As Arky was enjoying the simple fact of being alive, the door to the guest room was suddenly yanked open.
Three women in maid uniforms rushed in.
The woman at the front glanced around the room before finally noticing the boy sitting upright on the bed.
She stepped forward, her posture straight and professional. "You are finally awake. Are you feeling alright? We heard weird sounds coming from this room."
Arky did not answer immediately. He was still trying to make sense of where he was and who these people were.
"Who are you?" he asked instead.
The woman stopped beside the bed and replied calmly, "I am Adelinde, the head maid of Dawn Winery."
She gestured to the two girls standing behind her. "This is Hillie, and the other is Moco. One of the winery's workers found you unconscious by the river at the foot of the hill. Our men brought you up to the estate shortly after."
Arky raised an eyebrow. It finally clicked, he was in Diluc's Dawn Winery.
He studied them more closely. Adelinde had shoulder length blonde hair with neat bangs, her expression strict and sharp.
Hillie had brown hair, tied back neatly, while Moco's hair was an unusual mix of red and rose hues.
All three were scrutinizing him, though Adelinde's gaze was especially sharp.
"I see," Arky finally said. "Thank you for bringing me here."
He gave a slight bow in appreciation. That was when he noticed his clothes. They were not the ones he had been wearing before.
Catching his reaction, Adelinde spoke again. "Your previous clothes were soaked and tattered. The girls insisted on changing you into something clean, but don't worry, I made sure they didn't do anything inappropriate."
The two girls instantly turned red like tomatoes.
They tried to protest, but froze when Arky's silver eyes flicked toward them.
Hillie quickly blurted out, "We… we did not see anything. We just wanted to make sure you would not catch a cold."
Moco nodded furiously beside her.
"I see," Arky replied lightly. "Thank you both for your concern."
If he were still the same naïve boy from Earth, his imagination would have already been running wild. But after dying far too many times, all he felt now was mild amusement.
Adelinde crossed her arms. "I still don't know your name. How did you end up all wet near the river?"
Arky looked up at her and decided to make up a story on the spot. There was no way he could explain what he had been through, and even if he did, they would never believe him.
"My name is Arkys. I was on my way to Mondstadt when I was attacked by Treasure Hoarders. I lost consciousness during the fight, and when I woke up… I was here."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"If what you said is true, then they likely took everything I had and dumped my body into the river, expecting me to die. I'm deeply grateful for your help," Arky said, his tone turning unexpectedly formal.
Adelinde's stern expression softened at his words. She studied him for a moment but found no obvious lie and nodded slowly. "I'm sorry for your loss. Do you need help informing your family?"
Arky shook his head. "There's no need. I don't have anyone I can call family anymore. I would have liked to repay you, but my bag was taken as well. All my Mora was inside it."
Adelinde shook her head, her expression softening further.
She looked at the young man with a weariness that seemed to seep from his very being. Just by looking at him, she could tell he had endured more hardship than most would in a lifetime.
She sighed quietly. "You may stay here until you recover. I'll inform Master Diluc of your situation when he returns. He should be able to help you search for your belongings."
Arky blinked, his thoughts racing.
'Did I bullshit too much?'
If Diluc heard this story, he would definitely sniff out the lie. The man was sharp, observant, and annoyingly thorough.
Diluc had been one of Arky's favorite characters back when he played the game. During launch, he had even pulled on the standard banner instead of Venti's, just to get him.
Because of that, Arky knew exactly what kind of man Diluc was.
Give him enough time, and he might even figure out that Arky didn't belong to this world at all.
Arky shook his head as he looked back at Adelinde.
"No, you've already helped me more than enough. There wasn't anything important in my bag anyway, just some Mora and spare clothes. If it's alright with you, I'd like to stay here for a while until I feel better."
Adelinde did not argue. She nodded once.
"Very well. Rest as long as you need. However, I will still inform Master Diluc. Incidents like this cannot be ignored, especially with traders frequently passing through these roads."
With that, she turned and left the room, her steps calm and professional.
Hillie and Moco, however, remained rooted to the spot, their eyes fixed on Arky's gemlike silver gaze as if caught in a trance.
Arky noticed and smiled faintly. "Thanks for washing me up."
The two snapped out of it instantly.
"No, no!" Moco blurted out, shaking her head frantically. "We didn't touch you anywhere weird!"
"It's fine," Arky replied calmly, amusement flickering in his eyes. "I'd be honored to have two such beautiful girls take care of me. I'll treat you both when I'm feeling better."
He even added a wink for good measure.
Both girls turned red instantly and hurried out of the room, slamming the door behind them with a loud bang.
Arky's playful expression faded into thought.
Staying here for a while was the best option. He had no Mora, no connections, and wandering around the wilds like Razor was not exactly appealing.
If he wanted to stay in someone else's house without getting kicked out, the trick was simple: make sure they never wanted him to leave.
The maids were easy. Adelinde, on the other hand, was an entirely different beast.
As he pondered his next move, a feminine voice echoed inside his mind.
"I didn't know you were a pervert."
It sounded like a small child.
Arky narrowed his eyes and glanced at the back of his hand.
There, etched into his skin, was a spiral-shaped tattoo, like a distorted portal that glitched and warped at the edges.
As he focused on it, a black runic panel materialized before his eyes, golden letters flickering across its surface.
Before he could even process what the hell was happening, a black die warped out of the tattoo and floated silently in the air.
Arky instantly recognized the die from the fragmented memories that had flooded his mind. It was the same one Xai'reth had used to beat Asmoday to a pulp, and turn her into a mascot.
"You are… the Die of Probability?!" he asked, incredulous.
"Aaaha…" a voice echoed inside his head from the die.
Suddenly, it began to glow so brightly that Arky had to squeeze his eyes shut. When he opened them again, the die had transformed into a floating girl, reminiscent of Paimon.
She was the same size as Paimon but wore a fluffy black dress that glowed with neon green accents.
Big amber eyes stared at him, and small, cute antlers peeked out from her head. Black magical butterflies drifted lazily around her as she floated in the air.
Arky's eyes widened slightly. He never expected a die, like the one he used to play Ludo back home, to suddenly turn into a tiny floating girl.
"You're alive?!" he blurted.
The girl rolled her eyes. "Duh… what do you think?!"
This time, the voice came directly from her mouth.
Arky's lips twitched. 'Sigh… please don't be a yapping machine like Paimon.'
Before he could finish thinking, the girl darted forward and kicked him square in the head with her tiny legs. "You just thought badly of me, didn't you?!"
He swatted her away like a fly and stalked over to the window, staring out at the windy sky.
"Fuck…"