Chapter 163: Clues of a Relative

In Mondstadt City, at the Angel's Share Tavern.

Before returning the "Holy Lyre der Himmel," they first needed to find Venti, as the harp was in his possession.

Typically, to find the elusive Venti, one would try their luck at the tavern. After all, he needed Mora to buy his beloved wine. As a bard, he would naturally be at the tavern, where telling stories would draw a crowd and good business.

Unfortunately, it was still early, and the tavern wasn't crowded. They couldn't find Venti. Just as they were about to leave, the bartender, Charles, called out to them.

"Wait a moment, everyone. The master would like to see you upstairs."

"Master Diluc? Why does he want to see us?" Paimon tilted her head, surprised.

"I'm not sure," Charles replied, shaking his head slightly.

"Alright, let's see what Diluc wants," Lumine nodded, agreeing.

Nolan, Lumine, Paimon, and Eula ascended to the tavern's second floor, where they saw Diluc, clad in a black coat, sitting at a table.

"Hey, Master Diluc, we meet again," Paimon greeted him.

"I overheard that you're looking for the bard?" Diluc asked after a moment of contemplation.

"Yes, that's right. Do you know where he is?" Nolan responded.

"On my way to the tavern earlier, I passed Fountain Plaza. Some children there mentioned a man in green telling stories near the Anemo Archon Statue. I suspect that's him," Diluc explained calmly, crossing his legs under the table.

"So, Master Diluc called us up here just to tell us this. Hehe, that means we don't have to search for him all over the place," Paimon said excitedly.

"Besides that, there's something else I want to ask you," Diluc said, directing his gaze toward Nolan and Lumine. "To be honest, I've been investigating you two in private."

"Investigating us?"Lumine's fair face showed a puzzled expression.

"Given your unknown origins and considerable strength, it was quite suspicious. So, investigating you is a reasonable action," Diluc said calmly.

"Wait a minute, we're not bad people! Even if you took us to the Knights, Master Jean would release us immediately," Paimon retorted, hands on her hips, glaring at Diluc.

"Amber told me they're from another world, so there's no need to dig any deeper," Eula said, crossing her arms beneath her chest, her gaze sharp as she looked at Diluc.

She had been surprised when Amber mentioned this yesterday, but since Nolan was her friend and she felt no animosity from Lumine, Eula valued them both despite her often tough exterior.

So, even though she understood Diluc's actions were justified, she couldn't help but feel a bit defensive of her friends being under suspicion.

Diluc glanced at the eldest daughter of the Lawrence family, whose strength might rival his own and who sometimes displayed a surprising naivety. Then he spoke again, "I know, but that's not what I want to discuss right now."

"Then what do you mean?" Eula asked, brushing an icy blue strand of hair aside.

Ignoring her question, Diluc shifted his focus to Lumine. "I heard you're looking for your brother. During my investigation, I captured an Abyss Mage who said you resemble their leader, the 'Prince'."

"What?!"

Hearing this, Lumine's amber eyes widened in shock. Paimon, floating beside her, was equally stunned.

Nolan felt a wave of surprise. His presence had clearly altered events slightly.

Lumine had received information about her brother shortly after arriving in Mondstadt, something that took much longer in the game's storyline.

This was undoubtedly a positive turn of events. Nolan had already stretched the limits by revealing his otherworldly origins.

If he had gone further to claim knowledge of the world's future events, it would have certainly aroused suspicion from everyone.

After all, if you know about me and then want to get close to me, it's obvious they have some ulterior motive. That immediately labels them as suspicious. In such a situation, earning anyone's affection becomes extremely difficult.

Therefore, unless it's a dire situation where someone important is in danger, it's best to stay hidden as much as possible.

Even for something like returning the lyre, I needed a good reason to ask Eula for help. I couldn't just say, "I know the Fatui will attack, please help me." or something like that.

That would sound foolish.

As they left the tavern and headed towards the Anemo Archon statue plaza, Lumine was deep in thought.

While Diluc had said it was just a guess, and that the Abyss Mage might have mistaken someone who looked like her brother for their "Prince," she couldn't shake the unease.

Lumine believed her brother wouldn't lead a malevolent organization, but five hundred years had passed since he was taken by the god.

What he had gone through during that time, and whether it would have changed his character, no one knew.

"Lumine, are you okay?" Paimon asked, worried as she hovered close to the traveler.

"I'm fine. I'm just a bit surprised. It seems we need to keep an eye on the Abyss Order during our journey," Lumine said, shaking her head slightly, her golden hair shimmering with the motion.

"In that case, if I encounter the Abyss Order in the wild, I'll capture some of them and interrogate them to see if their leader is indeed your brother," Eula said reassuringly, her curvy legs clad in black over-the-knee heeled boots.

"Thank you, Eula." Lumine forced a smile onto her fair face.

In a somewhat somber silence, it took them a while to finally reach the plaza of the Anemo Archon statue.

Sure enough, they spotted Venti playing the lyre and telling what seemed to be fairy tales to a group of children.

"Hey, Traveler! We meet again. Are you looking for me?" Venti asked curiously as he saw them approach.

"Yes, Venti. Acting Grand Master Jean is urging us to return the Holy Lyre der Himmel to the cathedral. Do you still need it for anything?" Lumine explained, having regained her composure.

"Oh, so that's what it's about," Venti said, clapping his hands as if in sudden realization.

"I was hoping to keep my old friend for a bit longer, but I understand. Alright, alright," he added, a touch of regret in his voice.

(End of Chapter)

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