“Very well, let’s formulate our battle plan,” Kaeya said with excitement.
“Stormterror’s attack on Mondstadt has ironically given us an opening to root out the source of this disaster,” Jean stated.
“Wait, I have a question.” Lumine raised her hand at that moment, looking like an elementary school student asking a teacher.
“What is it, Lumine?” Jean asked, looking at her ruefully.
“I heard that Stormterror is one of the Four Winds?
Isn’t he supposed to be a protector of Mondstadt?
How did things end up like this?” Lumine asked in confusion.
“My, it seems you know quite a lot!” Lisa said, looking at Lumine with an intrigued expression.
*Which naturally brings to mind a certain walking encyclopedia.*
“That’s a rather long story.
Stormterror was indeed one of the Four Winds in the past, but regardless, the current Stormterror is an enemy of Mondstadt,” Jean explained.
“The Dragon of the East, the Falcon of the West, the Wolf of the North, and the Lion of the South—these are the Four Winds of Mondstadt, and simultaneously the familiars of Lord Barbatos, the Anemo Archon,” Lisa told Lumine.
“As for Stormterror, the Dragon of the East, his true name is Dvalin.”
“I-I already knew all of that,” Lumine said with a touch of awkwardness.
“Oh?
Is that so?
Very well, then!” Lisa instantly lost interest.
With that topic concluded, they returned to the matter at hand.
“Through Lisa’s magical reconnaissance, the origin point of the hurricanes enshrouding Mondstadt has been exposed,” Jean continued.
“Oh?
And where might that source be?” Kaeya asked with keen interest.
“The abandoned temples of the Four Winds,” Lisa answered, picking up where Kaeya left off.
“Stormterror is able to whip up gales of this magnitude by borrowing the residual power lingering within those ruins.”
“And our targets are three of those four abandoned temples.”
“As for why it’s three, I believe everyone here understands,” Jean continued.
“Hold on, I don’t!” Paimon piped up.
“Me neither,” Lumine agreed.
“Haha, I’m sure you’ll figure that out soon enough,” Lisa teased.
“It’s getting late.
Lumine, you and your companions should rest in Mondstadt for tonight.
Tomorrow morning, Amber will lead Lumine, Paimon, and Eve to the Temple of the Wolf of the North; Kaeya and Lisa will cut off the Temple of the Falcon of the West; and I will head to the Temple of the Lion of the South alone.”
“The plan is settled,” Jean concluded decisively.
“No problem,” everyone responded.
“Oh, right, Lumine.
Since you’ve just arrived in Mondstadt, you probably don’t have much Mora on you, do you?” Jean asked considerately.
Lumine nodded.
“Then, as compensation for helping Amber and saving the city of Mondstadt, please take these Mora as a small token of gratitude from the Knights!”
Jean retrieved a large pouch from her office cabinet and handed it over to Lumine.
Lumine took the pouch and opened it, revealing a dazzling, golden sparkle inside.
“Ah, it’s so blinding!
We can buy so, so much food with this!” Paimon clutched her mouth dramatically, staring fixedly at the pouch of Mora.
At a rough glance, there must have been tens of thousands of Mora inside.
“I suppose so!” Eve’s eyes also lit up with a golden sheen.
She had already completely forgotten what the price levels in Mondstadt were like.
“Uhm…
this sum should be enough for you to live in Mondstadt for a period of…
er…
a few days!” Jean hesitated, struggling slightly to phrase it.
Those Mora would probably cover just a few meals and a single round of drinks…
“Thank you so much, Acting Grand Master Jean!” Lumine said with a warm smile.
“We’ll be heading off now.”
“Ah, wait a moment.” Jean called out, stopping Lumine once more.
“After all, since Eve is technically a monster, you should still mind her influence within the city limits.”
“It wouldn’t do to cause a public panic, after all,” Jean said, glancing at Eve.
“Oh, I’ll keep that in mind,” Lumine replied nonchalantly.
After all, Eve was such a “well-behaved” creature.
Eve, for her part, felt the matter was entirely trivial.
*You mind your business, and I’ll do my thing.
Yep, the two don’t interfere with each other at all—splendid.*
Seeing that Lumine agreed, everyone let out a collective sigh of relief.
The three of them walked out of the Knights’ headquarters.
By then, the sky had already grown dark, and Lumine looked around, searching for an inn where they could spend the night.
After Lumine and her companions left, Kaeya and Amber also departed from Jean’s office.
Lisa picked up a book from Jean’s bookshelf and flipped it open to browse.
“Jean, what do you think of this outland traveler?” Lisa asked while flipping through the pages.
“Did you not see what kind of beings they were fighting?” Jean replied with a counter-question.
Hearing Jean’s response, Lisa wore a faint smile.
“Indeed!
Fighting against a dragon, no less.”
“On the contrary, Lisa, I’d like to ask *you* that question: what is your assessment of the traveler and her companions?” Jean turned the question back around.
“Me?
There’s not much to look at; they are indeed a group of little cuties,” Lisa said with a smile.
“Though that little slime has piqued my interest immensely.”
“I find myself wanting to research it more and more,” Lisa chuckled.
***
*Angel’s Share* tavern.
“Mr.
Bartender, truly—just one *zillion* more cups, I’m begging you.”
A young boy wearing a green cap sat at the bar counter, pleading pitifully with Charles the bartender.
This person was none other than Barbatos, the Anemo Archon of Mondstadt, also known as Venti.
“No, Master…” Charles hadn’t even finished his sentence when a hand tapped him on the shoulder from behind.
“Master Diluc, you’re here…” He turned around to find Diluc standing right there.
“Go tend to other things; I’ll handle this,” Diluc said with a wave of his hand.
“Right away, Master,” Charles immediately stepped away from the counter.
“Ah, what an honor to have Master Diluc grace us with his presence,” Venti looked up, gazing at Diluc.
“How is a man visiting his own establishment considered ‘gracing it with his presence’?” Diluc frowned. Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
“Well, I don’t care about that.
Surely Master Diluc wouldn’t mind gifting a poor, pitiful bard a single glass of wine, right?” Venti pressed further, pushing his luck.
By then, Venti was already slightly drunk.
“Hmph, whatever,” Diluc muttered with a resigned sigh.
“So, what will our dear bard be having today?” Diluc asked.
“Eh?
You’re actually treating?
Well, in that case, I won’t hold back!
I’ll have a glass of Dandelion Wine,” Venti’s eyes instantly lit up.
“Sigh, you greedy rascal!” Though Diluc grumbled, his hands didn’t stop mixing the drink.
“Hehe, my luck today is simply fantastic!
Not only is Master Diluc treating, but I even get to drink a cocktail personally mixed by Master Diluc himself,” Venti beamed with unconcealed joy.
Before long, a crystal-clear glass of liquor was placed on the counter right in front of Venti.
“Exquisite.” Venti sipped the wine bit by bit, savoring its flavor meticulously.
After finishing it, Venti slumped facedown onto the bar counter.
He was completely, utterly drunk.
At that moment, a flash of green from within the raging gale earlier crossed his mind.
*Could it be her?*
*That aura was too familiar.
To think she’d actually show up in Mondstadt.*
*What on earth brought her here?*
*It seems Mondstadt is getting awfully lively lately.*
Venti muttered inwardly to himself.
Just then, someone banged their hand on the table, jolting Venti awake.
“Hey, hey, hey!
Wake up, drunken bard, it’s time to close up.”
Venti lifted his head, and Diluc’s stern face swam into view.
“Have I been asleep for that long?”
Venti quickly checked the time, only to find that it hadn’t even reached closing time yet.
“Master Diluc, it’s not even closing time yet!” Venti protested.
“We have some matters to attend to today, so we’re closing early,” Diluc explained.
Only then did Venti notice that he was the absolute last customer left in the entire tavern.
“Alright then!
Master Diluc, see you next time,” Venti gave a polite, cheery wave.
With that, Venti tried to make a run for it.
But Diluc grabbed the fleeing bard firmly by the collar before he could escape.
“Hold it right there.
You haven’t paid your tab yet!”
“Aside from the glass I treated you to, the ledger still records that you’ve downed three cups of Apple Cider, two cups of Binksy’s Best, and one cup of Sunset Afterglow—bringing your total to 18,800 Mora.”
“Seeing as we’re old acquaintances, I’ll waive the odd change and call it an even 18,000 Mora,” Diluc rattled off the calculation swiftly.
“Wait, wait, Master Diluc, I don’t have that kind of Mora on me right now.
Can we put it on my tab?”
“I’ll pay off my debt with musical performances!” Venti pleaded with a pitiful look.
“Sigh…” Diluc let out a heavy breath.