Be Careful When Agreeing to Terms and Conditions

2. Liyue Funeral Customs (8)

Wangsheng Funeral Parlor was a place that organized funerals according to Liyue’s customs, just as its name suggests.

Liyue’s history spans over 3,000 years. The accumulated traditions and customs over such a long period were extremely strict, especially when it came to funerals. Without the assistance of experts well-versed in customs and traditions, it was impossible to conduct a proper funeral.

That’s why there was a place in Liyue where specialists gathered to organize funerals according to tradition and custom. That place was called the “Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.” There were rumors that the current owner of the parlor had a bit of a bad temperament, but regardless, when someone passed away, a funeral had to be held, and it was customary for the funeral director of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor to be present. That’s how strict the experts at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor were when it came to tradition and custom.

And in that Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, there was even a person known as the “most knowledgeable Guest Minister.” The term “Guest Minister” referred to a person in a highly respected position among guests. Considering such a title, it could be said that Zhongli was a remarkable figure.

As evidence, look at how he associates with Tartaglia. Tartaglia is one of the highest-ranking officials in Snezhnaya and an envoy of the Tsaritsa. It was clear that Zhongli was not just an ordinary funeral director, but someone on a level beyond that, as he was addressed as “Mr. Zhongli” by such a person.

Not to mention his dignified demeanor and the appearance that automatically brings to mind the term “nobleman.” It was evident that he exuded an air of someone of high social standing.

He knew a lot, was good-looking, and had a rich background. He was truly a top-notch groom.

And this remarkable Mr. Zhongli was now advising me, a mere traveling merchant from Mondstadt, on “cooking.”

“Liyue’s cuisine… Could you tell me exactly what you’re curious about?”

As Mr. Zhongli raised an eyebrow in question, Tartaglia stepped forward. He seemed quite amused by the situation.

“Ah, I forgot to introduce him. This is Xiu. He’s recently become famous as the ‘traveling merchant from Mondstadt.'”

“Ah, the rumor…”

Mr. Zhongli’s eyes widened as if he had heard of my restaurant before, and then he nodded as if he understood. Being a traveling merchant who runs a restaurant, it was only natural to have curiosity about cooking, he seemed to think.

Not missing the opportunity that Tartaglia had given me, I asked my question.

“Lately, I’ve been very interested in Liyue’s cuisine, so I’ve been trying the food. But for some reason, it seems like there are fewer varieties compared to the Liyue dishes I saw in books before. Of course, even that amount is incredibly vast…”

“Ah, I understand what you mean.”

It was a hastily posed question, seemingly a bit disjointed, but the knowledgeable Mr. Jongly interrupted me as if to say that was enough.

Seeing me pause, Mr. Jongly, effortlessly, began to unravel that knowledge.

“Riyue’s cuisine is divided into ‘Ri Cuisine’ and ‘Yue Cuisine.’ You must have heard about ‘Yujing’ and ‘Shinwolheon.'”

“Yes, I’ve heard of them. They are considered the best restaurants in Riyue…”

Hmm, and Mr. Jongly nodded slightly, as if acknowledging my words.

“Yujing and Shinwolheon are precisely the representatives of ‘Ri Cuisine’ and ‘Yue Cuisine.’ Of course, with Riyue’s long history, many dishes were born, and among them, there were also many that belonged to neither ‘Ri Cuisine’ nor ‘Yue Cuisine,’ like the dishes of ‘Manmindang.’ However, the fact that these two are predominant remains unchanged.”

I hmm-ed and rolled my head. So there were two culinary factions in Riyue. Were there culinary factions I could interpret as ‘recipes’?

To dispel my doubts, I threw another question.

“Am I missing one of ‘Ri Cuisine’ or ‘Yue Cuisine’?”

“No, you’re not. These two factions are so widespread in Riyue’s culinary world that it’s hard to determine superiority. If you’ve had a meal in Riyue at least once, you’ve probably tried ‘Ri Cuisine’ or ‘Yue Cuisine’ at least once.”

Continuing his explanation, Mr. Jongly finally added his speculation.

“But Riyue isn’t just about ‘Riyue Port.’ Have you ever heard of the ‘Archon War’?”

That was common knowledge. By now, with a somewhat familiar body to the Teyvat continent, I knew the general situation on the Teyvat continent.

“Yes, the story of gods and archons battling, resulting in the current Seven ruling gods… Is that what you’re talking about?”

Mr. Jongly nodded as he continued.

“Many gods died then, and the cities that worshipped those gods had to be incorporated into the territories of the victors. Riyue was no exception. The Anemo Archon ruled Riyue, and the cities that lost to the Anemo Archon also had to be absorbed into Riyue. So, besides ‘Riyue Port,’ there are many other villages in Riyue, and some of their traditions are still being passed down.”

Only now did I see that Mr. Jongly seemed to have something he wanted to say. Until now, when I thought of ‘Riyue’s cuisine,’ I only considered the cuisine of ‘Riyue Port’ where I currently was. However, if there were several other villages besides ‘Riyue Port’?

The first country I heard about on the Teyvat continent was ‘Mondstadt.’ Mondstadt had its entire culture centered around ‘Mondstadt Cathedral,’ and besides that, there were places like ‘Springvale’ or ‘Dawn Winery,’ but those places didn’t seem to have a distinct culture separate from Mondstadt Cathedral.

However, Riyue was vast, and since it was a battlefield during the Archon War, there were still several central places. Especially being called the ‘Nation of Gourmet,’ it seemed to value cuisine a lot. Some villages seemed to maintain their own traditional diets.

I shrugged and tasted my thoughts. Obtaining recipes immediately seemed difficult, judging by Mr. Jongly’s words.

“It seems like it will be difficult if we don’t go to that village ourselves.”

“Of course, Liyue Harbor is the center of Liyue, so if you look carefully, you might find it, but… If you want to truly reproduce its original taste, it would be better to go to its place of origin. I heard that there is a unique culinary culture being passed down in a place called ‘Cuijue Slope.’ Maybe I should visit there if I have the chance in the future.”

Jongye finished his words like that. It was quite a nutritious conversation.

As I acquired recipes from recipe books, in reality, I could obtain the recipes from that place called ‘Cuijue Slope’ without going there myself. However, seeing that the cuisine from that area has not been unlocked yet, it seemed like there might be recipes that can only be obtained by going there directly.

Or maybe I have to learn directly from the chefs there. Either way, it was a difficult choice for me, who had to travel from Liyue to Mondstadt.

However, regardless of whether I could acquire the recipes immediately, it was true that I received a great deal of help from Jongye. I bowed deeply as a sign of gratitude.

“Thank you, Jongye. Thanks to you, I now know where to go.”

In response to my gratitude, Jongye nodded with a faint smile.

“I’m glad I could be of help. Having the attitude of exploring with passion is a valuable thing no matter what you do.”

It seemed like Jongye misunderstood me as a “young man who has a passion for cooking and is exploring it.”

It was an exaggerated evaluation, but I didn’t feel the need to correct it, so I decided to keep my words to myself. Leaving a good impression wouldn’t hurt.

As Jongye and I were about to finish our conversation, Tartaglia suddenly spoke up.

“Wait, you’re not just expressing gratitude with words, right?”

No, this guy? We were just about to wrap up the conversation.

I opened my eyes wide, but Tartaglia’s nonchalant attitude didn’t waver. He instead smiled kindly and said:

“Jongye, aren’t you curious about the rumored culinary skills? Of course, the cuisine at Yuehai Pavilion is excellent, but Xiangling’s cooking is not to be underestimated either.”

At his words, Jongye closed his eyes and stroked his chin. Then, as if convinced, he opened his mouth.

“Well, it is indeed true, but…”

“How about it, Xiangling? Since it’s come to this, why don’t you treat us to a meal?”

I let out a deep sigh. It was difficult to refuse when the atmosphere was like this.

Feeding a meal wasn’t a difficult task, and it was indeed true that I had received significant help from Mr. Jongnyeo.

However, it was a bit uncomfortable for me to serve a meal to people who were of such high status. High-status individuals could make others tense with their mere presence.

“Alright, but it’s a bit challenging right now. Lady Tartalia…”

“Tartalia.”

“…Tartalia knows the way, so if you visit the lodging at an appropriate time, I will be pleased to serve a meal.”

Tartalia seemed satisfied with me addressing him as ‘Tartalia’ and nodded, but Mr. Jongnyeo had a somewhat troubled expression.

“If it’s too burdensome, there’s no need to go to such lengths. I’ve only shared a few stories anyway.”

I let out a bitter laugh. Cancelling the offer to serve now would just be amusing, mainly for Tartalia and me.

Since I was at it, I thought it would be better to take advantage of Mr. Jongnyeo’s favor as much as possible.

“No, it’s nothing. Serving a meal is what a skilled chef always does. If you drop by when it’s convenient, I’ll also offer ‘Mondstadt Wine.’ It’s quite popular in Liyue these days.”

In response to my answer, Mr. Jongnyeo seemed somewhat relieved, and his face relaxed into a more comfortable smile.

“Well then, excuse me.”

At that moment, Tartalia declared in a relaxed voice.

“Well, it’s decided then. I’ll visit Xiul’s lodging in the near future… And Xiul.”

Tartalia placed his hand on my shoulder with a thud. I looked at him with a wary gaze, but he only spoke in a murmuring voice.

“Don’t be like that. I quite liked you.”

“Me… well, no. Me?”

I was about to instinctively ask, ‘Me?’ but recalling Tartalia’s words from earlier, I quickly swallowed my words. Tartalia continued to smile with an inexplicable grin.

“Yeah, I felt it back then. You’re the kind of guy who gets things done if you decide to. Most people hesitate even when the best option is right in front of them. But not you. You’ve got guts and decisiveness. Guys like you eventually turn out to be worth sticking around.”

Everything sounds good, but why does it conclude with ‘worth sticking around’?

I directed a somewhat incredulous gaze toward Tartalia, but soon closed my mouth. It was because a faint spark was flickering in Tartalia’s blue eyes, which had been silent until now.

“It’s a shame. Why didn’t you learn martial arts from a young age? No, wait. Even now, if you work hard for about ten years, you could become a decent opponent. How about it? Any interest in martial arts?”

“…No, setting aside other things. Why martial arts of all things?”

Was this guy a ‘combat enthusiast’ type? Every conclusion seemed to lead to ‘fighting.’

Unable to keep up with that tension, I couldn’t help but ask. Tartalia grinned in response.

“In a way, that’s what it is. Even if you know you have to wring a chicken’s neck, most people hesitate and can’t do it. Killing something requires a certain determination. But if you think you should do it, you’re the type who would wring a chicken’s neck right away.”

I wanted to retort that I’m not a psychopath, but Tartalia, at that moment, patted my shoulder, stepped back, and left.

As he returned to Zhongye, his pupils were again clouded, as if nothing had happened.

“Well then, see you next time, my friend. Zhongye, shall we go? Oh, and if you have a business card, give it to Xiu before you leave, okay?”

“…Well, it seems like I forgot.”

And so, Tartalia left, leaving only a promise of a meal with Zhongye. He was a person who appeared like the wind and disappeared like the wind.

Alone now, scratching my head in confusion, I sensed someone approaching. It was Fischl.

“Oh, Fischl. Did you finish your story well?”

Fischl seemed somewhat tired for some reason. She sighed, shaking her head.

“The ordeal of fate has befallen upon the princess, but with the will of condemnation, she regained the time of the night sky….”

I wasn’t sure of the details, but from her words, it seemed like she was saying, ‘I went through quite a bit, but somehow managed to overcome it.’ Come to think of it, what kind of relationship did Fischl have with Hailey?

Fischl definitely seemed lonely. It must have been accumulated loneliness since she was young. And those who harbored such loneliness usually had no one around. It was just my speculation, but even her family might have often left Fischl alone. However, having a friend who greeted her so warmly was a bit strange.

Fischl, perhaps sensing my skeptical gaze, chuckled.

“I only approach those based on the princess’s status, not a true retainer. Just a person who approaches after seeing the princess’s position. Just earlier, talking about how to attract a wealthy boyfriend…”

“‘Rich Boyfriend’?”

At my words, Pisel jumped as if startled, her face turning crimson.

“Oh, it’s nothing!”

She seemed so flustered that even her usual boastful tone seemed forgotten. Not wanting to delve deeper, I reassured her, “Well, then, what was the story you ended up discussing?”

Having regained composure with all my efforts, Pisel opened her mouth while fanning herself to cool down.

“It was mostly mundane talk, but still, there was a virtual intention to contribute to the fate of the princess. I heard about the path leading to the pale city where the legendary wind apparatus sleeps.”

So, she got information about the passage to Mondstadt. Despite our lack of realization due to Oz’s presence, Mondstadt’s passage, patrolled by the Favonius Knights, was a mess. If we could avoid potential dangers, it was better to take that route.

Impressed with the useful information Pisel brought, I patted her head.

“Well done, Pisel. Excellent.”

Pisel, with a fist bump, received my pat with a triumphant look. It seemed she had become quite accustomed to it in just the second time.

“Hmph, there’s no end to the wisdom of the princess.”

As I chuckled at Pisel’s cute demeanor, I couldn’t shake off a lingering uneasy feeling.

I must be missing something, but what is it?

Feeling both on the verge of finding an answer and frustrated with the unresolved tension, I sensed that the time to leave Liyue was imminent.

And a week later.

Despite encountering Lady Gangwu once more, receiving a message from an unknown person named ‘Fragrance Pavilion’ asking if I couldn’t stay one more day (which I ignored), having a drinking session with Chongyun and Tartaglia resulting in a lively atmosphere, and various other events, I successfully completed my tasks in Liyue by confirming the goods with Snezhnaya’s upper echelon and exchanging the payment.

Now there was no reason to hesitate. Finally, it was time to return to Mondstadt. On that morning, Pisel and I took to the streets again after just two weeks in Liyue. Back to Mondstadt, where Lumine awaited.