3. Return to Mondstadt (5)
When I arrived at the lodging with Mona, it was just around lunchtime. Lumine and Paimon still hadn’t returned.
Dealing with the phantom dragon had been delayed a lot while I was away. It was because Lumine had lost her motivation due to my worries. Lately, Lumine and Paimon had been focusing on resolving the situation with the phantom dragon as if they were making up for lost time. So they would often come back late at night, and all I could think was that I hoped it wasn’t too hard on them.
Honestly, as the situation with the phantom dragon dragged on, it became easier for me to control the supply network.
But there were more than just a couple of Mondstadt people suffering from the phantom dragon, so even if I wanted to take care of my own greed, I couldn’t bring myself to tell Lumine to take it slow.
Besides, if the situation with the phantom dragon dragged on for too long, the Fatui would have more time to monopolize Mondstadt’s internal market, so it wasn’t all good for me either.
Come to think of it, I had to do something about the Fatui. I couldn’t see any suitable means. Thinking back on the worries that never left my mind these days, I entered the kitchen.
Back then, I had to get permission from the owner every time I wanted to borrow the kitchen, but since there were no outsiders coming to the inn in Mondstadt where contact with the outside world had been severed, there were only us guests. Moreover, since I used the kitchen frequently, the owner gave me full access to it.
These days, even the owner would occasionally join us at our dining table and enjoy the food I cooked. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that I practically took responsibility for the inn’s kitchen.
So, what kind of dish should I treat them to?
Mona was waiting in the dining room right now. Considering the rumbling sound in her stomach, it was highly likely that Mona had been hungry for quite some time.
So, would a dish that filled the stomach be good?
I recalled the time when I first arrived in the Teyvat continent. When I gathered fruits and mushrooms, and lived on jerky with Lumine.
What I wanted to eat back then wasn’t food that filled the stomach. Rather, it was the opposite.
For example, a violent and intense flavor, oily food.
Then there was only one answer. I decided to try making tempura.
I peeled the shells off fresh shrimp, removed the tails and intestines. Then I seasoned them with salt and pepper, removed the moisture.
I sliced the potatoes and partially cooked them, removing the moisture just like the shrimp. Then I added minced garlic and ginger for flavor, wrapped the shrimp in potato slices, dipped them in flour batter, and threw them into a frying pot at the right temperature.
The kitchen quickly filled with heat and the smell of oil. As I wiped away the sweat, I arranged the crispy fried shrimp balls neatly on a plate.
[Perfect]
[Tasty Golden Shrimp Balls] x1
With a white flower in the center, I arranged the crispy golden shrimp balls in a round shape as a finishing touch. It was a dish that felt similar to the icon in the “cooking” function.
I immediately prepared the food for Mona, who was probably holding her rumbling stomach.
When I entered the restaurant, Mona was slumped over the table, seemingly drained from long hunger.
I placed the dish in front of her with a thud. Mona heard the sound and lifted her head slightly.
Mona’s eyes widened. It was because the appearance of the golden shrimp balls was so appetizing. The crispy fried potato slices, the savory smell of the frying oil, and the neatly cleaned shrimp tails all naturally aroused anticipation for its taste.
It must have been unexpected for her. Even if it was a meal for serving guests, it was still food from a stranger. She probably thought it was fortunate enough to receive a simple dish that could be easily made at home.
However, the golden shrimp balls were a menu that could be proudly presented in a restaurant. Of course, even more so when considering the taste.
I had originally planned to serve this dish as a special treat when having a drink with Diluc at “Angel’s Share,” but somehow it ended up being the first dish I showed to Mona.
Mona swallowed with a gulp. As if her previous weak posture was a lie, her gaze was fixed on the golden shrimp balls.
I handed her a fork. Originally, Liyue cuisine was meant to be eaten with chopsticks, but Mona didn’t seem to know how to use them. After all, in Teyvat, the only places that used chopsticks were Liyue and Inazuma.
As soon as I handed her the fork, Mona cautiously picked up one shrimp ball with it.
Then, with a crunch, the juicy filling trapped in the crispy batter burst slightly. It was a sight that couldn’t be imitated by other shrimp that would inevitably lose freshness through various distribution processes. The freshness of the ingredients I took out of my “knapsack” couldn’t be compared to the ingredients on the market, as they were preserved in the same state as when they were put into the “knapsack.”
Mona admired the appearance of the shrimp ball with slightly teary eyes. I wasn’t sure how long it had been since she had a proper meal, but she seemed deeply impressed by the golden shrimp balls.
Mona slowly put the golden shrimp ball into her mouth and chewed.
Crispy, the potato strips and fried coating shattered. Right after that, the savory taste of potatoes and oil violently enveloped the mouth. Subsequently, the chewy texture of shrimp, reaching the palate, and the bursting juiciness. Mona even let out a strange moan.
The violent richness of the fried dish, which could be heavy, combined with the intense flavor of shrimp, was wrapped in the fragrant taste of garlic and ginger on the tongue. The sensation of dancing on the taste buds, highlighting the charm of crispy exterior and moist interior of the fried dish, pushed the technique of frying to the extreme.
The expression of ecstasy didn’t fade from Mona’s face for a while. It was understandable; a meal eaten after a long time, especially one so delicious, warranted such a reaction.
Mona treated each golden shrimp ball like a treasure, and with each piece disappearing, a regretful expression appeared on her face. While it was gratifying for me as the one who prepared the meal, there was also a sense of pity.
I wondered how hungry she must have been. With a touch of sympathy, I asked Mona, “Want more?”
“…Ugh!”
Mona jolted, surprised and trembling. It seemed she had forgotten my presence, engrossed in the meal.
After hastily chewing and swallowing a piece of shrimp ball, Mona cleared her throat and said, “Don’t get the wrong idea. This is just… a formality. It’s common courtesy for the food served, so don’t look at it with those eyes.”
Seeing Mona, slightly blushing and making such remarks, I couldn’t help but chuckle. I had sensed it from the beginning; Mona was a person with a strong sense of pride.
There was no need to hurt Mona’s pride unnecessarily. Being strong-willed also meant having a strong sense of pride.
Come to think of it, she mentioned being a ‘great astrologer.’ No matter how you looked at it, it was a title that couldn’t shake off a touch of charlatanism. Seeing Mona so confidently, there might be some hidden skill she possessed.
With such thoughts in mind, I spoke while maintaining a gentle tone to preserve Mona’s pride.
“I’m making it anyway. I can’t fall short when serving a meal.”
With my repeated persuasion, Mona seemed to finally give in to my suggestion, albeit reluctantly.
“Well, then, unavoidable. It’s also the duty of a guest to consider the landlord’s dignity.”
Even so, she couldn’t hide the rising corners of her mouth, a surprisingly cute sight. Mona did have a bit of an appetite, it seemed.
The impromptu meal shared by Mona and me gradually extended. If I served this dish, she wanted another one, and it continued until finally bringing out tea. Only then did I have the chance to engage in a genuine conversation with Mona.
Mona, with a satisfied face and a teacup in front of her, exuded an unmistakable aroma of happiness.
“Ah, that was delicious… Probably the best meal of my life.”
Monah honestly expressed her thoughts, a rare occurrence for her. Despite being conscious of her pride when it came to food, she seemed to be genuinely straightforward in her appreciation.
Glad she enjoyed it, I thought, scanning the empty plates with my eyes. It wasn’t as extravagant as Lady Gamu’s, but considering Monah had been fasting for quite a while, she managed to eat a substantial amount.
If she had complained about dissatisfaction after consuming a portion like mine, it would have been quite unreasonable. While sipping tea, Monah unexpectedly threw a question at me.
“…So?”
I raised an eyebrow in response, questioning ‘What?’ with my eyes.
“What do you want from me? Isn’t it too generous to offer genuine appreciation to a stranger?”
While saying that, Monah sipped her tea with a haughty posture. The pitiful sight from a moment ago was nowhere to be found; she was back to her composed self.
Of course, it sounded absurd to me. I chuckled and replied, “No, what can you do for me? I don’t have any specific expectations.”
However, it was Monah who got agitated. She exclaimed as if feeling unjust.
“What are you talking about?! I am the great astrologer Monah. Do you have any idea how many people want to glimpse into their destiny through my astrology?”
Glimpsing into ‘destiny,’ I shook my head doubtfully. Despite the Tibat continent being a place where gods and miracles supposedly existed, the idea of predicting the future didn’t inspire much confidence.
Well, it seemed like a perfect scam. ‘See your future with my astrology.’ Such convenient stories were best left unbelieved for the sake of wisdom.
“No, seriously, since earlier you keep talking about astrology. Is it something like looking at the stars to know a person’s destiny, or is it just a fanciful tale?”
My words had a hint of sarcasm, but Monah took them quite literally. She put down her teacup with a thud, clenched her fist, and explained with a proud voice.
“Yeah, you know it well. ‘Astrology’ is the skill of reading a person’s destiny by observing the stars. Everyone living on the Tibat continent has their constellation of fate. Through that constellation, you can glimpse into their past, present, and future.”
I looked at Monah with a skeptical expression. A doubtful gaze containing suspicion of whether to believe this or not. Before Monah could get agitated again sensing my gaze, I threw a question.
“If you can know the future, then there’s no need to go through so much trouble, right?”
“Th-that’s because to glimpse the truth of the world, one must restrain desires and live a modest life. If you earn money by foreseeing the future through astrology, you end up earning the resentment of the stars. And this time, there were valid reasons for doing so…”
At first, Mona, as if recalling the scene that appeared before her and Amber, suddenly smirked, her head tilted shamefully. Something seemed to be bothering her.
“Come to think of it, it’s strange. I clearly foresaw meeting a stranger in Liyue, but… why did destiny change?”
Listening to the story, it seemed like Mona was initially waiting for ‘destiny’ in Liyue. However, one day, the result of her divination changed, leading her to come to Mondstadt.
As an unplanned journey, naturally, there were shortages in preparations, including travel expenses. Consequently, Mona faced various hardships on her way to Mondstadt.
Having arrived near Mondstadt after enduring such hardships, Mona was spotted by Amber, who happened to be patrolling the area today. And that’s how Mona’s journey led her to this moment.
Listening to Mona’s circumstances in silence, I expressed my first thought that came to mind.
“See, that ‘astrology’ thing can be wrong.”
“Oh, no?! This is just a problem that occurred… What if I prove it to you right now?”
I looked at Mona with skeptical eyes. It was a gaze questioning how she would prove it. Even though Mona probably sensed such suspicion from me, she was smiling with a change of heart.
“Tell me one of your concerns. I’ll divine it for you.”
Well, I tapped the table with my fingers. Honestly, I didn’t have anything specific I wanted to ask.
I thought about asking her to divine my future, but I wasn’t from the Teyvat continent. I was a person from the real world who suddenly fell into the game world.
Even if Mona had remarkable astrology skills, the transparency of my future was uncertain. In fact, I wasn’t particularly curious. There was already a path to the future planned in my mind.
Then, suddenly, the face of Lumine came to my mind. The face that Lumine occasionally showed, filled with deep emotions of loss.
“By any chance, can you use astrology to find a person?”
“Of course! There’s nothing I can’t do. Meeting someone is also ultimately a matter of fate.”
With a feeling of cutting my losses, I asked Mona with a confident face.
“Then, please try to find the older brother of someone I know. His name is ‘Aether,’ and the person looking for him is named ‘Lumine.'”
Upon hearing this, Mona nodded as if understanding well, and soon, she invoked the power of the elements.
Geometric patterns were drawn and disappeared on Mona’s palm. Mysterious water-like lights began to shimmer in Mona’s eyes.
It was quite a convincing sight. Even I, who didn’t believe in fate, was somewhat taken aback.
However, the words that came out of Mona’s mouth a moment later were the complete opposite of what I expected.
“Huh, huh…? Odd, I can’t see fate.”
I chuckled as if I had expected it, leaning back on the chair. I had gotten my hopes up for nothing.
But Mona, unlike me, had a genuinely perplexed expression. She seemed to be fumbling for something more to see.
“I can’t see anything. And there are strange stars floating around… Maybe, are you from the Tibat continent?”
Oh, I couldn’t help but be impressed by Mona’s deduction. Still, it seemed Mona was not a charlatan. She had guessed correctly that Lumine and her brother were not from the Tibat continent.
“Yeah, actually Lumine ended up in the Tibat continent after traveling through different worlds. He got separated from his brother during that process.”
Mona pouted slightly at my explanation. It was a dissatisfied expression.
“Well, you should have told me that first. But if you’re not from the Tibat continent, it’s possible… Still, there is a way.”
As she said that, Mona once again began to display that mysterious pattern on her palm. She now seemed determined.
As if she would find the answer no matter what, she stared beyond the indiscernible with an intense gaze.
“Even if you fell outside the Tibat continent, once you entered the Tibat continent, you would have influenced the fate of the people around you. By analyzing that, you can roughly see their fate. So, shall we take a look at your fate for now?”
I sat up halfway at Mona’s words. That… wouldn’t be visible. But before I could stop her, Mona’s mouth began to spill out an incomprehensible story.
“Hmm, I can’t see the past. But I can see from a little while ago. You were born under the influence of financial luck and have some determination of your own. Surprisingly, you’re quite a formidable person, huh? And also… Oh, wow, there are a lot of women, huh? Let me see… the fate of a stranger from a foreign land. The fate of a raven. And also… huh?”
I was taken aback. Wait, I’m also someone who fell into this world, right? Why is my fate being seen?
But Mona seemed surprised in a different way. She was absentmindedly blinking her eyes, lost in thought.
What could she be seeing to react like that? She said she didn’t believe in fate until just now, but now she seemed intrigued. I grew frustrated and asked.
“Why, what do you see?”
At my words, Mona suddenly snapped back to reality and blinked her eyes. As she did, the mysterious patterns that had floated above Mona’s palm disappeared. Mona’s eyes, once again, returned to their usual mysterious water-like gaze.
Mona seemed extremely flustered. After staring blankly for a moment, she fidgeted and her face turned red as she mumbled something like “It can’t be.”
“……Mona?”
“Sniff!”
In response to my repeated calls, Mona trembled as if she had been electrocuted and quickly pushed her chair back, as if trying to create some distance between us.
“Oh, it’s nothing! Just, don’t come any closer. Got it?”
I looked at Mona with a puzzled expression, but she avoided my gaze, blushing without saying a word.
What on earth did she see to react like this?
I was the only one feeling unjustly exposed to fate’s prying eyes.