noctua-lux

[noctua-lux]

Synopsis: Displaced foreigners from a distant land make their way to Mondstadt under the eye of its defender. What troubles are on the horizon?

Tags: multi-part, slow burn, dilcu x oc, diluc pov, diluc gives workaholic vibes, slow update

Word Count: 1.6k

A/N: Mostly using this for writing practice. The entire story progression is sketched out from start to finish, but writing takes time. Please forgive slow pace of updates.

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Chapter One: A Timely Warning

The Pillar of Wine Society. The Gem of the Wind Lands. The Pride and Joy of Mondstadt… These are all titles that Diluc has heard used for the Dawn Winery before. The land of his forebearers has long been touted as the most lucrative in all Mondstadt. Though becoming its guardian was always a position he’d known he'd take, no one could have foreseen just how soon. Likely too soon for a young man just navigating his twenties, yet the drunks and common folk of Mondstadt had still never seen the youthful wine baron as anything but a dutiful artisan. A reputation that he wasn’t going to sully, not for himself nor for his late father's good name.

Bust days that the Dawn Winery were hardly rare. At pretty much any time, any visitors could see sunbaked gardeners dotting the rows of pruned vines or crewmen carrying sealed oak barrels to ferment in the cellars. For his part, Diluc was busy in his study, a stately room of rich cedar walls encased with shelf upon shelf of files and books. Hunched over his desk with papers in hand, the sunlight cast from his windows ignited his hair like fine strands of a roaring fire. Wherever else it traveled, it made shadows across the velvet of his chairs or illuminated the brushstrokes on his father’s paintings. A refined atmosphere fit for commerce and dealings, even if it were only the consideration of badly needed corks for the next harvest like that day.

Though every area of the manor could be considered extravagant, Diluc had always found himself most partial to this room above all. It was within these wooden walls, sat atop his father’s lap, that he got his first look into what being a businessman looked like. What diligence looked like. Even now, many of the movements he would make at the old oak desk mirrored those from his memories. Every dip of his quill or letter torn open, right down to the red wax he’d drip onto envelopes to press in the winery’s seal. Just an echo of who had sat in his chair before him… Though the mundane drag of signing papers and reading reports could weigh on him over time, the familiarity of the past always brought him a little peace.

The silence of the lavish room was broken by Diluc’s own groan when he forced his back to straighten after what felt like ages. His spine protested immediately, popping and cracking at frankly concerning volume for his young age… He had been considering different supply proposals for hours, weighing their offers against the winery’s stores and squinting against the fine print until his sight had become blurry... But just as he thought about taking a break, a tentative knock on the hardwood door snapped him to attention.

A familiar wave of tension swept down Diluc’s weary body, ‘Great… has something else gone wrong?’ he thought as he set a neatly stacked collection of parchment to the side. His other one massaged the bridge of his nose without thinking, offering just a moment's relief from the throbbing growing behind his eyes… Thoughtful minds would tell him that he should close them for now before going out on his nightly patrols, but ever the workhorse, Diluc didn't dwell on his fatigue for long before forcing his body into cooperation. He steadily fixed his posture, even if it were only one joint at a time, and waved to the door.

“Come in…” he said with his usual tenor, despite wishing the mystery visitor would take their presence elsewhere. A soft but shrill squeak punctuated his request as the door protested against its hinges, a consequence of living in a home as old as his manor... Adelinde’s heels clicked against the hardwood when she strode towards his desk, her hands folded in front of her.

The head maid's affable presence was at least more welcome to him now than Elzer's. As much as he owed the old man, his whole demeanor had slowly begun to shift as the Winery’s workload continued to grow as of late… The relief was fleeting, though, as Diluc saw in her eyes that her purpose here wasn't merely to chat… There was a firmness in them, the same look he'd seen her give when she’d lecture him and Kaeya as teens to get up and start their morning routines.

“A letter has come in for you, sir,” she said in her ever-respectful tone used mostly when she interrupts him, “I believe that you may want to see it.”

Diluc exhaled sharply from his chest, his worst fears seemingly confirmed in an instant.

“Can't it wait…?” he replied, fighting back the strain in his voice. He really wasn’t in the mood for another chore to oversee... Though whether or not Adelinde found his acting convincing, her back straightened up as she looked down at him with fixed resolve. When she opened her folded hands for him to see what she was holding…

No. No, this could not wait.

In Adelinde's palms, standing out against the white fabric of her gloves was a weathered blue canister that he both loathed and welcomed to see. A promise of future boons or incoming disasters…

“Ah, I see now.” Diluc outstretched one of his hands towards hers, where she deposited the hollow casing to its rightful owner. The canister felt light in his grasp, light enough to be carried by an avian messenger to the Winery's backyard. “I trust this is all?”

“Yes, for now, sir. How are the preparations coming along?” A sympathetic smile graced Adelinde's lips as she surely caught the way his shoulders slouched for just a split second…

“I think I'll bring you some tea, then.” she said placidly, seemingly attempting to excuse herself, but Diluc knew she only wished to give him space. Whether to rest at his desk or read his note, however, he couldn’t say…

“I wouldn't mind that. Thank you…” the response left his mouth more like an idle thought than an actual reply. His mind was already elsewhere the moment he saw the cylinder now at his disposal.

It had been nearly a year since he joined the network that saved his life, though if he were being honest, there was still an awful lot about it that he still didn't know. From what he could tell, it spanned across almost every hub of civilization with informants from all walks of life and industry... Yet, to him, that also seemed to barely scratch the surface. What he did know, however, was that though he had claimed to have lofty connections before joining, being in their ranks now had given him contacts he could've never dreamed to have roped together before. Some were well-known, others mysterious, but everyone looked out for each other in their own ways…

Diluc worked to unscrew the canister’s lid which gave him little resistance. A tiny strip of paper, not much wider than a finger, slid out of it and onto his desk. The parchment was heavily textured, he’d guess made in Liyue, with a thin red cord knotted to keep it closed. Diluc’s gloved hands fidgeted with the small knot briefly before freeing the paper and the message inside. However, he didn't bother to try and read the writing. Not yet. He had been with the organization long enough to know that their intel drops were always coded, but the key to the cipher could always be found in an innocuous book drop. This month’s choice was apparently the third edition of the Drunkard’s Tale collection… an irony that was not lost on him.

Having the book close to his desk meant he could pull it out quickly, flipping to every page indicated by the sequence of numbers within the paper. It took him only a half-hour to decode, unscramble, and rearrange what had become a familiar pattern, finally leaving him with the information he sought:

‘Foreigners seen at Liyue border. Thirty traveling by caravan. Mondstadt bound. Masked individuals spotted. Stay vigilant.’

The message turned Diluc’s blood cold, only to then reignite it again like the heat from his ruby Vision. Thirty travelers? People in masks? Was it a Fatui plot? An invasion?? His pulse was already quickened when he rose to his feet from his chair, lips pursed. ‘No, no… The Fatui still have diplomatic relations with Mondstadt so such a large-scale infiltration would be seen as an aggression,’ he thought.

Diluc tore the message apart between his fingers and then set it alight in the palm of his hand. Flecks of white paper scattered in the air then crumbled away into blackened soot… Whatever the case, it was fortunate that this intel got to him as soon as it had. A group that large traveling from Liyue could still reach Mondstadt in only two, maybe three days. It gave him time to prepare…

His wine-hued eyes drifted off towards the study’s window, casting over the rows of lush green vines stretched for miles beyond the manor’s vantage point... A part of him knew Elzer would be cross if he chose to step away from his duties now, what with the winery’s coming anniversary to consider, but it couldn’t wait. If Fatui were truly marching on their borders, they would choose a time like this to catch him off guard, wouldn’t they? Elzer could understand… Surely…

Diluc closed his eyes, swallowing down a small, uncomfortable lump in his throat for stepping away from his staff yet again… But it was always better to be safe than sorry.

‘Always…’