The hall was buzzing with voices—nearly a hundred adventurer hopefuls had gathered. Aether scanned the room. Familiar faces from the game stood out like stars in a constellation.
Razor stood off to the side, arms crossed, clearly uninterested in socializing.
Nearby, Fischl was deep in dramatic conversation with her raven, Oz, who responded in his usual verbose flair.
Aether blinked in quiet surprise as he caught sight of a group of nuns across the room—Barbara and Rosaria among them. Rosaria leaned against a pillar, already bored, while Barbara chatted animatedly with one of the younger sisters.
He didn't expect to see Sucrose here either, flipping through a leather-bound notebook while glancing up every now and then and stealing glances at Albedo, who stood nearby.
Albedo noticed Aether almost instantly. His gaze sharpened with recognition, and a half-smile touched his lips. He nudged Sucrose gently and started walking toward him.
"Aether, is it?" Albedo said, his voice calm but carrying enough charm to turn a few nearby heads. "A pleasure to finally meet the first heir of Master Diluc and Lady Jean's estate."
Aether blinked, caught off guard. "I didn't expect anyone to—"
"Recognize you that quickly?" Albedo finished for him, amused. "Let's just say your name carries a bit of weight."
Sucrose shifted nervously beside him, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "It's nice to meet you too," she said softly, offering a small smile. "You can stick with us if… if you want."
"Yeah," Albedo added smoothly. "We don't know what rank we'll be getting yet, and it's easier to make friends now than after all the guild politics kick in."
Aether nodded, unsure how to respond. Still, he appreciated the offer.
"Thanks. I usually keep to myself," he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. " I'll take you up on that."
Before Albedo could reply, footsteps approached. Barbara had left Rosaria's side and now walked toward them, a bright smile lighting up her face.
"There you are, Sucrose!" she said, her voice warm. "I thought I'd lost you in this crowd."
Sucrose's eyes lit up as she turned. "Barbara! I was just—um—introducing Albedo. And this is Aether."
Barbara gave them both a quick curtsy, more out of habit than anything formal. "It's a pleasure to meet you both. Sucrose talks about you sometimes," she added, glancing at Albedo with a teasing smile.
"I only mentioned his research," Sucrose said quickly, cheeks flushing pink.
Albedo smirked.
Barbara turned her attention to Aether. "It's nice to make your acquaintance. This whole process is kind of intimidating, don't you think?"
"There is a big crowd," Aether admitted.
Before anyone could say more, a loud crackle echoed through the room. A small speaker squealed to life.
"Ad Astra, everyone!"
All heads turned toward the front, where Katheryne from Mondstadt stood holding a portable loudspeaker. Her usual calm, measured voice now carried clearly across the crowd.
"It's about time we begin the aptitude testing. Please follow the signs toward the testing hall in an orderly fashion."