Ten years before…

An atrocious storm was hitting Mondstadt when Crepus was returning home in the middle of the night. Again, he had gone out to do justice on his own, and the storm had surprised him.

Shortly before arriving at the vineyard, near the road, he noticed a small snow-covered lump that he had never seen there. It seemed to be moving or, rather, trembling, so he approached slowly, trying his steps make as little noise as possible on the ice. At first, he thought that maybe it was a baby boar that had wandered away from its mother, but as he got closer, he began to change his mind. He reached out his hand and touched the bundle, which immediately turned over.

A blanket of snow fell revealing the face of a hooded child. His right eye was covered by a patch, and the other looked at him fearfully. The icy snots covered the upper lip, and the teeth didn't stop chattering. He wouldn't be older than his son Diluc, but he hadn't seen him before, of that, he was sure.

"What are you doing here, kid? Where are your parents?" he asked while shooking his cape.

The boy was silent. He was so cold that the body didn't respond to him. Crepus took off his cloak to wrap it around him. Then he took him in his arms and continued on his way as fast as he could.

Elzer opened the door as soon as he saw Crepus arrive. The head maid, at his side, looked at the bundle he was carrying in his arms.

"Who is he?"

"Prepare a bath," Crepus ordered without answering the question. "He needs to warm up."

Adelinde didn't waste a second in obeying and ran upstairs. Crepus left the boy in front of the fireplace and took off both his capes and his boots. Immediately, Elzer brought a blanket and covered him with it. The boy had fainted shortly after he was rescued, and Crepus kept rubbing his arms and back trying to wake him up. He wasn't long in doing so, relieving both his saviour and Elzer. Crepus asked again for his identity, but the boy didn't let out a word.

"Father?" little Diluc was watching them from the stairs, surprised. He had no idea that his father had gone out, as he always did it on the sly, and only Elzer and Adelinde knew about it.

"What are you doing awake, young sir?" Elzer scolded him. "Come back right now to your—"

"Leave him. Can you come closer, Diluc?"

The boy obeyed his father and approached them looking at the other boy strangely.

"Who is he?" he asked.

"I saw something moving near the house and I went out to see what it was," he lied. "Have you ever seen him?"

Diluc shook his head.

"Take a good look at him, doesn't he ring a bell?" his father asked again, but Diluc had no idea who he was.

"I'm sorry, dad. I don't think he's from Mondstadt."

"Sir, the bathroom is ready," one of the maids, sent by Adelinde, warned him. She covered her mouth with her hand shocked by the child's appearance.

Crepus went to take him in his arms again, but Elzer stepped forward.

"I'll take him, sir. You also need to warm up."

The child's fear was visible again, and Crepus tried to calm him down.

"I'll join you right away," he said in a kind voice. "Enjoy the bath. You'll feel better soon."

Elzer took him in his arms and carried him away.

"Son, go back to bed, it's late."

"But—" Diluc's eyes followed Elzer.

"Would you rather keep our guest company?"

"He looks scared."

"He almost died out there, and he musn't know the whereabouts of his parents—" Crepus sighed and gently squeezed his son's shoulder. "Why don't you lend him some clothes and keep him company? He'll feel better with someone his age."

"Yes, dad." Diluc ran to the stairs and his father smiled.

After his bath, Crepus went down to the living room, assuming that his service had prepared something to eat for the child. He wasn't mistaken. The kid was devouring a plate of honey roast while Diluc, next to him, didn't stop talking to him, although the boy didn't seem to even listen.

"He seems more animated," Crepus smiled and sat down heading the table. Adelinde approached and discovered his dish: another one of honey roast. "Do we know his name yet?"

"What if he doesn't speak our language?" replied Diluc. "He hasn't said a word, and I don't think he understands anything I'm saying."

"I thought so." Crepus stared at the boy. "Now that he has regained his color, he does look foreign. I'd say from the desert. But what would he do so far from home? And why wouldn't he know the common language of Teyvat?"

The child was still eating. If he understood the conversation, he gave no sign of it.

"It's also possible that he's deaf," said Adelinde.

The boy put the spoon down on the empty plate and wiped his mouth with the napkin, but continued to be quiet.

"We'd better let him rest," Crepus ruled. "Tomorrow we'll try to find out who he is and where he came from. Have you prepared a room for him?"

"Yes, sir," replied Adelinde. "I'll accompany him."

Adelinde grabbed the child's hand and he let himself be guided by her.

"Diluc, you should go to bed too".

"Yes, dad".

When Crepus was left alone with Elzer, the two exchanged a worried look.

"It looks like the storm is abating," Crepus said after looking out the window. "I want you to personally take care of finding out who that child is first thing. Don't mention anything about him unless his family shows up. And tonight, keep an eye on him. We have to deal with this matter carefully."

"Who do you think he could be?"

"It's clear that he's not from here, and it's very strange that he shows up in the vineyard in the middle of a storm, don't you think?"

"Maybe he and his family were heading to Mondstadt and were surprised by the storm."

"So late? I don't know—I hope it's just that and his parents are safe and sound, but it's better to be careful."

"Do you really think that such a small child could be a danger?"

"Mondstadt has enemies, Elzer. Enemies who would not hesitate to send an innocent child to commit an atrocity."

"Good morning, Captain!" Diluc shouted when he entered the guest room next morning. The boy rescued by Crepus startled and looked at him in surprise. "It's because of the patch, you look like a pirate," he smiled. "By the way, I'm Diluc."

The boy ignored and continued to tie his shirt.

"It's a good thing we're the same size," Diluc spoke again, then noticed a smell in the air and inhaled. "It looks like they've made chocolate pancakes. Do you like them?"

The boy looked at him, but still didn't utter a word. Diluc frowned and walked up to him.

"You know? I think you do understand me. You could nod your head if that's the case."

Diluc waited, but the boy made no movement.

"Okay—I guess you don't speak my language. Anyway, let's have breakfast!"

He grabbed him by the arm and dragged him.

When they got to the hall, running, Adelinde stopped them and scolded Diluc, who was still holding the boy's hand.

"I've told you a thousand times not to run around the house." She averted her eyes to the guest and sighed at the sight of his clothes. Diluc had not given him time to finish dressing. Adelinde ironed his shirt with her hands and put it in his pants. "By all the gods, where are your shoes?" she said pointing his feet so that the child would understand. He looked at Diluc, who apologized with a smile. "Sit down at the table, I'll get them."

"Come on, Captain, you're going to taste the best pancakes in Mondstadt," Diluc said as soon as Adelinde walked away up the stairs, and grabbed him by the hand again to take him running towards the table.

The kid seemed to have lost the appetite he showed the night before. He put a piece of pancake in his mouth and chewed it slowly, without desire.

"Don't you like it?" Diluc asked, surprised, but got no answer. Then, his father came through the door and both children looked at him.

"Good morning," he smiled, and walked over to the table.

"Good morning, dad", his son replied. "You left early this morning."

"That's right. I've been looking for our guest's family."

For the first time, the child answered, although not with his mouth. He put the cutlery down on the plate and looked at Crepus showing interest in his next words.

"Have you... found anything?" Diluc asked looking away from the child. There was no longer any doubt that he did understood Teyvat's language.

"I ran into a foreigner." He paused for a few seconds to observe the boy's reaction, which changed the expression to one of concern. "He's being questioned right now."

The boy bit his lip and ducked his head.

"Why? Is he suspected of something? Aren't they travelers?" Diluc asked.

At that moment, Elzer entered the house and Crepus headed towards him.

"Any news about the foreigner?" he asked loudly enough for the child to hear him. Elzer looked at him in surprise, but Crepus immediately guided him to his office.

"Hey—", Diluc placed his hand on the child's one, catching his attention. "I'm sure it's just for safety. If he's your dad, you'll be able to see him very soon."

The boy looked down again as an answer.

"Which foreigner are you referring to, sir?" Elzer asked as soon as Crepus closed the office door.

"None. I thought of talking about someone who might be related to our guest to see if he would react. And guess what?"

"Did he say anything?"

"No, but he seems quite worried about that foreigner. This gives me a bad feeling."

"Well, if he thinks his parents are alive, it's normal for him to show some reaction."

"Did you hear me, Elzer? Worried. Not happy or relieved to know that his family can be alive."

"I understand—"

"Haven't you heard anything weird in the city?"

"Nothing, sir. They haven't seen any foreigners, not even in the surroundings. It's all quiet."

"I see." He went to the window and stood thinking.

"Shouldn't you tell the Grand Master about the boy?"

"I'm afraid so." He continued to look at the horizon.

"I don't see you very convinced."

"What do you think his fate will be if they decide that he's an envoy of the enemy?"                  

Crepus looked at him, but Elzer remained silent.

"That child could be my son. He's not even old enough to decide for himself. Whether he's an envoy of our enemy or a simple lost boy, I'm not going to leave him in the hands of some soldiers."

"What do you mean by that?"

Crepus looked him in the eye.

"That, unless his family shows up, the child will be raised in this house, like a Ragnvindir."

"But, sir, you can't hide him from the Grand Master. Sooner or later, he will find out about his existence."

"I'm not going to do that." He walked over to his desk and sat down to write a note. Then he folded it carefully, put it in an envelope and stamped the hallmark of the Ragnvindr family. "Send a messenger to deliver this to Grand Master Varka".