Side Quest: Rescue the Lotus Princess! Pt.3
Without even realizing it, Diluc ends up leading the rescue mission. Despite being adverse to working on a team, and exuding rather intimidating energy, he is an awe-inspiring leader that keeps his eyes forward. He often clashes with Zhongli during the rescue mission, but fortunately, Amber eventually comes up with the idea to split the team into two groups. Diluc ends up leading Aether, Bennett, Jean and Barbara, while Zhongli searches for Kaeya with Xiangling, Keqing and Chongyun.
Bennett idolizes Diluc, which led to him joining his team. Despite Diluc constantly telling him to pretty much bugger off, the young adventurer constantly begs ‘Master Diluc’ to teach him his ways. Diluc doesn’t admit it out loud, but Bennett reminds him of a younger Kaeya. At one point Diluc takes a hit for Bennett in battle.
Aether and the others eventually rally behind Diluc with warm spirits and hearty adoration. At one point he begins to direct them in battle, not at all conscious of becoming a team leader, and the others are 100% responsive to him.
Aether and Diluc keep their distance from each other at first, Diluc being aware of his friendship with Kaeya, Aether well aware of Diluc’s ill-fated argument with Kaeya. They begin to open up to each other after Diluc confesses something: he’s terrified of losing the only family he has left.
Il Dottore abducted Liyue’s Lotus Princess, Kaeya, as a way to get to the Geo Archon. It is through this adventure Aether and the Windscouts become certain Kaeya’s boyfriend is Rex Lapis. That revelation pisses Diluc off to no end; his brother’s life is in immediate danger, over an Archon’s business. Diluc’s reaction to Zhongli being Rex Lapis prevents Aether from revealing he has feelings for Childe, another Harbinger. Why obliterate a friendship that’s just beginning to bloom?
And so Diluc pretty much spends each battle being an Assassin’s Creed-esque badass, always focused on rescuing Kaeya:
