Nobilis Custos

Prevision

"Master Diluc, have you seen two thieves around?" at the sound of that sentence, Arius slaps the hat off Venti's head served with a strict and scolding gaze barely visible through his hood.

"Did you steal, you broke idiot?" inquires Ahlstarr with a voice lower than a whisper, but the bard tries to hold down the horses, especially since Izel's beastly eyes shine through the hood and they mean nothing good.

"Silence, boys." as always, the servants abandon the matter as their master speaks or raises her hand, which tonight did both. Will Diluc sell us? He doesn't trust any of us after all. The woman attentively watches the developing of the conversation downstairs, already prepared to give the sign to Arius and Jala to take the possible culprits somewhere safer for a little interrogation.

"What happened? Why have you mobilized so many guards?" Diluc crosses his arms and pretends to listen carefully about the news. "Steal the Holy Lyre? How odd." such answer intrigues the Noble, in a pleasant way.

"Isn't it? The Holy Lyre is a treasure that was played by the God of Anemo themselves! Such a precious piece of cultural heritage-"

"Why steal something they can't sell off? Would pay better to steal from my cellars." Diluc rolls his eyes, almost bothered that someone would be that stupid in terms of business, but then recollects himself and guides the Knights in a random direction.

"I like that guy, he has some humor." Ahlstarr laughs with himself, as his companions too giggle or simple give out a tiny chuckle. "He has a nice style too, we might get along pretty well."

Once the guards leave, the group moves downstairs. Venti goes to the counter while the rest looks around, especially the Noble who's busy tracking down the guards to be sure they weren't tricked.

"You better put back the bottle you stole from behind the counter." Diluc speaks with a firm voice, but before he can continue his interrogation, the Noble delivers a big surprise.

"Sit." the gentle deity grabs Venti's clothes and almost slams him sat on the stool. The gesture itself turns the bard a few shades paler, and as he puts the bottle back, he also removes his hat and avoids the woman's eyes. "You two as well."

"Y-yes, ma'am." Aether scoops out a stool and sits with such rigid posture his back is screaming for mercy. Paimon lands on his lap and the three are now before the Noble who seems deciding how to approach the events just occurred.

"M-may I, S-Sensei?" Venti raises a hand looking like a scared child in school.

"Proceed." with a leg, Y/n pulls out the last stool and sits herself, still with her arms tightly crossed.

The intimidated bard begins to explain what he said to Aether hours before the incident, but the difference is that this time he chooses his words with caution. Not because Diluc is listening and could turn them in, but because he fears his mentor's punishment more than anything. Paimon scolds Venti, addressing him as a liar; recalling that he said the Noble would have sided with them, but it doesn't look like so. The flying little girl gets scolded and put back to silence by the deity herself.

"So you wanted to steal it to help your friend?" Paimon raises her hand to ask permission to speak this time, and patiently waits for the green light. "You may proceed."

"The one who stole the treasure is still out there." she elaborates what happened and why they had to make a run for it.

"Are you planning on getting it back?" the three silently and quickly nod numerous times, hoping they're forgiven now. "Master Diluc, in behalf of my boy here I apologize for the trouble caused to you. I sincerely hope he didn't do anything else while I was not with him."