Sucrose gasped softly when she heard the price of the potion.
"Two hundred thousand? That's so expensive…"
But even if it was, they had no choice—they needed it for their research. For science, no price was too high.
She pulled Timaeus aside, and the two began discussing their next move.
Timaeus emptied his pockets, managing to scrape together 9,230 Mora.
"Senior, how much Mora do you have on you?"
Sucrose didn't hesitate. She pulled out everything she had—including her savings, her modest emergency fund, and even today's lunch money—counting carefully.
"I have… 12,827 Mora."
They looked at each other, clearly far short of the 200,000 asking price.
Mustered by sheer determination, the two stepped forward once more and handed all their Mora to Shao Yun.
With a faint blush on her cheeks, Sucrose forced herself to speak.
"Mr. Shao Yun, we only have 22,057 Mora. Would it be possible to… purchase just one-tenth of the potion? We really, really need it."
Shao Yun accepted the stack of Mora, weighing it in his hand. To their surprise, he handed over the entire bottle of the Special Miracle Tonic.
"Not bad. Here—take the whole thing."
Sucrose stared at the bottle in stunned silence, murmuring to herself over and over.
"This… Is this really okay? Wasn't it two hundred thousand Mora?"
Shao Yun might've been reckless, even bloodthirsty in battle—but it didn't mean he couldn't be reasoned with in everyday life. As long as people approached him sincerely and respectfully, he usually relented.
"You've got the right attitude. I respect the way you asked."
Sucrose held the tonic like it was made of crystal, overwhelmed with gratitude.
"Thank you so much, Mr. Shao Yun. I'll remember this kindness."
A system prompt popped up.
[Honor Value Increased – Your kindness has been acknowledged.]
[Current Mondstadt Region Bonus: Purchases -25%]
Doing one good deed a day—no matter how small—was still something.
Shao Yun waved his hand casually, his voice light and carefree.
"No need for thanks. Just keep up the good work. I'll leave you two to it."
Timaeus chimed in with appreciation of his own.
"Thank you, Mr. Shao Yun! Truly grateful. Please take care!"
Just as Shao Yun was about to turn away, a composed and graceful figure appeared before them—a young man with refined features and clear eyes.
It was none other than the enigmatic Albedo.
He maintained his usual calm, and spoke softly, "Sucrose, Timaeus… and Shao Yun, if I'm not mistaken?"
Shao Yun gave him a quick once-over and replied politely, "That's right. I'm Shao Yun."
Albedo, as composed as ever, expressed his gratitude with elegance.
"Mr. Shao Yun, thank you for looking after Klee during the Weinlesefest."
Shao Yun was briefly taken aback. He hadn't expected Albedo to bring that up. After dealing with so many lunatics lately, encountering someone normal almost felt strange.
Still, on principle—if someone's polite, be a decent man—Shao Yun welcomed the interaction.
"No need to thank me. I actually enjoyed spending time with Klee. She's a wonderful kid."
Albedo seemed genuinely pleased to hear that.
"I'd like to take a moment of your time to discuss something regarding the Lawrence estate. Of course, only if it's convenient. I wouldn't want to impose."
Though Shao Yun wasn't sure what Albedo was getting at, he was impressed by his respectful tone and nodded with a smile.
"Sure thing, Mr. Albedo. But just so we're clear, I'm not promising I'll tell you everything."
Better to set expectations early.
But for Albedo, just having Shao Yun agree to a conversation was already a win.
"Thank you. Please wait a moment."
He turned to Timaeus and Sucrose.
"How goes the potion research I assigned to you?"
Timaeus shrank a little, like a student caught cheating on a test.
"Apologies, Master Albedo. I was so close… Actually, not close at all. It was a disaster."
Albedo didn't scold him. In fact, he responded with comforting calm.
"Timaeus, failure is part of the journey. Don't dwell on it."
Then he turned to Sucrose.
She hesitated, pushed her glasses up, and decided to speak honestly.
"Master Albedo… We've already used up the entire potion. So far, we haven't discovered anything useful."
She glanced nervously at Shao Yun and added, "But we purchased a new sample from Mr. Shao Yun. If given more time, we might make progress."
Shao Yun stepped in with clarification.
"They spent 22,057 Mora to buy that same 'Special Miracle Tonic'—the one you originally got from Lisa. The actual price was 200,000, but Sucrose had the right attitude, so I gave them a deal."
He added a warning.
"But I'd advise you to abandon the research. The ingredients aren't from Teyvat—you won't be able to find them."
Thanks to Lisa's alchemical trinket, Shao Yun could gather herbs that didn't exist in this world. Without it, he'd be in trouble restocking that tonic himself.
Albedo considered his words quietly.
So, it's true… This potion cannot be replicated with Teyvat's materials. That faint glimmer of hope has faded now.
He turned to his apprentices.
"Timaeus, Sucrose. You've done your best. Let's set this project aside for now."
Sucrose nodded obediently.
"Alright, Master Albedo."
Albedo retrieved 40,000 Mora from his pouch and handed it to her.
"Split this evenly with Timaeus. Don't let research consume your livelihood."
The heavy coin pouch filled Sucrose's heart with warmth. Not only had they gotten the potion—they even came out ahead.
"Thank you, Master Albedo!"
...
After wrapping things up with his assistants, Albedo turned to Shao Yun.
"I'm finished here," he said gently. "Where shall we talk?"
Shao Yun looked down at the ground beneath his feet and said, "Right here."
He tapped the dirt beneath him. "After we chat, I'm getting food. I've been starving for ages."
Albedo nodded, understanding.
From his belongings, he pulled out a mask—one used in heretical rituals.
Even under the sunlight, it gleamed with an eerie light, and faint bloodstains remained unwashed.
"Captain Jean asked me to visit the Lawrence estate this morning and collect the bodies," Albedo explained. "This mask was covering Schubert Lawrence's face. I assumed it was yours. She said you were the last one to leave the estate last night…"
Shao Yun took the mask, studied it briefly, then placed it into his bag.
"Yeah. It's mine. Thanks for bringing it back. Anything else?"
Albedo then produced a photograph. Its contents were chilling.
It showed the Lawrence family's conference hall, with Schubert's portrait hanging upside-down on the wall—and a large, blood-drawn inverted pentagram etched on the floor.
Albedo stared at Shao Yun and asked softly, "You have knowledge of occult practices, don't you?"
Shao Yun glanced at the photo, then shook his head, concealing the truth.
He couldn't risk Albedo getting too curious about the demon he'd made offerings to.
"Occult? Never heard of it. I've seen creepy things like that before, so I figured I'd leave them a little present—something to haunt the Lawrence family's ghostly reputation."
Albedo sensed he wasn't being told everything, but chose not to press. He tucked the photo back into his pocket.
Then he took out a single black feather. There was something… unnatural lingering on it.
"Is this… Oz's feather?" Shao Yun joked.
Albedo shook his head, his gaze solemn.
"I collected many feathers from the ravens at the estate—including Oz. I compared them all carefully. This feather… doesn't belong to this world."
Determined to get to the bottom of things, Albedo pressed further.
"Shao Yun, can you tell me the secret behind this feather?"
Shao Yun scratched his head, an awkward smile flashing across his face.
"Probably just from some unlucky Lawrence bastard. Nothing special."
He tried to sound casual, but Albedo wasn't satisfied. His gaze sharpened with resolve.
"No matter the cost—I want to know the truth. Please."
Seeing Albedo's unshakable resolve, Shao Yun hesitated—then finally decided to give him a chance.
His teacher is Rhinedottir… You never know...
"Alright. Then look behind me. Use every bit of your perception. Tell me what you see."
Though puzzled, Albedo did as asked. He carefully scanned the space behind Shao Yun.
No matter how hard he focused, however, he saw nothing.
He shook his head, puzzled. "There's nothing there."
Shao Yun sighed. If you can't see it yourself, don't go meddling.
"Some things, Albedo… are better left unknown. It's for your own good. Don't dig deeper."
With that, he patted Albedo on the shoulder and turned to leave.
Albedo watched his figure retreat into the city, whispering to himself:
"What exactly is he hiding?"