Chapter 69

"I don't get it. What's happening?" Hu Tao asked.

Yomite was about to explain but Fischl interjected, "Kaeya, the pirate overlord, found himself a person he likes and admires, so now he is getting ready and is super nervous! This is an important step!"

"Getting ready? Can't he just say that he likes her when he likes her?" Hu Tao didn't understand.

Fischl and the group almost fell flat on the ground.

If only love was that simple. The worst she can say is no, they said.

Try it, it might be your only chance in life, they said.

Yomite knew one of his old colleagues from his world that said he was laughed at by his crush right in front of her friends, and the girl even posted a status on a social network with his picture, only for more people to banish him.

Something like love was never simple, no matter in what world.

"It's a bit...different…" Jean mumbled, unable to think of an explanation for the girl.

"I mean, I very much like Assistant-kun and Fischl. I don't know what's so hard to say about that?" She dropped a bombshell out of nowhere.

Yomite almost choked on his own saliva.

(What is this weirdo saying now of all times!!?)

Fischl also staggered in place, blushing, "No you misunderstand...it...doesn't work like that...It's not that kind of like...You should be going out, holding hands, p-physical contact...a-and so on…D-Don't make a Prinzessin say stuff like that..."

Hu Tao tilted her head, "We are going out on quests together though? Assistant-kun also held me by my neck a few times so I would say that there was a lot of physical contact, but I have yet to do anything like that with you, Fischl."

Hearing her logic, Fischl gave up and so did the others.

There was no point in explaining romance to her, just as well as there was no point in arguing with the little confusing entity called the Director.

However, that one remark she mentioned about, "Holding her by her neck." disturbed them a bit.

Yomite noticed the disproving gazes of the group and tried to explain himself, "W-Wait! That's taken out of context! She was being a brat to a little kid! Stop looking at me like that!"

While he was explaining himself, Paimon noticed that Lumine had a sad look on her face.

"What's the matter? Paimon is here for you if you need anything!"

"Thank you...Paimon... it's fine."

Lumine was just thinking, (Hu Tao mentioned she liked Party Leader and Fischl...but not me...)

So that was how it felt like to be a third wheel in a group of friends.

Not a nice feeling.

***

Soon enough, a figure of a young woman approached.

"Isn't that...Vile?" Jean widened her eyes in surprise.

She knew Vile basically since childhood and she was surprised that she gave Kaeya a chance despite already denying so many proposals from other men.

Vile was an informant of Mondstadt

She had a huge source of scandalous stories and rumors and she was one of the best when it came to trading information.

However, Jean thought Vile hated playboy looking types.

She really wondered what changed her mind.

Azure eyes stared at Kaeya, the woman beaming with a very pretty smile which could have lit up the entire sky.

Kaeya was instantly enchanted by her.

Diluc frowned at his reaction, "Something is wrong with him...Just say your usual lines you reject...Usually, he would have said some cheesy lines like 'Do you have a name? Because I want to call you mine.' or something along those lines, but he is acting really weird..."

Indeed, right now, the situation seemed to be completely different.

"Uhm...You…" Kaeya started speaking, surprised at how raspy his own voice sounded, "...you look, um…" He only let out a few incoherent words.

"Poor Kaeya", Paimon said, with a strange mix of sympathy and unconceited smugness in her voice.

Lumine nodded and agreed with Paimon, "He looks very embarrassed..."

However, him, screwing up their first greeting made an opposite effect to what they have expected.

Seeing him so anxious, Vile's opinion about him has changed considerably.

At first she thought he just wanted to have a one night stand with her and she was planning on rejecting him at the end of their date, but now she grew quite curious about him.

For the playboy looking Cavalry Captain to be so meek and awkward towards her already made her feel something.

She gave him a sweet smile, "How about we go and eat something?" She hugged his hand, pointing towards the Good Hunter restaurant.

Kaeya didn't expect her to be so bold. He pinched the bridge of his nose, while mumbling, "Right…"

And so the duo of love birds left the town square and the group stalking them also decided it was time for them to leave.

"I guess we'll just have to go without him, he will be busy and out of it for a few days." Yomite grinned, giving Diluc a look.

Diluc nodded and replied, "We will be more than enough, we don't need a loser to slow us down."

"Wow, calling someone that found himself a potential lover, a loser...Paimon has no words for this loner..."

***

A couple of hours later, they met up with the bard at the pub, and went on the quest to save the Dragon to the Starsnatch Cliff.

They traveled as quite the large group, maybe even a bit too large.

Yomite decided that Lumine shouldn't disclose her abilities in front of Diluc and Jean, precisely because they weren't their party members.

So they didn't teleport and were currently on their way to the Starsnatch Cliff by foot.

Yomite also noted that with so many powerful individuals and Vision bearers in his current group, monsters didn't even dare to come close and while they've been attacked by a group of Treasure Hoarders once, the moment they saw that they've attacked the whole assembled elite force of Mondstadt, they quickly ran away, leaving behind some Mora and weird coins.

"I'm hungry...Assistant-kun…give me something to eat!" Hu Tao yawned as if trying to consume air to cease her hunger.

"Alright, fine...Wait a bit..." Spying some berries along the side of the road, Yomite reached out to grab a handful, looking at Paimon for confirmation.

"Paimon, are these good to eat?" Abusing Paimon's wisdom was always a good way to verify most information.

Before the imp could respond though, Lumine cut in. "Party leader...Paimon literally eats slime..."

"Hey!! Just cause Paimon eats stuff you guys don't, doesn't mean that Paimon doesn't know what humans can eat! Those berries are called valberies and they're perfectly safe to eat! Hmph!"

Reassured with that fact, Yomite tossed the fruit into his mouth, relishing in the sour-sweet taste on his tongue. "This stuff is pretty good!"

Tossing another one to Hu Tao, he gestured for her to eat it.

"Thanks, Assistant-kun!" She appreciated it and he could tell she liked the taste too.

"Valberry? Lisa likes them a lot, we should grab some along the way for her. She has been working without a rest these past few days, after all. Let's bring her some," Jean noted and picked some as well.

Diluc scoffed, "Working without rest? Funny coming from someone like you, a person that drinks so much coffee to stay awake, that it no longer has any effect on you."

"Ah..." She didn't know what to say as he was totally right.