Chapter 1

(Kaeya's POV)

"Sir Kaeya! Master Jean has sent me to inform you of your new task." Wyratt, a newbie who recently just joined the Knights of Favonius, frantically called out to me. "Sir Kaeya!!"

How bothersome. I was just starting to feel relaxed on my little stroll, and now work was piling in again. Putting up an act is tiring you know? I sighed, coming to a stop. I turned around, a big smile plastered onto my face. "Ah! You must be Wyratt, the new knight, nice to meet you." The newbie's face lit up and he laughed shyly," You even remembered my name, what an honour, you're really as nice as everyone says!" The knight stuck out a piece of parchment towards me, "Anyways, this is the work that Grand Master Jean has assigned to you, I best be off now!"

I forced myself to smile and wave until he turned the corner, but my facade immediately dropped once he was out of sight. Looking at the piece of parchment, I quickly filled myself in on my new assignment.

Trudging up the snowy paths of Dragonspine, I couldn't help but groan. God, I'm freezing to the bones. Just my luck to get a task that required me to come to Dragonspine, how I despise this place. Looking at the parchment again, I went over what was written on it again. So I'm to follow this map to where Chief Alchemist Albedo's camp is… I wonder why people find him and his research suspicious. When the Chief Alchemist came to compulsory Favonius meetings, he seemed pretty nice though.

Lost in my thoughts, I tripped over a feeding bowl in my path. "Fuck! Who in their right mind would put a feeding bowl in the middle of the path?!" I sweared, annoyance getting the best of me. Just as I said that, an outstretched hand made its way into my field of vision.

"…sorry, no one usually comes this way, so I put the feeding bowl there for the fox who frequents my camp. I apologise if it caused you inconvenience." A gentle yet firm voice reached my ears, the owner of the outstretched hand. My face flushed in embarrassment as I grabbed his hand to pull myself up. As I opened my mouth to speak, I was instead interrupted by the person in front of me.

"Hello there, I'm Albedo, Chief Alchemist of the Knights of Favonius. I take it that you are here to see me, Captain Kaeya. It's rare for someone to visit my camp, it being so far in Dragonspine, to what do I owe the pleasure? Ah! Excuse me for my rudeness, do come into my camp, you must be freezing." Albedo invited me into his camp, his voice somehow calming to me.

I sat down on the wooden chairs, mesmerised by the orange-red flames flickering in the campfire. Albedo handed me a mug of warm milk, taking a seat opposite me. "I'll get straight to the point, Master Jean has sent me to take care of some things in Dragonspine, and since you have a camp here that has all the necessities, Jean thought it would be a good idea for me to stay with you for the time being. You don't mind, do you?" I asked, my face a mask with a smile.

Albedo sighed. "Captain Kaeya, there is no need to keep up your facade around me. I'm well aware of how you force yourself to seem outgoing, cheerful and kind to everyone. That kind of facade will not work on me."