Chapter XIII

The headquarters of the adventure guild branch is always busy due to the fact what happened recently, research over potential expeditions such as the Dragonspine, commissions from the locals that needed to be sorted, and so on. This is how it is, normal for the Demi-Servant when she greeted politely to her coworkers despite everything as she keeps walking towards the head office where Cyrus was waiting for her to discuss, which they worried her if she is is emotionally stable enough to go through this solo expedition. After all, Elaine is still a young girl so they had to keep an eye on her.

If Elaine slowly changed, and the youngest veteran adventurer from their records, also one of the best to teaching fresh newcomers who keep looking at her in awe as the newbies knew her from their parents or they met her during the danger she rescued them and saw her like a guardian angel from an otherworldly fairytale that they once read with their parental figure.

Like that kind little girl who follows her like a baby duckling and has the geo vision that constantly now helps them during their commission with her claymore and monstrous strength, her name is Noelle they believed. It kind was of adorable to watch how Noelle and Elaine treated each other like they were siblings.

They are honestly glad that Elaine joined and their branch steadily growing like veterans hoped to be, she truly was like the bright morning star that burns warmly above the sky but honestly sometimes worried as they saw her movements are cautious as she went to her way to the office.

It's not easy to overcome the fact that her father died before her eyes and still working to ignore the pain was not an easy feat for everyone.

Elaine sighed in exhaustion due to the lot of paperwork to do when it came from Crepus as she felt their gazes behind her back, slowly making eye contact with them which the adventurers quickly evaded her. She lightly shook her head while she gently knocked on the door.

"Come in," Cyrus said, the Demi-Servant entered into the room and closed the door as he gave her a hand wave.

"... Here are the reports of what happened that day when Ursa the Drake appears with his minion."

Elaine handed the branch chief her report sheets over which Cyrus looked thoroughly at every single detail of the written report with a perplexed frown like he couldn't believe what he saw while she stood silently as her chief clicked his tongue in annoyance.

"Eroch... That motherfucking bastard!" Cyrus muttered angrily, he slammed his working desk that was cracked a bit but thankfully he didn't break it in half since it is hellish expensive or someone had to go on another trip to Wolvedom to chop some woods.

Meanwhile, Elaine didn't even flinch and remained calm and calculative over his outburst. It would be unprofessional for her to snap and go berserk since they had to deal with a manipulated mastermind who may have a connection with the Fatui that orchestrated this like in a marionette theatre. In this situation, the Favonius Ordo would never suspect anything if Elaine didn't arrive at the scene and her fluffy companion wouldn't find this metal beetle with the fatui symbol that was stuck on the cloth from the wagon that the rain prevents the wood from having any stains inside.

If only fate gives her more time for rescuing her foster father from the consequences of the use of the delusion, then he spends the rest of his life with his family.

"But one problem lies ahead if the adventure guild is decided to involve in the errors that Favonius made an eye blind to it, then it may happen that the investigator might be blaming us and hide the fact that Favonius made a mistake to the public. That metal beetle thing alone wouldn't be enough to prove for that case." Analyzed Elaine out loud of the possibility if they take action against it and Cyrus agreed as much as he hated to admit it since it is an uncomfortable situation that they dealt with.

He got off his chair and looked outside through the window with a grim on his face. It was still raining.

"... Our branches are considered to be a neutral party but not only here, the whole continent as well." Cyrus's passionated told as he always did, sometimes it was really tiring how much he talked but Elaine could always tell his love of his job and the well-being of the beginners or veterans alike.

"We explore, we investigate, we uncover every part where our ancestors barely finished and we do help people... with or without Moras, but there is a borderline that we should not overstep which is the politic over this region that." The Mondstadt branch chief glanced her shortly which Elaine picked it up "...I know that you are stronger than our members including myself. Although, I do have my worries that the Fatui would monitor you ever since 'that day."

"... I doubt that would even happen. After all, I never took a bigger picture of their foolish theatrics. Maybe they are doing this for the greater act for mankind's history which we don't see from our mortal gaze." The Demi-Servant told him the fact without a trace of her emotions. Cryus shivered, how she put it in her words so bluntly then Elaine smiled thinly and he swears that her eyes changed their color once again.

'Now it's red...' Cyrus mused. It wasn't the first time when her eye colors changed, it's a mysterious trait of her, but some humans have unique traits for example the Kätzlein family that inherit non-human blood and has animal ears, tails, or both.

"But I rather prefer to avoid these outcomes, considered how odd Diluc and Kaeya's relationships are after the funeral, and especially I hate when I see innocent people getting hurt... This is why this proof will remain to be hidden for a time being until we have more to pay them back what we served to them." Elaine advised him with a hint of hesitation that Cyrus didn't notice as he trust her advice, but what has coming to her mouth would perplex him for many years of his lifetime.

"Please register me that I will do a solo exploration outside Teyvat. I don't know when I return, just I know that it will be a long journey because I want to investigate the remnant of Khaenri'ah or that mysterious island where the fairies live." She lowered her head.

Cyrus would heartily disagree with her request but the way Elaine looked at him with a gaze that tries to get strong, he can see the overwhelming burden inside her and can't deny it even if it means never her again.

It would be best to respect her wish for the greater good for her.

"...Very well... Please come back to us someday... After all, you are that kind of adventurer who took our words in pride."

-

As the Demi-Servant was out of the headquarters, all she wanted was to take a deep breath and enjoy the damp weather as she closed her eyes and smelled the morning dew. Whenever there would be rain or the sun came out, Elaine enjoyed this every moment, not seeing the black clouds, heavy smoke that she could hardly breathe, or the sea of flames that robbed her old life that she barely knew. It was easy for her to move forward till this day with a new identity that Galahad and her father gave her, but now Crepus is gone.

No more of his warm hugs, his proud smile, or the love that he gave her that made her feel at home. She realized now how powerless and cruel she was to let it happen. If only she returned home earlier and spent time with them... If only...

"Elaine..." A familiar voice called out her name, it snapped out from her melancholy inner thought. Elaine turned around to see who called her.

"Diluc..." With a small, quiet voice, she calls out his name. Diluc looked at her with a stressed gaze that soften a little when he saw that Elaine got tears that flows down her cheeks and he suddenly embraced her with a hug her eyes grows wider by his action, but Elaine genuinely accepts these warm and comfort that he gave her to ease her hidden pain.

She noticed that he is wearing not the gray coat that was handed down by the Favonius to him and Kaeya.

"So... You aren't a Knight of the Ordo anymore..." Elaine stated quietly that only he can hear it and listen to his heartbeat that slowly closed her eyes at the moment.

'Would you stay by my side? Even if our small world has changed?' She wondered. Elaine realized just now her true feelings for wanting to stay beside him alongside Kayla, however she throw her thoughts away even if this sweet dream tempted her.

Elaine knows she doesn't deserve this.

Survival was all Elaine know about it ever since that day she was found, without a sense of self or ideals however the Ragvindr family watched her warmly, step by step until she regained what it is to be a normal human even though she was not in a sense but Elaine believes that she was the same like them who strives their hopes and dreams for the undecided future.

Inside, she was still just a girl who was desperately longing for affection and love but was still afraid to get attached and be depending on them, then at the end comes the pain that dulled her soul and feeling empty.

The Demi-Servant hated that feeling even though it's normal to feel grief and anger, she vowed to never forget if her fingers slipped once again.

After all these years, she wants to protect everything in this world that has beauty in them, whether it is happiness or sadness.

Elaine wants simply accepts it until the day when she sinks herself deep into the Abyss of the Deep. It is fine for her to become a fool of herself.

Diluc warps his arm on her waist tightly while the other caresses her hair softly, his deep red eyes bored deep into the citizens who witnesses their moment and darted away from them.

"Yes."

He shortly answered which Elaine understood too well about his virtue as a knight since she is one as well thanks to the heroic spirit that dwelled inside and also from her own heart that the scream dwelled inside her turned down a bit.

"You always be a Knight to me, Diluc. Your action will not vanish in vain, I am sure of it." Elaine said softly at him with a smile while she still was crying lightly Diluc breathes out the air as it show he is tired of how everything he worked for his dream and now he found a new purpose when his sister said that to him, ignoring these newfound warm feelings for her.

Finding the truth behind the death of his Father, vowed to protect his loving ones once he is getting stronger this time and getting allies he can deeply depend on them.

"I finally found you both... Pretty much bold of you guys to hug at each other in the public no less!"

A familiar voice interrupts their moment when they heard a cough and let each other go when they saw who it was.

Kaeya waved at them lazily but his eye told Elaine a different story.

What she saw was conflict and doubt but also saw a glimmer of hope from this star-shaped eye pupils when he gazed upon her as he knows. Elaine accepts him for who he is and leaves it be as he knows that she too has secrets.

She never wavered her eyes on him.

"It's just a joke... Ah, I wish I could photograph both of you, It was hilarious..." The tanned man lightens up the mood as he playfully teases them.

Then suddenly, Kaeya dropped off his masquerade when he noticed that Elaine stared intensely at him.

He read through her eyes what Elaine wanted to tell him out loud but Kaeya gently shook his head, to signal her that she does not need to worry.

Kaeya wants to come clean and walk away with it to let it all out.

"Never mind that..." He smiled with his eyes close. Kaeya looks peacefully in the public's eyes however it wasn't. "I know this is perhaps bad timing but I have something to tell that it needs to get out."

Diluc was perplexed by Kaeya's request but it came from Kaeya who is acting strange ever since their father's death.

He never saw Kaeya so... different.

"Do you want to tell more in a private place?" Elaine asked straightforwardly to her brother who blinked his eye when she asked in comfort which calmed the turmoil of his heart.

Kaeya gazed her down warmly and noticed for the first time that all three had grown up taller in the past years.

"If you know a place, then I don't mind it at all." He answered with a rare kind smile that no woman in Mondstadt ever received except the one who stand in front of him, looking at him with trust, determination, and a strong will with a hint of purity that Kaeya wishes either to protect or to destroy it.

Elaine half-closed her eyes and gave out a silent sigh, "...Very well. Follow me." She quietly told them and made her way to a place where she knows that no one would disturb them with the conversation since Fatui's diplomats had increased recently and schemed for their next move.

-

It was Romani's little clinic that they hold their conversation undisturbed as the doctor left the room to give them space when he noticed the atmosphere.

Kaeya sipped the black coffee that gives him a little time to prepare himself since Diluc was still impatiently waiting for him.

"... I'm an agent from Khaenriah that my Birth Father placed me here in Mondstadt to serve their interest."

He revealed his origin and told them all about the ancient plot and his mission which of course enraged Diluc that Kaeya was doing was lies and manipulating them to trust them.

His rage was uncontrollable and Elaine enable him to calm him down when Diluc draws the sword that consumed full of flame and pointed at him with hate and disgust with no words as he don't need it.

Kaeya also did the same with an expression that Diluc tells that it was madness, while Elaine sees with her remaining calm to see through that Kaeya was hurting inside and becoming the most complicated man that she had ever seen at him.

The tanned man has overcome the sensation of the great elemental power surging through him as bitterly cold and brittle elemental energy burst forth from the tip of his sword to meet Diluc's searing flames head-on which stunned all three of them.

It was a grim moment that Kaeya received a vision. He was born in a nation that has no gods from the beginning.

The clash of crimson fire and azure ice swirls continued to clash with each other until the Demi-Servant stopped them as she hit them in their head with her cross-shaped shield with a pained expression.

"Diluc. Kaeya. This fight was senseless to the point that I am very conflicted by both of you."

Kaeya and Diluc looked away from her while she looked at them sternly.

"Diluc. If you keep acting like this then please, go ahead to try to cool off your head with a long self-discovery journey like I keep doing for years and the current. I know you have every right to be angry about what Kaeya did but it doesn't make any better honestly!" The hot-headed man has no words when he wordlessly starred her into her soul.

"And Kaeya." The tanned man hides his wince pretty well for a pretty good liar that he is as Elaine also called him while pinching her cute nose. "I don't blame you for your action for being a kid who was abandoned by their birth father, only doing the mission that he gave to you, then again you don't have much to say because you were just a child by an impossible burden you shouldn't bear it alone. So, don't consume yourself with the grief and the guilt that you shared with us. I will always be there for you and Diluc." As she told him, Kaeya felt something was cracked in his chest when he heard the honest yet harsh words that were coming into her mouth.

Elaine sighed deeply as she decided that this was her turn before she walked away.

"I, too, also have a secret that only Father knows about. I'm an otherworldly outlander who came from a different planet, stranded here by a person who I barely remember sending me in this world so that I have a chance to live a new life"

This was something unexpected that came out of her and it clears everything from the beginning why Crepus brought Elaine who was covered in ashes, to head to toe, from the clothes that they had never seen before.

The day of revelation has come to the end, and Kaeya, Diluc, and Elaine will go their separate ways.

No one knows when the day has come when they reunited again in a peaceful time and space.

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Hidden Side Story: Equivalent Exchange

Ignoring the fact that they were fighting in a clinic which caused a loud ruckus Dr. Roman can hear what is going on and didn't do anything unfortunatly as he was busy himself with Dainsleif who needs his help to investigate what the Abyss Order was up to.

Every.

Single.

Damn.

Time.

At this point, he gave in the half as having some condition that could help the dead legacy and the Demi-Servant who has yet to release her true potential.

'Ritsuka-chan. Please give me strength with your wave of Love and your crazy shenanigans that lived up my life!' He prayed over his beloved mentally while he still has his neutral face that was slowly cracked.

"Over one condition."

Dainsleif perked up when Romani coughed his throat and handed him formulas about summoning a Heroic Spirit to assist him along with a strange contract.

"Before you can begin it. Please assist Elaine Ragnvindr who is in the next room the one has a lot of noises in there, to travel wherever she was going." Romani puts a smile on his face that put Dainsleif nearly to the edge when he tapped the contract, "Aaand this is the contract that is called Self Geass Scroll. It will act as an unbreakable law from whoever signed for."

The Twilight Sword was at the moment hesitant but it quickly vanished as he made his mind up and signed up the contract which stung a bit through his core. Everything in the cycle of madness needs to end with his hand.