Su Bai didn't doubt Diona's words at all. When he'd pushed open the tavern door earlier, he'd clearly seen a customer's glass with a frog leg floating inside. Just imagining that slippery frog leg soaking in alcohol made him shiver. Even a fox wouldn't be able to swallow that.
After learning the truth, Su Bai felt deeply confused. Since when had Mondstadt people's tastes become so… primal? Was Liyue's tea no longer fragrant, or was Mondstadt's wine no longer pure? These people actually enjoyed drinks mixed with frog legs and lizard tails. If this kept up, wouldn't they start using foxes as cocktail ingredients next?
The thought alone made Su Bai's scalp tingle.No—next time he ran into Venti, he had to bring this up. It was absolutely terrifying.
Seeing Su Bai's disgusted expression, Diona nodded in satisfaction. That was how a normal person should react. She genuinely couldn't understand why those drunkards kept ordering glass after glass of her cocktails—and even praised them as delicious.
"Let's stop talking about that. If we keep going, I'm worried I won't be able to eat anything at this picnic."
With a pale face, Su Bai pulled a cloth from his Vision's storage and spread it over the grass. Then he took out some fruit and pastries and arranged them neatly. Diona's eyes immediately lit up.
The last time she'd gone on a picnic was a long, long time ago—with her dad. She hadn't expected that Su Bai would actually remember her casual comment.
"Little Diona, if you keep zoning out, the fish in your hands will burn. I was hoping the Katzlein clan's signature grilled fish would be the main dish today."
"Huh??"
Diona glanced at the perfectly golden fish—no signs of burning at all—and immediately realized she'd been tricked. Her pride flared, and her little fangs showed.
"Big Fox, I'm going to turn your portion into charcoal!"
"Whoa, Little Diona, that's a bit petty, isn't it?"
"Hmph!"
Ignoring Su Bai's antics, Diona focused seriously on grilling. She was determined to make these fish especially delicious—so delicious that this annoying Big Fox would beg her to grill more for him afterward.
"Hehe, Big Fox, this is our Katzlein clan's special barbecue seasoning. I guarantee it'll be so good you'll want to bite your tongue off."
"Oh? Then I'll look forward to it."
Seeing how motivated she was, Su Bai happily relaxed. Now he understood why Sayu loved slacking off—watching someone else bustle around while you lie there was incredibly comfortable.
"Still… why do I feel this vague sense of unease?"
"Did Diona sprinkle spoiled seasoning on the fish? That shouldn't be possible—if it were spoiled, this little cat would've smelled it immediately."
Before he could dwell on it, a rich aroma drifted over from the fish. The unique scent made Su Bai abandon his worries entirely. It wasn't that he didn't want to think—it was that the smell was simply irresistible.
The perch, grilled to a perfect golden color, was dusted with mysterious seasonings. As the spices mingled with the flames, the fragrance grew even more enticing.
This grilled fish smelled completely different from those in Liyue or Inazuma. If Liyue-style grilled fish emphasized careful spice balance, and Inazuma-style focused on the fish's natural flavor, then Diona's grilled fish clearly emphasized technique.
"I didn't expect this, Little Diona. The Katzlein clan's cooking skills are impressive. Looks like I'm in for a treat today."
"Cooking? Big Fox, the Katzlein clan has always been hunters. I'm a very capable hunter myself."
Hunters—Su Bai's eyes lit with understanding. That explained it. Mondstadt wasn't rich in spices, and hunters spent long periods outdoors. When ingredients were limited, technique made all the difference.
"Here. It's ready. Careful—it's hot."
Su Bai took the fish and immediately bit into it. The moment the juices burst in his mouth, his tongue went numb.
…Because it was scalding hot.
"Ah—water, water, water! Diona, why is this fish this hot?!"
He gulped water in tears, staring mournfully at the large chunk of fish he'd spat onto the ground. Diona puffed out her chest proudly.
"That's a Katzlein special technique. It locks all the juices inside the fish."
"Big Fox, you're the first person to ever eat fish I grilled myself. Even my dad hasn't tried it yet. So? It tastes good, right?"
Having learned his lesson, Su Bai carefully blew on the fish and took small bites. He had to admit—it really did have a unique and wonderful flavor.
Once the fish was mostly gone, an inexplicable competitive spirit arose between the two of them.If one ate a pastry, the other had to eat two.
After their whirlwind feast, the picnic cloth was a complete disaster. Anyone passing by would've thought a group of Hilichurls had eaten there.
"Big Fox, I ate one more piece of cake than you. I win—hic."
"Little Diona, don't forget I ate three more tomatoes than you. The winner is obvious."
"That's because I hate vegetables! You're cheating!"
Seeing her fuming expression, Su Bai laughed heartily. Leaning against a tree, his hand subconsciously reached out and patted Diona's head. The fluffy sensation was unexpectedly pleasant.
"Alright, alright. Let's call it a tie. Next time, we'll compete with meat."
Su Bai lazily lay back on the grass. Warmed by the sun, the ground felt incredibly comfortable. Back in Inazuma, he'd tried many times to convince Sayu to nap in the sunlight—but she never listened.
Diona wanted to get up and clean, but her round, full belly made that impossible. With no choice, she copied Su Bai and lay down as well.
"Hey, Big Fox. I didn't expect you to be this good at enjoying life. Sunbathing here feels amazing."
After a while, Diona felt mostly digested. Seeing that Su Bai still hadn't moved, her competitive streak flared again.
"Huh? Why did it suddenly get dark? Big Fox… it's not going to rain, is it? That'd be a problem."
"No. It's not rain.""It's something far worse."
Su Bai sprang to his feet. Overhead, a massive shadow blotted out the sun. He narrowed his fox-like eyes.
"Dvalin—or as you call him, Stormterror—seems to want a taste of your grilled fish as well."