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"Traveler. How's the adventuring going?"
"Oh, Diona," the Traveler said, with somewhat less than the amount of enthusiasm Diona had come to expect from their encounters. "Good to see you. It's going well… mostly."
That was the sort of opening someone who tended bar for a living just couldn't resist, even when they weren't behind said bar, and also even when they hated alcohol with the burning passion of a thousand suns. "Oh? Something on your mind?"
"Hm… " Her conversational partner was very visibly wavering between telling Diona about it or holding it in. Diona perked up her ears and opened her eyes wide, attempting to look as trustworthy and interested as possible. It paid off. "It's just," the Traveler started, "you know Master Diluc, don't you?"
Diona screwed up her face in distaste. She regretted asking already. But she was in too deep now. "…Yes," she ground out, between sharp teeth. "What about him?"
"Well, I've started inviting him on a few small adventures, but he's been acting very suspiciously… doing the sort of thing in combat that you wouldn't think someone so experienced with their pyro Vision would do… And it seems like he must be doing it on purpose! Like…" The Traveler hesitated, then finished in a lowered voice, "…like it's all according to plan or something."
Diona's calico ears twitched. "A plan?" A plan from the mind of Diluc Ragnvindr, wine tycoon? That could only mean one thing. "It must have to do with the winery!"
There was a flash of something in the Traveler's eyes. Probably awe at how quickly Diona was able to put the pieces together. "Do you think?"
"Of course!" Diona insisted, balling up one fist. "What's he doing? I'll put a stop to it!"
"Well, if you'd like to see for yourself… would you like to come along on this next adventure and keep an eye on him for me?" the Traveler suggested.
Diona nodded vigorously. "Yes, you can count on me!" she exclaimed. "I'll stop him from doing anything weird and suspicious! What should I be on the lookout for?"
And so, the Traveler, keeping a perfectly straight face, explained.
---
"Far be it from me to question your expertise on the subject of forming the appropriate adventuring party for the situation," Diluc said, in the tone of one who was definitely about to question one's expertise on the subject of forming the appropriate adventuring party for the situation, "but I'm not certain this is such a good idea. Miss Diona has made little effort to conceal her dislike of me, and all I represent… Can she really be trusted to provide support in the midst of combat?"
"Don't worry, I've spoken with her," was all the Traveler would say, with an enigmatic smile that reminded him of… well.
Diluc sighed. He had a bad feeling about this. But the Traveler had helped him in the past, and he'd promised his aid in return. He'd go along with whatever this was, for now.
---
Diluc swung his claymore at the mitachurl, setting its enormous shield aflame. He struck it once, twice, then once more with the fire, and it disintegrated under the sheer force of his assault.
The grass under his feet had caught flame as well, but Diluc was clearly not paying it any mind. Almost as though it was totally expected and normal to have tongues of flame climbing up your legs.
"There, see?" the Traveler hissed in Diona's direction, while knocking back a crossbow-wielding hilichurl with a gust of wind. "Doesn't it seem like he's practically counting on it?"
It did very much seem like that. "I won't allow it!" Diona cried out. She pulled back her bowstring and sent off a barrage of Icy Paws in Diluc's direction. The red-haired owner of the Dawn Winery was engulfed instantly in a bubble of cat-shaped cryo energy, which acted as a barrier between him and the flames at his feet.
Diluc's plan, whatever it was, had been foiled for now. Diona gave herself a moment to bask in the warmth of a job well done.
---
"Miss Diona?" Diluc said, approaching the girl after all was said and done. But even after the greeting, she remained quite pointedly turned away from him, with her chin up and all her attention seemingly consumed by grooming herself. He waited a moment to see if she'd finish and look his way, but when she did not, he decided to just have out with it. "I wanted to… thank you," he said. "I'll admit I was somewhat skeptical of how this would go, but you were a great help, and I apologize for doubting you." There. That would assuage his sense of honor, and hopefully bridge the divide between them to bring an end to all these unfortunate and unnecessary hostilities. "If there's anything that I—"
"Save it, boozehound!" Diona snapped, whirling to face him. "I'm onto your tricks! Reverse psychology won't work on me! You're not going to be able to do whatever it is you have planned, not while Diona's watching! My shields will stop you from even getting close to setting yourself on fire! And this is how the Mondstadt wine industry will meet its end!" She threw back her head and cackled.
Diluc blinked, his mouth open. He closed it, then opened it again. "I… see," he said, sounding a little lost. And then he looked at the Traveler, who was looking away, too-innocently.
A hypothesis was forming.
"Traveler, may we speak for a moment?" he asked. "Privately?"
A minute later, he was glaring at the Traveler, arms crossed over his chest. "Did you convince that poor child that I'm setting myself on fire on purpose for some… some nefarious alcohol-production-related reason?"
The Traveler just chuckled. "Well, the illustrious Master Diluc couldn't possibly be setting himself on fire by accident, could he? Even Bennett, the unluckiest pyro user around, doesn't burn himself so much!"
Diluc couldn't help the face he made, or the blush that danced across his cheeks. It wasn't that big a deal was it? He could handle a bit of burning damage. It was just that he'd gotten used to fighting on cobbled streets, or on the polished stone within domains. He was out of practice fighting on grass. That was all.
To save face, he attempted to redirect the conversation. "How did you even come up with this convoluted plan?" he asked. "What could have possibly given you the idea to—"
"Kaeya," the Traveler answered.
Diluc let his head fall back in despair, looking to Celestia for guidance. Of course it had been Kaeya.
The Traveler patted him sympathetically on the back. "Well, if you would just learn to not set yourself on fire, I wouldn't have to resort to such extraordinary measures." And then the golden-haired adventurer started to walk back towards a curious-looking but aloof-pretending Diona, waving a hand at Diluc in farewell. "I'll be in touch! Get some more practice with grass, alright?"
"I will do my utmost," Diluc replied, heaving a sigh and turning his feet towards the winery. He really should hone his control a little better. He was meant to set his enemies on fire, rather than himself. He knew that. Practice would do him good, he imagined. Make his targeting more precise.
But, he was just so busy with the winery and the tavern—as well as his somewhat extralegal nightly activities in the city. He probably wouldn't be able to find the time.