He turned his full attention to Cointreau, his voice a low murmur. "How is it that Kaeya tells you everything?"
"Because I'm popular," Cointreau replied, tapping a finger against her chin thoughtfully. "It's also possible that, in his eyes, this isn't something that needs to be kept secret. From what I understand, the Mondstadt branch where Kaeya operates has a long-standing grudge against the Fatui of Snezhnaya. If the Fatui fail to get what they want, he'd be more than happy. He might even give them a kick while they're down."
At that very moment, miles away, the man Cointreau had just mentioned let out an abrupt sneeze.
Really, who's talking about me? Kaeya wondered, a wry smile touching his lips. Could it be Diluc?
He picked up his phone again, his gaze scanning the message one last time to confirm he hadn't misread it. With a long, drawn-out sigh, he leaned back against the sofa, pressing the back of his hand to his forehead as if nursing a sudden headache.
Sigh. As expected, watching the Traveler's drama unfold is never simple. Has my retribution come so quickly?
After a moment of theatrical suffering, Kaeya lowered his hand, letting his head rest against the plush cushions. He turned to the small girl sitting beside him, who was completely absorbed in a colorful storybook. "Klee, your Big Brother Diluc is coming soon. Are you happy?"
Klee's head immediately popped up. "Really? Big Brother Diluc is coming too?" she chirped, her eyes wide with delight. "Klee hasn't seen Big Brother Diluc in a long time! I miss him a little." Then, a flicker of worry crossed her face, and her expression turned anxious. "Brother Kaeya, Klee caused trouble before. Is Big Brother Diluc still angry?"
Kaeya sat up straight and gently stroked Klee's blonde hair. "Don't worry," he soothed. "Klee is so cute, how could Big Brother Diluc have the heart to stay angry for so long? Besides, Brother Kaeya already compensated for all the previous losses on your behalf. You just need to make sure you entertain Big Brother Diluc well when he arrives."
"Mm-hmm!" Klee nodded enthusiastically.
Suddenly, she shot to her feet. "Oh no! Klee just promised Conan today that I'd go act out a play with the Detective Boys later. But now that Big Brother Diluc is coming, I can't go. Klee wants to see Big Brother Diluc as soon as possible!"
"So, what does Klee plan to do?" Kaeya watched her, his expression gentle and a fond smile playing on his lips.
"Um..." Klee put a finger to her chin, her face scrunched in thought. She was torn, but Big Brother Diluc was definitely more important. "Brother Kaeya, Klee will go tell Conan now that I can't play with them later."
After receiving an encouraging nod from Kaeya, Klee scampered over to the telephone and began to dial.
At Dr. Agasa's house, Conan Edogawa put down the receiver, a deep frown creasing his brow.
"What did Klee say to you?" Ai Haibara asked, looking up from her magazine. She found his troubled expression after a simple call from Klee rather puzzling. "Were you discussing your plans to play with the other children later?" What could a child like Klee possibly say to provoke such a reaction? Unless... "Was it about Kaeya?"
Haibara's voice snapped Conan back to the present. "Klee asked me to apologize to the others for her. She can't come out to play for a while. She said her Big Brother Diluc is coming soon and she has to wait for him, so she won't be going out."
"Diluc?" Haibara's eyes narrowed slightly as she looked at Conan. "Isn't that..."
"Yes," Conan nodded, finishing her unspoken thought. "Diluc Ragnvindr. The head of the Ragnvindr family, and also Kaeya's sworn brother."
I wonder what his purpose is for suddenly coming here, Conan thought, his frown deepening. Could it be related to the Black Organization? And does he know that Kaeya is collaborating with them?
While Conan and Haibara were dissecting the potential motives behind Diluc's sudden trip to Japan, Gin had already concluded his questioning of the Wanderer. Though the interrogation had been punctuated by Cointreau's biting sarcasm and the Wanderer's simmering rage, the boy had, for the most part, been cooperative.
Now, it was time to see what he was capable of.
His identity alone guaranteed him a place in the organization, but Gin had no desire for an incompetent partner in their upcoming operations. A preliminary test would help gauge his abilities and determine how best to use him in the field.
"Let me do it," Cointreau volunteered with a grin.
She had already pointed out that the Wanderer was useless with firearms. His strengths lay in his light-footed agility, allowing him to handle difficult terrain with ease, and his formidable close-combat skills. Among those present, besides Gin himself, only she was a suitable opponent to test those skills.
Besides, she felt their previous encounter had been cut short. This was a perfect opportunity to beat him up a little more. It would be even better if she could beat him into silence.
He's got the looks, she mused, it's just a pity he also has a mouth.
Gin offered no objection, and the others certainly weren't going to argue.
"Oh? Beat me up? Do you really have the ability, you little bug—"
The Wanderer's taunt was cut short as Cointreau's fist swung through the air, interrupting him mid-sentence.
Ten minutes later, Vodka and Vermouth could only stare, their gazes filled with astonishment, at the open training space where the Wanderer and Cointreau were still trading furious blows, neither showing any sign of backing down.
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