Chapter 39: Spreading the Bubbly, Fizzling Drink

(Authors Note:

Aight, since I already 100% everything on my Wuwa and Alt Genshin accounts, time to return back to the usual schedule.

Release day will return to Mon-Fri with the trade offer.

100 Powerstones on Friday = 1 Additional Chapters on Saturday.

250 Powerstones on Saturday = 1 Additional Chapter on Sunday.

Aight, enjoy the chapter.)

(Dante POV)

"Sucrose, huh? What a unique yet sweet-sounding name." With a charming smile, I complimented Sucrose.

"Hueh?!" Surprised the sweet girl cutely screeched.

'Damn, she's precious. Fuck Pallad.' I thought inside my mind.

"Uhm, thank you?" Sucrose muttered in a barely audible manner.

Slowly backing away to give her space, I asked her about her impression of the Coke, "So why were you staring at the drink earlier? And what do you think about it now that you had a sip of it?"

"Eh? Uhm, initially I was merely curious, as I had never encountered a black beverage with fizzing bubbles before. At first, I presumed it might be some alcoholic drink like beer. However, after smelling it and taking a sip, I discovered it to be sweet and pleasantly textured." As she continued, her initial nervousness subsided, replaced by a visible excitement on her face, reflecting her growing enthusiasm.

"Sweet flower, Mint, Mist Flower Corolla, and a few other herbs?" She gently murmured before gazing at my blue star-filled eyes.

"Uhm, Sir Dante, could you please tell me where you found this drink? I've never encountered anything like it before. It felt like a product of alchemy, purely focused on the culinary arts. Such a novel idea!" As she spoke with growing enthusiasm, I was taken aback by the transformation.

It was as if Sucrose had become an entirely different person.

Her passion for alchemy, ignited by this peculiar beverage, overshadowed her usually timid nature.

I watched as her overly enthusiastic expression took center stage, revealing a side of her I had never seen on the game cutscenes before.

Taken aback, I coughed, causing her to notice how close we had ended up once again due to her excitement.

Her timid nature returned instantly, transforming her back into a cute, trembling creature.

"Hehe, the instant changing expressions make you a lot cuter. Anyway, to answer your question, the drinks came from a treasure chest." I replied casually.

"Hueh?!" Slowly backing away, the cute trembling creature slowly turned sad as she heard that the drink came from a treasure chest.

Earlier when we were at the town, Aether told me that he encountered a treasure chest before our meeting.

In Aether's own words, he recounted, "It wasn't there before, but after I turned around, I heard a sound of swishing. This drew my attention back to the same spot, and to my astonishment, an Exquisite Treasure chest had magically appeared."

When this world was still merely a game, the appearance of teleport points and treasure chests seemed perfectly ordinary.

However, now that this has become a reality, the sudden manifestation of a chest from thin air is truly intriguing.

With my curiosity piqued, I decided to inquire about it with Katherine earlier, before setting out on my daily commission.

Her reply was quite thought-provoking: "Treasure chests? No one truly knows their origin. However, most people believe they are gifts from Celestia, randomly distributed across various locations within the realm of Teyvat."

'The people of Teyvat knew about Celestia?' This was new information to me, prompting another question.

"Celestia? What is that?" I asked her, eager to learn more.

"Ahem, I suppose you know about the floating castle in the sky that are visible from time to time? Not Liyue's Jade Palace, the one higher up in the sky." Katherine replied.

"That is Celestia, the dwelling of the gods, or so the records say. Though not much is known about it as it belongs to the realm of the divine." With such an explanation the conversation about Treasure Chest's ended.

Returning to the current conversation, I said to the sad-looking Sucrose, "With your enthusiasm about Alchemy earlier I presume you are an Alchemist?"

"Eh, Uhm, Oh, sorry I forgot to fully introduce myself." Blushing and scratching her head, the cute creature responded.

"I serve as the assistant to Mondstadt's Chief Alchemist of the Knights of Favonius, Sucrose. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Sir Dante," Sucrose said, her introduction carrying a blend of proudness yet timidity nature.

"Oh, it is nice to meet you then miss assistant of the Chief Alchemist." With a slightly teasing tone, I joke with the cute creature.

"Eh? Uhm, Sucrose is fine, Sir Dante." She replied as she fidgeted around nervously.

Chuckling to myself, I enjoyed the adorable display of emotions Sucrose displays from time to time.

"Sure, Sucrose, you should drop the Sir too. Just call me Dante, the Sir sounds quite awkward." Taking out two new bottles of Coke, I handed them to the cute fidgeting creature.

"Here, take this," I said.

"Eh? Are you sure about this? This came from a Treasure Chest; who knows if you'll ever come across more. Perhaps you should save it for yourself." She replied, her voice tinged with hesitation at the thought of partaking in such a rare drink.

'While true, I might not be able to get this version anymore unless the Gacha gave me. There should still be the Mexican Coke blend on Earth, I need to visit Mexico before the Cataclysm and stock up on some of those. The other versions taste much worse than the Original or the Mexican blend.' I mused.

"Ahem, I am not giving this for free. You are correct that I may not come across more of this in the future, that is why I am giving you this." I gazed at her eyes intently.

Before she could respond, I added, "Sucrose, you are the assistant of Mondstadt's Head Alchemist, meaning you are really good at what you do. Earlier, I overheard you mentioning some ingredients that you thought this drink might contain. If I leave this with you, I believe you could reproduce it in the future, or even create something similar. Just imagine applying your techniques to craft variations like a bubbly, fizzling Sunsettia drink or a Lavender Melon concoction. It sounds quite enticing, doesn't it."

"Of course, you need to pay me by giving me a first taste of the new flavors in the future." With a smile, I finished my sales pitch.

While I am genuinely curious about how she would develop the beverage Teyvat style, the real reason I am giving it to her is simply because I felt like it.

'It's not like two bottles of Coke are something precious to me,' I mused.

"Eh? Uhm, thank you for your praise, but what if I can't recreate them? It would mean you've lost the two bottles for nothing," she muttered timidly.

With a chuckle, I responded, "I may be a novice adventurer, but taking risks is part of the job description. Risking two bottles now for the potential of more in the future seems like a worthwhile trade-off, don't you think?"

As her face lit up, I could sense the determination in this adorable creature as she replied, "Uhm, if you're okay with it, I'll do my best!"