Episode 2: His Oath / Her Duty
Birds sang in the trees, and the wind rustled the leaves as a young gentleman trod the canyon path leading to the land of Liyue. His desire was focused on only one thing: accomplishing his mission. Since he had no other worries beyond that, and the path ahead was already laid out for him, he could somewhat enjoy the natural beauty surrounding him. As he stepped out of the canyon, he was greeted with the expansive view of Dihua Marsh, and the distant Wangshu Inn.
Despite living so close to its border, Diluc seldom visited this neighboring country. His focus was on his homeland, and little else. Only when it was a necessity did he travel beyond the bounds of Mondstadt, and this definitely fit the bill. Today, he would check in at an inn in Liyue Harbor, far beyond the distant mountains on the horizon. And tomorrow, he would begin his quest in earnest.
Diluc sighed as his thoughts drifted towards who he would be meeting with. He didn't know this woman, but she definitely had a reputation even beyond Liyue. Her no-nonsense, straightforward approach had gained her much respect as a governing member of the powerful nation. Why did Kaeya have to arrange a meeting with her, of all people? He wasn't sure how this meeting would pan out, and it made him nervous. This was too important of a mission to fail, he had to find Diona quickly or risk losing yet another life.
Several hours passed as he trudged through the massive plains of Liyue, finally drawing near to the famous Sea of Clouds that marked the entrance to Liyue Harbor. As he ascended the hundreds of steps, his anticipation also ascended higher and higher.
At the top of the seemingly endless stairs, he passed a small rest area underneath a massive natural bridge of stone. After rounding a corner, the majestic Harbor came into view. Shining in the late afternoon sun, streamers flitted from building to building. Ships lined the harbor, and powerful waterfalls poured out of the mountains that cradled the city. No matter how many times he saw this view, it always stirred excitement in his chest.
Guess it's time to get going, he thought to himself, beginning his descent down another astoundingly-long staircase.
As he neared the city, he swore that he would find those responsible for the tragedy and make them pay. That alone was his oath.
Soon, his boots touched down at his destination.
Opening Theme: FELT - START
After checking in at the inn that someone had so kindly booked for him, he paid the fee and headed to his room. It was a comfortable, traditional room, with a large, sturdy wooden bed standing out as the centerpiece.
"This'll do," Diluc muttered to himself.
He dropped the small suitcase he had brought with him. He preferred to travel light, after all. He took a seat in a chair near the bed, and rested his tired legs.
From here, I just have to wait until 4 p.m. tomorrow for my little meeting. What am I gonna do until then though? Guess I'll check out the town.
With this thought, he allowed his eyes to close for a short rest.
The inn provided their own meals, but Diluc wasn't in the mood for a night indoors. Despite his long journey, he was feeling restless, and left his room around dusk. The cool early-spring breeze jostled his hair again as he stepped outside. He strolled down the main street of Liyue Harbor, taking in the countless hanging lanterns that blazed in the darkening sky. It was these lanterns that Liyue Harbor was known for around Teyvat. Indeed, the world-famous Lantern Rite Festival itself was celebrated by releasing thousands more of these lanterns, and basking in the warm glow they give off.
Crossing the bridge into the southern part of the city known as Chihu Rock, he noted the bustling atmosphere that surrounded him. People were everywhere, eating, drinking, and purchasing products from the many stalls. Main Street was alive, and his choices for an evening meal left him indecisive. He finally settled on a large restaurant with outdoor seating situated directly on the main plaza.
After taking a seat at one of the outdoor tables, he only waited a few minutes before a waitress came to take his order.
"What can I get for you today, sir?" she said in a chipper voice.
"I'll have the Black-Back Perch Stew, and a beer while you're at it."
"Certainly, sir. I'll be right back with your beer."
Diluc relaxed in his chair, taking in his surroundings.
This place is so peaceful. Just like Mondstadt used to be. Wonder how they manage to keep this peace intact…
His musings didn't last long, as his beer arrived quicker than he expected.
"Your meal will be out soon sir."
"Yeah, thanks."
The pitcher of beer before him was quite substantial. Perhaps this was why this place was so peaceful… He lifted the glass, taking a deep swig. As always, the alcohol tasted like absolute shit to him. He had wanted to drown his guilty conscience tonight, but that just wasn't going to happen.
"Here's your meal, sir. Do you need anything else? Perhaps another drink?"
"Yeah, a water, please."
10:32 p.m.: Main Street, Liyue Harbor. A young, red-haired man slunk down the stone lane, making his way back towards his lodgings for the night. After fully enjoying his meal, he hadn't been ready to call it a night just yet. So, he had wandered the alleys of Liyue Harbor for a while. After a wave of exhaustion hit him, he decided to head back to his lodgings for the night. He strolled across the bridge, and pushed his way through the front door of the inn. The lady behind the desk eyed this questionable man with suspicion as he dragged himself tiredly up the stairs towards his room.
"Damn, what a day," he muttered to himself.
He stumbled straight towards the large, inviting bed, and fell on top of the sheets, not even bothering to change clothes.
Normally, Diluc was the image of a perfect gentleman, always in control of himself. He wasn't the type of man to even touch alcohol. He hated the taste, as it reminded him of bitter memories he'd rather leave buried. Tonight, though, he had wanted to try and forget… about Springvale, about Jean, about the very reason he was here. However, despite his best efforts, he was unable to do so. He couldn't even stomach his drink, and even now, his thoughts were consumed with feelings of guilt. After almost an hour of this, he rolled over, frustrated.
"Can't sleep, huh? Figured as much," he said to the empty room.
He stood up, his tired body protesting despite its stubborn refusal to allow him any rest. He glanced around the room. It had a balcony, and he made his way towards it, sliding the door open.
The midnight ocean breeze felt cooler than before, as he gazed at the reflection of the moon on the sea. His thoughts were far away, however. He wondered if these feelings of guilt would ever go away… Not only from this most recent disaster, but also from another unspeakable one many years before. He shook his head, trying to dispel the denigrating scenes replaying in his mind.
As he stood there on the balcony, a tired-looking young woman passed by on the street below. He didn't notice her, too caught up in his own problems to worry about anything else. Her heels clacked on the stone path, but Diluc didn't hear them. Her twin tails bounced, but he didn't spot them. Even though his conscious mind didn't register any of that, as she passed by, a tiny feeling of calm familiarity washed over him.
Sighing once more, he left the balcony, and once again collapsed on the bed. This time, he was asleep before he knew it.
The next morning had come much too early for Diluc. The offensive sunlight shining through his window annoyed him to no end, and he eventually gave up on getting any more sleep. He finally dared to looked at the clock on the wall…
…12:45?!
"Shit!" he yelled, jumping out of bed.
He didn't have much time to prepare for his important meeting now, even though he had planned to make today a relaxing one.
He quickly made himself presentable, then made his way to the inn's shared bath. After a relaxing soak, he felt much more like a proper human being. He then partook of the inn's (very late) lunch meal, and headed back to his room. The clock on the wall now read 2:30.
Almost time to go meet her.
Somewhere nearby, in a clean, organized room, sat a young woman of around 20 years of age. Her pretty face was set like a cornerstone, as she moved around various sheets of paper at an astounding rate. A signature here, an annotation there… There was so much to be done. But, this was nothing out of the ordinary for her.
This young lady's name was Keqing: a name renowned in Liyue. Born to a prestigious family, she had taken on great responsibility at a young age, and proved herself worthy of it. Now, she was an important member of the Liyue Qixing, the governing body of Liyue. Today looked to be a day just like any other for her: non-stop work from dawn until the sun had long disappeared. As she slaved away, a soft voice came from the door of Keqing's office.
"Keqing, isn't it time for a break?"
"Not right now, Ganyu. I'm right in the middle of this paperwork for the Lantern Rite Festival."
"Alright, I understand…" Ganyu's voice trailed off, and she left the room a bit dejected.
Keqing sighed, not failing to notice this.
I know she meant well, I'll have to make it up to her later somehow.
Ganyu was a good friend to Keqing, despite their earlier disagreements over the merits of one Rex Lapis. The blue-haired, half-qilin woman was another important fixture of Liyue, holding the role of Secretary to the Qixing. Her kind-heartedness was only matched by her age, which by now was well over 3000 years. Indeed, she had witnessed Liyue grow like a mother watching a child. Now, she was slowly learning something new: how to fit into human society.
After another half-hour of working at a scorching pace, Keqing finally sat back in her chair, stretching.
"Ahh, finally that's done!" she said, her voice squeaking as her tired muscles vibrated.
She stood, preparing to take a ten minute break before her next job began. She knew her schedule like the back of her own hand: she would attend a meeting with the other Qixing at 3:00 p.m., then return to her office to start on another paperwork job, before meeting with some messenger from Mondstadt at 4:00 p.m. Of all the work on her plate today, that was the one thing she was unsure about. The request from Mond had only been to have her meet with someone for an important discussion. Her curiosity was piqued.
She opened the door of her office, and almost tripped over something lying on the floor outside it. She looked down to see a small tray with a cup of tea and some cookies on it. A small note was attached. It read:
"Don't work too hard. -Ganyu"
"Ganyu…"
Keqing felt her chest grow warm at the kind gesture. She took the tray back to her office, and took a bite of one of the cookies.
"…Tastes good…"
A small smile spread across her face.
Like that, the afternoon dragged on, until finally, a knock came at her office door.
Diluc left the inn early, making sure to give himself plenty of time to find the location he was to meet her. It was inside a large, elegantly decorated building that flanked a mountain near the west side of the city. He had a bit of an issue with the receptionist at the desk, but somehow managed to convince her that he wasn't there to kill anyone. Now, he was almost at his destination. He found a door labeled "Keqing", and slowly raised his hand to knock.
From within, he heard a feminine, prim and proper voice.
"Come in."
He pushed the door in, and for the first time he laid eyes on the person he was to meet.
His eyes met hers almost instantly. They were like nothing he had ever seen… They shone like a perfectly-cut amethyst, and her face reflected a disciplined and just heart. She stood to greet him as he entered.
"Oh, you must be the messenger from Mondstadt. Hello…"
"Diluc. Pleasure to meet you…"
"Call me Keqing. Now what can I do for you?"
This woman wastes no time getting to the point, I see, Diluc thought to himself.
His eyes sized up the young woman in front of him. Her hair was immaculately styled, falling over her shoulders in curly twin tails. Her outfit commanded attention: it was fairly modest, yet perfectly accentuated her obvious natural beauty. Her skin was pure and smooth, and her legs were quite long. There was no other conclusion he could come to: she was absolutely gorgeous.
"I'm here about a matter of utmost importance to Mondstadt. Have you heard the news of the Springvale massacre?"
"Yes, I heard that there was an awful attack near the City of Mondstadt… I'm sorry to hear about it," she replied, with a sympathetic face.
"Thank you. I'm here seeking any information that might lead me to the ones responsible. My only tip has led me to believe that the Fatui agents responsible for it have hidden themselves in Liyue."
"The Fatui…" Keqing muttered, looking troubled.
"Yes, I know without a doubt it was them."
The young woman cradled her chin with two fingers, deep in thought.
"I'm not sure about this. You may not be aware of it, but the Fatui are something of an enigma here in Liyue Harbor. They are allowed to do as they please, as long as they don't harm anyone in the city. I'm sorry, but I can't say much more than this."
"So you can't give me any information about their activities in this country? Even though they murdered over a dozen of my people?" Diluc said, his voice becoming more strained.
Keqing's face grew conflicted.
"I apologize, but I am not the person to ask about this. My hands are somewhat tied."
"That's bullshit."
"Pardon…?"
"I said that's fucking bullshit. People died, and I need information about who did it! How can your hands be tied?!"
As Diluc kicked off his uncalled-for outburst, Keqing's face fell. In a matter of seconds, however, it was set like stone again.
"I have nothing more to say to you, sir. Please leave at once. I wish you well on your search for justice."
Diluc glowered at the woman in front of him, trying to suppress his raging temper. Finally, after an awkwardly long staring match, he realized the futility of pursing this further. He whirled around on one heel so fast it almost dug into the wooden floor, and headed for the door. However, he didn't make it far. A blue-haired woman with horns was standing directly in the doorway, looking like she'd seen a ghost.
"I-I'm sorry! I heard shouting and I was worried! I didn't mean to eavesdrop…" she spluttered.
"…Doesn't matter now," Diluc spat out.
He gave Keqing one last significant glance, then slipped past the still-shocked Ganyu and left.
"Lady Keqing, what was that?"
"Sigh… I keep telling you to just call me Keqing, Ganyu."
"R-Right… Keqing. Who was that man?"
"He's someone who doesn't understand the delicate balance of politics here in Liyue. Quite unfortunate, but I did all I could."
"I… see…" Ganyu said, not understanding at all.
"Ah, dammit! Back to paperwork!" Keqing cursed, changing the subject.
"You shouldn't be so crass, Lady Keq- uh…"
Keqing smirked and shook her head at Ganyu, then picked up a thick stack of paper, going back to her work with a sigh.
Outside the building, Diluc was seething. His only lead had just evaporated into thin air. Every second was precious if he wanted to find Diona alive, and this was a huge setback. He was angry at Keqing, but just as angry with himself. He had truly shown his ass in her office, completely losing his usual composure. His gentlemanly manners were nowhere to be found in that moment, and he despised himself for it.
What am I supposed to do now? he thought, wandering aimlessly around the twilit city.
He was nearing the end of his deck of cards, when he suddenly felt a grumble from his stomach.
Guess a meal is my first move.
He had stopped in front of a small hole-in-the-wall restaurant, with only a few seats outside. A weathered sign outside read "Wanmin Restaurant", and a delicious smell was wafting from within.
Diluc took a seat, noticing a very conspicuous man in the next seat over, but didn't acknowledge him. He simply wasn't in the mood for that.
However, the other man was much more sociable than Diluc had anticipated or hoped. After Diluc took his seat, the man turned towards him, and spoke up with a hearty voice.
"Greetings, stranger."
Ending Theme: FELT - you
Next:
Episode 3: Meandering Paths
