Star Rail: Starting with a Lyre, Living off Busking

It was pleasant to see Captain Gepard of the Silvermane Guards again. His demeanor was nothing if not meticulous, his every word and action displaying a knightly charm.

More than that, he reminded Venti of a certain dark hero…

Ah, though the voice is strikingly similar, it's hard to imagine the stoic Diluc as someone who's so… attached to his sister.

Lost in these impolite thoughts, Venti didn't forget to greet him warmly.

"Hello, Captain Gepard! Good to see you again!"

"…Er, hello. I hope you'll forgive the sudden invitation…"

Gepard's reply was a bit stiff—not that he was deliberately being cold, but—

"Hey! How come you started eating while I was gone?!"

Serval eyed her brother, who was holding a bowl and looking stuck in place, clearly mid-bite, surprised by the sudden interruption.

She chuckled, though she feigned shock, her playful smile giving away her intentions.

…She was deliberately creating a relaxed atmosphere to bring them closer.

After all, seeing the otherwise composed captain of the Silvermane Guards in his role as a big brother, sneaking bites before dinner, added a touch of warmth and familiarity.

Caught off-guard by Serval's ever-watchful gaze, Gepard, who saw himself as mature and independent, could only play along.

"This is fair compensation for tidying up your place... And, Sis, you really need to be more organized. It wouldn't kill you to put things back where they belong."

"Haha… Well, I get busy sometimes, and things just get left around…"

Serval scratched her head with a sheepish grin.

Only Pela, well-acquainted with the sibling dynamic, could read between the lines, catching the real story behind the banter before looking away, mildly unimpressed.

More interesting than Serval's "oblivious" big sister act was something Venti had said.

"So, you've met Captain Gepard before?"

"That's right. I was performing on the street when Captain Gepard happened by, and poof—he stole all my fans!"

Venti teased, smiling at Gepard.

"After that, I figured I should get to know such a powerful person. If I ever got arrested, he'd be someone I could call to help me out!"

"You're always assuming you'll end up in jail…" Pela muttered in exasperation.

But Gepard, entirely serious, replied, "If the opportunity arises, I'd be willing to help. But if you truly committed a crime, I would carry out my duty impartially."

Serval couldn't help but let out a laugh, seeing her brother's earnestness inadvertently put a damper on the lighthearted mood.

While she worried about his less-than-smooth social skills, Venti laughed heartily.

"As it should be! I'll be sure to say, 'I won't talk until I see Captain Gepard!'"

"Oh, are you continuing this story?" Pela quipped as Serval, sensing her noodles getting cold, ushered everyone to the table to eat.

The workshop's cozy backroom was a bit cramped with four people, yet it exuded a warm, homely atmosphere.

Serval's eclectic tastes were evident in the decor—a mix of electric guitars, oversized wrenches, and even a disassembled intelligence core from an automated machine.

The latter, at least, suited Serval's "main occupation" of running the Neverwinter Workshop.

After all, Serval was no stranger to wealth, comfortably holding the title of "rich lady" by Belobog standards.

Incidentally, the noodles Gepard had been slurping were not soup noodles but a hearty dry mix of thick noodles, salted, peppered, and garnished with Belobog's signature red sausage.

The portion was sizable, almost a small mountain—a typical meal for the calorie-burning Silvermane Guards, though Venti, with his light appetite, found the idea of eating so much hot, sticky food daunting.

Both Venti's former self and Barbatos had never taken well to hot, sticky dishes—especially anything like hot cheese pie!

Fortunately, Serval had also prepared some meat pies.

The pies fell well within Venti's comfort zone, though he could manage a bit of the noodles to be polite.

It wouldn't do to appear overly picky at a host's table!

The mealtime was pleasant, mainly because Serval couldn't sit still. After distributing the food, she entertained them with tales of daily life, which often veered toward Gepard's childhood antics, much to everyone's amusement.

It seemed that, no matter the world, sisters often enjoyed teasing their brothers.

As the main subject of conversation, Gepard frequently found himself flustered, clearly embarrassed, though he didn't want to interrupt Serval.

Thankfully, Venti joined in, throwing in a few jokes to deflect, which earned him a grateful glance from Gepard.

Serval watched with interest, while Pela polished off her noodles and pulled out a set of blueprints.

Though annoyed that her friend was discussing serious business during a meal, Serval recognized that these plans were important, especially since they would directly impact Silvermane casualties—a fact that hadn't escaped Gepard's notice either.

Setting her own playful nature aside, Serval cleaned up the dishes to give them space for the discussion. Pela spread out the blueprints and turned to Gepard.

The young captain held up a hand, saying earnestly, "I believe Intelligence Officer Pelageya is the better person to speak with Venti…"

He paused, searching for the right way to address Venti, who smiled and interjected cheerfully, "Just call me Venti."

"If that's the case, then please, call me Gepard as well."

Gepard nodded, continuing, "Back to the matter at hand. I think it's best for Pelageya to lead the conversation. She knows you better and is familiar with these calculations. It should make things smoother."

While Silvermane protocol would ordinarily require a superior officer like Gepard to lead discussions, he felt that relegating Pela to the sidelines after inviting Venti here would be needlessly formal and, more importantly, lacking in respect.

Such open-mindedness won Venti's approval, and he nodded, signaling his agreement.

Taking her cue, Pela, already prepared, began the meeting.

"Alright, then. Let's get started—"