"Hey, look! Isn't that Master Diluc?"
Lumine and Kaeya were just about to enter Angel's Share when Paimon suddenly pointed toward the street.
Diluc? Out this late… doing that again?
Kaeya followed her finger and sure enough—there was Diluc, heading either toward them or toward the tavern.
"It's pretty late. I assume you're not here to drink. Anyway, did you manage to catch an Abyss Mage?"
Diluc walked up to them and asked directly.
"Of course we did! Lumine and Su Mo are super strong!"
Paimon crossed her arms proudly mid-air, as if she was the one who caught it.
"Where's Su Mo? I don't see him."
Diluc suddenly noticed someone was missing.
"He has business in the morning, so he's resting. He's leaving for Liyue at dawn," Lumine replied.
"I see. Then let's talk inside. I've got something to tell you."
Diluc opened the tavern door and gestured for them to enter.
"No way~ you guys came to drink too? But where's that brat Su Mo?"
Already tipsy, Venti waved at them with a flushed face.
"You should really be called the Wine God instead…" Paimon muttered.
Diluc glanced around the tavern. "There's no one else. Charles, we're closing early tonight."
"Yes, Master Diluc," Charles replied immediately.
"Let's discuss upstairs," Diluc said. There were obviously important matters to discuss, especially if Kaeya and Lumine were seeking out Venti.
Once everyone was seated on the second floor, Diluc nodded. "You start."
Kaeya stood forward. "Earlier, the two Honorary Knights managed to capture an Abyss Mage. I questioned it and gained some information. The reason the Abyss Order has been appearing around Mondstadt is that they're searching for something—something related to the fake Anemo Archon. They're looking for—"
SLAM!
"What?! She hasn't left yet?!"
Venti shot up from his seat, slamming his hands on the table, his drunken haze instantly gone. His face was pale with shock.
The shadow that girl left in his psyche was deep. He absolutely did not want to face her again.
They looked identical, yes—but their strength was galaxies apart. And her personality? Unpredictable. Unstable. One wrong mood swings and she might decide to blow up Mondstadt. Or the whole world. He genuinely couldn't handle that little tyrant.
"D-don't worry, Lord Barbatos," Kaeya said awkwardly. "They're just searching for something related to her. It doesn't necessarily mean she's still here. Well… actually, we don't know if she left or not."
"What are they trying to find?" Venti asked, swallowing nervously.
Wendy…? Wendi?
Diluc noted the name for the first time. Two nearly identical names. Identical faces. Too many coincidences for comfort.
"That fake Archon's name is Wendy? Wendy… Wendi… Venti…" Paimon started counting points on her fingers. "Hey! Maybe she's your big sister who came over to scold you for being a useless drunk brother!"
"Coincidence," Venti muttered stiffly. "Kaeya, continue."
"Right. The Abyss Order is looking for a cube with purple markings. It supposedly holds the leftover power of the fake Anemo Archon."
Residual… power? Damn…
Even after leaving, that little demon still refused to let him stay in peace.
"We can't let them obtain it!" Venti slammed the table again. "If they get their hands on her power, Mondstadt will be in danger."
"So that's what they're after…" Diluc muttered, gears turning in his mind. "Then other forces must also be searching for it."
"The Fatui?" Lumine guessed.
"No," Diluc said. "I ran into two suspicious girls earlier…"
After hearing his recounting—
"So that mysterious 'Entropy Alignment' is also searching for it," Lumine concluded. "Based on what you described, Rita doesn't sound hostile… but that gray-haired girl definitely doesn't get along with her."
Kaeya nodded. "Right now, we know the gray Liyue-style girl belongs to Entropy Alignment. As for Rita… she could be Entropy as well, acting independently… or from yet another group."
"That means besides us and the Abyss, there might be two more factions searching for the cube. And Fatui might join in later." He rubbed his temples. "A complete mess."
"Regardless, we cannot allow anyone else to obtain that power," Venti said firmly. "We begin searching tomorrow. That residual power rejects elemental energy—if we use that trait, we'll locate it faster."
Elsewhere
"Your Highness, the power we seek indeed exists. But the Knights have already begun searching, and it is likely the Anemo Archon is involved."
"Is that so?"
A soft, calm voice replied.
"Then tell me… can you obtain it before they do?"
"Of course, Your Highness."
Advance Chapters available on Patreon
patreon.com/pikachu614