"Mr. Ryan, please come in."
Hearing the butler's voice, the weariness on Diluc's face softened slightly. Since taking over Dawn Winery, Mr. Ryan, the winery's butler, had become one of his most trusted and closest confidants.
The next moment, the elderly butler gently pushed open the door and entered Diluc's study.
"Master Diluc—the new batch of wine has been successfully brewed. During the day, Acting Grand Master Jean of the Knights of Favonius sent a purchase order, requesting a portion of the wine. I felt that this decision should be yours."
He carefully placed the order document on Diluc's desk.
Diluc picked it up and reviewed it—the quantity, the price. Jean had even offered a price twenty percent above market rate. If the deal went through, it would be a substantial profit, enough to keep Dawn Winery financially secure for at least half a year.
But then, Diluc's expression turned dismissive. With a flick of his hand, he tossed the order into the nearby waste bin.
"Heh. The Knights of Favonius. How laughable. Dawn Winery does not need their business. Decline the order."
Diluc was not acting out of spite. In truth, Dawn Winery's wines were renowned across Teyvat. Orders poured in daily from Sumeru, Inazuma, Natlan, and Snezhnaya—demand far exceeded supply. Refusing the Knights would have no impact on the winery.
The butler sighed. "Understood. I'll find a suitable reason to decline Acting Grand Master Jean's order."
"By the way, Master Diluc—have you seen the light novel that's been popular in Mondstadt lately? It even contains stories about our Anemo Archon, Lord Barbatos."
In recent days, Yae Publishing House had printed and distributed countless copies of the light novel across Mondstadt. Nearly one in two citizens now owned a copy. But Diluc had been too busy with winery affairs to pay any attention to light novels. He had no idea what stories they contained.
He looked confused. "Light novel? In Mondstadt, aren't adventure novels and knight tales still the most popular?"
As a native of Mondstadt, Diluc had grown up reading adventure and knight novels. There was a time when his own dream had been to become an adventurer or a knight.
The butler smiled. "It seems you haven't read this one, Master Diluc. It contains not only stories about Lord Barbatos but also tales of Lord Dvalin, the Dragon of the East, stories of the gods of Inazuma, and tales of the adepti of Liyue. Even an old man like me was nearly moved to tears. Please, take a look—it might serve as a pleasant diversion and lift your spirits."
With that, he produced a copy of the light novel and placed it on Diluc's desk.
Diluc was puzzled. On the cover alone, he recognized familiar faces: Deaconess Barbara, Adventurer Bennett, Mr. Albedo, the grudging Knight Eula. All people he knew. Besides them, there were many unfamiliar figures, and even a massive rock creature occupying a corner of the cover.
Though curious, Diluc had lost interest in novels after abandoning his knightly identity. He had even burned his collection of knight novels in a single fire.
He said flatly, "Very well—I'll take a look when I have time. It's late. You should rest too."
The butler smiled. "Yes, Master Diluc. Since today's affairs are complete, please rest as well."
As the butler was about to leave, Diluc called after him.
"Wait—"
"With the new batch of wine just finished, that bard will surely come begging for a drink. If he shows up, tell him I'm not at the winery."
Just thinking about the bard named Venti gave Diluc a headache. He was relentless—ever since Diluc had offered him a glass of wine, the bard had latched onto him. Every time a new batch was ready, he would find some excuse to ask for more, and his excuses were always impossible to refuse. It was exasperating.
The butler, seeing Diluc's troubled expression, chuckled. "Understood. If the bard comes, I'll send him away directly."
Diluc sighed. "No, forget it. His poems may be old-fashioned, but he's not a bad person. When you send him off, give him a bottle of wine."
The butler smiled. "As you wish."
With that, he left the room, closing the door behind him.
It was already past midnight. Diluc intended to rest, but after lying in bed for a while, he found himself tossing and turning, unable to sleep. Restless and inexplicably irritable, he got up, sat in his chair, and sipped tea while mulling over the winery's future.
As he set the teacup down, his gaze fell on the light novel the butler had left on the desk. He noticed the bard's portrait on the cover.
Did it really contain a story about that fellow?
Looking at the image of Barbatos, and with his sleepless frustration, Diluc finally felt a flicker of interest. He opened the first page.
Initially, he had only wanted to read about the bard. But the moment he began, he realized this book was different. A story about the Raiden Shogun? The street‑singing bard was actually the Anemo Archon? Ridiculous. Durin had only been singing and playing? The more he read, the more he found himself drawn in, page after page.
Before he knew it—having intended only to read about the bard—he had read through the entire night. When he looked up again, dawn had already broken.
"Though moving, they are ultimately just fabricated stories. That lazy bard only sings old, outdated poems. How could he possibly be Lord Barbatos? Heh—these stories are full of holes. The dead are dead. How could reincarnation exist in this world?"