Legacy | Genshin I. |

Chapter VI: XIII

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The Three Perfumes
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"Hey, boss. Do you sell silk flowers here?" Paimon asked, looking at the vendor right in front of her.

"Silk flowers? We certainly do! What kind would you like?" The vendor, Bolai, asked.

Confusion slipped onto Paimon's face. "Which kind...? The, uh... the good kind. The best kind... Remind Paimon what kinds there are again?"

Bolai shook his head in annoyance. "Ugh. You ignorant shoppers, always coming in here with your stupid questions..."

Zhongli decided to speak up. "Golden House, Maiden, Valley Weaver, and Fate's Yearning. One of each to start with, if you don't mind."

Bolai gave an impressed look.

Paimon gave a confused look to (Y/n) who just shrugged his shoulders, not understanding the situation either.

"...My goodness! This gentleman is quite the connoisseur! You three must be his servants. Please refrain from any further attempts to contribute," Bolai ordered.

(Y/n) mentally deadpanned. 'The fucking audacity this man has.' He mused.

"Well, guess I had it coming..." Aether sighed.

"Now then... Please peruse at your leisure. Do let me know if you have any further thoughts," Bolai urged.

"Silk flowers exhibit different properties based on how their environmental conditions differ from their ancestral habitat... Nevertheless, these are fine specimens. Excellently preserved. Just look at the abundant foliage here. And these stamens, glamorous as a maiden of the Golden House. This strain is an evergreen, and mostly grows under complex hydrological conditions. By contrast, this variety thrives in any dark, damp location, often in large clusters. Morphologically, it is distinguished by the profusion of petals and densely packed stamens, though its powerful scent gives it away just as easily. Lastly, this strain is quite the recluse. Unlike its exuberant cousins, flowers and foliage are minimal, and when in season, it has a subtle yet enduring scent. It was first discovered by the ancients when they scaled the mountains in search of the adepti. Silk flowers have all but disappeared from the wild today, due to geographical changes over Liyue's history. Most are now grown by horticulturalists," Zhongli explained.

"Mr. Zhongli's lectures 101," (Y/n) mumbled while rubbing at his forehead, feeling a small headache appear.

Paimon nodded her head in agreement.

"Wow. A true connoisseur. Most of that was news to me!" Bolai exclaimed.

"I possess but a smattering of trivial knowledge. My traveler friends are the ones to watch - they are on track to set foot in every corner of the world," Zhongli retorted.

"I'm still an ignoramus on horticulture..." Aether trailed off with a nervous smile on his lips.

"Mr. Zhongli, you're way too humble... So which silk flower did you want, anyway?" Paimon asked, looking up at the amber-eyed male.

"I'll take them all, boss." Zhongli simply answered.

"...Again!?" Paimon exclaimed in disbelief.

"How can I put this... When purchasing opera tickets, it is natural to decide based on which singer has the most melodious voice. The same logic applies when purchasing a pet bird. But this silk flower purchase is not an analogous case. The same logic does not apply. Perhaps you don't know. Tradition states that we should decoct perfume from different sub-species of silk flower when making an offering to a Statue of The Seven. Rex Lapis will then make his own choice between the scents. Like several other tedious and complicated traditions, this one has become simplified over time. But this is the only Rite of Parting to take place for one of The Seven in three thousand seven hundred years. As such, I do think we should honor tradition down to the last detail in this case. Now that's settled, a question... Ahem. Do you have any mora on either of you?" Zhongli states.