A/N: Note that the previous chapter is slightly edited. The part where Amber and Barbara talk about Subaru's Dragon's Blood is changed to match up with a future plot point.
Chapter 7: Adventurer's Guild
"Mmmm!"
"Whoa, this is awesome!"
"*nomnomnomnom*"
The trio of Subaru, Paimon and Amber were currently sitting at one of the tables in Good Hunter. Amber kept her promise of getting them dinner in the form of three Sticky Honey Roasts. However, Subaru had to pay with several gliding lessons from Amber.
Subaru was not a good glider. Every time he would unfurl his wings, he would unconsciously keep moving his body erratically. He didn't have a good hold of how to balance midair, making it a lot harder for him to control himself. He couldn't even count how many times he had collided with the floor in an attempt to land. There were bandages wrapped around him due to his collisions, but nothing so serious to demand Barbara's attention.
However, all that effort was worth it for this food he was eating.
"Damn, that was one hell of a roast," Subaru muttered, wiping his mouth. "Thanks for paying, Amber."
"Ah, don't mention it!" Amber shook him off. "I'm glad you liked it, but thank Sara instead! She's the one who made it, after all."
"Ah, Amber, there you are."
Subaru temporarily stopped eating to look at the source of that cockish voice. Looking up, he found that another person in unusual clothes was coming towards them. The dark-skinned man had streaked dark turquoise hair that covered the right side of his face and periwinkle eyes with diamond-shaped pupils. He was wearing a pirate's eyepatch over his right eye. There was also a blue and white teardrop-shaped earring hanging from his left ear.
Furthermore, Subaru found his clothes incredibly over-the-top. He was wearing a black vest under an icy blue blouse that exposed most of his chest. He was wearing a white and blue coat over that with more designs that Subaru could count. More prominently was the presence of an icy blue emblem hooked to his waist, with the symbol of a snowflake on it. 'An ice Vision. What was it… right, Cryo.'
"Kaeya," Amber remarked, promptly stopping her eating and wearing a suspecting look. "What are you doing here?"
"Oh, nothing to be concerned about, I just wanted to know why you hadn't reported to Headquarters yet," the now identified Kaeya said. "The Acting Grand Master is awaiting your report of the event. You know you shouldn't keep her waiting."
"Ah, oh no, I forgot!" Amber yelled out, slapping her forehead and jerking out of her seat. "Subaru, can you please check out Mondstadt on your own for a while? I need to give Master Jean my report right now!"
"Ah, alright then," Subaru replied, to which Amber nodded and ran away. "Wait, did you pay the bill?!"
"Yeah, don't worry!" Amber yelled back, then disappeared past the wall of the restaurant.
"Hmm, okay then, but I'm paying her back," Subaru muttered, looking to the side to look at his partner. Sure enough, Paimon wasn't fazed in the slightest; she was still eating her food. "Yeah, you've got the right idea, I guess."
Subaru was about to turn down to his food once more but was interrupted by a jingling sound. Looking back up, he noticed that Kaeya was looking at him, seemingly confused and horrified by him.
"Um, hello?" Subaru asked, waving a hand in front of himself. "Kaeya, right? I know my eyes are scary, but you don't need to stare, you know?"
"A-Ah, nothing, don't worry about it," Kaeya said, gently rubbing her forehead. "And it wasn't your eyes. I just… didn't expect this to happen so soon."
"'Happen so soon?' What do you mean?"
Kaeya looked away from him, his old pensive expression re-emerging. "It's nothing to be concerned about. I… don't think we've met. Kaeya. Kaeya Alberich. Cavalry Captain of the Knight of Favonius… and, well-"
"Ahh, that was soo good! Paimon's full…" another shrill voice, Paimon, finally spoke up. "Wait, where's Amber? And who are you?! What did Paimon miss?"
Subaru chuckled and ruffled his partner's hair. "I was just gonna introduce myself to Alberich-san here."
"Kaeya, please," Kaeya interrupted. "Not many people here prefer to use their last names in conversation."
"Oh, Kaeya, huh?" Paimon said, turning back to him. "Wait, you're the guy that stopped those guards from killing Paimon!"
"Ah, I'm so sorry for that, it was a simple misunderstanding," Kaeya replied, his voice now a lot smoother than before. "I am just glad that we found your friend in time. I'm guessing that this is your friend?"
"Yep! Thanks for saving him, Kaeya!"
"Oh, don't thank me, I just gave the order. You should thank the two gate guards, Lawrence and Swan; they were the ones that went with you to help, after all."
"Hmph! Paimon's not gonna thank them at all!"
Subaru and Kaeya chuckled upon hearing Paimon's haughtiness.
"Anyway, Kaeya, right?" Subaru asked, slowly standing up.
"Oh no, he's going to do it again!" Paimon voiced out, making Kaeya drop his folded arms in caution.
That was when Subaru jutted out his hips and raised a finger to the air. "I'm Natsuki Subaru, first name Subaru! I'm broke, unemployed, illiterate and hopeless, but I can beat up some hilichurls!"
Kaeya sniggered upon seeing Subaru's display, as did everyone in that square. "I'm pretty sure everyone in this square knows who you are with that introduction," Kaeya said. "However, I've already heard of your feats, Natsuki Subaru."
"My feats?" Subaru asked. "What do you mean?"
"Hmm? I thought some would have asked you about it, especially that one who was with you a moment ago. You've become quite famous for defeating that mitachurl, you know?"
"Wait, really?"
"Yes, you have. Some are asking if you'd become a Knight of Favonius at some point. So, what do you say? Are you willing to become a knight?"
Subaru took a moment, taking another bite of his Sticky Honey Roast pensively. "I… well… I want to accept, you know? But I've already got something to do, and I might not stay in Mondstadt because of that."
"Ah, I see, you're a Traveller," Kaeya replied. "In that case, we understand. However, depending on your actions from now on, we may be forced to give you some position among the knights. Don't worry about your freedom being taken from you, however. As the people of Mondstadt, taking away one's freedom stands well against our legacy."
Subaru nodded. "Huh, alright. Well, as long as I'm still able to find Rem, then nothing else matters."
"Very well. As for your introduction, didn't you say that you were broke and unemployed? I recommend that you talk to Katheryne of the Adventurer's Guild. She may be able to help you with those matters. Your illiteracy is a more pressing concern, however. Hmm, I know who to ask for help in that field, expect a visit from her tomorrow."
"Oh wow, thanks for that!" Subaru said, finally finishing off his Sticky Honey Roast. "Can you show me where the Adventurer's Guild is?"
"Well, it's not like I have anything better to do. Please follow me."
"Ad Astra Abyssosque. Welcome to the Adventurer's Guild. Ah, Sir Kaeya, what brings you here?"
Unusually, the Adventurer's Guild wasn't inside some tavern like Subaru had expected. The receptionist was standing by the window of some kind of roadside stall, representing the Guild.
"Hello, Katheryne," Kaeya said. "I would like you to meet the Traveller we had recently rescued."
Subaru started to lift his hand into the air when-
"His name is Subaru Natsuki, and his flying partner is Paimon," Kaeya spoke up for him.
"Hey, I wanted to pull off my intro!" Subaru chided. "And it's not Subaru Natsuki, it's Natsuki Subaru!"
"But isn't your first name Subaru?"
"Well yeah, but it's too weird for me to say it like that! Let me keep my traditions!"
"Hehe," Paimon chuckled from nearby. "You didn't pull off your lame pose, Stinky Space~!"
"Okay, okay, don't rub it in, your fairy loli."
"Ah, I see," Katheryne interrupted for the two. "Natsuki Subaru and Paimon, yes? Are you, perhaps, from Inazuma? Do you have the necessary permits to be in Mondstadt?"
"Wait, permits?" Subaru echoed. "Oh, and no, I'm not from Inazuma. I'm just from a very similar place that's nowhere close by, honestly. But what do you mean by… permits?"
Since Subaru appeared in Mondstadt without any forewarning, he obviously didn't have any credentials with him. Even if he did, he knew that Earth-based transportation documents like a Passport, which he didn't have in the first place, wouldn't actually work here.
"She's referring to Inazuma's recent Sakoku Decree," Kaeya explained. "Just a while ago, Inazuma upgraded its border control to a severe degree. As of now, no one can enter Inazuma without acquiring the correct authorizations, nor can one leave without them. However, that's not why we're here."
"Wow, that sounds… scary," Paimon muttered off to the side.
Kaeya turned back to Katheryne. "Mr Subaru here was the one who defeated that mitachurl, alongside Outrider Amber. I believe you've already heard the rumours?"
"I have," Katheryne said. "However, I must confirm the details. Mr Natsuki Subaru, was it true that you defeated a hilichurl army and a mitachurl by yourself, saving our lone Outrider from it?"
"Huh?! What, no!" Subaru yelled back. "Wait, or… maybe it can be twisted like that…? Wait, no, here's what actually happened. I can turn myself into living hilichurl bait, so I worked with Amber to beat up a whole bunch of them. Amber did a lot more than me against them, the number of arrows there should say that well enough. As for the mitachurl, I worked with her as well, but I guess you can say that I saved her from it in the end."
"I see, please excuse our inability to decipher the situation. However, it would serve you well to know that Amber's arrows had been withdrawn by her weapon summoning, and we hadn't known what weapon you used. Your testimony does affirm the cause for the scorch marks in the area. Do you, perchance, possess a Vision?"
"A Vision? Well, not in the traditional sense," Subaru said. "I've been told that I do have a Vision inside my body, but it's damaged and I can't use it."
"Subaru's supposed to blow up because of that, but the Statue of the Seven healed him!" Paimon cheerily added.
"Oh… that is an unusually exceptional case," Katheryne replied. "Could you please tell me what brought you to Mondstadt, then?"
"Now, now," Kaeya interrupted, "You are not responsible for his interrogation. That will be conducted later."
"Wait, what's this about an interrogation?"
"Yeah, Paimon doesn't know what's going on either."
Katheryne ignored the two and responded. "I understand, Kaeya, but I cannot hand off the commission prize to an unauthorized person. I need to validate his reasons for being here, and only then can I give him his prize."
"Wait, did Paimon hear something about a prize?!" Paimon butt in. "Ooh, what is it?! Another Sticky Honey Roast?"
Subaru chuckled. "I don't think these guys are like Amber, Paimon. I'm pretty sure it's something like money, right?"
"You are correct," Katheryne said. "There were several commissions set out for the defeat of those hilichurls, and you had done it without our knowledge. I believe there were a couple for that mitachurl as well. All in all, you will be receiving the Mora assigned to each of these once I can confirm that you are not a threat."
"I see," Subaru said. "What's Mora?"
"Huh?! You don't even… oh, yeah," Paimon remarked with shock, only for her to fade out into realization. "Mora is basically money. You can buy as many Sticky Honey Roasts as you want if you have the Mora!"
Katheryne looked at the boy in confusion, as did Kaeya. "How do you not know about Mora of all things, Subaru?" Kaeya couldn't help but ask, Katheryne nodding in agreement to the question.
"Ah, well, I lost most of my memories. I don't really remember anything like that."
Subaru could have told them that he had come from another world, but he had no idea what they would do with such knowledge. In any case, he told himself that he would tell them once he learns more about this world and if he could trust it.
"So, Mora is your currency, huh? I'll definitely remember that, then."
"Very well," Katheryne replied. "I had asked you earlier why you had come to Mondstadt. Could you please give me the answer to that?"
"Ah, right," Subaru replied. "I managed to remember some things about my old life, mainly how there's someone that I need to look after. The thing is, I lost her. That's why I'm gonna go around Teyvat and try to find her. She might be the key to unlocking the rest of my memories, after all."
"I see," Katheryne replied. "Well, I believe there shouldn't be any trouble if we grant you your prize for now. However, I would like to make you an offer if you do not wish to join the knights."
Subaru sniggered. "Well, you shouldn't be talking about that with Mr Knight over here, you know?"
Looking to the side, Subaru tried to see how Kaeya would react to their exchange. However, he was looking at him. Kaeya was looking right at him for some reason, clearly not having listened to their conversation.
"Uhh, Kaeya? You okay?" Subaru asked, snapping his fingers in front of his face.
"Oh! Uh, sorry, I don't know what had come over me," Kaeya admitted, now turning back to Katheryne, despite keeping his downcast expression. "What were you talking about again?"
"I was about to invite the Traveller over here to join the Adventurer's Guild."
"Oh? I see, I believe he would benefit far more from joining the Guild than the knights. After all, he would be free to travel with you, won't he?"
"Of course, he will!"
"Wait, wait, are you guys reasoning out a pitch without me?!" Subaru cut into the conversation. "Tell me what's going on!"
Kaeya sighed as he turned back to Subaru. "The Knights of Favonius serve Mondstadt and Mondstadt alone. If you were to traverse to another nation, you would not receive support from the knights. However, the Adventurer's Guild is present across the entirety of Teyvat. It would be far more beneficial to you, as a Traveller, to join the Guild instead of the Knights. It would be a far steadier source of income."
"Wait, am I gonna be an actual adventurer?!" Subaru asked, jumping on the balls of his feet. "Like, a real monster-slaying, treasure-hunting adventurer?! Man, this is the isekai dream!"
"*Gasp* Is Paimon going to be able to buy more food?!" Paimon cut in as well.
"Stop begging for food so much, you fairy loli!"
"Shut up and make more money, Stinky Space! Paimon's getting hungry!"
"But we just ate?!"
"*Giggle*, you two are rather amusing," Katheryne said to the two while they were glaring and pouting at each other. "But yes, I am willing to let you join the Adventurer's Guild. If you have lost your memories, then you wouldn't remember if you had a job or not, yes?"
"Well, yeah, that's true." Subaru knew that it wasn't, since he had come to Teyvat from another world, but he had to keep up his guise. Hence, he lied.
"In that case, joining the Adventurer's Guild will serve as a good temporary profession. It is remarkably easy to start and stop working for us, and you can also treat this as a part-time job. This is one of the many reasons why Adventuring is such a popular profession, especially in Mondstadt."
"Huh, sounds cool," Subaru said. "Well, I don't see anything wrong with this, so I'll join up!"
"Now, now, please wait a moment, Subaru," Kaeya interrupted. "Even to become an Adventurer, there are several conditions you must meet. You've already satisfied a combat test in the form of your fight against the mitachurl, but I believe that there are intelligence tests as well, yes?"
"That is true, Sir Kaeya," Katheryne added. "There is a test being developed for future members of the Adventurer's Guild. However, since the test hasn't been completed yet, we are willing to accept Mr Subaru in light of his feats as well as the commission he will earn right now."
"Would you say that if you knew he was illiterate?"
"Oh? Illiterate? Yes, that could certainly change things," Katheryne said, leafing through a booklet on her desk. "Subaru, I assume that your illiteracy is because of your lack of memories. However, I will not lie and say that we are not willing to be partial to you. After all, you have become the talk of the town. You joining the Adventurer's Guild would drastically improve our presence and popularity."
"Huh, who knew?" Subaru wondered out loud. "So, what are we gonna do about my illiteracy?"
"Well, we can assign – "
"Not to worry, I know someone who has far too much time on their hands," Kaeya cut in. "After all, I'm sure that the Adventurer's Intelligence wouldn't be willing to teach Subaru how to read and write, so you would end up asking Noelle to teach him."
"I am unable to deny that statement, Sir Kaeya."
"In that case, I will take him to meet someone tomorrow," Kaeya said. "It has gotten rather late today, after all."
"Yes, that is true."
"Wait, what about Amber?" Subaru asked. "Didn't she say she was going to come back here?"
"The Outrider will most likely take time to finish her report to the Acting Grand Master," Kaeya explained. "What is more important is for you to have a place to stay for the night. I will inform Amber about your premises, no need to worry."
"Seriously, thanks a ton, Kaeya," Subaru said. "Without you, I wouldn't have gotten this far."
"No, the honour is mine," Kaeya retorted with a soft smile. "A far greater honour than you would imagine."
"Now, I believe there is the matter of your commission, Subaru," Katheryne cut in, lifting up a large sack that jingled as she brought it out. "Please accept this. This is your payment for the several commissions you had completed at once. On the day that you were unconscious, our investigators had taken the liberty of taking stock of how many cases were still open. Your ability took care of far more commissions than we had anticipated." She placed the sack on her countertop.
"This sack contains a numeric value of 1,450,000 Mora," Katheryne explained, making Subaru's and Paimon's eyes widen in surprise. "Please take care of it. Natsuki Subaru and Paimon, welcome to the Adventurer's Guild."
"Wow," Subaru gaped at the sack before him. Slowly walking up to it, he unfurled the knot on top, revealing the bright gleam of gold from within. The sack was filled to the brim with gold coins. "I just became an overnight millionaire."
"So… So much food…" Paimon groaned from nearby, floating haywire in a supine position, drooling.
"Of course, asking you to carry it all right now will be too cruel; not even I could lift it all. It would be difficult to keep all this stowed away as it is, even with summoning techniques," she said. "That is why we had implemented a bank-like system for our members. You can stow your savings into our account and withdraw them whenever you need them."
"Banks, too?" Subaru bemoaned. "Seriously, this is supposed to be an isekai! Why are there so many modern concepts! Please don't tell me you have taxes as well…"
"There is always going to be some form of taxation no matter where you go, Subaru," Kaeya replied. "Even in a land as free as Mondstadt, even though we mainly charge taxes for goods and services. Lucky for you, unlike other places, Mondstadt does not tax on residence."
"Huh, really? Isn't that… I don't know, essential?"
"Normally it would be, but Mondstadt thrives on its alcohol sales. Our Dawn Winery is the primary source of good drink across the whole of Teyvat."
"Whoa, that's interesting… too bad I'm 17, though. Or am I now? I don't know, I lost my memories," Subaru muttered. "Still, it's a bummer to hear about taxes. I thought I'd be free of that at least."
"Haha, it's something that everyone must go through, even you, Subaru," Kaeya decreed. "However, as you put it, you're now an overnight millionaire. Remember to take care of your new fortune."
"Right, I get that. I'll do my best."
"I'm glad to hear that," Katheryne added. "However, there is one more thing that I need to note in your registration for the Adventurer's Guild. What weapon do you use?"
"Oh, my weapon?" Subaru echoed, then unfurled the whip tied to his waist, cracking it in the air, making everyone in the square jolt in surprise. "Here's my whip! I don't remember the name, but it served me well! Muscle memory really helped me out!"
"A whip? That… is rather unusual," Katheryne remarked. "Most warriors in Teyvat use either a weapon with metal like swords or spears, or a catalyst that allows them to channel their Vision's Elemental Energy. Out of the five standard weapons, a whip can be considered to be exotic. For good reason too, there are many situations where a whip cannot be reliable."
"How about I show him the ropes?" Kaeya said, resting a hand on Katheryne's countertop. "I can train him for a suitable weapon if he so desires."
"Another weapon? Well, I've got the whip already, it'll feel like I'm cheating on it…"
"Hey, Paimon thinks you should take it! Also, it's a weapon, who cares if you cheat on it?!"
"AaaAH! Okay, fine! I'll learn another weapon, okay!" Subaru looked down at his free hand and flexed his fingers. "I'm also kinda curious how I'd be with my new strength."
Subaru looked back up at Kaeya. "So, what weapon am I gonna use?! A pure, knightly sword? A ranged, firing bow like Amber?"
Kaeya chuckled at Subaru's reaction. "Don't worry, we'll decide upon one tomorrow."
"Very well, in that case, I'll leave his main weapon as undecided for now, and provide his secondary weapon as his whip," Katheryne said, now scribbling in her notebook. "We also have temporary quarters in which you can live until you find an actual residence. You can stay there rent-free for the next week, but after that, we will start charging you per day."
"Man, sometimes I really wonder if this is an isekai world or a carbon copy of Japan," Subaru wondered out loud. "Well, not like rent's gonna be a big issue with the Mora I just got."
Kaeya chuckled. "You might not want to veer in that direction. One must always be careful about how they spend, after all."
"Yeah, yeah, Mom, I get it."
"Very well," Katheryne cut in. "I believe that we can call it a day for today. Kaeya, could you please escort Subaru to the Adventurer's Guild Headquarters?"
"Sure. Leave it to me."
Subaru slowly opened his eyes.
'Yeah, I remember this ceiling from last night.'
He slowly sat upon his bed, only to wince as the sunlight shone in his eyes from the uncovered windows.
'Why didn't I shut the curtains last night?! Oh right, I was deadbeat from Amber's flight training.'
"Hey, Stinky Space!" A sound of sparkles emerged from his side, releasing that familiar voice. "Good Morning! Did you sleep well?"
Subaru gently rubbed his eyes.
"Well, not exactly. But I'm alright, don't worry."
Subaru was constantly plagued by nightmares the previous night. All his deaths in the other world kept playing over and over again, their pain reiterating themselves to his body. His mind held constant dreams of death made real, for he had truly experienced it.
"Oh, well, Paimon's glad to hear you're okay. Let's get going!"
Subaru let out a loud yawn as he stretched into a stand. Still rubbing his drooping eyes, he made his way to the bathroom. The reception at the Headquarters was very welcoming; they made sure he had everything he needed, including a change of clothes, towels, a grooming kit and toiletries.
"Who knew that brushing your teeth would be done the same way in an isekai…"
Spreading the bluish-green toothpaste onto his brush, Subaru looked up at the mirror.
He was fine. Unblemished skin. No scars. Despite everything he had been through, there was no sign of his injuries.
He dropped the brush immediately and rushed to the closet, dry heaving into it.
'I'm still not over that?!' Subaru screamed in his head as he fought to settle the bile rising to his throat. 'What the hell, can I just not look at my reflection anymore?'
Subaru sighed out loud. He was glad that he didn't have mirrors in the bedroom. He was also lucky that he hadn't bothered to look at his reflection the previous night when he was brushing. But now he had to be careful to not look at himself anymore. His mental state couldn't help him with that.
Now washing his brush free of the tainted paste, he reapplied his earlier motions and brought it up to his mouth, immediately turning away from the mirror to keep from looking at himself.
Once he was done freshening up, Subaru made sure that Paimon brushed her teeth as well. An act filled with constant grumbling and leaping, as Paimon was the most reluctant to do something as important as brushing your teeth.
"Paimon, seriously, get down here and brush your teeth!"
"No! That stuff is nasty! Paimon hates it!"
"Well, don't you want to eat food today? You can't without brushing your teeth."
That sentence shut her up immediately.
Chortling at how childish Paimon acted at times, Subaru finally left the room he was quartered in with Paimon in tow.
"Ah, you must be Natsuki Subaru!"
Subaru jerked back at the sudden voice. Looking to the side, he noticed a large, burly man with blond hair and beard wearing a monocle and a uniform comprising a white undershirt, a brown waistcoat, green pants, and a red tie, roaring in laughter at his expression.
"What the hell, you scared me!"
"HAHA, don't worry about it!" the man roared out with a seemingly Russian accented voice, far louder than necessary. "Now that you're here, let me cordially invite you to the Adventurer's Guild, Natsuki Subaru! I'm Cyrus, Branch Master of the Guild in Mondstadt! If you have any issues with adventuring, make sure to come to me!"
"Ah, okay?" Subaru questioningly replied, cautiously outstretching a hand. "Nice to meet you."
Cyrus immediately grabbed Subaru's hand and vigorously shook it, rattling Subaru's still drowsy body.
"No, the pleasure's all mine, Subaru! After all, you don't meet someone who single-handedly defeated a mitachurl every day, after all!"
"Man, how far has that story gone…?" Subaru pondered out loud. "Listen, I had Amber helping me, alright?"
"Maybe, but didn't you land the killing blow? We took record of how you were holding onto the same mitachurl's axe that was driven into its neck, after all."
"Ah, crap, seems like they got everything."
"Hehe, don't worry, Stinky Space! Everybody knows all your secrets~!"
"AH! Ahaha, you scared me there!" Cyrus roared yet again. "You… were the one that caused that commotion with Lawrence and Swan those days ago, yes? What was your name…"
"Hey! Paimon is Paimon! Don't tell me Stinky Space is more popular than me now!"
"Ahaha, yes that's it! Now, Natsuki Subaru and Paimon… right! Katheryne briefed me about you two already. Rise and Shine, Good Morning!"
Subaru chuckled at the man before him. "Good Morning, old man."
"Hey! Who're you calling an old man?!"
"Anyone who wears a monocle of all things is an old man in my eyes."
"Come on! Why does everyone say that! Are monocles not the new… hip thing anymore?! Damn young'uns…"
"See! You just admitted it!"
"Blast it! You got me!"
Paimon shrilly laughed upon seeing their back and forth. "Wow, you two are like two peas in a pod!"
"Heh, I could say the same about you two," Cyrus replied. "I don't even have to know you both well enough to know that you share an unnatural synergy."
"Heh, thanks," Subaru said. "I've been putting up with this tsundere fairy loli for about two days now, and I'm already fed up with her. Nothing but food in her mind."
"Hey! Says the guy who's only useful at making himself so smelly that hilichurls want to kill him!"
Subaru chortled at Paimon's retort, then gently ran his hand over her head. Paimon's little grumbles from the headpat managed to wake him up for the rest of the day.
Cyrus laughs at the two once more. "I can already see you two'll fit right into Mondstadt! Now, I know you're not gonna go on any adventures soon, but when you do, let me know. I'll show you the ropes, and give you a couple tips and tricks."
"I'd really appreciate that, Cyrus-san."
"Oh, come on, quit it with the Inazuman traditions! Cyrus will do!"
"A-Ah, yeah, it'll take me a bit to get used to that, Cyrus-sa-s-s-mm."
"Heh, used a little too much effort there, huh?" Cyrus clapped Subaru's shoulder, making him choke out a breath from the impact. "Don't worry, kiddo. You'll get used to it in no time, flat."
"Y-Yeah, I hope so."
"Now, there's something you need to know, kid. About the Adventurer's Guild," Cyrus levelled a serious look at him, one that made Subaru's smile fade away. "You gotta do your Daily Commissions."
"… Huh?"
"Well, I don't know for your case, you have got to ask Katheryne anyway. But every Adventuring Team gets Daily Commissions," Cyrus explained. "Last I heard, we've got a shortage of them due to you."
"A-Ah, sorry about that," Subaru muttered. "I didn't realize that I was taking away your livelihood there."
"No harm done, kid!" Cyrus roared with yet another fit of laughter. "All you've done is save us from the fight, all their treasure's left behind for us, after all! Now, get going. I'm sure you've got quite the day ahead of you, eh?"
"Yeah. See you, Cyrus-san!"
"Cyrus! It's Cyrus!"
A/N: I have arisen from the dead only to enter my grave once more. Just like this one, the next chapter's gonna take a while to come out. My Uni semester's going on in full steam right now. I'm actually supposed to be working on assignments at this moment.
Oh god, someone please save me from this. I hate writing this segment. This break between arcs is killing me by boredom. Hopefully the next chapter will be the last one with the break involved, because these chapters are bleeding me dry. And I am slowly running out of fucks to give for this story, honestly. I genuinely hate to say it, but I might not continue this. I will, however, keep trying for now. I don't know if this reaction is because I'm in the middle of this break period in the story arcs or not, but it's a clear sign that I haven't planned out this arc completely. Which I haven't. But I'm still gonna try for now. I'll probably be rushing the break period though, might come back to it to improve it later.
Alright, another plethora of reviews for me.
SomeRandomMexican: 1. No, he won't get it fixed.
2. His Dragon's Blood is an essential to the story. There is a lot it's going to be able to do.
3, 4 and 5. Sorry, I can't say. You'll have to wait until I get to it.
Qsofyoos: No, his gate won't get fixed. I'm not planning to let it get fixed in the whole story.
worrierfierce: Ah well, I failed. Ran out of primogems. However, I'm gonna save up for Hu Tao for now, even though I would find Xiao better.
The Heretic Slayer 69: Well, that's a good theory. I won't tell you if that's the actual case or not, though.
Ken: Okay, so I applaud your thought process, but there's no real complex reason for it. Well, there is, but it's none of those. I won't be telling the reason just yet though, even though it's a pretty simple one. Also, Subaru can't fly. I dunno where you got that bit from.
As for the VAs, I'm seriously planning on exploiting them.
Crimsonsage: Hm, thanks for letting me know about the curses. That's something I can genuinely consider for the story. Although, I'm pretty sure it's not going to have any major difference.
RainEStar: Thanks! For a writer as sadistic as me, that's high praise.
loaf of cat: I've never heard of that, honestly. I'd love it if you could give me a source for that, though. I mean, looking back, I do agree that Lisa bringing in Wind Gliders is not appropriate since they probably existed way before that. But that was just off the top of my head, mainly because I didn't know much about the history of Wind Gliders.
And that's all. Now, I'm gonna be gone for another couple weeks only to upload yet another boring chapter. Hopefully I can feel better writing this when I get to torturing Subaru with Dvalin.
Yeah, I probably have issues. I prefer to handle them by putting them into my writing, though.
Anyway, I'll see you next chapter!
