Chapter 3: So, You Wish To Master The Arcane Arts?

'You might think oh, isn't alchemy cool and powerful, shouldn't I learn that? The answer is no, that's some nerd shit and I doubt the average reader of this book is smart enough for it. I'd suggest trying to get those nerds into your team instead with your stunning charisma. If all else fails, there's always good ol' blackmail and coercion to secure yourself those explosives.' -Excerpt from Chapter Two, Teyvat's Guide to Crime & Mayhem.

The next day, Silver treated me to a peculiar breakfast: a solitary fried egg. No beans, no toast, just a single sad egg. It was a meager and frugal meal, only made worse by my memories of breakfast in Earth. Though the vestiges of the old Stellio's were still around and were telling me to be grateful, so I made an admirable effort to not be a little shit about it.

"Have you got something against full meals?" I asked, watching her eat a thin pancake with an even thinner layer of butter over it.

"Full meals are an unnecessary extravagance and a waste of money," she responded matter-of-factly, leaving me to wonder whether this was a facade to hide the fact that she was broke or if it was genuinely just her miserly personality.

She still wore her mask which covered the upper part of her face, making it difficult to gauge her mood. It added an extra layer of strangeness to this tense breakfast, considering she was still dressed in her nightgown pajamas. The fact that the tavern owner didn't blink at it suggested that she was permanent customer here. I wondered if only Signora's faction had access to the Goth Hotel while the rest of the Fatui were left to find their own accommodations.

I patiently waited for Silver to finish her meal as she meticulously savored each bite. She seemed to take an eternity, as if savoring every individual Mora that went into a bite with the immersion of an elderly connoisseur. However, in the midst of her fine dining experience, an abrupt change came over her. She suddenly seized a pen and paper from the nearby desk and in a swift motion, moved to scribble down a large amount of text upon the paper without a single pause. It was like watching the spirit of Delphi descend upon the mortal coil to embody a chosen Oracle, enticed by the divine offerings of a single shabby, flavorless pancake.

Without uttering a word, Silver finished her writing and picked a dropped utensil back up to finish her meal. With the other hand, she extended the paper towards me, inviting me to examine its contents. My hand reached out, and then hesitated, hanging mid-air, unsure of what to expect.

"Take a look," she said, her tone tinged with a note of pride.

So I did.

Mondstadt's Wealth Disparity: Adventuring's Class Divide

Written by Natalya Volkova, 17th Nurelia, 590 AV

The adventuring profession, often touted as a path to wealth and fame, functions as a deceptive mirage for many commoners. I posit that the system is intentionally structured to maintain the status quo, where only a select few adventurers with connections to the noble class can truly capitalize on their exploits. This illusory promise of social mobility perpetuates an unequal distribution of wealth, leaving the majority of adventurers struggling to make ends meet.

Quests and missions often yield minimal rewards, leaving most adventurers struggling to make a decent living. Not only that, a recent study showed that the majority of retired adventurers only did so because their gradually increasing injuries meant that they now qualified for disability. The most telling case is that of a young adventurer who spends the large majority of his downtime helping elderly veterans who have no family. On the other hand, another young adventurer in the Mondstadt branch landed the coveted position of Investigator at the mere age of 14, supposedly because her parents (who are of an upper social class) convinced the guild master to do so.

Even the legendary Stanley, dubbed as one of the greatest adventurers in Mondstadt's history, was psychologically evaluated and deemed disturbed enough to obtain the disability benefits himself. When he's not drunk and rambling about harrowing tales, even one where he sometimes believes that he died in the Mare Jivari, he stumbles around the front gate in strange fits of depression. If this is how Mondstadt and its noble class pipelines the lower class to perpetual poverty, its no surprise that Treasure Hoarders run amok everywhere the wind blows.

I finished reading the column and looked up at Silver, trying to keep up with the sudden revelation of her secret identity as a newspaper columnist.

"So you write newspaper columns for... conservative drivel?"

"Yes, I'm actually the- wait, the Daily Dandelion is not 'conservative drivel' as you say."

She shot me a look of mild indignation for it, but Stellio's memories told me that the Daily Dandelion was in fact, a widely-disliked newspaper that was Mondstadt's equivalent to a tabloid. The only people who read them seriously here were old people in nursing homes. I didn't expect a Fatui member to have a cozy little side-job like that and tried to remind myself that they were real people with actual souls and not mindless health sponges in the Abyss.

I squinted my eyes at her, "You are Fatui, right?"

"All hail the Tsaritsa," she murmured half-heartedly, "There's not a lot of job opportunities back home."

I could believe that. Plus, from looking at the column, her name was Natalya. With a name like that, she was designated Fatui at birth. Her legal gender was probably 'Evil'.

"Seems like we're getting along pretty well," I piped in cautiously, eager to foster some semblance of an alliance, "Any chance you're not going to murk me?"

"If you can find me an alchemist among your Treasure Hoarder associates today, you might have a shot at survival," she responded airily, as if the matter of my survival was a mere triviality to be discussed over a leisurely cup of tea.

"I am an alchemist," I scoffed.

"Great," she replied, her condescending tone slicing through whatever goodwill she built up. "We'll move tonight. Succeed, and you'll be set free like a little hilichurl."

"One problem: I have no Mora and all my belonging were taken off me in prison, I'll need to buy the ingredients." I said.

She glared at me for some reason, as if incensed by the notion that things actually cost Mora, or maybe it was just at my audacity and the fact that I was essentially asking for her money.

"Get up then, we're going," she commanded, rising to her feet, "I know the recipe to a sleeping gas and don't trust you to haggle the ingredients with my hard-earned Mora."

I was glad she didn't call me out on my small lie. The Knights of Favonius would always take my potions, but they'd never touch my Mora pouch. That would be a PR nightmare in the making. Well, now that I thought about it, only I considered it a small lie, I felt like if Silver found out I withheld Mora from her, she'd gut me on the spot. I got up and reached for my coat.

She disappeared into her room, and when she emerged, I was left deeply unsettled. Gone was her mask, replaced by cerulean blue eyes that pierced through the air. Her once white hair had transformed into a rich shade of brown, cascading down her shoulders with a newfound vibrancy. With her facial features and a customary Mondstadt ensemble comprising a brown fitted bodice and a flowing white dress, she exuded the unmistakable aura of a Mondstadt native. Considering the level of disguises that were shown in-game, this left me both impressed and disturbed.

Without uttering another word, we stepped out into the bustling streets of Mondstadt. The vibrant atmosphere enveloped us, alive with the symphony of merchants passionately hawking their wares and adventurers exchanging tales of their daring exploits. The golden sun pierced through the lofty clouds to bathe the city in a warm shimmer of radiance, casting long shadows that danced along the cobblestone paths. The air carried a gentle breeze, carrying the scent of fresh flowers and the distant sound of laughter.

The moment was somewhat ruined for me when I remembered that I was essentially on a leash today. I guess if it wasn't Silver, it would have been Atlas. Good riddance to that guy, I hope he met his end on Dragonspine to whoever he made an enemy of. In fact, I could've taken him anyway. One hundred percent, believe it.

Silver coughed, puncturing through my train of thought and causing me to turn to look at her. She fixed her gaze on me for a moment, before shifting uneasily, causing me to stare back until realizing that she seemed to be waiting for me to lead her somewhere. Except I didn't know what ingredients we needed either, so we both just stood there for a good moment, like two absolute fools, just looking at each other.

"I don't know what ingredients you need," I said, breaking our mutually embarrassing moment of denseness.

"Oh," she muttered in clumsy realization, taking out a thick piece of folded paper that she flung at me.

I could feel my spirit dance with glee, maybe Silver wasn't so bad after all – a woman after my own heart. Learning new recipes was never easy since most alchemists greedily hoarded their knowledge, especially other Treasure Hoarders. It was just more of a bragging rights thing, none of the alchemists I knew in the Treasure Hoarders were rich enough to consider brewing a high-level potion, but at least one of them would know how to brew that said potion.

But as my heart sang praises for Barbatos and my eyes hungrily scanned the list of ingredients for the potion, a wave of disappointment slammed into me. The Oblivium Potion, I knew it all too well. In fact, I've brewed it many a times, using it on myself as a sleep aid until I became (unfortunately) immune to it. I was almost about to open my mouth and suggest a cheaper but equally effective poison gas, before my own lucidity hit me, I was immune to it. It was such an obvious edge over Silver and something that could definitely come in handy later. The thought made me perk up enough that I almost couldn't hide my grin.

I immediately turned on my heels and navigated the winding streets with ease, Silver cautiously following in my footsteps. Her misgivings were entirely misplaced though, I sincerely doubted I actually could take her in a fight or even escape from her. The sight of a very familiar knife being sharpened the night prior made me sure of that. The old Stellio wouldn't know, but it was an Inspector's Sacrificial Knife, a fully-upgraded one at that, which made her somewhat impressive. If I ever managed to defeat her, I was totally robbing that. Even if I never used it, it would be a cool trophy.

As I caught a glimpse of the familiar face of a local drunk, Nimrod, instinct kicked in, and I swiftly ducked, diverting our path away from him. I didn't want to being seen with Silver today. I didn't want to suffer his relentless quips or jests about my love life or admit that I was currently on a noble's leash. Nobody would let me live that down.

As I began to distract myself with daydreams of how one could wield a Fatui knife, my feet stopped at foot of a wooden facade, weathered by time and adorned with a swinging sign bearing the image of a blooming herb. Soft green shutters frame the windows, granting glimpses of glass jars filled with botanical treasures.

It was a storefront simply known as Blossom Pharmacy, and was so unpopular that it's business was essentially held up by the shady denizens of the underworld, such as myself, who went there simply because nobody else did. Its unpopularity made it a sanctuary for those who sought discreet transactions and specialized goods. As we stepped into the shop, a small bell above the door jingled, capturing the attention of the shopkeeper. He was a skittish young man, his dirty blonde hair tousled, and permanent bags under his weary eyes.

My eyes skimmed the shelves lined with bottles and jars, each filled with colorful powders and glazed flowers, before looking at the man, whose eyes widened upon seeing Silver. His gaze shifted to me, a whirlwind of emotions flickering across his face before settling on a fascinating mix of anger and pleading. This young man was known to all as Felix, and his deathly fear of women was the key reason why his family's pharmacy was a failure, as he was unable to do anything but stare blankly at female customers without responding. It was even worse with women around his age.

"Stelly," he intoned passively, glaring at me.

I could feel the accusation lodged on the end of that. I turned to Silver, "Can you wait outside?"

"No."

Sorry, Felix. "I'll explain another day," I dismissed him, not really caring about his woes, "I need two well-preserved Spirit Koi and 100ml of Violetgrass Tincture."

"Alright, give me a moment…" He nearly whispered, distancing himself from Silver's presence, visibly relieved.

"What about the other ingredients?" The woman in question stepped closer, abruptly thrusting a finger in my face and expressing more emotion in her voice than I'd ever heard from her before.

I couldn't tell if that was because she had taken on a more emotive personality to go with her disguise's persona or if she was being increasingly possessive over her Mora as the time to part with it came closer.

"I already have them at home," I said, swatting her finger away.

Because yes, I'd have to take a trip to my house where my alchemy table was. On one hand, I'd be letting a deadly foe know the exact location of where I resided in. But on the other hand, I had some doubts I would live beyond tonight – it would end with one of us as the victor, and quite frankly it wouldn't matter much if I was already dead.

Maybe I was just being incredibly cynical and Silver would genuinely let me go after providing her with the Oblivium gas canisters, but both the rational part of myself and the remnants of the old Stellio were calling me a fool. Stellio knew that you could never trust even the closest friend you had in the underworld and that business was business. The rational part of myself also knew that a Fatui agent with an Inspector's Knife wouldn't just let me walk away. Damn you, Lord Erwin. Why couldn't nobles just stop concocting convoluted schemes? Find some other hobbies!

"1800 Mora," came the flat, unenthusiastic voice of a returning Felix.

Silver hissed, but I thought it was a good price, cheap even. The fact that she didn't try to haggle it down either meant that she knew it too. It made me wonder if the hiss was an instinctual reaction to spending any amount of Mora at all.

"Where to now?" She asked me when we left outside, a chill wind brushing against our faces.

I glanced at the small, unassuming house nestled among the other buildings just a few meters away. It was my haven, a place where I found solace and indulged in my alchemical experiments. But at this moment, I couldn't deny the sudden hesitation that gripped me. Brushing it aside, I walked on and took only a few seconds to reach the door.

I unlocked the door and stepped in, restraining the impulse to slam it shut in Silver's face as she swiftly trailed in behind me. At least the familiar scent of herbs and alchemical concoctions greeted me, wrapping the front room in an aura of familiarity. I headed straight for the alchemy table, keeping an eye on Silver to make sure she didn't touch anything.

"Don't touch anything," I said, feeling the need to verbalize it.

"I wasn't going to," Silver huffed, dropping down on a nearby chair. She crossed her arms, a playful glint in her eyes. "But hey, if you want to keep an eye on me, who am I to argue?"

I gave her a polite chuckle, but inwardly frowned, trying to mask the unrest that swirled within me. The sudden and subtle shifts in her personality today unnerved me, causing an uneasy tension to creep within the corners of my mind. Deep down, a part of me sensed that something wasn't right and was slowly raising warning flags. Yet, I chose not to voice those concerns out loud. A theory had been brewing since breakfast, slowly taking shape, suggesting that she was purposefully adopting different approaches and personas to test my reactions, a calculated strategy aimed at lowering my guard for an easier disposal later tonight.

So far, her attempts were fruitless. Trust didn't come easily to me, not even with lifelong friends, let alone someone I had known for less than a day. While I could have said that she was just unprofessional, her teasing comment just now hovered boldly on the edge of normalcy. It was a stark contrast from the deathly silent Fatui agent I encountered last night, who suddenly transformed into a confident yet quirky girl who dabbled in newspaper columns as a side-gig. From the girl with awkward social skills who stood beside me in silence, to the assertive persona she exhibited at the pharmacy, and now this flirtatious demeanor—what would Natalya's personality gacha system reveal tonight? A yandere, perhaps?

A larger part of me dismissed this all as sheer paranoia, while a smaller, persistent voice insisted that my caution was justified. Only time would tell. However, for now, I was willing to take a gamble and bet a hundred Mora on the former. Not because I genuinely believed it to be true, but simply because I liked gambling on what my brain thinks wouldn't happen. Curse Winona for introducing me to the thrill of high-stakes cards.

I repressed all my colliding trains of thought and focused on what was in front of me. The alchemy section of my living room was adorned with shelves filled with various tools, bottles, and scrolls, each holding a piece of the knowledge I had acquired over the years. With a practiced movements, I reached for many difference compartments and drawers, withdrawing the necessary materials I needed today. Methodically checking labels, weighing vials and taking measurements, my eyes kept darting between ingredients and calculations with ease. Eventually, I finished my preparations and picked up the two recently bought Spirit Koi and brought them to the sink in the kitchen, when Silver followed right behind.

"You don't need to follow me around," I reminded her.

"You could run."

"You know where I live."

There was a small pause in the air before she left the room. I took a moment to release the tension building on my neck and shoulders. Afterwards, I retrieved a small rolled-up leather kit containing an assortment of short knives, scalpels, and other bladed tools. With my tools ready, I began the delicate process of dissecting the Spirit Koi. The scales and fin were the first carefully extracted out, before the elemental energy was absorbed into vials of Anemo Slime Concentrate, the bones crushed to powder and the eyes delicately carved out. I almost began to think of cooking the remains of the fish before recalling that I was on a job and not relaxing in my home on a weekend. More importantly, I wasn't about to cook anything for Silver.

In the middle of my dissection, she came around and informed me that she was going out and to not go anywhere. On one hand, I was pleased that she was leaving, however short that duration would be, but on the other hand it sounded like she was a parent telling their kid to stay inside while they went out to get bread. But the paralyzing feeling of being watched by a predator had gone and my focus sharpened to a point where I quickly cleared my tasks, organizing the materials I needed and arranging them methodically next to the alchemy table in the living room.

I began by taking out a mortar and pestle, grinding 10mg of powdered Spirit Koi bones with 30mg of powdered Starconch, 5mg of Mist Grass Pollen and some drops of Slime Concentrate to form a paste-like substance. After scraping it into glass bottle, I poured in 50ml of Violetgrass tincture and watched the concoction begin to fizz up, with my Earth memories trying to push me to drink the forbidden fizzy drink. I placed 200 Mora on the Alchemy Table and watched the deeply carved lines on it glow a soft mossy green color, becoming a catalyst that speed up the awakening process.

After a few seconds, I watched the liquid begin to bubble exude large amounts of fumes, flashing a bright brilliant green that signified that the solution was turning into a volatile Dendro explosive. I hastily threw in more Anemo Slime Concentrate and followed it up with the scales and fins of the Spirit Koi which were instantly dissolved. After a few more seconds, the liquid began to calm down and the radiant glow diminished to a faint tinge.

An instinctual feeling filled the inside of me, telling me that the craft was successful – that the potion was finished. This wasn't a metaphor for how amazing I was at alchemy that I could just tell through sheer experience, but an actual part of the brewing process taught to alchemists, whereby the essence of alchemy itself would let you know once a process was successfully carried out.

I grabbed a few empty canisters and couldn't help but smile to myself, relieved that I wouldn't have to resort to using the Spirit Koi's eyes, saving me precious ingredients. Glancing back, I noticed that Silver was still absent. Checking my watch, I realized there were still several hours until dusk, which ignited a flurry of scheming in the inhumanly cautious part of my mind. Mentally reviewing my list of inventory, I began plotting what potions I could brew and take with me to ensure my survival tonight.

Just then, a dreadful voice from outside shattered the fragile tranquility of a successful potion brew, indicating that Helen, the local teenage travesty of a bard, had graced the neighborhood with her almighty presence once again.

"Shut up, Helen," I sighed, exasperated.

"Atop the MOUNTAAAAIIIINSS, he will ~ siiinnggg ~"