"Alright, Feng Yi, Eula, shall we go eat first? I just finished my reconnaissance mission and I'm starving. You two can chat more after we've eaten..."
Amber rubbed her rumbling stomach. Even though there was good wine here, it couldn't fill her belly.
Besides, if she had to listen to those long-winded, tedious old noble etiquettes any longer, her ears would get calluses.
After dinner, she'd find an excuse to slip away and let them have their own little chat.
"That's fine. I'll order a dish that Uncle likes for you as a welcome gift. It should help you gain Uncle's trust more easily..."
Eula nodded. Amber's words made her feel a bit hungry too.
"Exactly! Let's go to the Good Hunter and fill up before we talk!"
Amber chuckled and quickly pulled Eula along.
Feng Yi followed closely, and they arrived at the Good Hunter together.
This was Eula's favorite place to eat because only Sarah, the owner of the Good Hunter, didn't show prejudice towards her family background.
"What can I get for you, sirs?"
Sarah, dressed in her maid attire, asked with a smile, holding the menu.
"Miss Sarah, could I please have a plate of 'Glazed Carrot and Meat Skewers', thank you!"
Amber licked her lips, her eyes full of anticipation.
"Miss Sarah, I'll just have the 'Cheesy Ham and Potatoes', please."
Eula smiled and nodded. She needed to watch her figure and couldn't eat anything too greasy.
"Miss Sarah, hold the 'Butter-fried Mushrooms' and 'Minty Bean Medley'. I'll have everything else on the signature menu."
Feng Yi always ordered by elimination.
"No problem. Please wait a moment."
Sarah jotted down their orders and said with a smile.
"Oh, and Miss Sarah, my uncle really likes the 'Pickled Meat Skewers'. Could you please pack one for me..."
Just as Miss Sarah was about to turn away, Eula added.
"No problem."
Sarah nodded in agreement and turned towards the kitchen to prepare the meal.
This was a big order today; the few of them had ordered so much, it was almost a day's worth of sales.
"Feng Yi, the 'Pickled Meat Skewers' I mentioned preparing for Uncle earlier as a welcome gift, this is a hidden dish at the Good Hunter. Only old patrons like my uncle would know about it, and it suits the taste of the old aristocracy..."
After Sarah left, Eula explained to Feng Yi why she had added the dish.
"But because the pickles have a sour taste, many people don't like it, so gradually no one wanted to order it anymore... Eula treated me to it once, and I almost couldn't swallow a single bite, so I later called it 'Revenge Skewers'."
Amber chimed in, still having lingering trepidation about the taste of the pickled meat skewers.
"I never thought our tastes would differ so much, but I'm quite happy to have gotten a little revenge unexpectedly."
Eula smiled faintly. Seeing Amber embarrassed once in a while was quite amusing.
"Feng Yi, don't misunderstand. Although Eula often talks about 'holding grudges,' that's just her way of life, and she doesn't really take it to heart..."
Amber was used to Eula's demeanor. In his eyes, Eula was someone with a sharp tongue but a kind heart.
Even though Eula spoke of grudges, she actually remembered everyone's kindness towards her.
Feng Yi knew this, of course.
It was only during deeper interactions with Eula that her 'revenge' streak truly showed its intensity.
"I do take it to heart! I remember it very clearly! You really are quite hateful!"
Seeing Amber almost revealing all her secrets, Eula crossed her arms and said stubbornly.
"Hehe? Really? Really?"
"Of course..."
"..."
While waiting for their food, Feng Yi quietly watched Eula and Amber bicker like stubborn children.
Eula rarely acted this way. Only when she encountered a sincere friend like Amber would she reveal her truest self.
"Here's your food, eat it while it's hot!"
Sarah, as if used to it, placed the delicious dishes on the table and then left.
Feng Yi had ordered a table full of food, almost overflowing.
The three of them tasted each other's dishes and spent a wonderful and satisfying meal together.
"I'm so full! I'll go pay Sarah."
Amber prepared to get up and pay.
"No need. Miss Sarah, please put it on the Cat's Tail Tavern's tab. I'll settle the bill at the end of the month."
Feng Yi waved his hand and said to Miss Sarah.
"Of course, no problem!"
Sarah smiled and nodded. Feng Yi was not only a regular, high-spending customer but also an Honorary Knight, so she had no worries about him defaulting on the payment.
"I have another reconnaissance mission, so I'll be heading off. Feng Yi, thank you for the grand meal, I'll treat you next time!"
Amber, worried that Eula might try to use him as a demonstration of old noble etiquette again, quickly found an excuse and left.
After Amber left, Eula tutored Feng Yi privately for a while longer, until a Western Knight arrived to inform her that Acting Grand Master Jean wished to discuss something with her.
Only then did Eula conclude her tutoring, letting Feng Yi take the welcome gift and go to find Uncle Schubert alone.
"There's a small camp on the mountain near Springvale. My uncle usually stays there when he has nothing else to do..."
Following Eula's directions, Feng Yi arrived at the back mountain of Springvale and soon found the camp Eula had mentioned.
At this moment, a gentle breeze blew on the mountain, and a light rain began to fall.
In the dilapidated camp, a well-maintained, exquisite chair was placed, and Schubert, whom Feng Yi was looking for, was sitting in it with a look of calm detachment.
He sat in the wind and rain, as immovable as a mountain, with an expression of enjoyment.
His upturned mustache and his entranced expression exuded a kind of morbid elegance.
"Hello, Mr. Schubert. This meeting feels like bathing in supreme radiance..."
Feng Yi's voice broke Schubert's entranced expression.
"Oh? A fellow traveler! 'Radiance' – the noble glory that endures to this day. You are loyal and brave! You possess the virtue of humility and noble cultivation, unlike those foolish swine. If you had a noble title, your future would be limitless!"
Schubert, initially annoyed at being interrupted from his elegant meditation, became interested upon hearing the man's polite greeting.
Compared to the commoners of Mondstadt, few young people were so courteous and well-mannered.
He surmised that the person either came from an ancient noble family or was a fellow traveler who admired the culture of the old nobility.
Regardless of which it was, it was worth a conversation.
Feng Yi: "Ah, yes, yes, yes. Your imagination is quite vivid. Don't stop now, keep going..."