vstars Chapter 145 Fine Wine (4)
Chapter 145 Fine Wine (4)
"Then, let's tell Razer the information we just discussed."
Xuan Yue: "Then I'll leave it to Xiao Paimeng."
Razer: "Information?"
Paimon: "That's right, Razer. After our discussion, we felt that the brewing ingredients Wendy mentioned were all about quality."
"Perhaps they correspond to the spirit of the three organizations in Mondstadt. If you can find someone you know there, you might find what you need."
"Hmm..." Razer's sudden silence made Sora worry and ask, "Is something on your mind? Do you want to tell us?"
"Hmm. I went back and thought about it for a long time." Razer explained carefully, bit by bit: "My brain isn't smart enough. Unlike my master, unlike the traveler. But... I can't stop thinking about it."
"I can't just let everyone help me; I also want to do something."
"Human parents... we don't understand them. We should try to understand them."
"Knowing about other people's parents makes you think about your own. That's why you ask."
"That's a good thing! Little Leize is working hard to find the answer," Xuan Yue said with a gentle smile, encouraging him.
“I didn’t expect Bennett to be like me… but when he mentioned [the old men], the scent changed. Warm, like sun-dried hay.” Razer felt a little disappointed, but he also began to look forward to seeing what his own parents were like.
Xuan Yue: "Then we should head back to Mondstadt. Let's go. We need to find someone we know at the Church of Favonius for help. I remember someone who's on good terms with Razor is..."
"Excuse me, gentlemen, I just overheard you saying you're heading back to Mondstadt, right?" a young merchant suddenly interrupted their conversation.
Xuan Yue: (Very good, looks like I'll be busy on the road...)
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"The taste is over here." Razer led them along the road to find the truck the vendor had mentioned.
Xuan Yue followed behind them, occasionally flashing to pick fruit. Jin Wu's speed was no joke; he ate as he followed them.
(It's so slow, why aren't we here yet? I'm almost full from all the fruit.) Xuan Yue couldn't help but rub his stomach; he had no idea how much he had eaten.
"Oh! I see a truck! And what about the Hilichurls?! Wow, were they attracted by the smell of fruit?"
Paimon's eyes were sharp, and he spotted the truck loaded with fruit from afar, but the deliverymen and others were surrounded by Hilichurls.
Paimon: "Go! Sortie, saving lives is the priority!"
"Ahem, actually, it doesn't have to be that complicated." Xuan Yue produced a talisman in her hand, concealed it, and secretly used her power to teleport all the Hilichurls away.
Razer: "!! Vanished in an instant."
Paimon, Empty: (This looks familiar. Wasn't this how we were thrown out of Jueyun Pass last time?)
The two stood with their hands on their hips, looking at Xuan Yue with speechless expressions.
Xuan Yue: "Wha...what's wrong? Is there something dirty on my face?" (Why are they both looking at me like that?)
"Let's go and see what's going on."
"Oh right, quickly check if that person is injured."
After being reminded by Lei Ze, the group quickly arrived in front of the deliveryman.
"Phew... thank goodness you guys came to my rescue, otherwise I'm afraid I and the goods would have been caught by them." The deliveryman patted his chest, feeling fortunate to have escaped. After a brief thank you, he didn't forget to offer his sincerest blessings before leaving.
"Hmm." Lei Ze's eyes sharpened instantly as he looked around. Xuan Yue, who had been following behind them, had also vanished without a trace.
Sora: "What's wrong, Razer?"
“There is…” Before Lei Ze could finish speaking, a woman dressed in a nun’s habit was knocked out from behind a tree. And the culprit behind all this was Xuan Yue, who had just left.
Paimon cried out in alarm, "Rosalia!!"
"Huh? You two know each other?" Xuan Yue suddenly scratched her head sheepishly. "Sorry, it's a conditioned reflex. I habitually treat her as an 'enemy.'"
“Calling me ‘enemy’ is too formal.” Rosalia dusted herself off and looked into Xuan Yue’s eyes. “Not bad. If it weren’t for the unusual origin of your eyes, I wouldn’t mind fighting you again.”
"Heh, even if you fight me, you have no chance of winning."
Xuan Yue casually ate the sunset fruit she hadn't finished eating, ignoring the woman's provocation.
"Uh... Rosalia, what are you doing here?"
Seeing that the two were at odds, Paimon quickly tried to smooth things over and asked Rosalia the reason.
However, Rosalia did not answer directly, but turned to look at Razer: "Your swordsmanship must have been learned from Falgana. Swift and powerful, hmph, that old guy's style."
Razer: "..."
"Since you're not good at expressing yourself, perhaps you should learn from Falgar's verbose way of speaking, just to practice your spoken language. It's a pity that he doesn't know when he'll be back."
Razer: "It's okay. I'll wait."
"It seems that you two share the same father, Falga, thus making you 'siblings' without blood relation."
Kong was able to organize his thoughts based on just these few conversations and briefly describe their relationship.
Rosalia: "Blood ties don't really mean anything, do they?"
“I agree with that,” Xuan Yue suddenly interjected, drawing some disapproving glares from Kong and Paimon, who hadn’t wanted to speak. Didn’t they see Lei Ze was looking disappointed?
"What's wrong? Qing and I aren't related by blood, are we? But I can guess what this lady is trying to say." Xuan Yue stared at Rosalia and said casually, "You're trying to say something about family, but that's not important, is it?"
"You—" (This person is dangerous.)
Those strange eyes saw right through her.
"...Indeed, I don't deny that. I don't have many memories of my biological parents...I never saw them before I was old enough to understand."
"Such things seem to be very common. Even today, there are still many people in the world who miss their loved ones day and night but cannot see them."
"Since you can't access it anyway, there's no need to worry about it. What's important is what kind of person you want to become."
“No! You’re wrong about that.” Razer’s words, though broken, were firm and resolute as he refuted Rosalia’s point of view: “Mutual protection among the Lupicas is very important. Human families… are also important, and must be taken seriously.”
Rosalia: "...Okay. Even if you find out your parents are great people, or conversely, utterly wicked...so what?"
Will this affect your own choices? And what path will you choose to take?
“Hmm…” Razer lowered his head again. He couldn’t answer any of Rosalia’s questions.
Xuan Yue couldn't bear to watch any longer. She stepped forward, patted the little wolf cub's head, and comforted him while shielding him with her own body: "I know you mean well, but it's better to be upfront about the worst-case scenario so that it won't be even more disappointing."
"But you have to face it before you can make a choice."
Rosalia: "...His heart was full of confusion, while most of the Mondstadt people you know are sunny and kind, and don't say things too directly."
"Sunshine can nurture many things, but it can't solve problems hidden in dark corners. By the time you face them, it will always be too late, so it's better to plan ahead."
Paimon: "Rosalia..."
Xuan Yue turned to look at the little wolf cub. Rosalia was right; his eyes were filled with confusion and hesitation, unlike his previous decisiveness.
Everything has two sides; light and darkness coexist. It all depends on the choices one makes...
"Alright, that's enough about that. Here, take the flowers; they're like me—both are 'cold' things."
Rosalia took out an Ice Mist Flower and handed it to Razer.
"Barbara is busy preparing for the choir activities at the wine festival and can't spare the time. I'll take care of selecting the materials for the church."
Paimon: "But, is the Ice Mist Flower really usable? Won't it freeze the whole barrel of wine?"
Rosalia: "I've already dealt with its chill. The bards all said to 'be free,' so take it; there won't be any problems."
Razer: "Thank you..."
"No need for thanks. It's nothing, hardly a favor, just returning the favor. I've received many kindnesses from Falga, and as her half-sister, I should reciprocate."
"I hope you find the answer soon. Goodbye."
Having finished what needed to be said and done, Rosalia bid them farewell and headed towards Mondstadt.
"'Compassionate gentleness'... Well, it feels a little awkward, but I've got it without any problems, right? All that's left is the knight."
"Then let's prepare to go to the Knights. ...Hmm? Razer, are you feeling unwell?"
Seeing that Lei Ze remained silent with his head down, Xuan Yue asked him with concern, "Are you still thinking about what that nun said?"
"Her words are like the petals of an ice mist flower, cold and painful. But cold compresses are good for wounds. Just like hooked fruit."
"I need to think about it carefully. Maybe it will be alright."
"I'll follow you. I'll think as I go."
(This child, just like Little Golden Roc. He disappears into the alleyway in the blink of an eye.) Xuan Yue sighed deeply in her heart…