Chapter Text
A few days later, you once again find yourself at the base of the snowy mountain. This time, your task at hand is to retrieve Flora’s flower boxes that you buried only days prior. Knowing this commission would be handed to you (and thankful for the guaranteed payment), and perhaps influenced by a certain mysterious red-haired wine tycoon, you made sure to better prepare yourself to the best of your ability for this mountain trek.
Yes, you bought a coat.
Well, it’s really more of a light jacket than a winter coat, but high quality fabric does not come cheap in Mondstadt, despite the hulking snow-covered mountain that always looms in your periphery. While being an adventurer is a privilege, and you’re grateful that you can make a living by exploring and completing commissions, an Adventurer’s Salary is far from glamorous, even if you're as noteworthy as Stanley himself! The money is good for daily drinks at the taverns, and paying rent mostly on time, but doesn’t leave room for much else, unfortunately. On the bright side, it’s more of a jacket than your cardigan, which you recall Master Diluc ever-so-chivalrously berating you for wearing on the mountain during your previous encounter; but it’ll take years of commissions before you save up enough to buy a jacket as nice as his.
So, donning your jacket and some old gloves you dug up from your training days (but does the grind ever truly stop?) you begin to make your way back up the mountain. Your first stop: the Statue of the Seven.
Weird that there’s a statue of the anemo archon here, but for some reason, my anemo treasure compass never seems to work… you think to yourself.
The trek along the Snow-Covered Path to the statue is a short one, and you miraculously don’t run into any trouble-causing Fatui or Treasure Hoarders. You find that slightly strange, since you see empty camps along your path with no sign of people, but take your blessing for what it is. Your luck runs out, however, when you reach your landmark and see many messy footprints, but no box of Flora’s flowers in sight.
Damn, you curse to yourself, who even steals a box of flowers? There’s supply stations along the mountain for food. What good is a snow-covered box of Cecilias?
You make a note that the flowers were taken, thinking maybe if Flora asks you to do this again, you can have her make a sign. Maybe ‘Property of Floral Whisper, please do not touch’ would work?
Eh, who knows. This is a lawless land. And what if it was an animal? They probably can’t read.
With the sun high in the sky, you start towards the next box at the cavern entrance.
—
Two for two? Really? At the entrance to Starglow Cavern once again lies a set of messy footprints, and absolutely no boxes of flowers whatsoever. This is already useless if I return with only one box, Flora can’t do any comparisons then, you think to yourself. The least I can do is look around.
On the bright side, the footprints aren't just a snowy mess this time – rather, they seem to lead further into the cavern instead. If a stray hilichurl picked up the box - though the footprints don’t seem to match - it would be easy to defeat, thanks to your trademarked Adventurer’s Experience. And maybe the flower box would still be intact enough to bring back to Flora for analysis, therefore guaranteeing my payment. With your mind made up, you draw your weapon just in case, and begin to follow the trail.
It doesn’t take long for the air to get even colder, and just as you think the sheer cold might be making you hallucinate, you hear agitated voices around the corner: “Who buries a box of flowers on Dragonspine? This is useless! I wanted treasure!”
You refrain yourself from groaning out loud, lest you give your position away, but all hope for a quick job is ruined as you realize that the no-brained Treasure Hoarders assumed Flora’s flower boxes were some ancient buried treasure that was easily dug up. Idiots. Slowly creeping around the bend of the cavern, you take note of five Treasure Hoarders visible, at least two that are out of view, and a… broken flower box.
Barbatos protect them, you pray, as they have now gotten between you and that sweet, sweet payment that Flora definitely would’ve given you, had you brought back all three boxes, labelled and intact, ready for analysis. You’ll still get paid for one box, if by some miracle there is one left intact, but it will definitely be lackluster, and you have no desire to try to manipulate a child into paying you full price when the commission remains technically incomplete.
“Hey! Who the hell are you?!” Aw shit. Your cover’s blown.
Whatever; fight first, ask questions later, as they say.
—
Next thing you know, you’ve got two scouts down, and about five more Treasure Hoarders to go. Why there’s so many on Dragonspine of all places, the world may never know. You turn to your right, weapon gleaming through the air, when you realize you’ve lined yourself in direct shot of a cryo potioneer. Damn, this is gonna hurt, you think, bracing yourself for the bone-chilling (and perhaps hypothermia-causing) rush of cryo, while blocking an attack from a Treasure Hoarder Scout.
However, the impact you were bracing for never came, and all you heard was a thud, along with a set of heavy footfalls. You make quick work of the remaining scouts and turn around, fighting stance still at the ready, when you’re greeted with the sight of red on black.
“Master Diluc,” you greet, breathless from the fight. In the ruckus of fading adrenaline and trying to get your bearings, Master Diluc moves to shove something into his coat pocket, but it escapes your notice, still reeling from the fight and lack of nearby heat sources.
He greets you in return, while not-so-subtly checking you over for any possible injuries.
Once you’ve ensured that every Treasure Hoarder is knocked out or otherwise injured, you attempt to pick up the dregs of the flower box, but it’s no use. After being dumped onto the ground, they’ve wilted enough that there’s no way for them to be an accurate measure of cold preservation. Flora is going to be so disappointed, you think. You hate disappointing your commissioners, especially ones you’ve managed to build a steady relationship with as an adventurer over the years.
With a heavy feeling in your chest, this time not from the sheer cold slowly accumulating, you turn to him. “Well Master Diluc, we meet again. Thanks for the assist, though I had it covered.”
“Of course you did,” he replies, his deadpan tone carrying a truthful weight to it as he finishes cataloguing the scene: seven Treasure Hoarders taken down seamlessly, only two being his own handiwork.
Wishing to forget about this failed commission, you change the subject. “So, what do you think about my coat?” you inquire, waving your hands to gesture to your latest acquisition. Surely he doesn’t remember what you were wearing when you last met just a few days ago, he’s a busy man after all, but the surprise altercation with the Treasure Hoarders has the atmosphere between you two feeling surprisingly tense.
He gives you another once-over, but now the judgement in his stare far outweighs the previous concern. “And this is any better than what you wore last time how…?” Master Diluc asks, and you let out a noise somewhere between a scoff and a laugh in return.
“Well for starters, I’m wearing a coat,” you laugh as you clean up the remnants of the flowers and flower box to transport back as proof.
“Is that the dictionary definition?”
You scoff in mock-offense. “Pardon me, rich man. What is this, 100% Natlanese Alpaca fleece?” You grab the front of his coat, rubbing the material between your fingers.
“Slothsheep wool from Nod Krai, actually. And this… coat, of yours… is what, dandelion fuzz?”
“Ha ha,” you roll your eyes. You stand with the wilted flowers in hand and sigh, putting them into a rucksack for easier transport.
“Well, I imagine you have winery work to get back to, though why you’re even in Dragonspine is a mystery to me, but it was good seeing you.” You struggle once again to think of a less awkward way to bid Master Diluc adieu in order to continue your commission and get the heck back to Mond A.S.A.P. You settle on: “You, uh… you fight well.”
Of course he fights well, he was the cavalry captain however-many years ago, for Barbatos’s sake.
“As do you… If you need, though I’m sure you don’t, I could walk with you down the mountain?”
“I don’t need an escort, per-say, but if you’re offering…” you trail off, the cold seeping into your bones quickly changing your mind about sending him on his merry (and perhaps murderous, given last time, but who’s to say) way. “I’m heading down to the lake, the same one from last time. Hopefully the flowers there are actually intact, though it doesn’t really matter at this point.” You grumble the last part out loud, the lackluster reward inevitably awaiting you already makes this commission close to pointless, but such can be the life of an adventurer.
To your surprise, the last box of flowers was indeed intact, though you still shudder at the thought of disappointing Flora, even though none of this fiasco was your fault. You must remind her to make a sign next time, though do Treasure Hoarders even pay attention to those? Further research is required.
You do stay close to the wine tycoon and his fancy slothsheep wool coat (no animal cruelty required) in an attempt to capture the heat he radiates. The breaks you take at the mysterious heat sources never feel like enough, not even with your coat, but with Master Diluc by your side, and your knowledge of the path from your last trek through Dragonspine, you return to the border far faster than before.
You find yourself with company, this time as you return to Mondstadt, one full undisturbed box of cold flowers in hand. The fork in the road is not the source of your parting, it seems, as you continue having one pyro vision holder by your side as you pass the road to Dawn Winery.
As if sensing your inquisitive gaze lingering on him, Diluc speaks up. “I hope you don’t mind me accompanying you to the city, I have a shift at Angel’s Share this evening.”
“Is Charles out sick?” you ask, worried about one of Mondstadt’s Top 5 Bartenders.
“Just a personal day,” Diluc clarifies. “I didn’t think you were at Angel’s Share often enough to be worried.”
“Well, this is Mondstadt after all, though I do usually spend time at the Cat’s Tail.” Remembering that the establishment is technically his competitor, you add a: “Sorry. Maybe I’ll stop by for a drink tonight, I don’t think I’ve sampled your bartending skills yet; I’m sure they’re highly sought after.”
“The bar might be crowded, but I suppose I can save you a seat.”
“I’d like that,” you say, and you mean it.
—
Walking through the front gates, the first thing you hear is “Master Diluc” wistfully spoken into the air.
Oh Barbatos, she’s at it again.
You nod at Diluc as you stop in front of Floral Whisper, and he nods back as he continues to the right.
“Hey Donna, is Flora around?” Donna seems unable to snap out of her undeniably Diluc-induced stupor, but it doesn’t matter as Flora comes running up to you. Her expression is hopeful, which makes you feel even worse as you present her with your rucksack. Maybe I will need that drink later.
“How are the flowers that we stored away on Dragonspine earlier?”
“I only managed to retrieve one of them… I’m sorry, Flora.”
“Um…” Flora trails off. “Well, alright then. It is quite hard to predict conditions on that mountain, after all. But if we only have one, then we can’t make any comparisons. I suppose we’ll just have to wait for an opportunity to have another look… Thank you for taking the trouble, though. Here, I prepared this as your compensation.”
“Of course! Some Treasure Hoarders disturbed one of the boxes, which is why it’s broken. Maybe if you add a sign next time, they might consider leaving it alone? Just an idea.”
“I’ll have to think about it! I can get Donna to make one, right?” Hearing her boss’s voice is what finally causes Donna to snap out of her Master Diluc daydreams, and she readily agrees. Flora turns back to you, “You’re the best adventurer for this commission I’ve gotten, so I might need to call upon your help in the future as well.”
“Sure thing, Flora. Oh, and Donna? Master Diluc’s working at Angel’s Share tonight.” You watch as her eyes light up, and with your commission money, you head to the tavern where you hope Master Diluc did save you that seat.