Chapter 49: Master Diluc

The Windblume Festival is one of Mondstadt's most important annual celebrations, lasting for fifteen days each time. 

Its scale rivals Liyue's Lantern Rite and Snezhnaya's Krsnik Noc. 

This is Mondstadt's own celebration of freedom. 

Outsiders are welcome to join in, indulging in the finest food and wine. 

Here, you can drink freely and at will, making it the most representative festival of Mondstadt's spirit.

The origin of the Windblume Festival actually dates back to Mondstadt's founding anniversary. 

It has a bit of the flavor of a national holiday. 

Back then, the Anemo Archon Bartobas—ahem, Barbatos, after dispersing the snow and ice of Old Mondstadt, dropped a bird's feather from the sky, which floated down to the center of what is now Mondstadt City. 

Barbatos then guided the people of Mondstadt to build the city around that feather. 

The Windblume Festival was established to commemorate Barbatos for dispelling the cold and bringing perpetual spring to the new Mondstadt.

During the time of aristocratic rule, the festival lost its original meaning and became an event for the nobles' indulgence. 

However, with the fall of the Lawrence Clan, the Windblume Festival once again became a celebration for the people of Mondstadt, and the city returned to its identity as the northern land of freedom. 

By then, the festival had also taken on the additional meaning of celebrating freedom and resistance.

A few days before the Windblume Festival begins, Mondstadt's head of commerce, the owner of Mondstadt's largest winery, Dawn Winery, controller of half of Mondstadt's wine industry, lifelong nemesis of Diona, sword bearer to Kaeya, and Mondstadt's wealthiest man, Diluc Ragnvindr, hosts a grand banquet at his estate. 

This banquet not only entertains the elite merchants who contribute to the festival but also invites the hardworking Knights of Favonius.

At that time, Diluc will bring out his finest wines to treat those who have contributed to Mondstadt, to freedom, and to the Windblume Festival. 

It's said that any random bottle from the banquet could buy a house in Mondstadt. 

The cost of the entire banquet could buy the entire city. 

If someone wishes to take a bottle of wine away, Master Diluc would generously give it as a gift. 

This banquet is something countless people in Mondstadt dream of attending—without question.

Before the banquet even begins, Dawn Winery is already bustling with people.

Familiar faces or strangers gather together. 

Some are discussing the famous wines of the winery, while others are praising Master Diluc's generosity. 

Even a painting at the foot of the stairs is enough to draw many onlookers, who critique and admire it.

However, the crowd is noticeably divided into two distinct groups. 

One group consists of elegant merchant elites, who exude nobility in every gesture. 

Although the aristocratic system in Mondstadt has been abolished, some traditions have been preserved, and these so-called traditions are fully displayed by these merchant elites. 

Nevertheless, they dare not underestimate the other group—the Knights of Favonius.

As the true overseers of Mondstadt, members of the Knights of Favonius hold absolute prestige in the city. 

Fortunately, these knights are selected through an extremely rigorous process, excelling not only in skill but also in character, making the Knights highly regarded among the people of Mondstadt. 

Even the elite merchants depend on these knights to protect their caravans from Hilichurl attacks.

The division between the two groups at the banquet is partly due to unfamiliarity. 

However, over time, there are signs that both sides are starting to engage in conversation. 

Yet, this budding interaction is quickly interrupted by a third group: the Fatui.

Even within their homeland of Snezhnaya, the Fatui are not particularly well-liked, let alone in Mondstadt—a city representing freedom. 

As soon as this group enters, the lively chatter in the hall quiets down noticeably. 

Upon seeing their leader, Krobber, some of the merchant elites quietly retreat into the crowd. 

If there is no place to hide, they pull a Knight of Favonius to use as a shield. 

Krobber's reputation is nothing short of infamous—greedy, cunning, shameless, and despicable. 

Any negative term would fit him perfectly. 

Although bribery is an unspoken rule in business dealings, Krobber was the first and only one to openly solicit bribes in public, brazenly demanding kickbacks. 

If anyone dares refuse him, he uses his Fatui connections to sabotage them openly. 

No one wants to deal with him.

Yet, Krobber himself is in no good mood today. 

He had originally planned for Bai Luo to take the lead while he quietly followed in the background. 

It wasn't that Krobber didn't want the attention; it was that with Bai Luo following behind him, he was terrified he might embarrass himself in public. 

However, Bai Luo refused to take the spotlight and shoved Krobber to the front instead. 

Already irritated, Krobber's mood worsened when he noticed some people trying to avoid him. 

If the bribery scandal reached the ears of the figure behind him and was reported to the Doctor... he shuddered at the thought. 

He cast a vengeful gaze over the merchant elites trying to evade him, committing their faces to memory. 

He would make them pay.

The arrival of the Fatui caused a shift in the atmosphere of the originally festive banquet. 

The mood became tense and uneasy. 

Still, no one paid attention to Bai Luo, standing behind Krobber, because no matter how you looked at him, dressed in a simple black coat, he didn't seem like anyone important. Except for one person.

"Guests, friends, welcome to my banquet."

The sound of footsteps echoed as a red-haired young man in elegant attire descended the wooden staircase from the second floor of Dawn Winery. 

His eyes lingered on the seemingly inconspicuous Bai Luo for a while.

The outfit the young man wore was quite exquisite—a modified version of early Mondstadt aristocratic attire. 

It removed many unnecessary decorations while keeping subtle yet luxurious details, ensuring that Mondstadt residents, who resented nobility, wouldn't feel any discomfort. 

At the same time, it reflected his noble status. 

The outfit even had a name—Darknight Blaze—personally named by Master Diluc. 

With its primarily black color accented by red, the name truly suited the attire's style. 

However, wearing such an outfit in the summer would likely cause a constant "Vaporize" reaction!

After a courteous bow, Diluc spoke again, "For today's gathering, I've specially prepared a wine that my late father had treasured for twenty-nine years. I believe that both the esteemed and elegant guests, as well as the diligent and humble Knights of Favonius, will have a most enjoyable evening."

Even though the atmosphere had dampened slightly due to the Fatui's arrival, the guests still responded with polite applause and cheers. 

Some of the knights who were familiar with Diluc even played the role of the "mood makers."

"Then, I declare the banquet officially open. Please, everyone, enjoy this beautiful night to the fullest!"

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