Eight o'clock in the evening, Angel's Share tavern.
Many adventurers who ventured into the wilderness for dangerous exploration gathered inside and outside the tavern, drinking wine and sharing their adventure stories of the day.
Nolan and the others approached from afar, seeing the lively scene outside the tavern, and unexpectedly spotting Jack, a former member of Bennett's adventurer team.
"Haha, Jack, you can't be an adventurer if you don't drink!
Only adventurers who can hold their liquor are qualified adventurers! Come on, let's drink this cup together!"
A burly man with a full beard patted the thinner newcomer adventurer next to him and said.
"Ah, Mr. Matt, please don't hand me the wine glass. I've already said I'm not used to drinking!"
Jack, in his green adventurer outfit, quickly pushed away Matt's muscular arm.
"You've been knocked out by a hilichurl today, how can you not have a drink to make up for it?" Adventurer Matt laughed heartily.
On the outdoor tables not far from them, a short-haired adventurer watched Jack and his group, took a gulp of beer, then turned to sigh with his companion:
"Ugh, blame it on that stupid Stormterror, blowing away the tiles of my house with its windstorm. I've been busy all day repairing it. How many treasure chests do I need to find to earn back the Mora spent on repairing the roof?"
"You're lucky. The other day, I forgot to close the windows in my room, and that damm Stormterror actually took away all my hidden money... Sigh, you know, my wife usually doesn't give me mora for coming to the tavern to drink, so today this drink money...hehe" The companion of the short-haired adventurer said with a smile.
"I know, I know, all the roof tiles have been replaced, we don't need your two drinks. The beer brewed by Dawn Winery is really rich in wheat flavor!"
"By the way, we can still drink here now, thanks to those two heroes who defeated Stormterror. I heard they've been honored by the Knights of Favonius as Honorable Knights. It's really admirable."
"Really? I heard one of them is a young adventurer with the appearance of a traveler from Liyue and the other is a blonde girl with a flying fairy. it's a pity that I didn't witness the scene where they fought off the dragon." The short-haired adventurer seemed to have endless emotions.
Defeating a dragon was something legendary, he had only heard Master Cyrus mention it when he was drunk, but had never had the chance to witness it himself.
"Uh, it seems like a few people over there..."
"What's wrong?"
"...Nothing, it just seems like I saw those two you mentioned entering the tavern. Maybe I'm drunk and seeing things." The companion of the short-haired adventurer shook his head, looking confused.
"Hehehe, didn't think we were actually this famous."
he group entered the tavern, which was equally lively inside. Paimon heard the discussion outside and held her little fists slightly excitedly.
"Geez, I remember it was the Traveler and the adventurer buddy who defeated Stormterror, why are you so excited?"
Venti looked at her with a smile and said.
"What the heck, didn't they mention a flying fairy as well, so they must be talking about me." Paimon clasped her hands and lifted her chin slightly with a smug look on her face.
Lumine lightly chuckled at Paimon's demeanor, then walked towards the bar, her white skirt swaying slightly as she moved her legs clad in knee-high boots, with a faint shadow beneath her snow-white thighs.
In front of her, a young man with red hair was slightly lowering his head, wiping the glass in his hand.
"Hello, what would you like to drink?"
The redhead paused his movement and calmly asked the visitors.
"Hello, we're here to see the owner."
Lumine replied politely.
"... "
Diluc paused for a moment, then nodded, "What's the matter?"
"Hehe, we have some private matters, not convenient for you to know." Paimon flew up with a spin and smiled.
"I am the owner. Speak up."
Diluc sighed and continued wiping the glass.
"Um." Paimon and Lumine hesitated slightly.
"I can't believe someone doesn't recognize Master Diluc, he's such a prominent figure in Mondstadt."
Venti pretended to be surprised and smiled.
"Ah, Traveler, look, he's mocking us again. We've only been in Mondstadt for a few days, isn't it normal not to know?" Paimon stamped her foot angrily in mid-air.
"I see, so it's you, the outsiders who defeated Stormterror." Diluc, with red hair, looked at the humanoid Pokemon (flying fairy type Pokemon~hehe) and the golden-haired girl. With these two prominent elements, a slight association matched the information he had obtained.
"Wow, does even Master Diluc know us?!" Paimon exclaimed in surprise.
"I've heard a bit." Diluc didn't deny it, then calmly asked again, "So, what's the matter with you guys coming to me?"
His gaze swept over the several visitors in front of him that he wasn't familiar with.
The strange little flying fairy, the golden-haired traveler, the eccentric bard, and Diluc noticed Nolan's slight hesitation and the flash of surprise in his expression.
The young adventurer he had met once seemed to have taken part in the battle to repel the dragon, and from the information he had gathered, it seemed that he had practiced the ordinary Favonius Archery to an extraordinary level of "secret transmission".
It seemed he had been a bit lazy in not investigating him thoroughly earlier. The appearance of such a talent in Mondstadt was worth pondering, and Diluc subtly raised the corner of his mouth.
Nolan didn't realize he had once again entered the sight of this darknight hero. He approached the bar and took out the letter, handing it over, saying:
"We've encountered some difficulties in dealing with the Stormterror incident and would like to request your assistance.
"...It was recommended to us by Acting Grand Master Jean."
Nolan added, fearing he might not care.
"Oh?" Diluc took the letter and looked at the Knight's emblem on the red wax seal, feeling somewhat surprised. "What's the big deal that made the Acting Grand Master mention me to you?"
Although he officially had no affiliation with the Knights of Favonius, he was still considered one of Mondstadt's more important covert forces. If it wasn't an important and difficult-to-solve matter, generally they wouldn't seek him out.
Not long after,
Diluc finished reading the opened letter, understanding the situation and the specific help they needed.
"I see. You want to find the red crystals left by Stormterror, which are its tears?"
"Uh-huh, that's right!" Paimon nodded his head twice heavily.
"No problem. Come back tomorrow night after the tavern closes, and I'll provide you with the information you need."
Suddenly, a flame ignited in Diluc's hand, incinerating the letter. He maintained a calm expression on his face.
"Ah!" Paimon was startled and instinctively recoiled.
One day's time? Nolan quickly assessed in his mind. It seemed relatively fast, considering there wasn't an internet in Teyvat. Even with strong intelligence-gathering abilities, there still needed to be time for information to be passed around.
(End of Chapter)
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