The afternoon sun warmed the cobblestone path, and Skirk lingered in the plaza of the Statue of the Seven, feeling the breath of freedom from all of Mondstadt seeping into her very bones.
Her mood was like freshly baked Fisherman’s Toast—soft, airy, and carrying the scent of sunshine, simply delightful.
She even found herself humming a tune unconsciously—a melody that seemed to be the eternal background music of Mondstadt, so light and cheerful it could make one soar on the spot.
“Sunshine, fine wine, the winds of freedom…!”
[ Living the life!
]
the system chimed in.
Skirk stretched, her silver Horsetail swaying behind her head.
“I’ve been wandering around for ages, my legs are sore.
Hmm…
next up, let’s head to Angels Share!
Master Diluc’s tavern—that’s the signature spot in Mondstadt!
How many times had she drooled over those drinks with their flashy effects through the screen in the game?
Today, she had to try them for herself!
Pushing open the heavy oak door, a wave of heat mixed with the rich aroma of wine, the scent of aged wood, and a faint hint of Apple rushed to meet her, instantly enveloping her.
The interior of the tavern seemed even more spacious and profound than the game’s model, with light streaming in through colored glass windows, forming hazy pillars of light in the air that illuminated the dancing dust motes.
The sounds of chatter, clinking glasses, and a bard tuning their instrument blended together, creating a unique symphony of a Mondstadt tavern.
Skirk took a deep breath, feeling like a true Adventurer walking into a stronghold from the stories.
Imitating the bold Adventurers from her memories, she walked straight to the bar, slapped her small hand onto the polished wooden counter, and tried to make her voice sound more imposing:
“Boss!
Give me a glass of your signature drink!
Make it strong!”
In her mind, the deep, dark hue of Master Diluc’s special “Night Owl” had already surfaced.
Behind the bar, the experienced bartender Charles was wiping a glass and looked up at the sound.
His gaze swept precisely over Skirk’s face—which was overly exquisite and cold, yet carried a hint of girlish (?) naivety—and that…
look that felt underage.
Charles wore a professional, yet uncompromising, smile:
“Apologies, my…
lovely young lady.
This establishment does not serve alcoholic beverages to minors.”
He pointed to a sign nearby featuring a cute Apple pattern,
“I recommend you try our freshly squeezed Wolfhook juice, or the iced Berry and Mint drink; they are refreshing and thirst-quenching, perfect for you.”
Skirk: “…?”
W-what?
A minor?
A lovely young lady?!
She instinctively puffed out her chest, attempting to convey the aura of “I…
I am unfathomable!” with her eyes.
However, under Charles’s seasoned and rock-steady gaze, this small gesture appeared exceptionally weak and futile.
“I, I am not a child!”
Skirk’s cheeks began to flush at a visible rate, quickly turning from fair to the color of a ripe Sunsettia, and her cold, queenly tone carried a slight, imperceptible tremor and crack due to her annoyance and shame,
“Look closely!
I am an adult!”
[ Pfft, hahaha!
Host, your defense…
is very weak in the face of Teyvat law!
( ಡ ω ಡ ) ] The system’s gloating electronic voice rang out at the perfect moment.
“Shut up!”
Several curious gazes had already turned toward them.
Skirk felt as if her hair had suddenly turned multicolored, and a red ball had appeared on her nose.
The crowd might as well have tossed her a couple of Mora as a tip!
Finally, under Charles’s gentle yet firm “caring for minors” gaze, Skirk deflated like a punctured Slime balloon, her shoulders slumping.
Pouting her cheeks, like an angry little silver pufferfish, she stubbornly pleaded:
“…T-then…
just…
switch to fruit wine!”
She tried hard to maintain a shred of stubbornness,
“I…
I’m paying!”
Charles looked at the silver-haired girl before him, who despite her cold and mysterious (?) aura, was currently behaving like a sulking child, and a trace of imperceptible amusement flashed in his eyes.
He nodded: “Very well, please wait a moment.” He turned to prepare it.
Skirk huffily found a corner seat by the window on the second floor and sat down.
The view here was excellent; she could see the bustling crowd downstairs and enjoy the scenery of Mondstadt’s rooftops through the window.
A large spiral staircase led to the higher levels, and Skirk’s gaze followed the stairs upward.
In the game, the secret room where Venti, Diluc, and Acting Grand Master Jean discussed the plan to counter Stormterror must be higher up, right?
The tavern in reality truly had more than met the eye.
Soon, Charles brought over a glass with an enticing color, served in a stemmed glass.
The liquid was a beautiful amber-gold, garnished with a few fresh Berries and Mint leaves, with fine droplets of condensation on the glass wall, looking truly “adult.”
“Dawn Dew, an Apple cider base mixed with a small amount of Sunsettia pulp and sparkling water, garnished with Berry and Mint,” Charles introduced.
“Please enjoy.”
Skirk nodded reservedly and took a sip from the glass.
While it looked reserved, she was actually trying to maintain her last shred of dignity.
The crisp, sweet scent of Apple first bloomed on her tongue, accompanied by a slight effervescence, followed by the soft sweet-and-sour taste of Sunsettia pulp, with the coolness of Mint providing the perfect finish.
It really was delicious!
It was like a premium fruit soda; she could barely taste any alcohol.
“Hmph, not bad.”
She muttered quietly, her mood improving slightly, and began to sip it little by little.
The afternoon sun shone through the window onto her, feeling warm, while the soothing background music of the tavern flowed, and the voices from downstairs sounded like distant white noise.
Before she knew it, the glass of “Dawn Dew” was empty.
Skirk put down the glass and smacked her lips in satisfaction.
Hmm…
feeling a bit…
dizzy?
Her cheeks were also feeling hot?
This fruit wine…
did it have such a strong kick?
It clearly tasted like fruit juice!
[ Ding!
Host detected entering a ‘tipsy’ state.
Gentle reminder: Do not attempt the ‘Abyssal Sobering Technique’ in public.
Consequences may include, but are not limited to, being treated as a suspicious person, scaring away customers, and being targeted by the tavern owner (The Darknight Hero).
( ￣ ω ￣; ) ]
“Nagging…
who, who would use Abyssal Sobering…”
The wine doesn’t intoxicate the person, the person intoxicates themselves.
Today is so comfortable, I have to rest for a bit.
Skirk felt her eyelids getting heavy, and her head was dizzy.
She simply folded her arms on the table and buried her flushed cheeks into them.
Mmm…
the smell of wood…
the smell of sunshine…
and a little bit of lingering sweet fruit wine…
so comfortable…
A little nap.
The sunlight outside the window moved slowly, shifting from the intensity of noon to a golden Warmth.
People came and went in the tavern, and the voices gradually lowered, becoming lazy.
In that corner of the afternoon tavern, Skirk rested her head on her arms, letting out a steady and soft breathing sound.
A few strands of her silver hair fell across her cheek, glowing with a soft halo in the slanting sunlight through the window.
Her cold and glamorous face shed all its defenses in her sleep, appearing exceptionally tranquil, and even a little…
cute?
Who knows how much time had passed.
The horizon was already showing the glow of sunset, and the glass refracted beautiful, fleeting light under the purple-gold radiance, reflecting a breathtaking splendor in Skirk’s sleepy eyes.
She had half-opened her eyes at some point, just staring blankly at this beautiful scene.
Outside the window, the horizon was occupied by large swathes of magnificent sunset clouds; purple-gold, orange-red, rose-pink…
like an overturned palette, splashed wantonly across the sky of Mondstadt.
The afterglow of the setting sun slanted through the tavern window, landing right on the empty stemmed glass in front of her.
The curved surface of the glass, like a small, fantastical prism, captured, refracted, distorted, and magnified the breathtaking sunset glow from the horizon.
Countless flowing lights and shadows jumped and blended on the crystalline glass wall and the residual wine—
The purple-gold light bands were like swimming dragons, the orange-red flames seemed to burn in the glass, and the rose-colored mists swirled and rose at the bottom of the glass…
This was a miracle that no bartender could replicate.
If someone happened to climb to the second floor at this moment, they would see this beautiful scene.
Beauty, scenery, wine.
The dim yellow light inside the tavern merged with the purple radiance spilling from the window, and the moving silver-white figure lay lazily at the table, her fingers unconsciously hooking the edge of the glass.
If this person had a Kamera produced in Fontaine, they would have to take a dozen or so photos to send to a photography exhibition.
[…Host, snap out of it.
] The system reminded her gloomily, [ Although this view is indeed worth five Primogems, if you don’t pay, the bartender will think you’re trying to dine and dash.
]
“Mmm…
okay.”
Skirk slowly propped herself up, first stretching, and feeling still sleepy, she simply mobilized a wisp of the cold Abyssal Power within her, like the finest morning dew, gathering it silently in her palm, and then gently brushed it over her slightly hot cheeks and somewhat chaotic mind.
A coolness instantly dispelled the remaining drunkenness and sleepy haziness, leaving her feeling refreshed.
“Abyssal Power is unexpectedly quite useful.”
She felt a little smug, then got up, placed a few Mora on the table, and took one last lingering look at the sky outside the window, which was fading in splendor, and the fleeting light and shadow remaining in the glass that were about to dissipate.
“Goodbye, Angels Share.
Next time…
I will definitely drink real alcohol!”
She whispered a FLAG to herself, then left the tavern with light steps.
The evening breeze blew through the streets with a chill, stirring her silver Horsetail.
Skirk’s figure merged into the flow of people heading home, quickly disappearing into the rising twilight of Mondstadt.
Not long after Skirk left.
On the second floor of Angels Share, in that corner by the window.
A figure appeared silently by the table as if merging into the twilight.
The person wore dark, somewhat old-fashioned but not worn-out travel attire, with the shadow of a hood covering most of his face, revealing only a sharply defined jawline and a few strands of seemingly faded light-gold hair.
He wore a dark metal glove covering his forearm, and his fingertips landed precisely on the spot where Skirk had just been resting, lightly brushing over a patch on the table invisible to ordinary people—a water stain that had not yet completely dried, carrying an extremely faint yet exceptionally pure and cold aura.
That aura…
profound, cold, and carrying a hint of void that did not belong to the seven elements, evoking an instinctive sense of vigilance.
The gaze under the hood seemed to freeze for a moment, and his fingertips lingered on the water stain for a while, as if carefully perceiving something.
Then, he slowly withdrew his hand, turned his head slightly, and cast his gaze in the direction where Skirk had disappeared outside the window, his posture as calm as an ancient statue in the night.
Twilight gathered, stretching his silent figure long.
The tavern’s lights lit up one by one, yet they seemed unable to illuminate the intangible layer of detachment and ancient darkness surrounding him.
It might not seem tempting right now but who knows what the future holds?
“And If you’re enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!”