Dawn Winery has multiple warehouses, with Ernest as the manager holding some of the keys, and Wilder in charge of opening and closing the main gate.
The two worked together, and because Wilder frequently lost his keys, and with goods coming in and out often these days requiring the gate to be opened and closed, Ernest had him help keep them to prevent accidents.
Unexpectedly, he lost them too.
Ernest's face turned ugly, and he turned to leave.
Soon, he returned, out of breath, bringing a brown-haired, similarly corpulent man.
That man was Wilder.
The two ignored Ryan, heads down, searching among the wine barrels, carts, and grape trellises.
Ryan didn't react at first, but after watching for a while, a playful smile appeared on his lips.
These two… it seems they've run into trouble!
Time passed bit by bit.
Ernest and Wilder whispered to each other, sweating profusely with anxiety.
Seeing Ryan still there, calmly eating his dry rations, Ernest snapped at him, his tone unkind, "What are you doing staying here?"
Ryan spread his hands, chewing his food and drinking water.
He mumbled, "This is the land of freedom, Mondstadt. Don't I have the freedom to rest?"
"It's getting late. If you don't find the keys soon, you'll probably be scolded!"
"Beg me, and I'll help you search?"
"Impossible!" Ernest flatly refused, then suddenly realized, "How do you know? Did you steal the keys?"
Ryan shrugged, gaining a deeper understanding of his shamelessness: "Don't go slandering people. The Anemo remembers your every word!"
"If I've broken the law, the Knights of Favonius will naturally come to investigate. You cannot slander me."
"As for how I know…"
"Hehe?" Ryan looked down at him as if he were an idiot, "Guess?"
Will I tell you it's from analyzing the game's plot and your actions?
Ernest rolled up his sleeves.
Wilder quickly held him back: "Forget it, let's hurry up and search! If we make a big fuss and the Knights of Favonius come, we'll probably lose our jobs."
"An easy job like this, with a generous boss, isn't that easy to find."
Ernest exhaled through his nostrils, tired and weary from bending over for so long.
Ryan yawned, looking at the huge, luxurious estate, with its red-tiled roofs, white walls, wooden attics, pine trees, flowerbeds, and creeping vines—a top-tier residence he could only dream of affording before his Transmigration.
Looking around, he saw a fair-skinned, handsome man with wavy red hair tied into a Horsetail, emerge from around the corner.
He exuded the elegance of a noble and a Knight.
He wore a black and gold suit, a white shirt, and a fiery red Vision hung from his belt.
Both hands wore black leather gloves, and he had black trousers and black boots.
It seemed he really liked black.
"Diluc?" Ryan raised an eyebrow, looking at the master of the winery, then at the two men still buried under the grape trellises, unaware of their boss's arrival.
He didn't warn them, maliciously waiting for the inevitable to happen.
Diluc hadn't noticed this side yet; he was talking to a slender man with a purple vest, white trousers, black boots, and brown hair.
The man had two sensual small mustaches below his nose.
Brewer Connor was reporting to his boss about the new wine developed this month.
Two maids in long black and white dresses followed closely behind.
Soon, the maids noticed Ernest and Wilder, butts sticking out, moving around.
There was no time to give a signal.
Diluc swept his gaze forward and saw the two undignified men.
His tone was flat, devoid of any Life Qi, as if he were just asking a casual question.
"What's going on?"
Hailey and Moco, the two maids, bowed and said, "Master, we'll go ask!"
Ernest and Wilder were startled by the reminder, and stood up in a panic.
"Greetings, Master!"
Diluc looked at the dust on their clothes, then glanced at Ryan, who looked like a passerby, eating Berries.
Brewer Connor stopped his report.
Hailey and Moco, with their keen eyes, understood implicitly and went over to ask Ryan's purpose, then returned and said, "Master, the Good Hunter's goods have arrived!"
"Oh!" Diluc responded, "And Ernest and Wilder? Their behavior just now, in front of a business partner, was quite impolite, wasn't it?"
He saw the goods piled together, already covered with fallen leaves, looking like they had been there for a long time, and asked in confusion:
"Why aren't they moved into the warehouse?"
The two maids exchanged glances, a bit unsure how to speak, and directly motioned for Ernest and Wilder to explain themselves.
"Ma… Master!"
Ernest and Wilder stammered, "The Good Hunter's stableman refused to help, and we were just about to go find workers."
"Do you need to search on the ground to find workers?" Diluc asked, stroking his chin, skeptical.
"It… it was squirrels from the forest, coming to ruin the grape trellises! We were chasing them away!" Ernest's Khvarena flashed, and he quickly defended himself.
"Cough, cough!"
In the oppressive atmosphere, a sudden cough attracted everyone's attention.
Ryan patted his chest, awkwardly apologizing.
"It's nothing! Nothing! Just choked by accident! You two continue!"
"Speaking of squirrels, I don't seem to have seen any! But I did see a red key and a black key that seemed to have fallen on the ground!"
Ernest and Wilder turned pale with shock, glaring at him.
This kid did it on purpose!
He hid the keys early on!
Diluc's eyes sharpened: "A red key and a black key? Connor?"
"Are they the warehouse keys?" the brewer responded.
"Ernest, Wilder, tell the truth!" Diluc's presence was imposing without anger.
With Ryan exposing the secret they desperately wanted to hide, the two looked dejected and confessed miserably: "We accidentally lost the warehouse keys…"
"Under that cart? I didn't touch it!" Ryan reminded them opportunely.
When he was resting, he activated his incomplete Anemo element Vision, saw traces of wine, and naturally saw the keys as he followed the trail.
Hailey and Moco followed the direction Ryan pointed, retrieved the keys, and smelled a faint scent of wine on them.
Diluc reached out and took them, instantly understanding.
He looked at Ernest, who was glaring at Ryan with resentment, and said, "Not only did you violate the rules, but you also lost property."
"It seems you and Wilder are not suitable for this job! You two should switch positions! The warehouse will be managed by others."
"Alas~" Connor shook his head and sighed.
Knowing that the two often drank and messed up, he had expected this day to come.
Now, their days would be difficult!
Ernest and Wilder dared not resist Diluc's decision.
They had expected to be fired directly, but hearing that they could still remain at Dawn Winery, they were immensely grateful: "Thank you, Master, thank you, Master!"
"We will certainly be diligent and dutiful from now on, and will never make mistakes at work!"
Ryan felt a bit regretful; the punishment was enough, but his good review hadn't materialized yet.
"Let's go! Let's go!"
He wiped the residue from the corner of his mouth, preparing to ride away.
"Wait!" Diluc looked at his Liyue attire, recalling the information he had gathered from the Good Hunter.
"What's your name?"