𝐬𝐤𝐲𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫 || 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭

𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐞𝐬

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The next morning, I woke up at the Dawn Winery, all my newer injuries patched up. Probably one of Diluc's guest rooms. I sat up, my head pounding, and tried to get out of bed. One of the maids told me not to move too much, before introducing herself as Hillie. She helped me get changed into a fresh set of clothes, consisting of a white shirt that was a bit big, and a skirt that was a little tight around the waistband. A few adjustments made things normal. My normal clothing wasn't in the best shape, but the boots and coat made it just fine.

One of the other maids, Moco, had taken charge of the food I was eating, and kept my injuries in check. Once they were sure I would be alright, they sent me on my way to Mondstadt, and wished me well. I thanked them both for the help, and asked if they could send Diluc my thanks. Adelinde dragged them inside to clean after all that. Such sweet people, I'm glad I still remember them.

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"Greetings, may I take your order?"

I placed my order at Good Hunter, planning to find a nice place to sit and keep an eye out for Aether or Paimon. Instead, I was greeted by Kaeya's voice, and I immediately turned to face him, slightly surprised.

"Why so cold? I've always thought that we enjoy quite the intimate friendship."

"Oh hey, I didn't see you there..."

"Hahaha... It seems your great battle sharpened not only your combat skills but your wit as well. A knight after my own heart. To bask in the presence of Mondstadt's new big hero is quite the morale boost. And that's coming from a knight."

"Sweet-talking sugar-coated Captain Kaeya..."

"Haha, nonsense! I speak from the heart."

"Sure you do. Something's on your mind, I can tell."

"You're quite perceptive."

"What's going on this time?"

"The Abyss Order. A dragon wreaks havoc in Mondstadt, and the Acting Grand Master leaves the city to combat the threat. Strategically, that's the perfect moment for the Abyss Order to make their move. If you were with the Abyss Order, would you squander this golden opportunity by sending in nothing more than a few hilichurls?"

"I'm no strategist, but that right there is a plan that is guaranteed to fall through. There seems to be something else behind it all. So what did you do about it?"

"To get to the bottom of it, I decided to wait. So I waited, and watched for their next move. Then came the day when you made all hell break loose in Stormterror's Lair, just as hilichurls' cries sounded from the city gates... The same day, I saw shadowy figures lurking in the city itself."