1. Mondstadt (6)
It’s been a month since I settled in Mondstadt.
A lot has happened during that time. First of all, Lumine has been even busier than a month ago. I heard she’s been looking for something called the “Anemo Archon.” I didn’t hear where it would be useful.
She’s at the Mondstadt Cathedral, but I doubt she would casually give away something as valuable as a relic to an outsider.
Since it’s Lumine’s business, I decided to organize my thoughts that way.
Anyway, while Lumine was busy with the construction, my stall was thriving day by day.
It used to be barely at the level of a food cart, but now I was pulling around a cart that could be called a “truck.”
I had to open the stall a little later in the morning to cook for Lumine, but sales had skyrocketed compared to before.
The main contributor to this success was Amber.
The mysterious effectiveness of my cooking had spread throughout Mondstadt in less than two days.
Amber spread the rumors about my cooking as soon as she returned to the Knights of Favonius, and the rumors quickly spread among the citizens of Mondstadt through the mouths of the knights.
In reality, the healing effects were not particularly effective for those living their daily lives.
How often do the citizens of Mondstadt get injured in the first place?
Besides, the healing effects were only effective for injuries, not a panacea that could cure illnesses.
But the strange thing was that the rumor about my cooking spread as if it had the effect of enhancing vitality.
Perhaps it was because Amber, who had been tired, had regained her vigor and shared her experience.
The rumor had already been accepted as fact in Mond, so it was pointless for me to deny it any longer.
The saying went, “How good must it be for the body if the wound heals as soon as you eat it?” But the people of Mond didn’t seem to take it seriously. It seemed like they just wanted to feel better about what they were eating.
In addition to such rumors, my skewers were not only known for their mysterious effects but also for their taste and affordable price. Now, my stall could be considered one of the famous specialties of Mond.
However, as expected, with that reputation, my shop was flooded with customers.
In the past, whenever I used my cooking ability, the lines would quickly decrease. But these days, the lines were just as long as they were reduced. So, there was no end to the line in front of my stall.
In addition, in the mornings, members of the Favonius Knights would leave large orders before going on their missions, so my body was constantly strained with overwhelming tasks.
But what could I do? I was making money.
When I used my “cooking” ability, I don’t even feel any pain. It’s like my body moves on its own.
I had thought about designating a day off recently, but until I could do that, I would keep going. I had a grand “plan” after all.
However, a problem arose in my business plan not too long ago.
It started with the visit of a little girl.
Wearing a red beret that was as big as her head, and with crimson eyes that matched her red clothes, the little girl was carrying a big bag.
She tried her best to tiptoe and peek at my face, but she was too small to see me behind the counter.
Her appearance was quite adorable, so I let out a small laugh and asked, “What’s the matter, little one?”
“G-grown-up, I’m not little!”
Her obvious answer made me laugh even more.
Her name was “Klee,” huh? She was a cute kid. I was a bit curious why she didn’t have a guardian.
“Um, Klee is not really little…”
Klee weakly shook her bag as if her energy had been drained, and then she took out something.
“You know, is your brother perhaps this ‘Xiu’?”
“If you’re asking about my name, then yes.”
“Hurrah! I finally found you!”
From Noble mtl dot com
Clé shouted ‘hurrah’ while lifting her arms, though she couldn’t raise them very high due to their short length.
As if the lively eyes were mocking the lifeless grass from a moment ago, Clé looked up at me with sparkling eyes. Not that it would be very visible with the counter in the way.
“I’m Clé! Acting Grand Master Jean asked me to deliver a message to you.”
“Grand Master Jean?”
I stroked my chin, trying to recall. Come to think of it, the interim leader of the Favonius Knights had a name like that.
“Yeah! She said to come to the Knights after finishing today’s business.”
“Isn’t the Knights off duty around that time too?”
“Well… since the light in Grand Master Jean’s room is always on even at night, it should be okay!”
I inadvertently heard a somewhat sad story. I didn’t know who it was, but Grand Master Jean seemed to be going through a lot…
Expressing condolences to the Grand Master, who must be suffering from continuous fatigue, I nodded my head.
The Favonius Knights, a military organization in Mondstadt responsible for public safety.
If they asked for something, it could be considered the duty of Mondstadt residents to respond.
I wondered what was going on for someone as important as the Grand Master to call me.
With that thought, I simply nodded.
“Yeah, I’ll go to the Knights after finishing today’s business.”
“Really?! Is it a promise with Clé?!”
Saying that, Clé began to jump around as if she couldn’t contain her excitement.
“Okay, I’ve delivered Jin Commander’s message, so now I’m off to have fun! Bye, oppa!”
To be so thrilled about just going out to have fun, does the Phobenius Knights have nothing better to do than raise a child?
I chuckled to myself and promptly decided to erase all thoughts of Clé from my mind.
I have work to do, and there are several overdue clients.
…I heard there was a drunken brawl near the lake that afternoon. It’s probably unrelated to me.
***
That night, I finished tidying up my stall and stood in front of the Phobenius Knights headquarters.
There, I encountered an unexpected figure. What caught my eye was a red headband reminiscent of rabbit ears.
The moment I saw that long chestnut hair, I couldn’t help but shout in joy.
“Amber!”
My friend, my supplier, and currently my top sales contributor.
It was Amber.
Amber, who was about to enter the Phobenius Knights headquarters, turned back in surprise at the sound of my voice and jumped in shock.
“Huh?! Siu! What are you doing here?”
I waved my hand in greeting as I approached her.
“It’s because someone called for Jin Commander. And you?”
“I just finished my mission and returned. I have to write a report.”
As she said that, Amber crossed her arms, closed her eyes, and seemed to be lost in thought.
After a moment, as if she had made a decision, she nodded and said, “Alright! Since it’s come to this, I’ll guide you to Jin Commander’s office!”
“Oh, really? If you insist, I’ll be grateful.”
It was awkward to see the knights standing guard even when it wasn’t necessary.
There was nothing more awkward than going to a place where no one knew and asking, “Who did you come to meet?”
Especially if that place was overflowing with people who were exhausted from recent battles.
Amber, you’re always there to help me.
Is this what friendship is?
As I thought about it, I suddenly remembered the money I borrowed from Amber.
Although today’s sales hadn’t been settled yet, I already had a lot of money even after repaying the money I borrowed from Amber.
During that time, both my business and Amber were busy, so there was no opportunity. But since it turned out like this, how about repaying the money today?
I immediately put my hand in my pocket and thought about the amount. Soon, a sturdy money pouch was in my hand.
It was an application of the “backpack” function. The “backpack” function could be connected to not only a backpack but also a pocket or a bag, as long as it was something I owned and was close to me.
However, there was a restriction that it had to be something I owned and was close to me, but that was a condition I could easily accept.
I immediately handed the hefty money pouch to Amber.
“Oh, by the way, Amber.”
Amber stood still as if she didn’t understand English, alternating her gaze between me and the money pouch.
If her headband was drawing a question mark, could it be a misconception?
I chuckled softly and said, “It’s the money I borrowed last time. 600,000 Mora, including interest.”
Since I borrowed 300,000 Mora from Amber, it was exactly double the amount I was returning.
Even after hearing my explanation, Amber remained silent for a long time.
Quietly, he looked at the money in his pocket and then pointed at himself with his finger.
“Is this mine?” I nodded in affirmation.
In response, Amber suddenly burst into tears, “Sob, sob, waaah!”
I was taken aback. Why was she acting like this?
It’s not easy for a man to maintain his composure in front of a crying woman. Unsure of what to do, I hurriedly tried to comfort her.
“Why, why are you crying, Amber? Did I do something wrong?”
Well, I did, but that’s in the past, isn’t it? Is she still upset about what happened then?
As she sobbed, clues began to emerge from Amber’s tearful outburst.
“Sob, K-Kaya, snif, it’s so obvious, huff, it’s a scam, don’t expect to get your money back, sniff…”
‘Kaya’, I remembered the knight with indigo hair that Lumine had encountered after facing the wind dragon.
I had a feeling of nonchalance, as if she enjoyed making fun of someone.
Innocent Amber was the sacrificial lamb.
Having successfully deduced the situation, I focused on comforting Amber.
“No, why would I take your money, huh? I promised to pay it back.”
“I, I, sob! I trusted Siwoo, huff, to pay it back, sniff, I believed…”
“Okay, okay. Forget it. Let’s just leave it at that. Alright?”
Yes, Siwoo Coin is a safe asset. You can trust and leave it with him.
After comforting Amber for a while, I finally managed to guide her to the dressing room.
As I listened to the story, it seemed that the money Ember had lent me was a significant portion of the savings she had accumulated over the years working in the Knights Order.
So even without Keia teasing me, I already felt uneasy and started to doubt my friend, which made me feel sorry.
But when I received the money back today, it felt like all the anxiety I had been feeling exploded.
To think that someone would try to take advantage of such a kind and innocent child, that person was truly a waste, not even worth the label of being trash.
As I chewed on my past self inwardly like that, I found myself standing in front of the director’s office.
The knights who saw me trying to calm Ember were spreading a shameful rumor that “some man made Ember cry at night,” but I decided to ignore it for now.
There was nothing I could do by not ignoring it anyway.
With that in mind, I knocked on the door of the director’s office, and immediately a voice came from inside.
“…Come in.”
With a creak, the door opened, revealing the interior of the office.
It was quite a spacious room. In one corner, there was a study with books neatly arranged.
The soft wooden furniture and plush carpet showed that the Phobonius Knights Order paid attention to the interior of the director’s office in their own way.
But there was one artistic element that overwhelmed everything else.
It was the blonde woman sitting and working under the moonlight.
Her mysterious golden hair was neatly tied up. They called it a bun, right?
And yet, the loose side hair had a subtle wave, showcasing her elegant beauty.
And those blue eyes, like looking at the moon in the night sky, showed an undiminished beauty despite the signs of fatigue.
Beautiful. That was the first impression she left on me.
Of course, she wasn’t as stunning as Lumine, but she was still a woman beautiful enough to be called the next best thing.
Snapping out of my brief daze, I cleared my throat and refined my voice.
“Does the Phebonius Order select knights based on their appearances? How can they choose knights based on looks?”
Muttering to myself in such a manner, I spoke in a polite tone.
“I have come after hearing that Clara has received a summons as acting commander.”
Upon hearing this, Jin furrowed his brow slightly as if in thought, then nodded with an ‘ah’ sound.
“So, Siwoo?”
I nodded in agreement.
In response, Jin let out a sigh, not so much troubled as it was closer to a sound of distress.
“It’s a difficult thing to convey, but…”
It was at this point that I realized the atmosphere was somewhat unusual.
The difficulty in speaking, and the weight of the issue at hand, at least, the atmosphere was not favorable towards me.
“I hope you will close down the stall.”
I fell silent for a moment.
Close down the stall…?
I gnashed my teeth at the sudden surge of emotion. Was it really the time for this, when I was so close to realizing my grand ‘plan’?
Unable to hold back, I blurted out my emotional words.
“Close down the stall? All of a sudden like this? What’s the reason…?”
“It’s an unauthorized stall.”
Ah.
With that logical explanation, I immediately understood and accepted it.
Siwoo’s restaurant faced its greatest crisis just one month after opening.