SailorStar9: After getting Chapter 79 out, this is Chapter 80 of this fic. (Sighs) Guys and girls, is it too hard for you to leave a review, instead of just putting this fic up on your favorited list and story alerts?

Pairings: Albedo/Sucrose, Zhongli/Mitsuko/Kazuha, One-sided Diluc/Mitsuko, One-sided Diluc/Jean

Disclaimers: Genshin Impact and Sailor Moon belong to miHoYo and Takeuchi Naoko-sensei respectively. Me, on the other hand, own absolutely nothing, except the plot, I hope.

Chapter 80: Teyvat Arc: True Tales of the Violet Garden, Part Two


The next morning...

"According to the Arrival Schedule, there will be a ship arriving from Mondstadt today." Paimon reminded the Traveler. "The artist for The Five Kasen portraits should be on board. The boat should be arriving soon, so let's head down to the docks."


At the docks...

"Hello!" Paimon greeted the bards that had left their transport. "You must be here to take part in the Irodori Festival? We're the festival guides and will show you around."

"That's right." Lyra nodded. "We are bards from Mondstadt. Word has it that Inazuma has undergone many changes of late. We hope to find fresh inspiration here."

"Paimon, what are you doing?" the Traveler spotted the pixie looking around.

"These guests are all bards, aren't they?" Paimon stated. "Then, where's Tone-Deaf Bard then? Strange, he is pretty famous in Mondstadt. Do you think he didn't receive an invitation?"

"Even if he was invited, there's a chance he still wouldn't show up." the Traveler pointed out. "Venti's an..." they gave their companion a look.

"Paimon sees what you're getting at." Paimon realized. "Even though Venti no longer rules over Mondstadt, he's still an Archon. If he came rushing to Inazuma at the first mention of a festival, not only would it seem a little childish, it would also sorta be shameless of him, too."

"Honorary Knight!" Klee waved from the ship. "Paimon!"

"It's Klee!" Paimon noticed the Spark Knight. "Were you also invited to the Irodori Festival?"

"No, Albedo's the one who received the invitation." Klee jumped off the ship. "But because everyone in the Knights of Favonius has been really busy these days, Albedo arranged for someone here to issue me a Dependant Pass."

"Greetings, Traveler and Paimon." Albedo had also left the ship. "After hearing that Inazuma was making preparations for the Irodori Festival, I predicted that I might run into you here."

"Paimon knew it!" Paimon exclaimed. "Albedo's the one they've invited to paint The Five Kasen."

"It seems that you already know why I'm here." Albedo noted. "Just so you're aware, I'll be using my pen name in Inazuma, Calx. By the way, do you know where the International Trade Association is? I'll be meeting with the editorial director of the Yae Publishing House there."

"The International Trade Association is where you'll be staying in Inazuma." Paimon informed. "We'll be heading there, too."

"Great, let's get going then." Albedo nodded.


At the plaza...

"It's so beautiful here." Klee gushed, running forward. "So many things I've never seen before!"

"Slow down, Klee." Albedo cautioned. "Please, be careful not to bump into others. Telling Klee so many stories about Inazuma during the trip was probably not the best idea." he sighed. "As a result, she could hardly sleep all the way here. It appears she's even more excited now that we've arrived."

"Nothing wrong with a little excitement." the Traveler reasoned.

"Strange." Albedo mused. "It seems that the editorial director, Mr. Hirayama, isn't here yet. I'm certain he said that he'd be sure to arrive before me. This might be a problem."

"What's wrong?" the Traveler asked.

"Mr. Hirayama was supposed to meet with me and give me some reference materials about The Five Kasen today." Albedo explained. "That way, I could better visualize the content for my paintings."

"You mean you had no idea what you'd be painting before you arrived in Inazuma?" Paimon exclaimed.

"I only know of The Five Kasen by name from Sucrose." Albedo remarked. "Because of the sheer age of the tale, very little has been passed down to this day, so Mr. Hirayama decided to help me collect some more information. I'm the type of painter who can complete a painting quickly as long as I'm inspired. So, I agreed on only receiving the details today."

"So, when do the paintings have to be done by?" Paimon asked.

"According to the festival plans, the portraits will be revealed one at a time throughout the various stages of the Irodori Festival." Albedo replied. "The first one depicting Suikou will need to be done before the festival's official opening ceremony, which is the day after tomorrow."

"The day after tomorrow!?" Paimon gaped in shock. "Then you're already running out of time!"

"There's no need to panic." Albedo assured. "When I was working on light novel illustrations, because the manuscripts are shipped by boat, things were always tight and finished at the last minute. Just last month, to ensure the latest book of A Legend of Sword would be finished for the Irodori Festival, I had to complete the final chapter's illustrations the same day I received the manuscript. I heard that my illustrations were sent to print as soon as they arrived in Inazuma. I still don't know how well they turned out."

"Paimon isn't sure if she should feel sympathetic for your working conditions or compliment you on your artistic genius." Paimon moaned.

"Of course, I would still prefer to receive any possible reference materials in advance so that I can be better prepared." Albedo admitted.

"Speaking of which, Miko did mention..." the Traveler remembered.

"The editors of the Yae Publishing House will all be around the Outlander Affairs Agency these next few days." Paimon piped in. "Who knows, maybe Mr. Hirayama's over there too. We'll take you over there to see if we can find him, Albedo!"

"Alright, it's worth a try." Albedo nodded. "Klee, you haven't slept for a while now. Please stay at our residence in the International Trade Association and get some rest. We will be back soon."

"Don't worry, Albedo, I'll be on my best behavior!" Klee promised.


At the Outlander Affairs Agency...

"This can't be happening!" Aratani was in full panic mode. "The moment we need to contact Onodera is when he's on special leave. Kuroda and I will go back to Inazuma City for an emergency printing run. The demand for this book is so high though, even with the emergency prints, it still might not be enough."

"Despite everything, we're still lucky that we found out today." Murata remarked. "If this had happened a few days later, then we'd really be in boiling water. Do you think that the suspicious guy they found in the warehouse has anything to do with this?"

"The editorial director is on his way over there to investigate the situation as we speak." Kuroda played peacemaker.

"Sorry to interrupt, but what's going on here?" Paimon approached with the Traveler and Albedo in tow.

"Traveler." Murata greeted. "Don't worry, it's nothing. Just an internal issue, that's all. How can I help you?"

"I'm looking for the editorial director, Mr. Hirayama." Albedo spoke. "Does anyone know where he is now?"

"Mr. Hirayama is currently at the warehouse down by the harbor." Murata replied.

"Hold on a second, Murata." Kuroda cut in. "Excuse me, but you must be Calx, the one who was invited to paint The Five Kasen for the festival?"

"Yes, that's me." Albedo nodded.

"My name is Kuroda." Kuroda informed. "You must be inquiring about information regarding The Five Kasen. a: I do apologize, but please make yourself comfortable at the International Trade Association, and I will let Mr. Hirayama and Lady Noriko know to send you the materials right away."

"No need!" Paimon voiced. "You guys look super busy, so we can go find him ourselves."

"About that..." Kuroda stammered.

"Excuse me, but is there something wrong with the latest volume of 'A Legend of Sword'?" Albedo went straight to the point.

"How did you know?" Kuroda was surprised.

"Since you were all aware that Mr. Hirayama needed to send me some supporting materials, that means the editorial director didn't forget about it." Albedo reasoned. "Instead, something urgent must've cropped up. To add to that, despite being aware that I am Calx, you are still unwilling to let me go to Mr. Hirayama directly. After considering these factors, the only reason you would try to stall me is if something happened to 'A Legend of Sword', which I did the illustrations for."

"I'm very sorry." Kuroda sighed. "The situation is just as you said, Calx. I suppose it doesn't hurt to tell you now. Earlier today, someone spotted a suspicious outlander sneaking around inside the Irodori Festival warehouse down by the docks, so they promptly alerted the Tenryou Commission. The Tenryou Commission was concerned about potential cargo theft, so they contacted everyone who was renting space in the warehouse. It was then that we realized that the latest copies of 'A Legend of Sword' had suddenly gone missing!"

"The books are missing!?" Paimon exclaimed.

"Not only is this book an eagerly anticipated release in the last phase of the Irodori Festival, but the author, Zhenyu, will be personally attending the release party as well." Kuroda added after hushing Paimon. "Because of the dire situation, Mr. Hirayama immediately hurried to the warehouse to determine whether the theft was related to that suspicious outlander."

"It would be a great misfortune if 'A Legend of Sword' would not be released on schedule, and quite the disappointment for Zhenyu as well." Albedo noted. "If Mr. Hirayama has gone to the warehouse at the docks, then I'll go down to see if I can be of any help."

"So, the author of 'A Legend of Sword' is Zhenyu, sounds familiar..." Paimon mused. "Isn't that Xingqiu's pen name?

"Do you know him?" Albedo blinked.

"We've met on a couple of occasions." the Traveler replied.

"Xingqiu would definitely be upset if he discovers that his books are missing." Paimon noted. "Let's accompany Albedo to the warehouse, too."


At the warehouse...

"It's you!" Paimon growled, spotting Sara and Venti in a stare-down. "Why are you here!?"

"I'm here on behalf of the Tenryou Commission, of course." Sara scoffed. "Is that surprising?"

"No, Sara, Paimon wasn't talking about you." Paimon assured. "So, Tone-Deaf Bard, the suspicious outlander in the warehouse wouldn't happen to be you, would it?" she trained her glare at the Anemo Archon.

"Considering the evidence, it appears that the suspicious outlander is... indeed me." Venti chuckled.

"As I have told you, you are a suspect." Sara informed Venti. "Before your allegations of theft and illegal entry as a stowaway are cleared, you are to remain silent. Don't make me say it again. Traveler, Paimon, do you know this self-proclaimed bard from Mondstadt?"

"I can't say he's a complete stranger." the Traveler noted.

"Listen Sara." Paimon added. "Knowing him, it's safe to say that he wasn't behind the theft. But, what's this about being a stowaway?"

"Although he claims to be a special guest for the Irodori Festival, he's failed to present his Invitation Letter." Sara explained. "Therefore, we can only suspect that he might've entered the country illegally. And just a moment ago, we caught him in a Dandelion Wine crate near the Sailing Breeze."

"Could we ask him a few questions?" the Traveler requested.

"If it would help shed any light on the situation, then please, be my guest." Sara relented.

"Venti, you didn't really come here illegally, did you?" Paimon moaned.

"Ouch, your words wound me." Venti whined. "We've been apart for so long, and the moment we meet again, all I'm greeted with is grilling questions and suspicious glares. Fear not, for the person who sent me the invitation is none other than the Clan Head of the Nekomata, Lady Noriko. It's unlikely that someone acquainted with the likes of her would ever be here illegally, right?"

"But why weren't you on the same ship as the other bards?" Paimon asked.

"Once I received the Invitation Letter, I couldn't help but want to come to Inazuma a little early." Venti chuckled. "It was then that I happened upon a cargo ship bound for Inazuma transporting Dandelion Wine, so, naturally, I decided to set sail with them. Once aboard, I found the captain to be a kindred spirit, and I was treated to an abundance of fine liquor along the way. I must have fallen asleep in the cargo crate while carefully comparing the tastes of Dandelion Wine and Inazuman sake.: And when I woke up, I found myself in this warehouse with a Tenryou Commission general glaring at me from atop the crate."

"Coming from Venti, this story is quite believable." Paimon shook her head. "But, it still feels a bit..."

"Shameless." the Traveler sighed.

"Excuse me, I'm the owner of the stolen goods from the Yae Publishing House, and there are some questions I would like to ask you." Hirayama spoke. "Based on what you just said, it seems you've been in the warehouse for some time now. If that's the case, did you happen to hear anything unusual?"

"Actually, I did hear some faint footsteps around me a couple of times." Venti replied. "But I didn't consider the sound anything out of the ordinary."

"But if you clearly heard something, why didn't you feel it was unusual?" Hirayama inquired.

"You forget, Hirayama-shonen." Noriko rebuked, tapping the editor on the back of his head with her cane. "When it comes to burglars, they are generally associated with prying or rummaging through things. What Barbatos–sama means is that he did not hear anything unusual like that. As regards to the sound of footsteps, it is quite normal for people to be walking around, considering this is a warehouse where many goods are coming in and out each day."

"But if that's the case, Lady Noriko, we're back to square one regarding the stolen books." Hirayama pointed out.

"Not quite." Albedo corrected. "From the facts that have been presented to us, we can draw at least three conclusions now. First, whoever took the novels is not a spur-of-the-moment burglar, they had their sights on the books from the very beginning. Second, the culprit was very familiar with the warehouse and might even have a key. And third..."

"There must be more than one criminal involved." the Traveler remarked.

"I knew you'd catch on, Traveler." Albedo nodded. "One person couldn't possibly transport so many heavy books in such a short window of time, it must have been a team effort. It goes without saying that Venti clearly does not match up with our culprits."

"I agree with your reasoning." Sara concurred. "Mr. Hirayama, the Tenryou Commission will continue by investigating the warehouse staff. If you come across any further clues, please notify us immediately."

"I suppose I'm free as a bird then." Venti grinned.

"Not so fast." Sara retorted. "Even though we've cleared the theft allegations, we still haven't ascertained whether your arrival in Inazuma was legal or not."

"Sara's quite the meticulous one." Paimon noted. 'So, where's your Invitation Letter, Venti?"

"The Invitation Letter." Venti recalled. "I'm truly sorry. I can't seem to remember where I may have put it."

"How could you lose something so important!?" Paimon fumed.

"Don't be mistaken, I was well aware of how important it was." Venti assured. "But I didn't bring any luggage with me, and the letter was too big to fit in my pocket, so I kept it in my hand the whole trip. Strange; though I had a little too much to drink, I know that I kept it in a secure place. I even recall being most pleased at coming up with a good idea at the time."

"If you were holding the invitation in your hand the whole time, then why did you put it down?" Paimon scolded.

"To properly compare the taste of Mondstadt wine and Inazuman sake, I had to hold a glass in each hand." Venti reasoned. "I couldn't both hold the invitation and a glass at the same time. But surely, I wouldn't put it in just any random place, it could easily be misplaced."

"Barbatos–sama." Noriko gave the Anemo Archon a knowing look and tapped the side of her head.

"I remember now." Venti reached into his hat and retrieved the letter that was stuffed under it. "I knew you'd help me find it, Noriko-san."

"This is indeed an Invitation Letter issued by the Nekomata Clan." Sara nodded, inspecting the letter. "Now that we've confirmed this guest's identity, I have no further questions. However, starting tonight, I would advise you to stay at the International Trade Association. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be leaving now."

"There goes Sara." Paimon mused, after Sara left the scene. "Let's go talk to Noriko-baa-san and Mr. Hirayama about Albedo's reference materials."

"Mr. Hirayama, Lady Noriko, I'm Calx." Albedo introduced himself. "We had originally arranged to meet today."

"So, you are Calx!" Hirayama remarked. "I'm very sorry that you've arrived in Inazuma only to find such a mess. These are the materials regarding The Five Kasen. All the information that we could find is compiled here."

"Let's see here." Albedo gave the provided information a look-over. "It's just as I had suspected. Monikers such as 'Suikou' and 'Aoi no Okina' aren't the real names of The Five Kasen: though there were once many stories regarding each of The Five Kasen, the validity of their contents can no longer be verified in present times. But at the very least we know that most of the stories were written according to a similar style, so there is still something we may glean from this."

"Is this information useful for your paintings, Albedo-shonen?" Noriko inquired.

"To some extent, yes." Albedo informed his girlfriend's grandmother. "However, I must admit that it is still lacking, and fails to fulfill the most crucial element... inspiration."

"I am sorry that this information is not as exhaustive as you'd hoped." Hirayama apologized. "However, it is not possible to gather anything more at the moment. Though, Lady Yae did say that there are many variations of the stories about The Five Kasen, and everyone has a different story in their heart. So, all you need to do is to follow through with what's in your own heart and create something that you yourself find interesting."

"Thank you, Mr. Hirayama." Albedo nodded. "No need to worry, I'll find inspiration for the portraits."

"I'll leave it to you then, Calx." Hirayama stated. "And there's one more thing I need to ask of everyone. Tomorrow morning Mr. Zhenyu, the author of A Legend of Sword, will be arriving in Inazuma by boat. If you see him, please do not mention the stolen novels for the time being. Whether the stolen books are eventually recovered or not, the Yae Publishing House will do its best to ensure that the novel's release is a success! You have my gratitude. Lady Noriko and I be going, then."

"Venti?" Paimon spotted Venti had paused by a pile of crates. "What are you doing over there? You don't want us to leave you behind, do you?"

Albedo, would you mind coming over here for a moment?" Venti requested. "There's something peculiar that I think you should see."

"What is it, Venti?" Paimon blinked at the note in Venti's hand. "A piece of paper?"

"Indeed." Venti nodded. "When I awakened to find myself in the warehouse this morning, I discovered this paper in the cargo crate where I was sleeping. I didn't think much of it then, I thought it was merely a scrap piece of paper that had fallen into the cargo. After a quick glance, I stuffed it into a place nearby. But on second thought, I think it's worth having you take a look at what's written on it."

"Let me see..." Paimon read the note. "'Suikou Chapter'? Wait a minute, isn't Suikou the name of one of The Five Kasen?"

"The story told in this poem roughly boils down to Suikou getting tipsy and letting some poems that were meant for the Shogun get stolen." Venti explained. "This story sounds familiar to my ear, where have I heard it?"

"It's literally the same story you just experienced yesterday!" Paimon snapped.

"Indeed, it is." Venti chuckled. "Interesting, isn't it?"

"It almost seems related to the stolen novels." the Traveler added.

"I concur." Albedo agreed. "The person who left this paper could quite possibly be the criminal or even a witness to the theft. But why leave the paper here in such a fashion? And if the one who left it here was a witness, why didn't they attempt to stop the burglary?"

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves." Venti pacified. "Meeting together in Inazuma like this is a most rare occasion. Since we've been busy from the start of the day, let us find an inn with good drink to keep our thirst at bay!"

"You just sobered up and you're already thinking about more drinks?" Paimon glared. "And let's not forget that Albedo still has a portrait to complete. We don't have time to be slacking off!"

"No, it's fine." Albedo assured. "Let's all go for a drink together. It'll be my treat."

"Wait a minute, what about your portrait?" Paimon wondered.

"As I mentioned before, I'm the kind of artist who can work quickly once I'm inspired." Albedo explained. "And now, it seems I've found my source of inspiration. If I use a model as reference for the piece, we must pay him back with the appropriate recompense."

"In that case, we'll need to order more dishes!" Venti beamed.


The next day...

"One year, the poet Suikou made his way to Tenshukaku." Venti started the cinematic. "And presented the Kasen's work for the Shogun's perusal. But a page from the works of Aoi no Okina had been torn out and Suikou was questioned regarding the matter. Suikou pleaded guilty; he admitted to drinking at the tavern the night before and vaguely recalled a mysterious figure approaching while he was intoxicated."

"You really came through, Albedo." Paimon was thoroughly impressed. "You were able to complete the first portrait before the opening ceremony."

"It really is a sight to behold." Venti agreed. "Not only does it hearken to the traditional style of Inazuma, but it also makes use of modern aesthetics. My figure is particularly striking, even though I'm sound asleep in the portrait, I still appear as glorious as always."

"Albedo, who will be your next portrait?" Paimon asked.

"The next one will be Aoi no Okina of The Five Kasen." Albedo responded.

"Albedo, might I suggest waiting a little before starting on the next one?" Venti suggested. "Who knows, you might soon discover another story."

"Another story?" Paimon echoed.

"I believe he's referring to the possibility of finding another paper with tales of The Five Kasen." Albedo realized what his country's Archon was hinting. "According to the reference materials I was given, we've only found the first of a total of four chapters. Also, there are some points regarding the stories of The Five Kasen that have left me rather curious. For example, the reference materials make mention of five legendary figures, yet all the popular stories only consist of four parts. It appears that throughout all the stories, there is never a chapter dedicated to Kuronushi."

"I'm also curious about these stories myself." Venti admitted. "But who knows, they may merely be akin to the old saying in Mondstadt: seeds of stories, brought by the wind and cultivated by time. So, for now, we need but just wait patiently."


SailorStar9: Any OOC-ness is regretted. *Grins* Don't you just love plot bunnies sometimes? Reviews are much appreciated.