Business was better compared to other days - Diluc’s hands were just a tiny bit sore from the mugs and glasses he had to wash over the course of their open hours. Talks of a match drove additional patrons into the establishment, and from there the rest of it was profit. And while he wasn’t disappointed about the income, he found himself on edge.
“Can you believe it? The Acting Grand Master and this Hydro wielder-”
“The Acting Grand Master? Lose? Never have I-”
It was supposed to be a “friendly” match. More of a testing of limits. Push and pull, just enough for the two combatants to learn from the other. But Diluc was privy to more than the average citizen. He put the last cup down and took a deep breath before moving onto the mugs.
He had yet to see the full might of the Fatui Harbinger, but he at least knew his real name - Ajax. And as direct as he was, the way he challenged Jean was less so. Perhaps even he knew that a direct approach would simply be rebuffed.
For whatever reason she accepted. The Honorary Knight would oversee the fight and ensure that no lasting or fatal damage was done. And it was to take place in a field far away from the rest of the Mondstadt’s populace, just out of reach for the daily citizen to make a detour for.
Him included. There would be no easy way for him to get the information directly - all he would get is the second-hand stories from the patrons who would either come to celebrate or wallow in pity at Jean’s outcome.
He was told the Honorary Knight looked like she was going to call the match several minutes in, a pained look on her face. But with no clear victor, she was forced to bide her time. It was, after all, just a friendly contest between onlookers - beautiful artifacts of water, strategic placement of wind, all who were present were entranced.
However, there was one clear outcome in the end. After both fighters dodged the other for long enough, there was one more bout. In the last second, Jean threw her weapon away, the blade digging into the soft grass. A quick duck, another blast of wind, it looked like any other clash where one backed away from the other. But as Childe extended his hands again to recreate his weapons, he was met with nothing. When he looked back at her, the glint of his vision was in her hand and the match was called.
Leave it to her to think of the riskiest option available and take it. It was unusual of her, though.
He set the final mug down harder than he anticipated - just as a set of light knocks hit the door. “We’re an hour past closing, you know. Did you need something?”
“I… was hoping you could make an exception.”
Diluc knew that voice, and in an instant he was at the door,
She tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, closing her eyes and taking a sharp breath. “Hello Master Diluc.”
Technically she didn’t have to call him by that title. He may have been the owner of the Dawn Winery and the Angel’s Share, but even the common citizen did not refer to him as that. Perhaps it was just a habit. “No one has to call me that anymore, you know.” She moved to one of the stools at the bar, gingerly putting a hand onto it before quickly taking a seat on it. Usually she never took a seat - perhaps today she wanted to be a simple customer after the day’s hubbub.
He took a breath and walked behind the counter to look her in the eyes. “Is there something I can get you?”
“Anything that isn’t water, perhaps,” she looked ready to slump over. “I had enough of it in my little contest.”
Diluc didn’t want to offer alcohol just yet, so instead he went to the far side of the bar. “Will juice be fine, then? Or maybe you would prefer some coffee?”
After a pause he fetched a glass. “I recently invested in a new type of fruit from a supplier. I’m told its juice has a similar effect to coffee. You might like it.”
When he was all done, he set the pink liquid down just a tiny bit out of her arm’s reach. She stared at it, lips grimaced, but finally she stretched out her arm and leaned forward to bring it close to her. There was a revealing wince, and she just as slowly brought the cup back to her.
He scoffed. “So you have an injury. Tell me you didn’t continue your day without taking care of it properly.”
She took a sip, staring into the liquid. “You know how I use my Vision. It’ll be fine by tomorrow morning.”
“So if you’re not worried about your injury, why are you here?” He shot a look at her. “And why did you accept the match, anyway?”
“He said that if I declined, he would try to challenge you to a duel instead.”
He took a deep breath before huffing, “Did you think I would lose to that buffoon? And why would I even accept in the first place? I have better things to do.”
“Unlike a friendly match, a duel ends when the other can’t proceed anymore.” She downed the rest of her drink. “Besides, I haven’t forgotten where he is from, even if he seems to be friends with the Honorary Knight. It’s better to keep your status… veiled. Everyone knows I’m the Acting Grand Master. Even if I were to lose, nothing terrible would come from it. Not everyone else knows about you, though, and neither do they need to.”
So she wanted to protect him, then. “I don’t know if I should be thankful or call you a fool.”
She put the glass back down on the counter. “I can’t protect Mondstadt on my own. And the longer I sit in my office, the more and more I realize that I am simply denying the truth.” She looked him in the eyes. “I need you, whether it’s in an official capacity or otherwise.”
“And are the Knights of Favonius not enough?”
“They are all irreplaceable and play a role in defending Mondstadt. You more so than the others, whether you believe it or not.”
“I’m not a knight anymore, you know.”
She stood up from her seat, no longer hiding the effects of her injury. If Diluc looked more closely than he would have liked, it appeared as though she was sporting a dark bruise across one side of her ribs. Maybe Childe got the hit when she was trying to take his Vision. “I know, but I’ve always felt that under certain circumstances you wouldn’t be much different from one. All you lack is your old uniform, but because of that you can do things I can’t.”
Diluc’s eyes narrowed. “Is that all you came here to tell me, then? That I’m no different than one of your knights?”
“No,” she firmly looked him in the eye again. “I came to tell you that we can’t continue protecting Mondstadt separately. We owe a great deal to the Honorary Knight, but she’s walking a dangerous path. I don’t think it’s her intention to harm Mondstadt, but we need to be ready. You and I want the same thing - we should start being allies instead of being at arm’s length with each other.”
She didn’t have to tell him that for him to know. “Isn’t that what we’re doing already?” The whole visit seemed stilted, like she had some other reason to be here but didn’t want to say it.
“It is,” she said, “and I hope to continue that part of our relationship.” She paused right before reaching for the doorknob. For a moment Diluc thought it was out of pain, but she turned herself to face him.
“You… You look well. That’s good.”
And with that she was gone into the night. The next day continued on, and then the next one, and the next one after that. The match was the talk of the town for a while before dying out. But her last few words stuck with him for longer than he wanted to think about.
A/N: Yeah, I play Genshin Impact too lol :S I will admit that I wasn’t immediately onboard with the ship, but it’s likeable enough for me to do this at least.