Chapter 3

Recently, the previously quiet nights of Mondstadt, which were affected by the attack of the Stormterror, have become quite lively.

At Mondstadt's back gate, under the hazy lights, crowds were bustling, and the aroma of grilled food filled the air.

Kaeya walked down the steps, adjusting his sleeves. Looking around, he saw that the dozen or so outdoor tables were already full of people.

People were eating barbecue, talking about various things under the influence of alcohol. A green-clad bard was singing and playing music. By the wall, in front of the barbecue stall, a small line had formed, with a young man busily working.

Kaeya took in the enticing aroma in the air, fragrances he had never tasted before. Swallowing silently, he moved to the end of the line and began to wait.

In front of Kaeya, a girl with cat ears was ordering.

"Meow! Little boss, give me a spicy grilled fish."

"Diona, how spicy do you want it today—mild or medium? Still taking it to go?"

"I want to try medium today, meow."

"Got it. Please wait over there for a bit."

Diona stepped aside, making room for Kaeya to move forward. Kaeya greeted Hiroshi, who was surrounded by several barbecue stalls.

"Hiroshi, your business is doing well! You've only been in Mondstadt for a few days, and you've already got returning customers."

Hiroshi, busy with work, looked up and saw the familiar eye patch of the pirate. He smiled.

"Haha, I'm just happy that everyone likes my cooking. What can I get you today, Captain Kaeya?"

All around, skewers were turning automatically over flames. Metallic objects were flying through the air, sprinkling seasonings evenly.

Cooked skewers flew into marked plates, and then, based on the customer's order, they were either bagged or sent flying to the customer's table. The magical scene painted a harmonious picture, almost like music.

"Even though I've seen this before, it still amazes me every time. And of course, it also makes me hungry," Kaeya said, swallowing.

"Is this how people in your world cook?"

Hiroshi pulled a bottle of juice from beneath the counter, gulped down half of it, and let out a satisfied sigh. He wiped the sweat from his face with a towel. Hearing Kaeya's question, he shook his head.

"No, cooking in my world isn't this fancy, but the master chefs who've honed their skills for a lifetime are far more impressive than me."

Stretching his body, Hiroshi smiled.

"Time to order, Captain Kaeya. We can chat during the day. If you keep standing here, the people behind you might not be so polite."

"Hahaha, little boss, what are you saying? Captain Kaeya of the Knights of Favonius would never get dragged into an alley with a sack over his head—we wouldn't stand a chance against him anyway."

Kaeya turned to see the long line of people staring at him. A few drops of sweat appeared on his forehead, and he laughed awkwardly.

"Sorry, sorry, everyone. I was just catching up with the boss. I'll order now. I'll take two spicy grilled fish and two wild mushroom chicken skewers, mild, to go."

"Alright, please wait over there!"

Kaeya moved to the waiting area, sitting down. Looking at Hiroshi, who was smiling happily amidst the firelight, he felt at ease.

Late at night, after bidding farewell to the last drunken customer, Hiroshi wiped the sweat from his face. He planned to grill something and send it to the chat group before closing up for the night.

Bang!

A loud noise came from nearby, followed by the creaking of a door. The rear gate of Mondstadt was opened, and a floating blue Abyss Mage appeared, with members of the Knights of Favonius lying unconscious behind it.

The scene before the Abyss Mage was one of tables placed in the middle of the street, along with barbecue grills still burning with charcoal. In the distance, a figure disappeared around a street corner.

Seeing the chaotic scene, a series of question marks popped up in the Abyss Mage's mind. After a moment of confusion, the Abyss Mage waved its staff, pointing towards the street corner. Several Hilichurls and Wooden Shield Mitachurls emerged from the darkness behind it.

"It seems someone ran that way. Go check it out."

Hiroshi stomped hard on the ground. The iron armor he wore beneath his ordinary clothing moved his body forward, allowing him to glide a considerable distance.

This outfit was specially commissioned by Hiroshi from a blacksmith to train his body and abilities. During battle, it served as inner armor, and in daily life, it added weight for training. It could even adjust its weight to speed up when needed—truly practical.

"Damn it. Why didn't I pay attention to the plot when I played the game? Even though this is the real world now and the game storyline may not be completely reliable, it still has reference value. I just want to go back and press that version of myself, who fast-forwarded everything, onto the keyboard."

"I hope my barbecue stall isn't too damaged. I'll remember this, Abyss Mage. Once I'm stronger, I'll make sure to loot your entire house."

Hiroshi glanced behind him. There were no pursuers. He jumped up to the rooftop, took out a small bomb Klee had given him, and lit the fuse with a lighter.

Boom!!!

A loud explosion echoed through Mondstadt's night sky, waking countless people from their beds. The previously quiet city was now filled with barking dogs and angry shouts.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Urgent footsteps approached, and Kaeya appeared with a group of knights, running quickly.

"Hey! You up there, come down! Was that bomb yours?"

Hiroshi jumped down from the roof, scratching his ringing ears.

"Go to the back gate. I just saw an Abyss Mage come in."

Kaeya had initially planned to greet Hiroshi, but upon hearing his words, he quickly led the knights towards the back gate without further questions.

Watching the knights run off, Hiroshi shook his slightly dizzy head, jumped back onto the rooftop, took out a bow from his bag, and quietly followed the knights.

By the gate, the roaring flames and the clash of blades could be heard. Amidst the red figure that attacked continuously, Hiroshi's barbecue stall had been destroyed, leaving only one stubborn grill still intact. The skewers Hiroshi had planned to send to the chat group were now emitting black smoke.

Burning Hilichurl corpses lay scattered on the ground, and the air was filled with an unpleasant scorched smell. At the gate, in the midst of the Wooden Shield Mitachurls, the Abyss Mage without its elemental shield was being protected.

"Damn it. I clearly avoided the magic array. Why am I being ambushed? The earlier explosion must've been set off by the one who escaped. It seems those Hilichurls didn't manage to catch up to the runaway."

Glaring at the figure wielding the claymore, the Abyss Mage reluctantly waved its staff.

"Retreat!"

"Hmph, don't think you can protect Mondstadt forever. This place will be ours in the end!"

Diluc watched the retreating Hilichurl group, listening to the Abyss Mage's words, but said nothing. He simply raised his claymore.

Flames began to envelop the blade, and with Diluc's swing, a high-pitched bird cry echoed.

"Caw!"

A giant bird made of flames appeared, letting out a long cry before diving towards the enemy.

The retreating Abyss Mage looked back at the sound of the bird, only to see the fiery bird right in front of it. Fear filled its eyes.

"Block it! Quick, block it!"

The Abyss Mage frantically ordered the Wooden Shield Mitachurls nearby while attempting to channel a water barrier despite the chaotic flow of magic caused by Diluc's earlier attack.

The blazing bird swooped down, destroying everything in its path. With a final cry, it exploded into a shower of sparks before vanishing.

In the pile of charred Hilichurl corpses, a hand reached out. The Abyss Mage crawled out, seeing the figure wielding a flaming claymore rushing towards him. He took out a scroll and ripped it. With a flash of white light, the Abyss Mage disappeared, reappearing on the other side of Mondstadt under the moonlight.

Diluc stopped, looking towards the distant stumbling figure across Dawn Winery's lake. He frowned, sheathed his claymore, and turned back towards Mondstadt.

"Phew, seems like quite a lot happened."

Kaeya led the knights down the steps. Seeing the Hilichurl bodies and the burning flames, he glanced at Diluc and sighed in relief.

Diluc watched the knights cleaning up the scene. He gave Kaeya, who approached, a cold snort.

"Hmph, the Knights of Favonius are truly useless. If I hadn't been patrolling tonight and found a few Hilichurls running around, by the time you arrived, the casualties would have been severe."

A flash of apology appeared on Kaeya's face, and he remained silent.

A voice called from the city wall.

"Sniper!"

A sharp whistling sound echoed as a shadow flew across the lake. The stumbling figure on the other side of Dawn Winery collapsed.

Hiroshi's figure descended from the city wall.

"Destroying my stall and thinking you can escape if you're stronger? I can't let you run if I can take you down."

Muttering to himself, Hiroshi put away his bow, smiled at Diluc and Kaeya, then ran towards the barbecue stall to clean up the mess.

Diluc glanced at Hiroshi, who was standing by the barbecue grill with a pained expression. With a wave of his arm, the damaged metal parts on the ground flew up, gathered in front of Hiroshi, then disappeared with a flash.

"A traveler from another world, huh? Let's hope you mean no harm to Mondstadt."

A flicker of emotion crossed Diluc's face as he muttered, turning to leave.

Kaeya watched Diluc leave directly, sighing slightly. He looked at Hiroshi, who was gathering the remains of his stall, and bowed respectfully.

"Hiroshi, thank you for informing us about the invasion."

Hiroshi put away the only intact grill, waving dismissively at Kaeya.

"I live in Mondstadt now, so I'm part of Mondstadt too. I really like it here. It's just what I should do. If there's nothing else, I'll head back."

"Alright, no problem. Go ahead. The Knights will compensate you for your losses, and your rewards will be delivered tomorrow."

"Ah, thank you very much."

Kaeya watched Hiroshi walk away into the night, the wind gently rustling his deep green bangs. His icy blue eyes showed a hint of emotion.

Compared to when Hiroshi had first arrived in Mondstadt, it had been less than a week. In that short time, not only had his delicious barbecue taken Mondstadt by storm, but his strength had also grown rapidly.

Bright moonlight mixed with dim streetlights illuminated Hiroshi's path home. With a thought, a blue panel appeared before him, messages chiming non-stop.

Kazuma Satou: @Hiroshi, save me! I'm starving, please send some skewers!

Kazuma Satou: @Hiroshi, save me! I'm starving, please send some skewers!

Kuroneko: Oh ho ho, isn't this Kazuma Satou, who just said he made a fortune and moved out of the stables to eat lavishly? Why are you starving now?

Kazuma Satou: Grr!!! It's all that dumb goddess Aqua's fault! Last night, she took my money, went to the tavern, and got wasted. She said something about bringing happiness to everyone as a goddess, and then treated everyone to drinks. Now I'm broke. I haven't eaten all day...

Kuroneko: Hmm... condolences. Though, I have to admit, I'm laughing so hard my stomach hurts.

Kazuma Satou: Are you even human?! Shouldn't you feel sorry for me and offer me a good meal at a time like this?!

Xiaohei: Kazuma is so pitiful. I have grilled fish; do you want it?

Kazuma Satou: Oh! Xiaohei, you're an angel! Yes, please!

[Ding, Xiaohei has sent a red packet]

[Ding, Kazuma Satou has received a red packet]

Kazuma Satou: Wow! Why is this fish not seasoned and also burnt?

Xiaohei: Heh, this was grilled by my master.

Hiroshi: @Kazuma Satou, heh, condolences.

[Ding, Hiroshi has sent a red packet]

[Ding, Kazuma Satou has received a red packet]

[Ding, Xiaohei has received a red packet]

[Ding, Kuroneko has received a red packet]

Kazuma Satou: Oh! It's food! Thank you!

Xiaohei: This Sunsetia fruit contains a hint of spiritual energy. It feels so nice to eat.

Kuroneko: Hmph, hmph, hmph, I quite like this tribute. Traveler from another world, tell me your wish.

Hiroshi: @Kuroneko, a lot happened today. Could you help me buy a batch of spices at the supermarket tomorrow? I'll send you the gold coins.

Hiroshi opened Kuroneko's profile, entered the private chat, and ignored the previous conversation before sending her 200 Mora.

He wasn't worried about Kuroneko handling the coins—it wasn't the first time.

Closing the chat group, Hiroshi opened the attribute panel, seeing that his experience had overflowed, just waiting for him to spend it.

Name: Hiroshi

Level: Lv6 [800/300] [Extraordinary]

PS: For each level gained, all attributes automatically +1 (bonus for ordinary human constitution), free attribute points +3.

Strength: 13

Constitution: 14

Agility: 13

Intelligence: 20

Spiritual Energy: 200

Ability: Spirit Control - Gold Lv3

Derived Attribute Ability: Clear Mind Lv1 (derived from 20 Intelligence; small increase in perception, reason, and spiritual energy recovery rate)

Skill: Sniping Lv2

Hiroshi's level and stats were the result of taking on various tasks from the Adventurers' Guild over the past week.

He closed the panel, deciding to allocate the points when he got home—two words: safety first.