Afternoon, Mondstadt's best meat production base, Springvale, welcomed some new guests.
Along a well-maintained mountain path, faint smoke rose from under the tall trees. At the foot of the mountain, a prosperous small town appeared before Hiroshi and his companions.
The noisy sounds of daily life emanated from the town. As they passed by some transport carts, the metallic scent of blood wafted through the air.
Klee's eyes lit up as she looked at the bustling streets not far away. She grabbed Hiroshi's hand and tried to pull him forward.
"Brother Hiroshi, look! So many people and big boars!"
Excitedly pointing at the crowds moving through the streets and the huge chunks of meat hanging from the shops, Klee said, "Come on, Brother Hiroshi! Let's go faster!"
Seeing Klee pulling on him, Hiroshi smiled helplessly and turned to Noelle, saying, "Alright, let's speed up then."
"Understood, Master Hiroshi." Noelle nodded and asked, "Master Hiroshi, are we heading straight to see Springvale's hunting captain, Draff?"
"Yes," Hiroshi replied, looking at the approaching small town. Nostalgically, he said, "When I was selling barbecue in Mondstadt, Draff helped me a lot. Most of my ingredients were provided by him. It's funny—it hasn't been that long, but it feels like ages ago."
"I've heard about that." Noelle smiled shyly. As she led Klee and Hiroshi along Springvale's main street, admiring the lively sights, she added, "Several months ago, because of the Stormterror attacks, Springvale fell into a brief period of decline. Traveling merchants avoided the area due to the increase in wild monsters."
"With fewer merchants, there was an excess of goods that couldn't be moved. Draff, the leader of the hunting team, went to Mondstadt to ask the Knights of Favonius for assistance. But even the knights were overwhelmed at the time."
Noelle frowned slightly, remembering how she had to run around the Knights' headquarters carrying stacks of documents taller than herself. "That time was so busy I barely had time to clean, and dust started gathering on the library shelves."
"Thanks to you, Master Hiroshi, and the other Honorary Knight, Stormterror was repelled, and the stronger monsters around Mondstadt were cleared out."
"Because of that, Springvale returned to normal." Smiling at Hiroshi, Noelle said softly, "From then on, I always looked up to the two Honorary Knights who saved Mondstadt—especially you, Master Hiroshi."
"Is that so?" Hiroshi scratched his head as they neared the end of the lively street. He smiled and said, "Well, it looks like my efforts back then weren't in vain."
"It's pretty cool, isn't it?" Klee hopped about excitedly, listening to Noelle's words. She cheered, "Brother Hiroshi saving Mondstadt was so cool! Klee loves Brother Hiroshi the most when he's like that!"
She hugged Hiroshi and hung onto him, looking up happily. "But Klee also loves Brother Hiroshi all the time. Hehe!"
"Thank you, Klee." Lifting her and placing her on his shoulder, Hiroshi smiled warmly. "I love Klee the most too."
Seeing the two of them laughing together, Noelle couldn't help but be touched. "Master Hiroshi and the Spark Knight have such a good relationship. No wonder Klee, who used to stay at the Knights' headquarters, now always stays at Master Hiroshi's home."
Stopping and bowing slightly, Noelle pointed towards a house under a large tree ahead. "Master Hiroshi, that's Draff's home."
With Klee perched atop his head, Hiroshi looked around. "So this is where Diona grew up," he said with curiosity.
"Diona!"
Suddenly, a man's shout came from inside the house. With a loud bang, the door slammed open.
A middle-aged man with cat ears rushed out, glaring sharply like a hawk at someone in front of him. He roared, "I will never let you take my daughter!"
"Huh? Oh!" Ready to throw a punch, Draff suddenly realized the person in front of him was none other than the Honorary Knight who saved Mondstadt. He immediately froze in his tracks.
His ears twitched, and Draff scratched his head awkwardly. "Sorry, sorry, I was taking a nap and dreaming that my precious Diona had brought a boy home."
He extended a strong hand, grasping Hiroshi's hand excitedly. "I mixed things up in my excitement. I didn't expect it to be you, little boss. Come on inside, what brings you here? I've got some good wine one of the lads brought from the city. Let's have a drink!"
"Mr. Draff, we actually have a favor to ask this time," Noelle quickly spoke, seeing Draff eagerly pulling Hiroshi towards the house. "Also, it's still midday, not the best time to start drinking!"
"Ah, Noelle!" Draff turned, recognizing the familiar voice, and was surprised to see the diligent maid of the Knights of Favonius standing there. "Is there some business with the Knights? The meat supplies we've been sending to Mondstadt shouldn't have any problems, right?"
"Klee, we're here to buy boars," Klee called out loudly, hugging Hiroshi's head. "Brother Hiroshi and Sister Ruri are getting engaged soon, so we came here!"
"Ah! Little boss, you're getting engaged!" Draff looked at Hiroshi, surprised, then sighed in relief. "That's great news, congratulations!"
He patted Hiroshi's shoulder with a smile, full of joy. His daughter didn't have many friends, especially not male ones. Initially, he had intended to get Hiroshi drunk to see if there was anything going on between him and Diona, but this news was even better.
"Who would have thought, little boss? You're getting engaged already." He pounded his chest and said, "I'll provide all the meat for your engagement feast—just tell me what you need, and I'll have my men get it ready!"
"About that," Hiroshi took out a list and handed it to Draff. Without even looking, Draff took it. Hiroshi smiled and added, "Besides what's on the list, I also want to catch some live boars myself. Do you know a good spot for that?"
"Hmm…" Draff paused, frowning slightly. "That might be difficult. August is the boar breeding season, so it's a protected period for them."
"But since it's you, little boss, I can recommend a place. Just be mindful and don't catch too many."
Initially disappointed by not being able to catch boars herself, Klee's expression lit up at Draff's follow-up.
"Yay!" she cheered. "Uncle Draff, don't worry! We'll be careful!"
Seeing the cheerful Klee on Hiroshi's shoulders, Draff seemed to understand why Hiroshi wanted to catch the boars himself. He smiled and said, "Alright, little boss, just wait here. I'll have one of the hunters lead you to the spot. I'll take care of getting everything on the list ready."
"Thanks, Draff," Hiroshi replied, handing him an invitation. "Make sure you come too, okay?"
"Don't worry, I'll definitely be there!" Draff replied confidently.