Genshin Impact's Incense Burner Of Liyue [143]
Gu Sanqiu chuckled, matching the banter.
For someone as stoic as Diluc to acknowledge him as "trustworthy" was a small victory. In a romantic adventure game, this was the kind of line that'd mean it's time for the main character to ask them out for dinner or a movie—regardless of gender.
Not that Gu Sanqiu was interested. Diluc might be strikingly handsome, but unfortunately, he was a guy, and Gu Sanqiu wasn't exactly interested in sparring as a way to bond.
The rest of the group was positively buzzing. Once they got back, there was plenty to look forward to: higher Adventure Rank permissions at the Adventurers' Guild, bigger rewards from the Knights of Favonius, and just generally having a field day with all the gains they'd managed to gather on this expedition.
Bennett, practically bouncing with excitement at the thought of new medicines, nearly lost his footing several times, only narrowly avoiding smashing his head into a rock thanks to Tartaglia, who kept catching him before he could stumble into his own bad luck.
And for the knights, resolving this issue and securing an excellent new trial domain was nothing short of a windfall. They hadn't just overcome a threat; they'd encountered Decarabian himself, fully prepared for a fight that could have escalated to the point of summoning Barbatos. Instead, they'd completed the mission unscathed, deepened their alliance with Liyue, and even secured extra financial benefits from incoming trade.
This mission was a huge win for Mondstadt.
At the back of the group, Diluc let out a quiet sigh. Once the confidentiality period ended, both Angel's Share and Cat's Tail were bound to get a lot busier.
Oh, and the knights. They'd have their hands full with the daily peacekeeping, thanks to the many boastful, wannabe adventurers flocking to the taverns. Any time someone's tales got a little too grandiose or turned into a fight, the Knights would have to intervene. Maybe it was time to post a "breakage fee" notice in all his establishments.
"Say, Diluc, I have a question for you."
"Yes?"
"Ever heard of the Darknight Hero?"
Diluc tensed, instantly on guard, but kept his composure as he looked over at Gu Sanqiu.
"I have. Why? Have you met this Darknight Hero?"
"Haven't had the pleasure—just curious." Gu Sanqiu's lips curved into a smile. "Tonight might be a good chance."
"You think he'll make an appearance tonight?"
A flicker of surprise crossed Diluc's mind. It wasn't like he operated on a set schedule. Why was Gu Sanqiu so certain this was his chance?
"Excited crowds, security lowering their guard… if we were back in Liyue, every Treasure Hoarder strategist in the region would already be shouting, 'Opportunity is at hand!'"
Diluc's stomach dropped—he had almost missed that.
"Ah, sounds like you're thinking along the same lines I am," Gu Sanqiu added, grinning. "Not sure how high the odds are, but… care to make a bet?"
"I have matters to attend to at the winery, so I won't be there on the front line tonight. Making a bet on something I won't see is meaningless." Diluc turned away, carefully concealing any reaction. He didn't intend to give Gu Sanqiu even a sliver of information that might lead to the truth.
He gestured to the knights ahead. "I'll let them know what you said. If you're set on a wager, go find that blue-haired one."
"So, you're handling winery matters tonight?" Gu Sanqiu didn't hide his disappointed expression. "All right, I'll be staying in Mondstadt for a while longer. Maybe I can watch you in action some other time."
"Very well."
Gu Sanqiu chuckled inwardly. With just a little nudge, he'd all but guaranteed that Diluc would suspect an attack tonight, raising the odds of the Darknight Hero's appearance significantly.
Or to put it another way, he thought, I just activated a special banner with the Darknight Hero at max pull rate.
Returning to Mondstadt, Jean, the ever-dedicated "game grinder," announced she'd be catching up on the work that had piled up during her absence. Barbara followed her, looking determined to find a private moment to use her "Little Sister's Begging" skill to coax Jean into resting sooner.
Barbara likely knew getting Jean to stop working outright would be impossible, but if she could nudge her into a brief break, that'd be a small win. Handling Jean's duties herself, though, wasn't in the cards. Healing and military administration were two very different skill sets.
The rest of the group dispersed, each heading their separate ways. Bennett, after some hesitation, approached Gu Sanqiu and bashfully asked if he had a recipe for medicinal tonics that could alleviate his fathers' chronic ailments.
"If you can keep them supplied with that medicine, it should help them manage the symptoms. While it won't restore their bodies to their adventuring prime, they'll have an easier time of it without the pain."
As Bennett thanked him profusely and started to dash off, Gu Sanqiu reached out and stopped him.
"One more thing—when you're making food or medicine, you're not, say, cooking your bad luck right into it, are you?"
"Huh?" Bennett blinked in shock, his face falling as he considered it. "Um… I'll… maybe I should pay someone else to make the tonics… Or get my dads to do it themselves…"
Gu Sanqiu gave him a look that left little doubt he'd already come to a conclusion on the matter.
The dishes Bennett prepared tended to have an unnatural dark hue, bubbling ominously as if he'd thrown together the most cursed ingredients the world had to offer. Forget the "three parts poison" rule for medicine—any high-quality ingredient was bound to turn toxic in Bennett's hands.
"Oh! R-right, right!" Bennett stammered, finally coming to his senses. "Thanks for the reminder!"
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