"That's how it is. My dad... my dad was such an amazing person. But because of alcohol, he became like that."
Diona's father, Draff, despite his appearance, was Springvale's most skilled Hunter. Throughout Diona's childhood, he was always her idol, a shining presence.
But... this amazing father, when drunk, was like a pig that had just eaten its fill and was rolling in a mud pit. This sight instantly shattered Draff's image in her mind.
She still clearly remembered that day; she cried so sadly that her tears wouldn't stop.
Such a reliable father must have become like that because of alcohol! Ah? You ask why I don't think it's because my father's drinking habits are bad?
How could it be! How could it be the fault of such a reliable father! It's all because of alcohol, absolutely because of alcohol!
"It's all because of alcohol's temptation that Father became like that. Alcohol is a terrible thing that turns people into bad things; it must be eliminated."
Durandal at the bar carefully listened to Diona's story. Drinking too much alcohol makes one drunk because there's something in alcohol that causes intoxication.
Durandal wouldn't get drunk because that substance would be absorbed by her, so no matter how much she drank or how strong the alcohol was, she wouldn't have any adverse reactions. But ordinary people don't have such good fortune.
Some people fall into a deep sleep when drunk, while others engage in thoughtless behavior when drunk. A slightly better situation is when they talk nonsense... oh, no, that should be called 'drunken truth-telling.'
Before, when she was drinking with Shenhe at Angel's Share, she saw a person who had drunk too much. When his wife came to take him home, he directly blurted out the things he had been hiding, including the matter of stashing away private money.
Later, when she went again, she heard that this person hadn't come for a long time. When she met him on the street, he said he was quitting alcohol, but as a Mondstadter, how could he not drink?
After much inquiry, she learned that his safe had been Frozen, and his funds were controlled by his wife. He had no money to drink, which was why he hadn't gone to Angel's Share.
I have to say, this is not freedom at all... but it's not without a solution. As long as friends help pay, these people can always come up with ways to solve problems at such times.
"You want to destroy Mondstadt's wine industry?"
Durandal took a sip of sweet wine in front of Diona and asked.
Diona nodded seriously: "Yes! No matter how long it takes, I will do it."
"Is that so? That's truly a pity."
"A pity? What pity? Because Mondstadt's wine industry will be destroyed, you feel a pity?"
"No, it's because once Mondstadt's wine industry is destroyed, this Cat's Tail Tavern will close down. This tavern closing also means Margaret will have no economic income, and her future life won't be as easy as it is now."
Hearing Durandal's "lament," Diona's expression visibly stiffened.
Margaret took great care of her; although she was her employee, she never treated her strictly, but rather with the gentleness of a family member.
If such a good person were to lose her economic income because of her, leading to future hardships, she would be very sad.
"Those involved in the tavern industry are also unfortunate. If taverns close, they will lose their income. If they have families, life will become difficult. How many people will be affected? A few? A dozen? Dozens? Or hundreds?"
Each time the number increased, Diona's small head would lower.
The situation shouldn't be so exaggerated, but the importance of the wine industry to Mondstadt City is self-evident.
This industry creates many job opportunities and also brings a significant amount of tax revenue to Mondstadt City, which is also why Diluc can be present at some important Knights of Favonius meetings.
Wine had long become an inseparable part of Mondstadt City. After some understanding, Miss Durandal also realized the importance of wine to people. Even the Seven Archons couldn't eliminate wine, let alone Diona.
Furthermore, even the Anemo Archon is a drunkard. Miss Durandal didn't think that guy would just stand by and watch such a thing happen. If she hadn't seen that Diona didn't have the ability, she probably would have had a good talk with Diona by now.
"Then… then do I really have no choice at all?"
She hadn't expected this bad thing to involve so many people. If her wish came true, wouldn't it cause a huge problem?
But… should she give up? If she gave up just like that, what would all her persistence mean?
"You can change your way of thinking. Don't try to destroy Mondstadt's wine industry; instead, you can persuade others not to drink. Drinking too much wine is bad for your health, and quite a few people have already come to me for treatment because of this problem."
When they are young, they might not feel anything, but as they get older, the situation will become serious. Among Miss Durandal's patients, there were a few like this.
Diona's father, Draff, was one of them. Diona had dragged Draff to her for treatment, and that's when they met.
"The goal of destroying Mondstadt's wine industry all at once is too big for you, but persuading one person not to drink anymore will be less difficult. However, I don't think the difficulty will decrease by much."
For some drunkards, telling them not to drink is like taking their lives. They will find any opportunity to drink, even if they are discovered afterward, as long as they feel good in the moment.
But this goal was exactly what Diona needed. After all, she still had a lot of time. She was still very young now, but her belief was strong. Perhaps after she grew up, she could really think of a way to stop others from drinking.
"I understand! I will start with small goals, persuading people one by one not to drink anymore."
"Mm."
She recovered so quickly. This was to be expected. It's normal for children to recover their emotions quickly, just like Klee.
After finishing her drink, Miss Durandal left the Cat's Tail Tavern. More and more people were gathering there unknowingly. If she stayed too long, it would affect the tavern's business. She couldn't possibly monopolize all the cats in the tavern, could she?
"Those guys, I wonder what they're doing."
What are Lumine and Shenhe doing now? Most likely, they are completing commissions for the Adventurers' Guild, or perhaps exploring Dragonspine.
Lumine said last time that there were many unexplored places in Dragonspine, with too many treasure chests and too many puzzles waiting for her to discover. She had to complete the exploration of Dragonspine before others could snatch the treasures away.
That person always shows extraordinary initiative in this matter. I really don't know what the other Adventurers' Guild members are doing. Why are there still so many treasure chests to open in Dragonspine after such a long time?
Miss Durandal really couldn't understand what was going on with these treasure chests scattered all over Teyvat. The treasure chests that appeared in Hilichurl camps could be said to have been made by Hilichurls, but what about those ownerless treasure chests in the wild?
Miss Durandal remembered there was also a treasure chest in the flower field at Cape Oath, and it was even the largest golden treasure chest.
When Lumine discovered that treasure chest there, her eyes lit up, but Miss Durandal was confused. She had no idea that such a treasure chest existed in the flower field.
How did it get there? Did it just grow out of the ground? It was too bizarre.
Never mind. With Lumine's exploration speed, she would probably uncover all the secrets of Dragonspine in a few more days.
Today, I'll go to the Knights of Favonius library and read some books. Spending time leisurely there is also good, as the environment is relatively quiet.
Just as she entered the Knights of Favonius Headquarters building, before even reaching the library, she saw a man and a woman stumble out, with static electricity still flowing around them, clearly having been shocked.
Miss Durandal watched them leave, then looked at the Knight guarding the library entrance, asking him what was happening.
"Don't mind them, those two are often like this. The library is a quiet place for reading, but they always choose the library as their date spot. It wouldn't be a problem usually, but they always make noise in the library, and Miss Lisa's reminders don't work. After several ineffective warnings, Miss Lisa could only get serious and ask them to leave the library."
Lisa is very scary when she gets angry. She uses the Electro Element to punish disobedient people. Each time, she controls it perfectly, making the other person learn their lesson without harming them.
But this couple… how should I put it? They've been shocked several times, yet they still don't obey the rules. Have they gotten used to being shocked? Or have they developed a feeling for it?
Unable to help but inwardly complain, "Humans are truly a species that doesn't learn from their mistakes," Miss Durandal entered the library.
There weren't many people inside the library. Besides a certain unlikable short person who studies Hilichurl language, and some academic researchers, no one else was visible.
Miss Durandal went to the bookshelf, found a few books that interested her, and took them to the reading area, preparing to spend some time there.
"Hmm? Is that… Noelle?"
Not far away, the cute Maid Knight was sitting there, holding a book and reading intently.
It should be something related to Knights, right? Every time before the Knight assessment, he would come to the library to diligently review Knight-related content. He should be here to study this time too… right?
When Miss Durandal clearly saw the book Noelle was reading, her expression changed.
"The Melancholy of Damselette Vera?"
Is there… anything related to Knights in this? Or did the Knights of Favonius introduce new assessment content, and Noelle is cramming for it here?
Noelle, who was reading, noticed Miss Durandal's gaze and, puzzled, raised her eyes, meeting Miss Durandal's gaze.
This situation lasted for a few seconds, and then Noelle's face turned visibly red.
Then, an astonishing scream erupted in the quiet library.
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