Ceres P.O.V - Springvale

After our walk, we made it to Springvale. We walked around the village to find Xiangling, we asked a couple of the villagers if they seen her and they told us that she's at Draff's house, they given us directions to his house. When we got there, we saw Xiangling and a man, who I'm guessing is Draff

"You must be Xiangling"

"Sorry Mr. Draff, this was all my fault" Xiangling apologized

"I heard the whole story. And now that you're here in person..."

"Ooh, he's gonna let her have it!" Paimon said and Aether stood in front of Xiangling and placed his hand on the handle of his sword

"If you're looking for a fight, bring it on!" Aether said

"Can't we just talk this out without violence?" I asked with a sweatdrop

"...Please help me promote my meat!" Draff pleaded, making us look at him with a dumbfounded expression

"Eh?" Xiangling looked confused

"Sorry if I was a little brash. Let me explain. Springvale has built its reputation on top-quality meat products, but this reputation is so far limited to Mondstadt. When I heard that a great maestro Xiangling herself was in Mondstadt, I asked Allan to send you over" Draff explains

"Maestro?" Paimon asked looking confused

"It means someone who is skilled enough to be considered an artistic genius or in this case, a chef genius" I said

"Oh! Now Paimon understands"

"Like the young lady said, she's the one behind Wanmin Restaurant, that one-of-a-kind folk cuisine restaurant in Liyue Harbor. Her unique take on cooking ingredients is behind some of the best-loved dishes in all of Liyue. They are very highly rated by travelers too" Draff said

"Hehe, you're too kind. I just try to cook things that are cheap and cheerful" Xiangling said looking bashful

"With top-notch chef cooking top-notch cuisine with top-notch meat from Springvale... Our reputation would spread far and wide" Draff said

"Hmm... I don't know... I only ever think about how to make tasty dishes... I never limit myself to specific ingredients, and I don't know the first thing about promoting anything" Xiangling said

"You use boar meat all the time anyway, surely? I can't see what the issue is" Draff said

"The issue is... What would you think if I added a bit of slime condensate?" Xiangling asked

"That's... I mean, couldn't you add something a bit more normal?" Draff asked with a sweatdrop

"There's no such thing as 'normal' ingredients to me! You can turn anything into a delicacy if you cook it in the right way. I will not stand doe having my creativity shackled by what ingredients I can and can't use! Food cooked like that is destined to be boring, period!" Xiangling exclaimed

"That escalated quickly" Aether said with a sweatdrop with Paimon nodding in agreement

"Yeah. I have heard celebrity chefs are known to be somewhat strong-minded people..." Ceres said with a sweatdrop

*Sigh* "Well, since you feel strongly about it, forget it. But it really is a pity..." Draff said with a look of disappoint and we started taking our leave

"You know, we did come to apologize... Couldn't you be a little more flexible?" Paimon asked

"It's one thing to apologize, but it's another thing entirely to change the way I approach cooking" Xiangling said and she started sniffing the air "Mmm, what's that smell? It's gorgeous" Xiangling started to follow the smell. As we follow Xiangling, we were approaching a young woman cooking "Hello, may I have a taste of your delicious cooking?"

"Sorry, I've taken all the orders I can for the next few days. The earliest I could put you down for is seven days from now, is that okay?" The woman asked

"Wow, it must be delicious if it's that popular" Paimon said with an impressed look

"Odd... This woman is clearly a very popular chef..." Aether pointed out

"Yeah, good point. Why does Draff want Xiangling to help when Springvale already has this lady?" Paimon asked

"That is a good question. I wonder what kind of reason Draff has for this?" I asked

"Hmm... Maybe he feels that Mondstadt cuisine can't compete with that of Teyvat's biggest business hub, Liyue Harbor. But I disagree! I don't think my cooking is at all inferior to anyone else's" The woman said

"Well then... Show me what you got! Maybe I can give you some feedback" Xiangling offered

"Sorry, but customer feedback like 'Oh, that tasted good' is no use to me. If I wanted feedback I would ask a professional chef-" Then the woman looked at Xiangling and went wide-eyed "Hang on are you... Xiangling!?"

"That's me!"

"It's really you! Well, I guess you do know what you're doing when it comes to cooking meat then. As it happens, I have one of today's prime cuts remaining. So tell me, how would you cook this?" The woman asked

"That depends on the ratio of fat to meat. With this cut, I would probably roast it over a hot stone with a little salt, some Jueyun Chili and Qingxin flower" Xiangling suggested

"Qingxin flower!? But the melted fat would make the flavor of the flowers ten times stronger than we eaten raw... It would overpower everything!" The woman exclaimed

"I know, that's why it's a garnish. I would never marinate the meat in it! I tried it before. If you baste the petals in oil and then cook them with the right heat and duration, it gets rid of the bitterness completely and leaves you with a lovely crispy topping. Then throw in some Jueyun Chilies frown at a high altitude, where the low humidity and varying temperature lends them a unique dry heat. The petals absorb the saltiness from the sea salt, the chili spice, and the umami of the tender, freshly grilled steak, while also adding a floral aftertaste" Xiangling explains

"That's pure overkill! You're going all out on the trimming and doing no justice to the meat whatsoever. Who want's to eat a roast when you can taste everything except the roast?" The woman argued

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, stop arguing!" Paimon said as she tries to stop the argument from rising

"I guess this is a sort of culinary clash of the titans" Aether said

"It kinda looks like that, but I don't think they would even hear us or anyone at the moment other than themselves..." I said

"Hmph! Well, there's only one sure-fire way out of a cooking dispute... I declare a cook-off!" Xiangling declared

"Suits me! If you can't beat my cooking, it'll show that Draff was clearly wrong about you" The woman said

"Alright, but if I win, you have to use my winning dish to promote Springvale!" Xiangling said

"And if you lose, you have to add my winning dish to the Wanmin menu! With a caption saying 'This special addition to the Wanmin menu is generously provided by Chef Brook of Springvale, meat expert' Hmph!" The woman named Brook said

"That's a pretty long caption..." I said with a sweatdrop

"It's a deal!" Xiangling accepted "I'm off to get ingredients, I will see you all in Liyue!" Then Xiangling ran off

"Wait! Waaait!" Paimon shouted, but Xiangling already left "Aether, Ceres, let's try and catch up"

"So, we're heading to Liyue? We should take a shortcut" Aether said and I pulled out a map

"How about we head back to Dawn Winery? Liyue is just across from there, it's a short walk. So it's a quicker way to Liyue" I said as I pointed the location in the map

"Alright. Let's head off" Aether said and we started heading back to Dawn Winery

No One P.O.V

As Aether, Ceres and Paimon started heading back to Dawn Winery, once they got there, they started walking down the path that Ceres showed in the map. After the short walk, they finally made it to Liyue. Ceres couldn't help but smile

'It's been such a very long time since I've been here, even before my long slumber. I wonder how Morax is doing including the Adeptus and the Yaksha. I hope they're doing well' Ceres thought to herself as they finally landed and her Vision changed into Geo

"Now that we're in Liyue, where should we look for Xiangling?" Paimon asked

"Hmm... How about we walk up the mountain first? We might see her along the way" Ceres said

"Alright. There might be monsters along the way, so let's be careful" Aether said and Ceres nodded

Then they started walking up the mountain and looking around for Xiangling

"So, Ceres, what can you tell us about Liyue since we're here" Paimon said

"Well, Liyue is the land known to be economic hub. They transport goods from near or far. As for the Geo Archon that watches over this nation his name is Morax, he's the God of Contracts. Morax protects the land and the people along with the Adeptus and the Yaksha from danger" Ceres said

"Have you met Morax or the others?" Aether asked

"I have. When I came to Liyue with my master, like Barbatos, I met him at night when my master fell asleep. He greeted me by the window and he took me to meet the Adeptus and the Yaksha. They were very kind to me when I was a child and they watched over me before my master and I left Liyue to visit another nation" Ceres said

"Wow. You had a real interesting encounters" Paimon said

"Guess so. But I'm still wondering why they told me to keep our meetings a secret though" Ceres said

"Who knows. The only ones who knows the answer for that will most likely be the Archons themselves" Paimon said

"That's true" Ceres said, she looked down at the beach and saw Xiangling "Oh, there she is" Ceres pointed down

"Let's glide down and meet her" Aether said as they jumped down and used their gliders to float down. When they got to the ground, they went towards Xiangling

"I think we're getting close..." Xiangling said

"Have you decided what you're looking for yet?" Paimon asked

"Of course not!" Xiangling said happily

"If you haven't, then why are you sounding so sure of yourself?" Ceres asked looking confused

"That's just my style. If I decided in advance exactly how I was going to cook something, there'd be no element of surprise to the dish. In the same way, if I knew what I was hoping for before I found it, it wouldn't be a surprise" Xiangling explains

"I see, but isn't that risky?" Ceres asked

"Relax, this is how I came up with all the signature dishes at Wanmin Restaurant. Let's look around here, I'll let you know when I find something I like" Xiangling said as ran towards mountain, Aether, Ceres and Paimon followed behind her. When they got to the top, Xiangling looked at the small pond "Check out those Lotus Heads, look how fresh they are! Boar steaks with lotus seeds... This could work!" Xiangling started picking the Lotus Heads "Hee hee, this should be enough. It's not everyday you come to Liyue. Let's keep looking and see what else we can find" Then Xiangling started walking down the path as Aether, Ceres and Paimon followed behind her.

Unaware to the group, a figure with amber eyes was standing by the cliff. They were staring at Ceres as they smiled with relief

"Thank goodness, you're alright, Ceres. I hope our reunion will come soon" The figure said as they turned around and was about to leave "Xiao" Appearing out of nowhere was a young man

"You called?"

"The priestess have arrived here in Liyue. Watch over her during her visit and make sure no harm comes to her" The figure said as they started to leave

"As you wish, Rex Lapis. I'll watch over the priestess during her time here in Liyue" Xiao said as he kneeled down and disappeared again into thin air

"Ceres... Please stay safe until our reunion has come" The figure called Rex Lapis said as he left

Back to Ceres and her group, as they walked up the mountain path, Xiangling looked up and spotted something

"Wow, Jueyun Chilies!" Xiangling exclaimed happily as they followed Xiangling up the mountain

"Aw, that's such a cute name" Paimon said

"Maybe so, but those little fellas pack quite a punch. From what I've observed spicy food is a rarity in Mondstadt. So this will be perfect. Go and pink some! Get a good handful" Xiangling said as Ceres and Aether both started picking some Jueyun Chilies. After they picked enough, they looked at Xiangling with their hands full of the chilies

"Hey, Xiangling. Is this enough?" Ceres asked

"Yep! But... I still feel like we're lacking something..." Xiangling said, who started thinking on what else she needs

"Do you mean it's not impressive enough?" Aether asked and Xiangling nodded

"It's missing a little boom shaka-laka!" Xiangling said

"Yeah, now that you mention it, it is a little boom shaka-laka-lacking" Paimon said

"Paimon, you understand?" Aether asked looking surprised

"Hehehe..." Paimon chuckled

"Something tells me you don't" Ceres said with a sweatdrop

"Brook may be a stickler for convention, but she is a talented chef nonetheless. There's no doubt she will source the fanciest-quality ingredients. To win this will take a truly mind-blowing dish... Something like sea-serpent salad, stir-fried Qingxin flower, or wild mushrooms in a rich slime jus" Xiangling listed

"I'm sorry, but... did you just say slime jus?" Ceres asked while Paimon looked disgusted on the name

"Haha, I know how weird it sounds, but I guarantee you it tastes incredible. I'll make some for you next time!" Xiangling promised

"Can't wait to try it" Aether said, making both Ceres and Paimon look at him with a surprised expression

"Hee hee, you won't be disappointed when you taste it, although it looks a teensy bit gross" Xiangling said, making the trio sweatdrop "Never mind that, I've just remembered there's somewhere I never checked out last time. My gut tells me that's where we'll hit the jackpot. Let's go take a look!" Xiangling said as she jumps down the mountain along with Ceres, Aether and Paimon. As they floated down the mountain, they landed on the ground and started following Xiangling to the place she hadn't fully checked. Not too far, they saw a waterfall and Xiangling spotted something "Wh-What's that?!"

"A person... And they looked injured! We need to help them!" Ceres said as she started running towards the person, when she got close, she noticed the man shivering

"Brr... So... so c-cold..." The man said as he tried to warm himself up

"He's shivering! We need to warm him up quick!" Xiangling said, looking worried

"Make a fire!" Paimon said

"Hot soup would be even better. Aether, how about Ceres and I look after him while you make him a nice warm bowl of soup"

"Yeah, and I think we passed a hilichurl camp while we were floating down. They should have a campfire" Ceres said

"Sure, you can count on me" Aether said

"Great. Be as quick as you can" Xiangling said and Aether nodded as he quickly left

After Aether left the girls to watch over the shivering man, Aether quickly ran to find a hilichurl camp with a campfire, the first camp he found didn't have a campfire. He climbed up the mountain, there he found another hilichurl camp and there he found a camp with a campfire. He quickly fights the hilichurls in order for him to have nothing disturb him while he cooks. After he defeated the hilichurls, he started making the soup which was Radish Veggie Soup. Once he finished making the soup, he immediately leaves the now abandoned camp and started heading back to where the girls and the man were. When he finally got back, he handed the man the bowl of hot soup. The man took a sip of the soup and it looked like the soup did the trick

"Mmm... That is better... That is better... Thank you. That soup really did the trick" The man said

"What happened? Did you get frozen?" Aether asked

"Yes. I was chasing a boar, and after chasing him all this way he slipped into those underground ruins over there. I followed him inside, but ran into a Cryo Regisvine. It froze me instantly. When I woke up, I ran straight outside but... I only made it this far before my strength failed me" The man explained his story

"Huh? Cryo Regisvine? Vines... attack people?" Ceres asked

"They do now! I'd heard of them before from others, but this was the first time seeing one with my own eyes" The man said

"Yikes, we should definitely keep our distance from the ruins... It sounds dangerous" Paimon said

"It sounds delicious!" Xiangling said excitedly

"...Seriously? Does anything NOT make you think about food?" Aether asked with a sweatdrop

"That's it! The missing ingredient! The icing on the cake!" Xiangling said with stars in her eyes

"Calm down. Can we really eat a tree that's that aggressive?" Paimon asked looking unsure

"Only one way to find out. Let's go!" Xiangling said as she charges inside

"*Sigh* Off she goes again..." Paimon sighed

"Ceres, you should take this man back to Springvale. Paimon and I will follow after Xiangling" Aether said

"Okay. Be very careful in there, Aether" Ceres said as Aether and Paimon followed after Xiangling "Shall we start heading back to Springvale? You can get checked out for any other injuries just in case"

"Yes. Lead the way" The man said and they started walking through the path

As they walked, they didn't say a word, so Ceres decided to break the silence

"So, sir, may I know your name?" Ceres asked

"My name? Oh, I haven't introduced myself. My name is Olaf" The man named Olaf introduced himself "May I know your name?"

"I'm Ceres, priestess of the Seven Archons" Ceres said and Olaf stopped walking with a look of shock on his face

"P-Priestess of the Seven Archons!? M-My apologies!" Olaf apologized as he bowed

"Why are you apologizing for?" Ceres asked as she tilted her head to the side

"Because you're the priestess! I need to show respect!" Olaf said

"Please calm down. There's no need for that" Ceres said

"But still...!"

"Don't worry about it. You can be your usual self if you want. I don't mind" Ceres said

"If you say so... It'll be kinda weird though" Olaf said

"It's okay. Take your time, there's no rush" Ceres said and they started walking again

As they walked, a couple of Abyss Mages were looking at the girl on the cliff

"Hee hee hee. We should take the priestess now since she doesn't have anyone to protect her" The Hydro Abyss Mage said

"I agree! If we take her now, her highness will be most pleased" The Cryo Abyss Mage said

"Let's take her by surprise!" The Electro Abyss Mage said

"You will not harm the priestess" Cutting down the Electro Abyss Mage was none other than Xiao "As long as she's here in Liyue, she's under my protection" Then Xiao started fighting the other two Abyss Mages

After the fight, Xiao put his weapon away, he looked in the direction of where Ceres and Olaf were walking down the mountain path. He let out a breath of relief, knowing that Ceres didn't hear the fight going on. He resumed his duty watching over her until she leaves Liyue safely. Ceres stopped walking for a moment, then murmured something and Xiao was the only one to hear what she said

'Thank you for protecting me, Xiao'

Xiao felt his cheeks burn as he continues to watch over Ceres as she and Olaf leave Liyue. Once his task was completed, he returned to the Wangshu Inn

As Ceres led Olaf to the same path that she, Aether and Paimon took earlier, once they got back to Mondstadt, they started heading to Springvale. Once they got to Springvale, Olaf looked around the village

"Is something the matter?" Ceres asked

"Well... it's just... Is this Springvale?"

"Yes, this is Springvale. Why?"

"..." Olaf didn't say a word

"If you want, you should talk to the Draff. He's the head around here. His home isn't too far from here, just walk up and you should be able to see him outside of his house" Ceres said and Olaf started walking in the direction where Ceres pointed

'I hope he's okay' Ceres thought as she decided to walk around for a bit as she waits for Xiangling, Aether and Paimon to come back

To be continued