Ch. 3 – Reflections
Kaeya is woken up periodically throughout the day, either by Adeline gently shaking him awake to take more of the foul medicine or by various noises outside, mainly the workers that tend to the grapevines. Thanks to Adeline's bitter concoction, his coughing eventually subsides in the early afternoon along with his sore throat.
Later in the afternoon and close to dinner time, Diluc returns to the manor. Kaeya can hear him running up the stairs at full speed and he is prepared this time when he barges into his room. Diluc hasn't even taken his boots off before he practically jumps inside. Kaeya knows Adeline will say something about him dragging dirt inside later, but it doesn't seem like Diluc particularly cared.
Ever since he ran into his room, Diluc has not once left his side. It's strange for him to see Diluc openly smiling and laughing without a shred of hatred in his eyes any time he looks at Kaeya.
There are no snide remarks about the knights, no glares or sharp words thrown at him, and he doesn't ignore him the first chance he gets. In fact, Diluc has praised the knights non-stop and doesn't even complain about the tough training Grand Master Varka has been putting him through.
Kaeya listens intently for a while, mentally scrambling to figure out his current age. Diluc had originally started his knight training the day after he turned ten and Kaeya had joined the knights when he turned ten a year and a half later. He eventually figures out that Diluc's training has only just begun, barely two weeks ago. If he has his math correct, then he is eight years old.
One look at his scrawny arms tells him all that he needs to know. He's too small to hold a real sword, he doesn't have his vision yet to rely on in case of emergency, and he's pretty sure that he can't even go outside without having to ask for permission. Kaeya has gotten used to living alone for years now, minus the occasional times when Albedo or Klee would spend the night. He's grown incredibly independent and he knows that living with multiple people will be quite the adjustment for him as well.
Truth be told, the worst part about being this young is that he has to look up at Diluc. Kaeya had hit a growth spurt in their teenage years and grew taller than Diluc by the time he was fifteen. He hasn't had to physically tilt his head in order to look at him properly in years. Maybe this is karma for holding that over Diluc's head all this time.
A finger is suddenly in his face and pokes his forehead and he jumps a little when he's startled out of his thoughts. "Hey, are you listening?" Diluc asks, cutting through his thoughts.
Kaeya blinks at him as he drags his attention out of his own mind. No, he hasn't been listening. Diluc has been saying the same thing in different ways and there's only so much he can take before he's bored. "Of course," he replies.
The older boy raises an eyebrow. "Oh really? What's the last thing I said, then?"
He tries not to let his annoyance show. Even Klee doesn't demand from him what the last things she says are if he isn't listening but at least Diluc doesn't blow up a lake if he isn't paying close attention to him. "All right, you caught me. I must admit, I don't know. I was thinking about other things."
Diluc doesn't bother to hide his eye-roll and he crosses his arms across his chest as he looks at him up and down. After a moment of silence, he says, "You know, you've been acting really weird all day."
He blinks. He's been acting normal this entire time. "No, I haven't."
"Yes, you have." He climbs up onto the bed and sits beside him on the other side.
Kaeya shrugs. "Well, I have been sick all day, maybe that's why you think I'm acting weird."
Diluc shakes his head. "No, I don't think so." His face softens. "You must've been really scared, huh?"
Kaeya frowns and looks away. He still has no memory of this supposed attack, but he does remember the herald, his arm, and drowning in—
He stops those thoughts with a shake of his head. He won't go down that rabbit hole of memories, he can't panic again. He doesn't want to, especially not in front of Diluc. "Was I? I don't remember being scared."
Diluc pulls his legs up to cross them together in front of him and get comfortable. "I forgot you forgot."
He instantly bites his tongue to not reply with anything smart or sarcastic; Kaeya has to remember that Diluc is a kid and would likely be upset should he go through with a harmless insult. It's honestly going to take some time for him to get used to a nicer Diluc.
"That monster was huge. We were super lucky the knights came as fast as they did."
That makes him curious. "How come they were so close to the manor?" he asks.
The redhead sits up a little and he doesn't bother hiding the worry that crosses his face. "You must have been hit really hard if you don't remember that, either."
He rubs the back of his head, where the lump remains but isn't as tender as it was this morning. The swelling even feels like it has gone down considerably. "Can you tell me what happened?"
Diluc's story is similar to what Master Crepus had told him earlier. They were by the water when the monster appeared out of nowhere and attacked them and Kaeya was knocked out. The only difference is that Diluc says that the knights were coming back from a patrol near Stone Gate and that the monster had said some words in a harsh language that he didn't understand.
Hearing that makes Kaeya nervous. Was the monster a hilichurl or a mitachurl that had been scared off by the returning knights? Hilichurls have always actively avoided the winery, and in the back of his mind, he hopes it hadn't been a mage or worse that had attacked them.
Diluc suddenly gets excited after finishes explaining and he reaches into his pocket. "And then you won't believe what happened!" He pulls out a shiny new vision, its pyro emblem burning brightly in the center of the gem. Diluc's grin is as bright as the vision and he says proudly, "I tried to fight the monster off and then I got a vision!"
Kaeya stares at it. That's not how he originally got it, he thinks. Diluc had gotten his vision during training and came home to proudly show it to everyone around. Master Crepus had a feast in celebration, and Diluc had invited Jean and Thoma to come over when they heard the news as well.
He looks at Diluc and a smile finds its way on his lips. "That's wonderful, Diluc!" he replies. His enthusiasm sounds fake and forced in his ears, but Diluc must not have caught it when his smile only widens. "Does Master Crepus know?"
Diluc scoffs at Master Crepus' title. "Why do you still call Father 'Master Crepus'? We're practically brothers by now. I'm sure he'd love it if you called him Father, too."
Kaeya hesitates. At this age, it has been just shy of a year of living with the Ragnvindrs so unless something else changes, there should only be about two months before he officially becomes a Ragnvindr himself. When he was young, he had wanted nothing more than to take on the name Ragnvindr and get rid of his ties to his birth father and his homeland. Kaeya had been so proud to carry the surname for as long as he had.
He doesn't know if he's willing to take the name again. Glancing at the pyro vision in Diluc's hands, he is reminded of the hatred Diluc threw at him that awful night and the pyro that burned him and scarred his face. He had lost the right to call himself Ragnvindr in a matter of minutes.
But with his more recent knowledge of his true name, Alberich, he isn't sure if he should keep that, either. It makes him fiddle with his thumb anxiously, itching to have his lucky mora to give him something to do. He'd rather not have any ties to the Abyss Order, thank you very much.
"I wouldn't want to offend him," he chooses to say instead.
Diluc snorts with amusement. "You couldn't offend him even if you tried."
"I can, too."
"Nu-uh."
"Yes-huh," he mocks back.
"No, you can't."
From there, they devolve into childish bickering and Kaeya finds a bit of solace in the familiarity of it. It feels nice to be able to speak with Diluc so freely again and not to have to worry about walking on eggshells around him. However, a small part of him is still wary of saying the wrong thing and he feels like he is waiting for Diluc's temper to show itself and reveal that this whole situation is one well-crafted hallucination.
When dinner is ready, both of them head out of his room. Kaeya walks slowly whereas Diluc has already sprinted down the stairs and he hears Master Crepus tell him to stop running in the manor. He stops at the top of the stairs, peering down at the first floor. The décor is almost the same as it always has been, but Master Crepus' signature touch is far more prevalent now than it will be in the future.
Intricate paintings hang on the manor's walls, many of which Master Crepus had painted himself. Kaeya wonders where they have gone in the future, maybe they are stored up in the attic.
One glance in the corner near Elzer's unofficial desk is the potted plant that Kaeya knows will be replanted outside in a few years when it grows too big to stay inside. The gaudy vase he'd gotten for Diluc is obviously missing and deep down, he misses seeing it sitting in direct view of the front door.
He descends the stairs and turns the corner to join Master Crepus and Diluc for dinner. The two are already sitting down and Master Crepus smiles as soon as he steps inside. "Feeling better, Kaeya?" he asks.
Kaeya nods. "Much better, thank you. I don't like that medicine, though," he answers.
"It works though, doesn't it?" He chuckles when he sees Kaeya's unamused expression. "Come sit down. Adeline has made a wonderful dinner."
"Addie always makes good food," Diluc says bluntly just as Adeline sets plates in front of them. "She also makes the best beef stew and the best cakes and the best roast and the best cookies, too!"
Adeline chuckles. "Why, thank you for the compliment, Young Master Diluc," she replies. "Be careful, it's very hot still."
Kaeya climbs up into the chair on the opposite side of Diluc. He looks down at his legs when he feels that his feet don't touch the floor. He scowls at them, again wishing that he isn't a child. When he looks up, Adeline has set a plate of food in front of him as well and his stomach rumbles the moment its aroma reaches his nose.
Diluc talks through most of dinner, telling both he and Master Crepus what kind of training he went through today. Kaeya glances at the man as Diluc goes on a tangent about the 'awesomeness of claymores,' wondering how in Teyvat he had the patience to deal with both of them, back when he truly was a kid. He had the patience of a saint, and it seems like nothing has changed.
He pokes at the carrots on his plate with his fork. He's lost interest in the conversation happening, and he looks up when he sees Master Crepus set his utensils down. "Kaeya, is dinner not to your liking?" he asks.
Diluc stops talking and looks at him as well, giving a curious tilt of his head.
"Ah, no, it's good. You needn't worry," Kaeya replies. He forces himself to start eating the perfectly cooked carrots and squints a little with disgust. He's never liked carrots, but he also doesn't like wasting food.
Master Crepus watches him for a moment before he goes back to finish his meal. Kaeya can't tell what he's thinking, and he looks back at him when he says, "We'll be having visitors tomorrow. Diluc, you'll need to be here for it as well, so you'll be late for your training."
Diluc looks at him curiously. "Who's coming over?" he asks through a mouthful of bread.
"Chew and swallow your food," Master Crepus lightly scolds.
He sets the bread in his hands down and he swallows so fast, Kaeya is afraid he would choke. Instead, Diluc repeats his question.
His father wipes his mouth with a handkerchief. "I expect it will only be Grand Master Varka and Inspector Eroch. It won't be for very long, and Master Varka will take you to your training afterwards."
"Master Varka's coming here?!" Diluc exclaims.
"Inside voice, Diluc."
Kaeya, on the other hand, feels like he's been slapped by a brick. The food in his mouth turns sour and his heart leaps into his throat. He looks at Master Crepus sharply. "Inspector Eroch?" he stutters.
"Oh, forgive me, Kaeya. You haven't met them yet." Master Crepus motions towards Diluc. "Grand Master Varka is Diluc's teacher as well as the head of the Knights of Favonius. He's in charge of everything that deals with Mondstadt and Inspector Eroch works closely with him as part of the investigation team. They're kind people, you have nothing to worry about."
I have everything to worry about.
Kaeya slowly drags his eye back to his plate. He forgot that Eroch is still with the knights at this time. He swallows back his shock as best he can and his stomach feels suddenly queasy. No one knows of Eroch's dealings with the Fatui, or his sneaky ways to gain control of the knights from within. Whatever he does at this time isn't questioned and no one looks at him twice, most would assume he's simply working on a new case.
He knows this because that's what he had originally thought, too. After Master Crepus died and Diluc left Mondstadt, Kaeya gladly helped Jean to get rid of that traitorous bastard. He had told Jean that he wasn't exactly sure what happened to Eroch after he was banished from Mondstadt and that as long as Eroch was out of Mondstadt, that's what mattered.
In reality, he knows exactly what happened. In an unfortunate and violent encounter with a certain delusion-wielding vigilante, former Inspector Eroch lost his life somewhere deep in Snezhnaya. His body was never recovered. Kaeya hoped he didn't rest in peace.
Kaeya sets his fork down. Hearing Eroch's name again makes his appetite completely vanish. All that work he put in feels like it's been for naught; he keeps having to remind himself that this is the past. He technically hasn't even started any kind of investigation of his own.
He looks up at Master Crepus. "I'm full," he says. "May I be excused?"
Master Crepus turns his concerned gaze over him. "You hardly ate anything, Kaeya. Do you really feel better?" he asks. "Do you need some more medicine?"
He shakes his head as he slides off the chair. "No, I feel fine. I'm just tired." Excuses. That's all he ever makes nowadays.
He feels Diluc and Master Crepus' eyes on his back, following him as he makes his way up the stairs. As soon as he is in his room, Kaeya closes the door and runs his fingers through his hair.
He tries to scramble through his memories, trying to remember every single report and scrap of evidence he had gathered about Eroch's deals with the Fatui. He looks out the window, staring out at the field of grapevines and the trees beyond that. The Goth Grand Hotel has been booked by the Fatui for as long as he can remember.
He curses under his breath. If only he'd come back just a little sooner, he could have interrupted their transaction. But could he have really done anything? Kaeya looks at his reflection in the window. The troubled frown he wears looks wrong on a child this young.
No one else but him knows of Eroch's true intentions, but he can't simply run up to Grand Master Varka and openly accuse Eroch just after technically meeting him for the first time. Not only would that make him seem suspicious, but he would also immediately get onto Eroch's radar. He doesn't want to know what could happen to him or to Diluc and Master Crepus should that happen.
No, he needs evidence. How much evidence is there at this time? How long has he been in contact with the Fatui at this point in time? Not long, he thinks.
Kaeya begins to pace, deep in thought. How is he able to prove to Grand Master Varka that Eroch has close dealings with the Fatui?
It's going to be difficult sneaking around as young as he is, and that's if he's ever able to get to the city. Master Crepus never liked going to the city too often, and if he sneaks off every time they visit, he doubts he'd be allowed out of his sight after too many attempts.
He curses again. Being a child again is proving to be more of an inconvenience the more he thinks. Master Crepus nor anyone else at the winery likely wouldn't even let him go off alone anywhere while he is this young.
He stops pacing to look outside again. His eye is drawn towards movement far off into the water, and he stares at the cryo slimes that hop around mindlessly on the surface. He freezes like the water they sit on and his eye widens in realization. It doesn't take a genius to figure out why the slimes had disappeared for so long.
If he can come up with a plan to stop Eroch, then he can stop Master Crepus from obtaining the delusion.
If fate has truly given him a new chance, then he should be able to save his adoptive father, right? Dottore wouldn't have any reason to come anywhere near Master Crepus. Ursa the Drake wouldn't have a reason to attack him. Diluc wouldn't hate the knights as much as he does.
They could still be a family.
He bites the inside of his cheek. He doesn't know when Master Crepus obtained the delusion and he doesn't know how often he spoke with any Fatui, either. But it will be much easier for him to search for clues in the wine master's office. He doesn't have to ask for permission to run around the manor.
Kaeya takes a deep breath to calm his fast-pacing heart. He can't act rashly and he can't move forward with too much haste. He has to take his time. As desperately as he wants to start his investigation now, he can't start right away, not with Master Crepus and the rest of the household still awake.
He has to have patience. He's good at waiting and biding his time. It's one of the few good lessons he'd learned from Eroch: patience is the biggest factor in any investigation and then strike when no one is expecting a thing.
He lifts his eye to see his determined reflection again as he makes his decision.
He's going to stop Eroch and save Master Crepus.
This promise he'll keep.