Chapter 3: Change of Plans

When Eren's titan first appeared in Sumeru, to no one's surprise, everyone freaked the fuck out. But this panic was mostly contained to the citizens that had to deal with it at a rather close range. The neighboring region had some different reactions to the spectacle.

Location: Liyue Harbor, Jade Chamber

"Lady Ningguang, do we even have a plan for something like this?" The Yuheng of the Liyue Qixing carries a folder full of papers, all listed as theories, plans, and counters for what's been dubbed 'the Sumeru Giant'. Her name is Keqing, and she's been working herself into the ground trying to plan for a potential conflict between Liyue and the Giant. The last time something of this scale happened, one of the Fatui Harbingers came through town and decided to try and smoke out a dead Archon by threatening the safety of the entire harbor with a vengeful god. Thankfully, this was countered by the perseverance of humans, and the efforts of the Adepti who also claim Liyue as their home.

"Sadly, no. None of our reporters in Sumeru have found any info on what that thing was or what it wanted, so the best we can do is be prepared for anything." This does little to settle their nerves. However, the Liyue Qixing aren't the only parties that hold concerns about the possibility of danger to their beloved harbor.

Calmly sitting at a table with an elegantly crafted cup of tea, a tall man with beautiful amber eyes and a fancy coat sits comfortably, enjoying his tea. While the story being told is a lovely one, the man has to wonder if he's going to be forced out of retirement thanks to an unknown factor. Deciding to ask for a favor from an old friend, he sets his cup down and strolls to an alley, away from prying eyes.

With little more than a whisper, Zhongli calls someone he trusts with this sort of duty.

"Xiao."

Location: Sumeru City, Lambad's Tavern

What is Mora?

Mora is the currency accepted worldwide in Teyvat. It is also considered a "catalyst" which can bring about physical transformation, which is vital in commercial use of alchemy tables. It is named after its creator, the Geo Archon Morax.

Ok, so if he's going to earn enough Mora to retire peacefully, what could he possibly do?

Hm...

With an absent mind, void of any ideas, Eren can only barely tune out the argument taking place at the entrance of the Tavern.

"And if I refuse to go with you?" An elegant female voice tinged with stubbornness poses an ultimatum.

What are some ways to make Mora in Sumeru City?

There are a variety of ways to earn mora across Teyvat as a whole. For example, if you're feeling brave and well-prepared, perhaps you should join the Adventerur's Guild, where you and others can go out and clear out local Hilichurl camps or go on expeditions with your wit to guide you.

"Hey! Dunyarzad already said she doesn't want to go back. Why are you still pushing her?" A child's voice is complaining to someone, but it's not his issue to worry about.

If you're more interested in something with a clear end goal, perhaps take a commission from the local request board. Everybody is after something, and bringing them their request will net you a fine reward!

"How much?" The elegant lady's voice from before asks the woman opposite of her.

"What what?" A gruff, yet distinctly feminine voice is audibly confused.

If you're not really interested in holding onto some of your possessions, perhaps you should just sell them to the local blacksmiths and merchants.

"And knowing your health, carelessly running around like this is going to hurt ya. For the sake of those who love you, don't be stubborn."

Ok, so there's that Advenurer's Guild, there are commissions, and there's selling junk. Fighting just does not sound good right now, but what could Eren possibly have to sell?

Blinking the Akasha Terminal away from his vision, he lightly ponders his situation. He's back from the dead, he has the power of the titans still, and not just the attack, founder, and warhammer. He can feel the other six titans laying within his soul, just waiting for the signal to appear. He has no money in a foreign land and has nothing to his name beside the clothes on his back.

Well.

This is a pretty shitty situation.

Alright, nothing is waiting for him here, might as well go for some progress. Getting up from the empty table, Eren walks towards the door, briefly having the Akasha Terminal give him directions to the Adventurer's Guild. Without paying any severe mind to his surroundings, Eren finds himself being grabbed and pushed around by something metal and sharp.

"Hey buddy, watch where you're walking." That gruff female he vaguely recalls hearing earlier is now on full blast next to his ear. Turning to face her, Eren is met with the sharp blue eyes of a tan lady with...cat ears?

Why is he even surprised at this point?

"Sorry bout that, can you let go now?" For the life of him, Eren doesn't want trouble, but if this woman doesn't let go of him, he's going to break that metal.

"Don't let it happen again, got it?" Her grip tightens as her voice is little more than a hiss. The two begin a harsh glare-off, neither side giving an inch. Her grip is painful, but Eren's been through worse.

"Deyha, let the man go!" The elegant lady steps between the pair, finally forcing the aforementioned Deyha to let his arm go.

"My lady, please step away from this stranger. I may be willing to help you, but that doesn't mean that I will be slacking on my duties as your bodyguard." Deyha looks ready to throw hands, and Eren's lightly crushed arm has subtly restored itself, so he's raring to go.

"Umm, Deyha. Maybe you should listen to Dunyurzard, this guy doesn't seem to want any trouble." The floating creature with the voice of a child tries to mediate.

"Oh sure, he might not want any trouble now, but-" Whatever Deyha wants to rant about next is already unheard by Eren, who has decided he doesn't want any conflict with this lady. Stepping out of the tavern, he simply follows the directions provided to the Guild. After a light skip and a hop, Eren finds himself before a board that lists all the commissions that have been posted recently. Browsing calmly, a polite voice calls out to him.

"Excuse me, sir, are you an adventurer? That board is reserved for adventurers only." Facing the voice, Eren finds himself looking at a woman with a green and white dress standing behind a counter.

"No, I'm not an adventurer, I was under the assumption that anyone could take commissions."

"That's not wrong, but the commissions you're after are listed over here. Only registered adventurers can accept commissions like those." She reaches under the counter and pulls out a small stack of papers. Walking over and sifting through them shows that these are all listed as D and C-tier commissions.

"These have ranks? How does that work?"

"The ranking goes from D-tier commissions up to S-tier commissions, with D being the simplest, and S is the most dangerous, reserved for the best of the best. No commissions below the C-tier are involved in clearing out Hilichurl camps or fending off treasure hoarders."

That makes sense. Can't have just anyone taking any missions.

"Alright, then I'd like to take this one." Pulling a sheet out of the pile, Eren reads it over one last time and passes it to Katheryne.

"A fetch commission to Vimara Village, to be paid for upon bringing the specified item to the poster. Very well then, could I get your name?"

"...Eren Kruger."

"Thank you, Mr. Kruger. I'd recommend you ask your Akasha terminal to provide you instructions to Vimara Village before you exit the city. These are helpful tools, but they only work within the city limits."

"Thank you, ma'am. Have a nice day." Taking his leave, Katheryne's eyes don't leave Eren's back.

"...?" For a moment, it's as if Katheryne's disposition changed, as if she stopped being herself. That polite, faultless smile falls away, revealing an almost childish curiosity at a puzzle lying before her.

Location: Road between Sumeru City and Vimara Village

Peacefully strolling down the way to his destination, Eren's left alone with his thoughts. The terminal has stopped providing answers to his every thought, as he's outside the reaches of the city. Glancing down at the paper listing his commission, he reads it over.

"Head to Vimara Village, and use this sheet as proof that you're there to pick up a private order of restaurant-grade fish. Afterward, return to Sumeru City and deliver this to Lambad's Tavern. When the goods have been verified for quality, this sheet will be signed for completion. Then bring it back to the Guild counter, where your reward will be granted." Simple enough. Finally out of sight from the gates of the city, Eren drinks in the beautiful sight of Sumeru. So vibrant and full of life, like nature itself was crucial in the design of the cities and villages. It serves to bring a smile to his face.

Armin would've loved to see something like this.

The unwelcome reminder that he'll never see his brother in all but blood again serves to spoil his mood.

"Well well, would you look at this!" From his right, a man's voice practically sneers out arrogance. With little care, Eren faces the voice, and maybe four meters away stand three tan folks in baggy red and tan clothes.

"A fancy folk straight from Sumeru City, wonder what he's got on him?" The young lady among the trio looks all too eager to put that axe of hers to use in searching for his possessions.

"Here's how this is going to go, Tree Brain. You're going to give us everything you have on you, and maybe if we're feeling nice, you can get away without dying." What he can only assume is the leader of this little gang is trying his best to be threatening.

"Can't promise you'll leave without losing any limbs!" The axe girl cheers out her intent to amputate Eren. No words are shared between them, as they seem to wait for him to hand over everything he has and beg for mercy.

This does not happen, as Eren just turns away and returns to walking down the road to Vimara Village. With his back turned, the girl lets out a mocking sigh.

"Well, we warned him!" Brandishing her axe, she jumps and sprints for Eren, hoping to get him to reconsider his choices. Or at least get his arm. With a wide horizontal swing, she slams her axe into Eren's forearm, fully expecting him to drop to the ground, holding his would-be stump. What none of the Eremites are prepared for is a horrid screeching noise, like metal on metal. They all flinch at the noise but drop their jaws at the sight of the girl's axe shattering, all without Eren even flinching.

Too caught off guard staring at her broken axe head, the assailant is unprepared for Eren's counterattack. Turning back to face the Eremite, he raises his now crystalized forearm, finishes reinforcing his knuckles with the hardening power of the Female Titan, and swings for the fences.

*CRACKKK*

The absolutely meaty smack that comes from Eren's punch makes even the two other Eremites gape in horror. The girl can only stumble back a few feet before her knees give out beneath her. One of her buddies dives to catch her and has to hold in his puke at the sight of her now mangled nose and front teeth. That single punch from Eren not only shattered her nose, but it broke and knocked out several of her teeth. Her eyes are rolled into the back of her head, leaving only the whites exposed. Regaining what little composure he can, he scrambles away from Eren, dragging the unconscious body with him. Hoping to cover his allies before their opponent decides to continue, the one still on his feet pulls some kind of handheld circular blades.

Alright, a hand-to-hand fight, is it? Fine by him.

Raising his arms in front of his face, Eren waits for the Eremite to make the first move. Neither speaks, even as the other guy on the ground is trying to desperately patch up whatever he can on the young lady's face while trying to reassure her that she'll be fine. A mild twinge of guilt runs through Eren, but then he remembers that the girl tried to chop his arm off without hesitation. That guilty feeling is squashed like a bug.

With his raised fists, his sleeves sag down to his elbow, exposing the half-crystal and half-flesh arms, including compact rectangles on each knuckle.

"What the fuck are you?!" The Eremite's breathless words of horror practically scream that he and his comrades are doomed.

"You attacked me first, even when I didn't want any trouble. I don't want to beat the life out of you, so how about we just go our separate ways?" With a raised eyebrow, Eren makes them a bargain. One that the Eremite is all too happy to accept. The two conscious men grab the girl by her shoulders and carry her away as fast as they can, hoping to find some kind of medic, or even anyone willing to help. When they're finally out of sight, Eren lowers his arms and wills the crystals to leave.

Steam begins to flow from his arms, reminiscent of the steam a Titan leaves when it dies. When it finally clears up, Eren's almost to his destination, the sun signaling that he's got maybe three hours before night falls. Hopefully, he can just get this commission done without any further interference.

Location: Sumeru City, Entrance Gate

The Illustrious Traveler, the Honorary Knight, the Hero of Liyue, and Captain of Swordfish 2, Lumine, is about to head south of Sumeru's main capital to search for more info on Lesser Lord Kusanali. While they may have gotten off to a rough start, Deyha was kind enough to suggest that they might find more of what they're looking for in Port Ormos, a large trading and travel hub for regions like Liyue and Inazuma.

"So, what kind of foods do you think Port Ormos had?" Paimon's gluttonous desires are on full display for Lumine to chuckle at.

"I wouldn't know, but we'll try some. Just don't run my wallet into the ground, we're still trying to recover from that time in Liyue. When you and Zhongli practically had an eating contest on my tab." A crimson hue takes over Paimon's face. The two banter like lifelong friends, but they go quiet on what they're met with outside the gate to the city.

"Please, will someone help us?! We don't know what to do!" A pair of Eremites beg and plead for strangers to help, but everyone turns a blind eye, as Eremites like them aren't very well received for their reputation.

Paimon gasps in horror while Lumine just covers her mouth. Ignoring Paimon's calls, she steps toward the pair and begins to question them.

"What happened?" The two look at her with relief that someone bothered to help.

"We were just walking down the road towards the city when some nutjob came through and beat her face in with a cast iron pan!" The two move aside and let Lumine get a closer look at the girl. Unconscious, has a shattered nose, missing several teeth, and her eyes rolled back and wide. The girl is propped up against a tree, a broken axe handle in a death grip.

Ok, so either these men are lying about how she got injured, or she fought back and broke the axe because of that fight. And given what she's been told about Eremites that brandish those colors, she's leaning more towards the former.

Deciding to risk it and call them out on their bullshit, Lumine deadpans: "You can drop the lies now."

That's all it takes for them to look away in either anger or shame at being seen through so easily. One of them just spouts out demands.

"So what?! Are you going to help or not?"

With a sigh, Lumine walks up to the girl, picks her up bridal style, and disappears in a thin puff of gold stars. Paimon smothers her laughter at the sight of the two Eremites panicking at the sight of their friend vanishing. Only another thirty seconds pass before Lumine reappears at the crossroads a few meters away from her former position, the young lady in her arms.

The two Eremites scramble towards Lumine, taking care to come to a halt a foot or so away from her. Gently, they look at their friend's unharmed and restored face. One starts to sniffle, tears dripping from his eyes, the other says thanks and wishes the blessings of the Scarlet King upon Lumine.

Not wanting to be blessed by what she's heard is a terrible god, she deposits the girl into one's arms and waves goodbye.

"Paimon is proud that you were so nice."

"Well, if I can help Childe of all people, I think I can stomach helping one young girl." Lumine and Paimon continue on their trek, basking in the sunlight and enjoying the breeze. Lumine wonders if Venti gave her some wind to enjoy.

They spend a while longer walking, coming up on an archway made of a tree trunk that leads into Vimara Village, a lovely little spot, known for being a location where most people settle down for a peaceful life. This lovely thought is soon curb stomped by the sight of a Rishboland Tiger five meters off the ground, impaled through the stomach by a tall, white spike with circularly wound-up spikes going up the pole. Blood drips down the tiger that's barely clinging to life. A sound similar to broken glass tumbling around starts to ring out, and moments later, another spike shoots right through the head of the tiger, finally ending its suffering.

"Oh my...Oh god." Paimon looks away in disgust and horror, while Lumine does the same. Grabbing one of Paimon's tiny hands, she pulls the floating child past the archway, speedwalking away from the horrific sight. Once they've finally reached what they assume is the center of the village, Lumine lets Paimon go and drops to her knees.

That was horrible. Who in their mind would make something suffer like that?!

"Lumine? Paimon is worried, do you need a minute?" Her companion starts rubbing her back in circles, not knowing that her actions are helping a lot. Regaining her composure, she offers her friend a smile as she gets to her feet.

"Yeah, I'll be fine Paimon. I just didn't think Sumeru would be so...brutal." There have only been two instances of it so far, but the fact that they happened in a single day is almost foreboding. The two return to their walking, coming up on some voices and a familiar face.

"So, this is the private order that was made in advance three days ago. They were caught earlier today, but you can check them for freshness if you feel the need. A wagon will be provided so that you can get it to the tavern before tomorrow's festival, so would you mind double-checking that this meets your standards while I get the cart?" The unfamiliar fisherman is conversing with the man that Dehya was a second away from attacking in the tavern. His straight, long hair was almost his most defining quality.

"Sure, go for it." Lifting the lid of the barrel, Eren pulls out one of the fish and smells it. It smells like fish off the water. Pulling apart its split stomach, he inspects the insides for proper coloring. All good on that front as well.

Footsteps come from behind, and he assumes that the guy came back with the cart faster than he thought. Someone taps on his shoulder, and he turns to face them.

"Hi there! I'm Lumine, and this is Paimon. You might not recognize us, but we were with Deyha earlier, that lady that grabbed you in the tavern." The floating child waves hello to him, so he awkwardly waves back with fish-covered hands.

"I wanted to say sorry for not doing something to help you out earlier. Dehya's a bodyguard, and you almost bumped into her charge, that's why she grabbed you. I'm sure she didn't mean bad, but she could've just pushed you away instead of grabbing you like that." Ah, so that's why she was pissed off. The Akasha was distracting him from what was in front of him.

"Is your arm alright? She has one mean grip, especially with that metal arm of hers."

"It's not a problem, she didn't hurt me at all. See?" Eren pats where his arm got injured in his earlier to reassure this kind lady that he's fine.

"Paimon thinks that Deyha wouldn't want to hurt an innocent guy, so that's good to hear." The floating creature joins their conversation just as the fisherman comes back with the cart.

"Mr. Kruger, here's the cart. Are those up to your specifications?"

"They are, thanks. If that's all you have, then I'll be going not." With a nod to the fisherman and the traveling duo, Eren closes the lid to the box, hoists it onto the cart, and starts pulling it back towards Sumeru City.

"Excuse Paimon, sir. Do you know his name? He didn't tell us."

"Oh, yeah. His name is Eren Kruger. With a name like that, I'd say he's a foreigner from Mondstadt." Remembering her time in Mondstadt, Lumine can't say she recalls ever hearing the name 'Kruger' before.

"I wonder if he'll be showing up to tomorrow's festival." With a shrug of her shoulders, Lumine and Paimon return to their travels to Port Ormos, hoping to find any info they can on Lesser Lord Kusanali. What they don't see, thanks to their backs being turned, is the spike that impaled the tiger sparking with thin bolts of yellow electricity. When Eren finally walks past it, the structure cracks and collapses, dropping the dead tiger to the ground in a pile of evaporating crystals.

Location: Sumeru City, Lambad's Tavern

Entering the same tavern he sat in earlier, Eren walks over to the counter to ask for the one who placed the order. The man behind the counter begins to chuckle.

"That'd be me who did that. So are you the one who's here with my order?"

"Yeah, I took the commission to deliver a crate of fish to this tavern before tomorrow." Pulling out the paper to prove it, the man just takes it and walks out front. After a minute or so, he walks back inside with a wide smile.

"Yup, that's my order! And you got it here before the sun set."

"Great, could you sign that this commission was completed so I can collect my reward?" The man returns behind the counter and pulls out a feather and bottle of ink. Signing the paper, he hands it back to Eren.

"Say, have you eaten yet? You can have a meal, on the house!" He gestures to the skewered piles of meat spinning on an axis in front of heating racks. Nos that he's thinking about it, the only thing he's had to eat today was those plum things that Collei gave him that morning. Eren accepts the offer, and the man pulls out two pieces of pita bread, some assorted vegetables, and a knife. He starts to shave off meat from the skewer, catching it in the bread. Once he's stuffed the bread almost entirely, he chops some tomatoes, some onion, and some lettuce, and drizzles a white sauce of some kind on the now beautiful sandwiches. Wrapping them up in some parchment paper, he hands them to Eren, who was basically hypnotized by the show.

Waving goodbye to the kind man, Eren makes his way to the Guild counter and turns in the paper that Katheryne said to bring back when the commission was completed.

"Well done on completing the commission Mr. Kruger. Allow me a moment to go get your reward." Turning around to enter the door behind her, Eren takes a look around at the city market.

Where will he go to sleep tonight? How much will it cost to rent a room?

Here are several local rooms available for rent. Their price ranges anywhere from 10,000 to 15,000 Mora per night.

Taking a moment to realize that the Akasha would be working since he's back in the city, he lets the info pour into his mind, filling it with local areas that can be rented out for specific periods.

"Mr. Kruger?" Katheryne's voice brings him back to the reason he's in front of the Guild in the first place. In her hands is a sack about the size of a purse, jingling noises coming from within.

"Here is your reward. Thank you for completing the commission! Is there anything else you need?"

"...Is there something going on soon? Ribbons are being hung and stalls are being set up, so is there some kind of celebration?" Katheryne's smile rises.

"Yes, in fact. Tomorrow is Lesser Lord Kusanali's birthday, so the Sabzeruz Festival is being held in celebration! Will you be there Mr. Kruger?"

A festival, huh? Something relaxing like that would be nice.

"Maybe. Have a nice night, ma'am." Katheryne simply watches him leave towards the inner parts of the city.

Now settled with a lovely dinner and 50,000 Mora, Eren starts to visit local stores and stalls, hoping to begin preparing for his trip to Mondstadt. An hour or so later, he had grabbed a nice and sturdy bag, a change of clothes, and a small dagger from the local blacksmith. This all cost him a healthy but of his commission reward, leaving him with around 18,000 Mora.

Tired from hardening his arms, skewering the tiger that tried to maul him, and pulling a cart full of fish, Eren wants to rest his weary head. His tired slouch takes him towards a part of the city called Treasure Street, only to realize he was blindly following the direction that the Akasha gave him. Seeing a man behind a counter labeled 'check-ins', Eren approaches him.

"Excuse me, is this where I go to rent a place to sleep?" The man perks up.

"Yes, that's right. Our nightly fee for staying is 10,000 Mora, but for that price, you get to stay in that room over there." He gestures to the short hallway to his right, where Eren briefly glances into. It's a small, but comfortable-looking spot.

"I'll take it."

"Wonderful, if you'd provide the payment here, I'll give you the key to the room." He pays the man and collects his key. Entering the room and shutting the door, Eren collapses onto the bed, not even bothering to change his clothes. Letting out a long sigh at the comfort of the bed, he has to will himself not to sleep before going to town on the sandwiches he was gifted.

Each bite of the food is holy, savory, and delicious. As if a thousand angels came down and blessed his tastebuds, he has to stop himself from crying at the taste. The closes thing he can compare this to is the food he and the others had on their first trip to Marley, in the Liberio Internment Zone. Delicious meat like this was served at practically every corner, and this just makes him happy. Before he knows it, he's devoured both sandwiches and is now ready to go to sleep. Kicking off the shoes and clothes that the forest rangers gave him during his stay, Eren snuggles deeper into the comforts of the pillow and blanket. Unworried about what tomorrow may bring...

A festival doesn't sound too bad, now that he's thinking about it.

To be continued in Chapter 4: Sabzaruz Festival

A.N: Hello there, it is I, the writing goblin that comes around once in a blue moon. It's been a while, I know, but college is hard. I'm trying to seriously devote my efforts to doing the best I can in class, which leaves me much less time for writing than I'd like. But, I do what I can, when I can. So, first off, it's been almost six months since I last updated this story. That will hopefully be changing, but I will not name a specific time for updates. I don't like to make promises that I can't keep. Secondly, I'm going to be putting up a few of my fanfics for adoption. These will include 'My life as a former Devil Hunter, now a high schooler', 'The Phantom Thief of the Clover Kingdom', and possibly 'Chainsaw DXD'. I don't know what I should do with that one, but I don't want to give it up just yet. Same with 'Remnant's Rebellious Pirate', I really like the concepts behind those ones, and I've put far too much thought and effort behind those ones in planning to give them up. As for this story, I've gotten back into AOT and have been rewatching the entire Sumeru Archon Quests so I understand the plot better. Hopefully, I'll be able to make a good canon divergence, but hey, hopes can only come true through effort.

There's not much else to say, but I hope you all enjoy this chapter. I'll be going through a re-read of it tomorrow to edit some things I might not like, or some grammar I may have mistaken, but I will be working hard on the chapters whenever I get around to them.

Thanks for reading, PLEASE REVIEW :)