Diluc felt a little odd going separate ways from Rosaria, which in and of itself was odd. They had traveled together for little more than a day, but Diluc's perspective of Rosaria greatly changed. She was a far more accountable fighter than Diluc had given her credit for. She also displayed much wisdom in areas that Diluc didn't realize he lacked. It was a comfort to know that, in the off-chance he wasn't available to monitor Mondstadt's nighttime streets, Rosaria would be there to protect them. Diluc found himself actually looking forward to hopefully working together with her again in the future.

Amidst his thoughts, Diluc reached Angel's Share. Passing Patton at the door, Diluc entered the tavern. It was pretty much empty, save for Charles organizing bottles at the bar. It made sense considering it was midday and the only customers were usually those getting a quick drink in-between work.

"Good afternoon, Master Diluc," Charles greeted. The man's eyebrows went up, "Is that a new coat?"

Diluc realized it may have looked a bit silly to look down at his own outfit, as if he didn't remember what he put on. But he expected it to look at least a little torn up from the Regisvine fight. It turned out that Rosaria did more than simply patch-up his coat; there were cuts of red cloth throughout the black coat that flashed like gills, a few black leather cords were fastened along the side and arms, creating a visually pleasing asymmetry. The coat was born again into a new, just as serviceable coat. Rosaria was a surprisingly good seamstress.

"May as well be," Diluc answered, deciding he would rather acquire a different coat than undo her work.

Diluc took a seat at the bar and was met with a glass of grape juice from Charles. After Diluc thanked him and drank, he then asked, "Is the gift for tomorrow prepped for delivery?"

"Yessir."

"Cancel the mailing," Diluc said. "I'll deliver it myself."

Diluc didn't fail to notice the pleasant surprise flicker in Charles's eyes. The bartender dipped his head, "I'll make the change right away."

This left Diluc briefly sitting alone at the bar, very tightly gripping his glass. The truth was, Diluc felt completely unprepared to deliver Kaeya's gift in-person. It was far more intimidating than the prospect of fighting a Regisvine.

But I will not shy away, he thought, feeling the same burning in his stomach that spurred him to keep fighting. This is something I will do. Nothing would get in his way of going to the birthday party, no man nor monster could stop him, he could ensure that, and once he reached his destination then—then what? This wasn't a battle, or, rather, it was a battle, but it was the kind that Diluc consistently failed at. The monsters of the past threatened to win against him. What should he say to Kaeya? The countless possibilities buzzed in his head, vying for attention.

A seething hiss of air escaped his lips. Diluc propped his elbow on the bar and rested his head in his hand, his fingers scraping through his hair.

He tried to turn his attention to the tavern, to give his mind a reprieve. There was only one customer in the corner, maybe a second upstairs. Midday was consistently slow. Angel's Share certainly made up for it once the evening started, but there was clearly a market the business was missing. Cat's Tail was likely packed at this time, offering a larger variety of non-alcoholic drinks that can be ordered at any time of day and even a selection of bar food.

Kaeya had incessantly badgered Diluc about the lack of food options at Angel's Share. Diluc had usually brushed it off, lumping it among Kaeya's drunken rambles. But Diluc began to reconsider, thinking of how much manpower and materials would be needed to put bar food into practice at his tavern. Acquiring such things wouldn't be a problem, but selecting the right things was the real challenge. Diluc would need a survey conducted first, and it'd be best to observe the patrons of Cat's Tail, see what they liked and what Angel's Share could offer differently. Kaeya happened to be someone who frequented both taverns, and he was the one who brought up bar food to Diluc in the first place, which would have made him the perfect candidate for questions. This wasn't the first time that Diluc wanted Kaeya's counsel regarding the tavern business, though he never went as far as asking for his advice. Kaeya always had more of the passion for the wine industry than I do. Instead of me, he really should be the one doing this. He would be, if I hadn't—

The tavern door slapping open jolted Diluc out of his thoughts. He looked over his shoulder with a leer, wondering who the rude patron was. He relaxed a bit to see it was Rosaria, but then noticed her stormy expression. That doesn't seem good.

Rosaria dropped into the chair next to him and growled an order for a shot of wine. Charles diligently complied.

Diluc slid his glass of grape juice aside as he inquired, "What happened—"

"Wagner can't forge it," Rosaria said. When she received her glass, she took a deep drink. Her glass sharply tapped the counter and she continued, "Well, he could, but he's got so many backorders he'd never be able to make it in time, and there aren't any blacksmiths in town half as good as he is. Now all I've got is a bunch of materials." She dug her elbows in the counter and pressed her face into her hand, muttering, "Wasted too much time…"

He stared at her for a moment, and he pressed his lips together. Diluc then asked, "You wanted to make a weapon ornament, correct? Do you have an idea of what shape and size you imagined? I may be able to arrange something."

Her head shifted slightly in her hand, so he could see her tired, lilac gaze peer at him through her cage of fingers.

Rosaria exhaled through her nose and leaned back to dig through her bag. She drew out a few sheets of paper. When they were presented to him, Diluc realized they were detailed sketches and measurements. Diluc found himself accepting them very gently, like cradling a snowflake. He said, "You've put much thought into this…"

"If I'm going to bother doing something, I'm not going to cut corners," Rosaria muttered, a faint flush in her face.

Diluc shuffled the papers, studying them carefully as he said, "Well, we can't let all this work go to waste."

"What's your plan? Find a different blacksmith somewhere else?"

"No." Diluc set the papers down resolutely, "I'll do it."

She blinked in surprise, "Wait. Really?"

Diluc adjusted his gloves, with a hint of pride in his voice, "Yes. Forging is a tradition passed down in my family since the Dawn Knight. Besides, I generally make my own swords. I can say with complete certainty that I can do this."

He peered over the papers again and added, "But I will need your help in making it if we're going to make sure that it's done by tonight."

"I don't know anything about forging," Rosaria said.

"That will be fine. I can handle the actual metalwork. What you can help with is cutting the gemstone. I can talk you through it. Are you up for it?"

Rosaria fixed his gaze with a very serious expression. Her voice was as straight and true as her spear, "Just tell me what I need to do."

Diluc decided it would be best to explain the process before they actually set off so Rosaria knew what she'd be doing beforehand. He suggested they move their conversation from the bar to the second level of the tavern to allow the more privacy. After all, despite Jean trying to keep Kaeya busy, there was still the risk of him walking around town. The last thing they needed was him waltzing into the tavern and ruining the surprise. Before they left the bar, Charles offered to refill their drinks. Unexpectedly, Rosaria declined more wine and asked for water. She stated, "I don't drink on the job."

Diluc took this as a sign of Rosaria taking this task seriously. They then moved upstairs. Diluc had Rosaria bring out pieces of the jade and detailed its properties, along with how a gem of that type would be smoothened and reshaped. Since it was imbued with an element, the process was slightly different than a normal gemstone, but ultimately the same. They just needed to take care to not expose it to too much heat or it might warp the jade unintentionally.

Rosaria listened with great diligence. She even brought out her notebook and took careful notes as he spoke. In the back of his mind, Diluc couldn't help but be amused. If she studied scriptures with even half as much intention, she'd likely shoot to the top ranks of the clergy. Ultimately, he found her focus admirable and it spurred him to teach her carefully.

In the middle of Diluc talking, a package of a small pizza was placed on the counter between Diluc and Rosaria. Apparently, someone ordered it to be delivered to the tavern. The two looked at Charles in surprise, but the bartender offered little explanation aside from refilling their drinks before tending to other customers. Diluc smiled lightly.

Diluc and Rosaria had a very quick lunch. Rosaria asked Diluc purposeful questions as she reviewed her notes, and they even discussed tweaking the design of the ornament. It was only an hour past noon by the time they completed their preparations and left Angel's Share.

With it being the afternoon, the city was in full swing. Chatter filtered from the windows and streets, market vendors hawked their wares while customers tried to haggle them down, bard songs danced in the wind while Knights of Favonius strolled the streets with windswept leaves at their ankles. Diluc had been a bit concerned about getting recognized on the street and it slowing them down. Before they had left the tavern, Diluc rifled through the annoying pile of items forgotten by patrons throughout the years. Among them was a black, flat brimmed hat. It didn't hide his hair completely, but it made it less eye-catching at least. Rosaria told him it was a flimsy disguise but Diluc shrugged her off.

Indistinct conversation and the sounds of shuffling wares filled their ears as they walked through the crowded marketing district. No one paid Diluc any mind when they brushed past. Good, he thought. The disguise seems to be working after all.

"Afternoon, sir!" Donna the Flora Whisper employee greeted, spooking him. "Would you care to purchase flowers for your lady—"

They met eyes.

Donna's face turned beet red and she stammered, "D-D-Diluc?"

Drat.

Diluc glanced around, but, thankfully, no one overheard her.

"No thank you. Good day," Diluc answered and quickly walked off with Rosaria.

"Told you it was a flimsy disguise," the nun said. "Doesn't that woman have a secret crush on you?"

Diluc, the most eligible bachelor in Mondstadt, sighed tiredly, "Yes, and she's unfortunately not the only one. She's just the worst at hiding it."

"Should've climbed the rooftops like I suggested. People hardly look up."

"Doesn't matter now," Diluc grumbled. "We're here."

After passing by the front gate, the rhythmic clang of a metal hammer against an iron anvil reverberated through the air and increased as they approached the wall-less structure of the blacksmith shop. Because it was an open building, the heat and smoke from the red-hot furnace flowed freely. Despite the shop being owned by Wagner, the wooden sign on top was named Schultz's Blacksmith after Wagner's apprentice. Being bartenders, Charles and Diluc overheard many local tidbits from the tavern grapevine. Apparently, the shop name was changed when Wagner lost a drinking game to Schultz. Diluc wasn't surprised that so many business decisions in Mondstadt tended to hinge on alcohol.

Diluc and Rosaria approached the smithing counter, where Wagner busily hammered away at a still-hot sword. The burly man glanced up at them, and his black beard crinkled as he frowned at Rosaria. He didn't stop working as he spoke, almost having to bellow over the loud clangs of metal, "I told you, my orders are first-come, first-serve! I don't care how surly of nun you are, you're going to have to wait your turn!"

Rosaria looked a bit embarrassed and admitted, "I may have lost my temper a bit earlier."

Diluc removed his hat and stepped in, speaking coolly, "That is perfectly fine, Mr. Wagner. We'd actually like to forge it ourselves and have the materials. Would you permit us?"

"Master Diluc?" Wagner was surprised enough to pause with his hammer. He grunted and struck the sword blade twice more. Wagner then picked up the heated sword with iron tongs and plunged it in a barrel of water, which hissed a pillar of white smoke. Wagner flicked his head to over his shoulder, gruffly saying over the noisy steam, "My apprentice's out gathering materials, so his station's open. But you better make it quick!"

"That's much appreciated."

Diluc entered the shop with Rosaria closely behind. As Diluc hung up his coat and gloves, Rosaria inquired, "You two seem to know each other well. Have you done this before?"

"Only in recent years," Diluc answered. He put on a spare leather apron and matching gloves, also rolling up the sleeves of his white undershirt. "There used to be a smithing station at the manor. When I sold the Ragnvindr home, I had a new station constructed at the edge of the winery, away from the flammable produce. With it being somewhat out of the way, I occasionally request the use of Wagner's station, in exchange for any prize ore I happen upon."

Diluc then he passed another leather apron to Rosaria and directed her to remove her veil, lest it accidentally catch fire. Her magenta hair beneath was much shorter than he expected, but he made no comment.

To start with, Diluc pinned Rosaria's sketches and measurements to a wood beam nearby for them both to review. They then laid out their materials, and Diluc took the ore to the stove, where he began smelting it. While the ore heated up, he situated her with the tools she would use to cut and file down the jade to the shape it needed to be. Rosaria practiced on a sliver of jade and got the hang of it quickly. She soon set to work on the larger chunks.

All the while, Wagner passed by them to retrieve a hilt for a woodcutting axe. Wagner glanced at Rosaria and Diluc, then stared for a long moment at the sketches and measurements. He said nothing and walked away with the hilt.

The iron ore was nearly done smelting. Before Diluc could extract it, Wagner returned with a handful of white iron ore chunks. He thrust them to Diluc and spoke roughly, "Add this. Mixed metals make for tougher alloys. These scraps weren't gonna be used anyways."

He then left again before either Rosaria or Diluc could say anything to him.

The two exchanged surprised looks with each other but found some amusement in it.

Diluc added the new ore and they each resumed their work. Once the now-mixed metal was smelted and malleable, Diluc drew it out. Since the ornament was going to be for a sword that hung at Kaeya's belt, the ornament didn't need to be longer than a forefinger. However, Rosaria's design did call for some intricacy, which would involve cutting the metal into several thin pieces. He started with the largest piece, the base that everything would attach to.

Stoking the fire, with the smell of smoldering metal and the feel of the hammer in his hand stirred a long-standing nostalgia in Diluc's chest. He remembered watching his father work at the furnace, shaping metals with careful taps. Diluc remembered the swell of excitement when his father taught him his first smithing lesson in making a horseshoe, and the feeling repeated when Kaeya was taught the same thing. Kaeya never quite took to forging like Diluc did, but they enjoyed the family time spent at the forge. He never forgot when their father grew his beard a bit too long and accidentally set fire to the ends of it. Kaeya and Diluc ribbed him about it for years afterwards, though he got back at them in various fatherly ways.

However, further mishaps in the forge were rare. Crepus Ragnvindr was very reliable behind the anvil. If there was metalwork needed for the manor or winery, if the project wasn't too big, then he'd usually make it himself. It was a wonder that the man never received a Pyro Vision purely from how comfortable he was around fire.

But instead he took up a Delusion, a low voice in Diluc's mind murmured bitterly. He used a false-Vision when I failed to defeat Ursa the Drake, when reinforcements arrived too late and he died in my arms.

The next clang of the hammer sounded off-key, as Diluc accidentally bent the metal the wrong way. He sucked his teeth in annoyance. He glanced at Rosaria, who paused to look at him with inquiring eyes. Diluc shook his head dismissively and resumed his own work. To save himself time from picking up the tongs to stick the metal in the furnace, Diluc simply reheated the metal with his hand and then used the hammer to bend it back the right way.

It was hard to reminiscent on the past without his mind wandering to the awful and complicated details of his father's death. Diluc had hoped that selling the manor and discarding the things of his old memories would help him to focus. I tried to cut Kaeya out of my life in the same way, he thought. He sighed deeply. And it hasn't seemed to work as well as I hoped.

There was an icy crack, followed by an annoyed exclamation from Rosaria. Now Diluc looked to her. Her chisel hovered over a chunk of jade, which was split into uneven halves instead of an equal split. Rosaria pressed her fingers to her temple and exhaled from the back of her throat.

"Should I use a different chunk?" Rosaria asked unhappily.

Diluc briefly left his station to looked the pieces over. He answered, "No. I think you can file down the larger piece so they're the same size."

Before he returned to the furnace, Rosaria murmured, "Thank you…I really owe you for this."

He paused, resting his fingers on the hammer without picking it up. Diluc responded, "You only owe me for helping you gather the Shivada Jade. As for this…"

He tried to define it in his mind. It wasn't just blacksmithing. It felt more than that. It felt like offering to help a friend simply because one could. Diluc grasped the hammer with a warm squeeze of his hand. He answered, "This is something I simply enjoy doing."

Something about this seemed to lift a tension over them both and allowed them to better focus. The work proceeded smoothly from there. As Rosaria shaped the gemstones, Diluc steadily fit them into the ornament. The sunlight steadily drifted away, while the sky turned red with evening, cooling shadows gathered on the cobblestone streets. It was at this point that Diluc finally set down his tools and placed the finished product in her hands.

Rosaria stared at it with such wonder that there seemed to be a shine in her eyes. She gently clasped her hands over it and said quietly, "It's better than I imagined."

"No doubt Kaeya shall feel the same," Diluc assured. He may not have known Kaeya as well as he used to, but Diluc was certain that no one could refuse the gift he watched Rosaria so tenderly prepare.

After thanking Wagner for his help, along with an apology from Rosaria for her coarse language, they left the blacksmith's shop. At some point, Diluc needed to return Dawn Winery. Before he attempted the trek, Rosaria offered to buy him dinner, which he accepted. Rosaria also wanted to get a gift box from the souvenir shop before Marjorie closed for the night, so they decided that Diluc could grab the food from Good Hunter and she would pay him back the mora. Technically, he really didn't need the money, but it wouldn't have been polite to refuse the gesture.

Diluc purchased two dishes of Flaming Red Bolognese and a side of Crispy Potato Shrimp to go and sat at a bench off to the side of the fountain. Not long after, Rosaria stepped from the shadows and joined him on the bench. Diluc had to admit, no matter how well food was cooked while out in the wild, there was a specific enjoyment from a well-cooked dish from a restaurant. When he shared his thoughts, Rosaria shrugged and expressed she wasn't particularly picky in that regard. However, she expressed disgruntled confusion at people's insistence of using condiments for food and was befuddled by restaurants that offered them.

They continued chatting as they ate, and the conversation only ebbed when they overheard some Fatui diplomats talking and walking a level above them. They both instinctively quieted to eavesdrop, though it turned out the diplomats had little more to say than complain about Mondstadt's lack of high proof alcohol amidst all the wine. Diluc grimaced at the mention of Fire-Water. Rosaria seemed curious about the drink, but Diluc muttered that it wouldn't be worth trying.

Purple and black night steadily encroached overhead, while the red sun set slowly tucked itself away behind Mondstadt's stone walls.

"Will you be conducting patrols tonight?" Diluc wondered.

Rosaria rested her back against the seat and answered, "I'll do a quick sweep, but I guess I shouldn't stay up too late because of the party tomorrow." She glanced to Diluc and asked, "Are you going?"

Diluc was leaned forward, with his hands clasped and his wrists rested on his legs. He rubbed his thumb over the back of his hand a few times before finally answering, "Yes. I'm going to clear my schedule for tomorrow."

He slowly looked to her and asked quietly, "Rosaria…how do you think Kaeya might feel when he sees me?"

Now Rosaria leaned forward, matching him. She asked back, "Depending on how he feels, are you not going to talk to him?"

"No," Diluc answered resolutely. He remembered all the regrets that leapt to the surface when he stared into the literal face of death. "I'm going to be honest with him, no matter what."

It grew quiet for a moment. Long enough to hear the various bard songs filtering away while crickets gradually picked up their shifts.

Rosaria finally said, "I can't say I know his thoughts exactly…but I'm pretty sure he worries about you too. I've seen him get antsy when you've disappeared for more than a week."

I can only imagine how it felt when I was gone for three years, Diluc thought.

Soon enough, Diluc took to his feet. He took the trash left from dinner with him so he could dispose of it for them. He dipped his head to her and said, "I bid you goodnight, Sister Rosaria."

She stood and answered, "Goodnight, Master Diluc."

Rosaria turned to leave and paused. She added over her shoulder, "See you tomorrow."

The nun then disappeared into the black shadows, as if she was never then. When Diluc headed off, he caught a brief glimpse of a shape darting across the roofs. Diluc looked at the last slivers of daylight and exhaled. Whether or not he felt ready, tomorrow was on its way.

CatCrescent: I imagine that forging would have a special place in Diluc's heart, in part of it being a family tradition, and I completely stand by the headcannon that Crepus was good at it too and burnt his facial hair at least once. I also am convinced that Rosaria modified her uniform on her own and is a great seamstress. I had a lot of fun messing around with Diluc's outfit in this chapter, including the hat. I based it off the one that the NPC Lily wears, though while on Diluc, I think it just makes him look like Zorro.

As a side note, what color do you guys think Rosaria's eyes are? I described it as "lilac" once in this chapter, but I didn't mention anywhere else because I didn't feel it was accurate.

And thank you all for your patience and encouragement! This was another case of a chapter taking longer than expected. As a result, the final chapter may not be done by the end of tomorrow, but I hope it'll be worth the wait!

12/9/21 Edit: Made a slight change to Diluc getting spotted by Donna, since I didn't think the previous version was as funny.