KS: Short chapter upload tonight, folks. But the next one is going epic.
The group immediately got to work on making preperations for their plan. To start off, some went out into the wilds to gather any edible ingredients to make the chocolate, while others purchased goods from local kiosks. The latter group, which composed of Diluc, Xingqiu and Venti, purchased numerous fruits, nuts and some sugar.
"I must say, this will be a very entertaining endeavor," Xingqiu said. "And the secrecy adds a hint of excitement to it all."
"As juvenile as this whole idea sounds, I would be lying if I said it didn't intrigue me," Diluc admitted. "Also, this can be beneficial for any working man who is unable to make chocolate on their own."
Venti trailed behind the duo, holding a bottle of wine he bought. "Hey, weird thought: do you think we should add wine to chocolate? I'm sure that would sell like crazy."
Diluc and Xingqiu just glance at the bard, who continued to hold the wine body like it was a newborn.
"He certainly has a love for wine, doesn't he?" Xingqiu asked.
Diluc let out a tired sigh. "An understatement unlike any I've heard before."
Out in the wild, Bennett, Razor and Chongyun gathered some ingredients for the chocolate, one of which being sweet flowers. Thanks to Razor's sense of smell, they were able to gather a large number of them.
"We are making some good progress here," Chongyun commented. "We should be able to collect enough before nightfall."
"I agree," Bennett replied. "Let's keep up our current pace."
Razor sniffed the air, then pointed ahead. "Sweet Flowers, over there."
"Then let us go find some more," Chongyun said.
The trio set off to find more ingredients, unaware that a certain yaksha watched them from a tree branch.
"What are they gathering ingredients for?" he said. "I best keep an eye on them to ensure they are not doing anything unsavory."
He disappeared from the branch.
Meanwhile, Aether was with those who remained with him, namely, Paimon, Kaeya, Albedo and Zhongli. They were in a house that Aether built. Which was currently in a separate dimension contained in a teapot.
"I've heard that the adepti were skilled in mystic arts, but never in my life would I think they were capable of a feat such as this," Kaeya commented.
"It just goes to show that no matter how much knowledge one acquires, there will always things we do not know," Albedo added. "Though I am far from adverse from learning more of them."
"I'd be more than happy to discuss such matters with you at a later time, if you so desire," Zhongli offered.
"I would also learn about the adepti," Kaeya offered. "I've always wondered how they live among mortals."
Aether clapped his hands, getting everyone's attention.
"Alright, now that we've gathered, it's time I showed you something," he said. "While everyone else is getting what is needed, I'm about to show you the central ingredient of making chocolate."
"And what would that be?" Zhongli asked.
Aether and Paimon gestured to the large bag between the two, and the men present look towards it.
"I'm amazed we didn't notice the bag until it was pointed out to us," Albedo commented.
"What is in the bag that is so vital, anyhow?"
Aether merely knelt down, then gestured to the three men to come closer. They did, and he opened the bag, revealing the contents inside. They widen their eyes in total awe.
"Is that… what I think it is?" Kaeya breathed out in shock.
"I heard it only grows there once every 50 years," Albedo said in admiration. "To think you would have such a thing in your possession."
"Truly, a blessing has been bestown onto us," Zhongli whispered.
Aether smirked. "Glad you all approve."
"Milk, almonds, apples… our acquisition was rather successful," Xingqiu commented.
"Quite so," Venti chirped. "We did some great work."
"I didn't see you do any damn work," Diluc said to the bard. "All you did was sing to some people."
"And some of those people just happened to be the vendors of those stands we purchased from," Venti said matter of factly. "Haven't you noticed we received a discount from them? No doubt my songs touched their hearts."
"It's true," Xingqiu agreed. "Some of the items on our list were rather expensive. Maybe Venti's songs convinced to adjust the prices to our needs."
"Ehe~" Venti said, grinning triumphantly.
Diluc sighed. "I'll never understand how bards work."
"Alright, we got everything we needed!" Bennett said triumphantly.
"Indeed," Chongyun agreed.
"Let's go make chocolate," Razor added.
The three headed off, while the yaksha from earlier continued observing them from a safe distance.
"Chocolate… what is this chocolate? I need to learn more."
KS: Just be patient. The best part will come... when I'm feeling the mood. Also, I have my other fics to tend to. On another note, I wrote an ebook called "Black Flare", and it is currently out on Rakuten Kobo. It is a an action-adventure science fantasy novel that takes inspiration from shooters and RPGs, along with anime of similar genres. I'm looking to make it as a writer, and I could truly use your support. Just go over to Rakuten Kobo and type "Black Flare" in the search box. That is all. Thanks.