paradoxical | genshin impact

07 : brother.

To the person I hold very much dear,

Is the weather in the city treating you well? What about that in the Vale? Adelinde told me about your decision to join the Adventurers, and while I do have my own doubts, I trust your judgement—even if it may appear otherwise.

I believe my behavior was misplaced in our last meeting. To say such a thing in your own home... I would have knocked on your doorstep to deliver my apologies, but as always, there's a darkness looming over the Mond. Just as I trust in you, I hope you harbor the same faith for the things I do.

Of course, I have not forgotten my obligations. The wine-toasting event is nearly upon us, and while I have no interest in mingling with the city's elite and the ever-inefficient Knights of Favonius, it is my duty as the master of the Winery to see it through.

And as my partner, it is your duty to simply...be as you are.

When you are by my side, I offer no room for the distress you showed the day we last shared drinks in the manor. All I ask is for you to rely on me as we stand before the crowd that will undoubtedly greet us. There will be unsolicited opinions here and there, yes, but these should not sway you—for they are merely the views of people who do not matter in the slightest.

I suppose my catching up ends here. I wish you nothing but goodwill as you climb the ranks of the Adventurers' Guild, as with your other walks in life.

Shine True,

Diluc Ragnvindr

"Hey."

Folding the parchment in your hands, you jolted at the sound of your trainer's voice. "Yes, Miss Mona?"

The astrologer sighed as she braced her hands on her hips. "I told you just Mona is fine. But then again... I am your teacher. Ah, never mind that. You're spacing out again."

And she was right. It was your first day of rookie training, and your mind was everywhere but the task at hand. Your job was pretty simple. All you had to do was pitch a tent—easy as pie! But every time Mona took her eyes off you to divine your fate or something by the sunsettia trees, you couldn't help but take out the wrinkled-beyond-belief letter tucked in the lapels of your vest.

It's pretty silly, actually—for you to read through Diluc's suspiciously elegant handwriting as if you hadn't already memorized the letter's contents. The moment you took off the Ragnvindr seal, you knew it was all over for you and your peace of mind from there on out.

"I find it quite odd, how someone born under Pyxis Nautica is so...distracted," Mona sighed, hands gliding over the...what'd she call the magical hydro circles again? A scryglass? But before you could come to terms with its namesake, your trainer squinted at her handiwork, pinching at the sigils and criss crossed lines that made your destiny decipherable to her eyes only.

"Ah. I see. The constellation, Noctua, seems to intersect with the Pyxis at certain angles this time of year... Hm. Interesting."

You shot her a wobbly smile as Mona continued muttering to herself. For someone as learned in the art of hydromancy as Mona was, you thought that her assignment to oversee your training was a little...out of scope. What was she even doing with the Adventurers' Guild in the first place? Mona could certainly make a quick profit off fortune-telling if she was as good as she insisted for the past four hours you've been out in the woods.

About ten minutes later, you wiped a sheen of sweat off your brow as you rose back to your feet—grinning fondly at your humble little tent.

"So you can produce great results if you focus," Mona marvelled at your work, nudging the stakes you pitched on the ground to test resistance. "As expected of my student. Now for the next phase: dinner!"