Genshin Impact: Mondstadt Alter

Act 1 Chapter 3:

Determination (Part 3)


15.39

After playing with those youngsters, I'm psychologically, not physically, a little worn out. If I were the old me, I would head back straight home. Actually, it wouldn't happen if I were the old me in the first place. Associating with others sure is exhausting. If I keep doing it, can the current me keep up, or will I die due to the frazzle? Lowkey curious.

Empty-headed, I've been strolling aimlessly around the city for a while now. I never had the leisure to explore like this before, and it makes me realize how big Mondstadt City is. I mean, I had a lot of time. It was just I didn't have the volition to do so. Considering how much walking and memorizing I've done in the city, I'm convinced I've seen every corner. Losing track of time, it's already noon.

Standing in front of the city's gate, I look into the distance. I briefly considered leaving, but soon dismissed the idea. I don't want to. And besides, the night is coming. Without a doubt, it's a bad idea. There's nothing wrong stay with staying inside for now, is it?

"Ugh…" I let out a groan.

My head feels a bit dizzy. I lower my head while holding my temple, trying to relieve the pain. I didn't notice my surroundings until someone bumped into me. That caught me off guard and made me fall forward. I was about to land my face first, but luckily, I reacted fast enough and landed sideways.

"Oof!" The sound of the person who bumped into me.

How unmindful of me to stand in the middle of the path! People are walking around me, and I stand without consideration for others. Ignoring the pain in my head, I quickly stand up. I approach the person and lend my hand to help them as I apologize and ask,

"I'm so sorry! Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good. I'm also sorry I didn't look where I ran." He says as he takes my hand and stands on his feet.

He brushes his pant from the dust before looking at me. He has navy-blue hair with streaks of lighter blue, accompanied by a long lock of hair that rests over his left shoulder. His bangs cover a bit of the right side of his face, and he's wearing a plain black eyepatch. I wonder if his right eye is injured or if his right can't see. From his appearance, it is safe to say we're about the same age.

"How about you? Did you get hurt?" He asked.

"I'm fine, don't worry. Once again, I'm sorry I wasn't paying attention." I bowed my head a little displaying my regret.

"Ahaha, you don't have to do that, really. We both are at fault here." He paused before continuing, "I wasn't paying attention either where I was running."

"I- I see."

Even though he said that, he wouldn't crash into me if I didn't stand there, right? I appreciate he's trying to reassure me it wasn't my fault when it is.

"Hm?" I noticed something.

"What's wrong?"

I ignore his question as I am preoccupied with my thought. This familiar sensation was the same as when I met Mr. Hao. That reminds me, I should have asked Mr. Hao about it. I thought I might figure it out this time, so I decided to watch him like I watched Mr. Hao. However, it was a fruitless attempt. There's nothing unusual except his eyepatch and his clothes are standard too.

"Hello? Is there something on my face? You've been staring at me for a while." His words knocked me out of my thought.

I stared at him for too long, and now he noticed. It was embarrassing!

"O- oh, sorry! I didn't mean to be rude or anything."

"You sure are an interesting fellow." He giggled. "I'm Kaeya. What's yours?"

"Ah, I'm Morgan. Nice to meet you, Kaeya."

As if enlightenment strikes him, his eyes widen.

"So, you are the one named Morgan, huh?" Kaeya mused.

Another person recognized me by name, I won't be surprised if more people know me. Mrs. Frederica might have been right when she said that to me earlier. She wasn't lying when she said I am famous, though not in a good way. I don't like this.

"Yeah. Does my name reminds you of something?"

"Well, I've been hearing your name around the town lately. That makes me curious about you a little, and this encounter quenches my curiosity." He nodded in satisfaction.

"Okay?"

I'm not entirely sure what to feel or what to say to that. However, Kaeya said he was satisfied with whatever he was referring to, so I won't question him. I choose to pick another topic.

"So where were you going, Kaeya? You seemed to be in a rush."

"Oh, right! It almost passed me by that I had to help Master Crepus in the tavern this afternoon." He smacks his forehead and apologizes before running off, "Sorry, but I have to go. See you later!" He runs as he waves his hand to me.

I can only wave back because he left before I could say anything. He goes as fast as he comes, huh? Someone needs his help, so we can't avoid cutting our time short.

He said tavern, didn't he? I never visited a bar before, but unless I'm wrong, there are only two bars in the city. One's called Angel's Share, and the other one is The Cat's Tail, I think? But the most famous one is Angel's Share, according to my fa-

"Ugh!" A sudden headache hits me again.

I clutch my head tightly with my hands as I shut my eyes. Breathing heavily, I lean on the closest wall looking for support. Luckily, there aren't many people walking here, but I still need to recover fast before someone sees me. It takes a couple of minutes before the pain ease. I push myself away from the wall after feeling better.

*sigh* Okay, it's better now.

Doing my best not burdening my head further, I started walking to where Kaeya was heading. I guess I'll make this my last trip of the day. The sun will be setting in less than two hours, and I don't even think I could last until then. I need to head back because I can feel my head throbbing, but I don't want to. I want to keep pushing myself more. Who would know if I have the will to go out like this again tomorrow?

Hopefully, it'll go away soon. Kaeya was heading toward a tavern. The question is, which one is he referring to? Is it Angel's Share? Or maybe the Cat's Tail? I guess I will find out when I get there. Determined, I keep walking forward.

16.08

After a short of walking, I finally see a building with a board sign written Angel's Share. It is pretty crowdy outside, and I feel my mood goes down. The crowd is men of varying ages, and they soon go inside one after another. I was about to enter before realizing something. Do taverns allow underage to go inside? Because I know you can't drink alcohol if you're underage. I can surely walk inside, right? I have no intention of getting one, either. I guess I have to ask the guy standing near the door.

"Um, excuse me," I say as I approach him.

He noticed me right away. His straight expression makes me nervous, but then a smile forms on his face.

"Welcome to the Angel's Share! Come in and take a seat. We have special today!"

"Er, I want to ask something. Can I go inside even if I'm not old enough?"

"Of course you can! We also serve non-alcoholic beverages here, so anyone is welcome in Angel's Share!" He paused, then continued, "Oh, and before I forget, here. Take this. It goes well with our drinks." He proffered me food.

Reluctantly, I take the food.

"Thanks," I said before taking a bite.

16:17

Taking no longer time there, I open the door and walk in. I am greeted with cheers as soon as I walk in. Closing the door, I look around inside the tavern. The atmosphere is lively here, with customers drinking with friends at each table. Some sit at the counter, and the first and the second floor seem packed with people. They are too busy with their own to notice me, and thanks to that, I don't get unnecessary attention. I feel nervous just being here, to be honest.

It is my first time in a bar. I don't remember why I chose this place out of all options, I'm not even thirsty right now. Seriously, what am I doing here? Screw this! I'll just order a drink and be off from here.

With that in mind, I walk to the counter and take a vacant seat. I will have to wait for my turn later since the owner is busy taking orders from customers, and perhaps it'll take a while. Behind the counter are shelves filled with bottles, I assume wine. But each bottle is distinct from the other. Are they just acting as displays or something? In addition to these bottles, there are others on the shelves that I don't know anything about.

Shifting my focus, now I'm looking at the tavern owner. A man in his forties has long red hair tied into a ponytail and a short red beard. He wears a white slim-vest, a black long-sleeve shirt, and a red tie. His interactions with customers suggest that he is quite sociable. Soon after, he approaches me and looks at me.

"What do we have here?" That is the first thing he said to me, then he resumes, "It's not every day I see a young patron. What do you like having today?"

Despite he said that, he didn't seem to have a deeper meaning in his words. His gentle tone reminds me of someone.

"Um…"

"Oh, we don't serve alcoholic drinks to underage. So you might want to order anything else but that." He interposes.

I know that, but I haven't said anything, though.

I don't even know what kinds of beverages they serve, so I decided to ask about the menu.

"Can you show me the menu, please?"

"Hmm? Is it your first time coming here?" Before I can answer him, he cuts me again, "I suppose I've never seen your face before."

Then he picks something under the counter and gives it to me.

"Here. It just so happens that I just renewed the menu. Take your time picking and tell me when you made up your mind." The owner observes as he folds his arms.

I glance at him briefly before I look at the menu. Scanning it, I have no idea what is all of these beverages. There's Athenaeum, Golden Eden, Night of Swirling Stars, Caramel Pinecone, Moonlit Alley, Foamy Reef, etc. No explanation whatsoever about them on the menu, only names and prices. I wanted to flip the menu but stopped hearing the owner chuckling.

"Your face tells me you're confused."

"Y- you can tell?" I'm embarrassed because he's wrong.

"Yeah. Don't worry. It's only natural to feel confused since this is your first time here." The owner mused.

He has a point. However, I won't inconvenience him by asking him to give me an explanation for them. Things get more complicated as the day goes by, making me want to head back and nap as soon as possible. Squeezing my brain, I came up with a solution. Unfortunately, he beats me to it.

"How about I ask someone to explain them to you? While I would love to do it myself, there are other orders to fulfill."

"Wait-"

"Diluc!" He calls out someone's name.

My objection was interrupted by someone running behind the counter before I could say anything.

"Yes, father?"

A boy around my age is now in front of me. He bears a resemblance to the owner. It's like he's the younger version of the owner himself. The difference is he's wearing a black coat.

Hmm?

"We have a new customer here. He's about the same age as you." The owner explains the situation a bit to him. " I would like you to help him understand our products. Can you do it?"

"Of course! Leave it to me." The boy said confidently.

"Very good. Once I've done taking care of our patrons, I'll be back."

I feel deja vu.

When was something like this happening? If I recall, it was this morning, wasn't it? Mrs. Frederica asks Jean to accompany me for a while. Now, this boy called Diluc is here for me. Even though I appreciate the help, this isn't what I wanted.

"Hey there. I'm here to help you. If there's something you would like to know, let me know." Diluc volunteered.

"Thanks. But you don't have to do this, really."

"No need to be shy. I didn't know much about these beverages until my father told me and explained them to me."

"No, that's not what I meant..."

"Alright then, shall we begin? How about we start with this section?" He points at the top of the menu.

And so, Diluc starts explaining each drink on the menu from top to bottom without missing a beat. In his guide, coffee, tea, and juice appear on the first, second, and third pages. His explanations regarding the drinks are relatively simple for me to understand. For example, Athenaeum is a strong and pure coffee, Golden Eden is a coffee with additional milk, and so on. I can tell he's patiently doing this for me. Doing my best to listen to him, I'm holding my upper and lower eyelids with my fingers.

I might look ridiculous with this, but I'm doing it to respect Diluc's efforts.

When we're on the third page, I notice that Diluc hasn't looked at me since he starts. I don't know whether it is because he doesn't want to look at me or because he's too focused on explaining. Hopefully, the latter is true since it wasn't my fault that you got dragged into this, but I'm thankful nonetheless.

It took around 15 minutes for him to finish all three pages.

"I guess that's all about our product you can order. The rest are liquors, after all." He closed the menu before looking at me, "Do you have any- Huh?!" He looked at me in disbelief.

"What?"

"A- are you okay?" He voices his concern.

"Yeah, why?"

"You're forcing your eyes open like that... Did I bore you?"

I smack my cheeks to wake myself to the point I can feel the pain.

"Of course not! It just- I feel a bit tired."

"Really? Then how about getting yourself a coffee? I'm sure it would help." Diluc recommended.

"I hope so. Can I get one Athenaeum, please?"

"Coming right up!"

He smiles as he walks away with the menu.

After seeing him off, I drop my head on the table. A train of thought passed through my head.

Why do I feel so worn out?

Recalling everything that has happened today, it all makes sense. I made contact with the Seneschal at dawn. And after that, I exercised for a few minutes. Later I walked around and decided to visit the KoF HQ, and there, I met with Grand Master Varka, Mrs. Frederica, and Jean. At breakfast time, I acquaintance with Mr. Hao and Amber. Afterward, I spent some time playing with Amber and her friends. Lastly, after strolling aimlessly, I went here.

I never went to that many places in a single day before, not to mention my exchange with those people. Luckily, although I'm a recluse, I have no trouble dealing with people. It's just that I find socializing tiring and troublesome, but I won't say I hate it. Even though it was exhausting, I enjoyed my interactions with people. So far.

However,

Raising my head, I look at the people around me. The owner in the distance right now is serving a patron, and Diluc is with someone making the coffee I ordered. This place fills with people cheering, laughing, shouting, and the big grin on their faces. I'm wondering if something like this happens every day in this tavern. It's so lively.

Thinking about it, I guess that's how this place is supposed to be. People relieve their stress of the day by drinking in the bar, and some might have different reasons for being here. I don't know how it works, but drinking seems effective for coping with negative feelings. My- Someone had a bad day and went to the tavern, and the next morning, they acted as if nothing had happened.

Does it also help with sorrow?

The smell of wine lingers in the air. It makes me feel a bit dizzy, never mind that.

"Here's your order. Enjoy." Diluc approaches me with a glass in his hand.

I straighten my back as he puts the glass in front of me. Smelling the fragrance of the drink, I can tell the bitterness is strong. I decide to take a sip while it's warm. Coffee's pure and intense taste makes me wince briefly for a moment.

"It's very bitter, isn't it?" Diluc chuckles.

He either knew it was bitter and decided not to tell me or noticed my expression. I should've expected that. There is no denying the bitterness of Athenaeum. It is simply too intense for my taste. I always add sugar or anything that can sweeten my food. Well, I got no one to blame except myself for this.

"Yeah. It's a little too strong for my taste."

"I agree. Adults usually order the Athenaeum. It's not a drink for someone our age." Diluc shrugs.

"Can you add milk to my drink? Or caramel would do. Anything to sweeten this."

"Allow me." Someone butted in.

Without looking, I know who it is. Meanwhile, Diluc turns his head to see who's coming, but he's not surprised. He then pours a considerable amount of milk into my coffee.

"That's enough. Thank you." I express my gratitude.

"You're welcome." He puts away the milk he's holding.

"I could've done that, Kaeya," Diluc speaks.

"Don't mention it. I'm just trying to help you."

"Not necessary. I can do my part just fine without you."

"Really? You could've prepared what he asked before he did, even though you know full well that this coffee isn't suitable taste for our peers."

Diluc doesn't like that statement. On the other hand, Kaeya seems to enjoy teasing him. Those two started arguing in front of me. At the very least, they aren't too noisy compared to the other side of the tavern. Fortunately, I'm too busy stirring my coffee with all noises around me, or maybe I just don't care. The sweetness is close to what I expected when I started testing it. I emptied my glass soon after.

"How about you go back to check the wine supplies?" Diluc questioned.

"I just did, though?" Kaeya looks puzzled.

"Double-checking wouldn't hurt. Having you here distracts me."

"How mean." Kaeya cackles.

"Thanks. That was great." I said as I put the glass on the counter.

"Glad you liked that. Want another?" Diluc offered me another pour, but I refused.

"We met again, Morgan. I didn't expect it'll happen so soon." Kaeya greets me while he cleans the table.

"I guess you weren't expecting me here. But I wanted to visit the famous tavern in the city for once, so our destination was actually the same."

[What a blatant lie.]

"What? Really? You could've said so when we bump each other."

"You're the one who ran before I could say anything." I sighed.

"I guess I did, huh?" Kaeya scratches his head while laughing awkwardly.

"Hold up."

Both of us turn at Diluc at the same time. Diluc was only listening and observing my exchange with Kaeya. Now, he's stopping us from talking any further. Neither Kaeya nor I had any meaningful conversation.

"You two know each other?" Diluc inquires.

Kaeya and I look at each other once more before answering Diluc's question.

"We don't know each other exactly, but we just recently met," Kaeya clarified.

"Right, we only managed to know each other name." I add.

"Really?" Diluc doubted.

Was that sound weird to him? We told him the truth. Or maybe he was just confirming that's all we told him? It seemed better that my previous interaction with Kaeya ended that way.

"I haven't introduced myself then. I'm Diluc Ragnvindr." Diluc extends his hand for a handshake, "Nice to meet you."

"Morgan. Nice to meet you too."

After ending the handshake, Diluc seems to be in deep thought as he puts his hand on the chin. While I was about to ask what he was thinking, Kaeya beat me to it. But instead of raising a question, he answers what seems to be in Diluc's mind.

"Surely you remember what happened around a week ago. He was the rumored kid."

"Ah! That makes sense. I was wondering why your name sounds familiar to me despite we never met each other."

"The same can be said for you."

"What do you mean?" Diluc asks.

"You're the son of the most famous tavern in Mondstadt. I've heard your name a few times before, and this is the first time we meet face to face."

The two get confused at first by my statement, but a few moments later, they understand what I mean. It was nothing complicated. It might have something to do with the way I phrased it.

"I see. You aren't wrong about that." Kaeya nods and folds his arms.

"Ahaha, thanks. I hope you didn't hear any weird rumors about me then." Diluc chuckles nervously to hide from embarrassment.

"I heard all of them from my- Ack!" I instinctively hold my temple.

Are you kidding me?! Another damn headache! How many times has it been today? I'm starting to get sick of it!

My ears are buzzing, and I get a whirling sensation. Maybe due to it happening a lot in the span of a single day, I'm starting to get used to the pain. It lasts shorter than the last symptoms. Making sure it was gone, I heard Diluc and Kaeya call out my name.

"Morgan!"

I shook my head before replying, "Sorry, I suddenly felt dizzy."

"Are you okay? You look pale."

"No worries. It's just the after-effect of it. It'll be gone soon."

Those two sighs in relief and pat their chest in unison. I'm glad they didn't make a fuss about it. Lucky me that the tavern right now is lively and prevented it from happening. I can't, and I don't even want to imagine what would happen if they did.

"You scared me there. I thought you would faint." Kaeya said.

"Does it have something to do with your coffee? I'm afraid Kaeya might spike your drink." Diluc said in a teasing tone.

"Hey, hey. What do you take me for? Why would I do that to our patrons?"

"I'm just making assumptions."

Are they going to squabble after seeing me like that? Ugh, all pessimistic thoughts aside, I guess it's better than they're worried about me. I sigh when looking at the scene. Mr. Crepus saved me from intercepting them before they could argue further in front of me.

"Alright, you two! Chill out! Don't argue in front of our customers, or they'll leave a bad impression."

Diluc and Kaeya quickly quit their dispute when Mr. Crepus approached them. Mr. Crepus shakes his head while holding his temple and sighs after warning the two. Despite the heat from their brief argument, Diluc and Kaeya turn away from one another. None of them are saying anything for a while. Meanwhile, I can only see how things fold and the tense air from them.

"Sorry. You might never know this since this is your first time here, but my sons sometimes get on each other throats."

"Ahaha, you don't have to apologize, sir." I said as get off the chair, "How much is it for my drink?"

"You're leaving already?" Kaeya queries.

"Mhm." I nodded, "It's getting late. I will now leave because I promised to return home before dusk."

"I see. Alright, then. We can talk to each other again next time, right? Oh, that'll be 1200 mora."

After taking out my purse, I took the exact amount of mora and paid for my drink.

"Here. It was great. I'll visit again next time."

"Glad to hear that." Mr. Crepus nodded with a smile.

"Thank you for coming, Morgan."

"Careful on your way back."

They all bid their farewell to me, and Diluc and Kaeya wave their hand at me. I wave my hand back as I walk toward the front door.

17:25

When I exited the tavern and looked at the sky, it was already quite dark. At this time, only a few people are walking down the street. It's so quiet that I can hear people's footsteps. Houses have turned on their lights from the inside, and lanterns and light poles illuminate the city. I close my eyes and take a few deep breaths of the clean air before I let them out. I can reduce some of the weariness I've been building today in this way.

Following a few minutes of doing it, I return to the church but not before glancing towards a particular corner. Walking in silence as I didn't see many people on my way back, and I had no intention of making contact with any. Dinner is about to start, so maybe that's why most people are home. I almost forgot since I don't feel hungry yet.

Stepping up the stair to the church, someone is standing next to the front door. I know who she is. So when I see her, it doesn't surprise me. She immediately notices me as soon as I enter her sight.

"Morgan! You're finally back. Having been out for so long, I was afraid something might have happened to you."

"Good evening, sister Franka. Were you waiting for me?"

"Yes, I was. I thought you promised you would be back before sunset. Where have you been? Are you doing okay?" She grasped my shoulders and inquired with a worried expression.

(A/N: Extra character I added to the story for convenience.)

Sister Franka has been looking after me for the past week until now. She's one of the few people who often visit me. She's also the one who always brings food to me and asks how I do. At first, I assumed that she continued to care about me because I was a victim and had the obligation as a sister. But apparently, that was not all of it.

To my surprise, she was a friend of my late mother. To be precise, one of the close friends she had. It was a day after the incident she first time visited me. She brought me a meal as well as asked about my condition. Obviously, I had no appetite at that time, so I didn't finish my meal, and I'm sure everyone who had to visit me could see my grieved mood. She tried to comfort me, but I gave her the silent treatment.

It was the next time she visited me she confessed her buried emotions. It was noon. I was calmly reading The Mondstadt Tower while cocooning myself under a blanket. I knew she was coming as she knocked on the door. Everyone in the church knew that I didn't answer every knock at the door, so some people usually just barged in, especially those who had affairs with me.

She vented on how she felt knowing her friend passed away and said she sympathized with my loss. She was crying and sobbing to the point where her words became incoherent. As I stared at her mourning, I did nothing. It took about ten minutes for her to calm down. She immediately expressed her regret and vowed to look after me well.

"Relax. As you can see, I'm fine." I assured her as I put away her hands from me, "By the way, is dinner ready? I'm a bit starving."

"Oh, I've prepared plenty of food for you! That's why I'm waiting for you to come back!"

"I- I'm sorry." I meekly said, looking down.

I can't see her face right now. I already have a lot in mind for today. I want to lie on the bed and relax as soon as possible.

I feel something patting my head. It's her hand. A few moments later, she pulls me toward her to hug me. None of us said anything. She keeps stroking my hair while hugging me. Staying still, I let her take it slowly hugging me, though I do not hug her back. By no means it's unpleasant. In fact, I quite like it.

I find her behavior quite peculiar. Why does she care so much about me when neither she nor I are familiar with each other? I know she explained to me the reason why she acts this way, but I still find it hard to comprehend. Not to mention the fact we met face-to-face just a few days ago.

"I've said it before, and I'll say it again, Morgan. It must be difficult for you to let go of the things you've been through. But know that everyone here, including myself, is here for you always. So please, don't try to harbor the sorrow in your heart."

I can feel her remorse. I wanted to respond to her words accordingly, but only a single sentence came out.

"Thank you, sister Franka."

"Don't mention it." She replies in a raspy voice.

It wasn't what I had in mind, but at least I conveyed my gratitude to her. She pulls away from me and holds my shoulders while smiling. Although I didn't say anything, I noticed she had moist eyes.

"Now, let's go inside and have dinner together, shall we? It's getting cold outside."

"Okay."

She gently pushes my back to get into the church together with her.

Sister Franka, I really appreciate everything you've done for me. I really do. And let's not forget everyone who has treated me very nicely. I'm thankful for every single kindness they've shown to me. At the same time, I'm sorry for being aloof. I just don't know how I can reciprocate because deep down,

I'm a terrible person.


A/N: I up two chapters today, yay! It's not easy to make a 5k-ish words story, so I'll be in delight if you enjoy these as much as I do. This chapter is over 15k words in total, crazy! I never write something this long, not even my essay.

Two major characters in the bag, Diluc, and Kaeya. I wanted to make their interaction with the MC longer, but I decided against it because I need to keep in mind the personality of the MC. I hope you get what I mean. How about Mr. Crepus? I wouldn't put him into a major character group, at least not in this fic, but he will be a big support to the character of the two, especially Diluc (Read the manga if you need context). That's all I have to say, thank you so much for reading this as well for the fav and follow! BYE~