Chapter 166: “Morning Light Craft Beer”
While Barbara was filming her MV, Diluc quietly hung the "Morning Light Craft Beer" sign on his bar.
As Lu Chen and Ei strolled along the pier, they spotted the sign from afar.
The sun wasn't too harsh after the rain, and the damp ground reflected the clear sky through shallow puddles. Just as Lu Chen was about to head toward the bar, he stepped into one and splashed mud all over Ei's pants.
Ei, being a clean freak, shot him a look of disdain.
Lu Chen paused, then used his elemental power to freeze the puddle under his feet as he stepped again.
He nearly slipped.
Ei chuckled. "Even someone who calls himself a demiarchon can be this clumsy?"
"What kind of crappy pavement is this?" Lu Chen grumbled about the city infrastructure. Weren't they aiming to turn this place into a tourist destination?
There were few people on the street. The "Morning Light Craft Beer" bar had its doors open, but it looked pretty empty from the outside.
The two approached the entrance, curiously checking out the bar's storefront. Venti and Diluc had decorated it with flowers, and the Mondstadt-style wooden sign resembled "Angel's Share"—very tasteful.
As they pushed the door open, a bell chimed and smooth jazz music drifted out.
"Welcome…"
Diluc, standing in as the temporary bartender, greeted them listlessly when he saw who it was.
"Hey, Boss Lu!" Lu Chen acted like he owned the place and pulled Ei along to explore.
The interior was decorated with lots of wood and vintage lighting, and there was even a lit fireplace.
"Not bad at all!" Lu Chen looked around, then sat with Ei at the bar.
Diluc poured each of them a glass of Mondstadt's specialty drink.
The fire crackled in the hearth, blending with the soft jazz. The bar had a cozy, intoxicating vibe after the rain. Lu Chen liked it—it felt like being back in Mondstadt.
The only downside was that there wasn't a single customer. Venti sat alone in the back, sipping from a bottle while seemingly working on sheet music.
There was just one new hire—a young guy in a bartender vest and bow tie—eyeing the newcomers curiously.
Lu Chen greeted him, then turned to Diluc.
"This won't do. How come there's no one here?"
"Rainy days always have fewer customers," Diluc replied while wiping a glass behind the counter. "And this is just the soft opening—we're not officially open yet."
"I've got a feeling business won't pick up even after the grand opening…" Lu Chen muttered. On the way over, he'd noticed the bar across the street was lit up and packed.
"As long as we launch Diluc's latest Teyvat vintage, people will come flocking!"
At some point, Venti had wandered over. He stepped behind the bar, cracked open a bottle, and plopped down beside Lu Chen, bottle in hand.
The smell of alcohol hit Lu Chen the moment Venti sat down.
As Venti chugged, Lu Chen noticed the young bartender looking like he wanted to say something but held back.
"How many bottles is that today?" Lu Chen asked, raising a brow.
"Not many, not many. Just the sixth one," Venti waved it off.
Even Diluc couldn't keep a straight face anymore. "When I stepped out to buy supplies, you opened three more bottles?"
"Uh… yeah." Venti scratched his head with a cheeky grin, hoping to slide by.
Lu Chen finally understood the bartender's expression. The place wasn't even open yet, and Venti was already drinking them dry…
"I knew it…" Lu Chen sighed. Venti only came to "help" so he could drink. He didn't care if the job got done.
Noticing Diluc's increasingly grim expression, Venti laughed, "Come on, I've helped a lot! I'm not freeloading—ask the new guy!"
"Hm?"
All four of them turned toward the bartender, who was wiping down tables with nothing else to do.
Feeling their eyes, he stiffened. "B-Boss? Something wrong?"
"Didn't you notice how smoothly you were working earlier?" Venti said smugly, arms folded.
That's when Lu Chen got it—Venti must've used Anemo on the guy, making him feel light and nimble.
Just like how Old Zhang had been uncharacteristically spry during that neighborhood brawl.
"Huh?" The bartender looked confused. "Did you give me some kind of energy pill?"
"What are you even talking about…"
Diluc chuckled, finally losing the frosty look.
"Things are slow right now. If there's nothing to do, take a break. I've got it covered."
"Y-Yes, Boss!" The bartender hadn't seen such a relaxed job before—he was practically bored out of his mind.
Still, he was pretty happy. Despite his serious appearance, this handsome boss was actually a decent guy.
"Hold on." Diluc called him back, pointing at Lu Chen. "He's the real boss."
The bartender blinked, surprised that this youthful-looking guy owned the bar.
"My surname's Lu," Lu Chen said with a smile.
"Hello, Mr. Lu!" the bartender quickly replied.
Lu Chen and Ei exchanged a glance. Being addressed like that for the first time felt weird.
Ei couldn't help but smile at Lu Chen's awkwardness. After being a big shot in Inazuma for so long, he was totally thrown off by a simple "Mr. Lu."
Lu Chen gestured toward Ei, who was grinning beside him. "This is the boss's wife."
"You're already married!?" The bartender stared at the young, attractive couple in shock, then quickly greeted her.
"Hello, Boss's Wife!"
"..." Ei gave Lu Chen a playful glare but didn't correct him.
Lu Chen laughed and pointed at Diluc. "He's also the boss. I'm not around much, so he runs the place."
"What about me? What about me?" Venti, reeking of alcohol, came crowding in.
The bartender looked over, curious. This was the same guy who kept sneaking drinks, yet the bosses never scolded him...
"This guy—" Lu Chen dragged the words out deliberately when he saw Venti's expectant face.
"He's our in-house singer. Paid daily—twenty a day. Or he can take booze as payment."
"Huh?!" Venti looked at him like he wanted to blast him into the fireplace.
Ei burst out laughing. The mighty Anemo Archon reduced to this...
"Twenty a day?! What am I, a beggar? Do you know how famous I am?! I headlined the Starlight Carnival!"
"Then…" Lu Chen rubbed his chin, "Forty?"
"Forty…" Venti glanced at the chandelier, eyes darting. "How much was that bottle of whiskey again…"
Then quickly said, "Nope, not enough! Doesn't even cover a bottle!"
Lu Chen stared. "You actually did the math? So as long as there's alcohol, you're in?"
Venti gave him a sorrowful look. "What did you expect… I was worse off back in Mondstadt…"
Lu Chen facepalmed and turned back to the bartender.
"This is Mr. Venti—also one of the bosses."
"And…" Lu Chen added quickly, "Keep an eye on him. Just because he's a boss doesn't mean he gets to swipe booze. I still need to make money!"
Not that he actually cared about profits. What mattered was finishing the task: [Highly Praised Fantasy World Fine Wine].
Though in a way, they were one and the same.
The bartender nodded blankly, then looked over the four of them again.
The big boss. The boss's wife. The second boss. The third boss…
So I'm the only actual employee here??
...