Chapter 49: Master Diluc
The Windblume Festival is one of Mondstadt's most important annual celebrations, lasting fifteen days each time it is held.
Its scale is no less grand than Liyue's Lantern Rite or Snezhnaya's Winter Feast.
It is a festival where the people of Mondstadt celebrate freedom.
Outsiders are also welcome to join, freely enjoying the wine and food.
Here, you can act as freely as you like—drink as much as you want. It can be said to be the festival that best reflects Mondstadt's spirit.
As for the origin of the Windblume Festival, it is essentially the anniversary of Mondstadt's founding.
You could think of it as something like a national day.
Back then, after the Anemo Archon Bartobas—ahem, Barbatos—blew away the icy blizzards of Old Mondstadt, he tossed a bird's feather from the sky. It drifted down and landed at what is now the center of Mondstadt City.
Barbatos then guided the people of Mondstadt to build their city around that spot.
The Windblume Festival was created to commemorate Barbatos dispersing the storms and creating the new Mondstadt, a land of eternal spring.
Although during the era of aristocratic rule, the festival once lost its original meaning and became an event for the nobles' indulgence and pleasure, things changed after the fall of the Lawrence Clan.
The Windblume Festival once again became a celebration for the people of Mondstadt, and the city returned to being the Free City of the North.
By then, the meaning of the festival had expanded beyond celebrating the Anemo Archon's blessing—it also symbolized freedom and resistance.
. . .
In the days leading up to the festival, Mondstadt's Chamber of Commerce leader, the owner of Mondstadt's largest winery Dawn Winery, controller of half of Mondstadt's wine industry, Diona's lifelong enemy, wielder of Kaeya's sword, and the richest man in Mondstadt—Diluc Ragnvindr—hosts a grand banquet at his winery.
At this banquet, he not only entertains elite members of the merchant guild who contributed to the Windblume Festival preparations, but also invites the Knights of Favonius, who work tirelessly day and night.
On that occasion, he brings out the finest wines to treat those who have contributed to Mondstadt, to freedom, and to the festival.
It is said that any random bottle of wine served there could buy an entire house in Mondstadt.
The cost of hosting this single banquet could purchase the entire urban district of the city.
And if someone wishes to take wine away with them, Master Diluc will generously gift them a bottle.
It is without a doubt the most coveted banquet in Mondstadt, the one countless people dream of attending.
. . .
Even before the banquet officially began, Dawn Winery was already bustling with noise.
People who knew each other—and those who didn't—gathered together.
Some discussed the winery's famous wines.
Others praised Master Diluc's generosity.
Even a single painting hanging beneath the staircase attracted groups of guests who stopped to admire and comment on it.
However, the crowd was clearly divided into two groups.
One consisted of elegantly dressed merchant elites, whose every gesture carried an air of refinement.
Although Mondstadt had abolished its noble system, certain traditions had still been preserved.
These traditions were fully displayed among the merchant elites.
Even so, they did not dare to underestimate the people on the other side—
the Knights of Favonius.
As the actual administrators of Mondstadt, the knights held enormous prestige within the city.
Fortunately, every member of the Knights of Favonius had to pass extremely strict selection processes.
Whether in terms of strength or character, they were top-tier talents.
As a result, the knights enjoyed an excellent reputation throughout Mondstadt.
Even these merchant elites relied on them to protect their trade caravans from Hilichurl attacks.
The reason the crowd remained divided was simply because the two sides were not very familiar with each other.
As time passed, people from both sides were beginning to exchange a few conversations.
But that brief development was quickly interrupted by the arrival of a third group.
The Fatui.
Even within Snezhnaya, many people disliked them.
Let alone in Mondstadt, a city that represented freedom.
So when they entered the hall, the voices inside noticeably lowered.
Especially when people saw that the one leading them was Krupp.
Some merchant elites quietly slipped deeper into the crowd.
If there was nowhere left to hide, they simply dragged a Knight of Favonius over to use as a human shield.
After all, that man's reputation was simply too terrible.
Greedy, cunning, shameless, despicable…
Any negative word you could think of would fit Krupp perfectly without sounding out of place.
Bribery in business dealings had already become something of an unspoken rule. Many merchant guilds maintained this delicate understanding with tacit agreement.
But Krupp was the first—and only—person to break that rule.
He had absolutely no shame and could openly demand bribes right in public, the kind of person who disgusted others without a trace of guilt.
And if anyone dared to refuse him, he would simply use the authority he held within the Fatui to openly sabotage them.
No one wanted to deal with him.
What these people didn't know, however, was that Krupp himself wasn't happy at all right now.
Originally, he had planned to let Bai Luo walk in front while he quietly acted as a follower.
It wasn't that he didn't want attention.
It was simply that with someone like Bai Luo behind him, he was afraid he might wet himself from fear in front of everyone.
But Bai Luo had said he didn't want the spotlight and pushed Krupp to the front instead.
And since Krupp was already in a bad mood, noticing people trying to avoid him only made it worse.
If the bribe-taking he had done before was discovered by the person behind him, and then reported to his master…
Hiss—
He would definitely die a very miserable death.
His sinister gaze swept across the merchant elites who were trying to avoid him, memorizing their faces on the spot.
He would absolutely make those people pay for it later.
. . .
The arrival of the Fatui changed the atmosphere of the previously lively banquet.
The mood became somewhat strange.
Yet no one paid attention to Bai Luo standing behind Krupp.
No matter how you looked at him, a man wearing a simple black windbreaker didn't seem like anyone important.
Except for one person.
"Guests, friends—welcome to my banquet."
The sound of footsteps echoed.
A red-haired young man dressed in elegant clothing walked down the wooden staircase from the second floor of the winery.
As he descended, his eyes lingered for quite a while on the otherwise inconspicuous Bai Luo.
The clothes he wore were quite particular.
They were adapted from early Mondstadt noble attire, with many unnecessary decorations removed while retaining subtle but luxurious design details.
This way, the outfit wouldn't make Mondstadt's residents—who disliked nobility—feel uncomfortable, while still reflecting his distinguished status.
The outfit also had a rather fitting name:
Nightfire in the Dark.
The name was personally chosen by Master Diluc.
The predominantly black clothing was accented with hints of red decoration, perfectly matching the atmosphere suggested by the name.
Though honestly, wearing such clothes in the summer might constantly trigger an Evaporate reaction.
After giving a polite bow, Diluc spoke again.
"To celebrate today's gathering, I have prepared a wine that my late father stored for twenty-nine years. I believe that whether you are distinguished and elegant guests, or the diligent and humble Knights of Favonius, you will all enjoy a pleasant evening."
Even though the crowd had become somewhat restrained due to the Fatui's presence, everyone still gave polite applause and cheers.
Among the Knights of Favonius, a few people who were familiar with Diluc even started helping to liven up the atmosphere.
"Then I hereby declare the banquet officially begun. Please enjoy this wonderful evening to your hearts' content!"