Chapter 3 — Rumors Carried by the Wind
The evenings at Angel's Share were always the busiest.
By the time the sun dipped behind the towering windmills of Mondstadt, the tavern would already be full of travelers, adventurers, and merchants looking for food, wine, and stories.
Stories were the most valuable currency in Mondstadt.
And Aiden listened to all of them.
He moved quietly between the tables carrying mugs of dandelion wine and plates of food, pretending not to pay attention.
But his ears caught every conversation.
"—I'm telling you, the hilichurl camps near Wolvendom have doubled."
"Bah, you're exaggerating."
"No, he's right. My caravan almost got ambushed last week."
Aiden placed a mug on the table and nodded politely before moving on.
Inside, however, his mind was working quickly.
Hilichurl activity increasing.
That wasn't unusual in the game either.
But hearing it from real people made it feel far more serious.
The world of Genshin Impact wasn't just colorful landscapes and quests.
It was dangerous.
Very dangerous.
A drunk adventurer slammed his mug onto the table.
"Another round!"
Aiden walked over and refilled the drink.
The adventurer leaned back in his chair and squinted at him.
"You're Marcus' kid, right?"
Aiden nodded.
"Yes."
"Hah! Your father told me you train with a spear."
He gestured dramatically with his mug.
"You planning to become a knight?"
Aiden shook his head.
"No."
The man blinked.
"No?"
Aiden wiped the table calmly.
"I'm just training."
The adventurer scratched his beard.
"…Weird kid."
Aiden simply smiled and moved on.
Truthfully, he had no intention of joining the Knights of Favonius.
The knights were honorable.
But they were also tied to the city.
Bound by duty.
Aiden's plans were different.
He intended to travel.
Across all of Teyvat.
Liyue.
Inazuma.
Sumeru.
Every nation.
But that would come later.
For now, he was still just a tavern boy.
Behind the counter, a familiar figure stood silently polishing glasses.
Diluc rarely joined the loud conversations in the tavern.
But he noticed everything.
Including Aiden.
"You're distracted."
Aiden looked up.
"…Am I?"
Diluc placed a glass down carefully.
"You've been listening to the customers more than working."
Aiden hesitated.
"…Sorry."
Diluc didn't look angry.
If anything, he looked thoughtful.
"What did you hear?"
Aiden blinked.
"You want to know?"
"Information is rarely useless."
Aiden thought for a moment.
"Hilichurl camps near Wolvendom are growing."
Diluc nodded slowly.
"I've heard similar reports."
He studied Aiden carefully.
"You pay attention to things most people ignore."
Aiden shrugged.
"Habit."
Diluc didn't respond immediately.
But his gaze lingered slightly longer than usual.
Later that night, when the tavern finally emptied, Aiden stepped outside.
The city was quiet now.
Lanterns glowed softly along the streets.
Windmills creaked slowly above the rooftops.
Mondstadt truly was beautiful at night.
But Aiden didn't stay long.
Instead he walked toward the gates.
The guards barely noticed him.
They were used to seeing Marcus' son come and go.
Soon he reached the grassy plains outside the city.
The moon hung high above the fields.
Perfect training weather.
Aiden gripped his spear and stepped into position.
Thrust.
Spin.
Sweep.
The spear cut through the air smoothly.
His body moved naturally.
Even though his previous life had never trained like this, the muscle memory from this body remained strong.
His mother's fighting style was aggressive.
Fast.
Each attack flowed into the next without hesitation.
Again.
Aiden lunged forward.
The spear struck a wooden practice target he had set up earlier.
Thud.
The impact echoed across the quiet field.
Aiden stepped back and breathed slowly.
His mind drifted again.
The panel.
Reincarnation.
Constellation.
Something about those words bothered him.
Because in the game…
Constellations belonged to characters with unique destinies.
Which meant one thing.
This body wasn't normal.
Aiden twirled the spear once before resting it against his shoulder.
"…Guess I'll find out eventually."
Suddenly—
A rustling sound came from the tall grass nearby.
Aiden froze.
His instincts sharpened instantly.
Another sound.
Then a low growl.
A hilichurl stepped out of the grass.
Then another.
And another.
Three of them.
Their glowing masks stared directly at him.
Aiden sighed quietly.
"…Of course."
In the game hilichurls were common enemies.
But in reality they were still dangerous.
Especially for a child.
The first hilichurl charged.
Aiden moved instantly.
The spear thrust forward.
Crack.
The wooden shaft struck the creature's arm, knocking its weapon aside.
Aiden spun the spear and swept its legs.
The hilichurl collapsed onto the ground.
The second one lunged from the side.
Aiden stepped back and thrust again.
The spear's tip stopped just short of the creature's mask.
The hilichurl froze.
For a moment the field was silent.
Then the creatures backed away slowly.
Apparently they had decided this fight wasn't worth it.
Within seconds they disappeared into the grass.
Aiden lowered the spear.
"…Cowards."
Still, his heart was beating faster now.
That had been close.
He exhaled slowly.
Then suddenly—
Clap.
Clap.
Clap.
Aiden turned sharply.
Standing near the edge of the clearing was a tall figure wearing a dark coat.
Red hair shimmered under the moonlight.
Diluc.
He stepped forward calmly.
"Well done."
Aiden stared at him.
"…How long were you there?"
Diluc answered honestly.
"Long enough."
Aiden sighed.
"So you followed me."
"I was already investigating the hilichurl reports."
Diluc glanced toward the grass where the monsters had fled.
"Your reaction speed is impressive."
Aiden scratched the back of his head.
"I got lucky."
Diluc shook his head slightly.
"No."
He studied the boy again.
"Your training is real."
For a moment neither of them spoke.
Then Diluc turned toward the city.
"You should head back."
Aiden nodded.
As they walked toward Mondstadt together, Diluc spoke again.
"Why do you train so seriously?"
Aiden looked ahead.
The massive gates of Mondstadt stood illuminated by lantern light.
After a moment he answered honestly.
"Because someday…"
He tightened his grip on the spear.
"…I'm going to leave this city."
Diluc didn't seem surprised.
Instead he simply said:
"Then make sure you're strong enough when that day comes."
The two of them walked through the gates in silence.
Above them, the windmills turned slowly beneath the moon.
And somewhere far away…
Beyond Mondstadt…
The world of Teyvat waited.